Enjoying the Cuisine: Surviving and Thriving Part 2

Real quick before I share about the culinary delights of Cambodia... Last last weekend (so Feb. 16-19) we went to Thailand. Usually people go to the mountains or the beach for a long weekend. Well, like Ava Michelle and I said on November 13- "We threw normal out the window at the RDU airport!" Granted, we did wind up at a beach. It just happened to be a beach on a Thai island called Koh Chang. We had an awesome time- delicious food (real life Pad Thai!), elephant trekking, Tree Top Adventures aka a high ropes course in the forest, air conditioning, hot showers, and a nice little break from city life. The only bad part was that we spent as much time on buses as we did enjoying Thailand. Oh, and crossing the border on foot is a nightmare. Enjoying the Cuisine: Surviving and Thriving Part 2 - try everything: it might surprise you - don't eat too much of anything: you can always find more later but you can't undo damage to your stomach once it's been done - sometimes it's better not to ask what's in a food until after you try it - pace yourself on the rice: there's not really an alternative if you get tired of it - the food on the street carts or at the market is just about the best you will find, especially for the price (a full meal for $1, adding a large fresh fruit smoothie will bump the bill to $2) - taste the fruit!: it looks weird but there are things like dragon fruit & mangosteen & lychee that you can only find as artificial flavorings in America. - quiz a local on how much random things should cost: just like with everything else, they'll try to overcharge White people - know where you can get a simple Western meal to renew your taste buds - be generous: Cambodians love to share everything, especially food. They will insist you take some of anything they have so make sure you return the favor. - do away with germaphobia: like I said, sharing is common. At my work for lunch, everyone puts their food in the middle while everyone crowds around on the floor and takes a little of this and a little of that to add to our own portions of rice. It's a great way to try lots of new foods and even better if I don't like what was packed for my lunch! - be open-minded when ordering: you don't always know what you're going to get when you are an English speaker ordering from an all-Khmer menu with blurry/no pictures. I would advise learning the word "noodles" ("mee" in Khmer)- they are a safe bet and delicious on their own in case you accidentally order some mystery meat. - learn to like spicy foods - don't try to eat on a moto: I was eating pineapple on the back of a moto one day since it was lunchtime and I had a 20 minute ride ahead of me. My Khmer-speaking driver pulled over and told me something about my food. I broke him off some pineapple but he refused it. I figured he was asking me not to eat on his bike- strange but his moto, his rules. We started on the road again and through some charades, I realized that he had told me not to eat because the dust from the road would get in my mouth. What a sweet guy! - don't try to keep up with Cambodian appetites: for such small people, they put away a lot of food! They will insist that you eat until you're stuffed but don't give in, especially if you are visiting for a good while. Eight weeks is a long time to appease people at the price of your discomfort. - accept the fact that you will probably get sick: it's part of the experience and won't last long. Fun things I've tried: - grilled mini bananas - Khmer coffee (basically espresso with sweetened condensed milk) - insects: crickets and the like - pureed fish with chile peppers - Ramen noodles (yes, like in the package) for breakfast - mangosteen* - fresh passion fruit juice - dragon fruit* - lychee* - limpot* - ohm-puhl* (that's the Khmer name, I don't know what it is in English) - coconut cake balls - fried frogs - sweet purple rice - ice cream-like substance made from beans and one made from tapioca - green tomatoes are common too which is cool *A Google search may clarify what some of these look like. I didn't know until I saw them here. The next things on my list to try are an avocado smoothie (don't be skeptical yet) and an Indonesian restaurant in town- I know that's not Cambodian but still... Also, if you are interested in pictures here is the link to my album on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151539154524179.552253.624354178&type=1&l=fb2fdc9a01

Getting Around Town: Surviving and Thriving part 1

So I thought I would switch it up a bit. Although I have loved my time here in Cambodia, most of the best moments are silly little things that mean nothing to anyone but me. Instead, I figured I could use this opportunity to enlighten you on how to survive and thrive in Cambodian culture. Edition one will obviously be transportation... IN GENERAL: - A "moto" is the shortened term for motor bike - A tuk-tuk is basically a carriage pulled by a moto - Tuk-tuks cost about twice as much as a moto but you can share them with 3-5 other people (depending on how much you like them). - Honking is rarely vicious. The horn is used to tell a car to scoot over so you can pass, or let a smaller vehicle know you are coming up on them so they don't accidentally swerve in front of you, or sometimes just to say hi. It is more strange to not hear a horn than it is to hear one. - Traffic laws don't really exist. Technically, you drive on the right side of the road but if the left side seems more convenient then go for it! It is not unusual to have 6 lanes of traffic- 2 going the same direction as you, 2 coming at you, and 1 crossing each way in front of you (Sorry if that doesn't make sense). You just do what you gotta do to get where you gotta get. BEFORE TRAVELING: - If possible, get a Cambodian to help you get a tuk-tuk or moto- they can explain in Khmer plus locals get a much better deal (for everything). - Find and keep with you a bilingual map (both in Khmer and English)- thankfully, pointing is universal. - Allow 10 extra minutes for explaining to the tuk-tuk or moto driver where you want to go- they will probably have to consult at least 2 other people before even pretending they are familiar with your intended destination. - Give yourself another 5 minutes for when the driver gets lost and has to back track or stop and ask for more directions. - Don't pay what they ask for initially- it's usually about $.50-$1 cheaper than what they say. If you're patient, a lot of times they will give in before you will. EN ROUTE: - If you are in a tuk-tuk, just sit back and relax. Sit on the seat facing backwards to avoid the dust if possible. - Motos are a different story... - Be alert but not too alert: it is absolutely necessary to keep your arms and knees as close to the moto as possible to avoid getting knicked by passing vehicles, and avoid the exhaust pipe by your feet. It also helps to pay attention to where you are so when the driver almost misses the road, you can catch it before he has to turn around and face oncoming traffic. - Enjoy the ride. There are some great sights to be seen on Cambodia roads such as oxen crossing city streets, motos hauling absolutely anything (the most impressive I've seen is a guy with a couch and an oversized chair), and shops that might be fun to visit later. Plus, focusing on other things keeps your mind from thinking up all the terrible scenarios that could happen in such crazy traffic. - Practice your balance: it's awkward (and probably not encouraged) to clutch the wait of the Cambodian male drivers and some of the motos don't have a handle behind the seat. Anyways, the more relaxed you are on a moto, the more legit you seem. - Avoid skirts... until you are comfortable enough to side-saddle. But even then, avoid skirts. ONCE YOU ARRIVE IN TACT: - Always exit from the left side to avoid getting what they call a "Cambodian tattoo" - aka a burn from the exhaust pipe. - Try to pay with exact change- there are many times when drivers conveniently don't have change on them... WALKING: - It's always easier to depend on your own feet to get you from point A to point B. It will definitely take longer but the exercise is nice and you can avoid language barriers. - Prepared to be offered a tuk-tuk or moto at least once every 2-3 minutes. Just shake your head and smile. They will usually give you even bigger smiles in return- I've never seen people so happy to be rejected. - Stay hydrated... it gets hot here. - When crossing the street, be brave but cautious. The drivers are crazy but they do slow down for pedestrians so just be ready to weave and run until you make it safely to the other side. - Watch out for dogs. Most are nice and the others might only have a fierce bark but I'm not going to be the one to find out. - Figure out a way to pass the time. The streets of Phnom Penh aren't exactly pedestrian friendly so you may have to take the long way around sometimes. A fun game I play is trying to see how many people I can make smile on each trip- my record is 18. And as our host mom says every time we leave the house... "Good luck!"

from Africa to Asia.

First of all, sorry about not blogging for so long. I know all of you await all of my posts anxiously. I can't imagine the distress that 2 weeks without an update must have caused you :P But seriously, a lot has happened since I left Zambia on January 19. I'll do my best to hit all of the high points, share some fun tidbits, and let you in on how I am feeling about all of it. All without boring you hopefully. After we left Zambia, we flew to Cape Town, South Africa for a short holiday in between volunteer stints. The day was filled with emotion as I balanced the sadness of leaving Zambia with the excitement of exploring a new country. Not to mention a bit of frustration at the airport (we won't get into that) and a surprise appearance at the Cape Town airport by my boyfriend. I'm not exaggerating when I say that it took me until the next day to really believe that he was in Africa with me. Also, he brought Christmas to Ava Michelle and me! We got lots of treats from our families and friends- thanks for all of you who sent something along. Our little celebration may be in the running for Best Christmas Ever, mostly because I was expecting to skip American Christmas this year. Plus the little taste of home was a nice surprise. Cape Town was a breath of fresh air from the "Real Africa" that Zambia claims to be. There were Western restaurants, everyone spoke English, and we got to be the tourists instead of attracting attention ourselves. If I hadn't known any better, I might have thought I was back in America! As is evidenced in my pictures that FINALLY got posted (sorry for the huge delay- Africa isn't very photo uploading friendly) we stayed pretty busy. - City tour on one of those double decker buses: another bucket list check! - Simeon's Town to see the Penguin Colony: I was overwhelmed with joy! Plus, I even got to pet one... after he bit me of course. - Safari: A must-do in Africa. Our vehicle got stuck in sand and we had to disembark (that was the best antonym thesaurus.com could give me for "board") while the staff tried to pull it out. Don't worry, we ended up being within like 7 feet of an elephant!! Can I add that to my bucket list just to check it off? - Hike up Table Mountain: 2.5 hours almost straight up stairs but at the top we were in a cloud! Then we rode down in a cable car that overlooked the city. - Jade: We met a woman one day who stopped us to ask for some corn flakes and milk. As we walked to the grocery store with her, she told us about herself and asked all about us- she was so excited just to have a conversation with someone- and then we got on the topic of Jesus. Long story short, she ended up becoming a Christian. God is so good! Then 4 flights, 5 security checks, 2 movies, and countless aluminum-wrapped meals later, we arrived in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. The organization that is "in charge" of us here is called Star Kampuchea and is very well organized. We had a day-long orientation the first Monday filled with culture tips, expectations, possible issues, language lessons, and a traditional Cambodian dinner- it only took me a couple days to eat strange things here. Let's just say that even crickets and frogs don't taste like much if you deep fry them! Then Tuesday we went on a tour of the city and visited a local market. There are lots of other volunteers here as well so I have not only got to learn about Cambodian culture, but befriend people from Australia, England, China, Sweden, and Denmark. Talk about culture shock! We are living with a family and they are great. It is a grandma, a mom and a 7-year-old girl. The grandma doesn't speak English but we do our best with charades. If all else fails, I just smile and say "Akun" which means "Thank you". The 7-year old, Panna, is your typical little girl- likes to talk A LOT, never runs out of questions, and loves to sing and dance. It's going to be a fun 8 weeks (no sarcasm intended). I am working at an organization called M'lup Russey, previously known as ICC-SKY. My project is to create a training program for Emergency Foster Care Families. I'm realizing that the language barrier and minimal knowledge of Cambodian culture, and the fact that I'm not a real social worker, make the task a little more difficult. But I am SO excited to have an actual project with an end goal and tangible results along the way. Not to mention the people I work with are great! Side story: For lunch, I bring the rice and surprise that grandma packs for me in the morning and stay at the office to eat with some of my "co-workers" <- can I say that yet? Anyways, we all sit on the grass mat in the middle of the kitchen floor, place whatever side (aka the part of lunch that isn't rice) we brought in the middle and it becomes free game for everyone. Pot luck every day! It's awesome!! Back to M'lup Russey... they are a Christian organization- what a surprise in a Buddhist country. I even got to attend Bible Study at the office yesterday morning. Granted, it was ALL in Khmer (pronounced Kah-mai) but I really enjoyed it. Different language, same God. How cool! Ironically, M'lup Russey is anti-orphanage for a lot of valid reasons I won't get into now. Funny that I go from volunteering at orphanages in Zambia to working for a place that fights to get kids out of them and reunited with their biological families. I have been incredibly encouraged this past week. From getting experience in a field I am passionate about to sweet messages from my friends to enjoying the simple life of a third world country, I couldn't be happier. Here goes part 3 of this little adventure!! For those of you who wish to see pictures... Zambia: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151451518699179.546294.624354178&type=1&l=bd40b44dc9 Cape Town: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151453344379179.546470.624354178&type=1&l=0c3c27cbf5

For every end, there is a beginning.

It's hard to believe that 8 weeks in Zambia, leg number 1 of this world adventure, have come and gone. I've spent the past week trying to take each day at a time which is easier said than done! It's been tough to fight the sadness that comes with leaving the girls at Heartspring who (whom?) I've come to adore while they keep asking how many more days we will be coming to play with them. Then doing my best to keep the anticipation I have for vacation in South Africa at bay as I book a hostel and research ways to spend our 5 days as tourists. Just like the other seven, the past week has been filled with wonderful memories. I realize I haven't done a very good job at sharing stories with you so here goes... On Tuesday, I was sitting on the patio at Heartspring while a few of the girls "plaited" (aka braided) my hair. They got tired of standing so Jennipher (a precious 6 year-old with no front teeth) told me to lay down and she positioned herself so my head could rest on her lap. The girls continued to plait while two others, Olice (pronounced Ol-issy because they don't understand silent "e"s) and Lumunu (the youngest one) rubbed my arms, playing with the freckles and scars that show up on my skin but not on theirs. You will be pleased to know that my hair is currently in tons of little braids and will remain so until I can't stand it anymore (per a promise to keep them as long as possible). This may sound incredibly simple and mean nothing to anyone except me and the girls but that is part of the beauty of it. Simplicity and shared experience, a lot of what this trip is about. There wasn't any pressure to explain a game easy enough for all of them to understand. I didn't have to navigate the language barrier that seems to hinder so much of our interactions. All I had to do was be with them, loving and being loved.And that was enough. I think it's almost always enough. We get so caught up in wanting results from our work and feeling useful that we forget how far those little moments go. As if that wasn't enough for one day, that night we got a call from Big David- the Grace boy whose Facebook picture I was tagged in this week for those of you who might have seen it. He just wanted to call and check on us. When I said that we missed them, he said, "We miss you more." After some chit chat and catching up he said, "Which one am I talking to?" My response, "You don't even know who I am?!| Big David: "Oh, hi Risa." I guess some things don't change even after 8 weeks in Africa. On Wednesday, I managed to cook nshima all by myself! I am not typically culinarily challenged but Zambian cooking is a whole other level. Just imagine a huge pot (we cooked for 17) on a charcoal braizer. You stir the nshima, which is the consistency of THICK mashed potatoes, with a giant wooden spoon. Nchimunya (the oldest girl) just kept adding mealie meal until it was almost impossible to stir. I had to hold the pot handle between my knees, stand up and stir with both hands. Boy was I sweating afterwards! Again, it seems simple but it's taken me two weeks of helping with lunch to get to that point and boy did it feel good! Like I said, our time in Zambia is almost up. I get the question, "When are you coming back?" a lot. I can't bear to think about not returning one day but the thing with kids is that they grow up and who knows where they will be if and when I make it back. And just like with every other transition in my life, I can't stop from thinking about what I could have done better and the liklihood that I am leaving loose ends. Honestly, I'm just glad good byes are over... On the other hand, I am excited for a week of relaxing in Cape Town- making our own schedule, letting ourselves be silly tourists, exploring a completely new city, and being in a place kind of like America. Well, we hear it's like Little London but it is pretty developed and there will be a lot of White people (aka we won't stick out) so that is close enough to the US to clear up the teensy bit of homesickness I may or may not be feeling. Thankfully, God's faithfulness is enough to cover any sadness or longing. His Plan has been perfect so far (even if it hasn't been what I expected) and I trust that His timing will continue to be just as impeccable. I've realized that He has orchestrated this whole trip so that I won't even have time to be sad about one thing ending because there is only a bus ride or a plan ride in between me and the next adventure. We left Kitwe and Dayspring for Livingstone and Heartspring. Then we are leaving Livingstone in a couple hours for Cape Town and in a week, we will be preparing to land in Cambodia for 8 weeks. I have also realized that, busy or not, I can partly control whether or not my life in Zambia stops here. I'm not a big fan of technology but it does give me the opportunity to communicate with the friends I've made and will make. I can come home and share my experiences with people and spread awareness so that the needs of the kids I've come to love can be met. I have been given a beautiful gift, of which everyone here and at home has been a part. I'm not the same Risa I was 8 weeks ago and I know that I still have a lot to learn. Thanks again to those of you who have supported me, written emails, sent packages, prayed for this trip, given me the names of contacts in the countries we are visiting, and for the countless other things I don't even know about. I am blessed that each of you is a part of my life. Cape Town.. HERE WE COME!!!

from Dayspring to Heartspring

Being back in Livingstone is bittersweet as a lot of things in life are. The bitter: It is blazing hot here. And that is coming from a girl who spends every day of a North Carolina summer working with horses in jeans. Escaping the sun is tough in itself but the lack of air flow indoors is enough to drive you back outside. The sweet: Sunscreen is impossible to keep from sweating off so I am getting real tan real fast. I even proved to the girls that I am not "White" by comparing my arm to a white dress we were washing. So now they call me "Tan" and themselves "Brown". The bitter: We aren't nearly as familiar with this town as we had gotten with Kitwe. We don't know where to get exactly what we want for the best price or what times are best to avoid crowds. The sweet: We get to explore again and try different places. Plus there are SO MANY WHITE PEOPLE! (Livingstone is pretty touristy) so we don't get nearly as much attention. The bitter: I miss all of my new friends from Kitwe. The staff at Kambalange Guest House took such good care of us and let us make ourselves at home there. The place we stay now is much smaller and not quite as homey. Ivor stayed in the Copper Belt to work for a couple weeks before making the venture up here to take us to the airport. To be honest, I miss the guy. And the Grace boys... gosh how I wish we could have just brought them along with us! We have already heard from 4 of them either checking up on us or wishing us a Happy New Year or just sending a text to say they miss us. One of them even listed me as his family member on Facebook! And when you are an only child, things like that go a long way. The sweet: We have gotten to spend time with Tinta, the 22 year old whose mom owns the hostel we stay at now. She is alone most of the day every day so it has been a blessing to be able to keep her company. Being back at Heartspring has been nothing short of wonderful... The girls there- ages 5 to 16- remembered us and were so excited we came back. They even memorized Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Little Sally Walker that we taught them last time. The older ones have been teaching us how to cook and I wash clothes with the younger ones almost every day. No wonder all of the women have killer biceps- stirring nshima and scrubbing out stains is tough work! They are all very patient with me and I think they actually enjoy getting to help the White, I mean Tan, girl. We play lots of clapping and dancing games in addition to cards and Start- basically Monkey in the Middle meets Dodgeball. Unfortunately, they don't speak Bemba in Livingstone so my weeks of practicing don't pay off so well here. The language here (did I ever mention that Zambia has 73 tribal dialects?) is Chitonga- Tonga for short. So the girls have been teaching me how to say simple words and phrases. I'm not good enough to share those with you yet... I don't want to downplay what a transition the past week has been but I also know it has been exactly what God wants it to be. He has removed me from the "home" we built over the past 6 weeks and has brought us to navigate life in Livingstone. He has stretched me from loving teenage boys through conversation, Bemba lessons, and jamming to Ava Michelle's and my iPods to the complete opposite end of the spectrum- loving little girls who barely know English and find the utmost joy in girly games that I've never really cared for. He has reminded me that this isn't about comfort or feeling useful or having good stories for a blog. It is about relying on Him and letting myself be sent to love the fatherless in a way that can only be done through the Father. It is about eagerly learning and patiently teaching, selflessly giving and graciously accepting, determinedly searching and gratefully finding. It is about so much more than Ava Michelle or myself and our world adventure. It is even more than Dayspring in Kitwe or Heartspring in Livingstone. It is about the beautiful Plan that has been knit together, causing our paths to cross for a short time, our lives to intertwine for much longer and our experiences to affect us more than is even imaginable.

So long Kitwe!

We are wrapping up our time in Kitwe. It has been a great 5.5 weeks here and I'm getting sad to be leaving so soon.
First, I'll update you on the past week...
Last Thursday we went to a recording studio, yes recording studio, that Lillian's son helps run. A couple of the older boys work there and plans had been arranged for Ava Michelle to sing a song with this Zambia artist named "Q". So she is officially going to be a Zambian pop sensation- unfortunately it will be after we leave so the fame will all be virtual. While we were there, everyone kept asking me to sing and not believing my claims to being tone deaf. Another owner named Truth asked me to help with their "logo" and by "logo" they meant "slogan". They wanted a loud, high-pitched voice- I was perfect for the job. So unless they find a better fit for the part, their slogan: "MEC Music Productions... We Jazz It Up!" will be in my voice!

They had a Christmas service at church on Sunday. We showed up at 8:30 am (the time the service was supposed to start) with our improvised version of macaroni and cheese (which was a hit!) Well, even Christmas happens on Zambian time apparently!
Supposed line-up:                                Reality:
normal service: 8:30-10:30                   normal service: 9:20-12:00
caroling: 10:30-12:00                           announcements and random time-fillers: 12:00-13:00
lunch: 12:00-14:00                               lunch: 13:00-15:00
But don't worry. There was a dance party during worship. They called different groups- mothers, fathers, youth (ages 18-35), children- down separately to praise Jesus by moving their hips. As if we ever think we go unnoticed, Pastor D called us out when he asked the youth to come down. He said, "Risa and Michelle, that means you!" Of course we followed suit and danced with the other "youth". After the sermon, Dr. Mwila asked us to come and speak about what we've been doing at Dayspring. We did (in slow English) and thanked them for their hospitality. Then the whole church prayed over us for safe travels, good experiences and success finding jobs back in the U.S. Supposedly Dr. Mwila is a pretty powerful prayer so we'll see!

Then yesterday = actual Christmas.
Disclaimer: We knew it would be nothing like what we are used to but it was still wonderful, so no sympathy.
We had left out tap water and Weet Bix (these wheat cereal bar things) for Zambian Santa. We didn't have "biscuits" (aka cookies) or nshima and Zambians don't really "take" (aka drink) milk. I guess Santa wasn't impressed with our attempted substitutions because our offerings were still there in the morning, with no additions. We went to Grace to see the boys and hang out until Lillian came to get us. Finally her husband came an hour and a half (still on time, even early, for Lillian) and we went to their home in Riverside to join Lillian's sister, the Mwilas' four biological children, their "burse" (aka maid/nanny) and about seven of the younger kids from Dayspring who didn't go home for Christmas. We had lunch and honestly, the spread wasn't far from what we would have had at home- turkey, ham, potatoes (sweet and regular), gravy, yellow rice, cake and tea. It was delicious! The only thing missing was apple pie...
The boys at Grace didn't have their Secret Santa gifts ready so we postponed to today- hopefully an extra day was sufficient time to prepare. All in all, it was a great Christmas. Freedom from all of the fuss was a relaxing treat and not knowing what to expect allowed for a day of pleasant, simple surprises. Lillian invited us back for another African Christmas next year but I think I'll give in and plan on enjoying an American one (at least to some extent).

Countdown to departure from Kitwe: 3 DAYS! And I feel like we have so much to fit in. I'm not going to lie, I've contemplated the possibility of just spending our last two weeks here, where we've made friends and know our way around and are comfortable. But as soon as I let myself utter that last word, I realize that is exactly why we have to go. We've done what God planned for us to do in Kitwe, at Dayspring. The friendships we've built and invested in will no doubt continue on. The things we've learned- from Bemba phrases to flexibility to cultural tidbits to trusting in God's timing- will make the journey with us to Livingstone, then to Asia and finally back to America.
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and enjoy bringing in the new year!

Joy to the World.

Countdown to Christmas: 7 days.

How can that be? It feels like July here. There are no "Holiday Sale" signs in store windows. Christmas decorations are a rare sight. There is no talk about who is left to buy for or when to fit in all of the gift exchanges. In all of those ways it feels like anything but the December that 22 years in America has accustomed me to. And for all of those reasons, I can imagine that a lot of people back home are thinking, "Poor Risa. She won't get to spend the holidays with her family. She won't have gifts to open on Christmas." 

But that's not the case at all. I am beyond excited to celebrate a Christmas free from the commercialization and materialistic display that it has become in the developed world. For the first time in years, I'm not hurrying to get the PERFECT GIFT for each of my loved ones. I am not recovering from the stress of final exams. I am not overindulging in all of the special treats that the holidays bring. Rather, I get to spend a lot of time with boys who don't really have families. I get to enjoy the Advent services that Pastor Mwila has given to prepare us for Christmas. I get to be pleasantly surprised every time I see a Christmas tree instead of expecting every "hall to be decked". 

And as far as the family part of Christmas...

Of course I will miss Christmas Day with my parents and my grandmother. And celebrating with my boyfriend and all of my best friends. But the people we have met here are as good a substitute as I could ask for! The boys at Dayspring, the staff at Kambalange (our hostel), Ivor - they are my Zambian family. That's what the holidays are all about, right? Celebrating the birth of a little baby, not a fat man coming down the chimney with gifts. Enjoying time together with people you love, not stressing over the house being perfectly decorated or Christmas dinner being ready on time. Rejoicing in the promised freedom that God made manifest over 2000 years ago. One of my really great friends included the following in her email this week:

7.  MERRY CHRISTMAS.  I pray you are not saddened at what you are missing this Christmas, but that you are rejoicing at the simplicity of receiving the only gift that matters.  Praise God that you are not clouded by the unnecessary supplements that, while nice, seem to make us a little more numb to the glory of the gift of Jesus Christ.  This thing called awe.  Practice it this Christmas while you have nothing blocking your view.

What He promised is what He gave.

Ironically, I had already started writing my blog post and through her message, God just affirmed that I was writing what He wanted.

Dayspring Church is having a Christmas service and luncheon on Sunday. Ava Michelle and I have volunteered to make macaroni and cheese- not common in Zambia so either everyone will love it or no one will eat it. I'll let you know how it goes. Then Lillian has invited us to her house for Christmas so we will spend at least part of the day with her family. We have set up Secret Santa with the boys (2 rules: 1. Keep it a SECRET. 2. Gifts have to be homemade). Hopefully we will be able to do our exchange with them on Christmas Day as well. I am super excited/interested to see how it turns out. 

So it may not look like Christmas here in the sense of the weather or the decor or financial expenditure. But the reminder that we are dearly loved children of a God who rejoices over every little thing we do is a pretty good illustration of the holiday season. 

May you celebrate in all ways glorifying to Jesus and the promise he came to fulfill. May you enjoy this season and find rest, peace, and joy. MERRY CHRISTMAS!