Newsletter (March 12, 2009)

Dear all, Public holidays here are very different from those of New Zealand.  Apart from New Year’s Day, Christmas Day and Good Friday, there is nothing in common between the two.  This week we have two holidays, International Women’s Day (8 March but taken on 9 March as the former is a Sunday) and International Youth Day (12 March).  It seems that quite a lot of celebrations were held throughout the country and in Ndola there were parades and processions on both mornings.  Other than that the town centre was really quiet as most shops were closed.

We have had quite a lot of visitors staying with us recently.  The Chinese nurse from Mukinge Hospital stayed with us last week and she and Zara had a very good time together, sharing, chatting and cooking together in Cantonese.  >From this Thursday to Saturday the administrator of the same hospital is in Ndola getting supplies and she is staying with us as well.  This is the first time we met her and it is good to be able to know so many missionaries from Mukinge Hospital.  Then at the end of the month we will again host two pastors coming to attend the Ministerial College organised by our church.  As usual they will stay with us for a week.  Please pray that our Lord will give strength and wisdom especially to Zara as we host so many people that are passing through Ndola.

From time to time Zara visits several old ladies living in a Salvation Army rest home nearby.  It is not a very big one and four of them speak English as they are white Zambians.  This week Zara had Bible study with three of them.  One is a Jehovah’s Witness, one is a Roman Catholic and the other seems to be a Protestant.  The Bible study went well and they are keen to continue, so Zara will now go there every Wednesday morning.  There is another woman who agreed to join as well and she is an unbeliever and she is a smoker.  The other three are allergic to smoke, so please pray that she won’t smoke before attending the study and that Zara may find good passages that are relevant to both believer and unbeliever.

Zara is still visiting the cerebral palsy children at the orphanage and this week the physiotherapist is on holiday so she is taking care of all the children there.  It is so tiring for her but the kids are so pleased to see her come.  If she doesn’t turn up then they will have to stay in their rooms and won’t have the chance of coming out, and the condition of the rooms is not too good.

About two months ago Zara made contacts with a high school nearby and offered to help students that need mathematics tuition.  However the arrangement that the school suggested was not too good so she did not go there after all.  However, two or three TCCA kids come to our house in the afternoon as they need help in mathematics.

We are getting less rain now and at times it can be hot during the day, but certainly not as hot as October and early November.  In Christ.