address update!

Well I'm hopping on the back of the pickup in about an hour to head back on the only transportation to Nakeempa, so I will quickly do a last update until I return to the world of internet cafes.

A few things:
My arm - many of you may not know but I broke my arm 3 days before I flew to Zambia...oops! It seems my timing is always perfect, but in terms of a broken arm it couldn't have been better. I was in a heated game of futbol (soccer) at orientation, and Luis (a good sized Bolivian man) and I were racing toward a ball when we collided. He did a roll, but I hit the ground a bit harder and managed to break my right arm. After trying to convince myself I was ok, I finally went to the ER, and they told me it was broken...shoot...but everything is AOK because the place it has been broken doesn't need to be set. So they sent me off with a sling and 4-6 weeks of taking it easy. So that's kind of annoying, and I'm still having to watch how hard I use it, but soon enough I will be washing my clothes (by hand) and doing the cooking. And eventually I will receive a bike so I can explore my surroundings a bit. But overall, it's fine, only slightly bruised as of now, and healing quickly!

My address - There is no mail service in the village but if anyone would like to send me anything I will pick things up at this address:
Ashley Kraybill
c/o Jocelyn Snyder
Choma Secondary School
Box 630139
Choma, Zambia

So I'm not sure when I'll be back here, but I'd love to return to receive your emails! I'm imagining that it will be a long week of sitting around the village, but I will be preparing for school, and continuing to adjust to a very different life. There are many challenges ahead so I welcome your thoughts and prayers.

love you all!

Life in the bush

We've extended to 21 days of mourning, which changes plans a bit, and means that I'm in town again! I've returned from Nakeempa for a BIC meeting being held in Choma this weekend, so I will be living the high life for a few days before I head back to the village. The last week is full of too many stories to tell but I will try to sum up the indescribable events of the past days/week.

I drove down the 24 km bumpy dirt path that leads to my new home on Saturday. Some parts of the path are washed out, and others will become so once the rainy season starts in October. But as we drove I was trying to make a mental map of the cattle guards, broken down buildings, and mango trees so that when I get my bike I can maneuver my way into town. I met with my host family, the headmaster and his wife, who have both their own children and other orphans staying with them. My Baama (mom) was out in the "kitchen" (an open broken down brick shack with a grass roof) preparing our meal over the fire. Nshima and relish, my new daily diet three times a day. I was escorted to the outhouse upon arrival, and realized how great skirts are for squat peeing :) Back inside we sat down to the heavy meal and swiftly I entered into my new surroundings. Mostly I don't understand much of anything happening around me... my few tonga phrases don't get me far, but at least I'm learning to say things respectfully, with a curtsy and eyes downward cast :)

So I could go on forever, but here are a few of the highlights of the past week (in no particular order):
- Having my hair braided by Bwacaha, one of the daughters
- learning to kill a chicken (I'm told that next time I will be preparing dinner, and it will be my duty to quickly saw off the head and hold down the lurching body) - sorry that's graphic
- Watching Nigerian movies using the few hours of electricity we get with the solar panel outside
- Watching black and white gospel music in many of the 72 different languages spoken in Zambia
- Learning to cook nshima and relish - basically learning to be a real woman :)
- Walking to the village dam and through the vegetable gardens at sunset
- Going to church (all in Tonga for 4 hours) and trying to follow along both dancing and singing with my most boisterous voice.
- Learning how to do a bucket bath while a frog hops around the outhouse
- Learning to greet respectfully, and messing up a million times
- Participating in the gathering for my Baama (mom) that was held at our house because of the passing of her step-mother. And, preparing "Sweety beer" - don't worry its a non-alcoholic corn drink that has massive amounts of corn floating around to gnaw on.
-Learning to wear a chitengi, and tripping on the 2 meters of colorful cloth messily wrapped around my waist
- Drinking milk straight from the cows roaming around the back yard...and making sure to drink it all before it goes bad.
- Trying to figure out Zambian politics, and the location of the president (he's being transported through all 9 provinces)

So that only scratches the surface, but hopefully gives a little taste of what my days hold. I'm currently in town for the remainder of the week, so I have a short break where I can wear pants (sorry trousers) and take hot showers. School has been postponed because of the presidents death, so I have some more time to just settle in a prepare, to learn more Tonga, and to figure out how to change from dollars to kwacha. I will start teaching September 8, and apparently will be in charge of the grade 8 math class, so there will be much more in the upcoming weeks.

I hope this finds you all well, and would love to hear from you anytime! It can get lonely in the sleepy town of Nakeempa, so please keep in touch, and know that I miss you each dearly.

Mwanawasa

I'm mourning, for seven days...that's my excuse...

No, I don't actually have an excuse. In fact, the more I put off writing, the more I have to say, and the more overwhelming it seems to describe in words the emotions and experiences that I've had in the past week and a half. However, this too is just a brief update.

Though the update includes some key information! The country of Zambia is currently taking seven days to mourn the death of the president Levy, Mwanawasa. The announcement came yesterday via radio, but most think he kicked the can about a month ago. Even so, it's causing a bit of a raucous, seeing as there are no real guidelines for what to do in a situation such as this. No violence though only confusion. But in the next 90 days elections will occur, and things could change quickly. So we will see...history is in the making!

As for me, I am alive and well :)

There will be more soon on orientation in Akron, the two days of travel, and my arrival in Lusaka, Zambia. I know you're all holding your breath, but sit tight and maybe tomorrow morning I can divulge a bit more.

Love you all!

Nakempa!

I never intended to start a blog. In fact, I had every intention of never starting one. But here I am, anticipating infrequent access to email correspondence and submitting to semi-regularly posting my thoughts and experiences online…so here goes, my apologies.

That said, I appreciate all those who are interested (or feel obligated) enough to read it, and am looking forward to all of your responses/updates/brief hellos. However, knowing me, I’m liable to fall behind on getting back to you, so know in advance that you are loved and appreciated and I truly feel your generous and prayerful support.

I’m not really sure where to start, so I guess I’ll describe a bit about why I’m writing.

On August 16^th, 2008 I’ll depart from Harrisburg, PA and after 2 days of layovers in DC, London, and Nairobi, I’ll finally arrive in Lusaka, Zambia (the capitol). I’ll be spending a year doing voluntary service through MCC (Mennonite Central Committee) with a program called SALT (Serving and Learning Together). I’ll be living in a village called Nakempa (24 km outside of Choma) and teaching at the Basic School there. Details about that will likely have to be specified at a later date, but mainly I’m planning on learning and gaining much more than I will ever be able to teach anyone. My host family will actually be the Headmaster and his wife and daughters. I just got this picture of them from Eric and Kathy Fast, my country reps, a few days ago! Beyond that, I’m trying to have few expectations.

What I do know is that I don’t know a whole lot, and am expecting to be challenged in every way possible. I can read all I want to about oppression, poverty, AIDS, and the multitude of other issues I’ll inevitably face, but unless I learn to live among these things and know the people they affect I can’t even begin to understand. What I do believe I can try to do though is learn. I can attempt to use my privilege to listen, love, build relationships and to empower. I may never see the fruits of these efforts, but I hope to continue to learn better how to be faithful, not effective.

In a sense, I am ready. I have packed and prepared. But I know so very acutely that this preparation is not enough for what’s to come. So I am not ready, but this surrender sets me free.

“Understanding the suffering is beyond me

Understanding the healing is too

But in this moment I am here

Use me”

So thank you one and all who are keeping me in thought and prayer. It’s because of the many deep and meaningful relationships that I feel at all empowered to take this journey. It is with your support that I am able to have this experience at all, and I feel as though I can’t fully express my gratitude to you each individually. Know that you have inspired me and supported me in ways I can never repay, and that your ongoing support will sustain me.

peace,
Ashley