Monday

We went to the Shoprite today to get real groceries. We had just been going and getting a few things here and there and finally felt like we were able to think and make a plan and get some groceries.

I was initially overwhelmed trying to look at the items, do some math in my head and then say either yes, or no way. I guess in the end if it is something you need, you pay the price. I did notice that many of the bread products and pastries and things like that are very inexpensive compared to America. I guess because they can make it here so therefore it is cheaper. Whereas the things that have been imported are more expensive. Makes sense and then you think about the cheapest things you can buy in America, are usually the things that are not made in the USA, then it doesn’t make sense.

So we came out with several things to hopefully get us through more than just a day.

As we were eating dinner I told James I felt very Zambian today. I said, I am sweating because it is hot, there are flies in the house, we washed our clothes by hand today, we got flip flops for everyone to wear and we were eating part of the meal with our hands!

So washing was a bit of an experience. There is a sink outside that has a washboard built into the side of it. So the girls helped, and Caleb and Jackson. I realized a few more things in doing this. The guy that invented the washing machine was a great guy. Really smart. I think about how I can scrub a sock that is dirty and still look a bit brown and then at home, all I would do is throw it in the washing machine, ( sometimes the wrong side out) and it comes out clean. What an amazing thing if you stop to think about it.

So we washed the clothes. I think initially it was fun and a neat experience, but I hope the excitement lasts. The other thing I realized is I know why people where flip flops all over. Socks are way to hard to be washing all the time. And it is much easier to wash your feet than socks.

It has been muddy some, because of the rains, and the kids have had a great time playing in the tree, but it has meant a lot more dirty clothes. So I thought if they all have to help wash than maybe they will think about what they are wearing to play outside. (or maybe not, but either way it is nice to have the help!)

The other event for the day is that while James was gone this evening at a missions prayer meeting, Emma got stuck in the bathroom. The handles on the doors are fairly cheap so the first night here, we broke one handle off of the bedroom door. Then today the handle was broken off from the bathroom door.
So Emma went in to take a shower and when she was done, tried to leave the bathroom and couldn’t.
Thankfully she didn’t panic. There are bars on the windows so going out the window was not an option.
Sarah was sweet and ran around to the other side to talk to her.

I walked to the back of the property to Alice’s house ( the house helper) and asked for her help. She came and got the night guard and her friend Barbara that also stays out here. So the three of them were all talking in Nyanja to each other and they got a kitchen butcher knife out to unscrew the handle. They worked on it for a while, Ian got a screwdriver out to see if they would want to use that but they didn’t. Then they came back with a machete. They took the handle off and then needed the keys, so Sarah then ran back around with the keys for us, since they were in the bathroom. We waited a little bit and they all commented on “Cheap labor”. That was the one thing I did understand and then the guard told me that Barbara went to go get another original handle for the door and he was able to put that on for a minute and open the door. Emma was free. Alice hugged her and laughed and then I hugged her. She said she was fine and it was a little bit fun.

We have plans to look at a house tomorrow. You can keep praying that we would find one, and then also that our house in KY would sell. I also plan to meet another family that I have communicated with over email this past year. They live down across the street from us. We met the Allens on Saturday and the kids had a good time starting to get to know them. Here is their blog www.aliveinafrica.com
We had spent some time with them in July when we were here, and they have been a great help as well in preparing to come.

James was able to secure his work permit today after quite the process only he has to stop by again with all of our passports to get a stamp in them as well.