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We have been staying with my mum-in-law since we arrived, but are looking forward to moving into our own place (which is the
property next door to hers) within the next couple of weeks or so.
As I mentioned, the bureacracy here is staggering !!! And the frustrating thing is that so many things are dependent
on other things for their success. For example ... in order for us to be allowed to be resident here, Pete has to apply for
a 'self-employment / investor permit', which requires him to come in as an investor in an existing company. He has chosen
to come in with his father's company (Katoma Ltd), but has to bring in US$35,000. Well ... for a start, it all has to be
done in the capital, Lusaka (about 4 hours drive from here), so Pete made the trip a few days after our arrival, armed with
all the necessary paper work and documentation, including our UK bank statements, showing that the funds were available.
However, they initially refused to accept his application because they insisted that the funds have to be held HERE in a Zambian
account, and insisted, too, that Pete shows clearly that the funds have come from him (in other words they want to see a paper
trail). He convinced them not to reject his application, but to keep it in the pipeline, whilst he returned to Ndola and
sorted out the required Zambian account and transfer of funds!
However, on a brighter note, we are assured in our hearts that God wants us here (Jolly good thing, too, otherwise I think
we'd have both given up !!!) I am meeting with 3 Christian women (dear friends of ours) every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and
Friday mornings for a couple of hours, when we just spend time sharing and praying together and I'm finding it such an encouragement.
A couple of weeks ago, we (as a church) visited a small shanty township called Sekela. It is very small in comparison
to most of the others, such as Chipulukusu, but the poverty and suffering is just as bad, if not worse. We split up into
small groups of 4 or 5, and visited each of the homes. We gave them small packages of clothing & food, and spent time
listening to their problems and needs and prayed with them. The experience was truly lovely, but so very humbling and heartbreaking.
In each home we visited, there were at least 5 people living in it, and the house consisted of only one room. The largest
'houses' measured about 4m x 3m in its entirety, and the smallest one my group visited was just large enough to accommodate
a double bed lengthways (with about 2 feet to spare at the end), and the space for another bed of about the same size ...
in other words, it turned out to be about 3m x 2.5m. This family consisted of father, mother, a 7 year old girl, a toddler
of 2 yrs. 11mths, and a baby of just over 1 year old, who walked around sucking on two long rusty nails. They all lived in
this one, tiny space, but were cheerful and welcoming. I was touched by the fact that most of them asked us to pray over
things that were not really materialistic: one old divorced lady, responsible for several children and grandchildren, was
facing eviction, and asked us to pray that she would find somewhere to live; another lady explained that she used to go to
church, but hadn't been for a long time - she said that, for some reason, each time she determined to go, something would
happen to prevent her, and she asked us to pray about that situation; a young man who was a labourer on a farm hadn't been
paid for two months, and he asked us to pray that he would just receive what was owed to him. The only request our group
received for material help was from the family in the tiniest house: they asked us if we could pray about obtaining school
materials and uniform for their little girl. As it happened, of course, I have loads of school materials and stationary coming
in our freight, and another lady in our group had some school uniform shirts that her own daughter had grown out of, so we
were able to address those particular problems.
All in all, it was a very moving experience and one that I think each and EVERY one of us who live such privileged lives
by comparison should be part of. It certainly brings things into perspective and reveals just what is really important in
life.
As I mentioned in my short 'newsletter', we have bought a 4 X 4 utility vehicle, a Toyota Hilux 2.8D double cab pick-up.
Pete prefers an ordinary car, so the salon is his and the 4 X 4 is mine! It is, actually, a real answer to prayer. Apart
from the fact that a 4 X 4 is a necessity in this place, especially once the rains start, I wanted to be able to ferry people
around who would, otherwise, have no way (except their own two feet) of getting to where they needed to go. People in this
country walk for MILES and for VAST distances because they have no transport, and I really prayed that God would make my pick-up
a blessing to others. As a result of that prayer, I have found that not one day goes by when I don't run a free taxi service
!! Each morning, I take several children, aged between 7 and 14, from Misundu into town, where they go to various schools,
as well as, on occasions, a young family and a young woman who is learning dressmaking at the local tech college. Then, on
my way home at lunch time, after picking up Amanda from school, I sometimes pick up a group of 4 village ladies, and assorted
babies (!) and drive them all the way out past our farm towards the Zairan border. These are my 'regulars', but there have
been many others, including two dear old gentlemen yesterday who kept saying: "God bless you, God bless you!"
It's such a joy!
In addition, having the pick-up means that I can take a whole load of the young people who live in this area (and whom
Jay has befriended) to church each Sunday, or for other week-day meetings. I just wouldn't be able to do it otherwise.
Well ... I reckon I've rambled on long enough - you must be tired of reading this epic - so I'd better sign off now!
God bless - keep in touch.
Salwa
Letter 2
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