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Dear All,
A few more lines to keep you abreast of our progress here.
Well ... as I previously mentioned, the bureaucracy is a major PAIN !! Everything takes an absolute AGE, and so many
things depend on so many other things for their success!
As some of you may know, we have spent the past month trying to get our bank accounts opened and up & running, so
that a) we had evidence of our required investment into the country; b) Pete could obtain his self-employment investor's
permit; c) we could bring in our freight duty free; and d) we could purchase the farm we'd chosen. Well ... these bank
accounts are finally opened & operational, but it will now take at least a fortnight to process and issue Peter's permit
and, in the meantime, our freight has arrived and they want to charge us $15,000 duty because we still haven't got the self-employment
investor's permit! We've told them to go whistle (politely!), and will have to leave the stuff in the cargo warehouse until
such times as we get the required permit !! The problem with this arrangement is that security in these warehouses is pretty
abysmal and, the longer stuff remains in these places, the more likely it is that it will be stolen, piece by piece. Very
frustrating indeed, but par for the course here, I'm afraid. We are just having to trust God that all will be well.
Every time we've come to Zambia on holiday, we have always taken malarial prophylactics in tablet form, but these are
renowned for playing havoc with one's system, and can cause the most terrible side effects. Given that we are living here
permanently, now, it is not advisable that we take these medications on a constant basis. However, we heard of a natural
preventative measure in the form of dried paw-paw (papaya) seeds, so have decided to give this a go. We scoop out the seeds
from a ripe paw-paw (paw-paws, incidentally, for those of you who don't know, are absolutely delicious); we then place the
seeds in the sun outside, until they are really, really dry, and then jar them. We each take 6 little seeds a day. They
are best chewed, rather than simply swallowed, but can leave a rather bitter aftertaste, so I find it more palatable if I
chew them with something else, such as toast with bovril, or even crisps ... anything to mask the taste, really. There are
several people we know of who swear by this particular method, so it's worth a try. I'll keep you updated !!!!
Well ... I seem to have naturally been drawn into 'mothering' several teenagers and children who live in this area. It
was, actually, Jeremy who first introduced me to them all, as he has got to know them during his months here since his arrival
in January. In fact, it's lovely to see him with the little ones: They all adore him, and when he takes them into town,
on occasions, to buy them ice cream or some other treat, he looks like the Pied Piper of Hamlin, with all these little kids
following behind him! There are 8 of them altogether, and they range in age from about 8 to 20. They are all from very deprived
and dysfunctional homes, and several of them have suffered the most terrible abuse. Peter and I are known as, either, Mum
& Dad, or Aunty & Uncle, and a few of them leave little notes at the gate, just pouring their hearts out to us. They
are scarred, not only physically, but (more heart-breakingly), emotionally too. They have all started to accompany us to
church each Sunday, and it's a joy to have them there with us. Most of them are very shy and withdrawn, and are not at all
used to sharing their feelings, or 'letting go', but are gradually learning to open up to us.
This Sunday, one of them, a sixteen year old girl called Marianna, who is very disturbed and depressed, stuck to me like
glue the entire church meeting. At one point, she just reached out her hand, took hold of mine, and held on to it for all
she was worth for most of the meeting. I have spoken to my mother-in-law's houseboy, Toby, and he tells me that these particular
children are completely lacking in any parental care - the parents are always off somewhere else, doing something else, and
the children are simply left to their own devices. The children themselves have said that they are often tied up or beaten.
Marianna has so many scars over her legs which seem to support these allegations, not to mention her incredibly withdrawn
state.
The eldest one, Gabby, aged 20, is Jeremy's friend and, in actual fact, they now both live together in a little one-bedroom
chalet on the property we are buying. Living at home had become so unbearable for him, that he decided to move in with Jay.
Gabby was renowned in this area for being something of a bad boy and a thief, but he has really changed, and I've grown to
love him. I KNOW God is doing something in him, and it's lovely to see him in church EVERY meeting, whether it's a Sunday
service, or a midweek prayer meeting, and to find him sitting on the window sill, reading his bible when I sometimes drop
in to see Jay. He's changing.
There is a little girl, aged about 9, called Marta. Her father is dead and, for some reason, her mother sent her to live
with her aunt (who is Marianna & Gabby's mother) some years ago. This little one has a long scar down the length of her
cheek, which was (apparently) as a result of being 'accidentally' slashed with a broken bottle by her mother. She started
off terribly, painfully shy, but I always noticed that she would keep watching me. Immediately I looked at her, though, she
would look away! Gradually, gradually, she has learnt to smile at me, and now it seems that she for ever wants to accompany
me wherever I go! Last Sunday, when she came out of Sunday school, she actually ran up to me and threw her little arms round
my waist and I just hugged her back - it was really precious.
I don't kid myself that any of these kids (the younger ones or the older ones) are angels, or that they are completely
to be trusted yet ... after all, it is very hard to change the habits of a lifetime. Some of them have even stolen from Jay,
and though he gets mad sometimes, he understands that this is all they've really known, and accepts the loss as being 'part
of the process'. He, too, believes that God is doing something in each of them, and he's willing to lose a little in the
'waiting' and 'building' period. We are all absolutely confident that as they see a 'different' way to be ... as they see
love, trust, forgiveness and acceptance at work, they will begin to change more and more. The process has already started
and it's so lovely to see.
On Saturday, we are taking them all to the boating club at the Makoma Dam in Luanshya, a town about 25 minutes drive from
here. Now that I have my pick-up, I'm able to take them all in one go, which is great! The club hosts a pool and a bar
/ restaurant, as well as nice grounds and the waterfront. We will take enough meat for a barbecue for them all, as well as
salads, drinks etc. and I think it will be a brilliant day out for them.
Amanda is very happy at school and has made good friends, especially boys! In fact, her best friend is a 17 year old
called Clive! She has always seemed to get on better with the opposite sex! She is a little frustrated with her Art teacher
who, she feels, restricts her too much in her artistic expression. In the UK, art students are encouraged to choose a theme
(although it can be a fairly loose one) and then, provided they keep within the boundaries of that theme, they are free to
draw or paint whatever they feel inspired to produce. Well, apparently, she is being 'instructed' as to what she must draw,
and she finds that stifling. However, I'm sure this is all good training in the long run, and it will teach her a certain
amount of discipline in the subject.
Well ... I think you've probably read enough for now (!), so I'll just say: watch this space for further developments!
God bless,
Salwa
Letter 3
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