As I sit here in the middle of the night, I realize i have only a vague idea of what date it is. Oh I know it's Thursday, but that's it. Time seems to pass differently here. It goes by slowly; without an agenda like we have at home. There are many things Hands does in a day, but in community, we are simply loving and playing, listening, putting a hand on a shoulder, smiling and walking alongside others. I do not miss my life back home, but I can easily say that knowing I am only here for a short 2 weeks. If I were committed to a year, my heart would feel otherwise I'm sure!
I have wanted to blog earlier, but time has not allowed me to. So when God woke me up over an hour ago, I first resisted, then figured I may as well do it while the house is quiet. Last night we watched a movie played on the outside white wall of the house, under the brilliant Africa sky filled with an amazing abundance of stars, while drinking hot chocolate (with the most flavourful delicious marshmallows I've ever had!). It was a surreal and lovely experience. Our community in which we serve is called Maranatha, and it is an hour and half drive to get there. So by the time we get home, have dinner and a time of debrief together, we are all exhausted and fall into bed. So, all that to say, here I am.
I feel often that I am literally in an advertisement we often see on tv for world vision where we see the bloated bodies and dire poverty. Our team has stepped into this world and it is shocking to see it firsthand. To touch those whose faces don't get wiped, whose clothes are tattered, and who seem oddly not anxious about racing to their only meal of the day. It is an honour.
I have not been aware of what others in my family have blogged yet, and I am definitely too non techie to even know how to check without someone guiding me, so if I repeat anything, please forgive me:).
As you likely know by now, Hands at Work, is a local nonprofit organization built around the values of Christ to walk alongside and care for the orphans and widows. It is located in 8 different African countries at this time. Zambia has the largest number of local communities hands helps sustain (I believe 23) compared to 6 in South Africa and even less in the 6 other remaining countries. The Zambian team here works with these communities, along with the communities in Malawi and the DRC, so their jobs are very full and busy. Never enough workers for the field, as is common everywhere. Hands, since 2012, has been working to partner groups/communities around the globe with the local communities here in Africa. To give us someone specific to pray for and love on from afar. And so that is how we have ended up serving in this particular community of Maranatha. When we and others from the abbotsford area return, this is our "home" community. For instance, it was neat for Cady to see and say hi to a few people her friend Sam had met in March and for us to do the same from our friend Zuke. The connections grow.
And so here we are, serving and walking alongside the children and careworkers in this very rural and poverty stricken community. The school here serves around 100 children, with at the very least 50 more on the high priority list waiting to be funded to attend. To receive care and love and a meal a day. The majority of these children who come are orphans, with either one parent (usually dad from abandonment or death) or both parents gone. Living perhaps with an auntie or a grandma. Neither of which has any means by which to feed another mouth. There are 19 beautiful careworkers, headed by Jack who is the leader. 3 teachers, Boaz, Jack, and Patricia (who walks daily a very long ways with a baby on her back; only 3 days younger than Oscar, and a sweet 5 year old in tow) daily teach the children lessons in Bemba (the local language) and English. The others work to prepare the meal (more on that another day!!!) and help manage children (you can imagine the busyness of that with 100 little bodies between the ages of 3-12). Most of them are under 10 and some of the older ones (by that I would mean 6 and up) carry their baby siblings on their backs as there is no one to care for them at home.
They come joyfully to school with their torn clothes and dirt covered bodies. I was asking Ma Elizabeth (a lovely Zambian woman who works tirelessly on behalf of all the 23 communities) yesterday who potty trains the littlest ones. This came from helplessly seeing a young girl just pee herself right near me. Heartbreaking as no one even bats an eye or cleans her up. She told me that the careworkers work to train them when they see it. But it is hard to "catch" them ( as we all know from past experience of parenting). Most of them do not own a pair of underwear so that is even more challenging. And there are no pull-ups here!!!:) I asked her how many pairs of clothes these children own and if they have pjs. They would own 2 at the most and no pjs. They wear their clothes day in and day out, until they are literally falling off them. I noticed a little boy wearing small rain boots. The left heel was completely gone but he could still wear it as the top half and toe part was kinda intact. He is lucky to have shoes. I assessed a young handicapped boy's foot yesterday. He had badly burned it (unsure of how long ago) and was wearing an old dirty kerchief around it. I was pleased to see that it will likely heal, but was appalled at the general condition of his feet. I don't know if dirt or just very thick layers of dead calloused skin were his soles. Logan commented on how he felt so bad for them as he noticed what rough condition their nails and toes were in. Cady then jumped in and suggested foot washing, which, while we can't do for 100 children, we can do for 19 careworkers (and are doing so this Friday, can hardly wait!).
The material poverty here is staggering. It is much more so than in South Africa (and we thought that was bad enough!). However, the love they have for one another and the stronger family structure that exists is a blessing. Compared to SA, where social poverty (very poor family structure with so many children fending for themselves, and sadly a greater abundance of crime and sexual violence) is so prevalent, these children at least have love. They generally are safe from predators. I asked Christa and Devon (an Ontario young man working here) which is worse. The material or social poverty. After some thought, they both said social. For at least with material poverty, children are usually loved by someone and most are kept safe. That being said, there are bars in Maranatha where the men drown out their sorrows in booze. A cultural problem around the globe! And then these men are unsafe. But doors are locked at night to keep them out. Sherry and Logan and I went to Anna's home. She is the auntie to sweet Alice. Alice can't always get to school. When Anna has to work her fields in the DRC, Alice has to go along, as there is no one safe she can leave her with. Alice's uncle stopped by while we were visiting, reeking of alcohol and being overly friendly. Not a relative you'd leave your child with. Again, a similarity across the globe. No loving mother would leave her child with someone she sensed was unsafe.
Well, I think I will sign off for now. I have so much in my heart and mind to say, but my words are getting rather long, and I don't want you using my blogs as your sleep aide:). Perhaps if I were ever to write a novel you could use me as that!
It has felt good to blog and I thank you for bearing with me. For listening to my thoughts and picturing with me the lives people live here. While it causes my heart to break, it also causes me to feel immense joy as their joy is contagious.
Talk again soon,
C
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