Chacos

For those of you who do not know what Chacos are: they are simply the most amazing type of footwear currently known to man. They look like sandals, but are so much more. If you mixed a Merrell hiking boot with the same sandals Jesus wore, one would get Chacos. I have yet to find an occasion in which my Chacos are not appropriate. I have decided to make a list of the activities I have performed while wearing my Chacos. I may also add some that I have seen or heard of. This is a very short list and does not begin to list the uses for such an amazing sandal. If I ever settle in a developing country, I will do all I can to make sure the indigenous people around me own a pair. Unfortunately the sandals are expensive and could probably not be distributed in a way that Toms shoes are.

If anyone has one to add, feel free to comment below. Although I cannot attach any photos, I am sure I will be tagged doing these activities on Facebook at some point. This is 20 out of 6,726 things one can do while wearing Chacos. They are in no particular order.

Ping-Pong
I have never felt more agile.

Weddings
I have never been married, but many people have. And I have heard of people getting married in Chacos.

Basketball
I practically flew from one end of the court to the other; getting traction like no other. I don’t remember missing a shot either. I cannot dunk in basketball shoes, but I can two-hand slam it in my Chacos.

Football
I have never been tackled wearing them.

Soccer
I was able to kick someone in the face without moving my leg.

Hiking/Climbing
Check Guinness book of World Records 2010.

Church
I have gotten so many compliments on how beautiful my feet look at church.

Cross Country
I literally ran across the country and didn’t need any water to drink.

Sprinting
My forty yard run was timed at 3.3 seconds in these sandals.

Sleep
Coma like sleep

Eat
Last week I consumed three plates in three seconds.

Elephant Safari
I tamed the elephants with them.

Bungee Jumping
My friend wore his Chacos to bungee jump and didn’t have to use a chord.

Rafting the Nile
I didn’t even have to use a raft.

Insanity
Rebecca Daggett could only do 12 pushups barefooted. When she put her Chacos on, she was able to do 67 without stopping.

Speak Tonga
Once my sandals are strapped on, I can speak any tongue I desire.

Hunting
Several of us went hunting with some of the locals. Or should I say that we went killing?

Sing
Majestically 

Read
As long as I am wearing my sandals I don’t have to open the book to read; I simply just think about it.

Slaughtering animals
…using nothing but my bare hands.

Not only are all these activities POSSIBLE wearing Chacos, but the Chacos actually make one better at each. I can dive off of cliffs with better form. I can run faster. I can kick the soccer ball further. I can win every game of ping pong. I can jump higher. I WIN wearing these sandals. I can swim and climb faster than ever before. I can shower in these sandals (“Chaco shower”). While I have these sandals on I become smarter and I can feel more oxygen in each breath. Chacos enhance my ability to live.

Everyday Adventures

Once again Trey and I set out with Quintyn to visit locals in the market. We have made good friends with an older gentleman named Marres (pronounced Mars) who I mentioned earlier. Marres has been somewhat questionable up to this point and we were unsure whether to buy in to his unusual kindness towards Americans. Marres is very passionate about Americans (not just whites) and wishes to give us all of his land. We ran into a couple named Frank and Rebecca who helped to run a local charity, but since they were from the U.K. Marres showed no interest in them.

We began walking towards the market in order to meet Marres in front of his cousin’s convenient store. Although this is a two hour walk we were able to hitch a ride from a nice gentleman by the name of Dennis. After chatting with Dennis about his children, he dropped us off a short ways from the market. Soon we were talking with Marres and he began to show us around town. We planned to get to know Marres better, ask him of his intentions, and do a check up on him by interviewing local Zambians. While Marres chatted with Quintyn and me, Trey snuck over to meet locals and ask them their opinion of Marres. Without fail, every person we asked about Marres mentioned what a respectful man he is. They also told us how he was a great father and leader. Marres seemed to know everyone at the market; He even introduced us to the chief’s son! Each time someone approaches Marres they seem very respectful. At one point we were sitting with Marres, and others made a point to kneel and greet him in a respectful manner.
The main reason we met with Marres was because he hoped to give us one of his healthy cows. This is a very generous thing for one to do in Zambia (men buy their wives with cows) and for us to turn such an offer down is not culturally appropriate.

During our tour of the town we ran into a little black boy who had never seen a mukua (white person) before. He began to cry in the middle of the kapenta (sardine) market and all of the women laughed. His mother began pushing him towards us, which caused him to scream and hide. He was horrified of us and this was a hilarious experience that I will never forget. All of the people in Kalomo are very welcoming and accepting of us. Marres later took us to the house of Linda and Mike Johnson. The Johnsons are a very nice couple who run an orphanage about 30 km away. I look forward to visiting them again and talking with them about their work. They have lived here for 17 years now. The fact that Marres had such a good relationship with strong Christian people strengthened our confidence and trust in him.

After visiting with some more locals, Marres took us to the automotive section of town so that we could get a ride to the slaughter house. Once we arrived, I could no longer breathe through my nose. Each time I tried to breathe in through my nose I would gag and almost throw up. The smell was unbearable, but I tried to hide my disgust. Random cow parts were scattered throughout puddles of blood. Complete cow heads were lying around in different spots. Several cows were hung from the ceiling, while others were still kicking with severed necks. We were taken out to the line of cows. One by one the cows are lead into the building, where they will be shot and have their throats slit. The slaughter house was another example in which Zambians work in a less organized fashion than Americans are accustomed to.

The last place Marres showed us was the land that he recently purchased. It is quite a large plot of land that is right on the highway. The land is three blocks total and is very close to the Namwianga Mission. Marres wishes to hand this land over to us, which is very exciting. We have encouraged him to form good relations with Roy Merritt and the people here at Namwianga. We then encouraged him to form connection with Harding University and use us as a connection. Although we cannot occupy the land currently, we hope that Marres will consider giving the land to Namwianga or Harding University so that it may be used for good. Marres is very kind to us and insisted on paying for our drinks and lunch in the market. We had grilled chicken and schema (sp) at a local restaurant. Schema is a ball that has no taste to me; however, many of the locals love its acquired taste. You eat it with your hands by rolling it into a ball and dipping it into a sauce. During lunch Trey did most of the talking and did a wonderful job of speaking with Marres reasonably on issues concerning land and Marres’ visit to the United States. Throughout our stay, I had to be careful to only drink bore whole water or else I will become very sick. Our weak stomachs cannot handle some of the water that locals drink.

Marres is a very kind man and payed for us to be driven back to the mission. We have kept our relationship with Marres as brothers; NOT as business partners. He has been very kind to us and has agreed to bring us a live cow to slaughter today. Although this is a very kind gesture, I sincerely hope he does not bring the cow. If he does I will be sure to film Ba Shawn’s reaction so that we may record as one of the greatest moments in Harding history. Also we have no tree that is big enough to hang a huge cow from. After my experience with killing a goat at H.U.T I can only imagine how chaotic a dying cow may be if we are unsuccessful in slaughtering it. Cleaning a cow will certainly be a new experience for all of us.

The guys got in a dispute with the girls over who was next to play ping pong. The guys put the ping pong on the roof so that one has to climb a huge tree to play. win.

Convicted

I cannot brag enough about our group that has come to Zambia. But should I be surprised that the students that committed to a three month mission trip in Africa are the greatest people I know? Should I be surprised that the greatest group I have been a part of includes students from Harding that are willing to give up anything they have? The nurse, Jessica that has traveled with us gave up her job in the states in order to volunteer her time here at the mission. I could go on and on, but I will save my praises for another time.
Trey Carlock has a tremendous desire to serve those around him and spends much of his time here walking and forming relationships with people in nearby villages. Although his knees are weak, he has spent several days walking up to 20 kilometers to reach out to the local Zambians. He would not like me to brag on him; however, I would like to share the journey that we took today.
Yesterday, Trey met a man who had his house burn down and lost many of his possessions. He did not have a name, but he knew that the man could not speak English and that his three children had no clothes to wear. This morning Trey decided he would trek back into the villages and try to find this man’s house. I agreed to set out with him, both of us having no idea where to find the man. We figured we could ask around; Trey has picked up on the Tonga language very well and was able to communicate surprisingly well.
Before our journey, we collected first aid supplies, food, and shirts to take to the man’s family. Once the students knew the trip we were taking, everyone was willing to give. Several people gave of their own clothes and food while others gave medicine and ointments that they have brought. Several of the ladies in our group wanted to walk with us once they found out about the trek. We warned Kristin, Katrina, and Katy that we may not return until evening and that we would be walking fast. This did not faze any of them and they did an incredible job of keeping up.
A mile in, we ran into our friend Elvis who pointed us towards another friend, Belvis. Belvis escorted us to the man we needed: Given. One of Given’s ears is missing and he cannot speak English well. We eventually discovered the man’s nickname (Diabu Diabu which may mean march in Tonga) and had a rough map that was drawn in the dirt. Eventually, we found the man that could help us find Diabu Diabu. He has three children and one of his children apparently has seizures. We are not quite sure of his situation, but his family is for sure living in poor conditions. We left what little we brought and agreed to visit them again soon. The children were very respectful and received our gifts with two hands.
I look forward to learning more Tonga and visiting Diabu Diabu’s family again. I admire Trey’s willingness to travel and serve those around. I also admire Kristin, Katrina, and Katy for their endurance and caring hearts. There is much to say about this experience, but there is one thing that bothers me. There is a question that constantly bugs me while I am here and there is no answer. Why did God choose us to be so blessed? Why do we have so many material things, while some people in Zambia are lucky to feed their children? For this I feel convicted. It has never hit me from watching television or reading National Geographic. It never hit me until I found myself staring at Diabu Diabu and his children in the dirt, as if I was having an outer body experience. I continued to ask myself, “is this really where they live?” How can they live in this small hut with no door?
Once we arrived back at the mission I was exhausted and fell asleep on my comfortable mattress with my white sheets. After I woke up I took a shower with clean water. Only two hours away there are children the color of dirt. We eat three meals a day and each meal is different food. When I am thirsty I drink water out of the sink. For all of these things I feel convicted.
The only thing more surprising than these conditions in which many Africans live is the fact that they are more content than many Americans. Although I will never have the answers, it is comforting to know that the Zambians are very content with what they have and are able to live a life of joy no matter what their situation; something many wealthy Americans do not possess.

Funerals

In the short time that we have been in Zambia, three children and one adult have passed away. I have attended two funerals at Namwianga. The first funeral was for Mrs. Moonga, an older lady who had an obvious impact on the lives of many people. Although I did not know Mrs. Moonga, her impact on the lives of many is very apparent and I look forward to meeting our teacher, Mr. Moonga. I am very grateful that we were able to attend the funeral of Mrs. Moonga; this was a great learning experience.

The first thing I noticed during the ceremony that began in the church, was that several men videotaped the congregation. This is something that one would never see in America. Ba Siyaziyu was very generous in answering all of our questions concerning the funeral. He clarified that the video is simply for the family to see. The video is to keep in memory, especially for those who may not have been able to attend the funeral.

Next, I noticed the different ways in which each person dressed. Men that were directly related to Mrs. Moonga wore black suits in order for those in attendance to know. Several of the women wore headdresses known as chitambalas. This was to hide their hair, in what is to be a more respectful manner. I also thought it was very interesting that the women insisted on carrying the casket.

It becomes obvious to one the impact that Mrs. Moonga had at Namwianga since the funeral lasted for several hours. Cement was used in burying Mrs. Moonga; this is for several reasons. First, they bury people in this way to keep thieves from stealing the casket. Secondly, the cement keeps the ground very sturdy. Lastly, the cement helps keep animals away as well. After the family members threw a handful of dirt into the grave, the young men proceeded to bury Mrs. Moonga. Once the dirt was filled in, individual people in attendance placed assorted flowers into the grave. Different people gave speeches pertaining to the life of Mrs. Moonga and the impact she had here on earth.

The second funeral was for a small baby named Shelby. Little Shelby had measles and passed away at a very young age. In a way, this funeral is more saddening than a longer funeral, which may be held for someone that lived a long life. It is also sad that I must struggle to find words to write; simply because the funeral was so short. The graveyard is near the Haven and Shelby was buried next to five other graves, each surrounded by cement blocks filled with rocks. Very few people attended this funeral aside from our group and the area was under a large tree, which was surrounded by a fence. During the burial we sang several songs in Tonga, and then there was a short prayer afterwards.

The hole for the burial was considerably small and Shelby was wrapped in a sheet and blanket before being buried. This was a very sad experience for each of us in the Harding University group, because in America one will not have to bury near as many children. I did not know Shelby, but it is very sad to see small child buried at such a young age; especially with no family to witness.

Update

First picture is Request on Wednesday. Request passed away this morning. Second picture is little Christine at the Haven.

Here at Namiwanga we have begun classes and are starting to get involved with some of the school activities. Several of us are in the choir and participate in the soccer games. Here soccer is football and there are no shin guards or cleats. The players here are incredibly fast and make me look very sluggish.
We have begun doing clinical rotations, exposing me more to the sick children here in Kalomo. It is very sad to spend one day with a child, knowing they may not make it to the end of the week. Wednesday I spent much of my time with a child named Request. Request came to the orphanage with several problems and most likely had AIDS. Some thought that Request had measles; plus he was dehydrated. So we were able to hook an IV to his head and soon he looked much better. Although he did not have measles it was obviously a virus of some kind with visible bumps all over his body. This morning we found out that Request passed away and will no longer be with us here on Earth.

During Quintyn’s rotation at the Haven last week, twins were born. Neither of the babies had names so Quintyn was able to name them. Now two children at the orphanage go by the names Quintyn and Tanner. I hope to witness a child being born so that another Kelsey can be running around. Hopefully if I do get to name a child Kelsey it will be a girl, so a boy doesn’t have to worry about having a girl’s name. However, if the child is a boy and is named Kelsey this will make him very patient with the ignorance of others and will be a very humbling name for him during his teenage years. He will look back and be glad that he was given this name and will be proud.

Yesterday George Benson had their 16th graduation ceremony. This was a very interesting experience. The graduation was suppose to start at 1 p.m. but did not start until 3 p.m. Time is something that Zambians do not consider. To them the event is important, NOT the time. This is very frustrating to me because I do not understand, plus I feel as if I am wasting time. If a meeting is scheduled for 10 it may not start until 11:30. Throughout the ceremony different African music played, which I enjoyed very much. Although the ceremony seemed less organized I enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere. The students danced their way in to receive their diplomas and had a very light hearted approach.

Many of the ladies in our group have become sick. Something is going around; however, none of the guys have gotten it yet. I hope to avoid this illness, simply because it seems quite miserable. One can tell who his sick that day because they will be missing in action for 48 hours.
Today Dr. Frank asked me if I would like to join him at the clinic, which I immediately accepted. Since today is Saturday, there is no clinical rotation and I was the only student to go. This was a great opportunity to talk with Ba Janice and Ba Frank and learn some general physical assessments. I was able to give my first shot to a child named Memory. Memory has some type of conjunctivitis that caused her eyes to be swollen shut. Hopefully this will not pass to the other children at the Haven.

I must mention how beautiful the stars are here. There are no lights to hinder ones view of the sky and night and I am able to see stars from one side to the other. Last night, several of us climbed on top of some storage containers and watched the stars. The sky was completely full of stars, leaving me in awe of God’s power.

Ants vs. HIZ

Although I have not been in Zambia long, I have already gotten use to seeing huge spiders, wasps, and ants everywhere. Often times there will be a huge spider on my bedroom wall and it no longer fazes me. If anything, we hope that they will kill the ants and mosquitoes. Much like in America, there are good bugs and bad bugs. Here at Namwianga the ants are invading, and ants are BAD. I must inform you that ants here in Zambia are huge and have pinchers. These ants bite and are nothing like one seen in America.

At first the ants invaded the Mann House, which is where half of the ladies in our group are staying. Here in Zambia, one cannot just call a terminator; they must take care of the problem themselves. This has given the guys a great chance to mess with the bugs; something we have loved doing since childhood anyways. We were able to kill all the ants surrounding the Mann House and the problem seemed to be taken care of; especially since we covered the edge of the house with ash. If you know anything about ants you know that we did not attack the main source, which would be underground. Sometimes killing ants in this way can make the queen ant very angry and only make problems worse. We ignored this reality and hoped that the ants would invade somewhere else. Little did we know that we were very wrong and the ants were only preparing for their next attack.

Last night twelve of us were watching Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (very funny childish movie) on a twelve inch Mac computer screen. We were having a blast in the Mann House living room, drinking soda and enjoying the movie. The room was very dark, so the ants chose this hour to schedule their revenge. Throughout the entire movie, ants were swarming back into the living room from the ceiling above and we had NO IDEA. The reaction on everyone’s face when the lights came on is priceless! Tons and tons of ants were pouring into the room and covered the living room floor and some of the furniture. As the girls were screaming I remember looking over at Quityn as he emptied ants out of his shirt and pants. Shortly after we discovered the ants he was bitten a couple times. Those that were sitting on the couch near the wall had ants in their pants and didn’t even know! The whole episode was hilarious; however, action had to be taken.

While some of the guys began spraying the ants and stomping, several of us made a mixture of boric acid and flour. This was Ba Shawn’s idea and worked quite brilliantly. The ants will either eat the boric acid and flour and die or carry it back to their home and kill the other ants. Once we walked outside and discovered where the ants were coming from, chills ran up my spine. Although the number of ants was overwhelming, they did not stand a chance. Since the spiders didn’t do their job, the men stepped up. Dead ants were everywhere in the house and how we got rid of them is a whole different blog entry in itself. While spot checking the area I found a black snake with white stripes. It escaped and we were unable to identify it. So if you have any ideas let me know. Miss you all.

Heavenly Sounds

If one was to tell me I will experience the most magnificent scene AND sounds of my life up to this point all in the same week; I would laugh directly in their face. However, they would have been exactly right. After visiting the market in Kalomo, the group visited a local congregation to worship and sing with one another. I believe the name of the church is Motata, but I am not sure. The men of the congregation were outside making plans, while the women and children of the congregation were inside the church building with us. The church was lit my three candles, one in the front and two in the back. It was very simple, but one can see how much the church building means to these people. As the women and children began to sing praises in Tonga, I was shocked. I cannot explain the sounds in proper words; it was absolutely magnificent. No recordings can capture the beauty of their voices. It is almost as if every person sings their own part and it somehow fits together. Once the men of the congregation arrived, the sound became even more phenomenal. Each of the Zambians has such a powerful and loud voice. I will never forget my first impression of the Zambians and their ways of worship. Once again my eyes have been opened to something real and magnificent. Once again I have experienced a praise that is truly connected with Christ.