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.
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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!
posted by Charlie Chikankata at 8:36 pm
3 Comments:
Your mum visited our home today and in speaking about the Army and our work globally Chikenkata came up... I visited there some years ago and know the Rader family well and their devotion to the Army's mission work, especially in Zambia.
So glad your mum shared the blog address with us; interesting and inspirational reading! You will know they are rightly very proud of you and the work you do in His name.
Blessings from prayer partners in Exeter.
Sven and Glad Ljungholm (Thompson)
www.saexeter.blogspot.com
6:38 pm
Hi there. We haven't met but I am on OK who lived in LUsaka and later my parents were in Chik (Zilm's). I found your blog via Claire Campbell. I also know the Weymouth's.
I really got a lot out of reading this post. It reminded me of the life that the Zambian's lead and what it was like for us expats in a place like Chik. But what strikes me the most is your humility and your articulation of it. Thanks for sharing with the world your feelings & thoughts. I think I will visit here more often :-)
Prayer & blessings!
Rachel
1:34 pm
Dr. Mphuka lived his christian days preparing for his homeward - heaven going. This was shown in his death where his burial day was a great testimony.
Charlie, I am glad that your attending this burial day made you reflect on your testimony. I thank and praise God for Simon's life. Lillian S. Mphuka - Dr. Simon Mphuka's widow.
10:12 pm
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