Ants in my coffee
I, like most unsophisticated swine, love instant coffee. It is cheap, fast, and when done right, has its own unique flavor. Some lovingly compare the flavor to that of various manures, but I find the flavor closer to heavenly raindrops.
With great delight, I discovered instant coffee was readily available in Zambia. Soon, I partook in the consumption of large quantities of instant goodness.
Before long, my instant coffee started to have an interesting crunch. Apparently, Zambian ants are much thirstier than American ants, and our electric kettle seemed like a great place to drink water. So the ants arrive by the thousands and overwhelm my poor electric kettle daily. I now thoroughly wash my kettle before each use, and even then, I still get a few grams of organic protein per cup of coffee.
I tell this short story of protein-laden caffeine to highlight the small but plentiful changes in the last few weeks. Living in Zambia can be difficult at times, and it requires learning a new normal. There have been several times in the last few weeks when I felt like a fish out of water.
Take, for example, driving. In Zambia, we drive on the left side of the road, just like the British monarchy. In America, we follow George Washington’s example and, since 1776, have driven our cars on the right side of the road.
I have been pulled over more in the last few weeks than in the last 10 years! To be fair to the coppers, I broke a law each time. In fairness to me.. they were new laws to me.. I believe I will quickly and painfully learn Zambian driving laws.
Maria and the children are adjusting well in Zambia. The other missionary wives have taken Maria under their wings and have shown her the best places to shop. Shopping and finding certain items can be difficult at times; sometimes it takes the entire day to just track down a few needed items.
The children are constantly dirty and very happy about it. The missionaries here have hired a local coach, and now the children have Phys Ed and learn Nyanja at the same time. Nyanja is the most common local language, and the children are learning it at a way faster clip than we are.
We are currently in the winter months here in Zambia, and it feels so pleasant every day. Roughly 78 as a high, and 50 as a low. It is also sooooo dry. Dust covers the floors like sugar on a powdered donut. Maria does her best, but trying to keep the floors clean is like operating a handheld bilge pump on the sinking Titanic.
Overall, things are going well. We need for nothing, and best of all, our scrapple and Hershey bars arrived safely on the African continent. Soon, I will start my Zambian testing for “engineer”. The testing looks painful, but like a root canal, I’ll be better on the other side of it. I will take a total of 4 hairy and scary tests in the next few months.
Well, I think I’m hungry and tired, and I know just the drink to solve both.
Here is a photo dump of our travels
Photos from around the Hangar.
Prayer
Pray for me as I integrate into the team here. The team here is close, and I feel the significance of entering well.
Pray for the family. We are not in the States anymore, and things are different. There are new stressors, new decisions, and new opportunities. Pray that we can be a family that points others towards Christ.
Pray that we can find a good church. We are looking into local churches here and are trying to find a good church to plug into.
Praise
Praise that we made it here safely. The journey here is long, and the opportunities for things to go wrong are plentiful. But God provided safe passage and even got all of our 16 suitcases here!
Praise that we are slowly getting into a new rhythm. Life is different but also the same, and trying to restore a life rhythm is important.
Praise that we have not been robbed yet. Several of the missionaries have been robbed in the last few weeks, and so far, God has spared us.
Musale Bwino,
Flyin' Bryan 