Our First Week in Zambia

Wow, this marks one week in Zambia. It is almost surreal sitting here typing this as I listen to the unfamiliar, yet comforting sounds of the Zambian landscape. I am currently sitting in the shade beside our house as our four year old, Colt, plays happily in the mud. No, its not rainy season here, I just found a moment to til up the future garden beside our house and without drowning the soil with water, it is a back breaking task to turn up. As I write, I listen to the shouts of laughter echoing from the other sides of the walls around me. Where we lived back in Vernon, BC, Canada, our nearest neighbour was 2.5 kms away and we felt like we needed to move more remote, now we have hundreds of people around us all day long and you know what, its not so bad. The frequent “hellos and how are you’s” as you pass fellow workers and children are actually very comforting because every single time you are met with a big bright smile. Friends, Family, we are in Zambia!!!!! It seems to just all of the sudden wash over me and although most of the butterflies I feel are from excitement, I will be honest in saying its different here, we have so much yet to learn.

On October 4th, 2023 at 11:30 pm we set off on the first leg of our trip to Ndola, Zambia. We had a quick four and a half hour flight to Toronto that the kids slept briefly on and then a long walk through the Pearson airport (at 4 am our time) to get to our next flight. That was a long walk for the sleepy children, but they did it... back packs, blankets and all. We then launched off to Ethiopia. We had expected the flight to be 14 hours, but it ended up being only 13 hours and we got to spread out into three rows and so as a result that flight was just awesome, no complaints. We landed in Addis Ababa and had no idea where to go as we stepped off the plane. That was interesting because we only had 30 mins to get to our next flight. Thankfully (seriously and sarcastically) a bus showed up and we all piled on top of one another in that to go the opposite direction of our gate, have to pass through security and then hoof it back to our gate that was way back where we had originally stepped off the plane. Haha! You know, travelling as a couple is an adventure when these curve balls happen, but then remembering to grab all four children and coach them to the finish line ie. our gate where our plane was boarding!!! when they are tired and wanting to go to bed is a whole other thing. We made it on to the last flight. Thank you Lord! We had spent the day before flying, frantically getting loose ends tied up and so Karl and I spent most of this flight battling the dreaded head bob. You know the feeling of “Im so tired I’m going to pass out, but I don't have anywhere to lay my head so I’m going to fall asleep then startle every five minutes as my head falls over!” Hahahaha that was us! But wohoo we made it to Zambia!! When we got to customs we had quite the wait. The lady at customs said that our Visa was incorrect. She said Karl was the only one on the Visa and so the kids and I were only allowed in the country until Monday. That was a little concerning, especially after all those flights! Once through customs we were greeted by Susan, she reassured us that there was no need to worry about the Visas and then we all piled into her van to head to our new home. To save you any stress I'll will fill you in; the following Monday we went to the Immigartion Office and as Susan had said our Visas were perfectly fine!

Our first week here:

Our first few days here were busy. Mama Susan (as all of the Grace kids call her) was so kind in showing us around the surrounding towns, where to find the private hospital, the local pharmacy, setting us up with groceries, wifi, and taking us out to some great local restaurants. It was really such a blessing to have her here to show us around such an unfamiliar place. Something to note: they drive on the wrong side of the road here. Karl has braved driving here and seemed to catch on with no problems, but I am yet to take on the feat. Our farm truck here is standard so both driving in a new direction and learning standard will be a big deal for me. But, hey, Im up for the challenge! The food here has been an easy adjustment. We have been eating very similar to home for breakfasts and dinners and lunch has been mostly from the cafeteria. The Zambian staple called Nshima, made up of ground corn right off the farm, was a hit with the kids. We really want to eat similar to the locals, but alot of things contain unhealthy oils and loads of corn so we may swap out some things with our own homemade/homegrown sourdough, fruits and vegetables. The kids and I started up school for the first time yesterday. That was a change in itself on top of schooling in a foreign country, I also now am teaching three kids compared to two, Tucker Gr. 3, Lady Gr.1 and Colt Kindergarten. A lot of people said it is quite overwhelming first meeting all the kids at the orphanage and we now understand that, but our kids have adjusted so well and are excited about developing friendships with the kids at Grace. Something that surprised and encouraged me was from 7:30-3:30 (roughly) the kids are in school. This makes the orphanage super quiet for a substantial part of the day. This was so surprising to me and has also been challenging because our homeschool is done by 1030 in the morning, so Tucker and Lady don’t have any friends to play with. The quiet time was obviously unexpected, but our nanny Mwenya keeps the kids occupied with lots of games, playground time and library visits. The encouraging part is seeing how much the kids at Grace Academy are learning, not only in regard to education, but respect for structured worship, learning, work and play times. I can learn a lot as both a mother and teacher from this example. The kids and I just turned up a tiny garden bed beside the house to plant some herbs and spinach for our own consumption. We had the chance to get our hands and feet dirty in the wonderful Zambian soil as well as discover crazy ant nests and new and scary looking bugs! We are spending evenings at the playground at Grace and getting to know some of the kids. It has been a big transition four our family so by 7 pm we are all pretty much ready for bed.

As for the main reason we are here, aside from shining Gods light to the nations, is the GRACE FARM!!!! It is end of dry season here and so upon first look the farm appeared a lot different than expected. Not in a bad way at all, just the major corn crop had been harvested, most crops had been moved into the greenhouses and so I guess we just weren’t really thinking about what season we were arriving in. You guys this farm is amazing, so many moving parts for Karl to learn, keep up with and all the while maximize potential of. Karl has jumped in knee deep with the local farm manager here. He and the local manager bonded quickly as they have very similar farming styles. This local manager is a very ambitious man, managing his very own farms here in the area on top of his position at Grace. His knowledge in crop farming is astounding and so Karl appreciates his ideas and insights, especially because Karls specialty is more poultry and livestock than crops. They had a great week assessing current workings of the farm, managing hiccups, such as broken pumps and lines, and then dreaming up and running numbers on what aspects of the farm are most profitable, so that they can start maximizing profits and get closer to the end goal of the farm feeding the kids self sufficiently. This really has Karl excited! Karl has found it challenging connecting with the other farm workers due to cultural hierarchies if you want to call it that? It seems as though managers, especially white ones, are at a whole other level with the locals, where they think they are not allowed to say more than a “yes Sir” or Thank-you Sir.” Karl does really want to be a light and friend to these men so that he can encourage them in first, in their walk with God, then as hard working men, and lastly with the hope of equipping them as long term employees for Grace. Funny story…Karl was in town running errands this week with the local farm manager and, as is his nature, when they picked up concrete he hopped in the box of the truck and started loading bags. The local manager stopped him and said, “Everyone going by is starring at you!” Karl said that he looked up and he just laughed and kept going. I guess it is not normal for a white man to do a job like that when there are local guys that can do it. Karl understands that he needs to uphold a leadership role while out here, but at the same time he knows working and doing life along side these local men can build camaraderie and respect. He is excited for what is to come here on the farm side of things. We will keep you posted on the latest and greatest happenings of the farm. For now we will show you some pictures of what’s on the go currently.

Broiler Barns (chicks being placed on Monday)

Processing Facility (will be butchering two pigs this coming week)

Layer Barns (Egg production is improving)

Aloe Crop ( water pumped fixed and ready to rehydrate)

Banana Crop (manure applied at base and ground covered with old branches/leaves to retain moisture, extras thrown in to the pigs)

Pigs ( lots of sows and piglets to organize/castrate males/fences almost completed)

Lastly...for fun....our cozy house

Thats about it for an update regarding our first week here in Zambia! Karl and I truly appreciate your support and prayers for our family as we prepared to journey here and while we serve out here.

Prayer Requests:

Please continue to pray for Gods hedge of protection around our family out here.

Please Pray for optimal health for all of us.

Please pray that Karl and I wear the armour of God confidently so that the enemy cannot tempt us with anxiety or fear.

Please Pray that the Holy Spirit continues to dwell here at Grace and bear much fruit within the people residing here.

Please pray that Karl can manage the many moving parts here and ensure everything is operating at its potential. As well that he doesn't get over-consumed with the "farm production" and forget the most important part of his role here to glorify and model Christ.