The school pretty much shuts down over the holidays.
This week has been half term, which means we've been able to stop and get our bearings a little bit after having jumped right in to life here. At the weekend we stayed with Steve and Jo Grove, helping out at their Friday youth club and being generally abused by their two young girls. They've been here for around 10 years and have seen many come to faith through their work in the youth club, which is amongst some of the poorest children in the area.
Since then, we've been back at school and trying to keep busy. Matt has been planning lessons for next half term - he'll be teaching bits of secondary English and IT - and Lou has been devouring novels and catching up with people in the UK. We've both also taken advantage of Hilary's cable TV (beamed straight from South Africa) and have witnessed England get knocked out on penalties (again) and the Brits to surprisingly well on the first few days of Wimbledon. To be honest, we can't wait for the kids to come back next week.
We did, however, witness a quite spectacular car crash. We were behind a car who slowed down to turn right but, as it did so a car attempted to overtake us (and about five cars behind us) and smashed into the car turning right. Luckily no-one was seriously hurt, although the driver of the car turning right was very shaken up. This has reminded us of the dangers we will face while traveling along the roads here.
On that note, we are leaving for Nsobe game park on Sunday, and will arrive back on Tuesday (Monday and Tuesday are publi holidays here) for the start of school on Wednesday. We're looking forward to this, as we'll be going with a group of the younger staff from Amano, and so we're hoping to build relationships as well as see some giraffes. Please do pray for safety as we make the three hour trip there.
Thank you all for supporting us, and for many of your kind e-mails.
Matt and Lou
Thursday 28 June 2012
Saturday 23 June 2012
Some introductions
One of the great joys of being out in Zambia so far is meeting new friends and re-meeting old ones. So let us introduce you to some of them.
While we're out here, we'll be spending the majority of our time with Hilary Millard, who has been in Zambia for years - working at Sakeji school before coming to be the primary headteacher at Amano. She's shown extraordinary generosity in being willing to have us crowd her flat for over two months.
We've been invited to stay at our good friends Steve and Jo Grove's house this weekend. Steve and Jo moved out here to work with the youth of a local village, Musenga, where they run a youth club and discipleship groups. We went to the youth club yesterday, and Matt was asked to speak on Acts 9. We are really close to this family - the two girls (Natalie, 7, and Laura, 4) have literally just finished dressing Matt up in flowery dresses and doing his hair.
Jonathan and Kerry Rass are new to us at Amano. They've been here about a year and are now a key part
of the school. Jon teaches secondary Chemisty and Biology, and Kerry
works in the dorm as a house parent. She also helps to run a youth club
at the school on Thursday evenings. It's been a real blessing to get
to know these guys - they're a similar age to us and have been a great
support to us as we settle in.
Jarrett Furnish is the school's new youth pastor. He's been running the youth club with Kerry, as well as teaching Christian Foundations. We really feel that the school's emphasis on the students' spiritual growth is great, and Jarrett is a big part of overseeing that.
Thank you all for your continued support!
Matt and Lou
Thursday 21 June 2012
Week two update
Hello there! This post is a day later than intended, due to a powercut yesterday afternoon.
We've now had over two weeks here at the school and we're really starting to feel a little more settled. The secondary students have exams this week, which means that they've been getting increasingly relaxed as the week goes on (the girls, especially, were quite stressed last week). Next week will be half term, so please pray for continued development of relationships between us and the students after the holidays.
Matt almost killed himself doing the cross country last week. It appears that asthma, dusty roads, high altitude and running don't particularly mix. Louise seemed to think watching Matt lumber towards the finish line after most other people had finished was amusing.
We got invaded by red ants a couple of nights ago. Just as the power company decided another powercut (they call it 'loadshedding') was needed, we discovered several hundred of the beasts coming in through the air vents. A few cans of ant killer later and they'd all been suitably disposed of. But it did make for a rather sleepless night. Our next door neighbour - a teacher - woke up to find herself covered in them, so we consider ourselves lucky that Lou spotted them before getting into bed.
We've been starting to build relationships with some of the newer members of staff this past week, which has been fantastic. Please continue to pray that we'd be able to help and encourage them for the short time we're here.
Until next week then,
Matt and Lou
We've now had over two weeks here at the school and we're really starting to feel a little more settled. The secondary students have exams this week, which means that they've been getting increasingly relaxed as the week goes on (the girls, especially, were quite stressed last week). Next week will be half term, so please pray for continued development of relationships between us and the students after the holidays.
Matt almost killed himself doing the cross country last week. It appears that asthma, dusty roads, high altitude and running don't particularly mix. Louise seemed to think watching Matt lumber towards the finish line after most other people had finished was amusing.
We got invaded by red ants a couple of nights ago. Just as the power company decided another powercut (they call it 'loadshedding') was needed, we discovered several hundred of the beasts coming in through the air vents. A few cans of ant killer later and they'd all been suitably disposed of. But it did make for a rather sleepless night. Our next door neighbour - a teacher - woke up to find herself covered in them, so we consider ourselves lucky that Lou spotted them before getting into bed.
We've been starting to build relationships with some of the newer members of staff this past week, which has been fantastic. Please continue to pray that we'd be able to help and encourage them for the short time we're here.
Until next week then,
Matt and Lou
Thursday 14 June 2012
Wildlife
One of the strangest things about here is, of course, the wildlife. Animals which are completely commonplace here are new and exciting to us. Matt loves this and will recklessly chase monkeys into the bush, where Lou tends to be more reticent. Here are some of the things we've seen in just the few days we've been here.
Spiders - Lou does NOT like these things, and Matt fulfills his husbandly duty of checking the room every night for them after, on the second night, Lou turned around to find one nearly as big as her hand staring at her from the wall behind her. A scream, empty cup and piece of paper later and the spider was safely outside. Top tip: If the spider is flat against the wall, just put it outside as it's harmless; if it's legs protude so it's body is against the wall, give it a flip-flop to the head as it'll have a nasty bite.
Insects - These are really fun. You get incredibly beautiful and colourful butterflies, millipedes, and other harmless ones. But watch out for the ants. We spent a good half an hour watch a few thousand army ants (each about half an inch long) travel too and from their nest, carrying bits of wood and stone. Top tip: as long as you don't step on them, army ants will leave you alone. Don't go near the red fire ants, however. They like climbing up legs to more sensitive regions and instigating a co-ordinated attack on whatever they might find.
Monkeys - It's weird that the grounds of the school play host to several hundred monkeys. We went for a walk yesterday and stopped to watch a group of Vervet monkeys playing in the trees. As we stopped, they came for a closer look (attracted by the apples we were eating) at got within a couple of meters. Very surreal. Top tip: If you're near monkeys, always have a stick to hand. They're inquisitive, but also carry rabies and so their bites can have serious issues. Luckily, they're also cowards.
Snakes - These are genuinely scary. Loads of different snakes, from harmless ones to spitting cobras and black mambas have been found on Amano grounds. On Tuesday one of the students, with great glee, emerged from the bush carrying a plastic bag. Inside was a dead two-meter black mamba - one of the most poisonous snakes on the planet - which he had found whilst cycling. So he was paraded around the dormitories until he started to smell, at which point he was fed to the ants. Top tip: try not to step on them - they don't like that.
Today we are helping at the school's youth club. The kids have exams starting soon, so we'll be trying to talk to the students about grace and pressure. Some are very stressed out right now, even thought the exams are only mocks, so times like tonight are good where they can just chill out and forget about work for a few hours.
In Christ,
Matt and Lou
Spiders - Lou does NOT like these things, and Matt fulfills his husbandly duty of checking the room every night for them after, on the second night, Lou turned around to find one nearly as big as her hand staring at her from the wall behind her. A scream, empty cup and piece of paper later and the spider was safely outside. Top tip: If the spider is flat against the wall, just put it outside as it's harmless; if it's legs protude so it's body is against the wall, give it a flip-flop to the head as it'll have a nasty bite.
Insects - These are really fun. You get incredibly beautiful and colourful butterflies, millipedes, and other harmless ones. But watch out for the ants. We spent a good half an hour watch a few thousand army ants (each about half an inch long) travel too and from their nest, carrying bits of wood and stone. Top tip: as long as you don't step on them, army ants will leave you alone. Don't go near the red fire ants, however. They like climbing up legs to more sensitive regions and instigating a co-ordinated attack on whatever they might find.
Monkeys - It's weird that the grounds of the school play host to several hundred monkeys. We went for a walk yesterday and stopped to watch a group of Vervet monkeys playing in the trees. As we stopped, they came for a closer look (attracted by the apples we were eating) at got within a couple of meters. Very surreal. Top tip: If you're near monkeys, always have a stick to hand. They're inquisitive, but also carry rabies and so their bites can have serious issues. Luckily, they're also cowards.
Snakes - These are genuinely scary. Loads of different snakes, from harmless ones to spitting cobras and black mambas have been found on Amano grounds. On Tuesday one of the students, with great glee, emerged from the bush carrying a plastic bag. Inside was a dead two-meter black mamba - one of the most poisonous snakes on the planet - which he had found whilst cycling. So he was paraded around the dormitories until he started to smell, at which point he was fed to the ants. Top tip: try not to step on them - they don't like that.
Today we are helping at the school's youth club. The kids have exams starting soon, so we'll be trying to talk to the students about grace and pressure. Some are very stressed out right now, even thought the exams are only mocks, so times like tonight are good where they can just chill out and forget about work for a few hours.
In Christ,
Matt and Lou
Tuesday 12 June 2012
Week One Update
We are coming to the end of our first week away from England, and have really started to settle in nicely. Because a lot of our work is based in the dormitories, our jobs are based around building relationships with the students. The first week has been a lot easier for Matt in the boys' dorm, as it tends to be much easier to build a rapport with the boys than the girls. Lou is getting on very well with the younger girls, but it takes much longer to build trust with the secondary girls in the dorm. This weekend helped though, as we helped to organize an afternoon of games activities, including a campus-wide capture-the-flag.
One thing that has surprised us is how cold it is early in the morning here. While temperatures do get up to the late 20s in mid-afternoon, it drops well below 10 degrees in the night - and without any form of heating other than open fires, we've been out collecting firewood already.
Please continue to pray for us throughout our trip. Please pray especially that Lou would be able to bond well with the girls in order to be able to effectively disciple them, and that Matt would be able to have more than superficial conversations with the boys. Also pray that we would continue to build relationships with the dorm staff - that we would be an encouragement and a help to them.
Thank you for your continued prayer and support. Until next time,
Matt and Lou
One thing that has surprised us is how cold it is early in the morning here. While temperatures do get up to the late 20s in mid-afternoon, it drops well below 10 degrees in the night - and without any form of heating other than open fires, we've been out collecting firewood already.
Please continue to pray for us throughout our trip. Please pray especially that Lou would be able to bond well with the girls in order to be able to effectively disciple them, and that Matt would be able to have more than superficial conversations with the boys. Also pray that we would continue to build relationships with the dorm staff - that we would be an encouragement and a help to them.
Thank you for your continued prayer and support. Until next time,
Matt and Lou
Friday 8 June 2012
We're here!
Greetings from Zambia!
Having just about survived the 25 hour journey from our door in Leicester to our door in Zambia, and being mistaken for secret drug smugglers at Lusaka airport, we have now settled in to life at Amano.
For the majority of our stay here we will be living with Hilary Millard, the primary headteacher, who has generously offered us her spare room. But it's increasingly looking like we won't be spending much time there as we'll be busy helping in the dorms in the mornings and evenings and teaching during the day. It's going to be a busy couple of months.
A lot has changed since 2010, with new staff, pupils and buildings appearing at the school, which means we have started to build a load of brand new relationships as well as restarting many others.
Today we'll be heading off into town to pick up some Zambian sim cards, and then come back to the school to start our first weekend on duty.
Unfortunately, there is no access to either facebook or twitter while we're out here, so if you want to get in touch with us then you can comment on this blog or drop us an e-mail at:
mattmacdiarmid@gmail.com
lou_anderson@hotmail.co.uk
Have a great weekend!
Matt and Lou
Having just about survived the 25 hour journey from our door in Leicester to our door in Zambia, and being mistaken for secret drug smugglers at Lusaka airport, we have now settled in to life at Amano.
For the majority of our stay here we will be living with Hilary Millard, the primary headteacher, who has generously offered us her spare room. But it's increasingly looking like we won't be spending much time there as we'll be busy helping in the dorms in the mornings and evenings and teaching during the day. It's going to be a busy couple of months.
A lot has changed since 2010, with new staff, pupils and buildings appearing at the school, which means we have started to build a load of brand new relationships as well as restarting many others.
Today we'll be heading off into town to pick up some Zambian sim cards, and then come back to the school to start our first weekend on duty.
Unfortunately, there is no access to either facebook or twitter while we're out here, so if you want to get in touch with us then you can comment on this blog or drop us an e-mail at:
mattmacdiarmid@gmail.com
lou_anderson@hotmail.co.uk
Have a great weekend!
Matt and Lou
Tuesday 5 June 2012
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