Green Alert

*THIS POST IS NOT FOR MOM*

check it out

(if you don't want to "check it out," don't scroll down)

Well, there's a snake on the lose in our front hedge.

Just thought you'd like to know.

see that wee head?

how about now?

green.green.green.

While someone ran off to find a snake slayer, this little guy disappeared into the hedge again.

But, not for long.

He (or his cousin-?! yeeps) reappeared on the other side of the hedge a couple minutes later. 

see that long neck?

closer

closer

yep. that's him.

do you still see him?

how does that go-- Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick-???

I wanted to tell you that the snake is dead and all is right with the world...

but that would be a lie.

He escaped.

eeewww.

That's why I figured I better send out an alert.

PS- If they weren't so poisonous and, well, sneakily slithery and rather gross-- I might find snakes more interesting. I mean, this little guy is a pretty color...

And, actually, based on my quick googling just now and comparing photos of this guy and other snakes, I think he's just a bush snake and not poisonous.

.whew.

At least-- that sounds like a good thing to believe, right? :)

Safe

a friend's baby sleeping on her nanny's lap in the vehicle as we ran hours of work related errands

You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety

Psalm 4:8

Goals

that's the kind of bread I'm talkin' 'bout! oh yeah.

Things have been busy in my office recently, as we're nearing the end of the first quarter of 2014! 

Do you realize that on Monday the year of 2014 will be a quarter of the way finished? Which means... we are remaining with 3/4 of the year to complete all those 2014 goals we set up back in December and January (that is, if you made some 2014 goals).

One of my 2014 goals was to bake whole grain bread at least once a month.

I enjoy baking bread, and don't like the ever-so-common white bread here in Zambia, but last year I hardly ever took time to bake bread. Thus, this year's nutritious bread goal.

Well, I'm now 1 for 3... sadly, not a very good score :(

But at least I met my goal in March-- and with a couple days to spare :)

*and if you want explanations/excuses regarding January and February's bread goal failures, I have some great reasons ready to share...

Wedding Bells (or should that be Wedding Hoots-??)

waaay up there... you can see the groom and a bit of the bride

There’s nothing like attending a wedding to remind me I'm in a culture not my own.

Last Saturday, Sara and I had the privilege of attending Thuma’s parents’ wedding celebration. The afternoon included speeches from honored guests, one of whom was our Province's Member of Parliament. 

a few of the guests

and a few more...

During his father-of-the-couple speech, Bishop said he has too many women in his house/family—and now adding one more— but it’s not so bad and he’s going to make do anyway! Haha! Loved that part... and made me think Dad may be able to relate to Bishop in having so many girls to look after :)...

the food table
(served cafeteria style for normal guests, and served plate-by-plate to specially honored guests)

Other parts of the nuptial event included a full meal (topped off with bottles of Coke and Fanta), lots of dancing, gifts, and music. 

and a few more guests...

Macha Malaria Research Sphere

Macha's new research sphere

Most folks would be surprised to discover Macha Research Trust (MRT) out in the middle of the bush in Zambia's Southern Province-- far from the capital city, far from hubs of modern technology, and far from the most commonly known disease research hospitals around the globe.

MRT's heart vision, though, was born right in Macha with the desire to do something about the malaria death rate in the Macha community, especially among the children. What better place to conduct malaria research than a place where the disease was so prevalent.

To get the real story, I highly recommend a visit to MRT. But, since I'm not sure when you'll have the opportunity to visit MRT, here are the basic facts: because of MRT research over the past 15 years, malaria is now a rarity in rural Macha, Zambia. And, MRT continues with cutting edge research on malaria, tuberculosis, and AIDs-- way out there in the Zambian red-dirt bush.

MRT's latest research "building" on their small campus is a research sphere, constructed of traditional building materials covered in top quality mosquito netting. The idea behind the sphere is to re-create a habitat for mosquitoes as similar as possible to their natural habitat. It took months of planning, countless hours of work, many challenges and disappointments, lots (and lots and lots) of money, and an international team of collaborators to construct Macha's mosquito sphere. The netted building was officially dedicated for research earlier this month. What an accomplishment! 

...and, no telling what scientific developments will be uncovered out at Macha in the future-- some of which may be a direct result of mosquito research conducted in this screened sphere.

For more information about research going on in Macha, google "Macha Research Trust," 

or check out this Johns Hopkins page.

muf.muf.muffins again

Sorry for all the food posts lately... apparently that's all I've been photographing these days. In the near future, I have plans of showing you a malaria research mosquito sphere (for true! can you imagine?!) and a couple shots from a wedding we attended Saturday. Plus, hopefully I'll soon be able to post pictures of the "new" (used) vehicle we're in the process of buying. But, for now... all I have is a few shots of last week's Banana Bran Muffins, along with yesterday afternoon's Bible study topic:

Topic = Is Eating Too Much A Sin? 

(looking for Biblically based answers-- it was a Bible study, after all!)

note: You may wonder how we wound up with such a study topic. Some weeks back, we asked all the participants to write out topics they'd like to study in the following weeks. We collected all the papers and draw one out each week in preparation for the following week's study. This question 

was one of the topics someone requested.

and... in case you'd like the recipe for making your own Banana Bran Muffins, here's what I did:

wisk together:
2 eggs
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup mashed banana
1 cup soured milk (I added vinegar to mine and let it curdle. You can use buttermilk if you have)
1 cup wheat bran
1/4 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Separately, combine:
1 and 1/2 half cups white flour  (note: original recipe calls for a combination of white and wheat flour, but I didn't have wheat flour)
2 Tablespoons flax meal
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt

You can add nuts and chocolate chips if you have/want. I made my muffins without and they turned out great. Walnuts or pecans would be lovely, though.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients until moistened.
Scoop the batter into 12 greased muffin cups.

Bake at... well, the original recipe says 400F, but, I think I accidentally baked mine at 177C, which is 350F. So... bake in a hot oven until they're perfectly done :)

Cool 5 minutes and remove from pan.

As with all yummy muffins, share with friends.

ps- Lately it's been all about pumpkin 'round here. I started with 2 pumpkins (which yielded 8 cups of puree) last Friday, but... don't have much left after Pumpkin Frappes, Pumpkin Cookie Balls, Savory Pumpkin Pasta, Pumpkin Oatmeal, Pumpkin Filled French Toast, Pumpkin Butter, and Pumpkin Pie Muffins.
No joke. and... no, I did not eat everything myself!

Choma Town

Within the last year or two, Choma was named the provincial capital of Southern Province. As the days pass, housing prices continue to climb, traffic patterns become increasingly hectic, and businesses are bustling hubs of commotion. Monday through Friday from mid- morning until sundown Choma is a busy town.

Saturday mornings are also full of commerce, though most shops close by mid-day. On Sundays, however, the town is quiet. You'll find the grocery store open from morning until dusk, and the majority of shops closed for the day. When passing through Choma during "off" hours, it's almost impossible to imagine the craziness of an average normal business day. People, bicycles, vehicles, wheelbarrows, lorries, taxis, street vendors....

Bata is a chain shoe store (along the lines of PayLess in the States)
RV Furniture has almost every household item you may need
DeeBee's also sells a sundry of household items, and is where I routinely purchase talk time for my phone
Harshad Bazaars is yet another household shop
Spar (not pictured), the main grocery store in Choma, is located across from the strip of shops pictured here.

I don't do a good job of documenting normal parts of my errands in town. It's a hassle to haul a camera around, and I hate the white tourist stigma that comes with shooting pictures. The other day, though, when I was sitting in the vehicle waiting for Sara, I remembered my camera and pulled it out to snap a couple of scenes of normal Choma life-- stuff I see, places I go every week. 

Choma is a wonderful place I've grown to love even more the longer I'm here.

Lweengu Store has nice household wares and school supplies (two separate shops right next to each other)

We were parked across the road from the Choma Book Room (just as you enter Choma on the Northish side of town)
and one of The Builder's Barn supply stores, where I've purchased paint and other hardware supplies.

 Although walking is a common mode of transport here, most people do not prefer to walk-- especially if there is another transport option. One reason I love Choma is that it's small enough I can walk the whole town, doing errands from one end to the other without driving to different places. 

I'm quite certain there are people in Choma who think, "there goes that kooky white girl again..." when they see me passing yet again as I trot from one side of town to the other stopping here and there to go to the bank, purchase fresh veggies along the street, greet friends, pay monthly bills, shop for hardware parts, pick up groceries, and check the post office box. 

These two shops are quite typical... they stock all SORTS of groceries and other items.
You might be surprised how many things can fit in one small shop.

Another reason it's hard to take pictures of normal life "stuff" is that a picture just doesn't allow you to fully experience the world it frames. You're missing the sounds and smells, the sun and wind, the view of the sky-- the chatter of folks you pass, the bumpy walkways and muddy puddles, the rubbish, the honking of vehicles and the occasional jake brake as semis rumble through town...

Someday maybe you'll have the privilege of experiencing Choma Town for yourself.

It's Official

Zambia now recognizes me as a qualified Class B Manual driver! Hallelujah!

No one but Jesus knows the full, happy relief it was to have my driving test and nitty gritty regulations for securing the document behind me. Here are a few of the steps in the process:

• secure work permit (13 months)
• pay for a physical exam at the local hospital (went after-hours with a friend of a friend)
• wait in many queues on many days going from office to counter to desk paying here and there along the way at the Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) office
• take a “highway” test (drive on the tarmac) with a RTSA officer…

Isaac was pleased with my driving. He specifically commented on the vehicle’s balancing (starting on an incline), and said he could tell I’m comfortable on the left side of the road (which is a very factual statement…scary thoughts for Stateside driving! Haha.).

twalumba {thank you}

Regardless of how long it takes mail to cross the ocean and wind up in our box in Choma (three months for some of these gems), it's still a thrill to open messages from friends and family around the globe. Thanks, everyone, for sending notes and cards. They do eventually arrive, and are such a cheery part of my day when they finally make it to Nahumba!

*just for the record- this was a very very unusual post office "catch." Usually the box is empty :)

Breakfast of Champions

To make your own Breakfast of Champions, try this:

Layer in a glass (starting with yogurt and ending with granola)

Plain, homemade yogurt
Two sliced bush bananas
One chunked mango (or other fresh/frozen fruit; I used frozen mango)
Homemade granola (this happened to be Sara’s peanut butter granola)

Enjoy!

odds 'n ends

Sara was cleaning and de-cluttering in the guesthouse the other day.

Driver

do you feel like you were there?

Mboole Basic School- over 900 pupils are enrolled at this rural school where 14 teachers are employed

On Saturday, I donated my day to be the bus driver who carted some 15 or 20 pupils from one rural school  to a workshop at another rural school. 

(Our neighbor, Kajungu coordinated the two-day workshop.)

oh Baby Bertha...

if you gotta go, you got a place

For the most part, I spent the day soaking in the beauty of Mboole-- the warm sunshine, gentle breeze, and blue sky full of puffy clouds...

That and I wrote a lot of letters. So, chances are if you receive a card from me in the next month or two it was written last Saturday at Mboole Basic School. 

clouds chasing clouds

talk about vibrant color!

peanut butter + chocolate = amazing cookies

I just discovered this adorable china plate. Isn't it wonderful?

Dear friends,

Today I want to talk about cookie love. Cookies are one of my favorite desserts to make and eat.

Here in Zamland, I don’t often bake cookies, mostly because some ingredients aren’t as readily available here as they are in mom’s pantry back in Michigan… and also because cookies aren’t so much appreciated here.

Zambians love tea time. And, they really appreciate something to “support the tea.” White bread [insert frowny face], packaged British style biscuits, scones, and cake are all popular tea-support choices. More is more here (think: quantity not quality). Not cookies—full of little decadent gems of chocolate from halfway around the world to be enjoyed in small portions. No. not cookies.

A friend in Lusaka had kitchen sharing rules. One rule was that she would only share chocolate chips with Westerners who had spent at least a month-and-a-half in Zambia. This rule was put in place to ensure that her precious chocolate chips were being shared with people who would appreciate her sacrifice and generosity in allowing them to eat chocolate chips from the homeland!

I digress…

What I really wanted to share with you is the cookie recipe I recently tried. These little guys are by no means health food, but they’re super easy to make, and if you like chocolate and peanut butter, they will satisfy even the strongest of your cravings.

If you come from a family the size of mine… you may want to double the batch or the boys will probably eat them all before the girls have a chance to try them. But, if you’re like me and live far from your hungry brothers… and don’t want to share your cookies with those who don’t truly appreciate their yumminess, this will make plenty of cookies for you and your roomie and any chocolate-loving friends who drop by for tea. And, who knows, you may be able to sneak a few into the freezer for a later date (I’m positive they would be delicious frozen!).

Super Easy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (no flour)

(original recipe here)

2/3 cup oats (I used quick, because that’s what we have here)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup peanut butter (I used a combo of store bought and fresh local peanut butter, because that’s what I had)

2/3 cup dark brown sugar

2 eggs

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

2/3 cup chocolate chips

Combine oats and soda.
Add other ingredients (except chocolate) and stir to combine.
Mix in the chocolate at the end.
Drop onto cookie sheets. You can flatten if the dough mounds are tall—they do melt down in the oven though.

Bake at 177C (350F) for 9-11 minutes. You want the cookies to look very soft when you pull them from the oven—bake just until the outside is golden.

My dough made 16 cookies

PS- Sadly, my cookie picture is pretty unimpressive, and actually rather pathetic... if you really want to get motivated to try this recipe, visit the link to the original recipe and you will see amazing pictures of these cookies.

to an inexperienced eye, this may appear elementary…

(well, that and a bit fuzzy… sorry for the poor picture quality)

but I am living testimony that coordinating British and American plugs on multiple office devices to be used simultaneously when starting with only one outlet is NO.small.Feat.

For the first time since I arrived at Nahumba, I can power up BOTH my ink jet printer AND my HP desktop scanner at the SAME TIME. 

I am floored.

In addition to being much more efficient than my old cord system (of which half of the plugs didn’t work…), the new plug system should prove to be much safer. 

I may or may not have been momentarily stunned last week one afternoon when my finger came into contact with a portion of a live plug… as I was trying to unplug the scanner so I could plug in the printer... 

birthdays are for celebrating

I baked a few cupcakes for the occasion

Sara and I had the privilege of joining our neighbors in celebrating Jan's recent birthday.

Jan is always in learning mode with Luga.
I love it.

teeta...

totta...

our dining set up at the restaurant

incredible Chinese cuisine

and... that's what you call big screen Zambian entertainment!!

We're so blessed to have such amazing neighbors.