Hi there,

Well, I think we have settled in quite well although I do still scream when I see a lizard or something like that, which I might add, to great delight of the men who hear. Today, Wednesday, there was a lizard caught up in Katie’s legs. She didn’t care but I just stood there and screamed and Donald was trying to get it away from her.

Katie loves Zambian life and the people here seem to really love her. She loves the children of which there are many. Yesterday we went into town to get some meat for dinner. You will see in the photo, Levy, Donald and Katie standing outside a building – well that is where we were buying the meat from. I was just thankful to see that all the meat was frozen!

The lake here is just beautiful. And the name Bangweulu – where the water meets the sky is so true. Last night Donald was even saying that you couldn’t see where the water ended and the sky began.

The power goes off every night for 2 hours from 6pm -8pm approx. So if you haven’t got a gas bottle you have to be very organised with dinner or cook over the fire! Thankfully Agnes has a gas bottle so we can cook with that, however it is very expensive.

It has been good to stay here with Levy and Agnes, so that we can get used to cooking and things like the power going off – I guess just to know the daily routine of the way things happen here.

Today we went to Agnes’ preschool. They were very organised with their teaching. We were there for the Bible Study and then the teacher asked us to tell them about NZ. It was very hard for them to

This afternoon I have my first study with the ladies so that should be interesting. You know how I hate to be up the front. Sounds like there will be at least 16 women attending! Well we had our meeting and yes there were lots. The interpreter didn’t turn up so Agnes had to it. I will txt her before the meeting next time. They have decided that we would have study 3 times a week! One lady wanted it everyday!!! I don’t know if I have enough material to do everyday for 3 months. Hopefully they will have lots of discussion time. Lucy also came to the study which was great.

Yesterday we met Lucy Chama. She is doing well now. She came and looked at all the photos that we had of people at home and I was very surprised that she recognised so many and remembered their names. Donald showed me her new house and it looks nice. I think they are just waiting for water to be connected and then she can move in. Elizabeth has been nice to Katie as well which is great. Lucy will come and see us more when we move to the other house. I think she finds this home a bit uncomfortable as it used to be hers.

We move to the other house on either Monday or Tuesday next week. It will be nice to have our own space. Levy and Agnes are really great and let us cook and do whatever we want to here. Levy thinks Katie is funny – the way she loves the power going off so that we can have candlelit dinners every night! Katie’s job is to boil the water for drinking and fill up the water bottles. It is an important job here. Agnes is very impressed that Katie knows how to do so many things around the home and is willing to do them! She is going to take Katie one day to her classroom. That should be very interesting for her to be in a Zambian Basic School. They are about 13 yrs and up in her class.

Today Katie and I decided we would do our washing Zambian style. There are not too many days before we have a washing machine in our home. It was a good lesson for Katie on how the Zambian women have to work at home. Some women have 10 children and a husband and have to wash their clothes like this! Good exercise I reckon – I might come home with strong arm muscles hahahaha

Till our next posting

Gwen