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Emma is at St. John's Seminary Zambia, teaching theology to students
Dear All,

You may want to read this email with a large cup of strong coffee in one hand; I'm very sorry, but it's a bit longer than usual! Without any further waffle (apart from to say I hope you're all well and hunky-dory), here's some bits and pieces from my experience over here:

Thought-Provoking Bit
I thought I would introduce you to some people that I have come to know…

Meet Miss Hopeful. Early on the third day of torrential rain, Miss Hopeful walked nonchalantly into the back garden wearing a rain coat and carrying a bucket of washed baby clothing – and defiantly and hopefully hung them out on the line to dry. Amid the thunder and lightning and elephants and rhinos ( i.e. the rain – see earlier email!), Miss Hopeful hung out her washing to dry. It may seem silly to some, and even laughable, but risking being called foolish and ignorant, Miss Hopeful clung on to the hope that there would be a break in the clouds, a moment where a chink of glorious sunshine would burst from the sky. She couldn't see it for miles yet, but she knew it would come soon. She had nothing else to lose you see (it was already wet), and everything to gain.

Meet Miss Generous. Using a crutch to give her balance where a leg used to be, Miss Generous patrols the street just outside of Shoprite, a popular supermarket for the Muzungus (white people!). The first thing you notice about her is her huge and kindly smile, the kind of smile that warms you inside and reminds you of your mother's smile. She stops her journey and greets you with graceful words and caring spirit. Without fail she always teaches you one or two more words of Bemba before showering you God's blessings and re-starting her journey. To some, Miss Generous is a mere beggar in rags, someone to be pitied and helped. But they couldn't be further from the truth. You see, Miss Generous actually spends her life giving real treasure to the beggars that come up to her. For she gives warmth and love and friendship - and time.

Meet Mr Grateful. Mr Grateful is sadly becoming a rare species throughout the world, which makes him to be a seriously precious gem. Let me paint you a picture of him. He has lost three members of his close family in quick succession, and holds the hand of a fourth about to breathe her last. In fact, Mr Grateful has just found out he may not have much longer to live on this land either. His small wage is not enough to send all his children to school, nor is it enough to satisfy all hunger pangs. Always dressed in the same grey t-shirt and cord trousers, his best attire is the smile he wears on his face, and the peaceful shadow he carries around with him. Another person, and he would be Mr Angry, or Mr Bitter, or Mr Gloomy. But he is Mr Grateful. Every time he says 'Mwapoleni!' (hello), he is grateful because that means he has a friend. When the sun rises and sets he is grateful; when all his children have nshima he is grateful; when it is Monday morning he is grateful. Why is he like this? Well, Mr Grateful knows that his Shepherd is not the one giving him thistles to eat and a bed of nails to lie on. He says that his Shepherd feeds him with 'invisible nshima' and never leaves his side, unlike everyone else. And he knows that his Shepherd has a good catch. When he falls for the last time, his Shepherd will be ready with arms out to catch him and to carry him home; carry him home.

Funny Piece
Cock-a-doodle dooooooooo! Mr Chicken was proudly standing outside the chapel doors starting a rendition of 'Shine Jesus Shine'. Humph. As I was sitting nearest the door (I am an Anglican of course), I felt that it was perhaps my duty to try and shoo him away. So, I darted out of the door to confront the offenders. 'Shoo' I said. Mr and Mrs Chicken looked at me with a cocked head, looked at each other, and started up the next verse. I made various exaggerated arm movements in the style of 'I'm trying to catch a helicopter to heaven…' (you don't know that one? You're missing out…), then squatted to make myself as broad as possible and jumped from side-to-side in the style of a sumo wrestler: I moved left, they moved right. I moved right they moved left. Not one inch did they move back. So, I resorted to drastic action. In an attempt to shoo them back away from the chapel, I took a leap into the air, performed a double somersault, a backward flip, a forward flip and a mid-air cartwheel towards them. It was perfect of course. The only slight problem was that I accidentally miscalculated my landing, and as a result landed behind them, not in front of them, and hence caused them to move three chicken steps forward ( their forward you understand – still with me?). This of course meant that – yes, you've guessed it – they actually wandered into the chapel… Oops! Plucking the various members of my body from a lovely prickly bush, I leapt once again into the air with a triple somersault and, nearly landing on the knee of the Bishop, managed to get Mr and Mrs Chicken to take three chicken steps back out of the chapel. Back to square number one.

I swaggered out of the chapel (again) with my hands on my hips. 'Look here birds.' (I meant business now). 'It would make me very happy indeed if you could perhaps maybe very kindly please take a few more lovely chicken steps backwards please away from the chapel please???' They didn't move but looked thoughtful. 'Ha!' I thought. 'They're processing my request. Excellent.' I turned to walk into the chapel like a victorious female warrior, head held high. I felt something brush against my leg. I looked down. 'Oh bother'. Apparently the chickens wanted to make friends with me. I stepped to my left, they stepped to my left. I jumped to the right, they jumped to the right. I put my left leg in and shook it all about… ahem, sorry. You get the drift. They were now following me.

So, you want to know the end of the story? Well, I led them over to my house (about fifty chicken steps away) where we had a rousing rendition of Shine Jesus Shine and a few others. Eventually a poor snail blundered onto the scene, and Mr and Mrs Chicken lost interest in me and 'made a new friend'. I took my chance – I ran forward, took a giant leap into the air, jumped over the prickly bush, doing five somersaults, three twists and two mid-air cartwheels - and landed gently into my seat in the chapel. I don't think anyone noticed…

Last Bit
Just in case you're thinking I've completely lost the plot and have lost my brain somewhere on the bumpy roads (quite a possibility actually), I can assure you that I still have it and I'm working it hard. The Dean from the theological college for the United Church of Zambia visited me last week to ask if I would teach New Testament to their diaconal class. Humbled? Yes. Honoured? Yes. Slightly unbelieving? Well of course. Excited? You betcha! Also, the Rector of St John's has volunteered me to start up 'hymn practice' (we often sound like a choir of cats at a funeral) and the students want me to teach them some new worship songs – which could be highly entertaining and I think I will die of embarrassment half way through. I have also learnt never ever to suggest something in staff meetings, unless you're prepared to organise what you suggest… maybe more on that next time, I'll leave you in suspense!

Prayers Requests
1) Please pray for one of the students – the rent for the house in which his wife and seven children live has increased, which means that they have a pittance to live on – and their electricity and water has just been cut off. Please pray that this difficult situation will come to a quick and good end.

2) The Seminary has some tricky situations to sort out and resolve – please pray that God would guide all the staff in their thinking, granting wisdom and discernment, so that all issues may be handled with God's justice, love and mercy.

3) We have had non-stop torrential rain since Tuesday; at one point the roads turned into red rivers! Many of the houses in the township near us collapsed – thankfully no one was injured, but many families are now without homes, and are at the mercy of friends and family to provide a roof over their heads. I have visited a few people in the township, and there is not much room to swing a cat there – so adding an extra family must be nigh on impossible. Pray that these families would find the resources to either re-build their homes, or find alternative housing. May God comfort them.

4) Please pray for the activities that I am involved with here, that I could manage my time wisely and do everything for God's glory. Also, thank God that so many people have been and continue to be such a blessing to me.

There we go. In the profound words of Roger Rabbit (or was it Daffy Duck? Ah, so long ago...), 'That's all folks!'

With much love, and praying that God will give us all hopeful, generous and grateful hearts,
Emma xxx
 

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