Adding a Character to our Cast

I hate to postpone the story of our New Year's Eve. More than one of you took me to task over leaving you all with a cliffhanger, but I have to first introduce you to someone who plays a big part in the adventure. 

Meet Chewbacca! Or Chewy as we tend to call him, which applies particularly well to him at this stage in his life.

For quite some time now I've wanted a little dog that can stay indoors with us and provide an extra level of protection. Not that things are terribly dangerous here, but it's comforting to have a little doggy to bark at things that don't belong. 

(I could have used him one night not too long ago when something unpleasant invaded my bedroom--but that story too will have to wait)

Chewbacca is half Jack Russell Terrier and half something unknown--maybe Staffordshire Terrier--but perhaps just mutt. This makes for an interesting little body. His front paws are much larger than his back ones. Kinda like the puppy version of a mullet: All business in the front and a party in the back. When he runs he's quite lopsided.

Jack Russells are supposed to be good at hunting snakes and you can imagine how happy that makes me. He has also been good with the kids and is playful enough to entertain them, while small enough not to intimidate.

It's been a new experience to deal with a puppy who needs to be house trained and looked after all the time and given plenty of attention. This is also the first time ever that I've allowed a dog to sleep on my bed. I would like to teach him how to sleep in his own little bed in our bedroom though. Any ideas on how to do that??

This little sweet pea is a great addition to our large family. And, he's already begun participating in our adventures. Stay tuned.....

(Almost) Exactly Three Years Ago: The Other Side of Christmas Week

Exactly Three Years Ago: The Other Side of Christmas Week part two

Exactly Five Years Ago: Christmas Candy Toss

New Beginnings

Sunset at Terra Nova

The New Year is the perfect time to make a fresh start on so many things. I've missed writing in this little corner of the interwebs and I fear that my neglect has left it quite dusty. I'm pulling out my duster, my broom, and my keyboard to set things right.

You should see some changes over the next few weeks. My son has offered to update the header graphic. Hooray! And I'm going to play around with the layout and side bars. I know it's been ages since you've poked around my space, but if you have a moment, please stop by and see if there are elements you love and some you think could disappear with no one missing out. 

I'd love to have larger pictures and more of the stories that I enjoy writing and trust you enjoy reading.

The purpose of this space is to introduce you to our part of the world, and the beautiful children that share it with us. I'm going to be doing some remodeling and restructuring so this is accurately reflected on these pages. 

This is hereby my commitment: I am going to be publishing 3 times a week minimum with perhaps a Photo of the Week thrown in there. I already have a few articles in the pipeline (including how we spent our New Year's Eve--spoiler alert: adrenalin flowed and we were glad to be alive) and look forward to getting back into the groove of writing.

I've missed all of you!

Happy New Year and God's richest Blessings on All your Adventures this year!

Your Brain on Naps

One day, while in the U.S this past spring, I had a challenging morning. We met with an accountant to get some advice about how best to to continue our bookkeeping. It went really well, and I loved Dara, but the stress of looking over our records left me exhausted and with a killer backache.

I decided to rest for a little while. Just before I did that though, I wanted to find my iPhone. I looked all over and couldn't find it. I was a little worried. Since it didn't work as a phone while in the States I couldn't call it to find it by the ringing. Like Scarlett, I decided to 'think about that later'.

I lay down with a book and it wasn't long before I began to doze off.

Napping is a wonderful thing. Did you know that Thomas Edison got very little sleep at night, but he kept himself energized by taking power naps? And he wasn't alone. Many famous people used this strategy.

After attending my sister's wedding in Dallas last April, we drove back to Houston the long way so Timmy could see his girlfriend and Tom could meet her for the first time. Tom was exhausted from the wedding so I did the majority of the driving. At one point I was so tired I couldn't see straight any more so I pulled into a gas station, set my timer for 15 minutes and fell asleep. When my timer went off I pulled back onto the road completely refreshed. Power naps are amazing!

Anyway, when I lay down that particular spring day in Houston I read for a few minutes and then fell asleep. When I relaxed enough into the nap that I couldn't hold onto the book anymore it fell from my hand and hit the floor noisily waking me up. In that exact moment I knew where my phone was! The truly amazing thing was, I actually woke up and saw in my mind's eye where my phone was as the book was falling, which upon hiting the floor made the noise which woke me which causes all sorts of confusion about what came first, the chicken or the egg, the noise or the waking, etc. Since I'm not a Time Lord I will leave that one be....

Last month Tom misplaced a bag full of notebooks. He was distressed about it because he'd promised to pass them out to the police officers during the Mutomboko Ceremony. If he couldn't find them he'd be terribly embarrassed. We all pitched in to help find them. However, they were nowhere to be found. I encouraged Tom to stop thinking about it and just go to sleep. We'd check with the kids in the morning to see if they had seen the bag when helping to unload the car. Otherwise, there was really nothing we could do.

A few minutes after Tom fell asleep he woke up again, walked into the office, picked up a flashlight, and walked straight to the top shelf of his clothes closet and pushed aside some shirts to reveal the bag of notebooks.

He still has no memory of placing them there.

It seems that in order for our subconscious mind to work efficiently, we need to get the conscious mind out of the way.

I feel there is a metaphor there someplace…….

Have you had any Amazing Brain episodes? Tell me about them!

Ebola Epidemic News

I'm in Lusaka right now with my main computer, which despite being practically brand new, has chosen to not turn on or boot up at all. While it's being repaired I'm running errands and getting a few Lusaka jobs done. I'm using a mini-computer to try and do some writing as well.

I've received a few anxious inquiries from people who have heard of the Ebola Outbreak and want to know if we are at risk here in Zambia. Since I'm without my good internet connection and big computer I'm going to borrow the image from one of the local organizations that wrote a blog post showing a map of Africa and where the outbreak is in relation to Zambia. Go take a look. 

As you can see from the map in the post above, we are not at risk at this time. 

We are in prayer for those who are affected, especially the aid workers who are laying down their lives to help others in West Africa.

In the meantime we are keeping a close eye on the progression of the disease and preparing.

If, God forbid, Ebola should reach Zambia Tom and I have discussed contingency plans. We would close our doors and ask those caring for the children to remain at the orphanage until the danger has passed. Tom and I would take care of gathering food and supplies--taking all necessary precautions. While it is a very deadly virus, it is not airborne and so can be contained using basic safety measures. We have gloves and masks we can use.

Generally we try to keep at least one month's supply of food in the pantry, plus we have goats and ducks to use for meat so we will be able to get along for quite some time. 

Discussing these plans can seem a bit morbid at times, but we believe it is good to be prepared for all possibilities. 

Thank you for your continued prayers as we care for God's children here in Zambia. Also, be in prayer for all who are affected by the Ebola virus. 

(Almost) Exactly One Year Ago: Once Upon A Time
(Almost) Exactly Two Years Ago: A Day Through the Eyes of Twitter

How to be the Best Volunteer

This is part two of my Volunteer Posts for this National Volunteer Week. 

You can read Part One here

We have had a fairly steady stream of volunteers ever since opening the orphanage and we love it! So do the children. Volunteers, as most organizations will tell you, are amazing! They come in full of energy and tackle big projects and add extra life blood to a work.

Though we've had mostly good experiences, I'd like to share with you some pointers on how to be a good volunteer:

Respect the daily workers. You are there as a volunteer for a very short time. Those working at the organization day in and day out will be there long after you have blown through for a month or two or three. Respect their time and decisions.

Be honest. One of the most frustrating things as a coordinator is having a volunteer say they are willing to do 'anything' but then watch them flounder and drag. It's great to challenge yourself and try new things, but please be realistic. It may be better for you to do something else that you really enjoy rather than only doing the other thing halfway.

  The best time to share your ideas and talents is before coming out so programs can be lined up. However, if you get to your project and it is making you miserable, speak up. Chances are those around you can tell you're unhappy. Just be honest and see how best to move forward.

  Additionally, if you are planning on using part of your in-country time for sightseeing and vacationing, please be upfront about that before arriving. Many times organizations will take advantage of volunteer help to allow paid staff their required time off. They might have planned programs that last a certain length of time. If volunteers cut their time short it can create a scheduling problem.

Remember you are representing the organization to the public. Even if you pursue your own projects, it is because of the 'parent' organization that you can do that. Be sure to help build the positive image of the work already started.

Of course it goes without saying that you should not do anything to reflect badly on the organization. Don't do anything that will offend or cause confusion in the local culture.

In the same vein but from a different angle: please work with your host organization in how to best share what you have with the community. What to you might outwardly look to be simple sharing of food, clothing or toys with a small child can cause attitudes of entitlement and turn into months of begging to other volunteers and/or organization staff.

Be a good steward of your own and the project's resources. Organizations working in developing nations often struggle to get the most basic of supplies. Water, electricity, internet and gas are not easily obtained and so should be given the proper respect. 

Take shorter showers than you would normally take. 

Keep your items put away and tidy. Just a few items left around can cause a clutter issue when many volunteers are working together, and also can create a temptation for local staff members. 

Save those cute cat videos for when you get home. Skype with your family, but keep it short to save bandwidth

In the same vein, it can be difficult to provide meals for volunteers when there is limited access to grocery stores and ingredients. Show gratefulness for what is provided and don't make thoughtless comments about the quality of the food. If you have allergies or food difficulties, do all you can to make life easier for your host organization by bringing your own additives or extras.

Treat the volunteer job like any other job. Find out clearly what hours you are expected to work and stick to a schedule. Be honest with your coordinator about what their expectations are. If you have suggestions feel free to bring them up, but try to stick to a good work schedule so that projects can be completed.

Respect the wisdom of those who have been there longest. They may not be perfect, in fact there's a great chance they're quite imperfect, but they have stood the test of time, and are getting the job done. Keep an open mind and figure out what you're there to learn even if you don't agree with everything. 

Remember, there is no such thing as a dumb question. Ask away! You may have read books about third world development, you may have even participated in projects in other developing nations, but each situation is vastly different. Ask questions about everything and you'll be amazed at what you can learn.

Make an effort to get along with the other volunteers. It's not always easy to live and work closely with a bunch of relative strangers while also battling culture shock and homesickness, but it is imperative for the success of the project that you try. Take part in any team building exercises and recreation that is organized. Reach out and create bonds. You might form relationships that will last a lifetime.

If you have suggestions for how the organization can operate better or improvements that can be made feel free to bring them up, but remember that while you are helping out for a time, others are there full time and will need to work with changes all the time. An organization filled with volunteers over the summer looks very different the other nine months of the year and therefore certain things may be in place with those months in mind.

We really do appreciate the many, many volunteers that set out to help change the world. They find that they are the ones who are mostly changed, and that is an excellent thing. 

Please feel free to share this article with anyone you know who is ready to volunteer. 

All photos courtesy of Thomas Morrow. Just a few peeks into the world around us here in Kazembe. Come out and see! Click over to Kazembe Orphangage to find out how.

Volunteering is Grrreaaat!

There are also great joys in hosting volunteers.

This week is National Volunteering Week and I have two posts about volunteers. 

We've been receiving volunteers here in Kazembe since 2006. Our first volunteer came out in 2004 before we even imagined we'd open an orphanage. She worked with me in training teachers at the Community School--Flying Angels--which was our first project in Zambia. She then became one of my very best friends. Since 2006 when we began construction on the orphanage we've had more volunteers than I can count right now from many different countries. We've had volunteers from Australia, Northern Ireland, Ukraine/Russia, Switzerland, Germany England, the United States, Canada, and more! 

Click over to our volunteering page to see some of their lovely faces (scroll down to the bottom). 

We love having volunteers come work with us here at Kazembe Orphanage. There are so many reasons, but I'll highlight a few here.

Volunteers bring fresh energy to a project.

There's nothing like a volunteer fresh out of college, brimming over with enthusiasm to bring energy and excitement to a project. Regular, mundane jobs are transformed into FUN!

Volunteers bring fresh eyes to a project.

To a volunteer everything is new--new culture, new people, new climate, new views, new food. And sometimes it is good and refreshing to see the place we live and work through someone else's eyes. Watching a volunteer discover Zambia for the first time reminds me of when I saw more of the things around me and less of the work. It gives me a chance to reevaluate my priorities and my outlook.

Volunteers bring helping hands.
This kinda goes without saying. That's what volunteers are supposed to do, of course. But, you'd be surprised how many times a volunteer has come in just in the nick of time (having planned a trip months in advance) because God knew we'd need them there right then. At this moment, because we have volunteers, I know the sick babies and toddlers are being checked on even though I'm stuck in the office.

 Volunteers fill a need

Whether it's teaching, or building, or playing with a troubled child, or simply holding a sick baby, volunteers help us to do more than we could alone. 

Volunteers help us reach the community

Like the points above, without volunteers working alongside us, we couldn't have the impact in the community that we'd like. Volunteers spend time with our staff members, or other organizations in the community, or mothers at the clinic, and this all expands our reach and makes our project more successful.

Volunteers create awareness

Once a volunteer has been here and seen the work being done with their own eyes, seen the malnourished, neglected and deprived children, and then seen them transform in the care of Kazembe Orphanage, they can't help but spread the word back home about the needs and the vision. They become Ambassadors that people take seriously because they have been there.

Our kids love volunteers

Our kids have such an extended family spread around the world of 'aunties' and 'uncles' who have spent time with them, played with them, or just sat and listened. They are more well-developed, confident, and compassionate for having been so well loved.

If you'd like to volunteer, click over to our volunteer page or email us for more information!

Three Cheers for all our Wonderful Volunteers!

Extra Reading:

Great article about volunteering. Really good website overall.

Exactly One Year Ago: Visitors and Parties (speaking of volunteers)
Exactly Three Years Ago: Shopping Trips 
Exactly Four Years Ago: Little Bit of This, Little Bit of That

Fooled

Two posts two days in a row. The shock may just knock a few people off balance.

This story I'm going to tell didn't happen today, but it seemed appropriate--given the date and all.

A few weeks ago while in Mansa I was packing up our hotel room after the overnight stay. They had given us a full bar of soap and it just seemed wasteful to have it thrown out after only a couple uses.. It was wet and a bit sticky so I tossed it into an empty potato chip bag and packed it in my suitcase.

I didn't give it another thought until the next day when Peter wandered into our office and began going through my things. It wasn't long until he discovered the bag of 'chips'. 

I heard him chattering about it and knew it wouldn't be long until he asked if he could have some.

Sure enough:

"Mommy, can I have some food?"

"Why don't you look inside first?"

"Oh, wow!"

"Take a smell first before you take a bite."

His look says it all. 

How could something so pretty, smell not so good to eat.

It was the perfect April Fools' Day joke--even if it did take place in February.

These photos were recreations of the event. I think Peter has a future in acting. What do you think?

Exactly Three Years Ago: What's in a Name?
Exactly Two Years Ago: I'm Going Slightly Mad