Looking back -- Saturday, June 12, 2010

Each Saturday, the sponsor students are collected from Kalomo High School, and Muwata High School, and Namwianga Secondary to do volunteer work as part of their sponsorship commitment. We joined 40 students from Kalomo and Muwata at 7 Fountains Farm. The students picked rocks and gathered firewood and shoveled river sand and played with the toddlers and loved on the babies. Mary Beth and Sherry finished the curtain project for Sue Calder, and I visited with my sponsor students and roamed around taking pictures. Mary Beth was able to meet Lee's sponsor student, Vincent, and deliver his package. MB and I also had our picture take with Norman, the student that she, Elaine and I sponsor.

The farm manager's house is under construction and Ruhtt had arranged for about 15 inmates from the prison to come on Saturday. They mixed and poured cement for the floor of the house. Brevery, a sponsor student who is staying with Richard and Sue until time to go back to university, was preparing the meal for these men. When I asked him what he was cooking, he told me it was "the awfuls", at least that is how is it pronounced and also how it smelled. We would call it tripe, and I think the British word is offals. At any rate, the men were happy to get it because the only food they get in prison is what their family brings them. Brevery is just a young man, but he showed courage and was a witness for God to these prisoners. The guards asked for extra food, and so did some of the senior prisoners. Brevery explained that he is a Christian, and so are the people providing the food, so no one gets special treatment; everyone gets the same.

In the afternoon, we rode on the back of the lorry so we could go to Kalomo and meet with Richard Jabinika. We also carried the teacher from Siabalumbe and her meager belongings to her home near Namwianga. She had been relieved her duties earlier in the week because she was not performing well. After a bumby, windy ride to town, we enjoyed a wonderful meal and visit with Richard, Margret, and their son, Kondwini. The lorry retreived us mid-afternoon, and we rode back to Namwianga, gathering passengers along the way. In Zambia, there is always room for one more.

Saturday evening, we enjoyed a Peruvian feast thanks to Mrs. Mbumwae. Sue made a chocolate cake that also helped expand our stomachs. The Kaziya family joined us, and it was great to visit with Kadonsi. After supper, our spiritual feast included a devotional led by Shepherd Mbumwae. We sang and shared blessings. What a marvelous end to a marvelous day!