Feb 22, bricks and village visits!

Welcome to day 7 of our trip! Today we had another delicious breakfast served by the amazing CCAP staff and then headed out from the CCAP compound in Lundazi. Our first stop was to introduce ourselves to the Chief of the Tombuka area.

As we continued our journey to Chimoza school, we noticed that once we were in the rural area, people began to recognize our convoy and eagerly waved and shouted "HALO!" as we drove by. We always greeted them in return with big smiles and waves. This particular morning, we stopped by a group of children who were gathering nyenje (cicadas) to cook later for lunch or dinner. They showed us their morning’s work and even offered some of the tasty insects to us. We politely declined … 😃

Upon arriving at the school, it was much quieter than usual because it was Saturday, and only a handful of children were waiting to play with us. After unloading our supplies, we quickly got to work making mortar and laying bricks. We are so close to installing the “concrete ring” - a concrete and rebar structure placed on top of the outer brick wall to provide structural support and secure the windows and doors.

By noon, we had mostly run out of bricks, so we spent the afternoon visiting two nearby villages. The villagers were thrilled to receive us, and we enjoyed a wonderful afternoon engaging in a back-and-forth question and answer session, filled with respectful claps and bouts of laughter. It was fantastic to interact with the local community, learn more about them, and share a bit about ourselves.

We asked the village head what it was that we could bring away to pray for them. Their primary concern was for clean water to drink. The head let us know that during the dry season, the well will run dry and they must travel 1 km away to gather water at the next village. He asked that we keep the village water supply in their prayers.

We then trekked the 3 kilometers back to Chimoza school, accompanied by many of the village children who were delighted to hold our hands as we carried the gifts presented to us at each village. The maize and squash will surely make an excellent meal! We were so humbled by the generosity of these villagers, who had so little to give but did so with thankful hearts. I am certain the villagers feel the same way about us and the people back home in Canada, who willingly donated a schoolhouse and came over to help build it and greet the locals. It was a reciprocal blessing for both parties.

Weary from the day's activities, we returned to the CCAP compound for a refreshing shower, another delicious meal, songs of praise, and devotions before we all turned in for the night, exhausted and ready for our beds.

I personally want to give thanks and offer praise and worship to my God and King, who keeps everyone and everything in His steady hand. I stand amazed at His wondrous creation, awed by the diversity of life and people, and humbled by the love shown by others in the body of Christ. I have formed fast friendships with the mission team here and shared intimate moments of worship, praise, and study. As I reflect on the day's experiences, my heart is filled with gratitude for the opportunity to serve and connect with such wonderful people. It is in these moments that I truly see the beauty of God's work in bringing us all together.