My Life in Zambia

So, I know I only posted two days ago, and I'm excited to get to post again so soon, but this will not be the case the whole time I'm here. I'm actually thinking it'll be more like once a week. But, I had this opportunity to come to the internet cafe again, and so I'm taking it.

Yesterday was a full day of orientation and meeting students. At orientation we got more of a picture of what our lives will be like while we're here. The University of Zambia has just started up a new semester, and it's slow going because many of the lecturers are on strike. So, the students go to class when they can, and study when they can, and riot when they can't. Apparently they're pretty passionate about learning. The schedule has affected the ministry, and so they are really still trying to get Bible studies going, even though the semester was supposed to start in March. They've asked us as staff to come in and either start a study or help the older students lead a study and hopefully raise up leaders amongst the students so that when we leave, they can continue their studies. I commented to Meghan that it feel like they want us to do in five weeks what I'm hoping to accomplish when I'm done with three years at U of A.

Meghan and I will be helping Sarah, the girl we're living with, lead an already established study with mostly upperclass women. She's asked us to meet with several of them while we're here and she's hoping that maybe a couple of them will want to break off and lead their own study after we leave. I think there are around 15 women currently in the study. We met several of them last night, and it's neat to see the love and respect they have for Sarah. I'm grateful to get to join her and hopefully serve her by pouring into a few of these women. Sarah is a senior, and she's juggling classes and leading the study and meeting with women, and she doesn't have any older women pouring into her. I get drained just thinking about it! I'm praying that we will be a blessing to her.

We are also going to be getting ready for a four-day summer program for the students in which we will be leading workshops. I've never actually lead a workshop like this before, and with only two weeks to prepare, I'm kind of overwhelmed at the thought. I think I will be leading the workshop on prayer, and I'm thinking my prayer life is definitely going to increase between now and then.

Tonight is The Forum, which is UNZA's NavNite. We'll be meeting even more students, and hopefully connecting more with the women we've already met. I'll post more on that next time.

Until then, some parting thoughts:
I like nshima, the Zambian staple at every meal made of corn meal which you eat with your hands. UNZA has a housing problem, so they put four students in a room with two beds, and even put two students in a utility closet. I'm learning the art of a bucket bath. Bugs are only scary when they're crawling near your bed at night. Oswald Chambers has some great thoughts on prayer in today's devotional. I love playing speed Uno with my team - especially when we're jet lagged and a bit loopy. According to a man on the street who called out to me and the other girls yesterday, we're "lookin' pretty white!" When a car honks its horn at us while we're walking, it either means "get out of the way!" "need a taxi?" or "buka buka!" (which I have yet to translate, but it reminds me somewhat of my time in Italy - "Ciao Bella!"). A full night's sleep will do wonders for your spirits. AND...I love my team.