Like Mighty Rushing Waters....

RPD with a friend in the village.

ZAMBIA - Our last month and half has taken us many places, provided more transitions, and opened our eyes even wider to creation and to African culture.  We spent time in a capital city, in a bush camp outside a small town, and several nights in a village with a host family.  All 6 of us have been stretched in many ways and are stronger, wiser, and more capable because of it.  We are thankful for the adventure we have been on.

Asa had fun chasing tarantulas and other bugs in the bush, Rainey enjoyed trying to sample dried caterpillars in the local market, and Sarah fell in love with bucket and pulley showers.  Benny loved his naps in the tent and Nehemiah introduced a dozen village boys to the concept of Wrestlemania.  Filthy would be the understatement of the year to describe the boys at sundown every evening. 

This was home for 12 nights in the bush.

His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory....Ezekial 43:2

After the training was over, our family had a chance to drive down to the border of Zimbabwe and take in one of the seven wonders of the world.  Simply put, Victoria Falls is the greatest single part of creation I have seen. Almost a mile wide, and almost four hundred feet high, the falls are the largest in the world.  To stand on the edge of the gorge and feel the mist, check that, torrential downpour resulting from the falls and to hear the rumble in my chest was really hard to describe.        Add to that feeling the anxiety of trying to hold on to Benny (2) and Nehemiah (4) and our emotions were all over the place.  All of the lookout points were at the top of sheer 400’ cliffs with little or no railing  - let’s just say that Africa’s safety regulations are quite as restrictive as America’s. 

All in all, the 30+ days without cell phone coverage, data plans, twitter and voxer allowed us a chance to truly sync with Africa.  We came to love Africa and its people even more than before when there were no other distractions, no lure to check in with family or find out what was happening back in the good ‘ole USA.  Obviously by writing this blog and posting it on the Internet we have not decided to give up wholly on our connectivity, but we did realize that maybe we were still a little too connected to “home”.  We still desire to stay in touch regularly, face time with grandparents, and check our social media – but we’ve got to learn to do it much less often and focus on the place and the people we have been set among.

A panoramic of our worship time in the village.  We had a few other couples with us.

Rainey teaching the youth in the village.

 

My first bungee jump....at Victoria falls off the bridge.

When we return to Mombasa our work will begin in earnest.  No more training, no more trips, no more classes, or transition.  Just our family, in the place we have been called to, with the hope of making a difference.  A difference today, tomorrow, and for eternity.

From Africa,

NLD making peanut butter in the village.

The Dinkins

Sa and Rou at their Med Clinic in the village.