A day in Kasupe

Note: This is a blog I started writing in the end of January and am just now tweaking and getting posted. As usual....so behind :)

We've had a good January. We sadly had to say goodbye to Brad's parents after a very short 3 week visit. But we are so thankful for the time we were able to spend with them.(I'll try to post pics from their trip next) We are now back into the swing of school and the girls started activities at LICS again last week. The slots are very full, so they are not doing too much. Kaitlyn does pool games on Mondays and Samantha does Drama (it is sooooooo up her alley---she loves it--especially having her buddy Julia doing it with her). I believe she was one of the 3 little pigs last week (one of the ones that was eaten). This week we plan to add Junior swim team practice to Kaitlyn's Wednesday though she still will not be able to compete since we are homeschoolers. (She doesn't mind one bit). Her friends Kamryn and Brayden also do Pool games and Swim team. I am very thankful to our new swim coach for being so generous as to let these girls join in for the fun and exercise.

We had a nice weekend. I spent the day with my Friend Karla and her mom (Nancy) fabric shopping downtown. We each ended up with a good bit of fabric and are having a tailor make up some things for each of us. It was a nice day followed by them coming over that evening with about 200 ears of fresh sweet corn. Jonathan (Karla's hubby) had gone out to the farm and purchased these on his way back into town. So we had a shucking party around the dining room table once Olivia was in bed. 5 of us shucked while Nancy cut all the corn off the cobs (at warp speed I might add) and Karla bagged it all. We finished all 200 ears in 58 minutes. It was unbelievable. Kaitlyn and Samantha wanted to watch a movie, but I made them join us. I have such fond memories sitting around with my parents, grandparents and aunts and uncles shelling peas and butterbeans, snapping green beans and shucking corn by the bushel. I thought it would be a good experience for them and they were amazing. I believe my children were faster than I was and they giggled and had fun contributing.

On Sunday, we went to a Zambian church with our friend Steve Allen. He has posted all about it on his blog and has given me permission to copy and paste here. So I will let Steve do the Storytelling (this is him with Pastor Victor just below)

Pastor and friend, Steve Allen:

"Today, I joined forces with Brad and Christie Guffey to speak at a churchlocated just near our Kasupe Ciyanajano property. It all came down lastweek when the Guffeys, their parents and our families went out to see the property that ACTION Zambia owns and plans to use as retreat/conference centre. I had asked Christie to take some pictures of children while touring the facility to use for some promotional videos for our camp. But when we got there, the pastor Victor Makundu said that he forgot to take into consideration that church goers take their children out to the farm on Saturdays. So, we didn't get to take pictures. As we were talking about when to reschedule, I was talking to the pastor about how Brad was a doctor with an HIV/AIDS specialty. His eyes got wide and he shared how they had an HIV/AIDS service coming up and he wasn't able to get a video and he really needed a speaker. And, oh, he needed it next week:) Anyway, we decided to think and pray about it. On Tuesday, we decided it would work and so I called Victor. He said, "Oh yes, I was already planning on you!"

Anyway, it was really one of the greatest, I think, most significant services that I have ever been a part of for a church here in Zambia. I preached on fear, especially in light of HIV/AIDS and then Brad came up behind me and shared the realities of someone who lives by fear and shame and the damage that does to lives in Zambia. I say significant because it gave both the a pastoral call to fear God and not people, shame, stigma, fear of getting tested and caring for HIV/AIDS people, but then also to hear Brad share medically how people die needlessly because they are fearful of getting tested and afraid of the stigma of getting tested and having to take ARV's was an amazing closer. I don't quite know how to put it into words the revelation that occurred in my mind about the darkness the Zambians are under and how I saw it clearly for the first time. Fear has kept people from getting treated. How do we break the fear? We gotta preach and pray...

After the service was over, Victor shared how they were going to bring in someone to test in the church and they were not going to be controlled by fear anymore. This was very, very unusual to have a pastor make this kind of a statement and motion. Amazing.
So, please pray for the people in Zambia who live in fear of a disease that though isn't curable, is treatable and can allow people to live a long, healthy life. Pray that they wouldn't allow fear to keep them from getting tested so they can know if they have the disease so they can know if they need treatment. Pray that they would talk about it, and learn how to care for each other. Pray that the church will stand up in the gap for this disease that carries the same stigma and shame as leprosy back in bible times. And pray for our CROSS HIV/AIDS ministry that we will continue to have a strong presence teaching churches how to help people out of the darkness in to the light of Christ, medicine and the love of Jesus. Amen. "

Pastor Victor translating Brad's talk.

Worship team leading in song. Not a word of it was in English, but I still felt the moving of the Holy Spirit in this service unlike any others I have been to here. The voices were beautiful and seemed to envelop you in their obvious worship and praise.

We were the first to leave the church along with Pastor Victor because we were the guests. I felt completely out of my element and self concious that everyone was shaking our hands until the very end when I looked up and realized that everyone that had passed me, turned and got in line behind us and shook hands until the last person exited and made it to the end of the line. I suddenly realized what I nice way it was to end the service together.

After the service, all the children were called out to the field on Action Zambia's farm where they had a time of games. It was such a blessing to meet these children and have a chance to photograph them.

We hired Johanna and Catherine (two young ladies from our Sunday evening youth group--twins) to come and take care of the girls (7 of them--Jo Jo is still in the States with her mom) in the house on Action Zambia's property. The service was to be 2-2 1/2 hours long and half of that (all but Steve and Brad's part) was not in English. Following the service , the girls came out to join in the games. Does she look like she's having fun yet? :)

Group picture of the kids at the end waving farewell.

Guffey and Allen girls...Samantha; Rhoda , Kamryn, Julia and Brayden Allen; Kaitlyn (Missing: Olivia--back at house napping, JoJo--stateside)

We bid you farewell for now and if you're interested in more of the promotional pictures visit: www.aliveinafrica.com and go to Feb 1, 2010 post for pics and a video. Enjoy!