Jon in South Africa

3 weeks left in Africa.

I don’t have much ambition to write blogs as my trip is slowly coming to a conclusion. But, I feel somewhat obligated to for those that want to feel updated on my life to some extent. Being back in South Africa has been nice. The one plus is that I just have more friends here, so my social life is much better than in Zambia. Last week I went to a big outdoor event/concert where South Africa’s biggest band was playing. The bands` name was “Parlotones“ or something like that. Don’t worry I had never heard of them either. They kind of sound like the “Killers” for some point of reference.

Working at the service center has been pretty busy too. Working on getting reports out right now, and doing some proposals for some different things at some of our C.B.O’s. It’s meant lots of time in the community getting stories and just meeting people and getting to hear some of their stories. The last couple weeks have been really great. We recently had a house built for four orphaned children who were living in a tiny metal shack. The house has recently been completed, so we’ve been buying furniture and house wares and stuff over the last week or so. That’s been cool just going to different shops and finding some really good deals.

We also have some pretty big teams coming before I leave, and after that we’ve been preparing for. The teams are pretty big, so we’ve just been sorting out the agenda and preparing the C.B.Os that the teams will be going to. Other then that I don’t really know. I leave South Africa on the 26^th of July, and will be back in Canada on August 11th after a two week stop in the U.K with my brother and sister. This last month in South Africa should be really good, and busy. I’m looking forward to it, but I’m also really excited to be home again soon, and start getting prepared and ready for school in September.

Also, I found a verse in Acts that has really challenged me lately. At the beginning of Acts 10 it talks about a man named Cornelius who was noted to be a God-fearing man who gave generously to those in need and prayed regularly. In Acts 10 verse 4 Cornelius is greeted by an angel, who tells him that, “ (His) prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. “ The fact that our prayers for those who are poor and less fortunate than us is an actual offering before God is something I never deeply thought about. I’ve known for a while that praying for people that are poor and suffering is important, but maybe just not to what extent. I guess more then anything this verse is just a challenge, and an encouragement that God is listening to our prayers. When we focus our hearts, and minds on those who are suffering God is listening, and receiving those prayers as an acceptable offering. I know that we often pray for ourselves, and that’s important. I think though when we start to focus our thoughts and prayers on others (especially the poor and needy) then we start to encompass and understand what it means to be like Christ.

Zambia.

I’ve just recently returned from my one month trip to Zambia. I think Zambia is much more like what I expected Africa to be like before I got here. Zambia is a really peaceful nation, and for the most part the people are very welcoming and friendly. I’m going to try to break down as much as possible what I’ve been up to while I’ve been here, and just some of my experiences.

                I arrived on the 16^th of May into Ndola, along with another girl from Hands named Elise. We got picked up from the airport and stayed in a city called Luanshya for my first week, where Hands main Zambian offices are. Hands owns a farm just outside of Luanshya and that’s where I stayed with a building team from the U.K. My first week I spent helping the U.K guys build roof trusses for a school, and I got to visit a couple communities where Hands is involved in the Luanshya area. It was a good experience living with the U.K team, because I got a pretty good look into what a short term mission’s trip is like. They were a great group of guys, and a lot of fun to be around.

                The communities I went to in Zambia were different then what I had experienced so far in S.A. The communities were very rural, and very poor. I got to help out at a feeding program in one community called New Wells. I learned that last year the kids that go to that feeding program were very malnourished before the feeding point was brought in. The woman who took us into the community was named Elizabeth. She explained that the kids were in very rough situations, and they all had those big round tummies that malnourished kids get. It was cool to see how much better the kids were doing. Don’t get me wrong they were still very poor, but at the very least they were getting one meal a day. Children here love white people too, so everywhere we went there was a group of kids following us.

                I spent my following three weeks living, and helping out at a Service Center in a city called Kabwe. I also got to visit a few communities in this area, but I spent most of my time in the office helping out where I could. Some of the stuff I did was putting together, and writing up community profiles, and just scanning receipts. Although office work sounds, and often is quite boring it is also pretty essential for keeping an organisation like Hands running. Donors need the community and financial information so that they can either continue to support, or we can attract new donors. While I was in Kabwe I was living alone for two out of the three weeks which was more challenging then I thought. It was a really good experience though. One thing I won’t miss though is my cockroach roommates, and bucket baths.

                One of my weeks though I had one of the girls named Catherine from Hands staying with me. She came a couple weeks after me, but got malaria her first week while staying in Kabwe. We caught it early, and she recovered fine, but it was a pretty rough five or six days for her. Malaria is a huge problem in Zambia, and the number one killer here. Malaria is easily treatable, but sometimes in these rural communities it’s not always possible to either get to a clinic, or afford the pretty inexpensive treatment. It’s so common here it’s kind of ridiculous. If you’re an adult in Zambia then you most certainly have had malaria more times then you can remember.

                For my last weekend in Zambia Catherine, Elise, and myself took a long bus ride across Zambia to see the Victoria Falls. It took around 11-12 hours each way, but it was for sure worth it. The Falls are absolutely incredible. They create so much mist that it’s actually pretty hard to get photos. So, you do pretty much have to go there to really see what it’s like. We also took a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River and saw some crocodiles, and hippos. That was really nice as well.

                There are for sure other stories, and moments from Zambia but it’s a blog not a book. Also there are some things that are just hard to explain in writing. Overall it was a really good month, and I was really blessed to see another part of Africa. Zambia is much different then South Africa, so it was nice to see. It was also really challenging, and hard to see some really intense forms of poverty. For most people in Zambia there life is about survival. In North America so much of our lives are about enjoyment, and having fun, or at least striving for it. In Zambia that is really an after thought.

                “Like lord please can we speak on this frankly. Like God why you letting this happen? Amen, he answered, son I’m askin you the same thing, Cause you’re supposed to be my servants Out here working Like you’re my hands reaching out to those that’s hurtin.”-Shad

The title of my blog is going to be a little mis-leading now… for a month.

Hello.

Jon in South Africa is soon changing to Jon in Zambia. On Monday the 16th of May I’m heading to Zambia for exactly one month. I know that I’ve informed some people, but for everyone else that didn’t know, well I thought you should. I’m getting pretty excited. People keep telling me that Zambia is the “real” Africa, so that should be really sweet to see. I think that’s just because South Africa is so Western influenced that it doesn’t really count.

I’m not sure the exact details, or the specifics of what I’ll be doing exactly. But, if nothing else I’m there to take in the Zambian culture, to make relationships, to see what Hands is doing in a country other than S.A, and of course assist in any way the work Hands is doing in Zambia. I’ll try to update a little better after I’m there and get a better understanding of what I’m doing.

Okay, well I’d greatly appreciate prayer as I travel on the 16th, and just protection in Zambia… especially from malaria. Thanks people.