MCC Regional Retreat

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Southern Africa Regional Retreat

We traveled to Lusaka last week for our MCC Regional Retreat. Service workers from Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Swaziland, and South Africa gathered together for a week of reflection and rest. We were at a camp just outside of Lusaka that had rustic cabins and an open dining area. In the mornings, our speaker Ray Motsi, a minister from Zimbabwe, spoke to us on capacity-building. There were a variety of activities for us to enjoy in the afternoon such as decorating cookies, playing games, a chitenge (cloth) exchange. The boys ran 5k in a Fun Run but I declined because I thought the title was misleading (I know fun and run rhyme but they don’t really go together). In the evening, we shared our country’s programs in a fun way, had a talent night, and concluded with a Christmas service the last night. It was fun to meet people from all over and hear about their experiences with MCC in the countries in which they serve. The kids had a fabulous time with all the other children and they had a program that kept them engaged and happy. Here are a few more of the details:

An eye-opener: We knew things were rough in Zimbabwe but had no idea how rough. Our new friends from Zim gave us a clearer picture of the situation there. The shelves in the stores are empty. Once every few months they travel into Botswana to buy staples such as mealie-meal, oil, and sugar. The elderly retired on a set pension that used to be adequate, but with inflation, their monthly income will now barely cover one meal. Their phones are bugged and our speaker has been arrested countless times. The words to a song we often sing come to mind, “It’s not an easy road . . .”

Ahhhhh: During our worship times, we often sang from the Mennonite Hymnal. What a treat!

I know an old lady . . .: There were a million flies in the tent in which we met for sessions. During one particular rousing African song we were singing, one of those flies flew right into my mouth. I choked a bit but down it went. Pretty disgusting. But that meant one less fly to drive us crazy.

Two courageous boys: Brendan and Jason went to the Kalimba Reptile Park with the other children on a field trip. Both had the amazing opportunity to have a python around their neck. Does it get any better than that?


Laying on the guilt: Brendan had terrible stomach cramps one night. As he was moaning and groaning, he insisted that we take him to the hospital because he thought he was going to die. When we told him that we could see he was in a lot of pain but we wanted to give the medicine a chance to work before taking him to the hospital, he moaned, “You’ll be sad if I die and you didn’t take me to the hospital!”

Time to play: Brendan survived the night and even managed to have fun at Adventure City, the water park. The kids went in the morning and had a marvelous time together as a group. The teenagers were really wonderful and interacted with the younger kids so beautifully. I hope our boys remember what it was like for them so they can return the favor some day.

Brendan's favorite way to go down

Our little thespian: Brendan was terrified to stand up the first day and introduce his partner in an ice-breaker game. But by the time the Talent Show rolled around, he decided he wanted to do something. He had learned a story that involved a paper boat. As he tells the story, he cuts off the corners of the boat which eventually turns it into a T-shirt when it opens up. He was nervous but he pushed through it and did a great job. I am thankful for safe places where he can try hard things and succeed. When we clapped and cheered at the end, you could see he was proud of himself!

Limbo: the traditional finale to the Talent Show

Not cheap here: We decided to do a little Christmas shopping while we were in the “big” city. Man, things are not cheap here in Zambia. Something that would cost $10 at Target is more like $40 here. We can get cheap toys but they will most likely break the same day. And our petrol prices are astronomical, approximately $6.50 a gallon. Crazy!

Fishy Chicken Pox: Jason had a sore on his arm that had trouble healing. Throughout the week, we saw that there were little blisters forming around that area. It looked rather suspicious so we took him to a clinic. The doctor said he had the chicken pox since ithe blisters were fluid-filled. He loaded us up with anitibiotics. But his diagnosis seems a bit fishy since Jason was vaccinated for chicken pox, it manifested only on his arm and not the rest of the body, and if it were chicken pox then antibiotics wouldn’t help. My guess is that it may be impetigo in which case antibiotics would be helpful. We’ll have to trust God for his healing since it is hard to trust the doctors.

Wrestling with Africa: Following the retreat, we stayed the night with our friends the Dykstras. We always have stimulating conversations as we process what it means to live and serve in Africa. We all struggle with discerning how to best love and serve those around us. Jeff and Molly shared with us this saying that really struck a chord with us: “The only people who understand Africa are those who have lived here less than two weeks or more than ten years.”

A frightening close call: On our five hour journey home, we had one particularly scary moment. We were clipping along at 100 km/hr when all of a sudden a small child, probably only two or three years old, decides to cross the road in front of us. Peter swerved and barely missed the little guy. I felt nauseous for a long time afterward.

So now we are back at home in Kitwe. As we were driving home, I was looking forward to seeing our friends here at Mindolo. I am thankful for friends to return to. The MEF Muzungus came over Sunday evening for a small Christmas party. We decorated sugar cookies and sang Christmas carols. Several are leaving on vacation over the holidays so it was good to be together briefly before people take off. After we attend to the many things that were ignored while I was teaching and then when we were gone, I think we will be able to relax a bit and enjoy Christmas!