One Day, 3 God Appointments

On Sunday, after some needed R & R in Livingstone, we prepared to make our way back to Macha. Little did we know that God had arranged three appointments for us. As we usually do, we prayed before we ventured out that this day would be God’s day to do what He intended, and if possible He would invite us to be a part of His activity.

God Appt. #1

We’d planned to have breakfast at Zigzag B & B because we knew they had free wi-fi. We had pre-arranged with LeeAnn and Tara to video chat via Skype, but for the previous five days we’d not had a good internet connection. In fact, we heard that it was country–wide; they were working on it in Lusaka, the capital. It took a couple of tries, but eventually we got to see and talk with the girls, and Sasha, our black lab mix! In seeing their faces, and hearing their voices we realized how much we really miss them. Really for the first time we felt homesick, not for home but for LeeAnn and Tara.

God Appt. #2

At our usual potty-stop in Choma, Kathy noticed a car parked in front of the convenience store with the Jubilee Centre logo. We recognized that logo from the organization we worked with in Ndola five & six years ago. Ndola is 10 hours north of here.  As we entered the store we saw our friend Lawrence Temfwe, the director of Jubilee Centre Ministries. It was really great catching up with him, and his family & ministry, and there were hugs all around.  

Kathy, Lawrence Temfwe, Daniel Temfwe and Greg.

God Appt. #3

In Mbabala, our usual cabbage stop, we were approached by a man who spoke excellent English, he asked us if we would give a women a ride to the Macha Mission Hospital. Both of us felt that God wanted us to be her transport so he showed us the young women laying under a tree on a matt near the road. There were others there to help lift her into the Land Cruiser and older women that appeared to be her mother, rode with her. They did not speak English and we don’t understand Tonga so the communication was hard. When Kathy began to pray everyone knew what that was about. As we came to the hospital Kathy got help from the staff and they brought a wheelchair because the girl was unable to walk. We really don’t know the problem she was having. We just knew she would receive the help she needed. We prayed for her again and left.

Mbabala, just drive up and put in your order for vegetables and someone will bring it right to your window!  Like a drive-up Farmer's Market!

Kathy is buying the weekly cabbage for the boarding house.

The woman  the striped top is being loaded into our car to take her to the hospital.

More God Encounters

We continue to have great conversations with the staff. As I (Greg) delivered 3 sick students to their homes on Monday, Chris, one of the male teachers and I had a great conversation. I am finding that God places people in the car with me and it is a great time to talk to them about family, dreams, and what God is doing in their life.

I (Kathy) had a heart-to-heart with one of the teachers. I had expressed to her that God was waking me up in the middle of the night, and bringing her and her 10 year daughter to mind. I told her that I was praying for them whenever God was bringing them to mind. I asked her if it was possible that her daughter needed to be here at MICS with her instead of living in Ndola with her brother. At first she told me that this was the best arrangement, but as she went on she let me know that her brother was the one who thought it best to have the girl living there with him and not her. Last night, this teacher came to our door to ask me if she could come find me later the next day to talk and pray more about this. Of course, I agreed! We hugged and cried together, this was a huge step in my relationship with her as it is not common for Zambian women to be vulnerable, especially in front of white people. Please be praying for her, that God will reveal Himself and His plan for her and her daughter.

I am learning that Zambian women have terribly hard lives. Often they are single or widowed with children, or one of many wives to one man. The women support the family, and they work in the gardens and fields, care for their parents, and neighbors, and often take in orphans, too. They are a strong mix of Tough Girl because of their circumstances and Nice Girl as a result of their culture.

Our time in Livingstone again for some R & R was really a restful weekend and our last getaway before we move into the homestretch with finishing out school, & all the year-end parties/activities. We crossed the border into Botswana for a river safari and a safari game drive. We saw elephants, hippo, buffalo, crocodile, giraffe, and a huge pride of lions. Our Motswana (that’s what a person from Botswana is) guide gave Greg a name in Setswana, “Tabo” that means happy, and Kathy the name “Tabisi” which we think means Mrs. Happy! Kathy learned to play Mancala at a curios shop. But the thing we enjoyed the most was the 2 warm showers. Our first showers in a couple of weeks! The little things in life can also be the best!

This Friday we will be celebrating Thanksgiving. There are 11 Americans that live within an hour of each other. We are invited to an overnight in a guest house in Choma to celebrate together.  In true American style it is ‘bring a dish to pass” for the Friday night supper, and a pancake breakfast Saturday morning.  After breakfast we will then drive back to Macha, pickup the housekeeping staff and return to Choma so they can do their monthly shopping. 

Happy Thanksgiving to you all! We miss you!