Our friends and field trainers on the Zambia Sanitation trip just finished up. We are immensely glad that they are safe and soundly back. The vision and worklist for the trip was successfully completed - a praise only God deserves having orchestrated each variable of the trip and team members. We commend our field trainers - LB, BB, KT, LS - for their faithfulness to follow God's prodding to make the sacrifice to go: as they have been blessed by Him, so they gave themselves to Him to become blessings to others. (Gen 12:1-3).Here are some closing comments from a few members of the trip team:
LS
"It's
good to be back from another successful trip. My three Lifewater
teammates, who were wonderful, stayed over in the UK for a
mini-vacation. The Africa weight loss plan worked
great again and I am feeling great. I'm 10 pounds lighter and right on
the weight my doctor suggests (thanks to a lot of sweat and some
amoeba). We constructed the pits and slabs for
three different types of composting latrines for a school that has no
latrines at all. Our partner organization (who is having a huge impact there) will assist the community & school in project completion. To assure community ownership, we required them to provide some of the labor & supplies to construct the structures. [The partner's] students [receiving our training] were also enthusiastic about some ideas on how to make people WANT to practice sanitary behaviors. (Promotion is an even bigger challenge than construction techniques). It
is immensely gratifying to help people as Christians giving something
powerful to impoverished people"
LB
"[On] sanitation graduation day, it may [have been] the closest I’ll ever
feel to being a celebrity. Most of the students arrived early, dressed
in their finest clothes. As we’d do in America, we planned to read
each name and hand out a sanitation certificate of completion. We’d
form a receiving line, shake each hand, and do a polite round of
applause. The students had other plans…
As each name was called, the recipient would approach each
instructor and do the Bimba 3-move handshake, take the certificate,
hold it over his head, and start dancing and singing. The rest of the
class joined in as the person expressed their joy. Every person had
their moment in the spotlight. This continued as each received their
certificate. The room was filled to bursting with songs, gratitude, and
thanksgiving.... The Zambians are fairly formal people. They don’t do a lot of public
displays of affection. They will shake your hand or grab you by the
wrist. There are no pats on the back or other physical endearments.
That was great for me because I’m not a physically affectionate
person.
On this day, however, there were hugs all around. The women
either hugged me side to side over each shoulder or gave me a
bone-crushing bear hug. Even some of the men, who initially wouldn’t
make direct eye-contact, pressed my hand, looked into my eyes and
thanked me for teaching them.
Many asked to keep in touch. Under the advisement of our team
leader, we only gave our email addresses to a few select students. As
I wrote in a previous blog, it is hard not to have favorite students.
There are some people, because of their spirit, who just seem to speak
to your soul.
The parting was bittersweet. While I’m tired and ready for home, the
work is not finished. At the commencement ceremony, the office manager
vowed the work we started would be completed. He said he would email
the pictures to us as proof. We’ve been asked to return in six months
to do more training. Who knows what God has planned? In this trip, we
planted good seeds. We planted seeds of hope."
http://reluctantmissionary.wordpress.com/
LB, BB, KT, LS - you are Lifewater's invaluable partners and friends in this commission of the LORD. God bless you!