mulimu ki yo munde

"Mulimu ki yo munde, na caa cao fela. Na caa cao fela, Mulimu ki yo munde!"
God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good! 

It's amazing how no matter where you are, kids will be kids. Here I am, in the smack middle of Zambia with precious boys and girls from ages 4 to 13 who have led such incredibly difficult lives already, yet they act so similarly to any other kid I've ever known. If they see that you have "plasters" (Band-Aids) in the classroom, they'll point out week-old scrapes on their knees, feet, and elbows to win sympathy and (ultimately) a prized plaster to brag about to all their friends. If they get hurt when you're looking, it's all tears - but if they hurt themselves around their friends, they'll just shake it off! They still want to be first in line for everything, get the largest and best servings at lunch, and show off their colored David and Goliath coloring sheets to every single one of the teachers. I've learned that attention spans of first graders are just as short in Africa as they are in America, but thankfully, "Bubbles!" works just as well (puff out your cheeks with air and hold - they'll stop chatting and screaming and, as an added bonus, they're so amused by how their friends look that they'll stop hitting them, too).

Some things about the kids and what they do here are very different, though. Instead of the kids enjoying a mid-morning snack, we as teachers hope that we had enough breakfast to serve them that morning (and that we'll have enough lunch to keep them full until, for some of them, the next morning). Instead of peanut butter sandwiches, we serve porridge and rice (and on Fridays, nshima with beans and cabbage - a huge treat!). When we run out of water at the top of the hill, we let out early. Instead of freezing in too-cold classrooms with cranked-up AC in the afternoons, we open up the tent flaps and hold on to our papers, teaching materials, and flip flops for dear life. Also, everyone (adults included) add "ee" to everything: five-ee, search-ee, Kate-ee. For some reason, though, they take the "ee" off of "Stephanie" - instead, I'm just Stephan. Every time I introduce myself, I get a little bit of a chuckle...apparently that's only a guy's name around here. :) Took a little while to get used to, but everything's finally become normal to me now!

One of the cool things about bein with pre-K to 3rd graders in all day is that you pick up a lot of really cool songs and tips - like how to make fritters (fried bread balls) or what will happen if you don't wash your hands before you eat. Try em out - I promise you'll enjoy these little tastes of Africa. :) 

Auntie Jane's Fritter Recipe

Auntie Jane is our all-star fabulous cook at VOH. She's actively involved at Hope Church, in the community, and - of course - with the Zambia Project. These balls of goodness are amaaaazing - I'd imagine they're heaven with honey and powdered sugar drizzled on top and I know they're good with peanut butter and jelly, but up at school we love them just as they are. Many Zambians get their entire income from selling these to passers-by on the roadside.

Combine:
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp sugar
pinch salt
2 cups water
...and mix together until you get a sticky dough. Drop large rounded spoonfuls (2-3 inches diameter) into simmering cooking oil, turn when browned, and take out when they look golden. Voila! Hot or cold, they're good-uns. :) 

Wash Your Hands-ee (to the tune of Frere Jacque)
The first time I saw the kids do this one I just about died!  

Wash your hands-ee, wash your hands-ee, wash your hands-ee before eating. (Motions: Act like you're scrubbin your hands after coming in from playing outside.)
Wash your hands-ee, wash your hands-ee, wash your hands-ee before eating. 

Stomach pains-ee, stomach pains-ee, stomach pains-ee just now. (Bend over looking sick...)
Stomach pains-ee, stomach pains-ee, stomach pains-ee just now.

Call the doctor, call the doctor, call the doctor just now. (Dial up on your imaginary phone.)
Call the doctor, call the doctor, call the doctor just now.

Operation! Operation! Operation just now. (Slash your stomach open!)
Operation! Operation! Operation just now.

Feeling better...feeling better...feeling better just now. (Just act like you're feeling better. ;) )
Feeling better...feeling better...feeling better just now.

Bye bye, doctor. Bye bye doctor. Bye bye doctor just now. (Wave goodbye over your shoulder as you head back outside again!)
Bye bye, doctor. Bye bye doctor. Bye bye doctor just now. 

Row, Row, Row Your Boat
This one's with a little African twist. :) 

Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream. 
If you see a crocodile, don't forget to scream. AAAAHHHHHH!!!  

And here's just a few of my favorite songs that we sang in the bush, especially in Nangula and Nalulau (and I can't promise that any of these words are spelled correctly - Lozi/English dictionaries are few and far between!): 

Hakunah 

Hakunah ya swana ni Jesu. Hakunah ya swana ni Jesu!
Hakunah ya swana ni Jesu. Haku, hakunah!
La mata...

La mata, mata, cuale, cuale.
La boto loha, cuale, cuale.
La bata, bata, cuale, cuale.
Haku, hakunah!

There's no one, there's no one like Jesus. There's no one, there's no one like Jesus!
There's no one, there's no one like Jesus. There's no one, there's no one like him. 
We walk-ee...
We walk-ee, walk-ee, here, there.
We turn around-ee, here, there.
We search-ee, search-ee, here there.
There's no one, there's no one like him! 

Rapheal's Song
Rapheal, one of our translators in Nalulau, sang us this song every morning as we were boiling water for coffee and making Jungle Oats to help us ease into the day. 

I wake up in the morning and see the sunrise
I feel the Lord's joy in my heart.
I wake up in the morning and see the sunrise
I feel the Lord's joy in my heart. 

(Chorus)
Oh Lord, I need your guidance
In all things I do and wherever I go. 
I need your love every day
In the long way I still have to go.

I see flowers around me and birds of the sky
I feel the Lord's joy in my heart.
I see flowers around me and birds of the sky
I feel the Lord's joy in my heart. 

(Chorus)

All angels of heaven are kneeling down
All creatures are praising the Lord.
All angels of heaven are kneeling down
All creatures are praising the Lord.

(Chorus)


Ki Mulena 

Ki mulena, mulena wa mulena. Ki mulena! [Translation: He is king, king of kings. He is king!]
Ki mulena, mulena wa mulena. Ki mulena!

Ki yo munde, mulena wa mulena. Ki yo munde! [He is good, king of kings. He is good!]
Ki yo munde, mulena wa mulena. Ki yo munde! 

I miss all yall so much and I can't wait to see yall in person! Thank you as always for your thoughts and prayers - we need them (it's our last week this week at VOH!) - and know that you're in my prayers as well. All my love and in His peace,

Stephanie