My head is spinning from the events of June and July. It has been a whirlwind of goodbyes and hellos.
Many of our friends and our kids friends have left Zambia. The community here is very transient. So, most likely you are going to have someone in your life for around 2 to 3 years and then they move onto a different job in a different country. Much of June, being that it was the end of the school year, was spent in saying bye to those folks.
Then in July we went to America. That was a whirlwind in itself. Loads of HELLOS!!! Which was really great. It is always good to go back and see our families and friends that we have known for so long! My girls built some pretty special memories with their Nana and Papa and aunts, uncles and cousins. That was pretty groovy. Then just a few short weeks later it was a whirl wind again of goodbyes and tears and sadness.
Now we are back in Zambia and trying to catch our breath. I have spent my first week staring at the wall and drooling on myself simply attempting to process it all.
I don’t think before now I have felt split between two worlds as I do now. Being home was great, but where do we fit now? Kids grow, friends have life experiences that have had nothing to do with you that have changed them. I have had life experiences that have had nothing to do with them and have changed me. How do we make those two perspective mesh? Being here is great but where do we fit with all the goings and comings that seem to happen on a week to week basis. It is hard to gain a sense of consistency and stability living in a world like this one. It is part of it though and we have chosen to accept it. Does it make it easier? No, it is hard, but it is the life God has called us to and we trust Him daily for the ability to walk with joy in our hearts.
On top of feeling like a wandering Jew in the desert, Zambia is experiencing crippling power shortages. The water levels at the Kariba Dam where the power is generated is now at dangerously low levels due to the fact the rainy seasons for the past few years have been relatively dry. Everyones power gets cut off for about 10 hours daily. The ripple effect this is causing has the potential to be catastrophic to the entire country. Small businesses are being badly effected, especially those in the food industry and hair salons. Our friends had to shut down their small chicken farm, diary farmers are suffering as well. How do they keep the milk cool? The availability of propane gas to use for camp stoves and the like is either unavailable or the quantities are being brought in such small amounts, there isn’t enough to go around to meet the demand. More and more folks have to resort to using charcoal that is locally made using the countries forests. The hot season is coming quickly. It September and October and parts of November the temperature reaches record breaking highs. It is not unusual to have days where it is 115 to 125 degrees. Our concern for that time is that tempers will start to rise when folks can’t cool themselves down and we might see some real issues then. Rumor has it that by November the entire country will be in a total black out.
You get the picture…..It is BAD!
Please pray for Zambia. We are in a situation where we have no choice but to trust God for EVERYTHING! Pray that our faith doesn’t waver and that we can be the light of Jesus in a very trying and testing time for everyone.
Would you also pray for our family? Pray that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Pray that we grow closer together as a family through this and that our girls will learn to call on Jesus in their heartache and pain. I want them to learn about the beauty of Jesus in the valley.
Would you pray for Streetwise? I will write more on that at a later time, But please pray that we right behind the cross of Jesus in everything that we set our hands to.
If you are interesting in giving you can to to tscnyc.org, click on GIVE and follow the prompts to MORALES FAMILY / ZAMBIA . Thank you SO much!!!
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