November 2, 2006

Rookies no more

Dear Friends,

One year’s service here in Africa has passed. Hardly seems possible, though at times it does feel longer. We came to Zambia because we knew it’s what God wanted. Still, there were plenty of things we didn’t know. For example:

• Newcomers like us rarely get appointed regional liaisons.
• Holy Communion occurs after the service, not during it (so that those who are ineligible—unbaptized, unconfirmed, or uncommitted—can have an opportunity to leave if they wish). Typical services include many non-members.
• It would take four moves to settle us into our new home.
• Local water contains so much lime you need vinegar to keep your steel stainless.
• You cannot connect American equipment directly to local outlets. (Well, okay, you can, but the effect of 220v on your appliance won’t be pretty!)
• Telephone lines are slow and unreliable.
• Floors (cement) get waxed to the max.
• Choirs sing from memory, a cappella, and often dance.
• When the minister says such-and-such a choir “will sing one song,” it is merely a suggestion. It means that today they should maybe cut to three songs instead of five.
• During the rainy season you iron clothes to kill bad larvae.
• If there’s anything in the store that you want: don’t assume it will be there next week.
• Almost all transactions take place in cash.
• Anything automotive is extremely expensive.
• The guest of honor at any occasion is expected to donate, big-time.
• Spiders, geckoes, and mantises are friends who greedily eat mosquitoes.

Our Top-10 list of things for guests to pack: [10] chocolate, [9] anti-malarial medicine, [8] patience, [7] flexibility, [6] voltage converter, [5] determination, [4] patience, [3] good humor, [2] microwave popcorn (give directly to Sue), and [1] Did we mention flexibility?

We take lots of pictures to share what we have seen, but the best ones are those we cannot take:

• Faces of joy, grief, poverty and hope.
• Women bearing loads on their heads and nursing babies while they walk.
• Funerals, and all that surrounds them.
• Pit latrines and public facilities.
• People thronging into hospitals to carry food and linens for loved ones.
• Pharmacy shelves empty of antibiotics and basic medications.
• Sleeping areas inside a village hut.
• Prostitutes and truckers spreading HIV/AIDS.

Among various lessons we appreciate:

• Ask your questions over and over. State them several different ways. Africans answer the specific question they hear you ask. Never assume that you have your whole answer unless you ask another question, and another, and another.
• Christian community is really awesome. We feel blessed to reside at Justo Mwale. After all of our trips we are welcomed by neighbors who thank God for traveling mercies.
• Somehow we have to find the appropriate balance between fighting the poverty and suffering also around us and accepting what we cannot change.
• Learning the local language conveys sincerity and friendship to our partners.
• We cannot begin to enumerate—let alone thank—all the people who pray and send timely encouragement.
• Our fellow missionaries make us proud. So do the American volunteers who come to dig wells, hold babies, teach classes, build churches, listen, and learn from our partners.

All would be impossible without your support. We can’t do any of this by ourselves. Though The Outreach Foundation (TOF) has promised salaries and benefits, that money has to be raised; it doesn’t sit in a bank account. At this point the Foundation is short $20,000 advanced but not recouped for the vehicle we use. Diesel fuel costs about 6 dollars a gallon. Flights within Africa cost more than transatlantic flights. So if you want to participate, you can do so either through TOF or the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (ECO #051735). Details are listed below.
It is never easy asking for money, and yet this mission isn’t ours. We appeal to you as partners in God’s work of changing lives, some of which are American lives. Freedom and generosity carry responsibility. Please pray about your part as we serve on your behalf. We welcome all your messages, and when we learn of contributions (which can sometimes take a while), we love to send our personal thanks.

Zikomo kwambiri. (Thank you very much).

Mulungu akale naimwa. (God bless you.)

Faithfully,

Ted and Sue

Contributions from individuals may be sent to Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Individual Remittance Processing, PO Box 643700, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700. Contributions from churches should be sent to: Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Church Remittance Processing, PO Box 643678, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3678. Write the title (Regional Liaison for Southern Africa) and the ECO number on the subject line (E051735) of the check and put it on your cover letter, too. Send a copy of the cover letter to the Office of International Evangelism at 100 Witherspoon St. Louisville, KY 40202-1396. Or click the "give" button below.

Or to:

The Outreach Foundation (marked for the Wrights):
318 Seaboard Lane, Suite 205
Franklin, TN 37067