Day 37 – Digging the Well, Herb Salad

This week Joel, Joseph (one of the farm workers) and I have been digging one of the farm wells deeper. The drinking water well is ok, but the veggie garden one was too low and it’s pump was sucking mud. Well, it was quite a mission I must say!

Joseph stood in the freezing water at the bottom, hand-scooping the mud away while Joel and I pulled up and dumped the buckets and operated the pump. We pumped up the water and then dug until the well filled up again. Eventually we had to suspend the pump down inside the well from a tree above because the pressure became to much for it. Today Joseph used a brush and pitchfork to scrape away the old mud layer on the walls to improve the flow. Of course I had to climb down once for the experience!

The well’s a real optical illusion. Looking down you’d think it’s shallow, but the whole 5 meter ladder disappears down it!

I made my first Zambian Herb Salad yesterday for diner with fresh basil, coriander and parsley. If you don’t know already, at home I’m usually the salad man. There’s something's really special about walking to your own garden and picking fresh grown herbs and veggies every day! The Schaefer’s grow all their own greens apart from red onions and potatoes, which they buy at the Manada market in town twice a month.

Day 32 – Bad Internet, Chris’s Farm, Big Shock, Painting

This week has had unusually bad internet signal. A few times I've got up at 05:30 specially to go on, but with no success. Sometimes even being in the magic spot on the cupboard in the kitchen doesn’t do it! Seriously annoying!

The Schaefers have been given, or sort of inherited, the farm of a deceased ex-pat (Chris) not so far away. They’re only renting the one they're on now, and hope to relocate in the next few years. At the beginning of the week the family and I went to see it and check on the guy they’re paying to live their for security (apparently he’s pretty lazy though).

It’s on a great piece of land with forest at the top and a river valley running along the bottom and awesome trees all over. The farm house is really wrecked so the family want to build a whole new one.

I was shocked by the grass fires that had spread all around the farm that day. People light them on purpose to get rid of the wild animals and snakes so they can live and raise their livestock in safety. Quiet a different mind-set to SA, when I see fire I go into emergency mode! We all did our part to fight it.

Years ago a plane crash landed on Chris’s farm. Only the skeleton remains.

 

I’ll be honest, It’s been truly difficult to stay 100% surrendered to God on this trip. Being so cut off from the lifestyle and routine I’m used to really challenges me spiritually. Personally I’ve been struggling with worries.

As Lynne said to me; Living as a missionary out here, you really need to be plugged into God’s strength, or else you’ll quickly become overwhelmed by the challenges.

It’s been hard for me to praise and thank God daily and from my heart when I don’t feel like it.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:4

 

I love the way God actually wants us to tell Him what we’re really feeling, whatever it is. If we simply trust Him and what He’s already done by His grace, then through our faith His supernatural peace will keep us safe from the devil’s lies and deceit. What amazing freedom and Love! It’s been a real revelation and source of encouragement for me this week!

 

The major drama this week was quite shocking and horrible. Grant was called out at 04:00 on Wednesday because one of the ex-pat farmers in the area that he knows was attacked on his farm by gunmen. Paul was shot with a shotgun at almost point-blank range outside his house. He lay and pretended to be dead while the thieves searched his house for cash. Because it happened to be pay day on Wednesday, we speculate it was an inside job to steal money. The Police later found him and took him to Mbala Hospital.

Grant spent about two days driving him to Kasama Airport to be flown to Lusaka for better treatment and organising things for him, all his family live elsewhere. These sort of things never happen Mbala, so It was a real shock to the community and news soon spread. Paul, although in his 70’s and being badly injured, is thankfully now stable and getting treatment. Another, albeit extreme and unusual, example of how Grant has to drop what he’s doing to help serve the community. It’s by doing things like this that he’s able to connect with people here, demonstrating God’s love.

 

On a lighter note, I painted my guest bathroom. Lynne and I mixed 14 little packets of locally bought clay red coloured powder into about 2L white paint. I found it was very relaxing and satisfying! The room’s got a whole new African style now!