Holiday Away

Hey Guys,
So i now it seems silly that I needed a holiday away, mostly because some you think this is one giant holiday away..(you know who you are)  NOT TRUE!

Granted I don't have the normal workday pressures or stresses. Stresses now have come from relocating myself, learning and keeping up a 3 new cultures, new ways of thinking and new ways of doing these are not always easy an easy task.

My brain needed a few days to not think, and my feet to not walk so I went up to Nyanga for the weekend. It was a nice 4 hour car ride past balancing rocks and small towns. We also took a small car ride over to Mutare which is a stones throws from Mozambique...it took everything I had not to try to cross the border to add another country to my list.

 Where is It?? Its Zimababwes' eastern highlands boarding Mozambique,  it holds some beautiful waterfalls, wild animals, mountain peaks and the coldest weather. (no snow but super windy and
it was at 5 C ( 41 F) the other night...and its NOT winter yet.. Yikes!

I happen to bump into the family that helps deliver the literature to the Shona & English kingdom halls up there. So I grabbed the chance to explore a bit more of the area, knowing my days are numbered here.

There is a small area called Mutasa, it lies between Nyanga and Mutare, it has the most concentrated witnesses there, every 3 miles (5Ks) there is a kingdom Hall! I had the pleasure to visit one of the 2 English halls this last Sunday, I think we had about 20 or more there and only 2 cars in the "parking lot"--technically it was the yard-- and no microphones, you had to use your big boy voice there. (I had no problems in that department :D)

Zumbane Lodge

It was a nice few days away in the wilderness, hiking a trail or two and staying at the Zumbane lodge. Of which I highly suggest that if you come to Zim you MUST see this place and might as well stay in a fully furnished home for a fantastic price. We did lose power but whats a trip to Africa with the full amenities of the 1st world counties? Zasa these days..haha I also may or may have not gone to bed with my winter hat on, and a towel as extra bedding..I found out later my extra blanket was being held hostage in the the other room. or....maybe I just forgot to ask for it...oops.





Now I am back home, with only two weeks left to go. These four months...man I tell ya..flown by.  The emails may be coming a bit closer together now, I have so much I want to share before I leave. Bear with me folks.

See some of you sooner then later.
Katie

Count Down

The countdown has began over here, not in a "YAY" kind of way, but in a "sigh" kind of way.
The other day I had a hard time telling if this was my real life and the one in the States is my "Holiday" life.  The friends here make me feel like I have always known them, like this is my congregation.  I know that might cause a bit of pain for some, but there is room in my heart for many these days.
I sadly only have just over 3 weeks to go, so those in Michigan awaiting my arrival it is close.

These last few days i have been helping the maids with the food preparation.  1st it was the sugar beans, setting them in the sun to dry them out then sorting the good from the bad. Then the other day it was harvesting pecans. Eish Hard long work, no wonder the cost is high in the shops. Good thing i only like them covered in sugar and maple syrup. :)

Nothing has been happening this last few weeks. The studies have been going well, they are progressing slow but sure. I had to miss rurals this last week because i needed to go to an immigration appointment, due to my ever growing visa issues. No worries we are good for the last month!

Katelyn helping Nyarai with the intercoms

 Here are some photos for you all, mainly because my stories this week are BORING. :)
This week brings Harare International Festival of Arts is here so hopefully i can grab a few artsy shows before i come home.


much love you all soon,
if something happens, I'll make sure to write it.

Kate

Heart Warming

Today was an epic day for me gaining new bible studies. I now have 6 regular ones, three youngsters and three adults. The kids i am working with rang from 10 to 13 years old, and speak and read English beautifully. Today was gift day, all the kids got their book or booklets either in Shona or English.

 We passed a few houses that they made gardens for, not something you see everyday in an area that they are struggling to get food in, but making the earth beautiful is something they value here.

I started playing the Caleb videos to four kids, before i knew it, there were ten and by the end I had 15!

 For the most part this is an email full of photos not much of the stories. I couldn't post all of these on social media so thought a little slide show would be good enough. :)  The father of the four just below, said thank you a few times to me for taking the time to sit with them and teach .




I take so many photos because when i get stressed or overwork myself back in the States I see these little ones and know that whatever pain I am enduring is worth every moment.

I can see that I am making a mark on them, they wont easily forget the murungu (white person) that sat down and read English and Shona to them. Thats what we want, to make sure people don't forget us and the deeds we do.




They start early being little mommies, strapping little ones on their backs. I offered to carry her but I think she was a bit nervous.
The one that is doing the work cant be over the age of 6, they build them strong over here.

Alright family and friends, I am bushed,a few miles walking was done and much talking (never new for me). Yesterday was independence day over here so we came a day late.

Cheers to all you readers. Keep traveling and I'll keep up the stories.

What to Bring

I find it funny that one of my friends asked me tonight, "Who actually reads your blog?!" Only to find out I am just shy of 2800 readers.. So thank you all, in his words I appreciate.  And if he ever stumbles on this one post I hope it makes him smile, mostly out of annoyance.

To the matter at hand:

If you are ever planning an trip as an international servant some things you should know. Its a "Leave the gun, take the cannoli" type of situation. There are certain things one can afford to leave behind, and for the few countries i have lived in, four.. I can at least share some of my pent up knowledge.

As a rule I take these five things, no matter where I am headed. It  just has worked out that they are always useful.

1)     Wet wipes (baby or antibacterial)  -Wonderful for when you have no water and need a quick clean or wonder if the person ahead of you had e coli-

2)     Pain killers, ibuprofen  -you never know what kind of meds you can get so have at least a bottle-

3)     Re-hydration tablets  - LIFE SAVER anyplace hot, have these on hand and get into the habit of drinking them-

4)     Power bars or breakfast bars (at least 15)  -eating habits differ from place to place always have a snack  in case they give you dinner at 10 pm and you had lunch at 11-

5)     Flashlight with one extra set of batteries (or solar one) –self expiatory-

 

Puerto Rico

So technically this is part of the US, but when you get there or if you have already been there, it’s more like an 2nd world country.

They have Walmart, Walgreens and Applebees. So in short there is not much you really need to bring that you can’t get in the states. The only things that can run a bit expansive are paper products, notebooks, calendars and so forth. I do suggest in inventing in a small handheld blender, perfect for fresh smoothies. The fruit you can get fresh makes the best breakfasts..

Bahamas

I had the great pleasure of staying the Bahamas a few different times, exploring three of the islands out of 700 of course. Everything there is way more expansive. They have very little that is produced there so importing ta is sky high. Even most of the meat, besides fish, is brought in so is priced ridiculously high. Consider becoming a vegetarian while there if you are on a tight budget.

Also if you have white girl hair, like myself, bring your shampoo.. to get it there is not cheap and sometimes impossible to find.

Sunscreen, hand held fan, a hat or umbrella is a must for the intense heat.

Fruit and fish are cheap as well as rice and chick peas, a local favorite. Basically anything you think you need bring to this place otherwise you could have to live without unless you are on Paradise Island. 

Ecuador

Besides the 5 things I always bring.. For here I would suggest no small amount of Pepto-Bismol (stomach relief). The weather ranges here so be ready for anything in one day.

If you have clothing you don’t feel like you need to keep take it along and sell it at the end of the trip.

I love bringing the roll up water bottles everywhere once I have finished the drink it’s an easy carry.

I found things I needed were easy to get here, most people have wifi and in some areas you can wait for a delivery truck to come by and you can grab your groceries from him instead of walking to the store down the street. Dvds are cheap and they let you watch part of it to make sure the quality is good. 

Zimbabwe

Medicine is cheap so is the alcohol here.

White girl shampoo again is hard to come by and is way overpriced. (Normally because

the ones buying it can afford it to be a bit more.) Make sure to have a first aid kit with you, just because meds are cheap doesn’t mean Band-Aids or roll gaze is.

They have great coffee, tea and such here if you decide to splurge on anything I’d bring a coffee syrup.. It can make a difference after five months to have a cup that is just like home.

Make sure that you have a power bank with you, lately the power has been fine but it hasn’t been all that great over the years. Thinking in terms of solar is best, no lack of sun there. If you are there for a while serving in the field you may want to bring one or two Tupperware bins to hold food. They cost a ton here and having a few has been a great investment. I even bought a small non-stick skillet and it was such a great thing to bring. They are mucho $$ here. (I also bought in packets of my favorite seasonings like taco mix for dinners.)

Overall if you are a picky eater or someone who has lots of allergies you may have a bit more to overcome for those who don’t. Being an international servant or need greater is all about leaving the comfort zone in every way. Be prepared to get dirty, get hungry (at least once), get tried, get sick and get annoyed or aggravated. Sometimes you sit down and go over the pros and cons of this path you’ve chosen and in the side of Pros, you have: Reaching Out to Serve My God…its all worth that pain, annoyance and extra cost. I suggest taking a few articles with you so that if everything goes wrong you have something to bring you back to the focus.

 This is where my memory stops, if you have any questions about something I may have forgotten about please ask, it might help jog my brain. I have been other places but these are the major spots I have spent more than a few weeks at, so focused on those.