the last day in namatama was my least favorite & my most favorite all at once.
being 100% honest, i’m feeling resistance with leaving this place. i dove in head first here, and the thought of leaving and saying those goodbyes makes my heart squirm.
jesus is doing things in the people here in zambia. how anyone comes and leaves willingly baffles me. it’s proving really hard to look forward to zimbabwe when it means leaving here.
i walked home from school on the last day with tears streaming down my face. i hugged and kissed the kids from school. and got sloppy kisses in return. i spent the day being the worst teacher but the best friend. ellen and i snuck off with 2 troublemakers to the store to get snacks (shhhhhhhh). we took lots of pictures. played some games. and snuggled on the front steps of school.
the night before we had our usual soccer game but instead of playing soccer i goofed off on the field chasing the older kids around, and learning all the nyanja (the local language) i could. we sang songs and talked about potato chips & jesus. we looked one another in the eyes and said “i love you”. and from the bottom of my heart, i love them. the feels here mean i could meet anyone on the street and instantly fall in love with their heart. its just how it is.
food here is yum. i ate more ramen and chugged more soda. this past week we found this small market that sells these doughnuts that are pure goodness. they are literally thick, heavy, balls of dough that melt in your mouth. i also consumed an insane amount of black cherry suckers off the streets… let’s not talk about it please. and in good spirits, the night before our last night we ate our last plateful of nshima, rep, and soya.
at the end of our last day, ellen and i were looking at the stars {we’ve been on a search for the big dipper- still haven’t found it} and decided to go for a walk. we don’t usually do this, but it was a spur of the moment thing. we turned the opposite way we usually go and walked for a while. it was about 9:30pm. on our way back home we heard some strumming on a guitar. we stopped and listened and heard someone singing “set a fire down in my soul, that i can’t contain, that i can’t control” and i was in shock. i peeked over the bushes and saw 2 people sitting on a doorstep worshipping the lord. i hoped over the small creek and asked if we could join them. i stood there with tears streaming down my face knowing jesus had this planned for me. on my last night, on my last walk, he gave me a chance to worship him and thank him for putting me in this beautiful place i call home.
my prayer for zambia:
jesus. you are so dang present in the streets of namatama. you move in people’s hearts to call out to me as i pass in the street to share you with them. i see you daily in the eyes of the kids i get to love on. protect them. please protect my family. provide them with food, business, marriages, and healthy families. keep the streets safe. find a home in the hearts of your children here. i love you. thank you. amen.
