The end of a busy week

This past week has been a busy week with a lot of interaction with the staff, the mamas and the orphans. With Gary Schneider and Michelle Jackson here as well as Peter Greif we had a lot of activities that evolved around the children and mamas. Gary, Michelle and Peter brought a bunch of suitcases loaded with gifts for the homes. On top of that, money was raised for shoes for the kids which allowed the ladies to go on a shopping spree for shoes (we couldn't stop them even if we tried). Peter was courageous enough to go along with the ladies while Gary and Gert stayed at the office to discuss some "business".

After the last 8 bags arrived on Wednesday and the shopping for shoes was completed we went to Chongwe (Nyangwena) on Thursday to present the kids and mamas with their letters and gifts. It was an exciting view to see the kids accepting their letters and gifts and also the mamas were quite pleased with what they got. At the end of the afternoon, we had the pleasure of meeting up with Kevin and Drew and their families at the Esther School. It was great to see how things have improved for them since we last saw them in August. There is still a lot of work that needs to be done but at least the basics are working and the school is operational. There are 3 children from the orphan homes in Chongwe that are at the Esther School which they all seem to enjoy. It was pretty much dark by the time we left and driving back to Lusaka in darkness is a whole new experience. Not something you want to do too frequently.

On Friday the homes in Lusaka were visited with their gifts and they also got their shoes. It was nice to see how everyone responded to the gifts. At the same time, it showed that some kids have more sponsors than others which causes one kid to get more than others. It is sometime heart-breaking to see how some kids get a lot and others very little. This is something that we certainly will try to evaluate and see whether we can come up with a better system and distribution for the future while at the same time maintaining the link between child and sponsor.

During this past week we tried to apply for our work permits. We started off hopeful on Tuesday morning with what we thought all our paperwork in hand. After the officer reviewed the documents, she mentioned that we had to have a police clearance which we didn't have. So we were told to go to the Police Headquarters and get our fingerprints taken. We paid KR2 each (about $1) for the form and then we had to pay almost $100 per person for the processing of the fingerprints while Zambians pay only $10. Anyway, with the help of mama Margaret we were told that we could pick up the clearances on Thursday at 10:30am (instead of a week later). When we got there on Thursday the person had already left and we were told to come back the next day. So on Friday we went again to the Police Headquarters only to find that the person was not there. We were sent to the  Deputy Officer In-Charge but he was also not there when we got to his office. While we were still in front of his office he arrived and we were invited into his office. He told us that he did not have to forms and that the person who had them was at Immigration. He would ask him to complete the forms as quickly as possible and then he would give us a call to let us know when we would be able to pick up the clearances. This afternoon, at around 4:15pm we actually did get a call from the Deputy Officer In-Charge who informed us that we could pick them up on Monday around 9:15am. So hopefully we'll be able to pick them up on Monday morning and then start the process for the work permits. Hopefully this time they will accepts all the papers and start the process.

Tonight, Zambia played for the Africa Cup of Nations against Nigeria. In their group all teams had a 1-1 score in their first match. Nigeria is a feared opponent and after the draw against Ethiopia there was some hesitation in the expected outcome for the match. In the first half Nigeria missed a penalty kick which saved Zambia. In the second half Nigeria took the lead but with about 5 minutes to play Zambia scored the equalizer, much to the relief of the Zambian supporters. That's also how the match ended. In the other match of Burkina Faso against Ethiopia, Burkina Faso pummeled Ethiopia with a 4-0 win. So in the final game Zambia will play Burkina Faso and will have to win to have a chance to enter the next round (the first two in the group advance).
The people in Zambia are really into the "AFCON" tournament. They dress up in colours of Zambia and wear their Chipolopolo (the team's name) shirts. During the match it is very quiet and people watch the game wherever they can. Last year, Zambia won the AFCON cup but since it always coincided with World Cup or Euro Cup they decided to change the schedule and hold it in uneven years. That's why Zambia has to defend their title a year after they won it. It will be interesting to see how the team does in their next match and when they advance, how the supporters will react to the results. The Dutch supporters have a reputation to dress up and go all out but the Zambians are certainly not far behind. They are as passionate or maybe even more about their team than we are. It is great to see how this tournament captures a country.

Tomorrow morning (Saturday) we plan on going to the Dutch Market and the Dutch Reformed Church. They have a market with all kinds of crafts, foods, etc. every last Saturday of the month. Many people have told us that it is worth to go there and try the food and buy some crafts. So we'll give it a try and Gary, Michelle and Peter will come along as well. After that we'll go to Chongwe to spend the rest of the day with the kids and mamas there. We'll also bring them their new shoes which will be exciting. Sunday will be the last day here for Gary, Michelle and Peter who fly back to the US on Monday morning. Hopefully their flight back will be without any delays, cancellations and lost luggage.

We thank God for all the things that were accomplished this week. Even though things take more time than we expect or hope for, we're confident that in the end it will all fall into place. God has a plan and He is in control. We have to trust and obey.