Ode to...Claudia

I Love You

Return to Canada...already?

Believe it or not, two months from today I will be on my way back to Canada, to enjoy what's left of winter. It's hard to believe that my time here is coming to a close. I will be in Zambia until March 1, leaving me only 38 days to work on the farm. After that I get to see another similar project in Kenya and then visit Claudia for a couple of weeks and see where she is working. It means that I have been in Africa for four months. Now the question is, how many of you have missed me?!? Just kidding, you don't have to answer that.

As the end of my time here is fast approaching, I wanted to let everyone know that if they would like to send me mail, it would be smart to send it before the end of January. The mail system is only somewhat reliable here so to make sure it gets to me, I would suggest sending it before the end of January or at least by the end of the first week in February.

I'm sure the next month and a half in Zambia will be busy. There is always work to do in a garden and I will also want to make sure that when I leave it won't all fall apart.

Anyway, I think that is all for now. I hope everyone is having a great January and that it's not too cold! Send me an e-mail or message to let me know how you're doing! It's always great to hear from friends (and of course family).

Fresh Produce Anyone?

Here in Zambia, things are growing! When I returned from my vacation in South Africa, I returned to a garden where everything has grown (including the weeds). I have included some pictures to show everyone how it's going here. We have been selling lots of vegetables, although not as many as we probably could have but it's better than nothing. The maize and soybeans are also doing well. I think it should turn out to be a decent crop.

There are three pictures that I want to specifically point out. The first is a plate full of vegetables that were grown in my own personal garden: carrots, radishes and zucchini! I planted them before Christmas and they are at the point where I can start eating things (well other than the radishes, which were ready as soon as I got back so I ate them!)

The next picture is for Jeff, the intern from last year. I'm sure he will know exactly what it is but for the rest of you, it's a field of sunn hemp. I think we have finally convinced the workers at the project that growing sunn hemp (even though you can't sell it or make money from it) is a good thing. So, this is for you Jeff!

The last picture is a bunch of onions that have been harvested. They taste delicious and should bring in a nice little profit.

Hmmm, all this talk of food is making me hungry...

On another note, the African Cup of Nations begins this weekend. Zambia plays it's first game on Sunday at 17:15 local time (that's 10:15 for those in Ontario). People here are pretty excited about Zambia's chances. I'm sure it will be nice to watch some football.

Well, things to pray for include, solutions to the transportation issues at the farm (the bus and truck are both having problems), direction for the garden over the next couple of months and continued motivation for me to finish my work! God is great and I know that He is always with us.

Rethinking Evangelism

Well, I think it's about time I followed up the challenge I posted before Christmas, about telling someone about Jesus without using all the 'Christian' lingo. So, hmmm, I can't say how well I did (or even if I did) but I can tell you what many Christians today need to learn (or at least I need to learn). In the words of St. Fransis of Assisi:

"Preach the Gospel at all times. If necessary, use words."

And in the words of David Otis Fuller ask yourself this question:

"If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?"

The Return of the Jedi

Christmas has come and gone and a new year is upon us. I hope that everyone had a great Christmas. It is a wonderful time of the year to remember Jesus and to spend time with family.

As many of you know, I spent Christmas with Claudia in South Africa. We both had an amazing time and got to see some really cool things. We were in Cape Town from Dec. 14 until Dec. 22, when we began the 14 hour drive to Johannesburg. In Cape Town, we saw Robben Island (where Nelson Mandela was in prison), the waterfront (lots of nice and expensive shops), Cape Point, Table Mountain (but then if you’re in Cape Town it’s hard not to see it) and the beach! Robben Island was very neat. We had a local university student as our tour guide and he did a really good job.

While we were in Cape Town, Claudia and I decided that it would be fun to climb Table Mountain…so we did. And it was fun, but also tiring and a little cold when we got to the top. We both took lots of pictures so if you want to see them you’ll have to invite us over when we’re back in Canada.

Cape Point was also pretty cool (as in neat). There were some really nice views and we managed to get there before all the tour busses arrived. Seeing as it is summer here, Claudia and I also went to the beach three times! And I only got burnt once but it’s pretty much gone now. We also saw some of the wineries near Cape Town.

After our adventures in Cape Town, Claudia, Megan (Claudia’s friend that we were staying with) and I started driving up towards Johannesburg. We spent the night in a town called Colsburg and finished the trip the next day.

In Johannesburg, we spent a lovely Christmas with Megan’s family. Megan’s mom is German so we opened our presents on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas morning. Here is a picture of Claudia and I beside the tree.

On Jan. 27, we went to Krugger National Park for three nights. While we were there we saw all sorts of animals, including the big five (elephant, buffalo, rhino, lion and leopard) plus two cheetahs, lots of giraffes, hippos and impalas. We also saw Pumbas (warthogs) and one Timmone-look-alike (dwarf mongoose) some hyenas and ostrich. Again, we took lots of pictures and if you want to see them, you’ll have to invite us over when we get back to Canada.

After Krugger, we stopped by and Aunt and Uncle of Megan’s for a night and then returned to Johannesburg for New Years. After that we relaxed and got prepared to go our separate ways again. I arrived back in Lusaka on Jan. 3 and Claudia got to Dar that day. She traveled to Iringa on Jan. 4.

Overall, it was a really good vacation. We both had a great time and it was wonderful to be able to spend it together. I think it helped that we were together so that we didn’t miss home as much (although I am a little sad that I missed seeing my sister Kate and her boyfriend Anthony…oh and I also missed being able to throw a snowball at her…) Now that Claudia and I are back in our countries, it’s back to work. It was nice to have a little break, but unfortunately plants don’t take breaks, they just keep growing. Needless to say, there’s lots that needs to get done here.

I think that’s all for this post. I would love to hear about other people’s Christmas break, even if you think it was nothing special. Just send me an e-mail and let me know how it was.

Here is a random picture of some lightening that we saw on Christmas Day (or Christmas Evening I guess).

P.S. Don't ask about the title of the post...I have no idea why I chose it other than the fact that I just returned from my vacation.