2007 in Africa
Hello Friends. We are a world away from our last posting on Dec. 14th...Our first 10 days back in Zambia have been rich, full and, at times, trying - It feels like we've been back much longer. Our unexpected time in the U.S. was a gift - It was wonderful to see and be with many of you.
The trip back was as smooth as any 17 hour non-stop flight with 3 kids can be (Plus two other 2-3 hour flights)...I'll let you discern the rest. It was wonderful to walk into our familiar home and crash in our own beds after 6+ weeks of being away.
When we left here in November it was the end of the hot, dry season. As is usual, no rain had fallen since March. What we returned to two months into the rainy season, can hardly be described - lush, green jungle replaced the dusty brown landscape. The difference is as stark as the difference between MN in January and July...Or, we left Arizona and came back to Hawaii (minus the ocean and the 5 star hotels on the beach...) Anyway, it was an unexpected gift and despite the day after day rain, we are loving our environment.
The kids came back to more days without school - They will finally start back up next week. They are plowing through school lessons and are slowly getting caught up. The kids have settled back in to Zambian life without a hitch. It amazes Molly and I really, at their ability to seamlessly shift gears. We are grateful for their adaptability. They have had fun distributing some of the funds raised through TFC, the charity they started before we left. Thanks to their uncles, who have sent out some notes to friends, they have raised enough money to do some really great things, more on this later.
Molly, is settling back in but, as all mom's can appreciate, is ready for school to start back up after 2+ months away...I continue to be grateful beyond words for Molly and her spirit and the way that she has embraced our life here.
For me getting back to work has been great. I returned to some excellent news that it looks like we will be receiving 500,000 Insecticide treated nets (that protect people form Malaria, the greatest killer on the Continent.) These nets, which we will distribute to more than 170,000 households across Zambia - will protect 1.1 million people or more than 11% of Zambia's total population. This deal came together almost 100% as a result of relationships which has been a great reminder to me that it is through relationships that God usually chooses to do his best work. Because some people cared, these simple nets will save thousands and thousands of lives in the coming years - I was praying the other morning that one of these kids who's life will now be preserved, would grow up to be the kind leader that this country deserves - Please join me in this prayer.
We've had a few scary things happen since we've been back too. Last week Molly and Mackenzie were on their way home from a friends house just after dark. A car came up behind them honking and flashing their lights. It turned out to be an off duty police officer who accused Molly of reckless driving. Molly drove to the police station which was just a few blocks away where this guy proceeded to verbally harass and threaten Molly and Mackenzie...They did not have any money on them at which point he followed them home...Needless to say they were terrified. Our security guard and I told him to leave and fortunately, he did. The bottom line is that he was looking for easy money. My bottom line is that I wanted to pound him. (Can any husbands and fathers out there feel their tempertures rising...?)
As a week+ has passed, both Molly and Mackenzie have moved fwd. and realized that this was a random incident. It served as a tough reminder that we are living in the developing world and with that comes dealing with crap like this...We were also able to realize and appreciate all the layers of protection that we are afforded here as Americans - 24 hour security, gated home, secure house etc. etc. How many billions around the world have no defense against injustice?
A couple nights later we were picking up Molly's car when we ran into the "Bennett Boys" - the 4 street kids that we have gotten to know. We had not seen them yet since we had gotten back and it was amazing to watch them run to Molly and embrace her...We picked up some food for them and offered to drive them home. We were in two cars, me and the Bennett boys in one car and Molly and the kids following us. It was pouring rain as we drove the 15 minutes to their home. On the way I learned that their grandmother, the only adult left alive in their lives, had died. Heartbreaking.
We pulled up to their shack, they got out and as were saying good-bye, the car I am driving dies. It had been having battery problems, so I have Molly pull up next to me to give it a jump. I hook up the cables, hop in the car, turn the key and...nothing. It's pouring rain, getting dark and we are in a compound where it would not be wise for us to be after dark. I mess with the cables, try again, and nothing. A crowd is starting to gather (Hey, this doesn't happen every day...My kids are in their bathrobes mind you...) and I'm thinking if I leave this car here for any amount of time, it WILL NOT exist when I come back. So, soaked to the bone, I say a very spiritual prayer - something like this, "God, the only reason I am in this mess is because I am fricking trying to help some orphans, who I know you care about - could you please cut me some slack, PLEASE!" I adjusted the cables one last time and...it started.
As we drove away and I celebrated, I was quickly sobered as I thought about the four boys we left in a small shack, alone with their 15 year old sister. The tragedy of this continent embodied in these five lives...
This weekend, we took advantage of our freedom and drove 4+ hours to Kafue national park. The last 2.5 hours were on dirt roads and, from the time we turned off the main road, we did not see another soul. I got to drive our truck like they do in the commercials - 4 wheel drive, through the mud trying to keep the kids heads from bouncing off the windows. We finally arrived at a lodge on the Kafue river. We were met by a small staff, Matthews and Martin, and learned that we were the only guests. (I guess people don't go out there in the rainy season - maybe they don't like to drive their trucks like they do in commercials...?) Anyway, it was magical. We saw all kinds of animals, heard lions in the night, and were in one of the most beautiful and wild pieces of Africa I have ever seen. We did not see anyone other than the lodge staff until we got back to he main road.
This morning we went out on the river where we passed hippos and floated through exactly what most of us picture when we think of remote Africa. The guide brought along some home-made fishing poles and we stopped at a couple spots and caught several nice sized fish as hippos laughed in the background. Many rich moments...
These last few paragraphs sum up our reality here - Heights and Depths...With both being significantly more pronounced than they are at home.
Click here for some photos of our 1st week back...
We welcome your prayers - We need them.
You are loved and missed.
Jeff for the Dykstra Fam
The trip back was as smooth as any 17 hour non-stop flight with 3 kids can be (Plus two other 2-3 hour flights)...I'll let you discern the rest. It was wonderful to walk into our familiar home and crash in our own beds after 6+ weeks of being away.
When we left here in November it was the end of the hot, dry season. As is usual, no rain had fallen since March. What we returned to two months into the rainy season, can hardly be described - lush, green jungle replaced the dusty brown landscape. The difference is as stark as the difference between MN in January and July...Or, we left Arizona and came back to Hawaii (minus the ocean and the 5 star hotels on the beach...) Anyway, it was an unexpected gift and despite the day after day rain, we are loving our environment.
The kids came back to more days without school - They will finally start back up next week. They are plowing through school lessons and are slowly getting caught up. The kids have settled back in to Zambian life without a hitch. It amazes Molly and I really, at their ability to seamlessly shift gears. We are grateful for their adaptability. They have had fun distributing some of the funds raised through TFC, the charity they started before we left. Thanks to their uncles, who have sent out some notes to friends, they have raised enough money to do some really great things, more on this later.
Molly, is settling back in but, as all mom's can appreciate, is ready for school to start back up after 2+ months away...I continue to be grateful beyond words for Molly and her spirit and the way that she has embraced our life here.
For me getting back to work has been great. I returned to some excellent news that it looks like we will be receiving 500,000 Insecticide treated nets (that protect people form Malaria, the greatest killer on the Continent.) These nets, which we will distribute to more than 170,000 households across Zambia - will protect 1.1 million people or more than 11% of Zambia's total population. This deal came together almost 100% as a result of relationships which has been a great reminder to me that it is through relationships that God usually chooses to do his best work. Because some people cared, these simple nets will save thousands and thousands of lives in the coming years - I was praying the other morning that one of these kids who's life will now be preserved, would grow up to be the kind leader that this country deserves - Please join me in this prayer.
We've had a few scary things happen since we've been back too. Last week Molly and Mackenzie were on their way home from a friends house just after dark. A car came up behind them honking and flashing their lights. It turned out to be an off duty police officer who accused Molly of reckless driving. Molly drove to the police station which was just a few blocks away where this guy proceeded to verbally harass and threaten Molly and Mackenzie...They did not have any money on them at which point he followed them home...Needless to say they were terrified. Our security guard and I told him to leave and fortunately, he did. The bottom line is that he was looking for easy money. My bottom line is that I wanted to pound him. (Can any husbands and fathers out there feel their tempertures rising...?)
As a week+ has passed, both Molly and Mackenzie have moved fwd. and realized that this was a random incident. It served as a tough reminder that we are living in the developing world and with that comes dealing with crap like this...We were also able to realize and appreciate all the layers of protection that we are afforded here as Americans - 24 hour security, gated home, secure house etc. etc. How many billions around the world have no defense against injustice?
A couple nights later we were picking up Molly's car when we ran into the "Bennett Boys" - the 4 street kids that we have gotten to know. We had not seen them yet since we had gotten back and it was amazing to watch them run to Molly and embrace her...We picked up some food for them and offered to drive them home. We were in two cars, me and the Bennett boys in one car and Molly and the kids following us. It was pouring rain as we drove the 15 minutes to their home. On the way I learned that their grandmother, the only adult left alive in their lives, had died. Heartbreaking.
We pulled up to their shack, they got out and as were saying good-bye, the car I am driving dies. It had been having battery problems, so I have Molly pull up next to me to give it a jump. I hook up the cables, hop in the car, turn the key and...nothing. It's pouring rain, getting dark and we are in a compound where it would not be wise for us to be after dark. I mess with the cables, try again, and nothing. A crowd is starting to gather (Hey, this doesn't happen every day...My kids are in their bathrobes mind you...) and I'm thinking if I leave this car here for any amount of time, it WILL NOT exist when I come back. So, soaked to the bone, I say a very spiritual prayer - something like this, "God, the only reason I am in this mess is because I am fricking trying to help some orphans, who I know you care about - could you please cut me some slack, PLEASE!" I adjusted the cables one last time and...it started.
As we drove away and I celebrated, I was quickly sobered as I thought about the four boys we left in a small shack, alone with their 15 year old sister. The tragedy of this continent embodied in these five lives...
This weekend, we took advantage of our freedom and drove 4+ hours to Kafue national park. The last 2.5 hours were on dirt roads and, from the time we turned off the main road, we did not see another soul. I got to drive our truck like they do in the commercials - 4 wheel drive, through the mud trying to keep the kids heads from bouncing off the windows. We finally arrived at a lodge on the Kafue river. We were met by a small staff, Matthews and Martin, and learned that we were the only guests. (I guess people don't go out there in the rainy season - maybe they don't like to drive their trucks like they do in commercials...?) Anyway, it was magical. We saw all kinds of animals, heard lions in the night, and were in one of the most beautiful and wild pieces of Africa I have ever seen. We did not see anyone other than the lodge staff until we got back to he main road.
This morning we went out on the river where we passed hippos and floated through exactly what most of us picture when we think of remote Africa. The guide brought along some home-made fishing poles and we stopped at a couple spots and caught several nice sized fish as hippos laughed in the background. Many rich moments...
These last few paragraphs sum up our reality here - Heights and Depths...With both being significantly more pronounced than they are at home.
Click here for some photos of our 1st week back...
We welcome your prayers - We need them.
You are loved and missed.
Jeff for the Dykstra Fam
posted by The Dykstra Family at 10:54 AM
1 Comments:
1/31/07 Hey guys! it's me Heather McDonald.(from Colorado) I heard about your TFC raising money idea. I thought that was a great idea! And I was wondering if I could help? I could start something in my class and raise money to help with your TFC. And I heard that u make things and then sell them! I could possibley make some cross stiching things!
Oh:-) Happy Birthday Makenzie! I hope everything go's well! and I will get some friends together and help!!
Love, Heather McDonald
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