A Relaxing Day

Today I was struggling with the best way to give you all a picture of the experiences, sights, and sounds we encounter on a daily basis. So without further ado, here is a summary of some important topics (in no particular order (OK, maybe food is at the top for a reason...).

Food

It's very common to see groups of people selling produce like tomatoes, eggs, and cabbage on the side of the road each day. Although Kelsi and I have only gone to supermarkets, we are planning to at least try some of the food from these mini-markets someday.

Speaking of grocery stores, today was the first day that Kelsi and I did NOT actually go to one. If that's not a victory, I don't know what is! We usually walk to the grocery store about a mile down the road. It is fully stocked, and although we waste a lot of time mentally converting kwachas to dollars, we eventually find all that we need.  

Yesterday, Lisa (one of the missionaries' wives) drove us to a new shopping center in town. It is much nicer than the one near us, and it was filled to the brim with fresh fruits and vegetables. We stocked up on mangoes, nectarines, plums, and watermelon while gazing with interest at the purple sweet potatoes, pickled mangoes, and gem squash. We even saw a few other muzungos - a rare sight in our neighborhood!

Shopping

After taking us to the grocery store, Lisa showed us the shopping mall in town. It exceeded any expectations that we had. I almost felt like I was back in America as I looked at the variety of restaurants and clothes stores; there's even a movie theater that shows movies like American Sniper.

Kelsi and I also noticed how fashionable everyone was at the mall. Practically all of the women looked like they were models, and the men were very high-fashion as well. Don't worry, though. We reinforced the slobby American stereotype by wearing matching khaki capris and clunky sandals. It's such a mystery why two people have asked if we are twins!

Seminary

Our house is across the street from the seminary, and we walk over to campus every day to teach or use the printer. There are eighteen seminary students; they all have wives and there are about thirty total children. The men are in their third and final year of schooling, and they spend virtually all of their time together on campus. There are a few buildings that serve as housing for the families - somewhat similar to a dorm. When the women and men are not in class, we often see them working their plots of land. Most impressive to us is when the men manually weed wack the tall grass - in long-sleeves, no less!

This is the biggest class that the seminary has ever had, and we have to remember to keep them and the seminary in our prayers so the Word may continue to be spread throughout Zambia.

Daily Activities

Today's activities were not necessarily typical. The women take Fridays off, so after attending morning chapel and completing some paperwork for a volunteer permit, we spent the morning printing and preparing reading materials.

It was a gorgeous day (just digging the knife in a little harder, Wisconsin), so we went on a walk with Sharon, our neighbor and the wife of one of the missionaries. Sharon and her husband John have lived in Zambia for a total of 22 years (as long as Kelsi and I have been alive!). They lived in the bush before moving to Lusaka. Interestingly, they originally lived in a town of 70 people in South Dakota, which was apparently great training for life in the bush.

We talked for well over an hour about Zambia, the twenty-plus years she has spent here, and the mission. She explained the changes Zambia has undergone in the past 50 years, its political climate, and how it compares to Zimbabwe and South Africa. If our incessant questioning annoyed her, she didn't let on.

Next week we will begin teaching and tutoring for most of the day. Although we enjoyed our relaxing day today, we are excited to get to work next week!

Good night and God's blessings from the other side of the world!