Croc Farm with 40/40 Kids

Almost a month ago, we visited the croc farm with the 40/40 kids. Coby was so excited to come here again, and he could not wait until he got to hold the python (see below).

Coby with a brown house snake
Baby Crocs Staff person getting the python out

Coby got a little anxious trying to pick up the tail-end of the python, and before he knew it, the python released his bowels!
Big Crocs
Finally, Coby gets to hold the python!

Cooking Nshima

We were put to the test of making the nshima for Elistina and Matilda one day at lunch. They do it so well, but they wanted us to give it a try. It is not as easy as it looks. Angela had fun trying it for the first time. Joy and I have done this before, but as you can see it took both of us -- one to hold the hot pot and the other to stir. This is a technique that is hard to learn!

Nshima is the staple food of Zambia. Our workers eat this every day for lunch. You must first get the water and mealie meal to a rapid boil while covered. Then, you begin adding more mealie meal and stir like you've never stirred before. It begins to look like mashed potatoes at this point, but you keep adding more mealie meal, and then you must do this fast whipping action with a large wooden spoon. Finally, you allow it to sit and thicken and then you make large spoonfuls for everyone to enjoy. It tastes rather bland by itself, so its necessary to add some kind of relish - and not the American relish you're thinking about. They fix this collard green stuff called "rape" with onions and tomatoes that goes great with nshima. If you ever come to Zambia, you've got to try it!

Senior Youth Banquet

On Saturday, May 24th we were invited to the Senior Youth Banquet held at the Guest House. The youth did an awesome job decorating our conference room in black, white, and silver. The place looked so elegant and beautiful. When we arrived inside, we were to find our place setting by the name or phrase on our place card. Ours said "Subway" for Ricky, and "Love that twang" for Niki. It could have gone either way, but the youth get a kick out of our Southern accents.

Ricky & I dressed up for a change!The youth group with some of the youth leaders.
The youth who served and the leaders who helped in so many ways.
The Seniors who are leaving us.
We learned 3 line dances, one of which I knew, the electric slide. The other one was "God bless Texas", and then we learned the Swing dance. The youth told me afterwards that they didn't know I could dance!

Carnival at International School

This past Saturday Kelsey and I went next door to the International School for a carnival. It was just like those good-ole carnivals we used to have at elementary school with games and prizes, food, and face painting. They even had a dunking booth for the students to dunk their teachers. Entertainment was provided, and we watched this traditional African dance performed by some young people of Zambia. And the food was awesome! They had African food, Sri Lanka food, Indian food, and even cotton candy!

Kelsey could not decide what to have painted on her face. She finally chose "Miss Muffet" from the nursery rhyme.

The highlight of the day was riding the horse. Kelsey has always been fascinated with horses, and she has always wanted to ride one. She spent most of the ride petting the horse, and when she got off, she said, "This horse is very soft!"

Saturday Soccer League

Coby has been playing in the Saturday Soccer League at the American School. The league last for 8 weeks. He has enjoyed getting to play soccer and meet some new friends at the same time. He has also been attending a professional soccer coaching lesson on Saturday mornings. His coach spent 5 years with Manchester United and coached at Rotherham United with professional footballers. The coach is presently the Athletics Director at the International School of Lusaka and coaches the Women's National Soccer team of Zambia! What an opportunity for Coby while we are serving in Zambia!

I know he doesn't look happy in this picture. I think the other team had just scored a goal!

Blind Snake

This is a blind snake that the boys found at the Guest House. They tried to convince me to let them keep it IN THE HOUSE! Of course I denied their request. They had fun making it a temporary home in a cardboard box and playing with it for the day. But at night, we had to let him go.

New Playset at Guest House

For the past month we have been building a new playset at our Guest House. It is almost complete, but the kids are already enjoying it. We've had many guests staying this month, and so the playset is getting used a lot. It took about 3 weeks to build. One man was mostly doing all the work himself, but he had 2 other assistants who helped him when needed. The roofs of the 2 "playhouses" are done with the straw like a real African hut. We are waiting on the slide to be custom-made, but we have a wobbly bridge, a tree house, and swings.

Photo Shoot

One of our missionary familes were staying at the guesthouse this week, and their son who is in college is here for a 3 month visit. He is a very good photographer, and so me and my friends, Joy and Mary Margaret, had the kids outside for a photo shoot. Just thought I would share some of these awesome pictures of the kids. Thanks, Enoch!

Yes, Kelsey has lost her 3rd tooth in the 3rd country, and on the 3rd continent she has been in. Her first tooth was lost during our training in Virginia, USA. Her 2nd tooth she lost during our 9-hour layover in London, UK. And now she has lost her 3rd tooth in Zambia, Africa. The 2nd tooth was lost in the swimming pool in London, and now this 3rd tooth came out while she was jumping on the couch and we couldn't find it anywhere. She wrote the tooth fairy explaining the situation, and they were very grateful to leave her a little something without taking a tooth in exchange!

Mrs. Brain

I am trying new ideas to make homeschooling a success in our first year. We have had some struggles over the past few months and so I got this idea from a former Zambian missionary family. We had fun for the first day trying something new and crazy, but I am disappointed that it didn't work like I expected it would. I think I have waited too late in the school year to implement a new method of teaching. But I'm proud that I gave it a shot. Better luck next time, I guess!

My outfit included some big, ugly sunglasses, an African FRO wig, one of Ricky's oversized African shirts, and a chitangi (an African wrap skirt). I named myself Mrs. Brain, and told the kids that mom stepped out for a few minutes and so she called on Mrs. Brain to do school for the day. The all got a kick out of laughing their heads off, and we didn't get much school done - but I'm positive they had fun today! Later in the day, Austin made me change my sunglasses to his more cooler sunglasses. Kelsey thinks that Mrs. Brain is smarter than mommy because of the wig.

Happy Mother's Day

"Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her; Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." - Proverbs 31:28-29

Happy Mother's Day to both of our moms, who we cannot be with this Mother's Day. We love you and miss you and think of you often.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Detours

My friend, Amy, was here at the guesthouse this past week, and her husband was attending a meeting in South Africa. I thought it would be nice for the two of us girls and all the kids (that was Coby, Kelsey, Caleb, Abby, Anna, and Luke) to go out for lunch one day. Unknowingly, it was Labor Day in Zambia and a holiday. On our usual route, we found ourselves detoured off the main road due to a parade. I didn't want to go the way they were routing us, so I made my own detour. As we are driving along, Coby lets me know that he thinks we are losing gas, again. That's another story, but anyway, I thought it best to check on the gas situation. PTL, we come upon a BP gas station. I fill up on gas and check for leaks -- none to my sight. While there, I ask of the attendant directions to our lunch destination, which is now already 15 minutes past the time we wanted to be there. The attendant tells me to take the next DIRT road and go until I come to the end, and then ask someone else. Ask someone else? I ask him again if he knows the directions well enough to tell the whole way to our destination, and he promises that I will get to our restuarant by following his directions.

We had a bumpy ride on the DIRT road that went FOREVER, until we finally came to a turn. I decided to stop and ask for directions. The people were very kind and told us to keep following the road and we would end up on the main road that we were looking for. In the meantime, our kids were asking when we would arrive for lunch, as they were starving. Valid question since it was 45 minutes past the time we were supposed to be there! I could see the city buildings in the distance so I knew we weren't lost, but we had no idea how long we had to travel through this compound to get to the tar (paved road). Finally, after one hour of scenery, we found our way to the main road. I think we went in a full circle and came out almost near the place where we turned off.

I'll never forget the following days when Amy tells me that she and the kids went back to the same restaurant with some other friends, and Caleb tells them that he hopes they know the way since Aunt Niki got them lost! I love the honesty in kids!