I had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.  We had turkey and all the trimmings, including cornbread stuffing coming from the Mississippi grown missionary.  It was really good.  I'll share some pictures later.  I got to Skype into my family in Wisconsin's feast time. So in honor of my nephew, Rowan, this post is dedicated to bugs and other small animals around my place. (small is all relative)

 These are some of the biggest millipedes I've seen.

 Can almost count all of his one thousand legs.

 Mr. Snail from my driveway.

 Rowan will have to look this one up and tell me what it is.  I found him in Mongu, Western province of Zambia.

 Had to throw in one fussy one.  He was so nice to eat the mosquitos!

 Tiny frog from my yard.

Another challenge for Rowan.  Name that moth.

Last week was full of activity.  Lovemore, Christine and I spent time in Choma teaching on Moringa and hearing the wonderful successes of the hard-working CHEs there. Their group has more then doubled, helped people learn to build 500+ pit latrines, seen a church plant start 6-7 months ago and is at 60-70 people. It is so encouraging to see community development done by the people with hearts for spiritual development too.  

Friday I was at Liteta Hospital. Glad to learn the 3 y/o girl with pneumonia pulled through and went home Tuesday. Saw the variety again...minibus accident victims-scraped and likely few broken bones, thankfully no fatalities, femur fracture (dads carrying kids in chitenges is more dangerous then moms), spleen injury from mango tree fall, malnutrition/pneumonia, meningitis(puzzler b/c some lower limb paralysis), cellulitis, scalp wound and hip injury from cow stomping on patient...never a dull moment.

Just for fun:

The world's smallest "house" gecko. Found him perusing the walls tonight. I'd name him as a pet if I thought I could find him again; he's so tiny!

Yesterday was a great day. Morning service with a challenge to pray for break throughs in families the next 21 days. Be a David taking out Goliaths in God's power. Spent the afternoon with Nancy and Christine at a expo with local craft/retailers selling beautiful and yummy things for Christmas. Ended with a refreshing swim.

Today had a blessed morning. Christine has a work permit painlessly from immigration. We had two great contacts at the Ministry of Community Health for Mother and Child for Helping Babies Breath and the mobile clinic. Now just regular stuff--unpack groceries, clean house, work on classes.

I had a wonderful day at Bethel Clinic Thursday. Who couldn't love working at a place with such lovely flowering trees? (picture below) Milked another cow today-still have a lot to learn on how to do it efficiently. Then enjoyed a cheeseburger in the garden...cheese for me, burger for two kitties at my feet. Had a lovely conversation with the farmer owner and his wife. The best was having a waitress stop by and ask if I recognized her. I didn't b/c last time I saw her we were giving her IV fluids and almost carrying her out of the clinic. I was quite worried about her at that point. Now she was standing in front of me back to work and smiling. We treat, Jesus heals!

Had my excitement for the week as I was closing my laptop, ready for bed. Something caught my eye in the small area leading to my bathroom in the chalet. It was a thin gray patterned snake! Walked in my pjs to find a night guard (other clothes were too close to the snake). By the time the three guys are looking in my room, it was gone. Changed rooms and tried to identify it on the web. Failed to figure out what it was exactly.  I'm kicking myself for not taking a picture of it.  I was too worried thinking about the guards being offended of me wearing shorts.  It's okay for men but not women.  They laughed when I described the snake as "kind of pretty."

Liteta Hospital report: So happy to report the little malnourished boy went home on Monday...after 1 month in the hospital. The girl with nephrotic syndrome two weeks ago went home looking like another person-swelling all gone! And the newborn with respiratory distress pulled through and went home in a couple days.
Praying for another 4 y/o little girl with pneumonia to pull through. Lower respiratory tract infections are one of the leading causes of death in children of the world.

Today was a wonderful day at church. Bishop was on fire after returning from his time of rest and waiting on the Lord. New music leader energized the congregation and gave nice order to the worship time. Walked home from church with a few ladies who stopped to visit a woman newly widowed. Too many deaths here. Good time of learning and just "being". He was a young man who just finished his Bible/pastoral degree.  He leaves behind a wife and three young children (oldest is 10 y/o).  Here widows don't have to just mourn their husbands but have to worry about what his family will take in expectation.  I don't know all the details of this family-she mentioned one family made a point that they were Christian so won't do all the traditions.  Traditions can include taking clothes, furniture, appliances, even the house.  People come and stay at the house for the funeral proceedings that can take several days to a week.  The bereaved is expected to feed and house them for as long as they stay and often provide transport money for them to go back home.  There are some laws in place now to prevent land grabbing but I'm not sure how well-enforced they are.  

Then tonight I practiced Handel's Messiah with a mixed group of musicians who are part of the Lusaka Music Society.  So fun to be part of an ensemble again, read from sheet music, and play one of my favorite works. Concert in 2 weeks! 

I have been delinquent in writing last week for a very nice reason.  The team from Mississippi came to build three Tabernacles.  It was a successful week! Before I tell you about the work days, I must share an African cuisine story.  At the clinics, they make us lunch along with theirs.  It's usually nshima with some type of greens, maybe some chicken or eggs or hungarian sausage.  Last Tuesday it was chicken innards day.  So I ate heart, intestines and liver.  I love heart, gave the rest of the liver back and thought the intestines tasted pretty good.  They told me I didn't have to eat the chicken heads--only some Zambians even like them.  They aren't pictured below b/c my camera batteries died. (much to the relief of the cook).  Unfortunately an American stomach in Zambia 7 months is still an American stomach.  In case anyone was considering it, food poisoning is not the most pleasant way to lose weight.  

 I rested most of Wednesday and headed out with the team to Mungule on Thursday.  There I got my first try of mopani worms.  These are fried caterpillars.  I said, "Not bad" and a fellow missionary friend responded, "But not good."  No argument here.

The team put up one Tabernacle with each denomination we work with here.  I missed the building of the Chainda Grace Ministries church because of my food poisoning but was told the day went wonderfully.  While the men put up the Tabernacle, the women played with the kids and fellowshiped with the women and kept everyone hydrated.  It is hot!

Below is the church building the Mungule church was meeting in-outside and inside views.  About 120 people meet every week in that space.  The pastor is a woman from Lusaka who takes a minibus every Sunday 45 minutes north of the city and then walks about 45 minutes on a dirt road to get to this congregation.  Her husband pastors a church in a compound in Lusaka.  This is a church plant.  She has the sweetest spirit.  

 Below is the finished Tabernacle for Mungule PAOG church. The congregation will build walls, put in a floor, tile etc as they can afford it. I had a precious time eating lunch with the pastor as she shared, face glowing, how faithful God is.

 Below is the process of the beams going up in Kabanana A/G church.  The design of these newer Tabernacles is so much better then the old ones.  It goes up much quicker and safer.  Another day I'll share the story of the man behind the design, Bobby Smith.  He came also to help the team. The next picture is Bobby playing with the kids.

 Sunday we had three services to officially hand over the building to each church.  In the morning the team was split between Kabanana and Mungule.  Below is the service at Kabanana.  It was amazing to see they had already pounded in stakes and split wood for wooden benches for seats.  The roof sheeting around is from their old building that was falling apart.  The week earlier a storm had blown the tin sheet roof off.

 In the afternoon, we all gathered at Upper Room Grace Ministries church for their hand over service.  It was a lovely time of singing, dancing and praising God.  The guest of honor was a bishop in the United Church of Zambia that the pastor and our bishop are friends with.  He and the pastor from Mississippi both gave very good sermons.

 This is the road on the way to the Kabanana church.  Rainy season has arrived.

 Fun picture of the chairs going back from whence they came.

The team from Mississippi was 11 people from 3 different churches with each pastor coming.  They did an incredible job in hot weather---up on the roof.  They graciously tried all the traditional Zambian food made at the worksite each day for lunch.  Relationships were formed between church leaders and congregants from each side of the pond.  We are praying the changes made in people's lives and communities has a lasting impact on the Kingdom.

Friday at Liteta I was so encouraged to see the improvement in one of the little malnourished boys on the ward. I met him 2 weeks ago only 1-2 days into his stay. He is only skin and bones, about two years old and weighs about 12 lbs. He had that far off stare of a starving person. Friday he was up to eating regular porridge and foods. He looked alert and interactive and even tried pushing me away during my exam. I love that he is aware and alert enough to push away this strange muzungu. 

Saturday we enjoyed celebrating the life of one of our coworkers daughters.  She was diagnosed with Burkitt's lymphoma one year ago.  Through God's grace, many prayers, the perseverance and patience of Christine, John and her mom and dad, she is a vibrant eleven year old back at loving school and playing with her friends.

Exciting times coming this week as a team from Mississippi comes to help put up three tabernacles (churches) at the three sites we did the Holy Spirit conferences at.  Please pray for good connections to be made, the churches to grow and for safety as they put up the buildings.

Please also pray for one of the main missionaries leading the team.  Archie's mom passed away last night and he is staying here to see the project and people come together.