School

Firstly, sorry this has taken so long, we've been having some internet issues.

We thought that you might like to see that it's not all birds and bugs, so here are some pictures from school:

Grade 6

Amos in the library, reading with a small group

These were from Careers Day, when the children come to school dressed for their intended profession:

Soldiers

Doctors and Nurses

Grade 7 saying 'Good Bye' to the rest of the school after their exams.

After school chillin'

We're back!!

It's been a long time, sorry.
Since the lunar eclipse we have been back in the UK for a brief visit.  We are now back in Choma.  These are some of the creatures that welcomed us home:  [Pictures especially for Evan]

Hoopoe

Glossy starling

Black-collared barbet

Lilac-breasted roller

Mrs Praying Mantis despatching Mr Praying Mantis

Teeny weeny frog



Roman solifuge.  Apparently NOT a spider (!) but not equally unwelcome!  Uuugh.

Eclipse

The recent lunar eclipse was clearly visible here.  It started just after dark so we went out, wrapped up and with a fire, to sit and watch.  It was still quite chilly so we sat around the fire drinking tea and eating biscuits while the moon did its thing.
These are some of the pictures, not the best that you will see, but we were there!

The moon rose as usual behind the trees.

We sat around the fire, with our friends Amy (R) and Omega (L), and waited.  Quite a long time because 'someone' got the start time wrong!



Until at last the moon began to shrink:

 



Eventually there was the memory of a moon, accompanied by Mars:

 

Visitor

We found this chap while we were moving some of the (tons) of fallen leaves onto the garden for organic matter:

Missionary

People often refer to us as missionaries.  We always say, we're not missionaries, we just live here.  This picture helps to explain why:



Dedicated servant of God to Africa and Zambia for 54 years

Claudie Payton was a missionary in the traditional sense of the word.  She left her native America at the age of 36 to come to Zambia where she stayed until her death at the age of 90.  As far as I can discover, in that time she returned to the States only once for a period of 9 months. 
She remained unmarried, but was 'mother' to 41 orphans, of whom 23 died.
She took the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ to the villages of Siachitema district in the Southern Province of Zambia.
She started the Siachitema Mission, which included her orphanage, a school, a Bible College (now  moved to Jembo), a church, and now also includes a hospital.
She died at the age of 90 following a fall resulting in a fractured hip.  She was buried in the spot she chose for herself close to where she had lived and raised her children.  She was mourned at her own request, in the traditional Zambian way.

We are not missionaries in the mould of Claudie Payton, but we strive to serve our Lord where he has put us, whether at work in the UK or teaching English in Zambia. Surely every Christian should strive for an epitaph like Claudie's

Dedicated servant of God

Garden to Plate - nsima


Nsima, the staple of much of sub-Saharan Africa.  Basically stodge made from maize meal and water:

First harvest your maize

Remove the maize from the cobs

Dry it in the sun.  This takes longer than you'd think

Winnow

Add caption

Take the maize to the hammer mill to be ground into meal

Now you're ready for cooking.
Put a pot of water to heat.  When small bubbles begin to appear on the bottom of the pan, add a scoop of meal and stir well.  If you wait until the bubble begin to rise, your water is too hot and your nsima will be lumpy - beware!


Keep stirring.  When it is bubbling vigorously, put the lid on and turn down the heat.  BE CAREFUL - it burns!  Continue cooking for 15 minutes or so.

Stir again and add more mealie meal

Keep stirring.  It's getting stiff now



Add more mealie meal

 

 

Stir it in well

Until you can stand the cooking stick up in it! Cover and leave to 'rest' until the rest of the meal is ready

Serve with the relish of your choice.  This time, beef stew and green beans.

A Holiday by the Sea

At the beginning of June we took a train from New Kapiri Mposhi (north of Lusaka) to Dar es Salaam.  The train was 3 days and 2 nights each way, but it meant that we had a very relaxing week by the Indian Ocean.
Here are some of the pictures - not a great variety - we didn't carry the camera very much, too busy enjoying ourselves!

First the train:;

The cabin - four berth, all same sex so we couldn't share.

Sunrise - Zambia

Zambia

Zambia

The second morning on the train - Tanzania pretending to be mid Wales - that is bracken in the fore-ground.

Sunrise on the 2nd morning - Tanzania

Tanzania - misty mountains and the front of the train going over a bridge

Tanzania - mountains, waterfalls and farmland

Tanzania - mountains

Tanzania - rice fields

It was a very long train!

Tanzania has some big mountains

Dar es Salaam

 LOOOOOK!  THE SEA!

The Indian Ocean.  Warm and clear

We had a boat trip to the island you can see in the picture above.  Walked around the island, snorkelled over live coral, had lunch and sailed back. 





 

Sunrise

Big star with big starfish

The view from the bed

Tanker on the horizon, it kept us company all week

Another sunrise

 On the train again:

Tanzania - Baobab trees

That long train again, going through Tanzania