A Day in the Life

Today was an adventure! We were privileged to visit our cook’s grandmother in the bush. This morning at 7:30 headed out to start our 30 minute walk to her home. When we arrived Grandma came running out to meet us literally shouting and dancing with joy! I have never seen a 70 year old women move like that! She and her family greeted each one of us and welcomed us to her home. She pulled tarps into the shade for us to sit on and proceeded to thank God for brining us to visit her. In the Zambian culture it speaks volumes when someone comes to your home for a visit, so when a group of 20 came just to see her she was overjoyed.

We sat, chatted, played games with the children (Grandma’s great grandchildren) and sang songs. We also were able to help the family by brining buckets to the bore hole to draw water. We walked about 15 minutes each way and even attempted to balance the full buckets on our heads. Much harder than it looks. I don't get how these people make it look so easy!

Around 10:00 we saw the women had started a fire in the kitchen which was a hut just a few feet away from the home. Turns out that they were preparing lunch for us! A few of us helped prepare the food. We were served small fish that they cooked over the fire (bones, scales, eyeballs and all), rape (a vegetable similar to spinach - took a while for us to get used to the name), and nshima (this white puddy like food made out of corn). I have never met anyone more hospitable than this family.  

Grandma and her adorable great granddaughter Ruthie

At the bore hole getting water

Prepping our meal

 Fish, rape and nshima

Doing dishes

There were cows in their backyard...

Here are a few random photos too!

Zambian toilet paper

Our vicious guard dog at our Zimba house

Just kidding :)

Scrubs on scrubs on scrubs. It's like 16 nurses are living here...

Zimba market

Popsicles from the corner store

Today we also visited a community that has been funded my College Wesleyan Church - IWU's campus church. They have a school (Preschool through 7th grade) and a church. It was so cool to see what the church has been funding. So this is a Zambian speciality drink. It is made from corn and some root that we are not sure the name of. We weren't the biggest fans but the sweet people made enough to last our team for month at least  They sent us home with a whole bucket full!

That is all for now. Until next time!