Working on the Well

I got my pride knocked down a little the other day. I was trying to weld a piece of galvanized pipe to some steel and I was burning through it and not able to get the two sides to stick together. I was having all kinds of problems. Then a guy from the hospital who is a yard man, came and said let me try and it took him about thirty seconds that the weld was done and it all stuck together. I am learning as well

Dennis and Jesse working on the well -

August 22nd

Today Wedon, the anesthetist at the hospital, got married. The wedding was held at one of the local churches and we went. Boy what a production. The whole community has been preparing for this day for weeks. All the employees at the hospital were excited; the ladies especially. The mission house was full of muffins and about three wedding cakes. The church was decorated with colored toilet paper and balloons. The service started at 9:00 am, but the bride and groom came about 11:00 am. In the meantime we just sat and waited, with a little dancing and singing mixed in. When the wedding party finally came, the church was packed to overflowing with people. As each group of the wedding party proceeded to the front of the church, they danced. It was a few steps forward, turn around and then a few steps back. The people in the crowd also were dancing and singing very loudly. The ceremony itself took over an hour. An interesting bit of info is that the bride never smiled because is leaving her family and is supposed to be sad. So there were not many smiles. The whole thing was a very awesome experience.


Edie - the wedding cake baker


Jesse and German medical students waiting for the service -


Young ones dancing before the Bride and Groom enter the church -



The Bride entering the church


The Groom entering the church -


Getting Hitched -

August Update

I have made it! Praise God. I arrived in Zambia on July 25 and my luggage came three days later. My first couple of weeks have been a blur. Between going back to the airport to get my luggage and up to Lusaka to get my work permit, these days have just flown.

I have had many new experiences and met many new people. I am starting to remember their names now, which is a good thing.

Mr. Kosa, who works at the hospital, or Mr. Lyambai, who works with me in maintenance, or Mr. Khondowe, who is an administrator at Zimba Missions Hospital to just name a few.

I ate my first authentic African meal at Church the other day. It was nshima, chicken, goat, and cabbage. The food was very good, but there was no silverware. Everyone just starting grabbing what they wanted with their hands. It was very surprising to me. So we all sat around the table eating with our hands and visiting like old friends.

The one sight I do not think I will ever get used to is the number of people that sit out in front of the ART(anti retroviral treatment) ward waiting for treatment for HIV/AIDS. It is so surprising to me. Most of these, because of choices in their life now have an incurable, deadly disease.

Or take the two older ladies, one was carrying a pick and the other a shovel and a little bundle. Came to find out later it was a premature baby that died at the hospital and now was getting buried. No funeral, no family, no outward display of grief; it shocked me.

The maintenance at the hospital has been neglected for a long time and many things are in need of repair. There is so much, that it is quite overwhelming. From all the lights that are not working, to the water system that has so many little leaks, and the different building projects that I am now in charge of. Trying to get my head around it all has been a challenge.

One more quick story about the hospital maintenance. There is a man named Milliam, who has a welder. He was helping me weld a gate at the hospital, and we were using a pretty sad extension cord. The receptacle where you plug the welder into had been burned so that any plug can not make connection anymore. He just stuck the bare wires of the cord of the welder into the burned receptacle and stood on it to make sure there was a connection. Do whatever it takes I guess.

I am learning to see God in all of this; when things are overwhelming, when things are strange and new, when things are sad. It has been an interesting few weeks.

Thanks again for your faithful support!



Jesse, Mr Lyambai, and his daughter

Arrived in Zambia

July 25 arrived in Livingstone at 1:30pm no luggage and really tired. Dr Jones picked me up. She is very nice. She took us for water at a little shop. She get pick pocketed by a man who took her cell phone. I saw it though and she confronted him and got it back. Welcome to Zambia. Zimba is about an hour and a half north over a really bumpy road.

July 26-- Church was cool. lots of singing and dancing. I want to be in the African section in heaven; they can really sing. I even got up there to dance a little. Played Uecker with a doctor couple that are here for a short time.

July 27 -- Had to go back to Livingstone to pick up bags. All three came 3 days late. It was all there though. Dealing with different businesses can be really frustrating. The Zambian just take their time. It is a totally different from the states. Parts were modern most was not. Drive on the opposite side of road.

July 28 -- Went to Lusaka to get work permit. Five hours on the bus. Dr Jones and I and a driver went. The city is huge. People walking and driving everywhere. No problem getting my work permit. Now I am legal to be here. Did other errands the rest of the day.

July 29-- Spent the day in Lusaka running errands. Got back to Zimba around 11:00pm.

July 30-- First day actually at hospital. Boy is there a lot to do. I am working with a man named Dennis. He is trying to teach me tonga. All the supplies are differnt then in the states and the Zambians have there own way of doing things. It is a big learning curve. and the to do list is huge.

July 31-- Second day on the job. I was able to fix a couple of lights. There is alot of major projects that I am just learning about. The learning curve is big.