Music Rarry

As you can tell from my lack of posting, we were without internet for most of the week. We have also been without rain, so it has been very hot!! We had a good week! It included us walking through the market in the rain as a family, Blu getting scammed (a blog for another day...), a trip to a Zambian hospital, Blu traveling out to the bush to begin preparing the land, me supposedly leading a Bible study in Tonga, only to find they had moved it to the next week, a weekend visit from a Zambian friend, and a music rarry!! What a week!

I'll start with the music rally. Zambians can't say their "L's" so they substitute it with a "r." So they called it the "Music Rarry." About 6 choirs gathered today at Choma Baptist Church. I was all ready to sing with our group--I had my purple shirt, black skirt and everything! I was SO nervous!!

They told me to show up between 6 and 7, but knowing Zambians, I showed up at 8, and I was the first to arrive :) I helped the women to get water (they were serving hot tea and buns), and they were thrilled to see me carry the water on my head like they do. I told them I am really a Zambian in the body of a white person :)

So when it was our turn, I marched up to the front and sang 3 songs with the choir. They were in other languages than what we know, but mouthing "watermelon" seems to work when you don't know the words, even in Zambia! ;) They were most impressed with my "dance moves," which included swinging my arms and hips, tap dance type thing with my feet, and clapping while going down to my knees. What a workout!! When it was over they called me up to the front and I said a few words in Tonga, thanking them for allowing me to sing with them. There were about 60 women there.

I am having a really good time with this group of women! I'm telling myself not to think of it as "I'm the missionary--I need to help them." Instead, I am seeking friends and fellowshipping with them just as another woman. Of course, there are cultural differences, and I know I mess up a lot, but I still love being with them :)

I will blog tomorrow about our weekend visit with my friend Hildah and her daughter Laurie. It has been eye-opening to see things through the eyes of a Zambian--cultural differences, etc. What a week!
We finally figured out a way to strap Cason to the tire swing!

Cambree loves having her picture taken :) This past week she said she was "driving home." Blu asked "Where is home?" And she yelled "Alvarado!!!!"