It has been too long!

Hi. My name is Hannah. The Zambians often call me Mutinta, because I grew up here, and that is a name they gave me because I have three older brothers. It means change, or different. I am the resident director/logistics coordinator on this trip. I thought I should introduce myself so you know who is writing this blog.

So I realize it has been a loooooooong time since we last posted on here! They say no news is good news though, and these past few weeks in Choma have held some great experiences. The students were so excited to finally get back here to Choma, and we had Pam Leslie and Shelli Rowley visit during our first week back, which was so encouraging and fun.

The students jumped right back into the ministries here at fortress: Soccer club, No More Whispering (reaching out to people affected by HIV), and Kid’s Club. Many of the students did their community projects. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, and we have so much to catch you up on, I’ll let the pictures speak for me.  

 Emily and Paige teaching at Airport Community School

 Sara and Andria teaching

 Lindsey and Kristen teaching the boys at soccer club

Kid's Club

Fun times at Soccer Club with Dana

We also had a day, this past Friday, October 17^th, where we were able to go to my hometown: Jembo. It was such a special day for me, and I think that the students enjoyed it too. In Jembo, there is a Bible College that I lived at. We were able to attend chapel in the morning, then eat lunch in the house I grew up in, and then spend some time at a nearby clinic and boarding school. It was a very blessed day.

 In front of the Chapel

 At Pilgrim Wesleyan Bible College

At my childhood home in Jembo!

We leave Choma this Friday to go to Macha. We have loved being here in Choma. Today we had a time where we said a big “Thank You,” to Fortress for allowing us to join them in ministry. Dana and Lindsey led worship. Jenna, Ashley, and Lauren all said a special thank you to each of the separate ministries that they have been involved in here. Sara led us all in a time of prayer over the Fortress Staff. Then the director of Fortress also thanked us, and we all shared in a time of snacks together. It was a blessed time.  

 Saying Thank You with the help of Obby - the interpreter for the morning

 Serving tea/coffee and snacks

 All those who are Fortress, and those who are Fortress at heart

 Danielle and Mrs. Botha - Our wonderful cook

 The No More Whispering Group

I guess that's all for now. Know that God is continuing to work here in Zambia. He is teaching us new things every day, and it is such a blessing to be a part of what He is doing here!

Love,

Mutinta

Hello from Zimba!

It’s hard to believe our two weeks here is almost up. I know the team has really enjoyed our time here. It’s the little things we’ve learned to be thankful for, like ice for our drinks & fresh brewed coffee in the morning. The mission hospital is a short walk from our house, so it’s been nice to leave like five minutes before clinical starts. I think we all have enjoyed our experiences at the mission hospital. One day last week, two other girls and I were able to go on a health outreach to a village with some staff members from the hospital. The village was about an hour’s drive from Zimba. Once we reached the village, hundreds of mothers and babies were waiting for our arrival. The day was spent preparing and administering vaccinations to the babies. Some of these immunizations included measles, rotavirus, polio and hepatitis B. Unfortunately towards the end of the afternoon, the vaccinations ran out. It was difficult to turn some mothers away because of a lack of supplies. Another outreach will occur next month, so at least these babies may be able to receive the vaccines next time. 

This past Saturday our team walked to a nearby visit the grandmother of our cook. Gertrude lives in a house on the mission, and is very gifted in the kitchen. There’s an endless supply of cookies available for us at all hours of the day. She has really been a blessing to our team. When we went to visit her grandmother, we went in anticipation of learning more about the village life. Upon arriving to the house, the grandmother hugged each one of us in warm welcome. During first part of the morning our team walked to the village well (called a bore hole here in Zambia) to fetch water. Each one of us carried a jug of water back to the house; unfortunately we could not balance the water on our heads like the African woman do! Some of the girls helped cook nshima, vegetables & fish for the lunch. A group of us also played games with the grandchildren. After a couple of hours we shared the meal together. I think everyone agrees that this time was such a blessing, to meet this wonderful woman and her family.

One night our team watched the sunset together. It really does remind me of the Lion King. Our pictures just can’t capture the beauty of the African sun as it sets in the evening, but I think our photos show how much our team has grown to love each other. 

As today is the first day of October, we’re soon entering into the second half of our trip. Thank you for all your continued support & prayers! 

- Andria (Zambia 2014 team member)