Chodort Grad 2015

On December 11th Chodort said goodbye to another graduating class. There were 63 students from 3 classes: 1 year course Carpentry & Joinery, 1 year course Tailoring & Design, and two 6-month batches of Computer Applications. We took a break from Production to enjoy the festivities. This is usually my busiest week of the year, with all the prep. Michelle baked 4 large cakes that went towards the snack given to students, staff, and guests. I printed the certificates, one at a time, painstakingly trimming each one by 2mm so it wouldn't print crooked; letting the ink dry on our glossy templates. I was also the event photographer.

The beginning of the event is marked by music, with the students dancing forward in two lines. The Important Guests walk between them to take their places at the front.

There is a mini fashion show where the Tailoring students show off their final projects (dresses). Here the girls wait to walk on stage.

The students sing; some acrobats provide entertainment.

Trade Aid kits are given to one group of students with the best business proposal, to help them get started in their new venture.

The Principal of Chodort gives the closing speech. Some of the Invited Guests are seated behind, including the D.C., The P.S.' Representative, and Reverends Mundemba and Silwenga.

The Case of the Missing Bicycle - Part 1 of 2

A Detective Mpoto story by yours truly

The Case of the Missing Bicycle

Missionary Detective Mpoto munched on a fresh banana as he walked to Jim and Bea's house. He was happy: the day was sunny but not yet hot, and he had a new puzzle to ponder. Stray dogs rested in the shade of the green trees, too tired or content to give him chase. He chose the shortcut through the tall grass beside the Immigration office and crossed the next dirt road as he went over the facts of his new case.

He had been sitting in his office when the President called him and asked him to meet with her in the staff kitchen. Two other men were already there: the night security guard and one of the blockmakers, a friend of Mpoto's named Ben.

"We had a report from house number 2," the President began. "Their bicycle is missing; it was left in their backyard last night." House number 2 was one of the rental houses that God's No.1 Mission had built last year, and it was rented by Jim and Bea, who happened to be colleagues of Mpoto, from the same NGO that had sent him to God's No.1 Mission.

The security guard took up the story. "Jim reported a strange noise at 6:30 this morning. He went outside and found the bicycle missing. He came to me at the guardshack and told me. I didn't see anyone."

"I think I saw someone take it," Ben broke in. "Although it was yesterday. When the rain came down heavy yesterday, I ducked under the shelter by the cement mixer to wait out the storm. Then I saw your gardener, Mr. Mpoto, leaving Bea's house with the bicycle. I knew it was him, because, well, I know him, and he was wearing that blue uniform with the white stripes on the legs."

"What colour was the bicycle?" asked Mpoto.

"Yellow," answered Ben. He was right. And it was also true that he knew the gardener in question, because said gardener worked one day a week at Jim and Bea's house, so the two of them crossed paths often.

Mpoto reflected on the timing. Jim and Bea had just arrived two days ago with their new bicycle. They had also had a few other things go missing from the back of their house, but they had been absent for three months, so it wasn't a great surprise. They had been at Mpoto's house yesterday for his son's birthday party when it was raining, so no one had been home.

Mpoto did not want to believe that his gardener was a thief.

He had gone home to talk to Mrs. Mpoto after the meeting. They had agreed that he should talk to Jim and Bea before taking any action. They had also agreed that he should make it clear to his gardener that there would be no bad consequences if the bicycle was returned.

Mpoto picked some roses to take to Bea. As he was leaving his gate, he noticed the gardener, whose name was Sam, standing under the mango tree. He hadn't greeted him yet today, so he walked over to him and asked "How are you?"

"I'm okay," said Sam. Then he said suddenly, "I didn't take the bicycle."

"Oh?" Mpoto remembered that Ben and the security guard had mentioned that they had confronted Sam on their way to talk to the President. Sam had denied that he had taken it and had agreed that they could go to his house to look. But the President had said that that was up to Jim and Bea.

"I didn't take it," Sam insisted. "You know I already have two bicycles. What is going to happen?" His eyes held fear. He was afraid for his job.

"Don't worry," said Mpoto. "I want to believe you. But let me go and discuss with Jim. And also, just let me say, if you did take it, there won't be any consequences. Just return the bicycle." Hopefully Sam understood; his English was okay, but not fluent.

Mpoto stepped over a dead frog, turned black by hundreds of busy ants scurrying over it. He turned down the lane to God's No.1 Mission Housing Complex, and was about to knock on the door of House 2, when Jim suddenly opened it.

"Come in!" he said cheerfully. "I'm just putting up these new solar lights now. How did you thread them through the ceiling in your house?" There had been power cuts for six months, and the boss had bought solar lights for all the employees.

Mpoto explained how he had wired his lights, gave Bea the roses; then they moved outside. "You can see the track from the bicycle," said Jim, pointing at the dusty cement path. "The back wheel couldn't even turn, so it had to be dragged or carried."

"Wait--you mean it wasn't a brand new bicycle? I saw it in the back of your van and thought you had just bought it in Lusaka."

"Oh no, this was that beat-up one that Shelaine used two years ago in Macha. The wheel was stuck, the pedals were missing, the brakes didn't work...we were going to take it to the market to see how much it would cost to get it fixed up. It might not even be worth it. The only good part of it is the frame."

Mpoto grinned and sighed at the same time. All this fuss over a broken bicycle. But to some, it was important. At least Ben seemed to think it was important.

Jim and Mpoto noticed how the track stopped a bit before the gate. It appeared the bike would have been lifted over it--not that hard of a task for a strong person. Sam had a key to this gate, so he likely would have opened it and dragged it though, Mpoto decided. But the tracks stopped there; the rain had likely washed them away in the red dirt past the carport.

It was Ben's word against Sam's; or else Ben had been mistaken about who he saw: after all, it was raining, he was a fair distance away, and Sam's uniform was very common among workers in the area. Mpoto thought of something else. "What time were you talking on your phone on the porch outside yesterday, during the party?" he asked. "Was Sam outside then?"

Jim didn't think so, but Mpoto thought he had seen them together after he had come back from town--at the end of the rainstorm when he had to open the gate to drive in and had gotten quite wet. It would have been around 15:00, which was the time that Sam usually went home...the timing sort of fit, but something wasn't quite right...

"Let's take Sam home and look for the bike there," he suggested. "Then he can clear his name, I can tell Ben that we checked, and we can move on. I need to get back to work anyway."

So Jim started the van. As they were leaving, Mpoto saw Ben at the Estate gate. He rolled down his window and mentioned the plan. Ben made like he wanted to come along, but Mpoto firmly said that he didn't need to come. "You won't find it," Ben shrugged. "He's had enough time to make a phone call and someone will hide it for him."

"That's fine," said Mpoto. "We're still going to check." And they drove off to pick up their gardener.

WHODUNIT? Find out next time, in Part 2!

Cajon

I recently made a cajon...it's a drum that originated in Peru sometime back and apparently is big in Flamenco music. I became interested in it after hearing it played at my brother in law's outdoor wedding in July. It sounded like a bass and snare from a regular drum kit, and I went up afterwards to ask how it was mic'd--and it wasn't...so I was impressed with the good sound. They showed me the guitar strings inside that give it the snare sound, and I was hooked...something I could make in Africa!

I've tried to make a video in case you are interested. Unfortunately Oreo wanted attention at the time, but I think you get the idea...

New Album: Journey With The Invisible Friend

We are all on a journey. Some of us choose to journey with others, and some of us journey alone. Recently I was listening to some songs I've recorded over the years, and I spied a common thread--they all somehow related to my life journey with (spoiler alert!) Jesus. This blog documents some of that--getting sick, having kids, various projects, moving to Africa...and all the little things in-between. So while these songs are very personal records of my journey, I would like to share them with any who are willing to listen...in hopes that they may inspire you on your journey, wherever you happen to be along the way.

My latest album spans seven or eight years of creativity, not to mention two hemispheres! If you would like to download it, please feel free (instructions below)! There is no cost. There are 11 songs, as follows:

1. Run in the Path
2. Out of that Box
3. Treehouse Prayer
4. Healing Touch
5. Jesus Holy Shepherd of the World
6. Church Song
7. One Day in Africa
8. Burden Blessing
9. Bread
10. G7 LWW Intro Mellow - Strings
11. Spring is Here

To download, click the link below. It will take you to a DropBox folder. Select the option to Download the folder (note that you don't need to sign up with DropBox at all). Drag it into iTunes or Windows Media Player, and voila! Free Music! Enjoy!

Click HERE to download this music album.

P.S. Many of these songs have been featured in past posts as music videos. So you may recognize a few.

Like a Chicken with the Face of a Monkey

Things have been a bit busy lately. Homeschooling kids that are too busy playing to do their work. Computer quotations without electricity. Preparing for classes, church services, and chapels that are postponed at five minutes notice and then a few days later revived with five minutes notice; it helps to be flexible! Low or no water pressure. Scheduling long weekends at the same time as colleagues. A Celebration service that turns into Condolences when a guest passes away unexpectedly. Getting stopped at a police check driving someone else's vehicle whose road tax had expired. Friends that confide marital problems. Hot weather. Teaching someone computer skills a week before their job interview. Sick kids, colleagues, wife, me. Just lots going on.

I need to stop doing things solely with my own strength. Reboot!

Note: The title and the picture of the saw have no significance other than to demonstrate chaos through their disunity! My sense of humour is still intact!

Lunar Eclipse Photos

I set my alarm for 2am this morning so as not to miss the great combined Supermoon Lunar Eclipse that won't happen again for 18 more years. I set up the tripod in the backyard and mounted the camera with a small zoom lens. I tried to stay quiet so I wouldn't attract the dog's attention. By 3am things looked promising; a small shadow appeared on the right side of the moon. I started some laundry while I waited and even did some dishes between shots. At 4:15 when the moon was eclipsed, I changed some settings on the camera, and with the longer exposure time captured the red colour better.

I mashed the photos together in the approximate path the moon took this morning. (click to enlarge)

Projects

Michelle told me the other day that I wasn't happy unless I was doing a project. I suppose that's true to some degree. When there is free time I must fill it with something constructive. Maybe it is some artistic bent? Or do I have no self-worth unless I accomplish something? Or can I just not sit still for too long?

I had a co-worker once who was even more of a project lover than me. He always had something on the go at work that he would try to squeeze in during lunch hour or for a few minutes after work. He told me after I had young children that when his kids were young, if he worked too late on stuff, they would be sitting at their front window waiting for him and asking, "When is Daddy coming home?" So I made a decision to put my family first, or at least do my projects at home if possible.

My neighbour, who shares the backyard with me, asked me to make a wardrobe for him, because he'd seen me working on various Projects outside on my back porch and admired my work. I gave him a quote for materials only and did the labour for free. I ordered the hardwood items from Chodort and assembled the wardrobe during my odd spare hour. Finally it is finished!

Then there was our tree swing which I decided needed improving, so I spent a Sunday afternoon climbing this monstrous tree and giving our swing two ropes instead of one.

As our power is off 8 hours every day, I took some time to make a solar oven. It doesn't work too great yet though so I'll keep at it. This fits in with my concern about deforestation in Zambia (saving trees from being made into charcoal by cooking using the sun). I'm also experimenting with a solar panel and a 12 volt battery to see if we can extend our light and computer time.

Somewhere during this time my computer quit--the screen hinge pinched the video wires. So I want to cut out the pinched wire and solder on some longer ones. I'm not sure it will work. I'm actually typing this blog on it, but the laptop screen is bent down to a 60 degree angle, which makes for a bit of a kink in the neck!

As my projects get more involved, things like the doing the dishes get neglected and pile up. Now Michelle has asked me to take on a new project, which is to find the source of the big dead cockroaches we keep randomly finding on the floor in various rooms. "Here, cockroach, cockroach..."

There is always something to do for those that look for it!

Up North

We are currently on vacation in Canada to attend my brother-in-law's wedding, and also to visit family and friends. Despite a long travel itinerary we had decent flights and the jet lag has not been too bad. The kids are quite happy to play at Grandma and Grandpa's house, and we are happy to go shopping and actually find what we're looking for! I was wary of reverse culture shock, but it's been fine so far...though it might hit us more when we get back to Zambia next month, I suspect.

With less things to do, I have been trying to keep busy by volunteering to do the dishes, weed the garden, and I have also done a fair bit of reading. I've already burned through a new Grisham novel, a Rachel Held Evans book, and have started NT Wright and Lee Strobel also! Throughout this month I am also working through a Henri Nouwen book called Finding My Way Home. There is an online discussion group available this month, so I'm able to give the themes some deeper thought as we reflect on the paths of power, peace, etc.

I'm enjoying this time of r&r and connecting with people that I haven't seen for two years!

First (and probably last) Wedding Shoot

As mentioned in the previous post, I was asked to shoot a wedding. All my co-worker wanted was a CD that he could take to Lusaka to get prints. Today I attended with quite a few others from Chodort. I felt it was both laid-back and high-energy...so a good mix. The front yard garden was a perfect location, though small. While not an official ceremony, it was close enough; according to local sources, it's called a Traditional Wedding or A Getting Together of the Families.

The bride and groom are not supposed to smile during the first part. I think it's okay once the food, dancing, and gifts come out! So a lot of my pictures looked kind of glum. But I ended up with 139 decent shots, and photoshopped three of them for style; otherwise I left them alone. There were quite a few of family and friends, greetings and gifts, so I don't know how many will actually get printed.

This Kindness

I felt a bit like Forrest Gump this afternoon as I finished off the book with the same name (it's a bit different than the movie, from what I remember). But the character is the same: the 'idiot savant' who, despite making lots of bloopers, succeeds big time in his many endeavors. Not that I regard myself as an idiot savant, a big blooper-maker, or a great success...but today I felt on the receiving end of Kindness, much like Forrest seems to be.

I've been batching and single-parenting this week...does that even mix? My better half is in Kenya sharing and learning about Education in Africa. I've never had both kids on my own this long before...and so far it's going fine. Today, particularly, I faced with a little trepidation, because I was leaving the kids at home with our maid while I went to work. Which I've done before, but I worry about their fighting or hunger or other things they're not used to reaching out to others about. But when I checked in on them at tea time, lunch, and after work, they were happily playing together. In fact before supper they went outside on a 'hike' where they packed a backpack and rode their bikes around the yard, making stops to play with toys or dig in the dirt. I made pancakes for supper and slipped them outside and they gobbled them up and kept playing until a few stars had come out. It was just cool to see them independent like that.

Then I was asked to photograph a co-worker's wedding this Sunday (and was able to arrange child care with an MCC friend) and I was also asked by a neighbourhood boy we know to make a cake for him on Saturday, because it's his birthday. I said yes to these things, not because my photography and cake making skills are great (my wife is superior in both areas) but because of the Kindness of being asked, and I know that it means a great deal to both guys.

Where does this Kindness come from? Perhaps it is an evolutionary anomaly inherited from our surival-of-the-fittest, fish-turned-lizard ancestors. But I think it comes from the Lord. Thanks for your prayers this week, you know who you are!

Spiders and Soccer

A spider was spinning her cunning web of deceit when I returned home from work yesterday. The setting sun was highlighting the thin strands, or I would have missed it. She was starting from the outside frame and working her way inwards, with quick, precise geometry. I took this picture, then went inside to get the kids so they could see too. By the time they came out, the web was almost finished.

This morning I went out early to see if I could get a good picture with the sunrise and the dew, but alas, the web was gone...I think our gardener probably cleared it out of the way. Hopefully the spider got a meal first!

Last Saturday I took a soccer ball to the dirt field a block away and counted to ten. No one showed up. But then, within a minute there were four of us passing the ball around. Soon we had a good scrimmage of 3 on 3 going! I'm hoping to make it a weekly event, as I love the exercise. One of the guys was a former Chodort IT student.

Guitar Number 2 music video: Burden Blessing

Awhile back I posted about my new guitar making hobby. I finished my second cigar-box guitar a few months ago and have enjoyed playing it. The sound is not that good, but the intonation is better than the first one. Plus, it's a cool shape!

Every guitar must have a new song played on it. This one is called Burden Blessing; it's a blessing for anyone who is carrying any sort of burden. Video footage is from around the neighbourhood.


What is your cross to carry?
To others it appears to be joy
Only you know the patience required
The struggle with faithfulness

May your burden be light, may your yoke be easy
May your struggle free the Hope of the world
May your ears hear the whisper, may your heart be full
of the One who knows you

Halfway There

Here we are at the 'Ides of March' and it is also approximately halfway through our term in Zambia. The seasons of life continue:

The rains seem to have tapered off; while the sun is still strong during the day, it is pleasant and cool in the evening. We have quite a bit of standing water in our non-draining backyard, but almost every other puddle around has become bone-dry. We do have quite a few mosquitoes as a result of the standing water.

We released the tadpoles we had been keeping in the kitchen after five weeks of watching them grow legs. In fact, one disappeared from the tank; I think it hopped away into the kitchen someplace.

At Home School we are finished two terms of grade 1, with one remaining. We don't do too much with Malachi in preschool, but he is soaking up a large part of what Kate is learning in grade 1--she is teaching him all sorts of things. It has been gratifying to watch Kate learn to read and write. (English spelings ar so sillie somtimes, but wee all haf tu lurn them!)

The nights are always quiet...many times after the kids go to bed, you will find Michelle watching a DVD on her computer, and yours truly playing a game of Settlers online.

At Chodort we managed to finish another kitchen--painted white! I designed it and built the boxes, and some other guys made the doors and painted them. Fixing (installing) them went quite smoothly. I took some photos for the purpose of making a brochure that potential customers can read to understand our products and prices.

So, we continue to do our work here, remaining faithful to our calling, for He who called us is faithful.

Andrew

Oreo the Canine Meteorologist

We had a big rain last night, with thunder and lightning disturbing our sleep for awhile. In the morning I looked outside and saw Oreo's food dish, full of water. Oreo has an annoying habit of moving her empty dish around the yard after eating. So when it's feeding time, I play 'find the food dish' since I haven't yet convinced her to fetch it herself.

But what Oreo was really trying to do was to measure rainfall. So I checked with a ruler and it was 60mm (over two inches). Not a bad soaking; the backyard is back to its lake-like status.

There was quite a layer of sand at the bottom of the dish, which indicates a heavier type of rain, which disturbs the earth it falls on and makes it jump into dog water dishes.

Now if I can just get Oreo to predict the weather, she'll be earning her keep.

Love

Love must be sincere.

             Romans 12:9a

Happy Valentines Day!

I have been married over eleven years. I definitely do not have a corner on the romance market, although I have tried; one Valentines Day I blew up a LOT of red balloons with helium and left them floating all over the house for my wife to find when she woke up. Some years we try to go out for a special dinner on this day: once I made reservations at a Greek restaurant, and they packed us in like sardines with about 50 other couples--no elbow room! This year, I let my wife sleep in and picked some fresh roses from the garden; she gave me a dark chocolate bar. (mmm!) Looks like supper will be roasted maize and hot dogs on the braai after a lazy day reading books. I guess we're an Old Married Couple now.

It seems to me that the whole human race relies on love for survival. When we love (cooperate) with each other, we thrive. When we fight, we die off. As a father, I see this with my kids--I want them to get along so badly, as it makes my life easier and also helps them. I'm sure our Father in heaven also sees things this way:
"if only you guys would just get along..."
"It's okay if Billy got more than you, I'll take care of it..."
"You'd be so much happier if you would just forgive your sister..."
"Where is your brother Abel?" (Genesis 4:9)

And now with the recent Globalization of our world--where we no longer have an excuse about not knowing about our neighbours since world news is available at the click of a mouse--the responsibility to love one another gets even greater. Too great sometimes. "Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law." (Romans 13:8)

Yes, from living in Africa I am even more conscious of the global disparity between rich and poor, when respectful yet downcast people come to the gate very frequently, asking for piece-work, and skinny barefoot kids who should be in school jostle to help me with my groceries when I emerge from the "rich-people" grocery store. I've been working hard at Chodort, trying to help the Carpentry Production department make a decent profit so that Chodort's employees can make a living wage. And when we succeed, what then? The cost of living goes up for everyone else.

Somehow Love has to factor in everything we do.

Bush Church

My friend Marvin asked me for transport to the hopping town of Harmony, where he had been invited to minister. Marvin makes cement blocks for Chodort on weekdays, but is also an active (Pentecostal) preacher in his community. I said I would give him a lift, would not stay for the church program, so that I could return home and take my own family to church.

Our plans don't always work the way we expect them to, do they?

Sunday came. I couldn't remember exactly where Marvin lives in the maze of muddy dirt roads in south Choma, so met him at a nearby high school. He brought his wife with him. We drove to Harmony, which is only 15 minutes down the highway. Then we waited at the side of the road for awhile for someone named Clive to come on a bicycle and lead us to the church building. Finally Clive arrived, then rode in the car with me while Marvin pedalled furiously on the bike behind us. The scenery was beautiful, as the rains have made everything green again. The sandy road went on and on...I had planned to just drop them off and then leave (they could catch a bus back to town) but when I realized how far into the bush we were going, I decided I couldn't leave them without transport. When we finally arrived at the little church, I called home and let my wife know.

The church is a small red brick building a bit bigger than our living room, with small slats for windows, a dirt floor, and a tin roof. Four or five benches were set up along one wall. The stage was raised slightly, with a battery-powered piano keyboard and speaker. There were english Bibles and songbooks (printed in Edmonton!) on the benches. The service began at 10am and went until about 1pm, after which we had some lunch outside (pounded maize with sour milk and sugar). We left around 2pm; I did some grocery shopping on the way home and got home at 3:30pm--about 7 hours later than I'd planned to.

I felt very welcomed and comfortable in this small church plant. A few of the church members were quite familiar with Choma/Lusaka/Western way of life, so maybe that's why I felt so accepted...and the church wasn't too crazy (maybe because there weren't many people there today?). In fact it was mostly in English, with some Tonga translation. The pastor said I would be preaching next time I visit. Maybe I'll put it off for awhile. :)

Happy New Year!