Some fun Projects

 

John and Andy made this sign post as a gift to the mission. They LOVED it!

 

Kendal, Sho and Mixhael painted the free throw lines on the basketball court. 

 

 

   Scott, Kendal and Michael painted this mural in the center of the basketball court. 

Pics, Pics and more Pics

 

Another day visiting the many outpost villages with Sister Pat and the Mother's Milk Program. 

 

Look at how ingenious the kids are. This "ball" was made with plastic bags. 

 

We gave each of the children some biscuits, a drink, a toy and a dress or shorts. 

 

A Visit to a Mother's Milk Outpost

 

We spent some time with some children of the Mother's Milk Program at some outpost villages. 

 

There were A LOT of twins at this outpost. 

 

Some children are orphaned and being raised by their grandparents or even someone else from within the village. 

 

 

And so the work begins...

  

 

Work begins on the trusses. 

 

 

One of our many bonfires. 

More pictures

 

We played soccer against the grade 12 student. 

 

A beautiful sunset on the Zambezi River

 

Wherever we go we are always surrounded by kids!  

Picture Time!!!

 

Our visit to the Leprasariim.

 

John reuniting with some friends. 

 

 Visiting the church. Assessing the project. 

Our Final Days 7/24/16 and 7/25/16

This is a bittersweet day. We miss our families back home and are looking forward to seeing them, but leaving Lukulu brings tears and sadness. It is difficult to leave this beautiful village and these beautiful people. We have met a lot of new friends and reunited with old ones. 

Our day started with the usual 2 1/2 hour mass at the Sancta Maria Mission. It was filled with a lot of beautiful singing and dancing. We definitely need to practice our dance moves before we return next year. Marie and Scott went with Fr. Lazarus to an outpost village in Kamilende for mass. It was about an hour away.  Kamilende was an amazing experience, the villagers were so devouted to God. They were in the planning stages of building a larger church. It was beautiful to be praying with them. And the ride with Fr. Lazarus was one to remember. He is a very kind soul. 

Just before the evening events started we had a nice visit from Michael's uncle. Fr  Bob shared a story about Michael's uncle: "In 2008 a young man from a village far away came to Father to say his sister was very sick and asked Father to help him. He asked Fathers advice and Father Bob talked to the doctor and asked him to meet the girl and her family at the river. After the doctor checked her over he gave her some medications. The doctor saved the young girl's life. Today Fr. Bob met the boy who is now grown up and beginning to teach. The boy told Father that the girl has been praying for father ever since.  Fr. Bob said no wonder I have been so blessed with all of her prayers." It was a touching reunion. 

We had a send off celebration in the evening. The festivities included a delicious meal of cabbage, nshima chicken, and goat amongst other delicacies. We gave thanks to our generous donors who made everything we were able to accomplish possible. We passed out gifts that we brought from home to the people of Sancta Maria. They also presented us all with beautiful things from Africa. The girls all received bracelets, bags/purses made from chatanga material, earrings and a wooden African carving. The men received bracelets, wallets, necklaces and a wooden African carving. These handcrafted gifts will be treasured for years to come. 

The next morning we got up early and had mass with the sisters and all of the missionaries in the chapel at the priests house. We celebrated the feast of St. James. It was special because it was our day of departure and St. James parish in Bay City is where this adventure to Lukulu all began 8 years ago. 

We hit the road at about 8:45 am. The long 5 hour BUMPY! BUMPY! road was cut down to 2 1/2 hours and the bumps were at a minimum. They recently grated the roads. Sister Pat said its the best the roads had been in 10 years and that they probably grated them because it's an election year. We stopped for our usual lunch in Kaoma at Chimuka's Kitchen. Some of us had pot pies, while others had sausage or even a whole fish. Head and all. We visited a market where they sold woven items; trays, baskets and purses. The money all goes to the women who make these goods to help them to become more sustainable. We continued on our journey to Lasaka after lunch. We were finally on the tarmack/asphalt road. As we entered Kafue National Park we were eager to see elephants, lions or even a zebra. The excitement started when we saw our first baboon, followed by some wart hogs (so cute). We saw many beautiful impala and water bucks. The highlight came when John spotted a leg dangling from a far off tree. We put it in reverse and sure enough there was a leopard sitting up on the tree just enjoying his afternoon. What a beautiful sight!  

Shout out to "Chop Liver". AKA Alex. 

Our Time Here is Almost Over 7/22

We had a WONDERFUL  and GLORIOUS day. We celebrated the feast of Mary Magdelan. Blessings go out to all of our mothers, wives and sisters. We love you and are thankful to all of you. 

After our morning prayer service we set off to meet the chief of the village of Lukulu. We had several days of preparation. Many people were preparing us for the proper way to address the chief. It involved a lot of clapping and bowing. We were warned of the unfortunate things that could happen if the ritual was not followed accurately. Needless to say we were a bit nervous, but mostly for Father Bob's safety. As we arrived at the palace we were shown in. Before we could enter we needed to bow as a group before the chief and then clap in thanks many times. After we entered and sat down we were greeted by the chief 's right hand man. He explained to us that the chief was not in town, but was pleased we were able to make it to visit the palace. We presented some gifts to the chief (who wasn't there) and then we were on our way. Leaving was as ritualistic as arriving. It certainly was an interesting experience. 

As soon as we were finished at the palace we headed back to the mission to get changed for our daily duties. Kendal and Scott finished up the mural on the basketball court. It looks fabulous. And the rest of the group headed over to the church for our final day. When we arrived at the church we were pleased to see so much progress had been made since we left the day before. The plaster was started on the walls. The wall behind the alter was nearly complete and it looked INCREDIBLE!  Different groups worked in different areas. Marie and Shomari played with the children. Andy and John bricked a final row across the top of the walls while the rest of the group assisted in handing up bricks, mixing concrete, or hauling sand. At one point while we were working, the head of the village gathered us out in front of the church. The whole village was also gathered around. They sang and danced for us in appreciation for everything we were doing for them. It was such a special moment. They gave us many gifts as thanks. The gifts included oranges, papaya and a rooster. Additionally Mr. and Mrs. Luhila (Kenneth's parents) gave us a beautiful basket filled with more papaya and a hen. We named the hen Extra Crispy and the Rooster Original Recipe. Afterward we presented them with a cross for their church, hand crafted by a parishioner from St. Agnes, Bill Cymbal. Thank you Bill, the people of Kalambwe are so grateful. 

Our evening was full of fun, food and laughter. We enjoyed a dinner at the Sister's house. As always, Sr. Pat, Sr. Elizabeth and Sr. Elaina were great hostesses. The food was fabulous and the laughter was plentiful. We enjoyed a game that John and Suzanne taught the group. Each person had to try to pick up a brown grocery bag up with their mouth and their hands behind the back, while standing on one foot. Who knew that a paper bag could be so much fun!  Joshua was the big winner!!! America - 1  Africa - 0. 

Another beautiful day in Lukulu, Africa. God is great. All the time!

Shout out Sheri Lake- Happy Birthday!  Shout out to Susan, from Jim. 

A Day Across the River 7/23/16

There are currently 3 priests here at the Sancta Maria Mission, Fr. Chris, Fr. Hector, and Fr. Lazarus. Fr. Rene is also a priest here, but has been ill for the past several months, being diagnosed with cancer. (Please keep him in your prayers). The priests here are responsible for mass at 74 churches in many villages around the area. The closest one is right on the property. The farthest is about 8 hours away. The churches are located on both sides of the Zambezi River. The Sancta Maria Mission is located on the beautiful Zambezi River. Today we went across the river to the village of Sinjabata. We met the grandfather of our friend Michael from Sancta Maria. His grandfather is 103 years old. We also had a beautiful 2 hour mass. It started on African time because when we arrived everyone was down at the river bathing, getting ready for our arrival. It was a beautiful mass full of A LOT of singing and dancing. The choir sings so beautifully and the congregation dances just as beautifully!  

After the mass we enjoyed a nice lunch in the church, prepared by the village. Then we broke into small groups to work with the children of Sinjabata. Alisha and John played games with jump ropes and a parachute. For some of the children it was their first time ever doing either of these activities. Jim and Suzanne read scripture stories about David and Goliath, Moses and the Bulrushes, Jesus and His Disciples and also Daniel and the Lions. We had a translator helping us to share these stories from the Bible. The children were very good listeners and seemed to enjoy the stories. Andy played the guitar and sang while father Bob and the children danced until their hearts were content!  Scott and Tom made beautiful handprint cross banners with their group and even had time to paint their faces. The children LOVED this!  Joshua worked with both the children and adults while they colored pictures form scripture coloring books. They loved this so much they didn't want to leave. Shomari, Marie, and Kendal helped the children make a "colors of faith" bracelet. The adults even wanted to participate. It was a beautiful experience. The whole afternoon was incredible. We felt so blessed to be a part of this wonderful day. 

Later in the evening we had another bonfire, our biggest turn out yet. Again the kids enjoyed some roasted marshmallows and Michael made his famous popcorn. Boy will we miss these evening rituals around the bonfire. 

The day started out great and ended even greater. Thank you God for another beautiful day!  

God is great, all the time!

Another Beautiful Day in Lukulu 7/20/16

We have been going, going, going!  It is amazing what we have accomplished (yet still need to finish). We have seen and experienced so much and continue to pray for everyone here. And the happiness!!! Oh the happiness!  They have shown us such great happiness and appreciation for EVERYTHING!  

Mother's Milk Program:

Today was something special for the team that went to the out villages with Sr. Pat for her Mother's Milk Program.  We visited several villages up to 25 km away. We drove up and down sand covered "roads" and two tracks that are basically a cornfield that has been driven through a few times to flatten out a path. Shomari, Alisha, Jim and Suzanne helped Sr. Pat assess the children that have been discharged from the program and then pass out biscuits/cookies, rice, a drink, a toy and a dress or a pair of shorts. Each child that was a part of the program received these items. The dresses and shorts are beautiful and handmade by some wonderful women in our community. Thank you again for these generous donations. You have no idea how many lives you've touched!! 

Along the way we got the opportunity to visit a Community school in Mulumbo. Sister Elizabeth supports 16 community schools. When I say these schools have nothing, I really mean NOTHING. At this particular school there are four classrooms that have 6 student tables that fit two students comfortably. That is enough room for 48. The school has 230 students!  There is one head teacher and 3 volunteer teachers. Please pray for the teachers and students in these community schools way out in the villages of Lukulu and beyond. 

Church:

The roof was started snd we finished the painting of the sealant on the trusses. The materials for putting in the concrete floor arrived. It is a slow moving project. Things are getting done, but not necessarily as quickly as we Americans would like. That's when we take a step back, take a deep breath and appreciate the people of Lukulu/Kalambwe and their timetable and the ways of their culture. The church will get finished, it just will have to be completed after we are gone. We helped to get them started and will continue to work beside them until our final day. 

Other Projects:

Kendal, Sho, Scott and Michael (our long time friend from the Sancta Maria Mission) started painting the free throw and three point lines on the basketball court. They even created a beautiful mural in the center of the world. It says in English and Silozi, One God, One World. 

GOD is GREAT, ALL the time. 

A big shout out to Megan, Hannah, Lyssa and Alexis. Oh and Joey, Nico, Robert and Matthew. Miss you guys this year. 

Divide and Conquer 7/18/16

Today we enjoyed working in our own elements. Our group split up and went in three different directions. One group: Tom, Andy, John, Jim, and Josh worked on the church out in Kalambwe while Marie, Kendal and Alisha headed to the hospital. Sister Pat took Shomarie, Suzanne and Scott to Simakumba to visit the babies and children of The Mother's Milk program. 

The Church: There is a village north of the Sancta Maria Mission about a three hour walk. They built a stick and mud church and after a few months a heavy rain storm washed it away.  They desperately needed a church but have no money. Fr. Bob and our committee decided to fund the materials, and the village is providing the labor. They work very hard, and are excellent with utilizing the minimal resources.  We first helped with building the wood rafters. The wood is hand sewn, so it is of variable widths, heights, and lengths. There is hardly a straight piece!  To purchase the straight, consistent size lumber costs 4-5 times more, and they are very frugal and humble.  We then helped paint all the rafters with creosol thinned with diesel fuel. This for preserving the wood from moisture and insects. The village workers are very nice, and we have been able to joke and laugh with them. We will get back on it tomorrow and hopefully finish the roof and start plastering the walls. 

The Hospital: We began morning rounds in the pediatrics ward where we saw dozens of children hospitalized for diarrheas and dehydration. They are rehydrated until they improve and then sent home with counseling on prevention of diarrheas and oral rehydration solution. We even saw a young boy who came into the hospital a week after being bitten by a snake. Luckily it wasn't poisonous or he wouldn't have made it for so long. Later we walked towards the male ward where we saw two teenagers being treated for second degree burns after falling into a fire. One was also being treated for seizures as a result of volume loss. We moved into the female ward where we saw again dozens of patients packed into two wards. We saw patients with HIV/AIDS, cases of pulmonary, abdominal tuberculosis and post-op patients all in the same room. In the afternoon we brought a newborn into this world. A 21 yr old female delivered a beautiful baby girl via c-section and it was the most magnificent experience. 

We would just like to thank the doctors for allowing us to follow them around and be able to have such great experience. It was very apparent that even though they didn't have all the resources to treat their patients they did the best that they could with the little they had.

The Mother's Milk Program: Our afternoon started with a drive out to Simakumba. It is a village about 20 kilometers from Lukulu. Along the way Sr. Pat picked up as many women and children that she could fit in her 13 passenger Land Rover and dropped them off at their destinations as we went. When we arrived in Simakumba we were greeted with the most heart warming and welcoming song and dance. The people of the Mother's Milk program are so grateful for Sr. Pat and our Love for Lukulu mission organization. (This is a great time to say thank you again to all of our donors. To see what we saw today and to know that these babies and young children's lives were saved because of YOU and your genorosity to the Mother's Milk program is such an incredible feeling. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!) While we were at the out village, Sr. Pat gathered information about each child in the program. Then she gave each child some biscuits (cookies), a drink and a toy. Again these toys that brought complete joy to the children were donated by you, our donors. Thank you! As we finished up, said our good-byes and headed back to Lukulu, again picking up people along the way to help shorten their journey. It was a true blessing to have spent the day with Sr. Pat and be a part of this beautiful program. God is good all the time!  

Our apologies for sporadic posts. The wifi is not our friend. 

We would like to give a shout out to Deb and Tommy. From you know who. ;)

Weekend Events 7/16-7/17

Saturday was an incredible day spent in Kalambwe, a small village 30 minutes from Sancta Maria. John, Josh, Tom, Jim, and Andy all worked with the local men to build and put up the trusses that will support the roof. It was amazing to see the interaction between everyone. Laughter and smiles are a universal language. While part of the group worked on the church the others played and interacted with the people from the village. We painted fingernails; young and old, male and female. It didn't matter EVERYONE wanted their nails painted. And I mean everyone!!  We had to have painted close to 300 fingernails. Maybe even more. We also played soccer, jumped rope and colored with the children. It was a fabulous day. We ended the day with another beautiful bonfire. 

Sunday was a day much needed day of rest! We went to mass in the morning. It was a beautiful, song-filled 3 hour mass!  In the afternoon we had some fun time playing with the kids. Josh and Alisha played soccer. Kendal and Sho played basketball and Suzanne, Marie, Jim and Scott played jump rope with the kids. Suzanne even had her hair done by two of the grade 9 girls. Later that night we roasted marshmallows around the bonfire, sang some beautiful songs with the beautiful music from Andy and his guitar and played some games. Another beautiful day spent in Lukulu. 

Day Two 7/15/16

Our day began bright and early at 7am where we gathered for our daily prayer and ate breakfast. Ready for the day we headed towards St. Columba's Secondary School where we spent our time with students in grades 8-12. We learned about their activities and the various classes they receive. We spent time with the heads of the math department, language department (silozi and English) and computer science. They let us know their needs and what Love for Lukulu may do during future projects. After meeting with the heads of the departments and teachers, we grouped in pairs to meet with classes for 45 minutes each. We spent some time in the classrooms teaching them about where we are from and a little bit about ourselves. The mission team along with the teachers played a game of football (soccer) against the grade 12 students. Despite a valant effort the final score was 2-0 in favor of grade 12. (We want a rematch!). After our evening mass we enjoyed a meal with the teaching staff and danced until 20:00 hours (10:00). Tomorrow is a new day and we will begin working on the church. 

Our First Full Day

Thank you God for another beautiful day!  We started our day with a prayer service. After breakfast we had a wonderful opportunity to visit the Leprosarium. Leprosy is still common in third world countries. It leads loss of limbs, therefore they are outcasts. This is a place where they can live and be taken care of with love and compassion. What a humbling experience. We then had a tour of the training center. This is where the students learn trades/skills to help further them in life. Some of skills/trades learned are computers, bakery, tailoring, automobile mechanics and small engine repair. It was wonderful to see all of the students so excited to share what they were learning. Along the way we caught up with some old friends and met some new ones. We had fun interacting and playing with all of the kids. And there are A LOT!  Following lunch we went over to the church that we will be working on while we are here. John, Andy, Josh, Tom and Jim worked with the locals to assess the needs for building a roof. As they worked on the inside Alisha, Kendal, Sho, Marie, Scott and Suzanne played with the kids from the village. Later in the evening we enjoyed a visit to the girls dormitory. WOW! is all we can say!  The singing is so inspirational and moving. We can't wait until tomorrow. 
 Sorry we are unable to send pictures at this time. The Internet is not cooperating. 

 

 

We have arrived!!!

We have arrived at the Sancta Maria Mission. It was an early morning departure from Lusaka and a beautiful ride to the mission. We celebrate and sang Happy Birthday to Tom! (Today is the big day!)We are very tired and will share some of our adventure and activities tomorrow!  

 

The missionaries

 

 We are so excited. We leave tomorrow. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers. 

Princess Wenonah Dinner Cruise

The Princess Wenonah dinner cruise was a beautiful evening. Thank you to everyone who came out to enjoy the cruise down the river. Thank you to "The Mark and Tim Acoustic Show" for the beautiful music and the very generous donation of their tips to our mission trip. Thank you to Elaine Fournier (of the Stein Haus) and her catering staff for another year of delicious food. It was a huge success! Full of fun, friends and family. See everyone again next year. 

Love for Lukulu 2016 Countdown

We are getting so excited for our trip. We leave in just a few weeks. Thank you to everyone for all of the support both prayerfully and financially. We will be updating our blog as often as we can while we out in Lukulu. Continue to pray for us and our family at the Sancta Maria Mission in Lukulu, Zambia.