A fun and full Saturday

The morning for me and Ellis was more relaxed today, but Kim was called about 5:00 a.m. for a C-section delivery at the hospital.  After breakfast we walked to town with our friend and Peace Corp Volunteer, Andrea Thompson.  On the way the children had the opportunity to try pumping a deep well where a family was gathering water.  The market in town was very different than the market we saw on Friday and was better because we could really take it all in.  There was a vegetable area with maize, onions, potatoes, peanuts, tomatoes, and greens.  Andrea said she always buys anything different when it is at the market because there is not much variety, just the items which are in season.  We found more chitenji fabric and let the girls pick out patterns they liked since they did not get to shop yesterday.  We are all wearing our chitenji fabric to church tomorrow.  The market also had fresh meat, eggs, underwear, clothes, shoes – even a tailor who was making clothes.  Again we attracted a lot of attention but here in Embangweni we feel welcome and there were many who wanted to greet us as well as thank us for coming.  Andrea suggested we try what looked like a large orange fruit loop – Kim and I decided it was an African rice cake.   Everyone loves them here!  We also tried donuts and bought peanuts which the guest house roasted for us.  We passed a shop where the sign read, “Barber and Welding.” 

We arrived back at the guest house to meet a new guest who is a PCUSA missionary, Nancy Collins.  She is a regional liaison who lives in Zambia.  She joined us for lunch and we enjoyed hearing about her work and ministry.  Jack joined us after he went with “Little Ben” to pick some bananas at the manse just up the road.  Joseph gave the children Embagnweni Popsicles, frozen Fanta and Coke that he put in very small plastic bags and froze.  The loved the popsicles!

From our late lunch we walked to Rose’s home to see her 5 day old chicks as well as her other chickens, pigeons and pigs.  The children LOVED the tiny chicks and held them until Rose said it was time to see the pigs.  We walked about 3 – 4 minutes from her house to where they keep the pigs.  Again the children LOVED seeing the pigs and were disappointed that they could not pet the pigs! 

Walking back from the market

By then it was 3:00 and it was time to meet at the church and practice our singing.  The church is beautiful on the inside.  Rose helps lead the children along with a man we named, the Embangwni Mark Kemp.  We practiced two of the songs we taught them.  It was great to see the children again and most were proudly wearing the cross we gave them at VBS.  We stayed to listen to them practice their own songs too.  The music and movements with the songs are amazing.  As they were practicing we noticed that Trey found a local football game (better known as soccer to us) just across from the church.  The players were INCREDIBLE and many played without shoes.  It would have been great to stay longer and watch more but we had to leave and meet Joseph at the guest house to walk to his home for a “fry.”

Joseph and family after the "Fry!"

Joseph, Cecilia, and family warmly welcomed us to their home.  We again attracted the attention of children as we approached their home and yelled “azungu!” over and over.  The children loved saying, “How are you?” over and over, smiling, laughing, and following especially Jack and Ben around.  Joseph and all the family were hard at work along with Andrea preparing dinner for us.  Vanessa, their oldest daughter, taught us how to prepare the pumpkin leaves and let us help cut them before they were boiled with salt, tomato and onion over hot coals.  All the cooking is done outside and their youngest son who is 4 years old cooked popcorn while were prepared the food.   Everyone in the family made us appreciate the invitation even more.  We enjoyed an absolutely delicious dinner of rice, pasta, chips, fried eggs, chicken, spinach, and pumpkin.  There were so many of us that we could not all fit in the den to eat together.  After dinner they served tea and we contributed M&M’s for dessert.   Everyone came in the den to enjoy fellowship, watch some TV and play cards.  Joseph, Cecilia, and their oldest son, Wiseman, walked us back to the guest house.  Joseph carried Jack the entire way because he was sacked out from a busy,  fun, and memorable day in Embangweni.