Mushili--One Year Celebration

We had the privilege of celebrating the first anniversary of the Tower of Worship Foursquare Church in Mushili back in July. Yes, I'm a month late getting this posted. Mushili is one of the poorest areas in Ndola but its people are rich in heart and purpose.

This church is particularly special to us because we saw it begin with a call upon Pastor Charles and Petra Sande, move into a vision, and finally sent them out officially here. Both Charles and Petra were a part of Ministries Training Institute when Jason taught in Ndeke. They learned and applied those teachings with great passion.

Setting up

Jason and Pastor Charles before the service.

Pastor Charles and his translator

The service had been going for almost an hour but the covering was still being assembled. Everyone just takes it all in stride.

Pastor Jennifer Nkandu
National Overseer for Foursquare Zambia

Isata recited Psalm 1

Finally, the tent was placed and everyone moved under it.

My favorite part of it all was the children.

Aren't these little boys adorable?

After seeing themselves in my camera, they became quite photogenic! We had lots of fun together during all the speeches.

Of course, I'm especially partial to the charming five children picture below. It's hard to believe how much they have grown during our two years in Zambia.


Watching this church develop from the beginning has been a privilege and huge encouragement for us.

***

We now have less than two weeks before our flight leaves Zambia. There is still much to do and many goodbyes to be said before then.

It's hard to believe that two weeks from now, we will be with our son and daughter-in-law in Livermore, California, which is a world away from our life in Zambia. We are excited to go home but grateful for our two years here. Ahhhh...this will have to wait for another post.

Until then...

Blessings and joy,
Beckie

Dinner Fun

We have the pleasure of hosting Pastor David Dively from Louisville, Kentucky while he teaches at the Theological College of Central Africa (TCCA) for two-and-a-half weeks. He had looked forward to sharing this time with the Wegener family but was stuck with us instead. For this we are immensely grateful as he is a breath of fresh air to our entire family. We've enjoyed getting to know him and from what I hear, his students at TCCA are blessed as well.

No introduction to David Dively would be complete without mentioning that he is a devoted Steelers fan. Since we will have the privilege of watching football this year (HOORAY), we will certainly be thinking of him and cheering on the Steelers from our side of the country.

Now to the dinner. We wanted to give David a true Zambian meal complete with nshima, Zambian style meatballs, relish, and chicken. So we coerced Partner (our beloved taxi driver's wife) into preparing the feast. I'll let the pictures do most of the talking now.

It was Isata's turn in the kitchen but on big meals, everyone pitches in. Here they are making meatballs. Isata is standing on a stool; she hasn't grown THAT much!

We were quite surprised by the steps used to cook chicken. First it is boiled, then fried in at least an inch of oil on high heat. The strange thing is that this method shrinks the chicken pieces by at least 50% and at least that much of the flavor is dumped down the sink with the broth. Does anyone know why chicken is boiled before frying? We've asked but have been told, "This is how we prepare chicken in our culture". Well alrighty then...

When Partner dropped the first chicken thigh, taken directly from boiling water, into the hot pan of oil everyone jumped back as grease splattered everywhere! See photo below. (No worries Terri, your kitchen is all clean now but I was doubtful there for awhile.)

In the meantime, tunes filled the kitchen, thanks to DJ Steven, while Sia and Shauna (below) performed along with Celine Dion. Sia's stage, (twelve inch stool), makes her even taller than her siblings.

You gotta love those microphones. This kitchen is equipped with rubber spatulas, oops...microphones, aplenty for all the kids.

All of this singing and dancing is happening while Partner and Isata cook, although Isata did break out in song and dance several times in the process.

Below, relish preparation begins by frying fresh tomatoes and onions before adding the spinach-like vegetable called "rape"...see why I prefer to call it a "spinach-like vegetable"?

Back to the entertainment below...

The Sibley Five
Steven 12, Isata 15 this month, Sia 11, Shauna 15 in October, and Carlin 13.

Ta Daaa!

Here's Isata!

Steven keeps the tunes playing and contributes his own vocals to the mix. Carlin is the drummer...and the girls? Well you can figure that out for yourself! Partner did not mind the noisy distractions.

And now...the grand finale...nshima, Zambia's favorite staple. I have cooked it many times but rumor has it that I do a lousy job, which is why I let Partner do the honors for David.

Nshima is very thick and difficult to stir at this stage (see below). I have about as much arm strength as a fish so have not been successful at preparing the perfect batch.

Now that the nshima is fully done...

...dinner is served.

Here is the whole crew pictured with David moments before diving into the meal.

***

Oh my goodness, there is a ton of stuff to share with you but it will have to wait. We leave Zambia exactly one month from today. Lots to do between now and then...

Blessings and joy,
Beckie

A parrot, a meal, suffering, and cultural differences

A beautiful parrot, otherwise known as "dinner".

I begin this post by telling you that we have gained a whole new appreciation for birds since moving to Zambia. One of the first things we noticed were the sights and sounds of more birds than we ever knew existed. I mean, we even got attached to thirteen laying hens for goodness sake. We rescued a falcon from certain death after he flew into our window. I could go on and on but just know this...we like birds.

Imagine our delight when we discovered parrots as numerous the common robin at home. I'm talking about beautiful parrots. Some are green, others gray with bright red tails, all stunning in their own way. Okay, you get my drift...we enjoy most of the birds.

Early this morning I heard blood-curdling screeching close by. It sounded like something was being eaten alive--yes, I learned that sound shortly after arriving. Awhile later, the kids came running in saying Mom, get your camera...Robbie caught a parrot.

Silly me, I thought maybe he had rescued the poor creature. Isata stopped me as I flew out the back door saying, "Mommy, he SHOT the parrot. They are going to EAT it!" And with that, she started to cry.

The poor creature was still screeching as it was handled. After Robbie brought him down with a slingshot, he planned to keep it alive until time to go home for the day. Without refrigeration, animals are not killed until meal time. The fact that this bird was clearly suffering wasn't an issue.

As you can see by the picture above, Robbie is proud of his catch. He could not understand why we were upset over the whole situation. From his perspective, this was a gift, free meat. I get this. I understand it. But I can't stand the suffering part of it. If he is going to eat the thing, then do it NOW!

When I saw and heard the scene pictured above, I was instantly reminded that this is not our home. We are strangers in a foreign land. Robbie was thrilled with his accomplishment and we were repulsed...opposite reactions to the same event. Even my hunter-husband had a difficult time knowing the animal suffered needlessly.

So tomorrow, I will take a plate of cinnamon rolls out to the guys and kindly request they not kill another bird in this yard for the next eight weeks we are here.

Thinking of you all with much love,
Beckie

Land that I Love

God bless America,
Land that I love.

Stand beside her, and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above.

From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans, white with foam
God bless America, my home sweet home.

Words and music by Irving Berlin

Today we celebrate Independence Day, the Fourth of July. For me and my family, this day has even more meaning than before we left our country to live in Zambia.

First I would like to honor the men and women of our military along with their families, who make sacrifices every day to serve our nation. Thank you for your willingness to leave family, friends, fiances, along with luxuries such as cozy beds, three meals a day, air conditioning, sand-free clothing, etc. I cannot imagine what it is like to put yourself in harms way day in and day out. We can all learn from your dedication and discipline.

I especially want to say thank you to the following men (I am so sorry that I don't know your ranks):

• Sam Hartley, United States Naval Academy
• Brandon Stoney, United States Air Force
• Chris Stoney, United States Army
• Landon Rassmussen, United States Army
• Cody Pittman, United States Army (graduate of West Point)
  

I am so proud of all of you!

I've always loved my country but never so much as in the past two years. Many of you have reminded me that our country has many problems. While I realize this is very true, living outside its borders has put many of those problems into perspective.

Recently, I searched youtube for some of my favorite patriotic songs. Although they often take hours to download, those hours paid off. I get goose bumps and teary eyed each and every time I hear God Bless America, The Star Spangled Banner, or God Bless the USA.

Exactly two months from today, we will leave Zambia for our homeland, family, friends, church with a far greater appreciation for them all.

God bless America, my home sweet home.

Blessings and joy,
Beckie

Happy Birthday Lisa! (our daughter-in-law)

Since we can't call to wish you a wonderful birthday, we are posting our greetings here!

We know you and Justin will have loads of fun this weekend at the wedding and in visiting with long time friends. We love you dearly and miss you tons.

Happy Birthday!

Love,
Beckie and Jason
Isata, Shauna, Carlin, Steven, and Sia

Happy Birthday Caylie!!!

We wish a very happy birthday to our sweet little granddaughter Caylie who is eight years old today.

Caylie, how did you get to be eight ALREADY? It's hard to believe that you are so grown up. We hope you have lots of fun on this very special day. We love you and miss you gobs and bunches!!!

Love,
Grandma and Papa
Isata, Shauna, Carlin, Steven, and Sia

Fresh Bananas--REALLY!

Oh my, I think I'm ruined forever. Seriously, fresh bananas need to be in a food group all their own. I doubt that I will ever be able to eat another Safeway or Costco banana in my life. Seriously.

A few posts back, I shared about our wonderful friends, the Wegeners, abandoning us returning to the States for a few months and that we are enjoying their lovely home until our own departure. Just a few days into our stay, their gardener Robbie, cut this bunch of bananas while still green to keep the bats from eating all of the fruit. Within forty-eight hours they looked like this:

Robbie as he presented us with the bananas.

The pictures above and below show Isata carefully separating bananas from the stalk under the careful gazes of Carlin and Steven.

These bananas were the yummiest I've ever tasted. What's more, there is another stalk of them almost ready to eat just waiting to be harvested. WoooHoooo!

I hope you are enjoying a wonderful summer. We look forward to seeing many of you in September!

Blessings and joy,
Beckie

Happy Birthday Carlin!

Today we celebrated Carlin's 13th birthday (yes, 13...can you even believe it?) by heading to the cafe at Quick Save and ordering our favorite tramazinis and soft drinks. Eating out is one way we make birthdays in Zambia special as it is a huge treat for us.

The only thing better than ordering your meal is taking that first bite. Mmmmm good!

This is the look of a birthday boy who ate too much tramazini. Here he was saying, "I can't believe I ate the whole thing".

Of course that didn't stop him from ordering an ice-cream cone with his brother who is unfazed by a whole tramazini and his sisters who saved half of theirs for dinner. One minute he was uncomfortably full and the next he was enjoying dessert.

Ahhh, the good life!

To fully appreciate the next image you must remember that here in the southern hemisphere, June is typically the coldest month of the year. Although temperatures climb to the low 70's for a couple hours in the afternoons, it is very cool the other twenty-two making for a very chilly pool. Sia and Shauna were slowly working up the courage to submerge when Carlin and Steven decided to help them out by performing cannon ball splashes right next to them. Naturally this brought about the desired squeals, threats, and laughter.

At the end of the day, Carlin declared this a great 13th birthday and it truly was.

Blessings and joy,
Beckie

Mwenda Bweno Wegener Family

Left to Right: Terri, David, John, Mary, and Sarah (in front)

We said a bitter-sweet goodbye to our dear and precious friends, the Wegeners yesterday. Although they will be returning to Zambia in a few months, we will be back in the States by then. Why bitter-sweet? I'm so glad you asked. While we will miss our friends terribly, we get to live out the last eleven weeks of our Zambian mission in their charming home. This is such a gift to both our families as it provides us the opportunity to pare down our belongings to what fits in our allowable luggage and they can relax knowing their place will be well cared for until we leave. That said, it was a another sad goodbye. Our time together was just too short.

I met Terri while walking one morning several months ago. During that brief encounter, she invited Isata and Shauna to SPRITZ, a Bible study for teen girls held in her home on Friday afternoons. Later that day, I received a sweet message from her detailing what she covers in the study. From the tone of that first of many emails, I knew that my girls would be safe under her guidance and would receive godly counsel while enjoying loads of fun at the Wegeners.

Even though the girls began SPRITZ the following Friday night, unfortunately Terri and I didn't connect (due to schedule differences) until a couple months ago. She asked to join us on our daily walks when her walking partner was unavailable for a couple of weeks. I jumped at the chance to get to know this dear lady who brought so much joy into my daughters' Friday evenings.

From the first morning, I knew that Terri was more than a gift for Shauna and Isata, she was heaven sent to ME. We talked non-stop for the duration of our 75-minute walk continuing for another 45 minutes afterwards. It is such a gift to find a friend who shares my culture and passion to live a life pleasing to God. Although our visits were few in number, they were priceless. I cherished every minute.

Terri's husband David teaches at the Theological College of Central Africa. At his invitation, Jason had the privilege of auditing his church history class and enjoyed it thoroughly as David's teaching brought relevance and life to an interesting subject. The end of the course last week left Jason wishing he could have joined in upon our arrival to Zambia instead of so close to our departure. Still, he is grateful to have sat under David's teaching at all. It was an honor and privilege to do so.

Okay, I've already mentioned how wonderful Terri and David are BUT, (and this is particularly important to the Sibley bunch), they have four amazing children. Elizabeth attends university in the States. Then there is 17-year old Mary, almost 14-year old John, and last but not least 13-year old Sarah. These kids are full of life, laughter, imagination, and ENERGY! There is never a dull moment with them.

Let me give you just one example. A few weeks ago, Mary and Sarah invited Isata, Shauna, and Sia over for a "day at the spa". This included lots of girl talk, manicures, pedicures, and facials. My girls, delighted to have a few hours with Mary and Sarah, were pleasantly surprised by their elaborate preparations which included the beauty specialists dressed in costume and staying in character throughout the event, the house decorated appropriately, and yummy refreshments served. These girls are creative.

Their brother John is equally imaginative, energetic, and fun. Steven and Carlin had a blast playing soccer, shooting baskets, and playing a few video games with their new friend. It was sad to see him go. However, they were delighted when John offered his Legos for them to play with while camping out in his room. They are living large let me tell you!

(Just in case you are wondering: John, who really is that much taller, is only a year older than Carlin. He is not standing on a foot-high step stool.)

As you can imagine, saying goodbye to this dear family was especially difficult. We missed their smiles and hugs as soon as the gates closed behind the van carting them off to the airport. Yet even in our sadness, we rejoice that God brought our two families together for a time such as this.

Little did I know of the friendship that would unfold that early morning when I first met Terri Wegener. Thank you Jesus!

Dearest Terri, David, Mary, John, and Sarah,

We miss you oh so much. As much as we love your home, it's just not the same without you. I pray for God's strength, wisdom, and grace as you move through the season ahead.

Much love,
Beckie & Jason
Isata, Shauna, Carlin, Steven, and Sia

Mission Accomplished

Soon after we began our ministry in Zambia, I received an email from a distraught mother seeking my advice. Her daughter, wildly excited to participate on a short-term missions team to a third-world country, returned depressed and with a profound sense of hopelessness, which she couldn't shake even after several weeks. The question to me was, "How do you deal with the fact that no matter what you do, it will never be enough?"

To paraphrase her question, how do we as missionaries move from mission impossible to mission accomplished?

With genuine needs pressing in from every side, how can we possibly meet them all? The answer is, we don’t. Does this mean that what we do accomplish is “never enough”?

If our genuine desire is to fulfill God’s calling through service and obedience to the mission He has placed before us, then we can rest assured that what we accomplish under His guidance and through His power will most certainly be enough.

We must keep in mind that each of us is only a small part of the big picture and that God works in ways beyond our knowledge or understanding. It is important to stay focused on the specific tasks assigned to us or we will become overwhelmed, disillusioned, and ineffective. This is certainly true for those who work in Zambia.

As Foursquare Missions International (FMI) missionaries, Jason and I were given specific responsibilities to fulfill with an estimated time frame of two years. Due to the additional responsibilities that a large family requires and the fact that we educate our children at home, we prepared to live and work in Zambia a third year to give ample time and opportunity to complete these assignments.

Our job descriptions are specific. Jason is to teach and train pastors and church leaders, thereby equipping them to be effective leaders in their churches, communities, and country. I am to work with the staff of an orphanage founded by a Foursquare pastor in Mufulira with an objective to assist in identifying and implementing strategies through which the physical, spiritual, and educational needs of children will be addressed and met using available and sustainable resources.

Unlike many of our missionary friends, our assignments are short-term. Any program we initiate has to be sustainable after we are gone without outside oversight or funding. Is this possible? Absolutely!

Through Ministries Training Center (MTC) classes, Jason taught the foundations of Christianity and practical ministry to thirty-six church leaders including ten pastors representing three denominations. Each pastor received a full set of MTC materials allowing for classes to continue through their own leadership. These pastors now have the tools and training to grow responsible, well-trained leaders within their churches and communities.

My assignment required a major adjustment since the orphanage was more of an idea than a reality. In other words, it doesn’t exist and never did.

Instead, I taught two teen girls along with our own children in our home school for several months. During their time with us, they gained the necessary English and math skills to function in their community. This past year Winnie and Gloria joined us after their school for English, math, and reading. Both have climbed to the top of their classes, giving them attention from their teachers necessary for continued academic growth after we leave. In addition several other children dropped in from time to time to take part in science lessons. The microscope was a huge hit. Even adults viewed a new world through its lens. It is a joy to watch people discover new facets of God’s creation.

Early this year, Jason and I realized that we would complete our assignments by September of this year instead of next. Although this beautiful country is plagued by a myriad of serious problems, we firmly believe that our part of the solution is coming to an end. Therefore, we will say goodbye to Zambia and its people on September 4, just a few weeks from now.

Until then, our days are full. Once again, we must liquidate everything that has been home to us for the past two years. I am teaching a nutrition class at TCCA (more on that to come). Jason continues to disciple pastors as they implement MTC training in their churches. And of course, Winnie and Gloria will stay with us until the end since we home school year round.

It is said that if you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. We work diligently to empower our Zambian friends to help themselves through dependence upon God alone instead of foreign influences.

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who continues to join us without fail through prayer, financial giving, and never-ending love. Although it is our family that lives in Zambia, you are the ones who continue your lives at home while doing your part in this ministry. It is an awesome privilege to partner with each and every one of you. You have blessed us immeasurably these past two years.

With you, we have served the Lord faithfully in Zambia. We completed each task God put before us with the resources provided and because of that, we rest assured that it was indeed enough.

It is with the grace and confidence of Christ Jesus our Lord that we declare, "mission accomplished".

Blessings and joy,
Beckie