Michael W. Smith Concert
Last weekend was one we won’t forget for some time to come. I constantly have my ears open for new and exciting family outings here in Lusaka. So, when a teammate called and said that Michael W. Smith was going to be in town I jumped at the chance to purchase tickets for our family. Although he’s not our favorite Christian artist, the opportunity to go to a concert is rarely afforded us. We have such fond memories of concerts in the States from the Artist Series at Wheaton to the Mountain Opry in Chattanooga, not to mention bluegrass festivals, Riverbend, and Night Fall. In fact one Sunday morning worship at New City Fellowship would do our souls and ears good!
The concert was to take place from 2pm to 8pm last Sunday. Since things rarely start on time, we weren’t worried about arriving too early but did arrive around 2pm. There were already hundreds of fans lined up outside the stadium. We had eaten a large breakfast so for lunch I just packed a soft cooler full of drinks, crackers & peanut butter, snacks, and fruit. We took our place in line perhaps 200 yards away from the entrance. There was no shade from the hot sun, no barrier between us and the busy road just feet from us and no clean spot to sit.
Our place in line
Trying to hide from the sun
At 2:40 they began the sound check…at least that’s what it sounded like from our spot in line (which had not changed since 2:00). By this time I was tired of keeping the kids in line – literally – and carrying the cooler. I was also worried about sunburn since I hadn’t thought to bring sunscreen. Somewhere around this time new lines began to form at other entrances…so those just arriving were ahead of us in line. At 3:00 we decided we’d give it another 45min before we left.
People race to form new lines
At 3:30 a gentleman behind us in line received a call from someone on “the inside”. They hadn’t finished setting the stage up. We still hadn’t eaten, Ian needed a diaper change and we were in the same spot in line we had been in for an hour and a half. We decided to leave around 4:00. Our tickets were burning holes in our pockets.
We went to a Korean restaurant and had a leisurely meal. The children played outside in the grass as we enjoyed our food. The Korean Paparazzi fresh from S. Korea came pouring out of the kitchen with digital cameras and cell phones all wanting a picture of the little muzungu, Ian. We finished our meal and then I called a teammate who was at the concert around 5:45. She was in the stadium and they had just announced that MWS was on his way. Tim and I decided to give it another try.
We arrived at the stadium a little after 6pm and sure enough, there was MWS and band performing on stage. The crowd was excited and seemed to have forgotten their long wait in line to get into this concert. Midway through the concert someone decided to let the crowd advance toward the stage. Unfortunately, our friends and their children were at what used to be the front. As the mob advanced, a couple of their children were caught underfoot. That family left as their children were very upset! Just after 7pm MWS started wrapping things up. Not wanting to get stuck in traffic, we opted to leave before he performed his concluding songs.
As we drove home, we couldn’t help feeling severely disappointed and exhausted. To top things off, as we were driving along, a line of 4 unmarked vehicles with their hazards flashing drove by pointing guns at us. The last vehicle (a flatbed truck) ran us off the road without the slightest provocation. When we did get home, Ireen was crying and Ian was repeating…”guns scare me, Papa”. We gathered in the living room and thanked God for protecting us.
Let it never be said that we didn’t try to participate and do fun things with our family. I just hope this doesn’t make us too cynical.
Eye burn
Warning: You may cringe or your eyes might water when you read this post.
Yesterday I was working on a sewing project which has been on hold for the better part of three months. As I rarely iron (forgive me mom) I’m not sure I’ve properly lectured Ireen about iron safety. My iron has a base which heats it and when you remove it from the base the iron is cordless. While the iron was heating in its base, I asked Ireen to pass me some sewing pins. Instead of walking around the iron she reached over the iron to hand me the pins…unfortunately, the tip of the hot iron was exactly eye level. Yup, you guessed it, she burned her eye.
Immediately we got ice and tylenol. She said that the burn was only on the lid. However, I became more and more concerned since her eye was watering non-stop and opening her eye proved to be excruciating. I then tried to contact my mom and mother-in-law…because they have all the answers 
but neither was available. Then I called Tim to see how far he was from home – 2 hrs minimum drive. I then woke Ian up and walked them both down the lane to SES (Specialty Emergency Services) where there are paramedics on-call. I found Leighann. She took a look at Ireen’s eye and said that no damage had been done to the cornia – Praise God!!
Last night when Tim returned from his trip, he and those with him were very concerned for Ireen. In fact when I called they were in the middle of praying with a tribal cheif about spiritual attack. Tim excused himself saying, “my wife never calls this many times in a row”. When he returned to them, they began to pray for Ireen’s eye. They prayed that her eye would be protected and that no perminent damage would occur. God certainly heard their prayers.
Ireen went to bed early and woke up late this morning. Her eye is swolen and still painful to open but other than that she is back to her normal self. I put this bandaid/eye patch on her eye this morning to make it easier for her to see out of the other eye. School is canceled for today.
To ask God for $120,000
To pray and ask God for $120,000 seems crazy but in the morning I find myself on my knees asking the Lord for this very thing. The infusion of capital funds that are needed to get the ministry center related projects towards completion isoverwhelming. I begin to wonder how I’ve found myself immersed in the middle of such an initiative. It’s not hard to imagine how a person, given my tendencies, gets preoccupied with the next phase of development and other mission matters. Will God make these funds available for missions in Zambia? Will He provide the necessary personnel to make it all happen? To be honest, I’m not sure… After all, I’ve pretty much exhausted all my resources. How will the vision be fulfilled?
Evidently, God doesn’t think it’s important for me to know the answers to those questions… at least not right now. One thing I do know is that He has countless purposes in giving me any one dilemma. This afternoon, I was meditating on the love of God and how it is often displayed in the lives of the saints; and how, when the people of God pray and no immediate solution is found, they feel as if they are in a desert.
One author I was reading said that God takes everyone whom He loves through a desert and that it is His cure for a wandering heart. Jack Miller writes further, “The first thing that happens is that we slowly give up the fight. Our wills are broken by the reality of our circumstances. The things that brought us life gradually die. Our idols die for lack of food.” And I suppose that it is true. It is the dry air of the desert places in our life that brings the sense of helplessness that is so crucial to the spirit of prayer.
Like I said, sometimes I wonder how God has purposed for us to complete the vision for our rural ministry center. I haven’t thought as much about why God has purposed for me to be involved in that work. Perhaps its because it’s a herculean task that can’t be accomplished by human endeavoring. Perhaps He knows that people like me will try solutions by their own endeavoring and will fall short. Perhaps He’s fostering a sense of urgency and soul-filled thirst that brings me back to Him.
David wrote, “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1
Our deserts lead us to the heart of God, and as Miller puts it, “He finally gets your attention because he’s the only game in town”. As I continue to pray for that $120,000, I can see that this has nothing to do with money but that it has everything to do with my helpless, needy self that has a longing for God. It’s a $120,000 lesson that I hope will have a grand conclusion, but even if the struggle for funds continue, God will be at the center of it.
Coming Together
I thought it would be nice to share other perspectives on the work happening at our ministry center. Each person is connected to that work in various ways. There’s no doubt that Ciyanjano has become a special place for each member of our mission team and Luke & Elise Whitfield are no exception. Here’s a video they created recently, put in their own words and presented in their own way. Thanks Luke for sharing with us! If it’s not apparent, things are slowly coming together…
Happy B-day Andrea!
Thirty years ago today, Andrea was born near the small village of Muruu, Kenya at around 9 PM. Andrea’s mother (Donna Armes) had been planning to deliver in Nairobi – a four hour bush drive away. Andrea had other plans though, making a surprise visit 5 weeks early. God providentially made it possible for a Dutch doctor to be present and assist with the delivery and even helped avert a crisis when Andrea was born with the chord around her neck. Ever since, people have come to know Andrea for her warm heart, joyful spirit, creative energy, and depth of character. I thought it would be fun to post a few memorable photos. Happy Birthday AJ!
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Brick Prep for Vacaville
We’ve been working hard to prepare for construction teams which are coming from the States. For the next work project, Crossroads Christian Church in Vacaville, CA is sending a short-term team of four men to come and help Action Zambia with chalet construction.
Because they will undetake a brick-laying project, we have been working ahead at shifting the bricks to the chalet foundations. Lord willing, the team will begin laying 8 courses of our own kiln-baked bricks. The bricks were made over a year ago and were stacked and covered with plastic covering – but the rains were successful last season in leaking in. Inevitably, as the mud brick dampened they began to crack. 25% of them cracked in fact, making them unusable for the lower walls. Even still, we should have just enough to complete the 5 chalets.
The 8 courses should reach a little over one meter high all the way round the chalet slab. Then the brick walls will be finished off with a concrete shell for added protection from the rain. From the top of the brick wall to the ceiling header board, we plan on framing out with timber wood pieces. The idea is to create framing so that mosquito screens can be fastened. It’s kind of difficult to communicate my ideas to others, so I tried sketching the concept.
Ba na Ruth
Victoria Chitambo (a.k.a Ba na Ruth – Mother of Ruth) paid us a visit today. Not having been to our new home before and being a good friend of the Hilty family – it was a high priority for her to make it home. She is married to ACTION Zambia’s CROSS Project worker John Chitambo. Victoria always has an encouraging word for us when she comes – something that makes her especially effective in her job as an HIV/AIDS counselor at a local VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing) center. The stories she hears first hand on a regular basis are simply shocking. But in the midst of all the tragedy, Victoria trusts the Lord to grant her wisdom in how to advise the multitude of patients that pass through the clinic. She brought a chitenge suit for Andrea as a gift – which is the one that she’s modeling in the picture.
Playpark for Ciyanjano
A year and a half ago I made a playset for Ian and Ireen out of wood poles bought at the local timber market. The playset started as just a swingset – but a ladder, deck, wheel and climbing rope were soon added. With our family’s recent move due to flooding, I disassembled the playset and decided we should resurrect it at its new home at Ciyanjano. After much work, Jailos Sakala and myself fastened and bolted the various pieces to reconstruct it. Our Zambian friends were confused by the term “playground” and said that it should be called a “playpark”. So playpark it is. Eventually, I’d like to add other play structures and equipment to the area. The kids at Ciyanjano are already having a blast with it, but with kids camps coming in the future – we’ll need added capacity. What kind of equipment would you recommend we consider? The materials need to be locally available and I’d like to incorporate salvaged items into the creation of the playpark. I’m totally open to suggestions.
Mother’s Day at Our House
Ian, Ireen and I are so proud of our Mama! She means the world to three of us and it was special for us to honor her. The kids gave Andrea flowers and big hugs and kisses. After a delicious Sunday afternoon lunch, we all headed out to the front porch to celebrate by serving up her favorite ice cream flavor – chocolate/mint. The bright eyes and funny cone-licking antics were great. We caught Ian going to town on his ice cream cone and thought we should share it. Here it is:
Wildebeest Stew
Our home fellowship group from church has interesting perks. On Tuesday night, Chris and Martha Kangwa decided to pass out kilos of bush meat that Chris brought home on one of his hunting trips. With a love for the wild African bush, Chris is a skilled hunter and adventurist. We’d never prepared, much less eaten Wildebeest before, but when we were handed a frozen package of it… we were all smiles. Wildebeest is also known as the Gnu, and comes from the antelope family. So we figured we could handle the challenge. Andrea did the majority of the research and was told that wildebeest tastes as good as it looks. We’re not really sure what that was supposed to mean, but wildebeest aren’t exactly handsome looking. Check out how the meat was looking.
Uncertain about how to proceed, Andrea posted a request for suggestions on her facebook page. Ideas trickled in such as wrapping the meat in pawpaw leaves for tenderizing, and seasoning with ground coffee. In the end, Andrea incorporated several ideas and prepared an aromatically wild stew. It definitely had a wild game smell, that I imagined Esau would have been excited about. And it was actually very tender meat indeed. We actually invited the Kangwas over to enjoy it with us, but figured we should serve it as a side meat alongside chicken just in case it wasn’t up to snuff. The picture at the far top was a snap that the marksman himself took of the herd he was stalking, though I’m not sure which one of them ended up on our plate.