October Update

Greetings from Zambia. I hope this update finds you all well. October was a big month for me. I have made history here in Zimba. Selinda, another missionary here, and I were the first Mukuwas (whites) to be in the line up of a Zambian wedding in Zimba. They were some friends of ours. The husband works at the hospital and the wife goes to our church. They have been wanting to get married for a long time, and finally it happened. We were asked if we would dance in the wedding because we were friends, so we agreed. I don’t know what ever possessed me but I said yes. There were 8 of us in the procession. We all had to learn the dance steps. We practiced here at the mission for a couple of hours three times a week. At the beginning, I could not follow what everyone else was doing. I felt very awkward and everyone would laugh. But I finally got the hang of it just in time for the wedding. Praise God! Who said Wesleyans can’t dance. I never thought I would be doing that as a missionary. I was the best man. Selinda was the maid of honor. So I walked in with the groom and she walked in with the bride. The wedding took about 4 hours to complete. It was very hot and I was in a dark suit with a jacket on all afternoon. It was long, hot, and uncomfortable, but I would not have traded it for the world. It was neat to be let into their lives and take part in this event. We also danced as the bride and groom exited the church. While doing that, there were so many people crowding the aisles we could barely do our moves. We managed and the people here in Zimba are still talking about the wedding. They were so happy.

Otherwise, October brought the heat. Many days of 100+F; so I sweat a lot. Also my parents came to visit. It was really great to see them and spend some time with them. I am also happy they could come and see what I am doing here, my new friends, and where I stay.

Thanks again for your continued support. I do appreciate it very much.



P.S. Speaking of weddings, I am also getting married. Selinda and I are planning to be married late next spring.