Happy Easter

I overheard a conversation this morning where someone was wished a "Happy Easter!" to which they replied in all seriousness, "What does that even mean?" The first person responded that we are happy that Christ rose from the dead and then moved on, but I've been thinking about it a lot today.

For the group of people I'm currently living with and around, Easter means being at church all day and maybe, if demanded, singing an Easter song or two. From my 'wild' church background, Easter Sunday was an exciting time of joyous worship, a new outfit, an Easter egg hunt, and a big meal that figured ham prominently. Easter was special; the culmination of the story that started at Christmas, and the reason why Christians could have joy no matter the circumstances. It was something to look forward to, not just for the eggs and new dress, but for the atmosphere of joy that was usually only matched at Christmas time. As a musician, it was a chance to do something special to show my gratitude for so great a salvation provided for ME.

So, what does "Happy Easter" mean?
It means that we are happy that our Savior rose from the dead; if Christ is not risen, then we are still in our sins.
It means that today is special; a day when we particularly rejoice through song, sermons, and activities because we have a hope and a future.
It means that a sacrifice had been made that was once for all, and that was good enough to satisfy the just wrath of God. No longer would sin be just covered over for a time. God's plan of redemption came to fullness on that Sunday morning, and for the first time in history His people could be forgiven fully.
It means that every Sunday and every day of the year we can have joy because of Easter.

It means that I will rejoice and celebrate this happiest of days, and I will look forward to celebrating it in heaven where I have a feeling Easter is a bigger party than Christmas. The great stoop of God becoming flesh is trumped by the just Son of God dying for the unjust. The angels stand amazed at this story; why wouldn't we? Easter is the first taste of the redemption of all creation that is coming; how can we stay silent?

Christ is risen!

He is risen indeed!

2017 School year? DONE!

* The end of term program, What a Glorious Night, went well. We hope and pray that someone in the audience heard what they needed to that evening, and that the words of the songs and the text stirred everyone's hearts.

* I spent 3 days (4 really with the time changes) traveling and made it safely home last Thursday. We made it through to the pavement despite all the rain we had--a praise!

Travel is interesting with a sore ankle, but I managed. I slept better on the plan than I usually did, and I got some good sleep in Dubai.

* That wasn't the only thing I did in Dubai--I also went on a 2 hour tour of the city. Wow. Just wow.

Since getting home I have enjoyed sleep, putting up the family tree, starting to do a bit of shopping for Christmas and next year, and some time to put my feet up. I was so busy for the last month of term that having the time to read, to knit, to decorate, to just sit is such a blessing. I'm looking forward to catching up with friends and people here at home, and to having almost all my siblings home for Christmas. If I have learned nothing else in life, it is that people are so important. Flawed? Yes. But absolutely important. This Advent season as you listen to Christmas music, bake, decorate, go to programs, and buy gifts, don't forget to stop and love people. Because that is what Christmas is all about--the ultimate expression of love so that we would know how to.

An Unexpected Meeting and Independence Day

Last week I had an exciting Thursday; I was supposed to take our three grade 9 students in to the local school where they are writing their national exams for a run through of the practicals on the music exam, but much to our surprise, the whole grade 9 music class and three teachers pitched up here! So, there was a scramble to set something up in the hall, we had to source a CD player to play last years test, and when their two CD’s didn’t work I had to run and get my iPod on which I had thankfully just put a copy of the 2015 music exam. We gave the kids the exam, and then the music teacher and I sat down and marked them all using the answer key we (really mostly I) had made. All in all, two hours of my day went to this most interesting of exercises. I was a little stunned when they left to see the number of electronics they had brought with them for apparently the express purpose of charging them on the sly off our electricity…oh Zambia!

I was off this weekend and got to spend some time with Ruthie and Beth as well as get some rest and try to dig myself out from under marking mountain. Today, Monday, is the 52nd anniversary of Zambia’s Independence, so we celebrated with our traditional swimming gala, lunch at the river, and bonfire in the evening. Heavy rain this afternoon curtailed some of the house events, but as it is very much needed I was thankful. Here are a few pictures:

The flag raising in the morning,

And the bonfire that evening. No picture of the swimming gala as I was rather busy getting kids to their races! Happy 52nd birthday Zambia.

A quiet Easter

The last of the students flew out Good Friday morning due to adverse weather conditions on Thursday, and now the station is blessedly quiet. That Friday I went in to Ikelenge with Jill to pick up some veggies, and I was able to get another of the bigger tins of powdered milk and some apples. Apples, in Ikelenge! Coming up in the world…

It was a quiet weekend, but that was what I needed. Friday I made a small batch of hot crossed buns, one of my families most cherished Easter traditions. On Saturday I vacuumed and moped my house which sorely needed it, and did the first of the many loads of laundry that had built up. Sunday I went to Hillwood with the other single ladies on station, and I made a lemon meringue pie for evening fellowship as the most ‘springy’ thing I had the ingredients for. I find Easter one of the most difficult holidays to be over here in, and I couldn’t help but remember the heart ache of last Easter. However, God is good, and He is risen!

I don’t have any big plans for the holiday beyond sleeping, cleaning, reading, cooking, knitting, working through some professional development, and doing some odd jobs to prepare for next term. There are so many little jobs that get pushed to the back burner during the rush of teaching, and it’s therapeutic to get a few things knocked off the to-do list. My house needs a deep clean, I have a stack of books and a slew of knitting projects, and I’ve already started on the all important catching up on sleep! So, it will be a quiet April, but that suits me just fine. Times of rest are so vital when you work all out for three months!

Last few days of term 1!

Through the grace of God I managed to survive my 19th report card and exam week. I even finished my reports in record time—by 10am Saturday morning! (They are due at midnight, Saturday) I was able to take a nap on Saturday afternoon, and to go to joint prayer meeting at Kalene on Sunday afternoon. After having pushed so hard all week to get this massive project done, it felt so good to relax a bit over Saturday and Sunday evening. I got some knitting done! I started a new mystery novel!

Yesterday was clearing out my students desks, throwing out unneeded papers, and taking care of some loose ends. I finally got their paint chip color poems up,

I baked their cylinder seals (we were learning about ancient Mesopotamia and I happened to have enough polymer clay. 1/3 of a brick is perfect for this project, just in case you wondered!),

And here they are working busily Monday morning.

Today was our Easter music assembly; I have to have my dose of Easter. The kids started flying out this morning morning at 10:15, and by Thursday morning we’ll have the place to ourselves again. It’s been a good term in many ways, but boy am I glad it’s over!

Parting shot: They now have the roof on the new covered play area! (The upper tennis court for those who know the school)

Merry Christmas in the Mess

You know, I think sometimes we’ve got Christmas all wrong. Christmas today is all about perfection—food perfectly cooked that looks like something out of a Southern Living, a house perfectly decorated like something out of Martha Stewart, and thoughtful presents expertly wrapped under a perfectly decorated Christmas tree. There is the way we’re all supposed to feel as well—happy, carefree, laughing like in all the pictures and commercials, and of course everyone always makes it home for Christmas.

As enchanting as this fable is, I’ve never experienced a Christmas like that. My Christmases always seem to involve way to many last minute shopping runs or minor (and major!) kitchen disasters. My tree is lovingly but eclectically decorated, and I’m not sure but that the cat plays with the ornaments when I’m not looking. My presents are wrapped, but you can totally see that place where I miscalculated how big a piece of paper to cut, so there is a patch under the back seam. My food usually tastes the way it’s supposed to, but usually there are some ‘wugglies’ that I have no choice but to serve. I have been fortunate enough to spend the majority of my Christmases with my family, but this year I’m very much apart from the people I love.

That first Christmas was not the clean, neat, glowing picture we like to print on Christmas cards either. It was pretty messy in every possible way. Mary was far from home when her time came to deliver the baby that had ruined her reputation. Despite all the pictures, stables are not generally well lit or automatically full of clean hay in comfortable piles. Tax day is usually one of the worst days of the year, and to complicate matters further, Joseph had to take a road trip for the privilege of paying for the luxuries and excesses of the cruel invaders of his country. I wonder if when Mary later told Jesus the story of his birthday, she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry first. Laughter because seriously, you can’t make this stuff up (a stable?), and tears because it truly was all so hard.

Yet in the midst of the very human mess, there was beauty. The baby was born safely, and we can assume that there was enough money to pay the taxes. Stinky shepherd showed up with a story of angelic majesty spread across the skies, and Mary and Joseph received confirmation that no, they weren’t crazy, but this really was Emmanuel in their arms. After hundreds of years of silence, the presence of the Lord was back with His people.

Only this time, it wasn’t hidden behind a thick curtain in the temple that only one man once a year could pass. It wasn’t a pillar of fire or smoke, and it wasn’t an angel. It was God, Himself, in the form of His creation. Jesus, very God, experiencing air on His skin, hiccups, pain, and laughter. God with us—Emmanuel. Jesus living the human experience so He could provide perfect comfort for us as we sorrow, hurt, and heal. Jesus showing us the way God intended us to live so that we could know His joy despite the brokenness of our world.

Christmas is about presence in the mess, rescue from the bondage, and love for the broken. Christmas is about a sinful world that deserved nothing better than abandonment or destruction being given a chance for healing and being cherished. Christmas is about the mess that is all of our lives, and what the Lord does when we allow Him to be here with us in our broken nows. Christmas is the glory of the Lord coming to where we are today, and changing our lives—if we’ll let Him.

So, Merry Christmas in the mess. Because God is in the business of taking the humble, the lowly, and the broken, and making something beautiful. Whatever your mess is this year, may God grant you peace and grace as you wait to see what He’s doing with it. Here’s to messy Christmases, and a God who came willingly to save His broken world.

Christmas in the bush

Independence Day

Life has been busy and...a little complicated lately. I am so thankful that I had a weekend when I could be alone, get some sleep (sleep helps A LOT with perspective), and spend some time being quiet.

October 24th is Zambian Independence Day, and this year marks 51 years of freedom for Zambia. The future is a little clouded right now with the hard economic situation and the upcoming election, but we continue to pray for our country and to be thankful that the door of the gospel is still very much open. To celebrate this national holiday, we have a flag raising ceremony in the morning, then a swimming gala down at the pool, and finally a bonfire at night. I wasn't able to take any pictures of the swimming gala since I was busy getting excited children to their races on time, but here are a few pictures from the day and the bonfire which had to be held on Sunday night because of rain.

Parting Shot: Mango season is around the corner!