He Is Risen!

Jesus Christ is risen! Alleluia!

Jesus' triumph over death makes Easter one of the happiest days of the year; the time spent with friends yesterday was just icing on the cake! Our first Easter in Africa was full of joy and laughter as we celebrated our victory through Jesus' resurrection.

Here are a few highlights of our day:

Church
In addition to some traditional Easter hymns, like "Christ the Lord is Risen Today," we sang a Nyanja hymn to close the ceremony.

Kuli dziko labwino m'mwamba
Lakuwala koposa dzuwa
Yesu atikonzera malo
Pokhalira ife komweko.

Very loosely translated, Jesus is preparing a place for us above in heaven. Thank God that we can look forward to the joy of eternal life worshiping our Redeemer, the resurrected Lord!

Easter Breakfast
Sausage, chicken, hard-boiled eggs, cookies, lemon cake, juice, coffee.

'Nuff said. Yum!

A Celebration at the Birners
The Birners were kind enough to host Easter dinner for us. We were joined by the Wendlands and the Birner's niece Molly. The menu was delicious and traditional, including food like ham, scalloped potatoes, and roasted vegetables. Our meal was topped off with a delicious lemon custard dessert and fresh fruit.

A shot of the feast and Molly being her crazy self. :)

After dinner, we played bocce ball while the monkeys ran along the fence. Although we still get excited to see them, the monkeys are losing their ability to surprise me and Kelsi. They are so common in the Birner's backyard and other parts of campus that we are quite used to seeing the monkeys swinging in the trees.

Kelsi introduced us to her family's Easter tradition: Bite the Bag. The game is exactly as it sounds, and it is proof that sometimes the simplest games are the most fun. :) The goal is to pick up a paper bag with your teeth while keeping two limbs (two legs or an arm and a leg) on the ground at all times. Each round, the bag is trimmed a couple inches, until just the bottom remains. Unsurprisingly, my inflexibility didn't serve me too well in this game, and at the end, Kelsi and Molly shared the coveted title of "Bite the Bag Winner 2015."

Action shot! Impressive "bite," Molly :)

All in all, our day was really wonderful. When I was planning for this trip, I was worried that I might be homesick - especially around Easter. However, everyone has been so inviting and welcoming that I should never have worried! Although we both had a few moments of missing our families this weekend, we felt right at home here. We are so blessed to have such a kind community of people here. 

Like Kelsi said last time, we are camping at Kafue National Park tomorrow through Thursday with Susan and Molly. We will update the blog on Thursday or Friday, hopefully with several pictures of the animals! 

We pray that you all had a blessed Easter. May we continue to reflect on the blessing of Easter and the hope of heaven! He is risen!