Reflections – Zoe

Hi!

So we’ve been back two weeks now, but it’s taken me that long to be able to write my reflections on our trip.  They say you go through 4 stages on your return from a mission trip and I’ve been through every one, exhaustion, depression, cultural frustration and am working through resolution. I miss living as part of a community, working alongside the amazing care workers, the connections I made with the children and the complete faithfulness of everyone that works with and for Hands at Work.

One particular day really stands out for me, when we were in Amlew and went on our Holy home visits.  We went to visit a family who had a 13 year old boy and 2 older children, the parents were out working.  This particular little boy had been born blind and with some disabilities. When his mother gave birth to him and was told he was blind, there was another lady who had also given birth to a blind baby at the same time, in the same clinic and the other mother abandoned her baby there.  However, the mother of this little boy said “every child is a gift from God” and took him home.  Life was difficult as both parents needed to work and the older children weren’t old enough to care for his needs, he had lots of scars from fitting and falling onto things.  Despite all this, his amazing family have raised him to age 13, carrying him to clinic appointments, as wheelchairs are expensive, cooking in a specific way that he needs and his siblings are amazing with him and we prayed with them and encouraged them before leaving.  Once we had left the house we had a little following of children who wanted to hold our hands and walk with us.  One girl around the age of 9/10 held my hand and we walked together.  As we walked a boy of around 11/12 walked the other way from us and pulled her away from me, I later found out this was her brother.  He was saying something to her that I didn’t understand but this quickly escalated into him badly beating her.  One of the care workers we were with managed to get him off her but this poor little girl was beside herself, I could do nothing else but hold her.  The care workers explained that he had told his sister that she was too dirty to hold my hand and when she protested had beaten her.  This boy was high on something and there was a gathering of adults also drunk/high just watching this happen, it is a massive problem there as people try to forget their sorrows/lives by drinking them away.  I felt I had failed this little girl completely and often wonder what her name is, what her life is like and will be like and if she’s ok.

The other thing that really had an impact on me was the way the care workers pull together, tirelessly helping the most vulnerable children in their areas and the families too.  The women were so matriarchal and a brilliant role model for the community.  Having just read the book “The war on women and the brave ones that fought back” and having 4 daughters, I particularly felt a bond towards the girls, women and Gogo’s in the communities and apologies if that sounds sexist! These ladies are the glue that holds everything together and have a God given strength that I will probably never get close to!

So, as I work my way through the feelings I have after this trip, I am looking at it as a gift and a motivation to live intentionally and am praying that God shows me how to use everything I have learnt in my everyday life and as I go on to train to be a midwife next year.  I am also looking forward to keeping in touch with the friendships and bonds made whilst there and very much looking forward to going back one day!

Zo x

 

Chilabula

Day 1

Our final 2 days in Zambia were spent at the care point in Chilabula.  As we stepped off the bus the first thing we noticed was the calm atmosphere!  After being in busy, urban, Amlew for two days this was a big contrast.  We were warmly welcomed by the care workers and some of the children.  The older children came along later as they were doing exams in the mornings that week.  After the usual “muli shani” (how are you?) greetings and replies of “Bwino” (good!) some of us settled down in the shade to make friendship bracelets and chat, as much as we could in broken English, to the care workers and children, they really enjoyed making them and wore them with pride!  There were also games of football with the older boys happening too.  We then gathered in the school building so listen to Heather tell the story of Creation and how although we are all different, God loves each and every one of us.  Humphrey the puppet camel made another appearance and the children were delighted!  It was then hand washing and food time! A lot of us had lost our appetites due to the heat and tiredness from the week but the children were very grateful of seconds.  One little girl was obviously saving some of her food but we weren’t sure who for, possibly a sibling that wasn’t at the care point or a primary care giver.

After lunch was relationship group time and we found out more about the care workers (there were a few that couldn’t make it unfortunately) and after songs and prayers together one of the male care workers gave the word.  He spoke on Psalm 10, verse 1 and how he used to say “why do bad things always happen to me, why are you so far away God, why can’t it be like this or that” but that he’d found, through Jesus, that he is able to rejoice in everything.  We were then able to encourage them with verses 17 & 18 of the same Psalm saying that they are doing God’s work by listening to the cry of the community and defending the Fatherless and the oppressed.

We then said our goodbye’s until tomorrow, having made more wonderful friends.

Day 2

We started the day with a worship and prayer time at the care point and then split up into 4 groups to go on Holy home visits in Chilabula.

Stephen, Kez and I (Zoe) headed out to the home of one family where the children were coming to the care point because their mother had remarried and their step father was refusing to look after them and would only care for his biological children.  However, they weren’t in so we walked on to the next house of a 15 year old girl who has some disabilities and lives alone with her mother who makes her work very hard around the house, so much so that she doesn’t always get to the care point to eat or make it to school.  However, again, they weren’t in.  We carried on our walk and got to the house of a family of 8 children to a single mother, some of who were grown up and had their own children.  Three of the youngest attended the care point.  The family were lovely and seemed to all pull together to look after each other and the mother was quite a business woman, paying people to collect reeds, then paying someone else to make them into mats and then selling them for more than she paid to have them made.  This however, doesn’t make enough to feed the family.  They were also getting water from the dirty stream nearby as it was easier than drawing it from the well, but the care worker we went with informed them this was not healthy and so we went and collected water for them and swept the area around their house.  It was a lovely sharing time and we shared some passages from the bible to encourage the mother, who found life tough and blew bubbles for the little children.  We met several drunk people on the way back who the care workers dealt with amazingly.  Alcohol is a massive problem in these communities!

Sol, Martha and Phoebe headed out with their group to visit a young lady, currently living with her parents, but was out selling tomatoes at that time, however, her mother (the GoGo) was there and welcomed them.  The young lady they went to visit had had her first child at 14 and when she went round to the father of the child to say she was having his baby he refused to acknowledge it was his and she was sent away.  She then had another child at 18 and again went to the house of the father and he agreed to marry her, however, he didn’t stick to his word and and married someone else, yet again leaving her on her own.  There had been rifts between the family because of this and the grandmother (GoGo) was caring for her children, as well as the care point, however, these seem to be on the mend and they are now all living together to try and support each other.

Oliver, Jem, Gabriel and I (Rachel) walked a short way from the care point to the home of a Gogo who was looking after 8 (We think) of her grandchildren. The Gogo wasn’t there as she was away fishing in the river to provide food for her family, and maybe to have some left over to sell. However, her 17 year old granddaughter was there along with several of her siblings and cousins. We had been told before the visit that this girl’s mother couldn’t look after her children because she was an alcoholic, which is why they were living with their grandmother. We talked (with a service centre person translating) with the granddaughter about her life helping to care for the younger children, while also keeping up with her school work and other chores. She was working towards exams in October which would allow her to go up to the Government School. I asked what she wanted to do after she finishes school & she said she wanted to be a nurse. Before going we asked her what she would like prayer for, and she asked that we pray for peace, and for unity in her family, perhaps indicating how difficult life has been over recent times. I prayed for this, as well as for her dream of becoming a nurse. On the way back to the care point Michael explained what a challenge it would be for her to get there as even if she does pass her exams, she would need to pay fees to attend the Government school, which in a family such as hers, would be very hard to come by. It really brought home to me the difference in opportunity for young people in the UK compared to rural Zambia, and how blessed my children are in their education. I will pray for the girl we visited, that in spite of everything she will get to finish her education, and that the peace will be restored in her family. I will also thank God for the opportunities my children have, and pray that they won’t waste what they have been given.

Heather and Andy headed out with Burton, one of the care workers and Grace, the HAW nurse, visit a Gogo and Baba, their daughter and grandchildren. The Gogo was not there when they arrived. Heather and Grace spent time with the mother and her children while Burton and Andy spoke with the Baba. As 3 grandfathers, they compared aches and pains and the Baba told them of some of the issues he faced. He is concerned for his family – despite being 70 he is the main provider. He can not afford fertiliser for his bit of land and fears that if the rains aren’t sufficient again that he will not have enough food to harvest to feed his family.
Both his main concern and that of his daughter is that they will have the wisdom to bring the children up healthy and well. They appreciate the help provided by HAW and that the children are included in the support programme.
They prayed together and shared some verses of scripture before leaving.

We will never forget all our Holy home visits and will continue to pray for them all.

Once all back at the care point, the children were fed and then us. Although some of us were glad it was our last day of nshima we came to understand how important these meals are to these hungry children and what a great job the care workers do in cooking up a balanced meal from scratch everyday tirelessly.  For most of the children this would be their only meal a day.

More games were played with the children and they all loved making paper hat crowns and beading necklaces.

It was then time to say our goodbyes again and encourage each other with words and song.

And so our time in the communities came to an end but the memories, stories we heard, friends and family we made and things we’d experienced will never be forgotten!

 

Nsobe Game Park

Hello Jemima here!

On Monday it was a National Farmers Day in Zambia so even we got the day off.

We made the long journey with our amazing bus driver Jere and his side kick Chinyamba to Nsobe Game park.

When we got there we sat by a beautiful reservoir and watched all the monkeys that kept knocking the lid off of the bin and stealing stuff out of it. We also saw some Muscovy ducks! After that we went in to the restaurant and had a delicious lunch. We were then met by our guide who got on Jerry’s bus with us and led us around the game park telling us about the animals. We saw lots of deer type things, 4 giraffes and some Zebra. We ended up in a reptile house where we saw a crocodile and we held some snakes. My favourite was a small green one. We also held a small house snake and some venomous ones. Lastly we held a huge python!

In the reptile area there were also some ducklings that would be eaten by snakes if they were released into the wild.  On the way back Chinyamba poked the croc and it snapped at him. 😲😲

We then made our way back to the farm via an ice-cream parlour and had some amazing ice creams yum! It was a nice day off before heading to the Amlew community!

Jemima xxx

Care worker appreciation day

Phoebe here!

Friday was the very last day of our time at Maposa before going to other villages next week. In the morning we arrived and got out colouring books for the kids. This lit up so many faces they loved it!! Along with the colouring we played ball games, gave out stickers and chased balloons until lunch time, when we ate with the kids and care workers. On the menu was small salted fish with a sauce which some enjoyed and others didn’t as much 😂

After lunch we had the privilege of serving the wonderful care workers by washing their feet and massaging their hands, painting nails and colouring verses from the bible. We had so much fun treating these ladies because of all they do for the most vulnerable children in Maposa!

It came close to the end of our time there and we prayed for each other and sung amazing songs with the ladies. We then gave out gift bags of treats to the care workers. Then the last pictures were taken and the last goodbyes were said before we got on our bus feeling sad about leaving the amazing community that has been our home for the last week.  Can’t wait to keep in touch

with them all.

Pheebs xx

Holy home visit – Stephen, Zoe & Kez

Thursday 1st August 2019 was Holy Home Visits day.  We split up into 4 groups of 3 and Stephen, Kez and I were led by a service centre leader and 2 care workers to two homes in the village of Maposa.  The first home we were welcomed by a lady and 3 daughters, her husband was out helping others harvest the grass and they had just got their part of the harvest in. They also had 3 older children, 2 were at school and 1 at the care point. Quite often only 1 child is sent to the care point as at least then 1 child is getting fed and there are less mouths to feed at home! One of the girls was 14 but had to stop going to school as it was too expensive to send her past grade 7. When asked she liked maths and English. We asked if there was anything we could pray for for the family and she told us how she finds it hard as she attends church but her husband doesn’t so she finds it hard to keep her faith and pass this on to her children. We blew bubbles with the youngest daughter, who at first found them scary and then thought it was a drink 😂.  We then went to collect water for the family from the well, it wasn’t a long walk but the containers were very heavy. The care workers made it look easy carrying them on their heads! The second home was fairly close by and at last count 11 adults and children lived there. The sleeping area was only 8x8ft so some were sleeping around the fire area. When asked if there was anything we can pray for the mother said there were too many things to mention.  The most vulnerable of the children was at the care point and we got more bubbles out for two of the smallest children there, which they loved! The visits felt slightly awkward and like we were imposing but it is an important part of the care workers jobs to check on those families with vulnerable children and support each other! They do an an amazing job, a model of care we can all bring back to our own communities.

Zo, Stephen and Kez

We’ve arrived!

After a long tiring journey, full of tribulation, we made it to Kachele Farm, where we got a full night’s sleep.

Today is day two in Zambia, but our first full day in the country. On the agenda was our first visit to a community: the local, rural village of Maposa. Swallowing our butterflies, we boarded the bus with some members of the Service Centre and some of the residents of The Farm in Zambia. After a journey down a dusty narrow track, we arrived at the Care Point. We stepped out, finding ourselves surrounded by about 100 shy children, all paying close attention to our arrival. After a short spell of awkwardness where we attempted to greet the nervous children in Bemba, we began to open up, playing football and teaching them playground games. We all had a great time. Once we’d relaxed, we could get to know the children better, finding out their favourite subjects, and about their families. A favourite of the children was our hair, with the girls’ long locks immediately capturing their attention. They even attempted to work with mine, which sent one child into a laughing fit. “They’re just twisting it”, she giggled. She sent us all into tears with her infectious laughter.

At around 3pm, we were served our lunch: a traditional Zambian meal of Shima (corn meal), green vegetables and beans. Although very different to Western food, most of us enjoyed it, and managed to eat most of the food they were served. To finish our visit, we were introduced to all of the Care Workers, who told us about themselves and their families. We then sang and prayed together.

We then returned to the farm, thoroughly warn out by the events of the day. Overall, the day was great for settling our nerves, and hopefully will help us face the challenges to come…

Sol

Sunday 28th July – Zambia Day1

Only it isn’t!

We took off on time from London Heathrow at 19.00 on Saturday and landed in Johannesburg,  South Africa at 7.00 on Sunday morning. The plan was to then make our way through International Transfers to catch our flight to Zambia. The flight left without us.
So here we are, sitting in O.R.Tambo airport awaiting confirmation of a flight tomorrow and sorting somewhere to stay tonight.

Some of you will remember that I kept saying South Africa rather than Zambia when talking about the team’s mission. Perhaps my presumed error that some have enjoyed teasing me about was less error and more prophecy!

Error or prophecy? Not sure.

I know this though. For some of us it has not been easy to maintain our resolve to serve God in this   mission.  Financial constraints, work demands and ill health have all played a part in attempting to weaken our resolve.

I read 1 Samuel 6 recently that recounts the return of the Ark of the Covenant – the symbol of God’s presence – to Israel. The Ark was placed on a cart and the cows tethered to it were allowed to choose the path they wished to take. Without hesitation they walked towards Israel, not turning to the right or the left until they reached their destination.   As a team we believe that we carry with us the Presence of God. It is important for us to keep our resolve, to keep pressing forward, not to turn to the right or left, believing that it is God who is leading us where he wants us to go.

So here we are, delayed but with determination to fulfil all that God wants us to do for the next couple of weeks.

Andy

Blog update
We finally tracked our luggage down hiding behind carousel 2! Most of it. One case has gone missing, so by the time our flight leaves tomorrow – with us on it, we hope to have tracked it down.
And
Just as we were gathering ourselves to leave the airport, an alarm sounded very loudly with instructions to evacuate the airport immediately. So we did, found a couple of taxi drivers – at least they said they were – and are now sitting outside our accommodation for the night drinking tea and eating biscuits.

And it’s only 1.00 pm! Plenty of time for more adventures!

Preparations – 1 day to go!

Hi, Kez here. Just thought I would write down some thoughts with only 31 hours to go before we board our plane. Currently in the Shears household we are swimming in luggage, with two whole suitcases bursting with games, clothes, crafts and pamper items for the kids and careworkers in the communities. For me, personally, anticipation is the predominant emotion but mainly from the mixture of excitement and worry that is only natural to feel towards a trip like this.

Excitement:

Excitement comes in waves as the whole trip for me is slightly daunting. However, I am so ready and excited to get out there and start meeting, serving and building relationships with the people of Maposa and the two other communities we will be visiting.  I am also excited to see how God changes my perceptions of the world I live in and what that means for how I interact with people while I am in Zambia but also what it means for me when I get back to England and how I continue to move through life after.

Worry:

As a big worrier, there are an abundance of worries for me surrounding the trip from the journey, how I will emotionally respond to things I see, to being able to sleep in a mosquito net! However, we have had a lot of prayer that will continue throughout the trip and I am surrounded by 11 of the most supportive people that are all like family to me, regardless of whether we share the same surname.

That’s it from me today! Now off to the carry on packing.

Kez x

Phoebe enjoying her packing!