The Effects of Africa!
Even though after 2 weeks I am still trying to recover from the effects of the time difference between Africa and Canada (still waking up at 4 AM), there are some things that I don't think I will ever recover from (or even want to recover from).
The people of Zambia that we met are amazing and have touched me and my family in so many ways. I would like to share some of the highlights of my trip.
For years now our family has sponsored children from other countries. We have had their pictures on our fridges and have read their letters and have prayed for them. Within the last year and a half we started sponsoring a little girl (Feby Muleya) from a village outside of the city of Kalomo Zambia (through Zambia Mission Fund Canada). One of the highlights of our recent trip was spending a part of an afternoon with Feby and her extended family. She is an orphan and as far as we know has one brother and lives with someone she calls aunty. Her home is a very simple clay hut with no real windows and a sheet hanging across the doorway. However, she is happy, and just beamed with joy as we shared some gifts with her and her extended family. What a joy, to share with Feby and her family! I will never forget that afternoon.
Our family also sponsors a aids patient by the name Lemmy. He is a widower as his wife has died from aids and he has one daughter. Our sponsorship assists him by providing him with food and transportation so that he can get proper treatment for his sickness. He looks very good and is so, so appreciative for our help. Something else that I will never forget!
I look forward to seeing both Feby and Lemmy again at some point in the future!
The people of Zambia have taught me the priority and importance of prayer. In our country, when someone is not well the first place we turn is to the medicene cabinet or the phone to call the Doctor or if it is an emergency we call 911. Later on, when things are taken care of or under control we may then turn to God. In Zambia, they first turn to God (the great healer, the great physisian). They really don't have a choice. They have to turn to God. I love our country and our society, but everything we have seems to get in our way (that is, comes between us and God). In our country people do not need to turn to God because they can take care of things by themselves. What is a blessing unfortunately has turned out to be a curse, that gets between us and God. Being in Zambia and experiencing their faith and readiness to go to God in any situation has certainly changed me and my thinking. Thank you Zambians!
While walking past a very small classroom at the community school of Katungu, I heard the class singing praises to God. I stepped into the doorway to see a classroom full of about 80 grade two students just packed in, with no teacher and them singing praise at the top of their lungs. A scene that I would never, ever see anywhere in North America. Amazing! Especially the no teacher part.
Another, aids sponsored patient by the name of Kelvin (who recently suffered from a stroke - aids related and now unable to walk on his own) being brought 30 plus kilometers on a bike with flat tires and bent wheels across country by his brother, brother in law, mother and sister (with baby) to the gathering of aids sponsored patients just to meet the Canadian sponsors. They had to leave at 4 in the morning to arrive on time. Unbelievable!!! Just to meet some Canadian people (that included me). I was so moved by their commitment and dedication! WOW!
I could go on and on and on with other experiences but I will stop here and maybe share other experiences on a later blog.
It is good to get back and I thank God for blessing my family with this opportunity! Thank you God!
The people of Zambia that we met are amazing and have touched me and my family in so many ways. I would like to share some of the highlights of my trip.
For years now our family has sponsored children from other countries. We have had their pictures on our fridges and have read their letters and have prayed for them. Within the last year and a half we started sponsoring a little girl (Feby Muleya) from a village outside of the city of Kalomo Zambia (through Zambia Mission Fund Canada). One of the highlights of our recent trip was spending a part of an afternoon with Feby and her extended family. She is an orphan and as far as we know has one brother and lives with someone she calls aunty. Her home is a very simple clay hut with no real windows and a sheet hanging across the doorway. However, she is happy, and just beamed with joy as we shared some gifts with her and her extended family. What a joy, to share with Feby and her family! I will never forget that afternoon.
Our family also sponsors a aids patient by the name Lemmy. He is a widower as his wife has died from aids and he has one daughter. Our sponsorship assists him by providing him with food and transportation so that he can get proper treatment for his sickness. He looks very good and is so, so appreciative for our help. Something else that I will never forget!
I look forward to seeing both Feby and Lemmy again at some point in the future!
The people of Zambia have taught me the priority and importance of prayer. In our country, when someone is not well the first place we turn is to the medicene cabinet or the phone to call the Doctor or if it is an emergency we call 911. Later on, when things are taken care of or under control we may then turn to God. In Zambia, they first turn to God (the great healer, the great physisian). They really don't have a choice. They have to turn to God. I love our country and our society, but everything we have seems to get in our way (that is, comes between us and God). In our country people do not need to turn to God because they can take care of things by themselves. What is a blessing unfortunately has turned out to be a curse, that gets between us and God. Being in Zambia and experiencing their faith and readiness to go to God in any situation has certainly changed me and my thinking. Thank you Zambians!
While walking past a very small classroom at the community school of Katungu, I heard the class singing praises to God. I stepped into the doorway to see a classroom full of about 80 grade two students just packed in, with no teacher and them singing praise at the top of their lungs. A scene that I would never, ever see anywhere in North America. Amazing! Especially the no teacher part.
Another, aids sponsored patient by the name of Kelvin (who recently suffered from a stroke - aids related and now unable to walk on his own) being brought 30 plus kilometers on a bike with flat tires and bent wheels across country by his brother, brother in law, mother and sister (with baby) to the gathering of aids sponsored patients just to meet the Canadian sponsors. They had to leave at 4 in the morning to arrive on time. Unbelievable!!! Just to meet some Canadian people (that included me). I was so moved by their commitment and dedication! WOW!
I could go on and on and on with other experiences but I will stop here and maybe share other experiences on a later blog.
It is good to get back and I thank God for blessing my family with this opportunity! Thank you God!
posted by Ed Slywka at 7:38 AM
2 Comments:
these are many of the same highlights for me - and i could go on and on and on. i just love it there so much. i know that my life will never be the same because of what i have experienced there this time and three years ago. i'm so thankful to have had the opportunity to go there. and i am already looking forward to the time when i will return.
thanks for all the memories this summer, dad. i will never ever forget my time this summer, and i am so glad that we could go as a family. it was a blessing to me.
jilly
very cool, eddie! nice to see you back on the blog too!
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