Oh Me of Little Faith...

There is no surprise more magical than the surprise of being loved. It is God's finger on man's shoulder. --Charles Morgan

I met "Andrew" at an orphanage few months ago.  He crawled over to me and greeted me with a huge grin.  Then he climbed into my lap.

As I held him I thought, "Poor little guy. No one will ever adopt him."

You see, despite being affectionate, curious, and cute-as-a-button, he had three strikes against him.

1) He was not a baby.
2) He couldn't walk.
3) He had water on his brain. (Hydrocephalus)

This is the SECOND time in Zambia that I've declared a child un-adoptable.  (The first time was here in this post.)  And this is the SECOND time that I was wrong.

Enter Ben and Laura.  This couple started on the adoption journey when they arrived in Lusaka, but just as soon as a door would open, it would slam shut again.  The orphanages are bursting at the seams with babies, but very few are available for adoption.

While they waited for a child, Ben and Laura jumped into African life.  They worked.  They volunteered.  And they hung out with a bunch of oddballs parenting kids with special needs.

See?  Case in point!

Another one...

And another

Oliver is not amused by these shenanigans

I'm convinced that our insanity rubbed off on them.  They caught our "bug".  But Ben and Laura claim that God had something to do with their decision.

"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves; ensure justice for those being crushed.  Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice." Proverbs 31:8-9

Ben and Laura brought Andrew home over a week ago.  Now they are living the vida loca together, a whirlwind of giggles and tears mixed with lots of love.  Sounds like a perfect family to me.

Please forgive me Andrew for declaring your situation to be hopeless.

I really gotta quit doing that.

Chipolopolo Mojo

In February Zambia won the Africa Cup of Nations.  The country exploded in celebration when the Copper Bullets scored the final goal, because nobody thought they had a fighting chance.

It was a poignant victory, because it took place a short distance from the site of the1993 plane crash that killed 18 Zambian soccer players en route to the World Cup Qualifier against Senegal.  

Chipolopolo Team!

Chipolopolo Head Coach Herve Renard remained poised in his designer shirt throughout the entire game and has since become quite the superstar in Lusaka.  He advertises laundry detergent and cell phones on at least a dozen billboards in the city.  It's a good thing he's photogenic, because these are the gigs that are paying his bills.  The government has neglected to compensate him for the past six months, and Mr. Renard threatened to resign at the end of June if this nonsense continues.

Mr. Renard recently paid a visit to the French School, because he is a good French man.  My kids were ecstatic to meet a celebrity and beamed when they showed me his autograph.

We are never washing our hands, mom!

A Lamb is Slain

***Warning:  Graphic***

"Understand, when you eat meat, that something did die.  You have an obligation to value it--not just the sirloin but also all those wonderful tough little bits."--Anthony Bourdain

I believe that if you eat meat, you should be able to kill the animal yourself.  So far, with the exception of fish, I've remained a complete hypocrite.

A month ago I took a step toward my conviction, and watched my Mauritanian friend kill and dress a sheep.

It was a somber experience for both Eric and me.

But before we get to the gruesome murder scenes...I have to mention that this sheep didn't look like a sheep to me.  How can it be called a sheep if l can't knit a sweater from its wool?

So I embarked on a journey to educate myself.  And to my sheer (sorrry!) amazement I learned that there are wool sheep and hair sheep.  The latter being quite common here in Southern Africa.

The before photo.

The first cut

Blood draining into the hole

Waiting for all of the blood to drain

After butchering the animal, my friend tossed the liver and testicles on the hot grill for us to sample.

Somehow I'd lost my appetite, so I declined.

I did sample the BBQ'd lamb shish kabobs the following day.  And I had a new respect for each and every bite.

Malawi or Bust

"If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home."  --James Michener

I agree with James Michener, so I followed Stacy to her home.  "Come, I want you to be my friend," she said.  

Stacy and crew

She rolled out a mat and poured me a cup of tea.  Then she set down a bowl of small fish and bread and asked me to eat.  I sipped at the tea and ate one fish and prayed that my stomach wouldn't suffer any consequences.

Fried fish

Stacy wanted to be my children's nanny.  "Please take me back to Zambia with you.  All you have to do is get permission from my Chief, and then I can go.  It's no problem."

I explained that my government would not allow me to bring a 13-year old to my home, no matter what her Chief said.  This didn't make any sense to her.

It broke my heart that Stacy was desperate to leave one of the most beautiful places in the world:  Lake Malawi.

Cape Maclear

It's about a 14-hour drive from Lusaka.  That is, if you don't miss a crucial turn, because then it's an additional four hours.  Several times we ejected Isaac and made him run, much to the amusement of local goats.

Still not tired after a mile.

Buying carrots from roadside vendors

Fun Fact #1:  Lake Malawi is the 3rd largest lake in Africa.
Fun Fact #2:  It is the 8th largest lake in the world.

According to locals there are no crocodiles in this part of the lake.  Our guide book added that Lake Malawi crocs are shy.  It was a little unnerving to snorkel and wonder if I'd run into a rare "extroverted" crocodile...or hippo, for that matter.

Isaac chillin' after snorkeling

Wikipedia reports that Lake Malawi is home to more species of fish than any other freshwater lake IN THE WORLD.   

Translation:  The snorkeling is phenomenal.  (The fine print:  you'll probably get Bilharzia in a couple of weeks, so enjoy the experience!)

I'd like to give kudos to the "Mbuna" chichlids which are maternal mouthbrooders.  This means that the mama fish keeps the fertilized eggs and hatchlings in her mouth. 

Fish Drying in the Sun

Dugout Canoes

Scary white doll #1

The "Toilet Here" sign was 3 feet from this rock.

The kids made German friends who took them out in their boat.

Alex with braids

Eric's Favorite Place 

We took a hike along the lake and witnessed a turf war between troops of baboons.  Between screeching primates and my persistent ophidiophobia (fear of snakes), I nearly suffered adrenel overload.  

But my exotic critter anxiety was unfounded.  It was the Black Lab from our lodging that bit Isaac.   It was just a scratch, and the owner, thankfully, provided the rabies vaccination certificates. 

The night before we left, another woman, Emma, invited Alex and me to her home.

Walking to Emma's home

Emma cooking corn porridge for us

Emma's daughter with scary white doll #2

Emma prepared beans and "Sima", a corn porridge.  We ate together.

It was awkward.

You see, James Michener, I don't have any problem eating foods in other countries with other people from different religions.  That I enjoy.  But I'm finding that these meals and friendships often come with strings attached:  

Be my benefactor.  You drive a vehicle that costs more money than I will see in my lifetime.  Surely you can bankroll my life.  And my sister's life.  And my sister's friend's mother-in-law's life.

"African Friends and Money Matters" is an excellent book describing how Westerners and Africans

 view money very differently.  The only problem is that this book lacks a solution for my dilemma:

How do I be a generous friend and not just a "Sugar-Daddy"?  

I asked Eric on the LONG-DRIVE-HOME if he wonders if development organizations are making a difference here.

"Sure.  And I think we've made mistakes over the years.  But our choice is to give up and walk away or we can try to do things better.  Jesus says we're supposed to help the poor, so I'm committed to the latter, because I believe that things can improve."

Ah, my sweet husband who will discuss deep things with me.   

Then Isaac piped up from the back seat, "Hey, Mom!  Guess if I have a Doritos chip in my belly button or not."  Ah, my kids who make me laugh.

Life is good.  Complicated and messy, but good, I thought.

Little did I know that somewhere in my journey I'd picked up another amoeba in my belly and trouble was a-brewin'. 

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

"You know that most of the women in jail are probably there because they didn't sleep with their husbands."  --My friend Linda W.

Criminals incognito?

This may or may not be the photo that nearly got me thrown in jail.

Pictured are the tailors who sewed the sanitary napkins that we distributed at the jail for International Women's Day.  We wanted to take a group photo at the end of the occasion.

But here's the deal:  You aren't allowed to take photos in the prison.  Or in the parking lot.  We understood this and respected the rules.

That's why we snapped our photo OUTSIDE the parking lot.  A man, who I assume worked for the prison, ran over and confiscated the camera.

"You!  What do you think you are doing?  I'm calling the police and they will arrest all of you and throw you in jail for 15 years for taking photos of the prison!" he yelled.

"Sir," I said, "Look at the photo.  You can't see the prison."

"I can see the GATE!"  he said.

"Ok, I will delete the photos," I said.

"No," he said as he dangled the camera above his head. "THIS is evidence of your conspiracy."

My Zambian friends were amazing.  They apologized.  They explained.  For 20 minutes or so.

It was a cultural dance that I wasn't in the mood for.  I mean, we'd waited for two hours in the rain in order to distribute the pads, a pair of underwear, and a box of soap to 100 woman.  We'd raised nearly $1500 to do this. (Thanks to all of you who chipped in!)

Besides, I knew the guy had no case against us. Even if I did get arrested, I could get an attorney and get out lickety-split.  Heck, I could just get in my car and drive away.  Believe-you-me, if this was the  gratitude the jail was going to give me, then forget it.

I'd take my charity elsewhere.

Then it dawned on me.  The women who are locked up have to deal with this guy everyday.  And they have no rights; no money for an attorney; no voice.

I'm not saying everyone is innocent, but I am saying that there are women who haven't been charged with a crime*.  For some it's been over a year.


And it was touching when the woman sang in rich harmony as we handed out their gifts.   The female prison guards thanked us for "taking care of their children."

As it turned out, the angry man told me to delete the photos, which was tricky, because it it was not my camera.

My camera was hidden in my pocket, and it had duplicate photos of my friends and our adventure.

The man gave us back the camera and banned us from ever coming back.  

(I may or may not have come back the very next day with supplies for the babies.) 

* For more information read Human Right's Watch's report 

Camping on Crack

This is a lion next to our car.

Camping is simply daring nature to kill you.

I mean, what kind of a person pays to set up a nylon tent in the middle of Kafue National Park with her three children (and two Zambian tag-a-long teens)?

Seriously, we camped a few feet from a river filled with CROCODILES and HIPPOS, in a park where LIONS, LEOPARDS, and ELEPHANTS can wander through the campsite.  There are no fences, people.

Oh, and did I mention the snakes?  Let's see...Black mambas, cobras, green tree snakes, vipers, and puff adders also call this their home.

"Just make sure the kids always walk with an adult," the campground guide warned us.

I encouraged my kids to be on extra-good behavior, because "You never know how Mommy will react if a lion charges us.  She may choose self-preservation."

Photos By Krystel Porter

There is nothing quite like driving around the park looking for wildlife...and then finding lions.   Or watching an elephant flap his ears and trumpet a "It's time ya'll moved along."  Absolutely spectacular.

And it's true.  Much like camping in the States with bears and cougars, the animals usually don't bother humans.  The insects on the other hand...

A murdered Tsetse fly.  (He deserved to die)

The Tsetse flies invaded our car a few miles from the camp.  These awful little buggers bite and make you string together colorful cuss words.

Army Ants

....And let's be clear:  There is nothing funny about "ants in your pants."  A few of these little guys crawled up my leg upon our arrival.  Then they started biting.  Believe me, my pants were off as quick you can say "Robert is your father's brother."

There is nothing like camping in African wilderness with kids.  Eric left with a greater respect for nature, and I left with a new mantra:

Never again.

What Does Eric Do In Zambia?

Our Dad at Work!

Last week I sent my crack team of reporters to the field to document Eric's work for World Vision.

"Mom, I thought when we were going to the 'field', we'd be going to a green grassy place, not driving forever in the car to the middle of nowhere,"  Alex told me later.    

Yes, instead of manicured lawns, I dispatched my kids into the bush, which let's be honest,  looks quite lush and green compared to photos from August.  It's amazing what a lot of rain does to this place.

Zambia in August

Zambia in February

The journey down to Choma is around four hours by car. That's equals about three Ramona Quimby audio books. 

Greetings.

Mom: What did you do while dad was working?

Alex:  I took photos of the kids singing songs and showing me how to play games.  They had "London Bridges Falling Down", but with different words.  

Mom:  And how about you, Isaac?

Isaac:  I threw dirt at the goats with the other boys.

Mom:  Really?  Whose idea was this?

Isaac:  It was mine. 

To his credit,  they were going to throw mud at each other but realized that wouldn't be a great idea.   It's good to know my son has his limits.  Eric claims that he had something to do with that...

Don't worry: no kids were injured by my kids.

Isaac's highlight was picking up a baby goat.  "But Dad made me take a shower when we got back to the hotel," Isaac sighed.  Then he added, "Oh, and I saw a cobra on the trail."

Wait.  A What???

Eric nodded.  "Yeah, I had just asked the staff, 'Where are all of the snakes?  I never see any when I'm out here.'  One of the guys says, 'We just saw one a minute ago--Isaac saw it too--but we didn't make a big deal, because we didn't want Isaac to get all scared.'  Apparently it was about a meter long and as thick as a man's arm. It didn't want any trouble though."  Those are comforting words for a mother to hear...

Mom:  Ok, so Isaac what does dad do at his job?

Isaac:  He told some World Vision workers that he'd give them a medal if they could answer a question correctly.

Eric laughed and clarified.  "You know my World Vision 60th Anniversary brass medallion?  I gave it to someone to be "King/Queen for a Day" based on stellar performance from the day before.  Other people have to serve them tea and they get to be the meeting moderator."   Then he stage whispered, "It's actually more of a responsibility than a reward, but don't tell anyone."

Mom:  Alex, what do you think Dad does?

Alex:  He helps people get clean water by building wells.

Isaac:  Oh yeah!  Remember that yucky water hole?  The animals poop in there and the kids died from diseases like diarrhea.

Alex:  But then World Vision built a well where they could get clean water.

The former water hole

Alex demonstrating the new water pump.

Alex told me a story about the borehole.  "When I went with Isaac down to see the goats, I got stuck in the mud by the stream.  I started crying, because my feet were all muddy.  One of the women helped me.  She pumped some water from the well, took off my shoes, and washed my feet."

I love it that my kids got to see the work of World Vision, but they did a terrible job describing their father's job here.   I can't blame them though, because so have I.  This is my first blog about his work--after 11 months in the country.

In a nutshell Eric is here to innovate.   Sending reports and photos by snail mail is not only cumbersome, expensive and outdated, but it isn't taking advantage of the amazing technology our donors expect.  

Take one project for example: Eric went to Choma to test out the new software he helped design for smart phones.  World Vision's goal is capture and catalogue videos of projects and beneficiaries and Zap! that content to donors across the globe.

That way donors can see that their money is building wells that are changing lives.  And most importantly, there are families in Choma who are very grateful for the gift.

Granted, that's easier said than done.  More on that later.