Landscape Gardening

We're going to be losing our large garden space soon because by July of next year we hope to have 2 new cottages and a school building in that field. I hope to write more about that in the next month or so.

In the meantime, we're trying to work with our reduced garden area. So, to that end, we are experimenting with landscape gardening. We're going to begin building raised beds all around and between the buildings where we can grow herbs and vegetables. We'll even plant peas and beans along fences and barriers to provide beauty and food.

We decided to do an herb garden first of all. This yard section is between our house and the dining/kitchen building. We still have our large garden for the next few months so we'll plant larger veggies there still.

We probably could have done a much lower bed but our large dogs keep thinking that these beds have been personally built for them. They love the cool dirt on these hot days. We filled the beds with river soil and compost. The plants are going to be so happy.
The bed runs east/west so it will get lovely sunshine all day.  

On Thursday we planted Roma tomatoes, basil and coriander (cilantro) in the center. On either side we planted lower-growing plants: lettuce, chives, leaks, spring onions, and parsley. In one corner we planted a chili pepper plant. 

Those were the only seeds available in our supermarket. When Tom goes to Lusaka he's going to try to get a few more herb seedlings that we will plant in and among the existing plants as we see how they go. I'm hoping for rosemary, thyme, oregano and mint.

I'm so impatient--I'm like a little kid now--I can't wait for green growth to appear. So far I've spotted 5 teeny tiny bits of green poking up. I can't wait to be able to mosey out of my kitchen door with a little basket to gather whatever herbs I desire for that day's meals.

Exactly One Year Ago: A Favorite Halloween Memory

Exactly Two Years Ago: Fab Friday Foto--A Stolen Snooze

Kisses from Katie

When Kisses from Katie, a book written by Katie Davis, a missionary to Uganda appeared on my list of books to be reviewed, I was so excited. I've been following Katie's blog for a couple years and have been fascinated by the life she describes.

Once I had downloaded the galley onto my computer, I hesitated. I suddenly didn't want to read the book. I just knew I would challenged in ways. I didn't want to be nudged to be a better person. 

Of course, I did read it later that day. And, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Katie has such a fresh and wonderful way of looking at the people and places she works in and with. She speaks often of seeing Jesus in everyone around her. It's beautiful!

As I expected, I was challenged. I was inspired. I was given a fresh perspective. I'm so glad I read it. Katie isn't perfect. Her world is far from perfect. But her obedience to God's Will for her is amazing. She doesn't always want to obey, but the important thing is she does. And because of that, she has made an incredible impact in her corner of the globe.

Katie was a high school graduate, with the standard American life--a good family, an adoring boyfriend, and a healthy future ahead of her, who decided to spend a year working in Uganda, teaching at a preschool, before heading off to college. 

Then, God and Africa got a hold of her. Her life changed completely. She is now the mother of 14 little Ugandan orphaned girls. To find out how that all came about you'll just have to read Kisses from Katie. I highly recommend it. 

And, when you do, I'm warning you: Your life will be challenged. Like me, you'll find ways that God wants to work in and through you. It will be so worth it though, believe me!

On a related note: Meg wrote a beautiful post yesterday. We all can't wait for her to come back to Africa!

Exactly One Year Ago: Fab Friday Foto--Brazier Cooking

* I received a free,digital galley from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster, Inc to review. All opinions are my own.

Love Comes Softly

As I look down at little Naomi and her sweet rosebud mouth, her clear brown eyes, and the little mohawk that is forming out of the wisps of hair on top of her head, it hits me--I love this kid.

It might seem obvious. It's a newborn baby, what's not to love? But, love doesn't always hit like a lightning bolt.

Unlike a normal baby experience, we didn't have 7-9 months to get to know Naomi as she grew and developed out of sight. We didn't feel the first little kicks, we didn't plan her layette, and get a crib ready just for her arrival.

Receiving a baby in the first days is strictly a triage situation: We react in much the same way as a paramedic would--what are the vitals, how is the overall health? What first needs to be done to get her healthy?

Love is often not foremost in our minds. 

And yet, love is given and shared. We cuddle. We snuggle. We feed. We bathe. We do what needs to be done.

It's not always discernible and tangible love. It's often just basic care.

But, over time, something happens. Slowly but surely, we fall in love. 

That baby wriggles into our hearts and becomes a part of us.

Some babies are easier to love than others. Some are grumpy and fussy. Others are just so easygoing, they are a breeze to care for. Some are sick and need round-the-clock care, leaving us exhausted.

At the end of the day though, easygoing or colicky, it isn't long before that baby is so much a part of our family we can't remember life without them. Love has come--slowly and quietly, but permanently.

Exactly Two Years Ago: Moriah Memory--our first newborn

Exactly One Year Ago: A New Experience for the Kids  

 

Zambia's Day

Happy Independence Day, Zambia

47 years ago Zambia won their independence from England. 

You can learn more about Zambia and its history here

Exactly One Year Ago: A Walk on the Wild Side

The Faces of Kazembe Orphanage

I thought I'd share some photos of the little people that surround me every day. My son Timmy took most of these photos. They're not posed, they're not styled--that becomes obvious fairly quickly--but they are real.

Moriah, who turns 3 next month, sharing a rare smile
--she's normally a pensive sort of child.

Jack, 19 months, is so much healthier these days. 

Beauty, 4 years old, always loves mugging for the camera

Did you know that Peter, 2 years old, and Beauty are our only sibling set?

Gladys, 11 months, seems to have finally settled in to life here in this new family

Ephraim (11 months) is, in the words of my son, a jazzy guy

Jennifer, 3 years, is always ready with a sweet & sassy smile. 

And there you have it! Some of 'my' precious children.

Exactly One Year Ago: Where I Live

Exactly Two Years Ago: Absentminded, perhaps?

Little Red Hen

I know on Thursday I promised a post about the chickens on Friday. But, we had no electricity all day on Friday....and then still no electricity all Friday night. 

Are you as tired of these 'excuses' as I am?

The chickens are completely settled in. I checked on them today. They seemed happy. 

Thursday morning we met up with a truck from Lusaka. He was loaded down with crates of chickens. Each crate holds 10 chickens. I feel so sorry for the chickens at the bottom of the stack. Also collecting chickens that day were some missionary friends of ours who have a farm just outside Mansa.

Our shopping buddy, Morgan, helped move the chickens from the company's crates to our 7 crates. 

Have you ever eaten a chicken wrap while your lunch's cousins rode behind you in a cage? It's a weird feeling.

Now the chickens are settled into their home. Those ladders lead up to their nesting boxes where they can lay their eggs in peace.

It will take time to get production up to the maximum of 93 eggs per day--but we're on our way. 

Thank you to all who helped make this possible! 

You are fantastic!

The Tablecloth Looked Delicious

Tom and I had to be in Mansa early this morning to pick up our car and chickens (more about that tomorrow) we took advantage of the opportunity and left everything in the care of our teenagers and headed to Mansa yesterday. We were gonna have some alone time. Yeah, baby!

 Fair Warning: This story is long. 

After riding the bus to Mansa we checked into our hotel room. There are not many options for lodging in Mansa, so we settled on a mid-range room. It only costs $30 for a double room. Sounds fair, right? Well, not quite....

We were shown two rooms to choose from. I was wrestling our luggage down the tiny hallway so I missed the first showing, but Tom summed it up: One room had no toilet seat and the other was  missing part of the bathroom door. We decided to take the ‘missing door’ room. Privacy wasn't really going to be an issue since the bathroom doors were all glass anyway.

As we moved our luggage in, Tom mentioned that when the room was first shown to him, one of the workers was exiting the room having just used the shower. That skeeved me out and then I glanced over at the shelves and saw a strip of condoms. "Someone just used our room for a nooner", I yelped! The room with no toilet seat looked much better. I convinced Tom to change rooms and we schlepped our luggage across the hall. 

Later on I found condoms in the second room; I guess the hotel management was just doing their part to protect their guests' health.

Having taken care of a few errands and readying our car for the chickens, we headed out for dinner.

Tom wanted to try a restaurant he’d heard about on the outskirts of Mansa. We weren't sure if the restaurant was open, but we were excited to try something new. Pulling up in the driveway of the hotel where the restaurant was located, we asked a passerby if the restaurant was open. She gushed about the food, said she was a hotel guest but really enjoyed the food. Approaching the restaurant doorway, we were welcomed warmly by at least four waiters and waitresses. 

Once we were seated, we requested a menu, but the waiter only asked for our drink orders. Understanding the need to follow a routine, we let him go by rote and told him what we wanted to drink—water for me and a cold drink for Tom.

We could see the waiter slowly make his way to the bar, carefully select the correct glasses, load up a tray, place our drinks and glasses on there, and proceed to saunter across the restaurant back to our table. He set down our drinks, and walked away!

Several long minutes later, he walked up with a scrap of paper and informed us that the restaurant had T-bone steaks, chicken or spare ribs to offer. I asked what starches could be ordered. His words made up our minds—“We have nshima”. Nshima is Zambia’s staple food—a cornmeal dish similar to grits or polenta, except without any flavor. It has its place and there are times we enjoy eating it—but not on a very rare date night!

 

We left.

We decided to head to the only other nice restaurant in town. Also situated in a hotel, it’s decorated like an over-the-top wedding reception, but the food is decent. 

When we took our seats in the second restaurant we were quickly presented with colorful menus. Progress! Knowing that there are frequently issues with supplies, I immediately asked if there was anything on the menu that was not available. Our waitress said they were out of pork chops. OK, great, no problem, we’d order something else.

Long minutes passed as we contemplated dishes, asked questions of the waitress, watched her run back to the kitchen to figure out the answers—several times, chose dishes, were informed that that particular dish was not available—several times. Finally, we managed to land on choices which were available and about which the waitress was knowledgeable. For appetizers: Greek salad and onion rings, for the main: chicken pizza and battered chicken strips with French fries.

When Tom asked, as he always does, how long it would take for the food to come out we were told forty-five minutes. Surely that was the main course, right? I was so hungry. I couldn’t wait to nibble on onion rings.

Sadly, this was not to be.

Tom read the newspaper cover to cover. I read from my Kindle. We chatted about what Tom read in the newspaper. We looked up hopefully every time the lone waitress crossed the restaurant floor. Each time we were disappointed.

Forty-five minutes passed and there was still no sight of any of our food. I could see the chef from where we were sitting. He looked hard at work, but no dishes left the kitchen. There were only 8 guests total in the restaurant so he wasn’t even swamped. It was confusing.

Finally! fifty minutes after ordering, our appetizers were brought out. And that’s when the proverbial excrement hit the cooling device. The ‘Greek’ salad was a limp pile of coleslaw-ish salad. My onion rings were lightly fried onions rings with globs of rock hard, tasteless, pale batter. I refused to eat them. 

Tom wasn’t even at the table any more. He had gotten so bored that he wandered outside and began chatting with other guests. 

I was beside myself by this point. I would have eaten the tablecloth, but there weren’t even condiments on the table.

Then! Miracle of Miracles! My pizza arrived. I didn’t even wait for Tom’s food to come. I dug into that pizza like there was no tomorrow! I could feel the carbs restoring my blood sugar to normal levels. Now I could focus my thoughts. Now I’d be able to enjoy the rest of my night out.

A few minutes later Tom’s chicken (stir-fry—not battered strips) and French fries arrived. By this time Tom had made fast friends with a pair of young men from South Africa and we moved our food out to their table. The next couple hours of lively conversation completely made up for the rough start to our evening.

All’s Well That Ends Well. Have you ever experienced a restaurant nightmare?

Exactly One Year Ago:  Your Questions Answered--Part Two--I want to start up this question series again. I discovered some great new questions in the comments. I'd love to hear any more questions you might have. 

Exactly Two Years Ago: Munda Wanga--Lots of African Animal Fun

Popping in to Say Hello

I think our new baby, we've decided to name her Naomi, slept at most for 2 hours straight last night. I'm shattered. It's hard to think straight during the day after a night like that--normally new moms get a chance to rest up a bit when they have a 5 day old baby.....

There are all sorts of blog posts swirling in my head. I promise to let them out soon. 

In the meantime, here are a few posts from days of old....

Exactly One Year Ago: Our 'Overcoming' Muscles are Being Strengthened

Exactly Two Years Ago: The Big Trip South

Also Exactly Two Years Ago: Snakes, Crocs and Scooby Doo Burgers

Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Carla told me day before yesterday in comments that she really enjoyed reading the list of things that have bitten Tom on my sidebar. She was curious if I've ever been bitten.

Funnily enough, or not so funny if you remember how often I run screaming in the opposite direction when wildlife comes calling, I've never been bitten by anything bigger than a mosquito, spider or ant. I react terribly to insect bites so I'd hate to see what happened if I came in contact with something with actual teeth. 

Speaking of animals biting Tom, last year I wrote an article about a weasel creature (with the local name--akasama) that was brought to our property. I wondered how long it would be before it joined the list of animals that have bitten Tom.

A few days ago, we got another of these weasel creatures. Tom wrote about it here on his blog. Go read it. I'll wait right here....

He mentions in the blog that we released it into the wild. He fails to mention that  the akasama first escaped from his cage and wreaked havoc in Tom's man-cave. He tipped over boxes and spilled an entire bottle of termite poison. It was nearly impossible to breathe in that section of the building. I was not sorry to see him set free.

Never a dull moment.....

P.S As I write this, my kids and Elias are on a bus heading home. Tom stayed behind in Mansa with the car. I just heard it will take a couple days to repair (really jury-rig--since the part is way too expensive) and so Tom will come home on the bus tomorrow morning. We'll travel back to Mansa by bus on Wednesday in order to get the car ready and pick up the chickens on Thursday morning.

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner?

First, I'll tell you who is NOT coming to dinner. It's Tom, Timmy, Jasmine, Troy and Elias. They are all stranded in Mansa after today's shopping trip because the car broke down.

As far as we can tell from preliminary inspections, it has something to do with the gear box. The clutch is fine. This has happened once before. One of the many pitfalls of potholes.

Tom and team are holed up in a hotel and we're praying that the mechanic--I hate to call him a bush mechanic, but that's the truth of the matter--will not only quickly locate the exact problem, but also find replacement parts. Remember, we are not near any large cities. There are no auto repair shops. No auto parts stores. Just men with some experience working on the side of the road.

Even if a part is located, it is most likely an all day job because the car basically has to be dismantled to get at the part of the engine where the gear box is. I'm praying it is done by the afternoon tomorrow early enough that Tom won't have to drive home in the dark.

To any would-be thieves reading this.....Tom may be gone--but his shotgun is right here next to me.

I'm not entirely alone anyway. Aside from the 22 babies and children, and the 2 nannies sleeping over at night, I'll have someone else keeping me company tonight.

If you follow Kazembe Orphanage on Facebook, you've probably already guessed where I'm going with this.....

Meet our newest baby girl!

She's so new that we haven't even named her yet.

Baby Girl was born on October 11 and her mom died immediately following the delivery from hemorrhaging--at the exact same clinic where Joseph was born and where his mom suffered the same fate. Baby Girl came to the orphanage October 13 and I was told by the relatives that she hadn't been fed at all yet. Nearly 2 days old and not a sip of anything to drink. Not only that, she was bundled to within and inch of her life and was all sweaty. Already she was showing signs of dehydration. I could not believe it.

Now that she's been fed properly, all dehydration symptoms have vanished. She is now just a normal little newborn baby. She has an infection in her eyes--probably due to being exposed to bacteria at birth--but otherwise she seems healthy. More good news--her mom was tested for HIV just a couple weeks ago and the result was negative. No HIV! Let the happy dance commence!

Please pray that Baby Girl settles in well. Pray  that she stays healthy and grows strong.

Please pray for our car to be repaired at a minimum of expense and time.

Please pray for all our continued protection. 

Thanks!

Exactly Two Years Ago: Pardon Me This Moment

This and That and News

First of all: 

We did it! You did it!

We reached our goal! Thanks to you!

All 100 chickens have been provided for.

Now, being that this is still Africa, those chickens are still living in their original home. If you remember, I said we were getting a deal on the transport costs because we were piggybacking on another order. Unfortunately, that other party hasn't yet fulfilled their payment obligations so the trip has been delayed. We've been assured that our chickens are happy and healthy (not really on the happy part--but they probably are, right?), and we are expecting them to reach Mansa next Thursday. I'll keep you posted.

Next, I really appreciate all your sweet comments about my last post, Lean on Me. The unkind comment that I referred to happened quite a long time ago--can you say grudge-holding?--but it has often come to mind as I walk around our home and see all the wonderful children that have come together to form a family. One day, (I didn't have my camera with me) I saw a nanny sitting on a bamboo mat outside with a child from each age group and they were all playing so lovingly together. It made me so very happy!

Also, a few months ago, I wrote about some things that were weighing on my mind. One of them, was about Queenie and how her father had remarried and we weren't sure how that was going to impact her life. Susie reminded me yesterday that I hadn't written an update about that. Actually, it all just fizzled out--as many of our worries tend to do. Queenie's father never did come visit as he had promised to do--and his phone calls have also stopped. I hadn't even realized that until I sat down to write this. I can't remember when he last phoned. It's possible that his new wife is taking all his time. They may even be starting a new family. I'm just glad that Queenie is young enough that she doesn't seem to have been affected.

Finally, Tuesday morning I woke to new drama. Oh. My. Goodness. You don't even want to know. It's in the process of being sorted out and it is just more staffing issues. But, my heart broke a bit again. I was disappointed in humankind. I didn't want to carry on. I knew the only thing I could do was pray. I grabbed Tom, we sat on our living room couch, and he prayed. Part of his prayer was this:

Lord, this is your orphanage. We are just managers. 

People, I can't even begin to tell you how much that impacted me. God is the boss. I'm just his humble worker. This doesn't mean I'm abdicating any responsibility. No manager worth their salt would just let things run their course without doing their best to make sure everything is working properly. But! The ultimate success or failure of this project is in His Hands. Oh, what a relief!

Exactly One Year Ago: African Travel Truths

Lean on Me

The other day, we gathered all the children in our living room so they could watch Toy Story 3 which was recorded on our DVR. Normally the kids sit on their little chairs and watch videos in the dining room every afternoon. But since we didn't have this movie on DVD we made an exception and all the kids piled onto our tiny rug.

Shortly after the movie began, I looked over and saw this adorable sight:

That's Queenie (5 years old) holding Moriah (almost 3) who was holding Denny (2 years old). 

It reminded me of this photo taken this summer by one of our volunteers:

Lizzie (18 months) holding Grace (4 months)

To the snooty misinformed lady who insisted that our orphanage was just an institution, I'd challenge her to look at these photos and tell me our children are not part of a family.

Exactly One Year Ago: Sundays in My City (would you believe Johnny was the star in this one too?)

Johnny's Adventure in Town, Part Two

When we left off yesterday, Johnny had won his first ever grocery-store battle and was a happy little boy.

As they left the grocery store loaded down with shopping bags, there was the regular, large group of ne’er do wells gathered outside. Young men that have nothing really to do, stand outside the grocery store selling plastic bags which are better quality than the store issued bags. Since each bag sells for only a couple pennies, and there are at least a dozen boys gathered outside, it’s a hard life. Their big hope is to be hired for a small one-time job which could earn them a dollar or two.

Because these boys have so much time on their hands, and they are nearly all abusing alcohol and drugs, small squabbles and fights are common. Most of the time, it’s nothing more than some minor pushing and shoving but it always draws a crowd and gets rowdy.

Of course, as Tom and Johnny exited the store, one such fight was going on. Johnny got very upset and began yelling, “Hey, you! Stop that right now! Fighting is not good!” Everyone in the crowd was so shocked to hear a child speaking up in such a manner, the fight stopped. Johnny left feeling good about having done something toward good and  justice in the world.

Later on, another fight broke out in a different parking lot, and even though it was taking place about 100 feet away, Johnny didn’t let that stop him, “Hey, you! Fighting is not good”!

Something else that made a big impact on him was mannequins. When he got home and told me about his day, he made sure to tell me about ‘the mannequins which are statues in the window so that people will buy clothes’. “They only have legs. Their arms are broken”.  He absorbs so much information of what you tell him.

Public toilets were also a big deal with all the new rules:  We have a septic system and need to use wastebaskets, but in public it’s OK to put tissue in the toilet bowl for instance. When Timmy helped him wash his hands, they noticed that the sink was broken and the tap couldn’t turn off, so Johnny dove under the sink and turned off the main valve.

He was also very polite to everyone they came in contact with and shouted a ‘Thank you, Mr. Policeman’ at every checkpoint when the barrier was opened.

I’d say his first venture into town was a roaring success. I can’t wait to see how some of the other kids handle it.

Johnny's Adventure in Town

So, today we had only a few hours of electricity and those hours were not all at the same time.

On top of that, I have a dreadful cold. It started yesterday and is progressing very quickly. That may be a good thing, but at the moment all I know is it hurts to breathe.

Lest this stop being Amy’s Assorted Adventures, and more Amy’s Assorted Angst I will now share another story in the Oh, Johnny series.

Today is our usual shopping day. Obviously I was in no condition to go (tiny whine there), so Timmy accompanied Tom and we decided that Johnny should go as well. As I wrote recently in a post, most of our kids have never left our tiny village and hardly even venture much out of our large property. We want to begin showing the kids a ‘whole new world’.

Johnny got up bright and early—all dressed up in the “new pants that Mommy gave me”, and an aura of excitement shimmering from him.

As soon as they began driving, his eyes were wide open and he chattered up a storm.

First, they saw an ant hill.

“What is that, Timmy?”

“That is an ant hill. Termites live in them”.

Right after this, they drove down a stretch of road where there were anthills every few feet.

For about ten minutes it was non-stop: “There’s another one! And another one! And another one!” Timmy said it was like the dog from Dr. Doolittle in the car, “Line…..line….line….line”

Then they hit pot holes! When our Landcruiser goes through potholes it sounds like the car is going to fall to pieces. Every screw and bolt shakes, rattles and rolls. 

“What was that?!?”

“That was a pothole.”

“I don’t like that noise!” 

Of course that didn’t magically make the road smooth, and every time they hit a pot hole Johnny complained, “I don’t like that sound”!

Timmy asked him to just sleep. “But, I’m not tired!”

So, Timmy did the next best thing and went to sleep himself.

Finally they reached Mansa. The potholes and termites were done for the moment but the chatter continued unabated.

**********

At one of their first stops at a hardware store, Johnny noticed trash piled up in the road.

"Why is that trash there? Why isn’t anyone cleaning it up"?

Tom explained that no one wants to do it. 

So, what does little Johnny do? He hails a passing stranger—“Can you clean up the trash?”

When the man just walked on by, Johnny turned to Tom with a completely disappointed look, “He didn’t do it”. 

“I know”, replied Tom, “he’s selfish”.

“Well, then tell the police to make the selfish people clean up the trash”.

***********

After this they went to the grocery store. Here he behaved very well, or at least like a normal kid. He helped load things into the cart—even things we didn’t need--and everything went smoothly.

To make the day more special, Tom took Johnny to the toy aisle and (perhaps foolishly) told him he could have anything he liked. Johnny looked around and almost immediately spotted….a bow and arrow!

Tom tried his best to dissuade him—what about a set of marbles? (No thank you. A bow and arrow) a new truck? (no, just a bow and arrow) a nice set of army men? (no, I’d like the bow and arrow) And so, that’s what he walked out with.

Tune in tomorrow for part two of Johnny's Adventure in Town.

You won't believe what he did next!

Exactly One Year Ago: Fab Friday Foto (aka Everything is Not as It Seems)

Also, Exactly One Year Ago: Your Questions Answered