Week 1

 Upon arrival in Lusaka I was told that the first few days would probably be a blur. This proved to be true, with a 7-hour time difference and changes in climate, elevation, schedule and culture – I was just dragging through those first days while my body adjusted. Finally after a week I think I can say I am settling in and getting my bearings.

We (Brandi and I) landed about 6:00AM last Monday after about 28 hours of traveling, and jumped right in! Jessica (my missionary friend here) has been keeping us very busy. We have been up at the community school (Mercy Ministries) every day, where we help sew adorable animals, bags, and pillows from the traditional Zambian fabric chitenges to sell to raise money for the school. Mostly for me this means cutting patterns, ironing, and stuffing. Other than sewing, we just get to hang out with the kids! Last Friday we went to watch the kids play in a football tournament, and I have been able to play with some of the boys at the school. We also helped in one of the classrooms for a bit, and I hope to do that more in the coming weeks – particularly in the special needs class.

We have also been meeting people from all over the world; people who are here with other local ministries, working for embassies, or students doing research in the area, etc. Over the weekend we spent time with a missionary family from Texas who fed us Warthog and Zebra (both of which were delicious), and we even got to spend an evening at the Finnish Ambassador’s house with our Finnish friends!

As far as expectations go, I didn’t really have any! I have never done anything like this before. This is a different place with a different pace than any other trip I have been on. Mission trips and tourist trips I have experienced before have been very much rushed. It’s a constant “go, go, go! We’re only here one week!!”  But that is not the case here. I’m just… living. Living like I would anywhere; no rush, no pressure. Just life! I also have never traveled without a large group; here there are just three of us, and Jessica is basically a local. No tour guide, no leader really. Just three friends doing things together.

These differences are great in many ways: I will be able to learn the culture purely by experience and more thoroughly than I have anywhere else, I get to build relationships, I am given more insight into longer-term missions, and in general I have more freedom and feel less crazy pressure than I have in the past. On the other hand, things like scheduled Bible study and processing time and such are not present. It is necessary for me to be more responsible for myself; I am learning to take my own time to stop and be alone, think through things, write, study and pray. It’s easy to just keep going and never slow down here. I am not having to share in “team time” every day, or having anyone check up on me constantly, so I can get away with it. Once again, it’s just like normal life, and I don’t know why I should treat it any differently when it comes to things like these.

On the whole, no mountains have been moved in my life or anything just yet. I am having a great time beginning to learn the culture and getting to know the people; and I am finding my place in it all. Good thing I have 5 more weeks!