Farewell to Zambia

Thursday, May 26, 2011With Jason’s last bout of malaria finished, it was my turn next. I suspected I was getting ill on Sunday night, and as I sat at home on Monday feeling powerless (not just because we had no electricity for 8 hours again), I realized I had malaria. The headaches were fierce and I felt I had to squint to see through them to the world outside my head. Thank heavens Peter was home and I could leave him to do all the parenting as I lay in bed wishing I was dead. Peter himself had giardia again but that didn’t seem to slow him down. We had arranged to have Scott (back in town for a month) and Adrian join us for dinner on Wednesday. I was hoping that I would feel better by then. I had moments where I felt nearly normal and then I would crash again, which is the normal pattern of malaria. Peter made most of dinner with me calling out instructions from the couch. I actually felt semi-normal during dinner but excused myself at 7:30 and immediately fell asleep. Thursday morning I turned a corner and was feeling much better, a good thing because our yard sale is tomorrow and there is still much that needs to be done in preparation.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Yesterday was spent trying to sell our household goods and toys. Because MCC is not replacing us here at MEF and the Zambia team already has several households going already, it made more sense for us to try to sell us much as possible instead of trying to transport it to Lusaka and store it there. So all day, we had people coming and going, bargaining for a good price. We had sold most of our furniture and other big items earlier to friends, who were allowing us to continue using those things until right before we leave.

We continued the sale on Saturday morning in an attempt to get rid of the last things but only a handful of kids came, mostly to play with the unbought toys since they had no money. Brendan woke up unwell and within hours was feverish and throwing up. His turn for malaria. Like Jason, he was unable to keep the first two doses of medicine down and by the evening, he was miserable.

Unfortunately for him, the ex-pats at MEF were throwing us a farewell dinner so Brendan couldn’t just stay home and rest. We found him a bed in the back room where he crashed but he was utterly miserable with his fever spiking and the “malaria look” in his eyes. We kept checking on him every few minutes but also wanted to be present for the gathering in our honor. Before dinner, we learned a few rounds and sang those until we could do it in several parts. Little did we know, after dinner, we sang one of those rounds again while Wendy, Ryan, and Molly sang original verses about the Smith family over top. It was very fun and very creative. They videotaped and recorded the song so now we have a CD to cherish. Immediately following this, Peter took leave with Brendan and managed to get him to take more medicine and keep it down. By the time I returned an hour or two later, Brendan seemed nearly normal again. Lucky for him, this was just in time for the UEFA Champions League final, Barcelona vs. Manchester United. Man U is Jason’s favorite football team and Brendan pulls for Barcelona. It was a good match and we enjoyed watching it together with Adrian. Barcelona was the stronger team and easily won, much to Jason’s disappointment. The fact that he also really likes Barcelona and Messi, didn’t seem much of a comfort.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

We waited until Brendan’s malaria had subsided a bit this morning and then had family worship time. We spent time remembering in prayer the things that we are thankful for, those things that have been good and blessed us during the last four years in Zambia. And then we spent time being “thankful in . . .” which reminded us that we can be grateful even in the hard times and in the struggles. We also looked to the future and things we were anticipating, both the good and the hard things.

Once again we had no power for 8 hours. There must be load shedding going on but it would be nice if we could be notified of the schedule so that we could plan accordingly. As dinner time approached and we still had no power, I was getting nervous about what to do for a meal as there are fewer and fewer options in our kitchen as we pack up and finish off food. I had a major craving for red meat so we decided to treat ourselves to a meal out. I ordered a big fillet steak, something that is very uncommon for me. I have a hunch that I am anemic after battling malaria last week.

Monday, May 30, 2011

It is our final week in Zambia and little by little, we are packing things up. I love the challenge of using up what is in my kitchen without having to buy more items and without wasting what I already have. I used the last of my baking powder for dinner’s cornbread tonight. I needed one tablespoon and that was exactly what was left. I triumphantly threw the canister into the trash. Simple pleasures.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Brendan is still not fully well, so I took him to the clinic to be tested for malaria and giardia just to be sure. Sometimes he gets giardia in addition to malaria and that goes untreated because the malarial symptoms are so bad. The tests show that he is clear on both counts now but will keep an eye on him anyway. Peter’s giardia keeps coming back, so I got him on a 10 day treatment to try to kick it once and for all.

I had several last errands to run in town, one of which was getting just a few things at Shoprite. The power went out in the supermarket before one item had reached my shopping basket. So I returned the basket and walked out, hoping it would be back on when I returned from my other errands. Unfortunately, that was not the case and I returned home empty handed.

When I got home, I loaded up the mattress that Peggy bought and delivered it to her house. She had her heart set on buying our guest bed so she and her daughter would no longer need to share a bed with her grandmother. Because the bed belongs to MCC and the money from the sale goes back to MCC, I didn’t feel I could just give it to her. She chose to save her wages for the month and bought the bed herself. I bought the bedding from MCC and gave that to her so she was all set to go. But when we delivered the bed, I was surprised to see her daughter, Ester, home from school mid-day. When I asked Peggy why, she told me that Ester had to stay home because she had no money to buy her a juice and bread that day. That pushed the guilt button in me. But then I got irritated because the grandmother and the auntie could have given her the 2,000 kwacha (or 50 cents) and that I am not the only one who can help. Later, Peter reminded me that I had given her a huge bag of clothes that she was selling to provide a bit more income. I know she doesn’t have much money and she is dependent on what she earns from me but she has choices on what she does with that. My mind spins endlessly on issues like this and how and when to be generous. I’m tired of this particular quandary.

In the afternoon, the Lechwe PTA and teachers gave me a farewell party. There were about seven cakes to be eaten by about twenty people. That is a lot of cake! We had a lovely afternoon reminiscing, talking about our boys, and telling about our future plans. They were very affirming of my contribution to Lechwe and that felt good. As a gift, I was given a lovely PTA apron and three posters of misspelled signs in Zambia that are very funny. I went off the PTA in January, due to an increase in my traveling, so I had felt disconnected from them. It was good to be with them and kind of them to honor me in this way. I hadn’t seen much of the teachers either. I had intended to do a training with them in January but handed that off when I got the mumps. There is a school counselor at the school now so I have been backing off and trying to allow her space in her new role. The Lechwe teachers are fun and I had missed being with them. I walked away from the farewell tea feeling very affirmed and valued, making me feel even better about our time here in Zambia.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

I woke up to a huge cockroach on the inside of our mosquito net. Peter and I went to the kitchen to get a container to capture it and when we returned, it was gone. Guess what I’ll be dreaming about tonight.

We arranged to have a Farewell Tea and invited the MEF community to join us. MEF doesn’t usually do anything in terms of farewells so we took the initiative to set something up ourselves. I used up the last of my baking ingredients and baked several batches of cookies and squares and MEF provided the tea. Peter said just a few words and invited them to help themselves to the treats. At the end, one or two people got up to say a few kinds words about Peter and his service to MEF over the past four years.

On the way back from my last tennis game this morning, I was listening to BBC Network Africa. The Proverb of the Day was this: If you learn to laugh at your troubles, then you will find many things funny.

So, HA HA HA, the power was out again today. Thankfully it came on just in time for me to cook our last dinner.

HEE HEE HEE, Peter and I are both having trouble sleeping. We wake up at three and four in the morning and can’t get back to sleep. I don’t know if this is due to our horrible bed, the heat wave we are having when it is supposed to be cold season, the excitement about returning home, or the mile long list of things to do before we go. In any case, we are very tired these days.

HO HO HO, our fridge doesn’t work again. We are back to creeping into Jenny’s house at 6:30 a.m. to fetch our milk from her fridge. She is always very gracious but I feel bad about it, especially since she has malaria right now.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Jason lucked out and got to go on a field trip in his final week at Lechwe. In the four years here, Jason has been on the most trips averaging one a year. Brendan has only gone on two in four years. Partly this is because there isn’t a whole lot of options. Jason’s class went on an “educational” trip to Ndola, a nearby city. They visited a small museum about the history of the Copperbelt but the power was out so they didn’t see much. They were supposed to see the “Slave Tree” which is a fallen down tree in the middle of the dual carriageway and the old football stadium, but those things didn’t happen apparently. But they did make it to PiknPay, a new South African supermarket built in Ndola. We had to supply them with spending money so they could shop at PiknPay. What a crack up. I told Jason to look for pretzels, a real treat for us and something that can only be found at PiknPay. He came back triumphant. The last stop was the Dag Hammerskjold crash site, a place we have visited as a family several times already. So in my estimation, the field trip was a bit lame but Jason said it was the best field trip ever.

We had several invitations for dinner our last two nights but had to turn down some of the offers. We were delighted to spend the evening with our Muslim neighbors, Mr. Yassir and Aline. She prepared a fabulous feast, even with a power outage. She makes the most delectable shish kebabs that again filled my craving for red meat. Our boys have spent a lot of time at their house and have become part of their family, especially on Sundays when the neighbor kids have to stay inside all day. Our boys are allowed to go in their house and play and they have had many fabulous Sunday afternoons together.

Friday, June 3, 2011

It was a whirlwind of a day. It was the boys’ last day at Lechwe so I attended their final assembly. I thought they would probably recognize Jason and Brendan and give them a clap. But they also honored me. One teacher told the children how she never saw me angry or grumpy or making bad choices and that she was trying to be like me. Brendan and Jason were shaking their heads to refute that idealized image of me. Another teacher had compiled a folder of notes from the children in different classes saying the things I had taught them, such as “You taught me it was OK to cry,” and “You taught me not to be a bully.” It was very sweet. I had to get up and say a few words and felt a bit teary but made it through OK. It was special to be honored in this way and to be reminded that all the work I did may have had an impact, more than I realized.

I hurried home to meet Peggy who was coming one last time to the house. Unfortunately, last week, I had realized that a pair of my earrings was missing. Things have gone missing before and I am always tempted to accuse Peggy of stealing. People talk about maids stealing all the time, but Peggy has always been honest. Sometimes I just misplace things or they are stolen with other robberies and we just discover it later. I hate being suspicious all the time, but that is what a series of thefts do to me. But this time, with these special earrings gone, I could think of no other possibility. So I had called Peggy earlier in the week to ask if she knew where they had gone. Between her accent and talking on cell phones, it was hard to understand her. She said there was one earring, but I thought she was referring to a single hoop earring that was on my dresser that I already knew about. So I questioned her when she arrived. I asked about the earrings and she proceeded to open up her handbag and take one out. Apparently, a week ago, she was dusting and she flung the earrings off the dresser. She was able to find one but not the other. She didn’t want to tell me so she kept the remaining earring with her and intended to search for the missing one the next week. She used the excuse that Brendan was home sick so she couldn’t look for it on Tuesday. I was irritated and told her that I spent the week thinking she had stolen from me. “But why would I only take one earring, mama?” she said. I didn’t know she only had one because both were missing! We moved the bed and managed to find the other one and it was eventually cleared up but it left a sour taste in my mouth. Later, when it was time to say goodbye, she couldn’t stop crying. She said I was her mother and she didn’t want me to leave. This shows the difference in how we viewed each other. Because she thought of me as her mother, she expected me to take care of many of her needs. I saw her as a maid, and as a friend in a limited way. I’ve appreciated our conversations and how she cleaned for us these last few years. But I balked at the expectation that I was to be her savior when I still saw myself as her employer. So complicated.

I eventually had to leave her crying because I had to drive across town to the CACSS Show (The Agricultural and Trade show for the Copperbelt). Once again, Brendan had won a prize in the art show and he wanted me to attend the prizegiving. He won 2^nd prize for his picture in the “Superhero” category. As is typical, the ceremony started an hour late, which gave us time to see the president of Zambia, President Banda, and to walk through the art exhibition. I also ran into my friend, Julien, and was able to give her one last hug.

We raced Brendan back to school where he had a farewell party with his class. I hurried home to have lunch and pick up Peter. Back to Lechwe where I tracked down teachers for final reports, gathered school work, handed off school uniforms to a friend, a few last goodbyes with teachers and parents, then off to the football pitch. Coach Mumba had arranged “Farewell Football Matches” for Brendan and Jason. They have had very few opportunities to play in real matches so this was very special for them. During the game, more people came by to give us gifts and say goodbye. We are very appreciative of these lovely gifts, but our minds kept going to the luggage weight limit and wondering how we are going to be able to take it all back with us.

We raced home to finish packing and delivering furniture to neighbors. I found two comments by Zambians fascinating. The first was the lady who bought our non-functioning fridge. We returned part of her money so that she could get it repaired. When Peter asked if he should give the money to her or to her husband when he came to pick it up, she quickly replied, “Give it to me because he will drink the money.” And when we were arranging for Violet to take the furniture she bought back to the compound where she lives, she insisted that it be done at dusk so that her neighbors wouldn’t see what she was bringing into her house.

We finally went out to dinner around 7 p.m., after a flurry of packing, saying goodbyes, and cleaning. We enjoyed watching the French Open on the big screen while devouring our last meal of Mona Lisa pizza. Jason was nearly falling asleep while waiting for the bill, having had a long day. The rest of us could relate. We were all pretty exhausted.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Peter did a fine job loading up all our eight suitcases and carry-ons as well as the household goods remaining for MCC into our car and an MCC van. After delivering the beds we had slept in our final night to those that had bought them, and saying goodbye to a few last friends, we hit the road. We were a bit worried about the MCC van making it to Lusaka, as it was the vehicle that broke down on the way home from our mini-retreat in Southern province. Just outside of Kitwe, Peter smelled something burning and pulled over to investigate. It turned out not to be a big deal and the rest of the trip went smoothly. We ate lunch at the Fig Tree Café, our favorite hamburger joint, and kept a close eye on both our cars while we ate. We made it safely to the MCC Guesthouse in Lusaka with all our goods still in our possession!

Today will be spent with MCC friends, saying goodbye to Issa, and repacking so our dirty laundry won’t have to travel in our carryon luggage. We are up to our weight limit in every single bag but it all fit! Monday we fly to Johannesburg then on to London and landing in Prague on Tuesday morning. We are eagerly anticipating six days in beautiful Prague reconnecting with dear friends. Monday, June 13, we arrive in Spokane Washington where we will enjoy two weeks with Peter’s family. From there, we make our way south to end up in Fresno, CA the beginning of July.

And we have great news on the job front! Peter was offered a full-time, limited term appointment to teach at Fresno Pacific University’s Center for Peacemaking & Conflict Studies (CPACS). 'Limited term' means it is a 2 year contract as the Center will be engaging some consultants to help set strategic direction for the next phase of the Center's existence. This post could be renewable but he will need to re-apply when the time comes. We are so thankful for this job opportunity. Nearly 16 years ago, Peter and I were setting goals and coming up with life mottos. Peter’s was to “Teach Peace” and here he is getting to do just that. We are so thankful to have a job, a home, and to have those things near family and friends. We are blessed.

It is a bit freaky though when I stop to think about it. I moved to Fresno when I was 8 years old and Kevin was 10. I moved into a house on Kerckhoff Street and attended Jackson Elementary School. My dad took a teaching position at Fresno Pacific. In a bizarre turn of events, Jason is 8 and Brendan is 10. We will live on Kerckhoff Street and they will go to Jackson Elementary. Peter will be teaching at Fresno Pacific. I have been teased about my inability to see patterns but this one was hard to miss!

This is my final posting from Zambia. In the last four years, I have blogged 281,047 words! Many of you have read every single one of those. Congratulations! I have been asked whether this blog will continue. That remains to be seen. Thank you for joining us on this adventure, for riding the ups and downs with us, and encouraging us along the way. Our African Adventure is coming to a close but there will be more adventures awaiting us, no doubt!