Thanksgiving

Since Ben's last post, the guys have finished the screens for the whole guesthouse.  It has been so nice to have the windows open at night.  They finished just in time to celebrate our Thanksgiving in Zimbabwe.  While they finished, Lisa and I made a feast.  We made turkey, ham with glaze, green beans, corn casserole, cornbread, stuffing, mased potatoes, pumpkin dessert, and apple crisp.  It was great to have some Zimbabwean couples over to celebrate with us.  John was able to explain the purpose of Thanksgiving in America and we went around the table sharing just a few reasons we were thankful to God.  The Zimbabwean children  played with the light up spintops that Chance brought over and they were captivated!

I took pictures but I haven't had the chance yet to put them onto the computer to upload.  Below are pictures of Karanda's "downtown" area.  If you notice in the first picture the advertisement on the storefront.  This advertisement was on almost all the buildings.  AIDS is taboo here and isn't even mentioned as such in the hospital and surrounding areas.  It is better known as "ISD."  Although Karanda is blessed to have Anti-viral medications, however, the natives here explained to us that the use of these drugs has made people feel as if they were cured, thus not stopping sexual promiscuity even with the knowledge that they have AIDS.  In fact, they figure, why not! 

The second picture is just of the guys walking in "the shops."  We were headed to eat at Dakawni's, which Ben and Chance both mentioned in their blogs.  We had goat, sudza, and relish.  Pretty good! 

Ben is with Patrick, the hospital administrator at Karanda, this morning.  Lisa and I will be eating lunch with the ladies for more sudza.  Chance and the boys will get leftovers from our meal. 

We have been totally blessed by this trip.  It has been an awakening to see the culturea and the issues pressing against the oppressed here.  Yet, at the same time, the amazing friendliness and hope that the Shona people have. 

We leave for Harare in the early morning and starting our decent back to Kansas Friday. 

Kaila

We Ahh Weening!!!

We all went to lunch today at Dokwani's, one of two local restaurants in Karanda.  This was the first time we had left the mission compound and it was like entering a different world.  Though there is inconsistent power, no air conditioning, and nonpotable water where we are saying, the accomodations are quite nice.  The huts we saw throughout the rest of the village had no running water and no need for power; they had no lights or outlets.  There were small community outhouses and trash was everywhere.  There were a dozen rundown stores in the downtown area, all of which sold the same basic items that you'd see in an American convenience store (soda, bread, toothpate, etc.).  We brought our bottles to exchange (they recycle the bottles here and you can't get a new soda without trading in an existing bottle) and each purchased a new soft drink for 50 cents.

Dokwanis was a small, open hut with tables and chairs under a straw roof.  We waited out in the sun to see if they had enough food for our group.  Lisa Birky looked over and said, "It's goat today.  Is that okay?" There were no choices.  It was goat or nothing, and we accepted.  When we sat down, we were each served a large plate of sadza (ground cornmeal served in some form at every meal in Zimbabwe), relish (a plant called rape that has been sliced into strips), and some part of the goats body.  There was no sliverware; everyone ate with their right hand only (the left hand in Zimbabwe is considered the "wiping" hand and therefore unclean).  We all agreed the dish as a whole was quite tasty and Chance and I concluded that we would be eating there every day if not for the delicious meals prepared from scratch by Kaila and Lisa every day (we've eaten like kings throughout this trip - steak last night). 

This is the end of our fifth consecutive day working on these maria screens.  We now have all of the largest, outer windows in the compound completed, a total of 34, leaving only 12 smaller windows.  These are a little tricky because there are no bars on the windows to use as anchors for the zip ties, which forces us to look for another way to secure them in front of the windows.  The few screens that were there had duck tape holding them in, which wasn't acceptable.  We've settled on using narrow wedges to lock them into place and we'll build those tomorrow.  Today was the first day we saw light at the end of the tunnel.  We realized it would be possible to complete the screening project, and probably a day early, leaving us a full day to relax and get to know the Shona people. 

Occasionally thoughtout the day, John Siamukwari, the African tradesman helping us with the screens looks over as we are at work and says, "Ahh we weening today?" (Are we winning), his way gaging our view of the progress.  We usually chuckle and reply, "Yes, we ahh weening."

When everything seemed like it was going well and that we would be done a day early, we had a scare.  7 of our 12 boxes of staples were missing.  We had used 5 of the boxes liberally, knowing we had plenty to spare.  When we realized we were out and the nearest lumber yard was further than the distance from Ashland to Wichita, we were at a standstill.  We had most of the 12 remaining frames constructed and no way to secure the screens. 

We were relieved when we found that Dr. Roland Stephens, the 80 year old missionary surgeon (who still runs 3 miles, 3 times a week) had a stapler with 1,000 staples.  He gave them to us to finish the project.  Dr. Stephens has been here for decades and is committed to the hospital, the other missionaries and the mission as a whole.  These 1,000 staples, if used properly, will get us through to the end of the project, without much to spare. 

In the words of Mr. Siamukwari (as we call him), "We ahh weening."

We'll check back in tomorrow, hopefully to tell you we are done. 

-Benjamin

(We'd all like to send a shot out to Spot's Lumber, who did such a great job preparing us with the supplies to make the dream of a misquito and snake free living environment for these missionaries a reality.  Thanks Mr. Fast.  You're first class). 

power, tea time, screening

     We are making a very good amount of progress on our screens. Have not been able to blog the last couple of days because the power seems to go out in the afternoon. So i am writing this blog during "tee time" which seems to be around 10:30 am everyday, something that I think should be done in the U.S.  The building that we are working on has about 32 large windows and 15 to 18 smaller windows. By the end of today we should be able to put all of the large screens up on all the bigger windows. The lady that lives next to us named Corrie said that a couple weeks ago a Cobra was trying to climb its way through her window, so to say the least she was very thankful that we were able to put some screens up in her place before she leaves.

     Last night we had two couples come over for dinner. Ben and I we very please to see that we were having steak for dinner last night because we were told that steak would not be a part of our diet for these two weeks. But so far every meal that we have had over here has been very tasty and filling. I cant complain about anything that I have eatin so far. Well there was one thing I tried while at the local village near Doma, it was dried fish that we in a zip lock bag. Almost like beef jerky but fish that were about two inches long. Cant say that I would eat that again. I tried to get Ben to eat one of them but he declined. It was nice to have the company over last we talked about the differences between our cultures we it comes to couples and the roles played by men and women. We thought it was very backwards to see a women balancing a 30 lb bag on her carring 20lb bags in either hand and a baby tied to her back while the man walks in front of her with either one bag or nothing. It seems that the women always get the short end of the stick. But Im sure it varies from couple to couple also.

    Yesterday I walked over to John's House (the guy who is helping us with the screens). To cut down the lumber that we have on his table saw. When I got there his wife and daughters were breaking peanuts out of there shell in the back yard sitting on the ground next to a fire that was heating up the tea. After John put the motor on his table saw (he has to take off the motor after every use because it will get stolen if not done so) it started to rain on us. So John invited me inside to his living room for tea and some bread. His daughter came in with a pitcher and a bowl to pour over my hands to clean them before we drank the tea. The tea is pretty good after you add plenty of sugar and fresh goats milk (def can taste the difference in the milk). It was very humbling to see his house and the way in which they live so simply her, even compare to the simple life in Ashland.

I am having a wonderful time so far. Bout to go eat at a local restaurant where you can get a large plate of food for one dollar. Cant wait to see what the food will taste like. Hope its not dried fish!!

See you all soon, take care and GOD Bless!!

Chance Wilkinson

Day Three at Karanda

Day Three...

Thankfully, Ben and Chance had more success throughout today on the screens.  They completed and successfully implemented 10 screens throughout the compound.  Corrie, the teacher in the compound, now has two screens in her bedroom.  Success!  We have pictures of the process, but it takes too long to download.  Tomorrow, we all hope to be a part of the process since it is Saturday.

I spent time this morning at the school with Corrie.  They children have beautiful voices and are eager to learn.  I then helped Lisa take care of Jude (their son), while cooking lunch for the guys.  Everything takes longer here.  So, cleaning entails much more without appliances to do them for you!

The Lord challenged me just last night on my last post.  I mentioned being thankful for all that He has given me.  These people live without electricity a majority of the time, they don't have enough money to find adequate resources, whether that be schooling, food, medicines, etc., they live in fear of AIDS, and the children often are orphans adopted informally by others.  Their lives are vastly different from mine, yet they possess a beautiful contentment that I have never seen. 

So....God challeneged me to see the difference between these two questions.....Am I really thankful for the material blessings Christ has given me? or am I just thankful to have them, regardless of how I received them?  There is an extremely important yet subtle difference between these two questions. 

Honestly, I would answer to yes to the later of the two.  He still has great work to do in my heart and I am blessed to be learning this lesson among others while here in Zimbabwe.

Thanksgiving has a new meaning to me this year.  

Kaila 

One Day at a Time

Our trip thus far has been a mixture of exciting experiences and moving stories, but at the end of day six, the primary task we came to accomplish has begun to loom over us.  This morning marked our second full day in Karanda and with it came the reminder that we had fifty custom window screens to build in seven days. 

Yesterday, we spent the morning taking a tour of the hospital and the afternoon treating the lumber to be used for the screen frames.  By the end of the day, we had one screen constructed, but that model had problems.  Because each window is covered by metal bars, the wooden frames don't fit snuggly against them, leaving gaps on the sides that allow misquitoes to come in.  To further complicate the situation, the building foundation has settled and no two window openings are exactly the same size.  Furthermore, no two sides of a window are identical.  This means a lot of work for us as we hand-build each unit to fit its respective opening. 

This morning was discouraging as we built 10 of these screen frames, only to find out that there was a flaw in the design.  Every frame had to be disassembled and rebuilt to fit a specific window opening using a handheld belt sander and a chisle to make adjustments.  Chance and I have comiserated about attempting to accomplish a complicated and difficult task without all the tools to do it efficiently. 

Just when we began questioning whether we could complete this project before leaving next week, help arrived in the form of a Shona carpenter who works at the hospital..  He is a very nice man and has a good reputation in the community for being competent and reliable.  He also personally owns many of the tools we desperately need to get this done.  He happens to be on holiday (vacation in Zimbabwean culture) for the next month and has the time to help us.  He spent all afternoon with us and we are now back on track.  We have the frames for 7 of the largest screens basically done and they will go up in the morning.  We have also developed a modifiable design model that is consistently working.  We worked until we ran out of light.

The other good news is that we have been blessed with two full days of power.  Usually, power in the city shuts off between 2pm and 8:30pm every day.  This means no power saw or belt sander, both of which are important parts of this project.  It also means no fans during some of the hottest hours of the day as well.  We will count each full day of power as a blessing as we work toward getting this project done. 

In the same complex as us and the Birkys lives a young, American missionary teacher who has been here for a while.  She is elated at the idea of getting screens on her windows because the sweltering heat keeps her up at night and the longer we are here, the more we are realizing the impact these screens will have on the missionary families serving here.  The difficulties we are facing installing these screens illustrate why they've been without them for so many years.  These are offsized windows and no standard screen will fit. 

Tonight, Chance and I had the opportunity to visit with a new Christian named Banderson.  He is a Shona nurse who was trained at the Karanda Mission Hospital nursing school.  He was raised about 30 kilometers (just over 20 miles) from here and his father was killed in the midst of political conflict when he was four years old.  He was raised by his uncle.  He gave his life to Christ about a month ago.  Banderson, Dr. Birky, Chance and I all had the opportunity to share our stories with each other.  It was nice to spend time with someone so hungry for the Lord in the midst of so much struggle. 

It also brought things into perspective.  While I am frustrated due to lack of proper tools or the complexity of this project, I am reminded that God is not as concerned with what we accomplish while we are here as He is with the state of our hearts as we go through the process.  I am reminded of a lesson Kaila taught me. 

More important than the gift that is given is the heart of the giver.

God may not care what we accomplish here at all.  He only asks that we trust Him and the plan He has for us.  If it is in His plan for these people to have malaria screens, He will work out the details.  In the meantime, we will tackle each day, one at a time.

Benjamin

Karanda Mission Hospital

Hello Everyone!

We arrived to Karanda last evening.  We ate dinner by candlelight because the electricity was out.  This morning we got to take a tour of Karanda Mission Hospital.  The people here are so unbelieveably friendly.  One of the most impactful events for me has been seeing the need for care firsthand.  At Eden Children's Village, we saw the need through pictures and by hearing stories.  Here, though, we walked through the pediatric unit only to see infants that did not ask for the diseases they have received.  One child, in particular, had menigitus, AIDS, and was severely malnurished.  The fear in his eyes was heartbreaking.  However, the care he received from the native Zimbabweans and missionaries just expresses God's care and concern for these children. 

While the guys work on the screens, I am finding I will be blessed to have several roles.  First, Lisa (our friend from Wichita) is not feeling well, so I will help her around the compound.  While she is resting, I am looking forward to spending time in each of the wards.  I hope to treat the children to toys and other distractions.  Just maybe, it will help some of them have a brighter day.  I will spend time with the classroom teacher and the students.  

I feel so blessed by the life God has given me, yet, at the same time, I can get so distracted by meaningless things that we have in America.  These people are so joyful and many of them rely on God daily for their basic needs. 

I have attached a few pictures with some descriptions below. 

This is the Eden Children's Village sign that is there when you first arrive.

This is the classroom at Eden.  The children there go through ACE, which I forget what it stands for but it is a Christian based curriculum that allows the children to go through at their own pace.  This helps accommodate for those that come in and are so far behind or ahead of the others. 

Here are a few of the Eden Children.  We will have more pictures from Eden when we return.  This place and Karanda are amazing.  They are self sustaining, growing their own herbs for ointments and medicine for the clinics, raising their own crops, milking their own cows for butter and milk, etc.  Very little goes to waste and these things provide jobs for workers.  The system seems to run well. 

This is Pauline, our sponsored child.  She is full of life and and smiles!  She is the second brightest in her school and wants to be an accountant.  We showed her on the map where we live.  She then showed us her home, with 12 others and their "Ma's".

This is at Karanda Mission Hospital.  We don't really know these ladies but they were SOOO excited to get a picture taken and to SEE their picture via digital camera!

This is also at Karanda Mission Hospital.  At the pediatric unit, this is how they weigh the babies to keep track of their stats.  How about implementing this hanging method to the United States!

This is Ben working on the screens.  We are showing off the Spott's Lumber aprons!  They got a first make done today and know have a rough plan for tomorrow.

This is Chance in the background working too. 

We are now resting for the evening and are thankful to have had power all day long. 

God bless!

Kaila  


 

Arrived at Eden

Well yesterday was one of the most impactful days of our adventure yet. We travel about two hours to a place called Eden. It is North East of Harare, and I might add it is out in the middle of nowhere, or at least that is the way that is seams to me. But once we got here it was well worth the travel down the narrow roads full of small cars that were pack will people.

On arrival one of the first things that we see are fields that surround the facility that they use to farm most of their crops such as white corn and other grains. When we get into Eden we are greeted by many friendly faces that are very welcoming and a very big dog name Ozzy who doesn't seem to feel the same way.  After a breakfast of papayas and some oatmeal like cereal that is made from there corn meal, it is off to the preschool, clinic, dairy and classrooms for the other children. I cant even begin to describe the impact that this place has on children and the way that the Lord has help this group of people put together a small piece of Gods Kingdom that is improving these peoples lives. It seems that this is the way life should be and the way life should work. It goes to show how God can bring such beauty out of a situation that is so bad, the rest of the world should take note as to see how life should be. People taking care of people.

Ben and Kaila met there child that they sponsored. When they gave the gifts that they had gotten for her it was so cool to see the reaction that it gave her. Truthfully brought tears to my eyes how much joy that she got from a umbrella. "the Lord provides always on time" she says as she opens up the umbrella and puts it above her head (knowing that the rainy season is approaching in a few days).

I hope that we can get some pictures uploaded with more detail on them about all the different branches of this place, so much goes into the dairy, farming, clinic, education, the building of the villages and so on. One is more important than the next.

We are having a great trip so far and sure it is only going to get better, thanks for following the blog and God Bless until next time around!!

Chance

1st Day In Zimbabwe

Our travel to Zimbabwe significantly exceeded our expectations.  I told many of you that our overseas flight was on Ethiopian Airlines.  It appears I was mistaken.  It was on South African Airways and the service we received was as good or better than any flight I have ever experienced (rivaling Southwest Airlines).  Friendly flight attendants gave us each a tooth brush and tooth paste, a pillow, a warm blanket, little booties to put on our feet, and four hot, tasty meals.  After about 8 hours of flying, our plane stopped to refuel in Dakar, a city on the western most edge of Africa.  We were on the ground for approximately an hour before we departed for Johanesburg, South Africa.  We watched movies, read books and slept for most of the way.  Chance took a sleeping pill and was down for the count.  Kaila and I found ways to trade off sleeping on each other's laps.  The three of us arrived in Harare, with all of our checked luggage at about 9:00PM on Saturday night (noon Kansas time).  It took us about an hour and a half to get our Visas and get through customs.  We did so without much expense or hassle.  

John Birky, the Via Christi International Family Medicine Fellow/American doctor we know was there with a nice lady named Sue Rousseau.  Sue is a missionary with TEAM, which stands for The Evangelical Alliance Mission.  They picked us up and brought us to their guest house to stay Saturday and Sunday nights.  The accommodations are nice.  There is no air conditioning, but fans keep the air moving fine.  They have been wonderful to us.  It took some adjusting to get used to driving on the left side of the road.

Sunday morning, Chance, Kaila and I were up early to go take a walk.  We took many pictures and will try to upload them later, because our computer will not allow us to do it yet.  Among the things we saw were stone fences topped with shards of glass in place of barbed wire, African women with belongings on their heads or babies tied to their backs, and a small, Japanese truck carrying not one, but two cows in the bed.  Don't ask me how that worked.

After our walk, we went to breakfast at a cafe located in a grocery store in Harare.  The food was great and all the items we ordered on the menu were one American dollar apiece.  This country uses only American dollars and South African Rand.  It hasn't had its own currency since the country's economic meltdown in 2008.  Interestingly enough, they don't use coins at all.  Everything is in even bills and they will offer you store credits in case of change needed for an uneven total.

After breakfast, we attended church at a local non-denominal, multi-cultural service, where we met people from all over the world.  The pastor talked about the importance of dealing properly with feelings of anger as he discussed the sixth commandment.  People were so friendly to us.  They wanted to know about where we were from and life in the American midwest.

After church, we went to lunch at Sue Rousseau's home.  The food was delicious and we marveled at their home garden.  Zimbabwe's rich climate allows them to have fresh fruit trees and plenty of home grown vegetables right in their backyard.  Over lunch, we got a great education on the history of and the current political climate in Zimbabwe.  We learned what to say and not to say to ensure we would not run into problems.  We were able to share a little about life in Kansas with them.  They were interested in the similarities and differences between life in Zim and life in rural Kansas.  

Immediately following lunch, we received a special treat.  A man at the church we attended new a local Zimbabwean who raised some of the deadliest poisonous snakes in the world, right in his backyard.  We spent about an hour at this local's house this afternoon viewing each of them and even taking pictures and video of them.  Among the snakes we saw were the Black Mamba, Green Mamba, Boomslang, Spitting Cobra, North American Copperhead, Burmese Python, Viper, and a very angry and hissing Egyptian Cobra.  He was nice enough to open the cage to the Egyptian Cobra to allow us to get close up video of him as he hissed at us.  He also housed two crocodiles, "Snappy and Happy", that were both over 7 feet long.  He told us he gets into every one of these cages to clean them once per week.  Chance held several of the non-venomous snakes as we took pictures.  I wasn't interested in any of them wrapping themselves around my arms.  

Our snake adventure was followed by here at the compound and we all watched the movie, Invictus, a movie about the life of Nelson Mandella, starring Morgan Freeman.  It was weird to watch the movie after just seeing Mandella's pictures in murals on the walls of the Johanesburg International Airport.  His presence is still very real here.  

Tomorrow morning, at 5:30 AM, we depart for Doma, a small village in northeast Zimbabwe.  We will be visiting an orphanage called Eden Children's Village.  It is a largely self sustaining children's home that raises its own crops, chickens and other livestock for food.  The kids help raise their own food.  The couple that runs the ministry just spoke at the Protection Christian Church a few months ago.  We will be hand delivering a laptop computer, donated by a family in Kansas to a local missionary there.  

By Tuesday evening, we will be in Karanda, which is where we will spend the rest of our time in Zimbabwe.  We will have approximately 10 days to construct 50 custom malaria screens for all the windows in the missionary housing compound.  

We want to emphasize that we have felt no danger whatsoever on the entire trip.  Zimbabweans, regardless their color seem to be warm and inviting people.  Thank you for your thoughts and prayers thus far.  Keep them coming!

We'll keep you updated as we have time and internet service.

Benjamin

No Hiccups

A classic source of mild, but usually friendly marital conflict between Kaila and I revolves around the differences in our travel habits.  Kaila, a planner and organizer, approaches air travel much like she does her education (she is an excellent student); she gets her homework done early and arrives in plenty of time to allow for potential mishaps.  I, on the other hand, struggle with the idea of waiting for hours in airports, which I consider to be some of the most uncomfortable places to spend extended periods of time.  Hurry up and wait...hurry up and wait.  The very idea gives me anxiety. 

Early in our relationship, we experienced many close calls while traveling as she couldn't get me to the airport (with a proper form of ID) in time to take a deep breath before boarding.  But on our way back from Lake Tahoe over Labor Day of this year, it occurred to me that this trend had gradually begun to change.  We were through security and at our gate over 90 minutes before our flight departed.  I'd like to think this shift is because of my deliberate commitment to meet the emotional needs of my wife or to become more responsible, but I don't think that is the case.  She has a subtle way of encouarging me to change my behavior without me even knowing it.  She has admitted more than once that she sets our time of arrival back 30 minutes, anticipating potential delays.  The only area this hasn't worked is church. 

Today, we've travelled Kaila's way.  We arrived in Wichita three hours and fifteen minutes before our flight was scheduled to depart.  We waited at our gate in Chicago with ample time to board and are now in DC doing the same. 

And right now I am so happy to be married to her.  Just like her subtle approach to "improving" my behavior, she does so many things behind the scenes to make our lives run more smoothly (though she is currently stressed because our flight is boarding and Chance is in the bathroom while I am finishing this blog post). 

Within 30 minutes, we will be in the air and out of the country on an adventure halfway across the world.  Keep us in your prayers.  There is more to come...

More to Come

We repacked last night at Dr. Marc's house.  Remarkably everything fit just great!  We didn't have to leave anything behind.  We have to give a shout out to the people that have helped us thus far with items or service.....Barry Metzger who donated some screening supplies, my parents who took care of their sick daughter and donated screening supplies, Dr. Marc Stephens and his family for letting us take up their entire basement, Dr. Todd Stephens and his family for letting us take their van to the airport this morning, and Spotts Lumber who gave us a discount on screening supplies.

Here are a few pictures from the morning thus far.  We are currently in Washington, DC waiting for our flight to Johannesburg. 


Kaila

bringing up the tail

So Ben and Kaila have left for Topeka KS, and I'm still here in Ashland waiting to pick the remainder of our supplies. I have been thinking about this trip for awhile now. Before I was trying to cover all my bases on what needed to be done before we left. Focusing on getting all our shots, raising money for the trip, supplies, thanks you's and of course our supply list itself. Now that all of these things have been done its time to actually embark on our journey. I have to say that I am kinda excited/ nervous thinking of all the things that lie ahead. Many people have expressed concern for us about the conditions of this country and all the difficulties that we could run into. I could very easily worry myself about all the things to come but I reassure my self that God has our best interest in mind. I want to make the all of the people that helped me on this mission proud. I am just very thankful to have this opportunity and really want to help make other people's lives better the way that so many have made mine. My only concern for the next few days is to get all our stuff to Wichita and to the airport on time.(can't make Kaila mad on day one)

Thank you all for the support.
heads up for pictures and sketches of our adventure!!

Chance Wilkinson

Ready or Not.....

So, there are two piles in our living room....one for Africa and one for Topeka.  To relax a little, I keep reminding myself that the most important items are money, passports, a set or two of clothes, ID, a camera, and the all important ambien!! Ha Ha.  That is all we HAVE to have in order to go.

We've got screening supplies, chocolate chips, spaghetti sauce, diapers, medical supplies, fans, toys to give away, gifts for our sponsored child, and other items that people have requested.

I hope to upload a picture, but we'll see if I can figure it out.

Kaila

It Hasn't Hit Us Yet

As Kaila said, the time is around the corner for us to depart and there doesn't seem to be time to get it all done.  Kaila and I are leaving Tuesday afternoon for Topeka to attend the Kansas Hospital Association Annual Convention and then leaving directly from there for Zimbabwe.  We're flying out of Wichita early Friday morning.  Whatever isn't done by Tuesday when we leave Ashland simply won't get done.  We're packing tonight and tomorrow.  Toothbrush?  Check?  T-shirts?  Check.  Bug repellent?  Check.  Underwear?  Plenty.  Screening supplies?  Still at the lumber yard to be picked up tomorrow.

Chance and I were just talking about how people from Ashland keep approaching us with a spirit of deep concern, as though they're worried for our safety.  Though we appreciate the prayers and support as we head over there, we don't seem to be losing sleep over any potential danger.  Chance did acknowledge that he was watching a TV show recently that was listing the best and worst places to live in the world.  Zimbabwe, as you might have guessed, is on the latter list.  Nevertheless, we are not anxious.  Maybe it's because we feel we are protected in some way, or because we're associated with a hospital over there and even the biggest trouble makers need doctors.  It could be, though, that it really hasn't hit us yet, and it may not hit us until the plane leaves DC and our cell phones no longer work. 

What is most encouraging for me though, as that we are each, in our own way, preparing our hearts for this experience...not that we would be the know-it-all Americans to go over there to "show them the way", but that we would learn what it means to live like they do, to walk in their shoes, and to show them love in their language.  In doing so, I hope each of us leaves so moved by what they teach us that others' lives here in Ashland are transformed by our interaction with them when we return. 

We will shoot for a blog post from one of the three of us each day.  This way you'll get a different perspective, depending on who writes.  Check in once a day for an update on the action!

-Benjamin

Preparation

How does life get so crazy!?  Last week I (Kaila) was thinking about how next week I would be able to get prepared, make checklists, feed and water my husband, and also somehow manage to complete all my graduate school assignments before leaving for Zimbabwe.  It is now Thursday and we have not begun to pack, just starting to think about our own clothing, trying to organize all the supplies that need to go, not completing any graduate work, and finding out that we are leaving several days earlier than originally planned for Ben's work obligations.  Since I like to be organized and in control, this has been a struggle not to get stressed.  

However, I sit down to read The Whole In Our Gospel by Richard Stearns and am continually reminded of the true needs surrounding the world.  He is challenging me to relax and trust in Him.  The world will not end if I don't get my papers turned in, we will be welcomed despite what treats we bring, and the most important preparation is a heart in tune to His direction.  I love that the Lord is so patient and so trustworthy. 

I can also get a little spooked that we are headed to a country with a dictator who uses violence and also wild animals that are not like deer or raccoons.  He reminds me that the safest place to be in all the world is where He has called me to.  That is Zimbabwe in a week. 

Kaila