November: Mud & Graduation

Ladies and Gentlemen..
It's official! I am a graduate of the September 2008 Advance Mission Training class! WOO!!! :)
I am DONE! Aah! But first things first, I have to tell y'all about how our last, final expedition went.. without the leaders!

We left last Saturday morning (November 15^th), all seven of us. No Dan, No Laura, and no teammate Angie (she is the director of the LIFE program and had to visit 17 villages in a week, so her hands were full) We arrived at Mandandi and unpacked the truck and started setting up camp. I don't think it really hit any of us fully that we are in this alone until we watched the truck drive away. (que the song "all by myself") The first night, we just pow-wowed around the campfire about what the next few days of ministry would look like as our team of seven split up into two more teams to go out to the villages. The next three days were simply a gift from God. The first day, my team of Josh, Luke & myself went door to door to door just to meet the villagers, encourage them, tell them about our meeting later that day, and pray for any needs they have. Now, if you remember my September update – the first time I did this, I was petrified. I had no idea what to say or do or even how to sit properly. When we walked up to the first house, I felt like I was walking up to just a friend's house – absolutely no fear. After the first few homes, Josh & Luke went one way and I went the other with my translator (and now dear friend) Floristas. Everything I was doing and all the words coming from my mouth felt completely natural and as if I had been doing this for years – talking to rural Zambians about the hope we have in Christ. Looking back at the hours of that day, all I can say is that it wasn't me talking, it was the Spirit :) The meeting that day kept our moral high and carried onto the next day where the three of us went out again to another village to do more door to door in the puddles and mud & host another meeting. Honestly.. it was just the best expedition ever. All of us recognized that we each needed to step up to share the Word and as we did, God moved through each and every one of us to reach the people of Mandandi and Chilibani. As we packed up camp and load the truck in the middle of a downpour, the whole team was smiling. We had successfully accomplished our mission and there were no conflicts among any of the team! Like I said – amazing! :)

We returned to Base on Tuesday and then had a last bit of Ministry Ethics homework and Come Back Alive worksheets. If you look at the white board in the Main Center, Wednesday had "AMT R&R" written on it – Wednesday was a day for rest and relaxation.. but it turned out to be anything but! We left Base to go on a short game drive at Mosi-o-tunya park. After an hour of wandering around and seeing monkeys, kudu, deer, warthogs and the hunt for elephants , the truck took a turn for another road deeper into the park.. and all the contents in the back of the truck hit a steep angle. Ladies & Gents, we got stuck. And not just any kind of stuck… reaaaaally stuck. We all just stood there, waiting for further instructions from the front of the truck. Dan hoped out and then announced "everybody out" we climbed down the back of the truck to see the two left tires 2/3^rd submerged in wet, watery mud. To make it even better, it started to rain.. and we were losing light – fast! The following three hours are just one of those things "where you just had to be there." After 2 hours of attempting to dig the tire out by the light of cell phones and a tiny flashlight.. the decision was made that we would have to leave the truck there & just wait to see who found us first – Arthur with the LandRover or Paul with the recovery DAF truck. By now it as around 9pm and with all of us huddled together, Laura pulled out a small piece of saran wrapped cake and presented it to Stephanie – b/c it was her birthday! At the top of our lungs, in the pitch darkness of an African game park, soaked to the bone, covered in mud and still getting poured down on - we sang happy birthday. And then sticking with Overland Birthday traditions, Dan threw Stephanie (who was already pretty dirty from digging) back into the water/mud. She too, had an African birthday that she will never forget. ;-) We were then discovered by Arthur in the Landy and got back to the Base where we all promptly crashed out. The next day (Thursday,) we all put on our worst clothes, ate a big breakfast, climbed into the back of the recovery DAF truck and went back to the scene of the incident. We spent the following six hours trying different ways to get the truck unstuck. I spent five of those hours hugging the rear differential and digging the back tire of the truck out. With each attempt to move, it got more buried and buried. By the end of it, that rear diff and I were best friends. We called the day around 3pm b/c we were all exhausted and starving. Later that evening, it took two DAF trucks and a group of workers to get that truck out. And it was probably the most appropriate final hoorah's to graduating AMT and more 4x4 off-road/recovery practical application one could of even imagined.

The next day (Friday the 21^st) – we graduated!!! It beat my high school graduation, by far :) Dan, Laura and Arthur spoke, as did an inspiring missionary named Amber who is a friend of Overland. Jeff & Lisa, from Sons of Thunder, came to the ceremony and brought some friends along with them. They called each member of the team up, one by one, to give us our hard-earned AMT diplomas and spoke about how they have been able to watch each and every one of us grow. Then, all the Overland staff took turns washing our feet before sending us on our way out and all over the world :) Promptly after the ceremony, we took our class pictures & then "the ultimate class picture" which was some harebrained idea I had b/c it represents each one of us on the teams personalities.. and it turned out awesome! That evening, we had our graduation dinner – thanksgiving style! Each team member was assigned a certain part of the meal (Angie & I scored making the apple crisp dessert) and it all came together wonderfully under the direction of Laura. After dinner, we watched a 20 minute slideshow made from all of our pictures that really just summed up the major events of the past 3 months. It was truly an amazing day.

The following two days consisted of saying so,long – farewell - & see you soon - and a few tears (okay, so I'll be honest here, I am totally the only person who cried saying goodbye to my teammates.. I'm an emotional person! I know!)

Now, as mentioned in the previous update, I made plans with Angie & Stephanie to go to Zanzibar to do ministry with Pastor Khaflan & his family. Unfortunately, our plans of travelling as a trio had to get scraped & believe it or not, I am actually typing this on my laptop, on the plane from Jo'burg to Dares Salaam where I will spend the night with a friend of Overland's named Anne, and catch a ferry the next morning to Zanzibar. Why am I flying out of Jo'burg, South Africa and not Livingstone? Well, friends.. that's a story that is just too long to type, so you'll have to ask me when you see me late December :)

The truth is, I am extremely excited to meet up with Pasto Khalflan to do ministry. I feel like this is me taking what I have just learned and immediately applying it. Now granted, there will be no digging DAF trucks out of the mud or anything Bush like but – what I am most excited about is meeting people and sharing the Word with them.

As I sit here, bouncing a bit with turbulence, I still am finding it hard to grasp that my training is over. I said goodbye to me last teammates and the team of 8 individuals I came to know and love will never again be the same, nor will I. In my very first update, I said that I was coming to Africa to be broken.. what I discovered, is that I CAME to Africa broken and God has revealed to me how I am completely restored, renewed and reborn. My relationship with God is the most authentic it has ever been in my entire life. I finally just went to Him as a Father and He has fully embraced me as His daughter. I know this might sound "Christianese" but it's honestly the only way I can express myself. My identity is secured in Him, as His beloved Child. And with that knowledge, I can do anything! And this knowledge and revelation of the New Identity is what I am most excited about sharing upon arriving home. Because I never knew that faith could be like this. Um, it's awesome!

What's next you might ask? Well, friends.. I honestly don't know – and I am okay with that! The only secure plans I have is that I am going to Florida around New Years for the Annual Overland Missions Conference and then I am going to get my Wilderness EMT license in New Hampshire in the middle of Janurary (N.H. + January = COLD!!!) A good friend of mine told me one evening the simplest thing which has just stuck with me "the world needs Liz DeZeeuw to be Liz DeZeeuw" and with that – I am going to be Liz DeZeeuw :) I am going to pursue my passions and give glory to God. The Lord has been speaking to me A LOT recently and I am just listening asking 'and what am I suppose to do with that? How am I to go about with this? Etc.' and I am learning the art of patience along the way.

So with that, and the pilots announcement that we are about to arrive in Dares Salaam, I have just a few prayer requests for my last few weeks here on this beautiful continent.
- Please pray for the villages that we have visited in the past three months & all the believers who have accepted Christ, received healing, attended church for the first time, and that the seeds we have planted there in the fertile soil of Zambia be watered (after all, Dec-March is wet season ;-)
- Please pray for the Sept. AMT team: Josh, Luke, Sharlene, Stephanie, Wezi, Matt, Angie, Dan & Laura – as we all return to our corners of North America and listen for Gods direction as to the next steps in our lives.
- Please pray for my few weeks in Zanzibar, Tanzania with Pastor Khalflan and the ministry we will be doing on the island. Pray for individuals to recognize the gift given to them through Christ.
- Please pray for safety as I fully commit myself to the protection of the Father (no teammates this time!) and also please just pray for favor with authorities as I deal with new visa's and what not (I ran into a immigration snag in South Africa b/c of a simply miscommunication. Please pray that my final stop there goes smoothly, without conflict)
- Please pray for Johannesburg. That's a city that needs A LOT of God!
- And lastly, please pray for myself. Pray for a last good month of health and no sickness, and not even tiredness. And also, just for a clear vision to what my contribution to spreading the Gospel and loving people looks like – no matter what part of the world!

There should be one final update left from this side of the world until I am back in the States! So thank you, again ( I can never thank y'all enough – seriously) for praying for me through training and allowing me to acquire such revolutionary knowledge!

The pilot just asked for tray tables up so! Here we go!! :)

With Joy,
Liz

October Updates from the Bush

[note! my apologies for those of you who are only able to check the blog and don't recieve emails & the delay b/t the two! i am about to play catch-up but this internet cafe is kinda slow so, i'm sorry!!]

Dear Friends and Family –

I hope this letter finds you enjoying a cool, crisp autumn day! October was month in which all systems were GO! for us AMT students. The month was packed with a variety of classes, an expedition, holidays, and slumber parties in the village!

In the middle of the month, we took a break from our welding course and went out into the villages for 5 days of ministry. We left Base with a specific plan of action of where we are going to go and how its going to be organized. Lesson learned: things don't always go as planned on expedition (or Africa, for that matter.) We set up camp in the same village, Nyawa, and spent the first evening preparing the next few days events under the shade of a giant thunderhead cloud. (yes!) The next day, Angie & Stephanie stayed in Nyawa to host a women's meeting, while the rest of the team piled into the truck to visit a village 2 hours away called ChilliA. Once there, we split the team yet again – leaving Josh & Sharlene in ChilliA while Matt, Dan, Laura, Wezi, Luke & myself continued further down the road to host a meeting in ChilliB. Can I just take a moment to say how much I love African praise & worship?! Every service has a completely different feel to it because of the songs and dances that vary from village to village. The meeting in ChilliB went extremely well and we left the church to the noise of thunder in the distance (if you haven't noticed yet from previous letters/blog posts – I love weather.. a lot!) Meeting up in with Josh and Sharlene in ChilliA, they told us of how much of a success their services at the schools went that afternoon and we had another short service before saying goodbye to the Chilli's & made our way back to camp in the orange glow of dusk. The next day, we traveled to the village of Siamuntu to host a meeting before the opening of the church that Pastor Sween (from Nyawa) was planting. We arrived to find the village almost completely empty, except for a few kids throwing sticks/rocks at a snake in the tree. After lunch & an intense game of Uno, we received news that the reason the village was empty was because there was a funeral about to take place. We accepted the invitation and experienced a Zambian funeral. After the funeral, underneath the shade of a giant baobab tree, we had a meeting with the family and friends of the one-year-old who passed away. We prayed for the mother of the child as well as for many individuals who needed healing. The meeting produced a lot of testimonies of healing and a sense of peace among everyone there. We got a goodnights rest and went back to Siamuntu Sunday morning for the very first church service – another four hour long church service! After the service, we had lunch with the whole village! Giant pots on Nshima, cabbage and relish mixed with messy fingers, smiles, and stories. Later that afternoon, some of us did another meeting in Nyawa and settled down at camp for some amazing bush cooking. It's quite amusing to see how you have to adapt meal plans to open camp fires and a little bit of dirt. The next day, we packed up camp and said goodbye to Pastor Sween & Nyawa and made our way to Sons of Thunder Farm, which is run by friends of Overland – Jeff & Lisa. They gave us a tour of the property including their gardens, school, clinic and then took us to their orphanage of 49 energetic, sticky little kiddos all practicing their songs for Zambian Independence Day. The next hour was absolutely chaos – races, laughter, cameras, songs, band aids, dancing, piggyback rides, swing sets and tag. We are so thankful for their hospitality and just giving us a day to hang out! All in all, it was yet another amazing expedition back into the bush!

AMT is now in its 'finals week' type of thing. I find myself sitting at the tables, surrounded by scribbled out notes, packets of worksheets, opened books with creased corners and a cup of coffee thinking "wait.. I thought I left school?"

I have an update on the blog about the diesel mechanics/4x4 classes/welding. We finished welding with a final project of making a bike rack. Easy, right? Mmm nope! But luckily, we did end up producing one bike rack! So, good job to the teams making it past frustrations and pushing our welding skills to the limit. There has also been Preaching101, which involved a bit of "popcorn preaching" fun and required us to write and preach our own short sermons.

The GPS navigation course was a blast! We learned how to use hand held GPS's (not the automatic ones that talk to you in your car) and then superimpose our tracks and routes onto GoogleEarth and literally see where Overland has traveled and where we do ministry out in the villages. Woohoo technology! The practical for that class involved following already made routes and then making up our own for other teammates to follow. I ended up on some 5k hike out to the middle of nowhere thanks to my teammate Josh, but I at least I am really good with the GPS now. :)

This week we wrapped up our African Culture and "Come Back Alive" courses. For Come Back Alive, we each had to teach separate chapters out of the book and make sure that we remembered what we learned because then the next day – we had the practical! Dan & Laura split us into 2 teams and gave us a GPS coordinate, 3 matches, beans, rice, 2 pots & 5 feet of rope, then sent us out into the bush to make shelter, fire, and cook lunch! My team was Josh, Luke & myself and I would have to say we did a pretty good job making our own little shelter hut thing, and lunch was delicious – so kudos to us! While we were out hunting for big sticks and rocks, we noticed storm clouds creeping closer and closer to us. Laura came to check on us (and grab a bit of lunch) and told us we needed to now make a sturdier shelter that could house all three of us and keep us dry "just in case it rains" (she says as thunder echos in the background.) Well, luck was on our side and the storm took a little detour in enough time for us to finish our 2^nd shelter and pack up camp & move onto the next practical activity. This time, the 2 teams met up and we were faced with a mock SOLO scenario in which Stephanie had fallen out of the giant baobab tree and we had to treat her broken femur & neck injury and then, transport her the 1 ½ K hike back to Base. Oh my gosh.. carrying her on that litter was quite a task! We all had to figure out who was strongest holding on to which pole and just steadily carry her through the back trails, the whole time – racing a massive thunderstorm behind us. As we arrived on Base, we took one last quick breather before we marched her in chanting some random songs. Less than one minute from walking through the entry way of the Main Center, the rain started and then three minutes later – it was POURING! Josh and I just laid in the backyard and let it drench us. We were all exhausted and dirty, but joyful to be back at Base after the days event. The team then took turns running around the Base, playing in the rain, zipping up our tents, and throwing our leaders into the wall of water falling off of the thatch roof. It was the most intense storm I've seen yet here in Zambia, and reminded me of the good ol' Texas summer thunderstorm.

Also in October, we broke up into pairs and spent the night in the closest village to the Base – Nsongwe. Each pair was placed in a home of a family that attends Pastor Dragans church, which Overland works closely with. Stephanie and I were placed with Humphrey & Listar and their two daughters Yvonne & Katherine. It was one of the moat fun nights I have had out here! But we also had a project to accomplish while doing so that was part of our African Culture course. We then late had to write a paper about our night's stay, so I thought I would just post that on the blog for those who would like to read it.

Holiday season is upon us as well here in Zambia! As I mentioned earlier, Zambia's Independence Day was this month on the 24^th, so Happy Independence Zambia!! And, we celebrated Halloween out here on the Base as well! We all did our best to come up with costumes with our limited resources and then spent the night just laughing with one another, eating homemade pizzas, and watching movies together out on the couches under the stars.

There was also another thing worthy of celebration which just recently took place – MY 23^rd BIRTHDAY!!! But the day of the 6^th now also holds another noteworthy event in my life. I was baptized as an infant, but this past year, I have just really felt the need to get baptized again.. the full blown, under the water, dunking. AMT has taught me a plethora of things these past three months but the biggest thing I am walking away with is recognizing and embracing my new identity in Christ. It's something that has totally changed my faith. I finally felt a peace about my prayers about being baptized and decided to do it here in Zambia, in the Zambezi River with the team who has watched me embrace this new adventure in my walk with the Lord. So, the morning of my birthday, we all made the journey down to the bottom of the Gorge and Dan & Laura baptized me, along with my Zambian teammate Wezi, in the shallow eddy of Rapid 14. We then had communion down there on top of all the big, black boulders and Laura brought her guitar, so we just had praise it worship down there that morning, listening to our voices echo in the against the steep walls around us. The day was a normal AMT day, full of classes and such except for when Matt & Josh made sure that the Overland tradition of getting wet on your birthday continued (apparently, the baptism didn't count) and I found myself running from them and four pitchers of water. After getting drenched by them, I dried off for about 5 minutes, before Wezi got me with a hose. The tradition continues on, I guess… ;) That night, I was presented with a beautiful cake made by Stephanie & Sharlene that had clouds on it! Thanks ladies!! :) The really fun thing is that even though my birthday was technically over on the 6^th, the celebration carried on to the next day when we went on our pilgrimage to buy supplies for the Base in Namibia! Everyone still continues to wish me happy birthday and sing to me (I think I had happy birthday sang to me as a group at least 5 times) as we did our bulk grocery shopping and restocking parts for the warehouse. The day ended with a 2L box of vanilla ice cream in my lap, 10 spoons, and 10 happy teammates/dear friends huddled together in the back of the truck on our way home. (OH! AND! I woke up to RAIN early around 4am on my birthday! So thanks for the prayers!)

Today, we are loading the truck to leave for our last, finale expedition – by ourselves! We've had to calculate how much food we need, pack it and plan out the four days of ministry. We leave tomorrow morning for Chibalani and Mandandi villages.. without Dan & Laura or a truck - this one is all us! I have a feeling this journey to the bush is going to produce some pretty funny stories :)

After expedition, we only have THREE more days here at the Base before we graduate on Friday the 21^st! Aaah!! I can't believe it. The day after graduation, all of us are scattering into different directions – the majority of the team is returning home to the states but – Stephanie, Angie and I are traveling to Lusaka (Zambias capital) to catch some trains and buses to make our way northward to Zanzibar. I knew that when I came back to Africa and into AMT, that I wanted to do ministry afterwards but didn't have a real direction as to where. Overland has a pastor who they work closely with in Zanzibar and I was really interested in seeing what ministry looks like on an Swahili speaking island that is 99% Muslim. It just worked out that Stephanie and Angie want to journey somewhere else in Africa as a short breather after-AMT. They plan on spending roughly a week there while I stick around for about three weeks working Pastor Khaflan & just learning as much as possible during my short stay there.

Expect a post-AMT update next weekend & I will give a bit more details about Zanzibar, as well as talking a bit about what God has really been showing me at the end of this journey here and where He is guiding my steps to go next!

Thank you all for keeping me in your thoughts and prayers this past month. Thank you for all the encouraging and inspiring e-mails, as well as all the wonderful happy birthday wishes I received in my inbox!

Please pray for a safe last expedition to the two villages which we are staying. Pray for the men and women who are going to hear the Gospel for the first time, and that the Word moves them in amazing ways. Pray for the team as we prepare our hearts for the villages and for a cooperative spirit among all of us. Pray for Dan & Laura as they finish grading all the AMT papers and plan their own personal return back to the States to their friends and family who haven't seen them in many months.

Thank you for your constant support and contribution to spreading the Kingdom here in Zambia & Africa!

With Joy,
Liz

nsongwe village

I mentioned in the newsletter that I would post this paper I had to do. So enjoy! But keep in mind, if the writing style comes across as a little report like, it's because.. well.. it is! :)

Liz DeZeeuw Cross Cultural Communications Village Overnight Assignment

The truck pulled up to the church and all eight of us climbed out the back with our day packs on and the air was filled with excitement as yelled “I’m with teddy!” “Slumber party at wezi’s house!” “Where are we going?!” Stephanie and I silently stood beside each other. Neither of us knew exactly who Humphrey is, or how many people are in his family, or how old he is. We said goodbye to our teammates and stood by the patch of tall, skinny grass patiently waiting for Pastor Joseph to finish a conversation before walking us to Humphrey’s house. The strong, hot wind threw dust in our eyes and made the grass break out in a dry, cracking symphony of noise. We looked at each other and communicated the exact same thought “How did we get here? Spending the night with villagers in the middle of Zambia?”

Joseph led the way down the path, pulling his bike alongside him and told us that Humphrey was out working at the Cuiro mart but that his wife Listar (who is 23) should be home. We walked into the empty courtyard and stood there for about two minutes before Listar walked in from behind the grass fence. She smiled and introduced herself and within seconds, entered her house and exited with two bright chitange’s for both Steph and I. She then congratulated us on looking like “real African women.” Joseph then excused himself and Listar made us comfortable on a mat. She then introduced us to her seven year old daughter, Yvonne, and her 1 year and 8 month year old daughter, Katherine. It wasn’t long before the whole courtyard was full of at least ten of Yvonne’s friends, who heard that there were white folks around. Steph and I said hello and then asked Listar if she needed help preparing dinner. Listar was greatful for the offer and put us to work! We took turns pounding the groundnuts and smooshing dried cabbage into a green powder that covered our hands. After a half hour or so of observing us, Yvonne and her friends felt brave enough to approach the muzungus. I practiced my Tonga and introduced myself to every kid and asked them their name which varied from the simplest name to one with about 27 letters (not really, but it sounded like it) During this time, Stephanie advanced onto the fine art of nshima and I practiced being bold singing. I sang to the kids hoping that they knew Bombelela or any other song we learned from Jack and Wezi and just my luck, they did! So we sang for quite some time and they attempted to teach me songs I didn’t know. They also taught me new dances and Listar got a kick out of watching us perform together. As soon as the meal was ready, Listar presented us water to clean our hands and arranged our table settings. Stephanie and I sat down and dipped our nshima in the green goo that we helped prepared and exchanged glances with eachother that said ‘here goes nothing’ as we popped the little mealy meal balls in our mouths. It was delicious!!! We both told Listar how much we liked it and how this was our favorite Zambian meal yet. Dinner lasted almost an hour, of us just talking and playing with the kids. Katherine, the youngest daughter, at this point still hadn’t dared to look at us. Stephanie and I made many attempts to talk to her but even if Yvonne or Listar would sit her next to us, she would start whining and crying.

After dinner we helped clean dishes and shortly after cleaning, Humphrey walked in. With him home, and Step and I now feeling comfortable enough, we had some of the best conversation under the stars. We asked him straight out what he thinks about the Western culture versus Zambian culture and he was more than happy to share. We discussed the manner of dressing and how what westerns wear that is “comfortable” isn’t always “appropriate.” We also discussed the ideas of dating, and what dating is and how it doesn’t really exist in Zambia. He told us about the tradition of going to the elders of a woman you wish to marry, and asking their permission before even making yourself known to the woman. We told him how much we like the fact that Zambians live in community and how in America, you might not even know your neighbor who lives on the other side of the fence. We talked about his work hours and the cuiro mart and how flexible they are versus Americas nine to five mentality. We also talked about food, of course, and how Africans don’t really like spicy things compared to the westerner’s pallet.

The conversation went on and on and we came to talking about our faith. Listar grew up singing in the church choir and was saved when she was ten years old, and then baptized when she was twelve. Humphrey told us that he was raised in a religious Christian household but didn’t have an understanding of salvation until he was twenty five. He was introduced to Pastor Dragon through his parents and with Pastor Dragon, he has started to pastor over a church for a little over a year now. Listar and Humphrey were married in 2001 because he “impregnated her” but you can tell through their interactions that they deeply love and care for one another. He loves his two daughters very much and would like one more child – hopefully a son!

Stephanie and I asked about the village and the roles individuals assigned but we didn’t find out too much other than that there are six headmen who live in Nsongwe and it is all ruled under one head chief.

We also asked about legends and Humphrey told us a few stories about witch doctors and practice they have dealing with water being poured onto babies at birth and then at funerals, before your body is buried, they pour water on the ground, representing that same life/death water. He also told us that when a woman is widowed, it is very likely that her husband will haunt her, so she needs to stay indoors for two weeks to be cleansed of him.

As the night carried on, and Yvonne & her friend fell asleep in Stephanie and I’s laps, we too grew weary. Listar and Humphrey made us very comfortable in their spare hut and placed our backpacks and sleeping bags there, along with a candle. Stephanie and I fell asleep content and happy that night, thankful for the amazing conversation and food we got to share with Listar and Humphrey.

The next morning, we woke up to a very loud Zambian radio and the clanging of dishes. We walked out of our tent to Listar making tea and wishing us a good morning. Humphrey walked out of the house and greeted us and we all ate bread and tea for breakfast. We asked Listar what is next on her to do list for the day, and she said fetch water. Excited, we asked if we could help, which she laughed at and said of course. As we found empty jugs to fill, Humphrey said goodbye to us and he left to go back to the curio mart for another days work. Listar, Stephanie, Yvonne and I wondered out of the yard and across Nsongwe to the well, saying good morning to anyone who passed by along the way. At the well, we were greeted by a rowdy bunch of kids who just wanted to touch us. Steph and I took turns pumping water after watching the elderly; more experience ladies fill a large jug in under a minute. Once our jugs were full, we triumphantly walked home, with the muzungus trying to balance the water on their heads. As soon as we got home, we heard the familiar voice of our teammates and looked up to see them walking towards us from across the village road. Stephanie and I could not have possibly thanked Listar enough for her generosity and hugged Yvonne goodbye. Katherine, still at this point, didn’t want to look at us. (oh well!)

In conclusion, the night in the village has been one of the best nights of this whole AMT experience. Humphrey and Listar’s open attitude and warm heart towards us made any insecurity or worries vanish within seconds. And, I would love to do it all over again!

rain dance

i have a post ready to go, all i am waiting on is to get the pictures back (hint!) and there is a newsletter outlined but i just absolutely just had to post that..IT RAINED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

november first was a glorious glorious day!!! :)
so here is a picture of laura, sharlene and i enjoying the raindrops at sunset.

34 seconds

Like I said, my first week here, I was kinda on this adrenaline high/i'm in a new place/who are all these people/I'm in flippin' Zambia! and I made this short video showing off the new backyard. I'm a nerd - i know, but hope you enjoy it!


and with the rainy season approaching, the gorge is actually turning green! yay! :)

dirty kids!

Alright, so in the past two/three weeks or so.. we’ve gotten to do the classes that I’ve been most excited about since day one – diesel mechanics, welding, and 4x4 off-roading/recovery! yeah!! and all were taught by my favorite South African dude, Ciaran!

Diesel mechanics days started off with lessons, a quiz and then the hands on, dirty practical application. The courses went from How Engines Work (two stroke/four stroke & gasoline/diesel shenanigans) to Fuel & Exhaust systems (filters, catalytic converters, carburetors, fuel pumps) to Cooling & Electrical Systems (air/liquid cooled, fans, belts, distributers) to the Drive Chain & Chassis (transmissions, gearbox, axles, u-joints) to the Brake System (compressors, reservoirs, hydraulic brakes). It was a lot to learn but it kicked butt! :)

Angie, myself, Stephanie, Sharlene & Ciaran holding our test papers

Sharlene changing oil

"and this is how you change a tire.."

4x4 went along the same lines, except there was a lot more of lecture and we technically can’t drive the vehicles (insurance policies, sad.. but understandable) and just in case you want to know a bit of the rules of 4x4 – drive as slow as possible, fast as necessary and don’t drive on the beach, or else Ciaran and his environmental degree will hunt you down for hurting the turtles! The very last day of class though, we did the hands on (and dang! do we mean hands on) practical application. The team piled into the Land Cruiser and Dan’s Land Rover & headed out to some remote sand patches outside of Livingstone with one purpose – get stuck. Ciaran did an amazing job of placing the Cruiser in a tough spot and mother nature did an amazing job of giving us a 105 degree day. The recovery took about 4 hours & then Dan’s car, which is the recovery vehicle, battery died. So – after many attempts to getting the Cruiser out and having to reside to winching, we got to push start Dan’s car! YAY!! We went back home to base that day dirty, sunburnt, exhausted, and well educated.

scouting out where to get stuck

does it feel like 104 or 105? hmm..

wenching

pushing the "recovery" vehicle - oi!

how Laura really feels about mechanics ;-)

jump startin'

the most rare jewel in all of africa ... ice!

Welding just started last week, and hands down! It’s my favorite! We’ve only had a few days and are now returning to it (we’ve been in the Bush the past 5 days – but that’s another update!) oxyacetylene cutting torches, MIG welding, Arc welding.. heck yes! And the kicker about all these things, is that Ciaran agrees that the girls have outperformed the boys in Diesel Mechanics and especially welding! So props to Angie, Stephanie, Sharlene & yours truly! :P

Angie & I giving RosietheRiveter a run for her money

Wezi showing off his hip glasses

love'itOh and! Earlier in the month, I got to power wash the underside of one of trucks. It was dirty, but it felt so good to just spray water and lay in it.. along with dirt, grease, & oil.. but mainly the water. :)

Josh kinda looks like a zombie in this picture

dirty girl!

So, yep! I just thought I would do this update for the gents back home – especially Kyle, Jeff, David Howard, and the Dad!

the sun will come out

i have an update written, i just need to resize some pictures to go along with it. so check back tomorrow! and because i am posting this, that means i have to stick to my word, and actually post it tomorrow. but for now, here's a pic from the weekend! :)