A Weekend To Remember

As I sit in the predawn Sibley household, the kingdom is quiet as the children have been given a 3 day holiday from school since this is my last 3 days here… they definitely know how to work all the angles!

I am going to try and describe what it is like to be embraced by a people I did not know a month ago and how their love of Jesus has impacted mine. Words will be inadequate… especially as I try to share their worship of God. But perhaps you can grasp a small glimpse of what I have been able to experience in full.

Saying goodbye to the Mufulira MTI class

Saturday, Jason and I made our sixth trip to Mufulira in 22 days for MTI. I must admit that I expected it would be difficult to say goodbye to the class, but I didn’t have any idea how difficult. After graciously allowing me to be their teacher again, I prayed over them and began to say my farewells. These people are so genuine in relationships that you are amazed at the depth to which you get to know them in such a short time. Without some of the modern distractions that make it difficult for we as Americans to form meaningful bonds with each, Zambians are excellent at friendships. Warm hugs were exchanged with Pastors Nkandu and Mwaba, the four brothers who so blessed me in their passion for God and others in the class. Knowing that unless the Lord allows me to return someday I realized that this could be the last time I will see them on ‘this side’. That didn’t fully impact me until we got back and Beckie asked me how the goodbyes went and I just choked up.

Pastor Charles Mwila with a preacher having a wild hair day

Charity (Pastor Mwila's daughter) leading worship

Our brothers dancing before the Lord- Sidney (on the right) has a very tender heart for God

Sunday morning found us arriving at the Ndeke Church (Pastor Mwila) to the sounds of resonant praise at the end of their Bible class time. I was shown a seat at the front as we transistioned into the worship service. Within moments the rich harmony and deep feeling of the worship began to overwhelm me with the presence of the Lord. The Holy Spirit literally invaded my whole being as I began to weep before the throne of His grace. There are really no words to describe the worship of our Zambian brothers and sisters, except to say that it comes the hidden places of souls who have come to know our God intimately as a result of a humble dependence upon Him in their daily life. There is insatiable thirst for God’s presence like David expressed in Psalm 42:1 “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O’ God.” I so often struggle with my worship coming so much from my head and not my gut. My mind can be so easily distracted as the cares of life steal my focus on my redeemer. David commanded his soul in Psalm 103:1 “Bless the Lord, O’ my soul and all that is within me, bless His holy name!” I have been asking the Lord throughout the last month to help me understand worship and enter into God’s throne room in the way Africans do. Sunday I was blessed to experience His desire to meet with Him with everything that was within me.

Pastor's wife Sarah Mwila and an elder preparing the cup during communion.

By the time worship was over I felt like an empowered puddle! I shared an adaptation of a word on the meaning of communion that I have shared before and then we had the tremendous privilege to share the Lord’s table with our Zambian family. Two cultures… different in so many ways and yet united by the culture of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us.  This was an incredible moment in my life with Christ.

Growing In Worship!

Dan

Making New Friends

One of things that has been my greatest blessing on my trip has been the chance to meet and get acquainted with the dreams, perspectives, history, joys and struggles of some outstanding individuals from Zambia.

Yesterday morning we had arranged the day before to go on our morning walk with a neighbor by the name of Frank. We had met him a few nights ago when a Christian brother from the Ndeke Foursquare Church, Sidney, had dropped by for a visit. He and Sidney operate a couple long haul trucks that move resources about the country. He arrived at 7:00 a.m. sharp and we embarked on a healthy 5 mile walk at a brisk pace that took us out of town.

Frank and the rest of the hiking crew

As we walked along we immediately entered into meaningful conversation that didn’t cease until we arrived an hour and a half later back at our gate. We quickly discovered that this obviously very intelligent man was a wealth of information and perspective on Zambia. We discussed the economic, political, legal, moral and social structure differences between our two countries. It was fascinating to see the differences in our two societies and yet note some of the characteristics of human nature that exist everywhere. When he asked me what my impression Zambia was I expressed that I found Zambian people to very warm and full of personality, but that it was sad to see Zambians that were in positions of power take advantage of their fellow Zambians. He agreed wholeheartedly with that assessment. Basically, in an hour and a half we were able to solve all the problems of Zambia, America and the rest world. Not bad, huh?!

That evening we had the complete delight of hosting Pastor Charles Sande and his wife Petra for dinner and fellowship. They are the couple that we had the privilege of praying over my first Sunday here as they begin a church in Mushili, the largest compound area in Ndola. The people in this compound live in one room brick huts without access to electricity, city water or city sewage simply because their meager incomes (if they even have one) simply cannot afford it. Mushili is about 4 miles across it and this dynamic young couple has given their lives to bringing the love of Jesus Christ to this community.

Charles and Petra Sande... What a sharp looking couple they are!

Conversation with Charles and Petra is filled with laughter and free flowing dialogue. Their jovial nature and great sense of humor would make them pleasant company in any situation. When Jason served ice cream for dessert, Charles declared that he really didn’t like ice cream, but he would go ahead and eat a big bowl, because he knew Petra did and he didn’t want to make her feel bad. Quite a guy, huh?! Reminds me of the kind of sacrifices I make for Darla! The way they tease one another and ‘twinkle’ also reminded me of the precious relationship I have been blessed with in my dear wife. As they shared their histories and their passion for serving Jesus, we could not help but be deeply touched and excited about how God will advance His kingdom through them. We closed our evening with a time of prayer and just felt completely blessed as they left for home.

Pastor Boniface Mwanza and his grandson Mark

This afternoon afforded yet another opportunity for fellowship with Pastor Boniface Mwanza, the national leader of Foursquare in Zambia. His wife could not join him as their 3rd grandchild had recently arrived in Lusaka and Mary has been down helping with the baby. This 58 year old gentleman, who has much insight, continued to extend our understanding of Zambian culture, history and it’s economic condition. We also learned a lot about the history of the Foursquare Church in Zambia. One thing that really blessed us was his obvious love for his wife and extended family. Sharing how he persistently pursued his bride, despite her ‘noncooperative’ father, reminded me of Jacob’s pursuit of Rachel in the Old Testament. Lots of patience won out and now they have 6 children, 3 grandchildren and a number of extended family members (nieces and nephews) that they now care for as their parents have passed away. He had been delighted this morning as his 2 year old grandson Mark who is learning english (along with their tribal language and Bemba… yes that’s 3 languages) had come up to him to and said “I love you, Papa!” Talk about making me miss my precious grandchildren! We also had the privilege of praying over this servant of God before he headed home.

How can I adequately express the deep impression these new friends and others have left on my life. As I have emailed Darla regarding my experiences she expressed her concern that only half of me would return home as I would leave the other half in Zambia. I assured her that all of me will definitely return except the 6.5% (11 lbs.) of my body mass that I have lost through healthy eating and daily exercise. But I am definitely going to bring home a big portion of Zambia with me, especially the cherished new friendships that God has graced me with these incredible people!

Blessed beyond measure,

Dan

Catching Up On the Latest

My last couple blogs have been more commentaries than news so let me catch you up on my experiences of the last few days.

Loading the 1st of 2 bags of charcoal into our driver Jefferson's Toyota Corolla's trunk.

Saturday took Jason and I back to Mufulira for MTI classes and then back up again with the whole family for church on Sunday at Pastor Mwaba’s church. This was the fifth time we’ve made the 2 1/2 hour round trip journey, but every time there is something new to see along the way. Once again the worship in church was wonderful (especially the hymn “How Great Thou Art” in both Bemba and English) and the word was well received. The poor Sibleys, though, have now had to sit through three Sundays straight of 45-50 minute (with translation) sermons. Their endurance is incredible!! Jason and I got back to Ndola just in time to head out to Ndeke for another MTI class. Each time we have the opportunity to minister, we receive ministry right back as we get to experience the warmth and fellowship of our Zambian brothers and sisters in the Lord.

A typical village scene on the road to Mufulira.

Monday was a day of R & R, science class on the inadequacies of the theory of evolution and a rousing game of “Bear” after dark. My children know this game well as they grew up on hiding in the back rooms of a very dark house while the bear, yours truly, would stalk them with ferocious growls until they were found. The Sibley children are familiar with the game as we had played it before when they had come to stay with us. Well, there was screaming in the Sibley house last night as a vicious bear was on the loose. It was gruesome as in the 1st round the bear went out to find them hiding in the dark and consumed every one of them. ‘Peanut’ (Caylie) had been telling me all day long that I was never going to find her, but she was the 2nd one found… zipped up in one of the girls suitcases!! After finding every terrified one of them, we went another round they called “No Bears Are Out Tonight” where I went and hid and they had to go out and find me in order to save the village! The tension was even higher, as none of them wanted to probe into the darkness where a horrifying fate awaited them. They finally went out as a whole group, with the boys behind, and found me crouched in a closet. When I exploded out of the closet and began grabbing bodies and ripping flesh, we were very thankful that the police didn’t arrive to investigate the obvious homocides that were taking place! Too much fun! These children are just so incredible… they are so full of life and imagination and they love to play. Darla did email me to say that this will insure that Beckie puts me on the plane next week.

Blessed In Him!

Dan

Meet Pastors John and Jennifer Nkandu

Pastors John and Jennifer Nkandu with the wild American (the awesome Zambian shirt that I'm wearing was sewn by Jennifer as a gift for preaching... no small sacrifice as the material alone represents a good share of their weekly income)

Friday we had the tremendous privilege of hosting Pastors John and Jennifer Nkandu from Mufulira for dinner and fellowship. They are the Foursquare pastor of 3 churches (John 1 + Jennifer 2) in Mufulira. I spoke at the church that John pastors last Sunday and shared the blessing of that experience two blogs ago. John has been pastoring since the early 80′s and Jennifer most of the time since around 1990. It was wonderful to sit and visit with them about their lives and share ours with them. They have 5 children from about 8 years old up to a 19 year old. This is a small family for Zambia as some will be as many as 14 children!! We fellowshipped as if we had known each other for years and were just old friends catching up. (There is such a warmth to the personalities of almost all the Zambians I’ve gotten to know.) We shared a delicious meal of nshima, relish, meatballs, chicken, minnow sized fish, mashed potatoes and gravy that was prepared by Partner (the Sibley’s taxi driver’s wife), Beckie and the older girls. We laughed a lot… Jason and I have finally found someone, in John especially, who appreciates our brand of humor. He will break out in his wide smile and laugh heartily at our smart aleck remarks. After prayer they departed for their bus trip back to Mufulira.

This anointed couple are totally sold out to the purposes of God in their lives. They both pastor in communities that are off the chart on the American poverty scale because that is where God has called them. You might wonder why they would have three churches instead of working together in one. Quite simply it is because they both have a pastoral gift and in this way they can reach 3 different communities with the gospel of Christ. It is certainly not any ‘pride trip’ as they are both very humble in how God has used them. The 2 congregations that Jennifer pastors have had to be combined until God raises up a pastor for one of them. She considered limiting herself to just one of them, but says “I just love those people so much!” This reflects the tremendous love that both of these shepherds have for their people. One of my regrets in regards to preaching every Sunday while I’m here is that I don’t have the opportunity to hear the wonderful Zambian pastors I have met share the word of God. I understand from Jason and Beckie that both John and Jennifer deliver a powerful and relevant sermon when they preach. They are also very visionary as they look to ways to reach even more people for Christ. They have started Bible studies for discipleship and John is looking to the possibility of using the humble building where the church meets for a school for the kids in the compounds. Many of these children are orphans and even those with parents often cannot attend the public schools because they cannot afford the required-for-admission school uniforms.

As I look at the commitment of this dear couple, I am deeply challenged in my own level of passion for advancing the kingdom of God. So much of my life can get consumed with things that have no eternal value as I run the American rat race. Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it!” Lord, help us all be forceful in the advancing of your kingdom.

Growing in Him,

Dan

Ndola’s Super/Super Walmart

How desperate men make their coffee in Zambia when the power is out

Yesterday Jason and I went shopping. I might have even challenged my super-shopper wife, Darla, as I carefully compared prices and jovially ‘negotiated’ prices with the merchants. I picked up an awesome African drum that I know all my kids are going to want, so I might have to just make it a family gift and keep it in my den!

One of many grocery departments at the Marcella Market

This lends a whole new meaning to ‘grub’ for dinner!

After visiting the Zambian version of a strip mall (about 25 booths right on the edge of the freeway to Kitwe), we went to Marcella, a market next to the ‘compounds’ (i.e. ‘slums’) of Ndola. Probably the best description of this 150-200 acre market would be that it is Ndola’s Super/Super Walmart. Many times the size of Redmond’s new Super Walmart store, this open air market carried everything a compound resident could possibly need… food and clothing. No TV’s, computers, sports equipment, toys, home décor, appliances or landscaping materials, but a lot of vegetables, grains (esp. mealy meal the flour used to make the corn mush they call nshima that they eat with every meal), live chickens, eggs, material shops (w/ beautiful African prints), clothing shops and piles of used shoes. This was definitely not a ‘tourist trap’, as there was nothing I found that I couldn’t leave in Zambia, except the African material. Jason bought ~30 lbs. of peanuts for ~$15 and we headed home. I was struck by the words of Timothy “If we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” And indeed most Zambian people seem to be content with an economic level below most American imaginations.

You can't get meat any fresher than this!

Here's the Shoe Department

It is hard to experience Zambian life and not contemplate the pursuit of material wealth that is such a central part of our ‘American Dream’ culture. Greed persists in every culture (including Zambia) as man strives to control his circumstances in life with money. As a result he loses his trust in a Heavenly Father who is more than able and willing to meet our genuine needs. I am surrounded by the simplicity of life here… half mile walks to the open market daily to pick up each days provisions (very few have refrigeration) and humble abodes that provide the basic necessity of shelter. Their diet consists mainly of nshima and vegetables (the prophet Daniel’s diet) that lacks the richness, fat and calories that we Americans have come to crave as our “daily bread”. While a much bigger slice of their day must be put aside to meet basic needs, there is a rhythm to life that continually reminds them of their dependency upon God. In America we strive for financial ‘independence’ as a cherished goal… in Zambia they live in a constant state of ‘interdependence’. To a Zambian the idea of personal ownership is nothing like ours. If you have provision, then it is treated more like community property than personal. Sounds a bit like the early church in the book of Acts, huh? “What’s mine is yours” is especially true within their extended families. This does open the door for some who are tempted to a Zambian form of greed that takes advantage of another’s generosity.

It’s not really my intention to “beat up” on our American way of life, but we can learn from other cultures how to live a life that is truly rich. Jesus invested many of His teachings trying to unweave us from the insatiable desire to accumulate the perishable things of this world (Matt. 6:19,20; Luke 12:15 et. many al.) and yet we as a general culture scramble through life focusing our energy and time on advancing ourselves economically. We frantically go about our business and at the end of the day find all that we have for our efforts is what Paul describes as “wood, hay and stubble”. Now those have a good shot on the day of judgment!

May you find the joy of pursuing the greatest treasure of all… a deep and abiding relationship with Christ!

Growing richer in Him, Dan

A Packed Weekend of Ministry

What an intense weekend of ministry… just realize that this is not an atypical weekend for Jason as he always has the 2 MTI classes and quite often will preach also.

It got to moving on Saturday as we traveled the pot-holed highway to Mufulira for an hour and 20 minutes for Ministry Training Institute. The four brothers I had mentioned from the Saturday before were in attendance and we got into some spirited sports-talk before class, as they each had a different favorite soccer team in the European Soccer League. These are 4 very motivated young men whose father works for World Vision. Their zeal for God is very inspiring. I was honored to teach the two hours of class that included 2 lessons. By the time I finished the first lesson, I only had 30 minutes for the second one. (I realize that those of you that know me will find that very surprising.) After returning to Ndola we relaxed awhile before preparing for the traditional Sibley DVD movie night. Just as we were sitting down for this, the power went out. This is becoming an unpredictable occurrence on a fairly regular basis. So we sat in the faint glow of a lantern and visited and told stories until bedtime. How thankful I was that I had already printed off my sermon for the next day.

Pastor Nkandu's church in the compounds of Mufulira

Sunday took us back to Mufulira to the ‘compounds’ to attend church and preach at Pastor Nkandu’s church. The compounds are an extensive neighborhood about a mile and a half across in which there are no streets (only dirt paths), no city sewage system and most of the families living in one room, dirt floor dwellings that are smaller than my den. One of the elders asked if we had neighborhoods like this in America… how do you answer that?! Church was held in a building about 1/3 the size of our fellowship hall with a tin roof, only a few holes in the wall and the open doorway for lighting, no sound system and no heating/air conditioning. Pastor Nkandu is this tiny man not more than 5’5’’ and can’t weigh much more than 115 lbs. But that is certainly not a reflection of the size of this man’s heart for God. He has such a shepherd’s heart for his people and an amazing grasp of God’s word. As church started a single female voice began singing “You Are Awesome In This Place, Mighty God”. On the second time through the entire congregation of 163 (about half were children) joined in without cue. The small room immediately filled with rich praise to God and I was simply moved to tears. Here are these people who have nothing compared to us and yet have this deep love and adoration for the Lord. The youth choir followed with a few songs complete with 2 drums as accompaniment. Pastor Nkandu translated as I preached a 50 minute sermon that they seemed to appreciate. (Now keep in mind it was really only a 25 minute sermon that doubled because of translation.) After service we hiked about a quarter mile into the heart of the compounds to pray for one the elder’s sister, who by all observations was suffering from AIDS. Disease and death are an everyday reality for these people. Pastor Nkandu had just lost a 47 year old brother to disease last Monday.

Proof there’s a preacher shorter than me: Pastor Nkandu is translating my message.

After church dance and fellowship

After service we returned to Ndola for just a short breather before going to Ndeke (a suburb of Ndola) for 3 more hours of MTI classes and practicum. I again had 2 more hours of teaching a different pair of classes and this time only had about 20 minutes for class number 2. I couldn’t go over the 2 hours because Jason makes you do pushups for being late or going over. Again the students of this class were simply exceptional in their desire and responsiveness to the material being shared. Darla emailed me to say that “I think it’s very cool that you have found and audience that is gracious, if not excited to hear you speak for 2+ hours.” That’s my sweet wife!

Today I’m enjoying some rest, good food (including fresh avacados and pineapple- yum), science class and a game of marbles (it’s been about 48 years) with the kids.

In His joy! Dan

What Does a “Christian Family” Look Like?

Well, just sat as I down to work on this blog the power went out, so I’ll see if I can finish it in the dark. Things we take so for granted… all day power, internet service more than 10% of the time, plumbing and electrical fixtures that work and don’t break consistently, water from the faucet that is drinkable, etc. are not existent in Zambia. Jason and Beckie have worked hard to make a very clean, comfortable and safe home for their family, but these continual inconveniences do make daily life a challenge here.

The Sibleys with Gloria (one of Beckie's students) and her mother Partner

I’ve been trying for several days to share some thoughts and observations on the Christian Family as it relates to the Sibley family their contrast to our American culture. Jason and Beckie have 6 incredible children that they are raising without many of the cultural patterns that have become so prevalent in America today. Here is a typical day;

5:30 a.m.- all six children are around the kitchen table working quietly and independently on their home school assignments.

6:30 a.m.- a simple but tasty rice and eggs breakfast that has been prepared by one the girls is served. Not a bite is wasted and dishes are washed immediately.

7 a.m.- the kids either join Jason for a morning ‘walk and talk’ through the neighborhood or they return to their studies. If they miss this walk, then they join Beckie on walk later.

Feeding the Brain

8 a.m. to Noon- studies continue through the rest of the morning until lunch with timed math drills, writing, reading, etc. The kids not only work diligently, but seem to really enjoy school. (The science lessons I’ve been able to teach have been a real hit. Today we studied malaria, complete with some downloaded diagrams and photomicrographs and then looking at a mosquito under a microscope.)

Science in Zambia: What causes malaria?

Noon- a lunch of vegetable soup is prepared by one of the girls… again bowls are emptied.

After lunch- it’s finish up the studies and then it’s time to play. Despite the fact that there is no T.V., video games, cell phones or ipods these kids have no problem playing as they explore their environment with curiosity and delight. We enjoyed a lively game of Chinese Checkers this afternoon. Some time in here is usually a walk to the market to pick up the day’s supply of vegetables, fruit and bread.

5 p.m- dinner is another nutritious meal prepared and enjoyed together with lively discussions of the day’s discoveries and delights. I’ve never seen healthier appetites!

8 p.m.- the kids are showered and it’s off to bed and quiet comes to the Sibley Kingdom.

Sounds like a pretty normal day in American life, huh?! Well, maybe not.

Here are some observations;

-These children have not been spoiled with the luxuries of our culture, yet are full of energy and excitement for life. An occasional treat such as a chocolate bar brings utter delight because they are not “entitlement” children who think they deserve every new distraction that gets put before them by our media advertisers and their peers.

-There is lots of interaction between Jason and Beckie and their children. Family nights include popcorn and watching a DVD together or, as they are doing as we sit here in the dark, they are telling each other a progressive story with each family member adding on to the story line completely out of their own imagination. Caylie’s contribution to the story was amazing! Many American families struggle to even have dinner together once a day.

-There is a tremendous fostering of interdependency within the family as they serve one another in various ways from preparing meals to helping each other with their schoolwork. This not only builds relationships, but helps them realize they have purpose and worth to their family and to develop a Christlike attitude of servanthood.

-There is no toleration of disrespect towards parents or siblings. High expectations are set for their behavior, school work, table manners and responsibilities. This includes learning how to be grateful for others service towards them, as there are a lot of “Thank you”s regularly spoken.

-Most of all there is a lot of love… lots of hugs and snuggles and teasing and laughter!

As a father and now grandfather, these are qualities in a family that I have always desired, but was able to carry out with varying degrees of success and failure. And while I see the parents of my precious grandchildren and also many of our good friends doing a wonderful job of parenting, my concern is for where we as a society are headed.  Parents are increasingly  becoming disconnected from relationship with their children and the hard work/responsibility of actively parenting them. May God forgive us and help us find our way back to the kind of families I believe He would have us raise.

Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it.”

Ephesians 6:2 “Bring your children up in the training (‘nuture’ KJV) and instruction of the Lord.”

And finally, I Peter 1:22 “Love one another deeply from the heart.”

May these and other scriptures guide us as parents and grandparents as we would raise a generation of children who are not self consumed, but rather consumed with a passion for life and the things of God!

Have a blessed day!

Dan

In the Zambian Fast Lane

Let me catch you up on the wild activity of the past weekend as I sit here recovering on a quiet (a relative term in the Sibley household) Monday morning.

Wow, what a weekend! Friday night (the 4^th) we all watched “Independence Day” on DVD, complete with good, buttery popcorn that I had the honor of making. Unfortunately, I kept dozing off in most of the slow parts and missed a good portion of the movie. (I know my family will find that very hard to believe.)

Jason’s MTI class in Mufulira

Saturday it was off to Mufulira, 1½ hrs. north, for the three hour MTI (Ministry Training Institute) classes that Jason teaches. I got to meet 3 pastors and brothers and sisters in the Lord who love Jesus and are investing their time to become effective in bearing fruit for God’s kingdom. A special blessing was 4 brothers fromabout 12-20 years old that were all taking the class together. Upon returning to Ndola it was off to an “Independence Day” celebration at the home of some Lutheran missionaries from Minnesota. About 80 guests attended that were mostly missionaries from all over the world and involved in a wide variety of works for the Lord. It was an amazing experience to see how God had called all these different personalities and what He was doing through there lives. After a complete 8 team volleyball tournament, we enjoyed a BBQ chicken and frankfurter potluck complete with ice cream and dessert. Life has been really rough for me here on the mission field. This was a very rare treat for the Sibleys and I really enjoyed watching the children put away mounds of food. We topped the night off with fireworks and all!

Babysitting In Zambia: Isata with Shalom

So after being thoroughly spoiled since my arrival, Sunday I had to begin earning my keep as I preached at Ndola Central for Pastor Mwanza’s church. Worship was great and people were very responsive to God’s word. It was a privilege to pray over Pastor Sande and his wife Petra as they were being commissioned to begin a new church in a nearby community. After Sunday dinner we were off to Ndeke for another round of MTI with Pastor Mwili’s people. It was another wonderful time of fellowship and teaching. We returned home and watched the “Sound of Music” before putting our weary bodies to bed.

Needless to say, today was a day to rest up and get some laundry done. Tonight we have a game of “Bear” (I’m the bear) on tap just before the kids go to bed. I do hope to post some thoughts on family tomorrow.

A blessed man!

Dan

Getting Settled In

Small reaction to Darla’s apple pancake flour

Hi to all family and friends,

Let me bring you up to date on “Dan’s Most Excellent Adventure”. Yesterday was spent exploring my new environment and celebrating Sweet Miss Caylie’s birthday. Morning consisted of a brisk hike around the neighborhood on an Indian summer like day. I’m not sure I’ve ever said so many “Good morning”s in my life. The people are almost all very friendly, returning a big smile to your greeting. What a contrast from walking down a typical U.S. city street where we rarely risk a friendly “Hello”. Then it was off by taxi to experience “Zambia” shopping as Jason needed to go to downtown to pick up some money from the bank, a few supplies and errands. We found ourselves crisscrossing the streets several times in search of various things as I tried not to get run over because they drive on the “wrong” side of the street here. After all this we returned home to celebrate Caylie’s birthday. This included the 1st ever Zambia Bowl where the Ducks and Beavers battled it out to a 42-42 tie.

Beaver quarterback Isata throws a bullet

A Beaver Huddle

Now lest you think it’s been all fun and games today we had science class and experimented on a tadpole to see if cold water or warm water had more oxygen in it. Jane, Prudence and Gloria joined the Sibley kids and we found evidence that there’s more oxygen in cold water. Tonight we have a rousing game of “Bear” on the schedule.

I’ll try to keep you caught up,

Dan

Made it in one piece!

The flights went smoothly and I have arrived in Zambia. The most notable event of the journey was meeting and having an extended conversation with Samuel Mensah, as we waited for our flight from Frankfurt to Johannesburg. Samuel is an economics professor at Freestate University in South Africa. During our conversation I quickly discovered that he was a Christian brother who knew scripture quite well and we fellowshipped as if we were old friends. This native of Ghana is a very intelligent man who was able to help me understand a lot of concepts on African culture that I have been processing from a book I just finished reading called “Double Image”. Over the next few blogs I will share some of thoughts on things we have lost in our culture that God is revealing to me. As we parted he commented, “God’s children always find each other!” How true and what an unexpected blessing.

The next blessing was waiting just around the corner. The Airbus jet I was on was almost to capacity and I was somehow blessed a window seat with nobody next to me so I could stretch out and get some much-needed rest. There was also the most beautiful sunrise coming up over the African continent that I have ever experienced.

So after 33 hours enroute (with about 24 of them spent trying to conform my aging body into a position that would allow for at least a not arriving with rigor mortis fully set in), I arrived at Ndola International expecting an airport about the size of the Redmond airport only to find one the size of Prineville International. For those of you that were praying for all the materials that I was bringing the Sibleys to get through customs without a bunch of duty… Praise the Lord as my bags went through without even being checked!! (And I spent all that time fretting about how I was going to explain why I had all that stuff.)

And now the fun begins!! After greeting this waif I used to know as Jason (it’s a good thing Zambia doesn’t have strong wings or they’d be losing him on a regular basis), we jumped in the SUV of their missionary friends from Australia to go to the Sibley compound. What a sheer delight to see all of them and nearly get hugged to death by those precious kids. It wasn’t long before the kids were excitedly showing me their house and grounds, which included a climbing their favorite tree. Then it was off to the market to purchase vegetables for dinner. Not your normal trip to the store as we walked over a half mile to get there.  Then its a return trip with the vegetables and 48 eggs.  Most everybody walks everywhere and that includes the Sibleys as they don’t have their own vehicle.  After returning, we enjoyed great fellowship as Isata, Shawna and Sia prepared a very tasty soup that we accompanied with a Zambian hamburger (a delicious bun filled with just butter)… what great imaginations they have! After more snuggles and hugs from these children I’ve come to love as if they were my own, they were off to bed and Jason, Beckie and I were able to have time to start catching up and share some of the challenges and victories they have experienced over the last few months. It is so exciting to see how God is using them to develop leaders whose seed will continue bear fruit long after they eventually leave.

Well this is already longer than I intended (imagine that) so I’m going to sign off and save some thoughts I’m processing on family until my next post.

It’s good to be alive… truly alive in Jesus!!!

Dan