After nine weeks away from the UK, the time has come for our last blog post from Zambia. The past week has been really busy, with the end of term, primary sports day and then many many goodbyes. But it has been a good one and we know that many of the relationships we have built (and picked up) over the past nine weeks will continue for many years.
The trip has been, in many ways, hugely successful - we came out here with the primary aims of serving the school and encouraging the long-term staff during what is always the year's most tricky period. We feel that God has helped us to do this as we've been out here. And so, while we are really looking forward to coming home - to seeing friends and family back in the UK - our happiness is tinged with sadness.
So what now? Well, Phil Grove picks us up at 7.15 tomorrow morning to take us to the medical missionary plane with which he will be flying us down in Lusaka. We shall hopefully be in Lusaka around 10am, and will then spend the day in Lusaka before heading to the airport for 18.30 for a 21.30 flight to Dubai. After a three-hour stopover in Dubai (which, although it is in the early hours of the morning, will inevitably involve a McDonalds), we'll leave for Heathrow, touching down around 14.30 on Thursday, where we'll be picked up by Matt's Mum and Dad and will head down to Poole.
Thank you one last time for the extraordinary encouragement of knowing many of you have been supporting us in prayer over the past two months or so. We love you all.
Matt and Lou
Ps, do you remember the moustache competition Matt took part in in week seven? He lost.
Considerably.
Tuesday 7 August 2012
Wednesday 1 August 2012
Week Eight Update
Another really busy week here in Zambia. As term has started to draw to a close, the tiredness and business of students and staff seems to have risen.
Dorm life has been busy as usual for both of us, but we have both seen more fruit from the relationships we've been building with the students over the past two months. We've both had significant conversations with students this week in which we've been able to advise and encourage where needed, but often just to listen. As we've got to know the children better over the past few weeks, there have been more opportunities to speak words of wisdom to them and, because we've tried hard to build relationships, any advice in talks or assemblies has the tendency to not be ignored as much as it might be if a stranger was 'preaching' to them. We're really thankful for this opportunity. Matt was privileged to be asked to speak at Sunday evening's border's fellowship, and he also led a Q&A session last night at the boys' bible study where he was joined by Jon and Jarrett to attempt to answer any and all questions the boys had for them. The conversations after both of these sessions - Sunday and Tuesday - felt really significant.
On another note, Matt is now walking with a limp after attempting to play rugby with the secondary boys. Turns out that playing rugby on ground which hasn't had rain for almost four months is not a lot different from playing on concrete. Several scrapes, bumps, bruises, cuts, and a black toenail later, Matt is reminded as to why he's a cricketer not a rugby player.
The school term ends this coming Friday, and our flights are booked for Wednesday evening, a week today, which means we are coming to the end of our time here in Zambia. Please pray that we can continue to have energy right until the end of term, and that we can be an encouragement to the long-term staff here, during the last few days of our stay.
As always, we thank you for your prayer and support. We are really grateful.
Matt and Lou
Dorm life has been busy as usual for both of us, but we have both seen more fruit from the relationships we've been building with the students over the past two months. We've both had significant conversations with students this week in which we've been able to advise and encourage where needed, but often just to listen. As we've got to know the children better over the past few weeks, there have been more opportunities to speak words of wisdom to them and, because we've tried hard to build relationships, any advice in talks or assemblies has the tendency to not be ignored as much as it might be if a stranger was 'preaching' to them. We're really thankful for this opportunity. Matt was privileged to be asked to speak at Sunday evening's border's fellowship, and he also led a Q&A session last night at the boys' bible study where he was joined by Jon and Jarrett to attempt to answer any and all questions the boys had for them. The conversations after both of these sessions - Sunday and Tuesday - felt really significant.
On another note, Matt is now walking with a limp after attempting to play rugby with the secondary boys. Turns out that playing rugby on ground which hasn't had rain for almost four months is not a lot different from playing on concrete. Several scrapes, bumps, bruises, cuts, and a black toenail later, Matt is reminded as to why he's a cricketer not a rugby player.
The school term ends this coming Friday, and our flights are booked for Wednesday evening, a week today, which means we are coming to the end of our time here in Zambia. Please pray that we can continue to have energy right until the end of term, and that we can be an encouragement to the long-term staff here, during the last few days of our stay.
As always, we thank you for your prayer and support. We are really grateful.
Matt and Lou
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