This is the second Zambia blog I’ve written.
Lucky for you, I didn’t post the first one. It was super unhappy. I called my family and basically vented about everything that sucks and how I was so tired about being around negativity all the time. My mom asked me what I like about Zambia and I thought really hard and finally came up with two things. 1) The milkshakes at Wimpy are da bomb! 2) I love the family dog, Simba. That’s it, that’s all I could think of.
One terrible realization that I’ve made since I’ve been on the World Race is that the animals in these other countries are not treated nearly as well as Americans treat their pets. Believe me, I am not ignorant, I know animals are mistreated in America, and I also know that Americans idolize their pets, but as a whole, the animals have a much happier life in America.
I have a story about Simba… He is so sweet and very playful. He always runs to the white girls whenever we get home, with his cute little ears back and wagging is adorable little tail. Simba is incredibly thin, just skin and bones, but he has so much love jammed into his tiny body.
One day pastor Brian was taking some of the girls to ministry and he ran over Simba with his car. I wasn’t there, thank The Lord. I can only imagine his wailing cries. I was told that he couldn’t put his front leg on the ground and was bleeding from his mouth. The pastor told the frantic, crying American girls that they had to leave to go to ministry, so they left the bleeding and dying dog with the pastors 8 year old son (Caleb) to walk him to the vet with our squad leader (Kay) who was staying back from ministry because she was sick. They carried Simba to the vet in hopes that he would be alive the next morning when we picked him up… even though bleeding from the mouth is never a good sign. It’s not everyday that you live after having internal bleeding.
None of the Zambians at the house cried, but half of the Americans did; and we have only known Simba for five days! I shed a tear when I was washing the dishes that night and Simba wasn’t there trying to drink the soapy water when I wasn’t looking. I missed pushing him away from that bowl of water :'( The Americans were praying over and over and over again that Simba would somehow be okay.
The next day I walked to the vet with Kay and Caleb. The vet said he had internal bleeding, but with three shots, he would be okay. Simba was still limping but he was putting weight on his front leg. Internal bleeding, and he’ll be okay?! WHAT!?! That dog is a walking miracle. The people in Africa pray for healing for other people, but prayer works for animals too. Later, I made sure to talk to our pastor and help him realize how awesome God is for caring about our pets too! Do dogs go to Heaven? Haha
I told pastor Brian that Simba is a miracle dog. The pastors wife said they will get his ears and tail cut off because they attract ticks. I asked her not to, but who knows. It’s his fur that attracts ticks, not his body parts!
In Romania out bus driver ran over a stray dog and got out of the bus to see if the tires were okay. While all 45 of us are listening to the dog that we just bumped over, screaming in the middle of the street. It was the most heart wrenching sound ever… and that’s not the only dog that I’ve heard get run over on this mission trip.
Americans might glorify their dogs, but who cares? At least they’re happy, loved, fed, and off the street. I pray for the dogs in these other countries. It really is taxing on my heart to see them live this way. Simba is the best treated dog I’ve seen so far, and wow. I’m so happy he was still there to put a smile on my face multiple times everyday until the day we left. I was soooo sad to say goodbye to him because I know that we treated him better than he’s ever known.
P.S. As for the question my mom asked me a while ago… Now there are more than just two things in my list of what I like about Zambia!
1) Simba puts love in my soul.
2) Wimpy milkshakes are da bomb!
3) I got to experience a Zambian wedding.
4) I saw a vow renewal and kitchen party.
5) We met the first presidents granddaughter.
6) I loved going to the pool after ministry.
7) I peed in an Olympic sized pool! How many people can say that?!
8) I liked watching $3 movies in the theater.
9) I slept on a real mattress.
10) We stayed with a nice family.
11) I got water from the well.
…and many more! Zambia may not have been the same to me as Malawi, but it definitely has it’s positive things as well. I’m glad I can see that now!
