Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving full of feasting, fellowship, and of course giving thanks to God for it all. We celebrated a day early with the Mwila family and ohhhh did we have a glorious time as you will see by the following pictures.

Our meal was made extra special by the spices so many of you lavished upon us during my trip to the USA. I now have enough sage to last for several months and trust me, I treasure it greatly. I use it almost every day and vow to never take the precious herb for granted. Although I returned with many jars and bags of various spices (all of which are heavenly), sage is one that is not available in Zambia at ANY price. It just doesn't exist here. Well it does now thanks to several of YOU.

The Mwila family thoroughly enjoyed mashed potatoes, gravy, vegetables, and baked chicken all cooked American style. After dinner, well actually even before dinner, the music played and everyone danced as is customary in Zambian gatherings. We laughed, sang, danced, ate, and thanked God for our friendship and all His goodness. A glorious time was had by all.

Pastor Mwila tapped the side of the drum as Charity pounded an African beat. The rest of us clapped our hands as some of the girls danced a traditional step.

Carlin and Steven shared their camera with Emmanuel. He enjoyed watching all the action through the view finder.

Above, Idoxi dances to the beat of the drum. Notice the wrap around her hips? These are attached in preparation for the dance.

Immanuel never let go of the camera. Very few Zambian adults own a camera particularly one that is digital with immediate playback. So this was a big deal.

Finally, it was Jason's turn. Pastor Mwila vowed to teach him everything he needed to know about dancing like a Zambian man. It was loads of fun and tons of laughter filled the room.

Now it's time for careful instruction. (below)

Let the fun begin!

We laughed until our sides hurt.

I wish you could hear these pictures. We had loads of fun watching Jason "find" his rhythm.

I captured this group shot (below) just before the Mwilas returned home.

Back row left to right: Sia, Katherine, Naomi, Nancy, Idoxi, Jason, Pastor Mwila

Middle row left to right: Isata, Shauna, Charity, Gloria, and Sarah

Front left to right: Charles Jr, Carlin, Steven, and Immanuel

I thank God for each of you for your love and generous support of our family and ministry. We are filled with gratefulness and thanksgiving for God's abundant blessings of genuine friendships that continue to deepen with each passing year. Truly we are rich in all the ways that matter most.

Love and prayers,
Beckie

One word best describes my six weeks in the USA (part 1)

INDESCRIBABLE! But I will try anyway.

First of all, it broke my heart to leave my hubby and four of our children in tears. All who know me will remember that I wouldn't even leave our little ones in the church nursery if it upset them to do so. Imagine how difficult it was to leave them for six weeks!

I was grateful for the privilege to globe-trot with 10 year-old Sia and 7 year-old Caylie. The girls are terrific travelers and enormously helpful. We managed to have extra seats for both transcontinental flights (Jo'burg to London then London to San Francisco) giving us more space to stretch out and even doze a bit. Honestly, I cannot imagine embarking on such a long journey alone. I know people do it all the time but I'm glad I didn't have to.

Finally, we landed in San Francisco found our luggage without incident and started for the Customs area where we were greeted by a huge sign "Welcome to the United States of America". I choked up at both the sign and the friendliness of the officer. He handed over our passports and said cheerfully, "Welcome home".

Still teary eyed over that experience, we rounded a corner and saw another sign with "Sibley" hand written in blue Sharpie (of course) held by my oldest son. Next to Justin capturing the moment on camera was my daughter in-law Lisa. How do I describe that emotional scene? Indescribable!

As if I wouldn't know him! It was absolutely wonderful to see Justin and Lisa after all this time! I so appreciate Lisa capturing these moments. The photos bring back joyful memories.

We brought six empty suitcases. Trust me, they didn't all fit onto one cart when I returned to this same airport six weeks later. They were far from empty thanks to so many of YOU!!!

Together at last!
Left to Right: Me, Justin, Caylie, Sia

Our first days were spent recuperating from our long journey and purchasing clothes for Sia. She had grown through several sizes and had nothing that fit. So off to Target we walked. (Justin and Lisa were temporarily living in Sunnyvale, California while they waited for their new house to be finished).

It was great to find terrific deals on summer clothes since the States was well into fall weather. I found several tops and shorts under $5 for both girls and boys. In one store, I asked a clerk if the items were mismarked as the tags read $1. Yippee!!!

That Friday, Lisa had scheduled an appointment with her favorite hair stylist for ME! The whole salon experience was heavenly and came complete with pink lemonade on ice.

While I was being completely pampered, Justin took Sia and Caylie to Jamba Juice where they met two of his co-workers at eBay. They laughed and shared a few "Justin" stories between them.

Lisa shared every free moment she could with us and we savored each one. However, without any vacation days left for this year, her time was a bit limited. That said, the fact that she put so much effort into being with us and making that time extra special touched my heart to its core. I am blessed with a very dear daughter in-law whom I treasure.

The next day Justin drove us and our empty suitcases to Redmond. It had been a full year since we had the pleasure of taking a road trip. With Zambian gas prices ranging between $9-10/gallon, we only travel when we have to and the longest distance is a one-and-a-half hour bumpy ride to Mufulira. So Sunnyvale, California to Redmond, Oregon was absolutely spectacular. I enjoyed that one-on-one time with Justin, Sia and Caylie along with viewing the beauty all around us.

There is no way to fit my whole six weeks into one post as every day was full. So I will post a little bit each day in between filling you in on life in Zambia since our return.

Blessings and joy,
Beckie

(The rainy season has begun which means everything is beautiful BUT our internet service is interupted with each down pour. That said, I'm trying to get all of my posts done on Word so they are ready when service is restored.)

THANK YOU!

Let me take this opportunity to thank all of you who made my and Sia's six weeks in the USA some of the most treasured experiences of our lives. Truly, I was completely unprepared for all the love showered upon us. We were treated like royalty.

To the congregation at City Center Church, thank you for your never-ending love, prayers, and support. I was pleasantly surprised to feel not an ounce of nervousness each time I was called upon to share. Instead, when I approached the front and turned around, I saw "family". The love, acceptance, and genuine interest radiating from your faces melted away all anxiety and panic. For someone who has always suffered a fear of public speaking, this is nothing short of miraculous.

I was overwhelmed by all of your cards, letters, and gifts which we will enjoy for months to come. These are tough times and yet you gave abundantly and sacrificially. We are honored and humbled by your generosity.

To the congregation at Cottage Grove Faith Center, thank you for welcoming me once again into your fellowship even though I was 15 minutes late AND in my haste forgot to turn off my cell phone! Yet no one rolled their eyes or darted dirty looks my way as I tried desperately to "sneak" out of the service, cell phone ringing wildly--at least not that I could tell (said with a grin).

Thank you also for your faithfulness in prayer and in finances. Again, we KNOW these are difficult times and are continually honored by your faith in what God is doing through us in Zambia. Your steadfast commitment gives us great courage to accomplish our part of God's plan for this beautiful country and it's amazing people.

And to New Life Fellowship in Madras, Oregon: I regret there were not enough Sundays in my Central Oregon schedule to allow a visit to one of your services. Jason and I continually thank God for you and your partnership with us. We so enjoyed our visit to your church shortly before we left for Zambia. Pastors Todd and Kim offered godly wisdom as former missionaries, which we have referred to many times this past 14 months. Thank you for your faithfulness in communication as well as in financial giving. We are enormously grateful and honored.

To loving friends and family who enthusiastically opened their homes and guest rooms to us, THANK YOU for your generous hospitality, warm friendship, and oh so yummy food. We thoroughly enjoyed each and every scrumptious meal and treat along with communicating face to face for the first time in more than a year.

At the market today, our friend Partner looked at Sia and announced, “You are fat!” This is not considered rude in Zambia. Sia was not impressed however and didn’t say a word. I tried to smooth things over by telling her that Partner did not mean to hurt her feelings but meant she must have enjoyed American food. I don’t think it worked as Sia is quite sensitive these days.

I can hardly wait to share some of our adventures and pictures so stay tuned. Until then. . .

Blessings and joy,
Beckie