Caution: May Contain Nuts

People always ask me if we can make stuff like cookies in Africa. The answer is: Praise God, YES. But… I do have to make a few adjustments, and the ingredients are about 30% more expensive… so we don’t have them often. I thought it would be fun to share one of our favorite recipes with you. I wrote it out first the way I make it with African ingredients, then the way YOU can make it at home! Yummy with coffee. : )



By popular demand:

Fudge Espresso Crinkles
1/3 cup salted butter (the unsalted goes bad here)
1 cup raw sugar (it’s all we can get)
3/4 Tbsp molasses or dark syrup (creates “brown sugar”)
1/2 cup cocoa powder (imported- thanks, Mom!)
3/4 Tbsp instant coffee powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cinnamon (we can buy the real Indian stuff here for about $2 a cup)
2 egg whites
1/3 cup plain yogurt (what we buy is fake, but it does the job)
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 1/2 cups flour (sifted to take out the worms, please)
powdered sugar (ours is made from beets)

Ok, here’s your list:
1/3 cup butter (if unsalted, add 1/4 tsp salt)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
3/4 Tbsp instant espresso or coffee powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cinnamon
2 egg whites
1/3 cup vanilla yogurt
1 1/2 cups flour
powdered sugar

Instructions:
Beat butter until fluffy. Add sugar, cocoa, coffee powder, badking soda, and cinnamon. Beat until well combined. Add egg whites and yogurt. Beat until combined. Slowly add flour. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Preheat oven to 360 and grease a cookie sheet. Roll dough into balls, flatten just a little, roll in sugar, place on cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Warning: keep out of reach of children… that is if you want any yourself. ; )

Oh, African chicken,
so skinny and so free
It was so very kind of you
to become a meal for me.

You woke me up this morning
With your loud and raucous crow.
You’ll wake me up again tonight,
For another reason, though.

I wish that they had killed you
closer to meal time.
Your fizzy, funny texture
defies what I can rhyme.

Back home I thought of chicken
As succulent and sweet.
Out here I must content myself
With slimy-greenish meat.

I’m so glad they fried you,
At least it kills the germs
Although I’d feel much better
If it also killed the worms.

Oh, African chicken,
You will always be
The best, most special meal,
They always make for me.

We spent the first few weeks of June on a field trip in the Eastern Province of Zambia.  This was our first time to stay in villages and “camp it out” with the whole family.  Having Abby along not only made this possible, but even enjoyable.

We started our trip in Lusaka, collecting a trailer load of the books, Bibles, and materials from the container.  Many thanks to those who have kept these supplies in prayer, the termite problem seems to be resolved, with no damage to ANY of the materials inside!  This is nothing short of miraculous when you consider the size and voracious appetite of African termites.  Abby helped Timothy load box after box on the truck, only grimacing a little as she got coated in dust, grime, and termite poo.



Before leaving Lusaka for the 10 hour drive to Chipata, we had to get Interpol police clearance for our truck, as we intended to take it into Malawi.  This is just one of the legal wrangles (read: government fund raising opportunities) involved with vehicle movement in Africa.  On the way out of Central Province, we stopped at Covenant College in Petauke, where Timothy spent many of his early missionary days.  We found that the three cattle he had kept while living there had become the foundation for a small herd, helping to support the ministry there!  The kids were very good on the road, although they were exhausted and cantankerous by the time we reached our friends’ lodging place in Chipata.  The Breytenbachs blessed us with rooms that night, in lieu of camping plots.  After the long day on the road, a hot shower and decent bed were an incredible and unexpected blessing.



Over the weekend Timothy, Abby, and I all had opportunities to speak, teach, and minister to various people.  Aside from preaching, Timothy was able to spend time training teachers and pastors and distribute a lot of Bibles and school materials.  Abby taught her first lesson to Africans, and she did a great job negotiating the language barrier.  Monica had a blast with the kids and showed her growing independence by heading into town all on her own.  AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!  Thank God for His protection over our little ones; Monica was brought back by a helpful (if incredulous) African youngster.  African children are NOT independent AT ALL.  Monica always astonishes our African friends with her confidence and ingenuity (to word it euphemistically).  Frederick was truly the prince of the party, as he was passed from lap to adoring lap all throughout our trip.  I don’t think his little body touched the ground for two solid weeks.

 

Saturday evening Abby had her first taste of village chicken.  She asked why I had just gotten chips.  She found out.  Most of the time we had our meals around a campfire or charcoal cooker (the gas cooker we brought along broke on the very first day).  Abby became quite a proficient fire tender (add that to her growing list of African skills).

“Ah…. … Ashley,” Dr Hassasing sighed as he leaned back in his worn, vinyl chair. “Didn’t I tell you NOT to take Frederick into any of the villages this winter?” The gentle Indian voice that generally brings solutions and comfort now sent a chill spike of worry down my spine. I HAD been told. I had even thought twice before popping Frederick into his little carseat and heading out for our two week field trip in the bush. But he’d only looked at Frederick for sixty seconds- what did he find in such a cursory examination??

I gulped and asked the question that every mother in Africa utters with trepidation, “What does he have?” I braced myself to hear the words “needs a hospital” or “blood transfusion” (not unusual with most African diseases).

“German Measles.” Hassasing had the nerve to smile.

Virtually irradicated in the West by the MMR vaccine, German “measles” (so called for the rash) is very, very common in all parts of Africa. It’s no more dangerous than the common flu if treated carefully and precautions are taken against the baby getting croup. GM gets out of hand in the villages because they don’t take care of the diarrhea, fevers, and hacking cough- in which case this relatively benign illness can quickly become fatal to a small child.

So, while I feel stupid for hitting the trail without the doctors blessing, I know we are exceptionally blessed that it wasn’t something worse.

Now I know that Dr Hassasing isn’t paranoid. He’s experienced. Praise God for the blessing of a good local doctor.

Oh, and I have German Measles too, by the way. Awesome.

We’re so happy to have Abby with us for the next two months! She is here to help us out, spend time with the kids, experience Africa, learn about missionary work, and lighten our life with her great sense of humor and beautiful smile. Frederick has already decided that she came for his exclusive benefit.

Besides filling our house with her fun-loving laughter, she has been incredibly helpful. Having an extra set of hands to help with the two babies has certainly made my life much more pleasant! She has also worked with several of the local missions, social work groups, and missionaries. We’re trying to give her a chance to experience Africa and ministry from a variety of angles. In June and July we are working with the OM Pro Christo mission doing various local outreaches. We’re blessed to live close to a large mission like this one, as they are more easily able to organize large scale outreaches. This will be a GREAT opportunity for Abby to flex her developing missionary muscles! ; )

Tomorrow we are heading for the Eastern Province and Malawi. This part of Zambia is quite different from Kabwe both in climate and culture. We’re “looking forward” to our first camping trip with both babies. And we’re soooooooo glad to have Abby along with us!!! (We hope she survives the 10 hour trip in the backseat with the babies…. maybe we’ll have to take turns….. )

Abby got a real missionary start this morning. We somehow didn’t communicate when she needed to be ready to go… so she got 15 minutes notice. She went from bed to dressed to the car in that time, missed coffee, and hardly got any breakfast. However, she walked out the door with a smile on her face, waving and telling me to have a nice day. Wow. Good job, Abby! (Watch out, mom & dad… this girl has what it takes!) I better be careful, though… if she keeps up like this, Pro Christo will try to steal her from me. Frederick would never forgive me.

Thanks to the Kutz Family for sharing her with us- she’s a real treasure!

In Zambia, after the harvest comes in and the fields dry out, the Africans torch the remaining plants and grasses. They literally burn all the nice vegetation that should be plowed into the soil. (This is one of the reasons why you see so much hunger and malnutrition- their underfed fields aren’t producing 1/10 what they should be.) However, as frustrating and sad as this practice is, it reminds me a lot of my own life and my own stupid mistakes (which are infinitely more frustrating and sad than any burnt corn field). I realized the other day, as Monica and I watched our neighbors burn their field, that I’m no different. God blesses my life in so many ways, but instead of cultivating His gifts, I burn the “fields”, leaving little hope for the next harvest. I make so many mistakes with the bounty he’s given me, wasting time, opportunities, and resources.

Thankfully, God is great and my puny attempts in life sometimes yield a harvest, despite my best efforts to ruin everything. Just as the Lord will use the Zambians’ charred plots to produce new fruit in the coming year, He will use my pathetic efforts for His kingdom, blessing me beyond measure, even after I burn out opportunity before it can blossom. At least this leaves no doubt as to who is producing. Without Him my life, my fields, would be fruitless.

I like that. He will bring about His good work in us… in spite of ourselves.

It has been a crazy couple of months, to say the least! Each day has had its joys (read: coffee) and frustrations (read: learning to operate with two small children). At the end of April I had my first whole week alone with both kids. I wasn’t sure how that would go. I had visions in my head of temper tantrums, big messes, and lots of screaming. And I figured Monica would cause some problems too. I was surprised and exceptionally blessed, however, as both children were easy going and well behaved. (I didn’t throw a tantrum once. I’m quite proud of myself.) ; ) We actually enjoyed our time together. The kitchen was “closed” for most of the week- except for the day that Monica and I decided that we needed to make cake for lunch.

Timothy had a really great field trip. He and several teachers from a local Christian school held leadership/teacher training courses in Petauke and Chipata (towns in the Eastern Province of Zambia). Timothy came home really excited by the response he got from the Chipata classes. He said the teachers and pastors were enthusiastic about the material that was presented. It was the kind of group that listened and really wanted to understand. What a blessing! Aside from the standard discipleship and foundational lessons, he helped them understand how to teach to the glory of Christ, for the furtherance of His Kingdom. He also had team members who gave presentations on how to teach reading, how to run a school/church, and how to prepare lessons/sermons. It’s incredible to teach teachers, knowing that they will take the material home and multiply it a hundred times as they work in their school.

Several people have asked me what we’re up to these days, how things are going, and what projects are going on out here. Here is a (very) rough sketch of some of our projects, along with specific prayer requests.

Thank you so much for keeping us in your prayers!!

Current/ongoing projects:

* Timothy is putting together a teacher training manual. Our goal is to provide Christian African teachers with a practical guide and manual to disciple their students to Christ through the medium of everyday education. We figure if the kids are going to school EVERYDAY, what better place to reach them with the Gospel? Unfortunately, the Zambian teachers have very little former teacher training, let alone discipleship training. This project will better equip them to teach their students academics, basing all instruction on the Word of God.

prayer requests: wisdom as Timothy gathers and compiles material, opportunities to “try it out”

needs: funds for printing/distributing once it’s finished

* Leadership training workshops in the field. We do “seminars” to better equip pastors, church leaders, evangelists, teachers, etc to spread the Gospel in their communities and disciple their churches. We also teach them the Biblical standards of life and Christianity. Our goal is to help them be more effective for Christ and tear down the strongholds of syncretism (Christianity combined with animism, the local, witch doctor based religion).

prayer requests: wisdom when teaching others, opportunities, open hearts, protection in the field

needs: funds for travel, volunteers to help with the teaching

* Community involvement. This is a new one for us, as we’ve never had a permanent residence with the local people. (We always travelled up from Cape Town, making many stops along the way, but ending up back in Cape Town). We have become members of a local church, attend a Bible Study, and are getting some projects going within the local community for training pastors.

Prayer requests: wisdom when interacting with people who live alongside us, God’s grace in helping us be a reflection of His Son, opportunities to show a picture of Christian Community

Needs: prayer

Praises:

*Timothy recovered from malaria

*Safe arrival of the shipping container, including the materials inside (details to come in March newsletter)

*Frederick’s continued good health (sick infants are bad news out here)

*Lots of rain (means lots of vegetables in a few months)

Other prayer requests:

*family health in malaria season

*God’s hand on the vehicle, currently in for repairs (the engine overhaul done in Cape Town had a fault, so the Turbo had to be shipped back. It could take some weeks to repair. In the meantime we are going with the two-wheel option for ministry, etc)

*God’s continued grace in protecting and providing for us.

If you have any specific questions, please email me! (Or just drop a line to say, “hi”… we miss all of you and love to hear what you’re up to!)

He did it.

He got to the even dozen.

I think he can stop now.

Yup, that’s right. Timothy has malaria. Again. The poor guy is a mosquito magnet.

Timothy has the distinction of having suffered this nasty, parasitic disease not once, but twelve times. So many times, actually, that it has become less interesting to me than the common cold. After all, you’re just stuck with the cold until it’s gone. You can treat malaria with a few pills… that is, if you catch it on time. And if you have the pills. And if you can keep them down. Did you know that your average medicine cabinet/ first aid kit doesn’t contain malaria pills? I can’t imagine living without them. Or, I should say, I can’t imagine Timothy living without them!!!

So when he came home on Monday, pale, clammy, and achy, croaking out that he might have malaria, I calmly tucked him into bed, gave him a glass of water, and waited for fever spikes (the sign that you have malaria, not the flu). By 9pm he was still holding in at exhaustion and lethargy, so I figured it was the flu after all. However, when I got up in the morning to find that he’d slept the whole night on Monica’s floor because he was too dizzy to make it back to bed… and when he had a few fever spikes… and a few other unpleasant symptoms… we called it official. Malaria times twelve. I pulled out the Coartum, filled his tummy with bacon, and continued with my day (the anti malarial works better in conjunction with fatty foods; poor Timothy gets as much bacon as he wants, but he’s too sick to enjoy it!)

Later I mentioned to a few friends that he wouldn’t be around as he was dealing with the migraines, fever, etc. To me, this is all completely normal malaria-like behavior, overcome after a few days of medication and rest. To other (normal) people, this is not good news. This is take-him-to-the-hospital news. This is will-he-make-it-? news. This is pull-down-the-shades-and- close-up-shop news. Apparently I have become a bit cavalier about malaria. Maybe it’s because once a person has had malaria eleven times, he is sharp enough to take the medication before he needs hospitalization, an iv bag, and a blood transfusion. I think this takes a bit more deductive reasoning than your average fever/migraine-ridden individual is capable of accomplishing, but Timothy is up to the task. A gift I very much appreciate, as I like to live with the confidence that my husband will make it through this disease again and again. After twelve times, I’m not fooling myself into believing that he has actually charmed the mozzy beast.

Actually, it’s not easy to diagnose malaria before hospitalization becomes necessary. This is because, in the early stages of the disease, it can only be detected by a blood test during a fever spike… and even then it sometimes doesn’t show up. By the time the parasite count is high enough to register as positive on the tests (especially the field tests, which is what most hospitals out here use), the suffering individual is already beyond keeping down any pills and has a few other symptoms contributing to dehydration and extreme fatigue. At this point, a good hospital is your only hope. I’m glad that Timothy has become so proficient at self-diagnosing.

Having two small children in the house, we have layered on as much anti-mosquito protection as we reasonably can. We have bug zappers, “Doom” plug-ins, we’ve sprayed all the openings to the house, sleep under mosquito nets, and go to bed early. That being said, sometimes the little buggers get through. And it only takes one.

Please pray for our babies. I’m not so worried about Timothy and myself. If we get malaria, it’s painful, it’s ugly, but it IS treatable. If Monica or Frederick get it, first we have to figure out that they have it (“Frederick, where does it hurt?” still isn’t very effective), then we have to get them treatment before the dehydration, vomiting, and diarrhea become… too much.

Please, please remember my babies when you pray for yours. We are doing what we can to protect them, we trust in God’s grace and provision for the rest.

We praise God that He has again enabled Timothy to realize the problem before it became life threatening. We praise Him that Timothy had the fore-thought to have Coartum on hand. We praise God for providing the means to protect our family, as much as possible, from malaria. His faithfulness alone keeps us, body and soul, from day to day.

God bless Coartum.

Working in Africa, we have many causes for both joy and sorrow. Some days bring the celebration of salvation and life, while others expose the fetid ugliness of a land still far from seeking the Lord and the covenant curses this brings on the African people.

Today we stood with our friends, Bwalia and Odessa, as they buried their baby. They lost their sixteen-month old son, Fortune, in what amounts to unknown causes. While the official report says “anemia and diarrhea”, even the doctor admits that he is unsure what actually killed little Fortune (and the nurse in charge of the morgue said, “Sir, he’s dead. Just deal with it; go bury him.”) Because this was a baby from a relatively poor, African family, few tests were done to ascertain the cause of illness… let alone death. There are few medical facilities here in Kabwe, and those that are available are of poor quality. The only lab in town tests only for malaria and std’s. The next closest lab/medical facility is over two hours away- and there are no ambulances in rural Zambia. Assuming that Fortune’s symptoms, diarrhea and vomiting, were caused by teething (the malaria test was negative), the doctor gave him an injection to stop the diarrhea and sent him home. He wasn’t tested for water-borne parasites. He wasn’t prescribed iron supplements for the supposed anemia. He was sent home “teething”. Within thirty-six hours, Fortune was dead.

It has been a very sobering day, as we have considered the many blessings that we enjoy in the west. Good medical care, competent physicians, quality food products, clean water, sewage disposal, and sanitary living arrangements are all easily taken for granted. We benefit from blessings that have been upon our land and culture after generations of God-fearing parents and leaders established a Christian legacy. Africa does not enjoy such a heritage. Africa is still enslaved by superstition, disease, and fear.

Because hospitals are places that people too often go to die rather than live, they frequently double as a mortuary (there were, in fact, many funerals taking place there today). Essentially, the body is transferred to the back where it stays until the family can pay the fees to have their loved one buried. This morning there was some delay in the release of Fortune’s body (due to “the Africa Factor”), so we
waited outside the small, brick facility in Kabwe with Bwalia, Odessa, and their family. As I stood there, holding Frederick, I was confronted by a man who was distraught that I was so near death with my baby. He kept urging me to leave, to at least “stand outside so the mwana [baby] won’t breathe the smell [spirit/death]”. It is a prevalent belief here that if an infant or small child is too near a dead person, that child will breathe in the death and bad spirits, bringing about his own sad and early end. Death is not, by the common African, attributed to disease, life-style, germs, parasites, or other related issues… it is blamed on spirits, jinxes, bad luck, etc.

As Fortune’s body was lowered into the small hole in the rustic, roadside graveyard, I couldn’t help but notice that there were several more holes dug alongside, each waiting to receive its own eternal occupant. Those graves will be filled today, as the other mounds in that row were created within the last few days. Row upon row, another graveyard quickly filling because of ignorance, fear, and sin. I learned that the small town of Kabwe has nine graveyards. Nine graveyards. There aren’t enough people here to warrant two grocery stores, but there are enough deaths to require nine graveyards.

Please pray with us as we bring God’s Law and love to Kabwe. Please pray for a people enslaved by fear and burdened with senseless death. Pray for us as we minister to their needs here in Kabwe.

Pray for a people who need nine graveyards and only one grocery store.