Another Week...and I'm Alive and Well!

Would you believe it if I said I've been here for a month? Well, last Thursday marked the day that I have been here for an entire month. Hard to believe, isn't it? That means I've been gone from Canada for more than a month, almost five weeks (tomorrow will be five weeks). A lot has happened in that time, as I'm sure many of you know from reading the blog.

And yet, so much has to be done in the next couple of weeks. We have to finish ploughing the fields and get the maize planted along with the soya beans. To do this we need to get the tractor working again. Hopefully that will happen in the next couple of days. We also have to plant more vegetables in the garden. I know that to a lot of you, it seems pretty simple. Go to the store, buy some seed, plant the seed. Find out what's wrong with the tractor, get the parts fixed (or buy new ones), and fix the tractor. But unfortunately, things aren't that easy in Zambia. It seems to take a lot longer to get things done here than it does in Canada (which is exactly what David Shelley, Sarah Neff and Jeff Taylor told me before I came - so really it's no surprise). Things are moving ahead, slowly but at least they are moving.

On Thursday, I went to see the Immigration Office to get a temporary permit (so I can stay here legally). It was actually the last day I had before I would have been in the country illegally. I had gone before but they told me I needed to get some things (a letter, a bank certified cheque, etc.) and come back. So I went back with one of the Pastors from Northmead and we got through everything. It is a really good thing he was there though because I don't think I would have gotten things done if he wasn't. Everyone was really slow and the cashier's office was closing so he talked to the cashier and got him to wait five minutes for me. Thank you God!!

On a completely different note, this Monday is Zambian Independence Day. It is Zambia's 41 year of being an independent country. Prior to 1964, Zambia was a British Colony, which makes life here a lot easier than it could be. Everything is in English. In a way it is very neat but very odd. The English almost seems out of place at times.

Unfortunately, I don't have any new pictures today. I was going to bring some but the electricity was off this morning when I left to come here and I couldn't get them off my computer. So you will have to wait until another day!

Well, I hope everyone is enjoying life in other parts of the world. Oh I almost forgot some exciting news: the weather! I heard that it was cold in Canada the last week or so. It's not cold at all here. In fact, yesterday the temperature reached 96.8F or 36C!! It's not humid here, which is a great thing, and usually it is windy. But yesterday there was almost no wind, so it was hot!! Today is also supposed to be hot (95F I think).

Ok, now that's all for today. Have a wonderful week! And if you want a post card or letter please send me an e-mail with your postal address and I will gladly send a note.

Goodluck and Godspeed