Cultural Whiplash

One of the things that I love about outreach and and find incredibly exhausting is the cultural whiplash.  We drop our children off at the International School of Lusaka.  In that world our entire family gets to interact with people from all walks of life.  It is a rich experience and one that Luis and I are truly grateful that our kids get to have.  

So, we kiss their little cheeks, leave them in the hands of very capable people and go get breakfast at our favorite cafe, La Mimosa.  It is opened early, we can get eggs, toast and coffee for a total of 10 USD for the both of us.  When we have had our fill of breakfast, we trundle off in the car to the downtown area.  We are whipped from an orderly neat world of International School drop off zones and cute little outdoor cafes to a world full of insanity.  The heart of Lusaka is loud, smelly and confusing.  Every time we walk into the bus terminal I am amazed that I have never seen anyone get squished by a bus.  There are SO many people and SO many buses and peppered through out all the insanity there are women who have set up makeshift stands to sell their wares...fruit, second hand clothes, shoes,   Today I actually saw someone had lashed about 5 lives goats into a wheelbarrow.  I assume he was taking them to be slaughtered cause they had all that forlorn look in their eyes “Why me dear God!?  Why me!?”  

We make our way through this cacophony of craziness, sidestepping piles of I don’t even want to know and find the kids waiting for us in the back.   We sit with them, hear their hearts, share God’s heart with them, pray with them and love on them.  It is always a wonderful time.  Today, in fact, I was asking the kids about the story of Peter and John and the lame man they met on the way.  I told it to them 3 weeks ago.  There was a boy there who pretty much told me verbatim what I had shared with them.  It was awesome!  SOMEONE WAS LISTENING!!!  

THEN after that, we climb back into our sling shot and get flung back across the city.  Usually we are filthy, very smelly, tired and hungry, but feel satisfied that a job has been done well.  We go to a place called Manda Hill where it is a nice little Western bubble of order and relative quiet.  Would you believe that now you can see a movie in 3D at Manda Hill!?  THEN we are back to the school to pick up our kids.  WHAM!  Usually there is some function that we have to participate in.  One week it was a swimming gala, one it was a school play all three were involved in.   I had to help do make up for excited little lady bugs and butterflies.  

The whiplash is good because we are forced to live in two completely different worlds and it actual helps to keep us balanced and grounded.  

PLEASE PRAY FOR US AS WE MOVE FORWARD!!!!!

We NEED to find a place where we can meet with the children.  We need a place where we can control the environment a bit better, where we can help meet their physical needs and where we can get a better handle on their situations.  

Also pray that we don’t move ahead of God’s timing and perfect plan.  It would be SO easy to do that, but...well you know what I am getting at! 

Please pray for a small camera that we can take to document our times with the kids.  I would LOVE for you to see their faces and see where we are.  We just feel that a small pocket sized camera would be better suited for the market at we don’t want to draw more attention that necessary. 

Please pray about how you can get involved.....Is it your time?  Is it your finances? 

We love so much to hear from you!!!  Keep in touch and let us know how your doing and what is going on in your lives! 

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