SILENCE... Testing in Progress!

This week we are wrapping up school!  Monday and Tuesday the students are finishing their tests and then on Wednesday we are PARTAYIN` it up!  We are going to dance dance dance and eat "Popcorns".  On Thursday the parents... or whoever wants to come... will come to school and pick up the grades and then Friday...  WE OUT!  ;o)

Well, not really out but the students are officially done and I get to move on to be the Sixth Grade Teacher!  Whooo hooo.  My students have been doing decent on their tests but grading and expectation is just very different.  We will see how things pan out!  Thank you for Supporting and praying for our kids this term!

I was joking with some girls today and I asked them if their brains were in knots yet...  they walked around all day saying, "Our brains are in knots.  Madame Stacey said our brains are in knots!"  haha.  LOVE EM!

WE MADE THE TEAM!

On Friday, we got this great idea to go and shoot around after work.  There is a group of us that have wanted to play basketball but not had the chance.  So, Kristin, Aaron, Sara, Charlie Mumba, and myself all met up at the YMCA for a little basketball after work.  When we arrived, there was a group of girls running a practice on the court.  We stepped to the side and watched until they were finished.  After a bit Aaron asked if we could shoot at one end while they played at the other and they asked if we wanted to play 5-on-5 and SO THE GAMES BEGAN!

The five of us showed up to play horse, around the world, and knockout but ended up playing full court 5-on-5 with this team.  After playing for an hour or so, it got to dark to go on.  We called the game and began talking with the girls.  They asked Sara, Kristin, and I if we wanted to join their club team.  We were so excited and thought we were so cool because we MADE THE TEAM!  After basketball we went and celebrated with some gelato.

Little did we know that our first game would be the next day.  Saturday morning we got up early and took off for the courts.  We were supposed to play a game at 9am and noon but Zambian time really took over.  We arrived at the courts around 9:45am thinking that would be sufficient and we did not start playing until a little after noon.  We warmed up in weird ways and stretched in positions I had never done before!  It was crazy but so funny!  They gave us uniforms to wear and the only one they had left for me was a Medium.  REAL NICE EH?  ;o)  So, long story short…  our game last about 2 and a half hours and it was a murder.  When I say murder I don’t mean in the sense of score but literally, they tried to kill us!  The rules here in Zambia are a bit different and they don’t often call fouls and so it is straight up street ball.  Kristin was pulling all five girls from the other team down the court at one point and it was perfectly fine with the ref’s.  I was shoved from behind and bit through my bottom lip.  As many of you know, I have a short temper and it definitely got a little crazy from there on.  Finally the game ended and WE WON!  Supposedly we beat the number one team and the Ndola Woosters had never beat them before.  Whooo hooo.  Good work team!  After that day though, we are not sure when our next day will be.  Most of us thought we were going to die that day, out there on that court.  It was fun and I look forward to shooting around with them again, but we will see when that happens!   There is never a dull moment here in Zambia!

Finally, I will leave you with our team motto that the girls on our team kept saying:  If you ain’t sexy, you ain’t a Wooster! HA!

Pictures to come soon!

God is good, All the time, and all the time....

      On her flight to Africa months ago, Stacey met a girl named Kristin from Alabama who is working with an organization called Wiphan Care, and thanks to that connection we were able to hang out with multiple people from Canada, the U.K., all over the States and beyond last weekend. It was such a blessing. On top of just having some good ole’ fun swimming, dancing, exploring a farm, laughing, and openly talking about our observations on “interesting” things here in Zambia, God simply amazed me through these interactions. I met young people from all over doing God’s work and they humbled me like no other. No offense, but when I picture missionaries, I tend to NOT picture young women and men who are quite real, sarcastic, open, and yet still on fire for God. They challenge me to become more than what I am just by being who they are.

    On top of that, Kristin lent me some “light” reading. I have only gotten through the forward (written by Shane Claiborne who I now need to read more of), and the first chapter, and already its already drawing me to action….or at least trying to. The book is Make Poverty Personal. I recommend not reading a book like this if you like having an excess of money. Hehe. It hurts my heart a little bit reading it, because I like clothes, and shoes, and basically living comfortably. I’ll admit is fairly easy to follow this book while here. I mean, what am I going to spend except maybe a dollar on a bushel of bananas? Upon coming home, however, that is where the real struggle starts. Anyways, long story short, I love my Lord. Even though sometimes I don’t want it, He is showing me new things, pushing me to stretch my comfort zone, and placing just amazing people in my life to help me along the way.

If you care to read, below is an excerpt from my personal journal (journaling is a new thing for me here, I like it though), as well as one from the aforementioned book that just struck home.

Loves to all!

Sara Anne

Journal excerpt on 10.31.2011: God is soooo GOOD! I am so amazed by these women of God that have been placed in my life here in Zambia. I was seriously worried about my 2^nd three months here after my brief stint home for Grace’s wedding, but God just showed me again that I need not worry because He has my life in His hands. Time and time again here He has shown me how real and present He is. We (definitely including myself here) are so cynical in the West. We just need to stop over-analyzing and micro-organizing and just let God work.

Taken from Make Poverty Personal­ “…. If our faith does not bring justice flowing like a river, then we should cease the clamor of all of our religious festivals and gatherings and songs, for they are noise in God’s ears” Amos 5:21-24

BuSy BeAvErS!.!.!

Just when it seems like things are slowing down and becoming an everyday routine, life catches you by surprise!  Things here have been so great but so crazy!  I have told many of you individually that I met some really awesome girls here. 

One, Kristin Barringer, I met on the airplane on my way over here back in August.  She is working with another organization called Wiphan USA.  Through her I was connected to a few other girls from the UK and Canada.  I have joined their accountability group on Monday nights and it has been so awesome!  They are really great women of God and so much fun.  Last weekend we all went to this dance party at a friend’s house.  They set up a floor in their backyard and we just danced the night away while networking and connecting with tons of other people who are here in Zambia working on some project.  During the day on Saturday, we went out to this farm past the Village of Twapia where we work.  This family owns the farm from Indiana who were missionaries in Zambia through the church, but now run a farm.  On the farm they have chickens, vegetables, cows, and bananas.  David, one of our new friends, he showed us around the farm and let us greet his snakes and cow skins.  It was NUTS!  We went swimming in their lake and had some lunch.

On Sunday it was extremely hot here and so we went to church with Kristin and Hannah (a friend from Wales) and then back to Hannah’s house to swim and lay by the pool.  For a large chunk of the day, I though I was relaxing in Florida or maybe even the Caribbean...  Never been there but I would imagine that is what it is like!  ;o)

On Monday we spent another great day working at Wiphan!  Our seventh grade students were still writing tests and so we went to Wiphan and did some work at the school.  It was great fun to hangout with Kristin and see how other schools run and function!  On Monday night, we met at this restaurant called Mint Café, which their motto is: Inspired By Nature!  They have American food and the best Mint Chocolate Milkshake I have everrrrr had!  Five of us met right away to discuss a teacher training that we are going to run for teachers all over Ndola at the end of the month and then our accountability group met.  It is just a great end to a great day!

Prayer Request:

1.     ****  You can be praying for this teacher training that we are starting.  We are putting up flyers and sending letters to schools to invite them.  Hopefully it will be helpful and we will have a large number turn out.

2.     ****  You can be praying for our students, as they get ready to take their final exams.

3.     ****  If you can be praying for my Uncle Jack.  He just had surgery where they removed a softball size tumor from his colon and he is building up strength for tests and chemotherapy soon.  We pray for healing and good health!
           ****  Sara and I are applying for new Visa's and Permits so please PRAY that it goes smoothly and I don't have to leave the country!  It is all in the hands of the person I get on Monday!  Urgh...   

                                        LOVE SLE