Cameron

As we wind down our trip (and this blog) on our last evening in Zambia I wanted to dedicate this post to my son Cameron who has lived this adventure with me.

I used to say that skiing/boarding was the perfect family activity because you have your children captive audience for parent-child interaction for a whole 10 minutes up the chair. I now realize that that is a far distant second to a one month mission trip with your son. What an amazing experience it has been sharing this trip with Cameron! It was great sharing with him in the medical end of things – to show him my world (with a Zambian flavor of course). I love teaching and so being able to share medical knowledge and experience with my son has been tremendous. To see him go from someone who got lightheaded at the sight of blood to someone who was drawing blood numerous times in the lab, and doing a thoracentecis (draining fluid through the chest wall) was exhilarating for his physician Dad, as is his interest in a medical career as a possible path for himself.

It was also great just living life together for the month. Life is fairly slow on the mission field and we often found ourselves in the evenings sitting together (talking, reading, playing DS or watching The Office season 2). We had times of reading the word together and praying for each other. We shared a lot of laughs together and some real adventure (hiking around Mukinge, sharing the wonder of the safari, flipping a boat white water rafting down a level 5 rapid on the Zambezi). Watching him develop a friendship with Humphrey (clerk at the hospital) and patiently teach him some guitar was also very cool. Overall, it was neat to get to know each other at a deeper level. It has reaffirmed my pride in, and love for, Cameron – he is an intelligent, sensitive, good natured guy with a great, fun personality – it is exciting to be not only his father but also his friend and confidant (hopefully he also feels that I qualify for that designation).

I would highly recommend a similar adventure for anyone - beats the chairlift hands down!

Risk

Touching a leper, being within coughing distance of someone with presumed TB, drawing blood or doing an LP on a known HIV carrier, traveling the roads in Zambia, walking in snake territory at night – all of these are risks that we have encountered here that we would not ordinarily face in Langley.

Just one week ago, the missionary couple next door to us was subjected to a home invasion and was held with their 3 young children at gunpoint (AK 47) while all their cash and their vehicle was stolen. Thankfully, no one was hurt and they seem to have been spared major psychological trauma.

When Marguerite and I were here 20 years ago we heard stories (some of which we saw first hand) of hardships that the missionaries had undergone for their commitment to their calling. One physician had lost wife and child to illness (cerebral malaria and another illness), 1 couple had lost their 16-year-old son to a crocodile attack. While we were here an American missionary teacher lost his life in a car accident and his wife sustained a spinal cord injury. He left 3 small children behind.

One may argue that similar things can happen in Canada and I would grant you that, but the fact remains that there are many more health and safety perils here than in our part of the world. To say nothing of the “risk” as a missionary of loss of prestige, career advancement, financial security and the like.

Why would people expose themselves to such risk? We live in a world of risk management where one is always trying to minimize potential harm to self and loved ones. To go to Africa with your family seems, on the surface, to be naive at best and foolhardy at worst.

What I have found almost universally about the missionaries I have encountered is a holy recklessness and disregard for self that is motivated by a higher calling – that of pouring out their lives to meet the physical and spiritual needs of the poor and less privileged. They take as their model our missionary God, who, saw us in our poverty and depravity and entered a foreign and unwelcoming world and dimension, our world/human history, to live and die for those in need. They take as their mantras the apparent recklessness of scripture – the calling to be “living sacrifices” and to “find one’s life by losing it”.

It is only by having a clear sense of God’s calling to such a life, and only by clear trust in his ability to ultimately take care of us no matter what happens, that such a self sacrificing lifestyle can be considered. While we are to do all that we can to protect ourselves and our family from adverse outcomes, we also need to realize that our lives and health are in the hands of one much more powerful than us and one that cares for us more deeply than we can imagine. True joy and security comes not in safe roads, or powerful medicine or the size of our RRSP but in being in the center of God’s will. It is only with that knowledge that I can set foot outside my door in the morning whether it is here at Mukinge or at home.

We are not promised a carefree, stress free, danger free life as Christians. In fact, we are assure that ”in the world you will have troubles” but we are also assured of Jesus’ ongoing presence with us and our ultimate hope of eternal life – indeed in this sense, Jesus has overcome the world.

Alarmed!

Woke up at what I thought was 6:05 this am and couldn’t figure out why my alarm hadn’t gone off since I had set it for 6:00 am to ensure I had enough time to get ready for my 6:15 run. The reason I thought it was 6:05 was because that is what my watch said. Had my pre-run visit to the washroom and glass of water and got my gear on hurriedly, and, as I was stepping out the door, looked up at the kitchen clock – 3:10 am !!!!!

I have one of those cool Timex watches that has the ability to have 2 times at once – I have one set to Langley time and somehow it got switched to this – so got up at 6:05 pm pst (or 3:05 am Zambian time).

I was wondering why it was so dark out! It was kind of nice to know that I had another 3 hours to sleep before my run!

Longing

(Written Aug 20 before our internet went out for 4 days!)

I was out for another run with David Friend this morning, as is my practice here – around Mukinge hill at 6:15. We stopped to watch the sun break over the African horizon at 6:31 - a majestic orange/red orb at first tentatively peaking and then, over 2-3 minutes, breaking completely free of its terrestrial tethering. What a sight! Well worth getting up early for. It’s hard not to erupt in praise for my Creator as I stand in awe of his wonderful creation.

I had another good time of reflection after the run as I tried to catch my breath and reclaim my resting heart rate. I usually have some good time in prayer as I wander around the yard listening to the songbirds and the occasional rooster’s impudent crow (no scene is perfect!). I was thinking about how much I appreciate my wife and family and how absence truly does make the heart grow fonder. I didn’t know it was possible to miss someone so much. It seems that speaking with Marguerite on skype, while wonderful, only intensifies the longing to be in her presence again – a deep, visceral longing like an ache in the depth of my being. I love just looking at her. When I see her beautiful face on skype and hear her voice, I want to reach out and hug her only to realize that she is thousands of miles (and 9 days 14 hours 36 minutes and 17 seconds) away. Skype truly is an imperfect way to carry out a relationship (have you ever tried kissing an isight webcam? - I have).

In the midst of these thoughts this morning, God, clear as day, planted this thought in my brain – “Your relationship with me is like skype”. The light went on for me. I am often frustrated with my relationship with God – the imperfect communication in prayer and bible study. I have sometimes expressed my frustration to God in these terms: “why did you set up this weird situation where you communicate through a book and I talk to the sky and often feel like my words are going nowhere?” My relationship is like skyping with my Heavenly Father – somewhat removed, with all sorts of interference and miscommunication, fuzziness and sometimes garbledness. I long for the day when the Son will break through, erupt though the horizon of this transient existence and I will see him face to face – when I will sit on the knee of my Heavenly Abba (“Daddy”) Father and give him a big hug, basking in his presence. Telling him face to face how much I love him and fully receiving his love in return. Face to face!

I think God uses the marriage relationship in scripture for a good reason as a picture of our relationship with him as his church – his people. Just as I intensely, achingly long for the day when I will see my loved one, Marguerite face to face and be reunited with her in every sense of the word; and just as I am completely frustrated with our current skype relationship, so it should be with my relationship with God – a frustration with the current state of affairs and a deep longing for more – more here and now, but ultimately, the culmination of the more “on the other side”.

___________________

As a deer pants for flowing streams so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before my God? (David in Psalm 42:1-2)

…but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away….For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. (Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:10,12)

So we do not lose heart….. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. For we know that if the tent which is our earthly home, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling. For while we are still in this tent we groan, being burdened – not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. (Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:4)

Communication 2009 Style

One of the wonderful things about technological advances since we were here 20 yrs ago is access to the Internet now at Mukinge – wireless even! When we were here in ‘88-89, Marguerite and I only had the postal service (as in mail….. as in writing on paper with pen, putting it in an envelope and sending it off ) at our disposal to communicate with loved ones back home. The problem was that while we were here from October to January, we really needed to send off all our correspondence within the first month or so if we had any hope of hearing back from home. Then there was the phenomenon of so-called letters “crossing in the mail” where the communication would be muddled by a not so straightforward give and take exchange.

So, the Internet is great but it too has a few issues. First of all, the upload time here leaves a little to be desired. Opening websites is reminiscent of dial up connection days (click on the address and go cook supper). This varies from day to day and with the time of day in a seemingly random pattern. My family back home and I have found though that the best time to skype is at 7 am my time (10 pm in Langley). Even then the images are 1 frame per 5 seconds and often look like the identity of the person you are conversing with is being protected. Voices sometimes sound like that little blue creature Stitch – electronisized – which makes for an interesting conversation.

Then there is the issue of the delay in transmission. This makes communicating fun especially when “chatting”. A message posted can take from 5-10 seconds to minutes to arrive and often one is responding to something the other person posted several lines back – talk about things “crossing in the mail”.

I also find saying goodbye while chatting difficult. Being relatively new to this all, I’m not sure of the proper etiquette. When ready to sign off I might say – “gotta go, bye” but it seems so abrupt to just close the program – sort of like hanging up without hearing the other person say goodbye. A message like “bye, love you” might come back. Then I feel obligated to raise the ante – “Love you too and miss you a lot”. Then “bff” might come back and….well… you get the picture.

I don’t know if any of you have tried praying over skype. I was having a conversation with my pastor Darren back home (using audio only, not video) about some church business and I felt that it would be the elderly/pastorly thing to do to close off with an internet/skype audio prayer. I went first and was really getting going and, I was, I must say, getting to the best part of my prayer. I was not being thrown off by the delays in “amen”s from Darren (that seemed to me to be coming at most inappropriate inopportune times due to the 5 second delay) but I just kept plowing ahead in my spiritual missionary status fervor. I was in the midst, in fact, of doing something very impressive - quoting a passage of scripture from 2 Chronicles while praying! – something that usually is only done by those of us that are highly spiritual. I was feeling quite impressed with myself when all of a sudden, in the midst of the biblical quote, I heard Darren starting in to his prayer. For some reason he couldn’t hear my prayer (either that or he wasn’t as impressed with my prayer as I was). I had been cut off! In reflecting on it, however, I think God shut the audio off as my “prayer pride” was mounting, in order to take me down at least a notch or 2. I had a good chuckle knowing that God can use defective technology to serve his purposes.

20 Dollars US Currency

"But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you"

(Jesus quoted in Matthew 6:3-4)

More on the church service yesterday - Cameron and I were the only "people of pallor" there amongst 100+ people. We were quite the item of interest for the preschool kids. One of the things that they do in their service when they are taking the offering is, they all go forward to the altar one by one during a song and place their money in the bucket, returning to their seat. Since I had forgotten my wallet it was left to Cameron to make a donation. He made a generous donation of $20 US dollars. At the end of the service the treasurer got up to make announcements, part of it being to give an up to date report about the financial situation including the giving for the day. There was a several minute report of which I could only understand a few words like "156,000 kwacha" which I assume was the giving for the day (about $30). Punctuated several times amongst the report was the phrase "20 dollars US currency". It seemed it was clear to all just how much this tall blond Canadian had placed in the bucket. I leaned over and whispered in Cameron's ear "I guess you won't be getting any reward in heaven for that one!"

A Bit of Heaven

Last week Humphrey, a 28-year-old Zambian who works as a clerk in OPD (outpatients) and often translates for us, invited us to his church on Sunday. I quickly agreed. As the week drew to a close I was trying to get details. It was a little unclear what time exactly we were expected and where exactly his church was located – “the main service is at 1015 but Sunday school is at 8 and I usually go at 9”….”it is down the path by the Hard Lucky shop”. We ended up texting each other Sunday morning at 8:30 not really knowing what we had signed up for. It felt like a bit of a scavenger hunt but we eventually met up with him and he guided us for the 20-minute walk through the woods on a small path to his village church arriving at 9 am.

It seems these churches all had the same designer – they are basically 1 room, 30x60 ft, open raftered, metal-sheeting roofed boxes with a podium at the front, “choir seats” facing each other on either side at the front (takes up half the seating) and the rest of the seating is oriented toward the front in 3 sections with 2 aisles. The seats are wood benches, not exactly the most comfortable.

When we arrived, there were only 2 other people there and it became clear that we were to sit in on a private showing of a choir rehearsal before the main service. Humphrey is involved in one of the choirs (there are 5 in this church of 100-150 people!) and plays guitar for worship – (that’s why he arrives early). What a treat, though, to sit in on this rehearsal! One thing I love about Zambia is the music – specifically the singing (their other instruments are not a strong point). Wonderful rich full harmonies and rhythms. I was in heaven (other than the sore butt from the hard bench which I’m sure will not be part of the heavenly package).

During the actual service, we were treated to another 4 choirs and some wonderful congregational singing. Singing is such a part of their lives here. It is rare to hear a bad vocal note hit. You often hear people singing as you pass them on the path or road. Humphrey tells me that each of the choirs in his church practices 3 times a week.

After church we went to Humphrey's village nearby and had lunch (eaten with fingers only) of nshima and salted fish and kale in his small house. His wife Joyce served us but did not eat with us. He proudly talked about his house which he built himself out of bricks (self manufactured) and a thatched roof. He has a solar panel which is on the blink right now so they have no electricity, which must be a challenge (no lights in a place where the sun goes down at 6 pm, no fridge). He introduced us to his parents who live in an adjacent house and to 2 of his 6 siblings (average sized family by Zambian standards). All in all a very enjoyable day. It was wonderful to partake in some real Zambian life. They were incredibly gracious and pleased to have us at their house. I felt incredibly honored.