Plans change!

I finished our last blog entry with “we may not have a lot to report in the next few weeks.” Forget it! The two day trip to Kitwe to get much needed and correct parts made us reconsider things. Becs was driving to Lusaka to fly out to London, and five days later a Kalene vehicle was going to Kitwe for dealer servicing, so we grabbed the opportunity to travel with Becs, keep her company, and visit Livingstone and the Victoria falls area. We were planning on doing that late August before we left, but were told that much less water would be flowing because of the dry season, so thought it best to visit now.

What a blast! We took a bus from Lusaka to Livingstone arriving at 2pm, and were met by the YWAM Director in Livingstone but could not stay at the Base because they were full. He took us to a Guest House where we settled in and then to the waterfront in time to join the sunset Booze Cruise in the evening and that was great. Especially the free drinks! Just kidding. Thankfully we were on the small boat and it had a family atmosphere unlike the larger boat that became louder as time went by. Viewing crocs, hippos, birds and scenery, and then dining to the setting sun, it was very pleasant. We then spent the evening with a couple of YWAMers from Aus we met at the Base when we arrived. They have led Family Ministries in Uganda and are now based in Worcester but were up this way teaching. So that was a bonus. We hadn't known them before, but YWAMers are family and we clicked straight away!

The next morning we did the Livingstone Island Breakfast thingy which was great. This island is situated at the top of the Vic falls, right in the middle, and you can stand right on the edge looking over like Chris! We were not prepared for all the spray and got rather saturated, and cold! But after a lovely breakfast we came back to the Royal Livingstone Hotel and found a nice courtyard out of any wind but with the sun shining in and warmed up and dried out, all the time being entertained by a lovely group of Zambians singing acapella. Then we wandered through the park to the Zambian Sun Hotel and on the way encountered Baboons of course, but also Zebras and Giraffes. Mr Giraffe was very friendly and walked right up to me and looked at me as if to say "Who are you?" Mrs Giraffe and her baby weren't so intimate though. But it was a great introduction to African animals. Then we went through the gate to view the falls from the Zambian side. This time we hired raincoats and kept a little drier, but what a great experience. It was awesome. I am reminded of the old chorus, “Come oh Lord and overflow us with your love, for we bring our hearts like vessels to the ever flowing stream…” Such a picture of His perpetual, abundant, love!!

Following that we went back to our guest house which I recommend to anyone going that way (Lubamutu VIP Guest House - check it out on www.safarinow.com/go/lubamutuvipguesthouse) and watched NZ draw with Italy. (What a team!! The only unbeaten team at the World Cup!) Really good value and very nice people. Christians of course. Very clean and well appointed.

The next day we did the Chobe River and National Park tour. Got picked up from the Guest house at 7.45, crossed the Botswana border, and were dropped back at 6pm after spending the morning on the river watching the elephants swim and seeing crocs and hippos, nice lunch at the lodge, and then the afternoon in the National Park we got up close and personal to elephants, impala, kudu, buffalo, wart hogs, and lions, and we saw one giraffe and local birdlife. There are 65,000 elephants in the park and they have just devastated their habitat. Dead trees and no grass everywhere! We had a great time.

Once back we had a quick snack which was waiting for us and we left and caught the overnight bus to Kitwe. We hoped to travel right through, but we arrived in Lusaka at 2.45am. The bus driver and about 3 people got out but left the bus running, Chris made a quick toilet visit, and we went back to sleep. An hour later the “Co-driver” turned the motor off and got out! We went back to sleep. An hour later the co-driver came on and turned the motor on again, and then about 30 minutes later he walked down the isle muttering something that made all the locals get up and leave and start getting their luggage from under the bus. We were left with about 10 other whities on the bus, so I went and found out that we were transferring to another bus. It arrived with a flat tyre which they changed on the bus stop, and we left at about 6.45. Again Chris and I were at the front and ended up having to keep the driver awake as his partner fell asleep and then he started nodding off as well. This guy also got a speeding ticket, but at least that woke him up! In Kitwe we met up with the man from Kalene who was there with the vehicle being serviced and got a ride back with him to the Nyangombe Christian Training Centre. With a stop at a village butcher for some “cheap meat” that the driver smelt! Cutting up a cow in the field.

We stayed at Nyangombe for two weeks and had a wonderful restful time even though we got involved in things that were happening there. Woodworking, computer, sewing, patchwork quilt, hairdressing and English courses all running, along with a preschool and a medical clinic, and maintenance of course. Touching a lot of people with practical as well as spiritual needs. Then the last weekend, a four day weekend, was a youth camp with 150 teenagers. I spoke for a session each day, and Chris and I ended up praying for about 25 who made a profession for salvation, and we gave them some tips for moving forward in their new life. What a privilege and a joy. Cooking was done by Mamas outside with open fires. Dress code of the teens was high heels for the girls of course. Cost of the camp was 5500kwacha, about NZ$2 for the 4 days! And they apologized that the fee had risen! But we have no idea what these people go through. One staff girl lost both her parents when she was 21 in a lightning strike! But what a testimony of the grace of God to her. The staff at the Centre are our age and older, very hospitable, and we felt like we had been friends for years. The next day we met up with Rebecca as she was traveling back and joined her in a Mission vehicle for the last four hours of travel to Kalene on THAT road.

I have got back into mechanicals, only to find a couple of the most critical parts I got are wrong! So it will be almost a week before we get (hopefully!) the right ones. But it’s good to be back. We have applied for the Leadership Development Course in Thailand from Oct 2 to Nov 12. If accepted it means that we will now be back in NZ on Nov 21. We leave South Africa for Aus on Sept 2. Thank you for your prayers.