Caution: May Contain Nuts

When we first started this building project in August, it was a bit of a long shot (ok, a BIG longshot) that we’d make it all the way to the roof before the hard rains arrive. As is natural to a building site, especially one in Africa, we have had snags, hold ups, misunderstandings, and rebuilds all along the way that made us really begin to think we might have to finish in April after the rains move out. HOWEVER:

Our amazing crew has worked long and hard to get the building up and the roof on, and we are ALMOST there. Timothy is, even at this last minute, running around trying to source last minute materials that seem to have “walked away”, find a single extra roof sheet, etc. The way the weather has been the last few days, I think we’ll make it literally within a week of when the rains come down in their real tropical fury (you can see the clouds in the photo above!)

We’re thankful for the Lord’s grace in providing the funds, time, and labor to get the house this far. Please pray with us as we raise the funds to complete the inside of the building (plumbing, electrical, etc).

As we come into the last month of this pregnancy it is especially exciting to see that our home is coming along so well! Our prayer is to move in by May of 2012. Timothy plans to do most of the interior work himself as he has the time. Please pray for the Lord’s guidance as he works on these diverse projects!

This is a very quick post as I dash madly from wrapping Christmas presents to canning tomato sauce to chasing an enterprising and cranky two year old (or ALMOST two year old) little man. Thanks for your continued prayers as we work here in Zambia and try to get our house built before the rainy season starts in earnest. While last night the rains certainly came down in all their tropical fury, by this morning it was clear and brick laying continued apace. God is good! Timothy has been juggling teaching, preaching, and his “run of the mill” missionary routine with helping the builders get the brick layout placed correctly. Needless to say, it’s been a VERY busy time for both of us!!
Here are some photos of the progress:

After a difficult few weeks trying to get the foundation box filled in the intense October heat, our hard working friends have finished laying the slab and we get to watch the walls ascend! There have been quite a few logistical challenges along the way, though. We left for a camping trip on Friday and returned Monday to find the guys putting up the walls… with an upside down house plan. Out comes the sledge hammer, down go the walls. The next afternoon Timothy found them bricking in the doorway. Out comes the sledge hammer, down go the walls. Thursday saw the windows being bricked in and Friday the room walls being laid incorrectly- all this in spite of carefully plotted guideropes, stripes, etc. That being said, for every frustrating step back, these hard working Zambian builders are making big strides forward. We can now see our walls, windows, and doors… all exactly where they should be! We’re very thankful for Hannes, our “contractor” and the enterprising missionary training Zambians to be really good builders.

Timothy is also learning how to “tweak” building to suit the materials available in Zambia. Aside from the fact that EVERYTHING is done manually (including hand mixing all the cement for the foundation), a lot of the common western materials like drywall and… ready for this… bubble levels (I know, I know) aren’t readily available here. However, did you know they have an app for that?? That’s right, Tim is checking levels with his iPhone. The saying used to be “where the rubber meets the road”. I think more appropriate to this Age of Technology is “where there’s an app there’s a way”.

I can hardly believe it, but the funds to build the “shell” of our house have all come in! When Hannes, a friend and missionary “contractor”, had a very unexpected opening in his building schedule, we jumped at the opportunity. The alternative was Timothy building the house himself, which would take a debilitating amount of time away from his work and ministry. That being said, we had NO IDEA where we were going to come up with the $25,000 necessary to build the house (let alone how to come up with it in 3 months!). God has provided incredibly, unbelievably, generously…… and in time for us to get the money to Hannes and get building before the rains come! I know, I know… I shouldn’t be surprised that God is looking out for us. But at this point I really feel a little overwhelmed!

Weather and “finishing” funds permitting, we hope to move into our house around April or May of 2012. It will be wonderful to have a house big enough not just for the (by then) five of us, but also for the many and frequent guests who pass through our home (who at the moment graciously sleep on the couch, the floor, in tents on the lawn, or share the room Monica and Frederick already share). We will also be able to greatly expand our ministry capacity, as we’ll be able to bring the local people right into our home for ministry and practical training. At the moment our one large room is a living room/dining room/preschool room/food prep/Timothy office/childrens play room/Ashley’s workspace/sewing room/cheese factory……. it’s a liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittle cramped.

We will still need $12-$15,000 to put in plumbing, electrical, floors, ceilings, bathtubs, etc. We’re trusting the Lord to provide in His time.

Thank you so much for your prayers, encouragement and support as we embark on this exciting new development in our life and ministry!

It’s a girl!
and we have no idea what we’re going to name her! But we’re excited! Monica is elated. And she has no name issues. In fact, she has developed quite a list including: Fluffy, Pink, and Shiny.

At this point, we’re planning on delivering in Lusaka, rather than making the long trek to South Africa. There is a brand new hospital that appears to have standards (as opposed to most of the local hospitals that definitely do NOT). I’m really excited to be able to have our Little Girl so close to home! Lusaka is only two hours away, so we’ll be able to go home within a few days of her birth! Due date at the moment is February 5th, although I’m hoping for end January based on the previous Keller babies.

Please be praying for the continuing growth and development of our little girl 2.

Opportunity for Innovation: If necessity is the mother of invention, then Africa is her land of opportunity.

When we moved to Zambia, I thought I was pretty well prepared for any eventuality. Let’s just say that I was NOT. But aside from the obvious factors that I overlooked (like medications that can’t be found here), I found that a person has two options.
A) Accept everything as it is: the food, the medical condition, the sanitary conditions, etc
B) Become very, very creative.

Being the adventurous type, I enjoy trying my hand at all kinds of new skills and projects (Tim calls them my experiments). Ok, to be perfectly honest, my motivations are probably due more to my NEED for things like chocolate syrup and bagels (oh yeah, plus cold medication and decent antibiotics) rather than a simple sense of adventure.

Some of the projects I’ve taken on here include curtains (hey, don’t laugh, I FLUNKED sewing in high school!), hand made household items (you should see my cutlery box, it’s a creative masterpiece of cardboard and twine), cheeses of various kinds, syrups (caramel, chocolate, golden, and corn syrup), baked goods (so far so good… with the exception of pretzels…. let’s not even go there………..), brine pickles, tomato paste, crayons, paints, cockroach poison, home medications (you would be amazed at how many things can be cured with garlic, cayenne pepper, and cloves), and anything else that I decide we can’t live without.

Now here’s the catch. You too can do any of these things at home. But you don’t have to actually CREATE some of the ingredients you need in order to create your final product. Researching recipes and methods online, I’m often stymied by the ingredient list… temporarily. (After all, even baking powder can be made at home. I know. I’ve done it.) At first I found this really, genuinely frustrating. However, God mercifully stepped in and now it’s a ridiculously entertaining kind of game for me. The challenge has become addictive. Not that I’ve half “mastered” any of the projects I’ve taken on, but hey, who can argue with homemade dulce de leche, even if the color is a little wrong??

Next in line on my list: fairy wings (Monica won’t let me put it off any longer), Krispy Kremes, and Muenster cheese. I’ll let you know if I’m successful (so if you don’t hear from me………….)

Africa boasts many of the world’s amazing sights- fabulous animals, incredible landscapes, and natural wonders can be found all over this wild continent. However, while more humble, I think the elderly African women (much fewer in number than their western sisters) might be Africa’s greatest prize of all.

Venerated by their family and community, these women hold a place of honor in their society. They have survived unbelievable odds to reach their elderly years and have accumulated incredible knowledge in the process. While many of their ways are backwards (or even dangerous) in light of our modern understanding of science, these women scrupulously follow complicated and long-standing traditions to maintain health and spiritual/ancestral well-being. Most of these beautiful ladies have a heart of gold and love nothing more than helping young mothers and holding little children. They have a fathomless patience formed from many years of hard toil, disease, and loss. Until very recently, it was not uncommon for women to die in childbirth or to bear still born babies. Tuberculosis and pneumonia are still killers. Wife beating is generally accepted in most tribes, and infidelity is absolutely accepted, raising significantly the odds of contracting HIV. Yes, these women have been hand picked by God to survive and help their children carry-on, for their is no other reason for them to have survived.

I love them for their sacrifice, for their kindness, and for their willingness to share what little they have with others. I love that so many of them, after all they’ve been through, can still smile at the antics of a silly child or laugh at a good joke. They are truly lovely women.

Tomorrow is Election Day in Zambia. There are about 12 candidates for president and, from what I’ve heard, over 300 for MP (Member of Parliament). Elections in Africa are notorious for getting out of hand. Zambia is much safer than her neighbors, as the nationals here are generally easy going people. So far local rioting has been limited to drunk young men from the communist party bashing whiskey bottles on car hoods. Not so bad when you compare it to South Africa’s necklacing (burning people in stacks of tires), Zimbabwe’s gun point voting stations (didn’t you ever wonder how Mugabe gets re-elected?), or Sudan’s lip and ear removals. In some of the hotter political areas (such as the towns and villages where the candidates live or come from) there will be much more violent rioting and outbursts. However, in Kabwe I think the worst we have to worry about (and we’re hoping for it) is disappointed communist party members egging our gate (that result will be worth a sticky gate).

By far the most interesting aspect of African elections is the means employed to coax individuals to vote for a particular candidate. It’s truly an incredible thing to listen to the Zambians debate who they will vote for. Here is a little something overheard at the building site next door:
Person A: We should really vote for Sata. He’s been to Kabwe FOUR TIMES!
Person B: Yes, but he hasn’t given us anything. At least Banda brought t-shirts and hats!
Person C: Yes, but Sata has promised to build schools for everyone.
Westerner: Where will he get the money?
Persons A, B, & C: Huh?
Westerner: Where will Sata get the money to build schools?
**pause**
Person C: He will get it from America.

It’s truly sad to see how so many African people are educated just enough to get by, but never enough to think for themselves or to apply logic and problem solving. It is times like this that make me glad to be involved in education and leadership training here. These amazing people have SO MUCH potential. They have so much enthusiasm and so much love to give. It will be exciting to watch them develop and grow as a nation as their abilities to think are brought to the level of their ability to befriend.

God bless Zambia.

One of my favorite cheesemaking resources, www.cheesemaking.com, has a blog. The author interviewed me and posted a story! check it out here:

http://cheesemakinghelp.blogspot.com/2011/06/ashley-keller-making-cheese-in-zambia.html

If you’ve been wondering if we’re still alive or if the cannibals got us, the answer is both yes and no. The kids and I arrived in Zambia uneventfully (or as uneventful as a 30 hour flight itinerary with two toddlers can be). But since our arrival, we’ve had a real time with the local micro-wildlife. We’ve all had at least one or two bouts of tummy flus, “runny tummy”, etc. So, the “natives” are eating us from the inside out. We’re quickly getting better, however, and finally catching up on life in general (haha, that’s optimistic).

It’s really great being home again! The kids are particularly happy about all the friends right here in their yard and the fresh milk (consumption has quadrupled!) Oh, and Timothy is happy to finish being a temporary bachelor. : P

If there’s one thing you learn very quickly as a missionary, it’s that God answers prayer. Ok, allow me a caveat here: He doesn’t always answer how we expect He will, but he DOES answer. For example, throughout high school I quite often prayed, “Lord, whatever job you have for me, let it not be boring!” (I can’t stand doing the same thing two days in a row- just slightly ADD over here!) He answered that to the fullest extent of His ability!

The most difficult question I (frequently) have to answer is, “so what do you do on a day to day basis.” The answer is nothing. I’m not saying I do nothing, I’m saying very rarely is it the same one day to the next. God is good, all the time. (Maybe the sarcasm is a little thick there, but seriously, I wouldn’t trade my life for anybody’s). Ok, so when I prayed that prayer I wasn’t really expecting the variety to extend from raising a two year old to making cheese to learning an African language. I hadn’t envisioned needing to know about a dozen different trades, how to diagnose parasites as opposed to bacteria, how to purify water with only sunshine and a bucket, or how to stay sane as a parent (still haven’t figured that one out).

I never expected to have a life steeped in challenges and complex problems. But I also never expected to so enjoy what I do. Don’t get me wrong, my “job” brings me to tears far more often than I like to admit. But with great need comes great provision. I’m very thankful that God gave this flunky a tough gig. Hey, at least I’m not bored!