Charlie Chikankata has a lot to answer for! Here I am in the heart of rural Zambia, working for The Salvation Army as the Manager/Hospital Administrator of Chikankata Health Services. Not so much an intellectuall reflection rather a kind of journal of the unexpected.

Saturday, August 09, 2008

What a place!
We have been back in Chik for one week and I have been reminded of the unpredictability and variety of life in Zambia. Here are some highlights from the week.....
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Saturday - arrived back and felt very cold and very very homesick.
Sunday - we went to the morning meeting at Chikankata. It lasted 4 hours and 40 mins!
Monday - kind of went to a wedding. The wedding started it 9.30, according to the programme. We arrived at 10.40 and nothing had started. We sat until 12.15 waiting for the service to begin, by which time Luke was beginning to get a bit hungry (not to mention his dad!) so we decided to call it quits. I'm led to believe it all kicked off around 1pm.
Tuesday - back in the office properly. One of the first callers was one of our nurses, who wanted to tell me that she had tested positive for HIV. We prayed together in my office for a while and I felt truly humbled and priviledged to be in such a place where prayer in an option for dealing with a problem.
Wednesday - Had to make arrangements for the tractor to be lifted out the Chifwankala Stream after in came off the bridge and over turned. Also, by this time I was also feeling overwhelmed by people's warmth towards us and it was great to see everyone again.
Thursday - went to Lusaka for a meeting with the contractor who supposed to be working on our water treatment plant but basically ran away from the job with equipment and some money. However, things could reach some sort of resolution. Still have no water in the house and missing showering every day and flushing the toilet every time
Friday - I attended the funeral of Dr. Simon Mphuka, the Executive Director of the Churches Health Association of Zambia. A really good decent bloke, a true Chirstina, who loved to laugh. I was deeply moved at his funeral and considered my own faith for quite some time. It was particularly beautiful to hear the harmonious Zambians singing these beautiful words:
There's a land that is fairer than day
And by faith we can see it afar
For the the Father waits over the way
To prepare us a dwelling place there.
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To our bountiful Father above
We will offer the tribute of praise
For the glorious gift of his love
And the blessings that hallow our days.
..
In the sweet by-and-by
We shall meet on that beautiful shore.
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I want to live my life with that hope and promise!

 
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