Greetings from Zambia!! The capital, Lusaka, has fairly decent internet - (we’re all squeezed into a bedroom waiting in line for the single Ethernet cord, so I thought I’d check in quickly and catch everyone up on this adventure so far. After close to 22 hours of flying (thank goodness for Tylenol PM and lots of movies – Don’t let Twilight fool you, Robert Pattinson is actually a good actor), we arrived in Zambia.
Lusaka looks much different from what I saw anywhere in Sierra Leone. It is very westernized and we spent much of today at a modern shopping mall, aka an arcade. Lots of people drive nice cars and there is a golf course near where we’re staying. I’m sure that things will change once we leave the capital on Tuesday, but it’s funny how what we expect isn’t always reality.
Something that amazes me (not in a good way), are the disparities between the wealthy and the impoverished. Here we were at a shopping mall packed Range Rovers, nicely dressed nationals, and expensive clothing stores, but right outside the gate there were beggars who pleaded for assistance outside of our car windows and people sleeping on cardboard surrounded by trash. How does that happen? I’m still working over the concept of giving a hand-up rather than a hand-out…does our idea of helping actually hurt rather than empower?
Well, the adapter is buzzing at me like an angry hornet (that can’t be good), so I think I’d better cut this off and unplug my computer. Until next time.
“For by him and for him all things were created.”
Wow, so hard to swallow, and how did we end up on this side of the fence?? Not that we will ever know what is always the right answer but i am praying this experience God will pour out extra discernment and wisdom for now and the future in bringing his kingdom to our broken world. loveee you sprinkle dust
ReplyDelete