Sunday

Church. . . sooo good.  I love church in Zambia.  Raphael was amazing today too.  He spoke on Genesis 17 and 22 about Sacrifice.  hahahah wow a Zambian man talking to a room or Americans about sacrifice. . . oxy-moron if you ask me.   I am, as of now, typing my blogs on my computer and saving them on a flash so JUST IN CASE i have a minute in a place that gets the net, i can just load them. . . i also apologize profusely for my horrendous grammar and spelling faux-pauxs.  My mind is FULLLLLL of information and facts.  numbers.  blah blah   love you guys!

Dorcas

Twirling.   Spinning around in circles until you can’t see straight.  So fast that when you stop, the world spins upside down.  Dresses were the best to twirl in.  The bigger the skirt, the better the effect.  I think when little girls twirl, it means that they are the happiest they have ever been.  I know when I was little and I spun around to watch my dress flow like a lady dancing or a bride, I had no worries in the world.   I was blessed to watch a little girl, for one of the first times in her life, twirl in a brand new dress on the front porch of her new house, without fear or concern for a thing.   I saw the face of God today through Dorcas. 

            The Tree of Life Children’s Village houses 14 new brothers and sisters from various homes and schools within Lusaka.  This has been a LONGGG time in the making. . . and seeing 14 BEAUTIFUL faces smiling with disbelief at their new way of life was top 2 moments of my life.  The staff (American side) lined both sides of the dirt road weeeeping and waving, welcoming the kids to the edge of the village. The coolest part was this was a TOTAL surprise to all of the children.  Most all of the kids are single or double orphans, and those who had guardians were accompanied by them.  Each of these kids, (INCLUDING BABY JOE!!!!! HES SOOOOOOO BIGGGG!!) live in very vulnerable and/or abusive situations, so the Tree of Life was the best way of giving them a safe place to live and learn.  It was very chaotic, about 29 americans running around and over 60 zambian staff and workers standing everywhere.  I assumed many of the kids would be very confused and not understand they actually were living in the new place they were visiting until later, but 2 older girls, Beauty and Emma COMPLETLEY understood what was going on.  As soon as Uncle Greer told them they would be living in the BEAUTIFUL house they were standing in front of, they both just WEPT.  It. Was. Amazing.  I couldn’t do anything but cry.   We were able to pick out clothes for all of them and as they ran into their rooms with bunk-beds with their names on them, they changed their old clothes for new ones and honestly, was the closet example of grace I’ve ever witnessed.  “God is good! God is SOOO good!”   Dorcas, a little girl who lost both of her parents, comes up to me and my friend Kara if we were sisters, of course (they think all of the americans that come are all sisters and brothers! Its soo funny!) and then just throws her arms around me.   She then proceeds inside to show me her new room and bed.  She picks out a beautiful dress, one of many new pairs of clothes in her new closet and changes into it.  We go outside on the porch and she twirls and twirls and twirls, looking up to the sky while giggling uncontrollably.  I can’t stop giggling too.  I guess you could say we had the giggles?  Haha. She was the epitome of beauty at that very moment.   We played on the see-saw (hahahhahha the uneven weight distrobution upon the see-saw was hilarious. . . ) I pushed her on the swings, then she pushed me on the swings. . . we just lived, ya know?  She was a kid, FINALLY.  As we were about to leave I walked her back to the house and sat on the ground in front with her.  As I told her I was leaving, she asked, “No you are not staying with us?”  I told her this was her home now, and she would be able to come play outside anytime, drink water out of their kitchen faucet (she hadn’t seen running water before so that was fun just playing with that!), and sleep in her bed until she grew up.  She understood at that moment what God had blessed her and the other 13 with.  She hugged me so tight, I thought I was going to throw up.  “Aunty Kasey God has blessed us and at Camp 2009 I will tell all of the kids that the Lord IS their Shepherd!”  God is good.  I don’t even know what else to say except God is SOOOO amazingly good.  

Zambia is wonderful.  It’s home. You know you’re home when people call you by your name, and they havnt seen you in a year.   I CANT WAIT until ML gets here. . . this Saturday(29^th), and that will be amazing.  No internet.  Ha like EVER, so I’m just typing all of this stuff on Word and then when I have like 2 minutes to go into town, I rapid-fire cut/paste for as long as my battery will last ha.  TIA man TIA. 

On another note, TIA has been seriously what I’ve lived by for the past week.  We did villa inventory over the past few days, and its been funny to see what “just goes” here.  Villa 33A has a washer instauled in it. Strange, you say? That’s not strange?   Well it has been instauled inside the stand up shower, I repeat, shower of the master bathroom. Complete with electrical outlet placed directly below the shower head J LOVELY!  Hahah its soooo great man. 

 My boys might not be able to come to camp.  The school they are from, Restoration in Matero isn’t allowing the kids to come to camp for some reason.  I am praying they will be attending because TINY TIM, an organization that tests for HIV/AIDS and other illnesses will be there helping test all the children, with guardian or parental approval.  I love them so much and I know God LOVES them SOOOOO much more so maybe there is another group of kids that needs me to mediate for them or just listen to their stories and aid in helping, and maybe im being selfish, but I just want them back L  If They don’t come to camp, I WILL see them in Matero when I go.   I will make time, despite it seeming like there is none to spare. . . I WILL go.  Gift Sichinga. . . my partner/friend from last year has seen them almost every Saturday since camp, and they wanted me to come last week!  I couldn’t, but just hearing them ask makes me want to see them more. . . my name, in Nyanjah is Mapolo. . . which means blessing, and the last request I received from my kids was

 “Where is Aunty Mapolo, Gift?  She is here I know it and she needs to come see us. . . and she better be fit so she can pick all of us up at the same time!”  hahahha rigghhhhhtttttt boys. . . . they are silly J

 

Departure?? Yes Please

I leave tomorrow at 8 pm

Had the BEST last day at home in a while. Went to the beach with the father. Came home. Fixed the computer battery (turns out i might not be magnetic after all :)) and had a family dinner at Chic-Fil-A. . . . like our family actually went and sat down there and I ate my favorite chicken strips in the world, while our family discussed racism and "Protestants vs. Catholics" baseball tournis? and went to get ice cream as I watched my father verbally/nearly physically assault a car in the parking lot! Best day in a LONG time. . . :) ilovemyfamily

I feel more loved than I have in a LONG time.
I will miss my family
but get to live with my other family all summer
biggest blessing I think I could ever want. That's reality.
I can't wait to smother everyone with the Love I've received upon my last day (prob. the best day ever!) at home!
honestly speaking, NIKOKONDA for real you guys for real :)

OKAY, SOOoOOOoOOO. . . clockwork.  My spring/summer season is like clockwork.  Get out of spring semester at school (or not at school last year) and come home for 1 to 2 weeks before I go to Zambia.  Week one Im home, see friends and people i wont during the summer, go bowling?, go to at least 6 types of dr.'s apts, Week 2, INSANITY!!!- check email at least 30 times  a day, make NUMEROUS lists or RANDOM things, and think.  Not that I don't every minute of every other day of the year, overly so in fact, but I REALLY think.  I have noticed some interesting, almost indescrepent items I would like to share.  

1. Johnson and Johnson's "Baby Wash."    

  it is baby shampoo/soap you use to "wash" your baby, right before you put it in the cabinet next to the cereal bowls in the kitchen."  Honestly, thats the EXACT thing I thought upon taking a shower this morning.  It struck me as strange to call it "Baby Wash."  I suppose you call it "Body Wash" as well, but with the pro-nounish word "Baby" in front sounds a bit odd and literally "objective."  It would be like saying "Man Wash" or "Girl Wash."  Im waiting for the day when I walk into Wallgreens and they have "Kasey Wash" on the shelf.  Give it time friends, give it time.  

2. Nelson Mandela Beany-Baby  

I was, of course, making a list of things I'm going to get people from London/Africa today, and I remembered I can/will purchase a Nelson Mandela Beany-Baby in the JoBurg airport?  Emmm, I'm not quite sure HOW/WHO came up with capitalizing on a previously imprisoned president of South Africa via HIGHLY over-rated kids toy?  What a way to commemorate such an amazing anti-apartheid activist!! BEANY BABY!!  that way you can carry it practically anywhere, and distract children when their bored at church while spreading awareness!?  I could be wrong, but IM PRETTY SURE we don't carry Nixon Beany-Babies in our airports in the U.S.   Correct me if im wrong/or even relevant, but it just seemed, "strange"/amazing.  Tell me if there are any takers. . . 

3. Blue Crush  

Tonight, when I was coming home from BOWLING?, I said to myself and to courtney, "I really wish I would have brought Blue Crush (the movie) home from Jackson!  I REALLY want to see it tonight!"  After packing, I turn on the T.V. and LOW AND BEHOLD, Blue Crush, in my face. . . What are the odds?   i feel okay/better now that im watching it. . . 

4. Unnecessary CAPITALIZATION TO EMPHASIZE BOLD EMOTION

I've just been doing it alot for some reason, in case you havn't noticed from the previously stipulated numeraled paragraphs.  Bad or Good, undecided.  

5. God    

He is Good.  Got this new Bible right, from my pastor.  The mother actually got it while I was gone, and gave it to me to read.  It's very cool.  Called "The Voice"  its only New Testament at the moment, but I've enjoyed it.  It reads somewhat like a script?  sounds weird, but its not, trust me.  I really love how its written.  It's not divided into chapters, it's just like a narrative, which enables you to actually read it like a narrative.  Oswald Chambers told me to read John 17 today, so I did (Oswald says jump, I say how high? within reason tehe).  Jesus is talking to His Father about us.  inhabitants of the world.  Basically "appealing to [God] on their behalf" (p. 123).  He loves us.  So much.  He speaks on our behalf to His Father to keep us from evil, and to have mercy.  One of my favorite statements is 

"Immerse them in the truth, the truth Your voice speaks.  In the same way You sent Me into this world, I am sending them.  It is entirely for their benefit that i have set Myself apart so that they may be set apart by truth.  I am not asking solely for their benefit; this prayer is also for all the believers who will follow them and hear them speak.   Father, may they all be one as You are in Me and I am in You; may they be in Us, for by this unity the world will believe that You sent me." -John 17:17-21 

It was kinda a blessing to me alot today?  ha  hopefully it will be for yall as well! 

---nikokonda 

It's about that time again. . . I KNOW I would use this all last summer to help people know whats goin on while Im not in the U.S., and I KNOW I didnt do this attt all. . . sooooooo I am going to VOW to do so this summer.  I WILL do this. . . 

I'm pretty ready to be there already.  It's kind of cool coming back for a 3rd year.  2nd year has that element of surprise to your kids, like WOW you REALLY weren't lying when you said you were coming back kinda thing . . . but the 3rd year seems kinda foreign/cool.  I dont know, im super excited!   

They change so much in the span of a year.  I didnt recognize some of my boys last year.  They're going to be 10-12 this summer.  I CANT believe that actually.  .  . along with wonderment of watching them grow up, comes with some CRAZY responsibilities on my part. . . . partially at least.  I have to talk to my group about sex this summer, or at least my partner, Gift, does.  SOOOOo crazy to me that statistically, most of my boys could potentially already had sex by the age of 10.  wooowwww.  . . . . almost too sad for me to think about.  I'm praying alot about it.  please do so as well.  

I'm ready.  So ready.  

More calm and patient than last year about departure, but excited more than words can say.  

Inspired Beauty

"And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.  Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles.  Now all who believed were together and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.  So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people.  And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved." 

Acts 2:42-47

How beautifully the first church lived.  They loved uncontrollably.  They gave unconditionally and unsparingly.  They lived completely.  Uninhibited.  Unashamed.  Exuding the Savior from every pore on their bodies.  With Joy.  Overabundance.  Overwhelming.  I'm overwhelmed.  

I want nothing more than to be this.  

I am in love! Can't stop, won't stop!  

Please pray for Gift Schinga.  He is my friend in Zambia and I haven't heard from him in a month.  

As well as for Philip Zimba.  He is 8 years old (allegedly, but im NOT convinced! ha) and needs prayer!  

nikokonda one and all

Apparently, there aint no party like an S-Club party? who knew.

Upon being enlightened by Justin "bringing sexy back," I decided right then and there that I was to also, on a yearly basis, bring something back.  My first thing for 2009 will be the parachute.  The kind that you get to use on special occasions in 2nd grade where your class gets to go outside and each person holds a handle and you make it fly up and down, and sometimes you put bean bags on it and make them fly up, and you can run under it (taking turns of course) and Yes. That is what my first long since forgotten "fad" or item i will reinstate back into society. The leisure/party parachute. Please contact me if you know how I might acquire one. 

You're welcome.