November Recap

So it turns out that trying to be a "blogger" while experiencing continuous power/wifi outages is a little complicated. Yes, this is somewhat of an excuse, but it's also our reality. Here's a short post to update you on what's been going on with us during the month of November...

- We had a visitor from the US of A come to see what Water 282 is all about. We spent all of our time out in the field showing him new boreholes, surveying of new villages, sanitation & hygiene training, and one great celebration! We also couldn't let him come to Zambia without going on a safari so we did that too.

Our initial visit to a 2015 village with our visitor

- World Toilet Day was November 19th. It just so happened on that day we got to celebrate with Water 282's first two villages that are now ODF (open defecation free). We use the same standard requirements set by UNICEF which mean every household has a latrine, 2 hand washing stations, dish rack & rubbish pit. This is a BIG DEAL!!! And we could not have been more excited and proud of the villagers who worked so hard to accomplish this. It was an awesome celebration where, yes, Jacob & I both did a little dancing :).

A typical latrine (bathroom) in a village

- Thanksgiving! This was my first major holiday away from my family in the states. While I missed them TERRIBLY, we got to enjoy the day with some wonderful friends here in Zambia. It really helped to have such a loving community of friends here who we are extremely thankful for. We gathered around a beautiful table of delicious food, thanked God for all our many blessings, filled our belly's, enjoyed fellowship, played games then got a great night's sleep ;).

Thanksgiving Dinner

- and, lastly, the Iron Bowl. ROLL TIDE!!!!! (need I say more)

My morning cranberry juice in my celebratory cup ;). 

Tomorrow we are off on our last work trip of 2014. It's crazy to think that we have already been in Zambia for 6 months. It's been an incredible (tough at times) 6 months. We miss all of you so much and hope you guys all had a very Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Love,

Libby

Zamlife

Well, friends, it's been awhile. Once again I have completely failed to get a "Thoughtful Thursday" post up on the blog on a Thursday. Maybe one of these days I'll get on a regular schedule of blogging. I do have a pretty good excuse this time though - FOOD POISONING! And let me just tell you, it was not fun. at. all. This last week was spent mostly in bed. Jacob took very good care of me; even had to prick my finger(s) to confirm I didn't have malaria. Husband of the year! I'm happy to say that I am now feeling much, much better so I figured I'd hop on my blog site to give you guys an update on life here.

1.       Water 282 is growing! We hired 2 new video specialists here who are out in the field now wrapping things up for 2015 wells. We spent some time training them in October, and we really enjoyed getting to know them. They both seem to be passionate about what we at Water 282 are doing. We are really excited to have them join our team!

2.       We finally got a car! Big Bertha's close to 20 years old, but we absolutely love her. Jacob went without a car here for his first 2 years. I honestly don't know how he did it. He eventually got a motorbike but didn't like driving it so much in Lusaka traffic. And, I don't blame him :).

3.       We got an oven! One that isn't the size of a microwave, and I can actually cook two things at the same time. It makes me super happy. It's the small things, right?

4.       The President of Zambia passed away recently so the country has been mourning for the last 14 days. He was laid to rest today (Nov. 11th). There has been a little bit of uncertainty among the people here, but we are praying for a peaceful transition.

5.       We have friends!!! Like real, awesome, God-loving friends :). Over the past few months we have met some incredible people, and we couldn't be more thankful for the Christ-like community we have with them. Thanksgiving is coming up soon and this will be the first big holiday I will spend away from my family in the states :(. I miss you guys SO much! It helps that we have great friends here who are also far from their loved ones and recognize the importance of being together as a "Zambian" family during the holidays.

6.       Also, I've become a pro at cooking. To all those who question this statement...just ask my husband :).

Our (my) new stove!

Some of my incredible friends at Zambia fashion week

This is the line for the viewing to see President Sata. It was crazy long - extended both ways down a major hwy as well as down side streets. 

Happy Tuesday you guys! Love and miss you all a TON!!!

Just Do Something

Ok, so I have totally been slacking on my Thoughtful Thursday posts! Go figure. I decide to start something new; now three weeks in I've only gotten one post done, and I still haven't gotten one to actually post on a Thursday. Ha! That's how life goes sometimes, right?

One of my absolute favorite bloggers is Ann Voskamp. If you don't already read her blog, you should! It's called A Holy Experience. I'm actually going to talk about one of her more recent posts so I will include a link to her blog at the bottom of my post.

In light of my "Feeding Hippos" post I thought I'd share this parable Ann Voskamp refers to in her post "When You Love First -- Maybe There'll be No Questions to Ask Later?"...because so many of us can become paralyzed when it comes to giving substantially or deciding whether this or that is the right move.  In my last blog post I stressed how important it is to make educated decisions regarding aid, and I still stand behind that 100%; however, the reality is people are DYING every day. It's just as harmful if we never take action! So here's how the parable goes...

Then One American Christian bends down and begins the work again of freeing those who are trapped. He works frantically with energy, passion and tears.

The others look at him for a moment and then one asks him, "Brother, where have you found this energy for the task? Are you sure you know what you are doing?"

"Don't you see, loved ones? My heart is trapped beneath this rubble, too. We are all in danger if we do not respond to this need. We are all in grave danger - those who are below the rubble and those who stand above...

My witness before the throne of Jesus lies beneath this rubble."

You see, my friends, it's better that we start doing something rather than never doing anything at all. Even if we aren't sure it's the best thing. Let's not become paralyzed by all the questions we need answered -- when people are dying.

http://www.aholyexperience.com/

Love,

Libby

Feeding Hippos

I bet this title caught most of you guys attention. Sorry to say, but this is not about us actually feeding hippos. It's about something much more important and relevant to our work here...

A few weeks ago while we were traveling around in the villages we were listening to a podcast relating to development in third world countries. We often times listen to podcasts for educational purposes, and it also helps to pass the time when we have an 8 hr drive ahead of us on pothole-filled roads. This particular podcast just so happened to be about an Italian aid project here in Zambia. It was a huge farming project started along the Zambezi River. The goal was to come in and teach local farmers how to grow tomatoes. Who better than the Italians to do so...right? They most certainly grow the best tomatoes in the world. So the project starts and it seems to be going wonderfully. The tomatoes are full grown and they are ready for harvesting. A few days later the workers show up to gather the tomatoes and find that they have all been eaten by hippos! The Italians are in shock, completely surprised. They ask the local (Zambian) farmers why they did not mention that this might happen and they said because YOU DID NOT ASK. The project failed...along with so many other projects started by good-willed people all because we show up thinking our way is the best way. We feel we know it all and don't need input from the people we are trying to help. If you come in thinking your way (aka the western way) is the best way, you will FAIL! You will end up "feeding the hippos" instead of improving the lives of the people you set out to help.

Allow me to get on my soapbox for just a moment. Poverty alleviation is a tricky and complex business. BILLIONS of dollars are spent on aid every year in Africa, and it's done little to ease the suffering. I firmly believe that throwing money at a problem is never a solution (only in extreme cases is it necessary and okay).  It may ease a conscience or give one the impression that they are helping, but, in fact, it's only hurting those we desire to help. So many of us have a desire to help others, and we really can make a huge difference in this world IF we make educated decisions. Jacob and I are big believers in empowering the people we work with. Water is only about 50% of what we do. You can't just give somebody clean water and not teach them how to use it in order to keep them from getting sick, etc. And that's why we spend the other 50% on teaching good sanitation & hygiene practices. It's just as important as the actual water. Also, it's just as important for the people to have ownership in order to feel empowered. It's essential that they are participating in their own growth and improvement. We spend a lot of time explaining that the borehole is theirs. We train them to maintain and repair the borehole, require the village to put in money (gov standard of 1,500 kwacha), set up a water committee, etc. all so the villagers don't feel that the borehole is Water 282's or the organization's who sponsored it. Sidenote: Jacob & I are not the ones on the ground doing any of our trainings. Water 282 employs Zambian trainers who are far more equipped to do the work than we are. We are simply in the background fueling, planning & preparing the work that needs to be done. One of the quotes we live by says "Never do for someone, what they can do for themselves". We don't do everything perfectly. We fall short sometimes and have to look back to figure out where things we went wrong. Like I said, aid work is very complex. We are always learning and trying to think of new ways to do things. We have amazing Zambian partners who enable us to make wise decisions and always keep us thinking outside the box. My plea is that we (westerners) start making smarter decisions when it comes to our additional charity giving and activities. Do your research beforehand, read a few books on aid, and pray! 

We ask that our visitors read two specific books before coming over here so I'd like to ask you the same. These two books changed everything for me when it comes to aid: Toxic Charity by Robert Lupton and When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert. And, if you are in the same position as I was over a year ago - eager to jump into aid work and move to Africa to change the world - I BEG you to read these and every aid book you can get your hands on! I believe we can change the world, and it can start by making better choices. So let's stop throwing money at a problem when there's a better solution, stop giving away our old clothes, stop taking suitcases full of stuff to give away on short term mission trips (I am guilty of all of these things)! Handouts have single-handedly destroyed most, if not all, industry in the entire continent of Africa. I know what it's like to want to give that woman the clothes off your back or give that sweet little girl the $5 bill in your pocket, but stop & think next time...is there something else I can do, something better, that can change that persons world? (maybe it's as simple as praying over him/her or as scary as starting your own organization to fight against sex trafficking or giving to an organization that is spending your money wisely)

Off soapbox now :). Thanks for hanging in there with me! On a lighter note,  I'd like to wish my Grandmother Sue a very Happy Birthday (belated)!!! Love and miss you very much!

Love,

Libby

How Can It Be

So I am trying to post more often and am playing with some ideas of creating a theme for certain days of the week. I am thinking Thursdays will be my weekly inspirational blog post. We'll call it - Thoughtful Thursdays! Sounds good to me...you too? Ok. Great :).

My favorite song right now is "How Can It Be" by Lauren Daigle. I am obsessed with the lyrics. I just LOVE it! And, if my husband hears it played one more time he may throw my iPad out our window. Unfortunately, some of you (Lauren Clark) know just how fast I can ruin a song by playing it over and over again. I just can't help myself though! It's wonderful so I'm going to share the lyrics with you:

 I am guilty
Ashamed of what I've done, what I've become
These hands are dirty
I dare not lift them up to the Holy one

You plead my cause
You right my wrongs
You break my chains
You overcome
You gave Your life
To give me mine
You say that I am free
How can it be
How can it be

I've been hiding
Afraid I've let you down, inside I doubt
That You could love me
But in Your eyes there's only grace now

You plead my cause
You right my wrongs
You break my chains
You overcome
You gave Your life
To give me mine
You say that I am free
How can it be
How can it be

Though I fall, You can make me new
From this death I will rise with You
Oh, the grace reaching out for me
How can it be
How can it be

You plead my cause
You right my wrongs
You break my chains
You overcome
You gave Your life
To give me mine
You say that I am free
How can it be
How can it be

Hope you were "inspired"  by my Thoughtful Thursday post (even tho this won't actually post until tomorrow). Now you can go tackle the day!

Much Love,

Libby

Also, get in the habit of commenting on my blog so that I know you are actually reading it. In fact, if you read this post, just go down to the bottom and leave me a little "I love you". And write a comment for the first five or so posts so it feels like everyone is engaged. After that, you only have to comment on the ones that speak more to you. Thanks!!

Lions, Tigers & PIGS? Oh my!

Most of you have probably seen the video that my hilarious husband posted on facebook a few weeks ago. Those reading this who know me very well, probably got a kick out of watching it. I will have to admit that it was pretty funny...

So about two weeks ago we traveled to Eastern Province and visited 19 villages where we drilled boreholes earlier this year. We are starting a project to help us map out the areas where we are working - plotting boreholes, mapping villages, gathering WASHE data etc. You can follow us @ findpenguins.com/water282.

During our week long trip, we received a few more special gifts. For those of you who didn't see the video - here you go. Enjoy!

What you can't see in this video is that we were also given three chickens, a guinea fowl, two 50kg bags of maize, and a 50kg bag of ground nuts. Needless to say, the back of our vehicle was loaded down. The pig had both his front and hind legs tied together and his snout was tied shut. About 10 minutes into our journey back to town, a funny smell took over the car. The pig had gone to the bathroom, which Jacob and Rev. Mbewe had to clean up. I like to call this "payback". Haha! So they get it all cleaned up and we continue on the 1-2 hr trip back to town. When we arrive back at Rev. Mbewe's home, we discover that the pig had gotten out of his restraints and killed two of our chickens. This day was certainly one for the books!

Love,

Libby

Also, get in the habit of commenting on my blog so that I know you are actually reading it. In fact, if you read this post, just go down to the bottom and leave me a little "I love you". And write a comment for the first five or so posts so it feels like everyone is engaged. After that, you only have to comment on the ones that speak more to you. Thanks!!

House Update & More...

So it's been a month since I last posted. Sorry it's been so long. We have had a lot going on lately. This is our busy season, and things are moving quickly. We have some really exciting things going on around here which I will post about at a later date. For now, I want to give a house update, as promised.

A few weeks ago we received some packages from my parents. It was seriously like Christmas morning for us! They sent us some awesome stuff for the house so I thought it would be a great time to update you all on the small home improvements we have made so far :).

Rearranged our furniture in den and added some new pillows.

Playing around with different rugs in the den.

Kitchen (excuse the dishes). We've got to lower the curtain rod...

More kitchen pics. And, yes that is our stove/oven sitting on a chair ;). 

Dining room. 

Our bedroom. We haven't painted the lime green walls yet, and we need one more Euro pillow. 

Bedroom rug. 

Half bath

Our growing garden! 

I realize reading about house stuff is a little boring, but this post is more for our family. It helps to be able to envision where we live. My next posts will be a bit more interesting :). Also, our car broke down (aka died) a few months ago so you'll be hearing more about that at another time as well.  

Thanks for reading, guys. Hope everyone is doing well. Love and miss you all!

Libby

Also, get in the habit of commenting on my blog so that I know you are actually reading it. In fact, if you read this post, just go down to the bottom and leave me a little "I love you". And write a comment for the first five or so posts so it feels like everyone is engaged. After that, you only have to comment on the ones that speak more to you. Thanks!!

Where's Our Borehole?

Today's post is about both work and play. Yes, we do actually get to enjoy the many wonderful things in Zambia. One in particular - the wildlife! But first let me tell you about Chazwe Village...

Some of our dear friends contacted Jacob a while back and were interested in helping raise funds to give a village(s) clean, safe drinking water. They have lived in Zambia for a few years now working with CRS (Catholic Relief Services) and CIDRZ (Center for Infectious Disease Research in Zambia). While we were in Eastern Province we took them to Chazwe Village so they could meet the people, ask questions, and make a short video. They traveled back to the states during July-August and presented the video to their church in hopes that the members would want to partner with Water 282 to provide a borehole in this village. And, they've already raised a couple thousand dollars! We are super excited :). But, there's more to this story...

One of the more difficult things for us is communicating to the villagers that after our initial visit, we have to travel back to the states to raise funds for the well, which takes TIME. There's usually about a 9 month period from our first village visit until the borehole is actually drilled. And, there's no way to know how much money will be raised each year. So it's pretty much a guessing game when it comes to deciding how many new villages to survey each year. During our Q&A time one of the elders said "But you (Jacob) came a few months ago and still we have no borehole. How do we know that you are not just coming here to take our pictures and video us?". My heart sunk. I'm sure these villagers have been promised so many things and then find themselves no better off than the year before. This part of the job is tough! Luckily, we have a wonderful partnership with the PWC, and the DS in Eastern Province knows exactly how to handle these questions. Also, Jacob has been doing this for some time now so he answered the question as best he could and hopefully eased their concerns. Still, I just wanted to sit there in tears. These people are so desperate for some help, and they are clinging on to hope wherever they can find it. Can you imagine how difficult of a job the church has in a developing country? The physical needs of their people are so great while the church here isn't equipped to provide for them both spiritually & physically. This is where Water 282 (and YOU) comes alongside the church  - to help provide the physical needs so the church can provide the spiritual. And we can rejoice because God is providing! Below are a few pictures from our visit to Chazwe Village.

Our "team" in Chazwe Village.

Don't they just make you want to smile?! I absolutely love our time in the villages. It really nourishes my soul :).

Now on to our "play" day. The Saturday before we visited Chazwe Village we spent the day in South Luangwa National Park. It's only about an hour drive from where we had been working all week so we had to take advantage of being so close to the park :). Here are some shots of the spectacular wildlife we saw there:

Just an ol' leopard hanging out in a tree. 

We did a self drive and followed these lions for a few hours. 

Probably my favorite animal. They are so beautiful!

All of you should come visit us sometime, and we'll take you on an African safari as well!

Love,
Libby

Also, get in the habit of commenting on my blog so that I know you are actually reading it. In fact, if you read this post, just go down to the bottom and leave me a little "I love you". And write a comment for the first five or so posts so it feels like everyone is engaged. After that, you only have to comment on the ones that speak more to you. Thanks!!

Lessons in Thankfulness

So I am still trying to catch everybody up to what's going on currently with us in Zambia. I've got a lot to try and recap for you all so this post is going to cover a few days (one in particular) while we were out in the field. Also, as you can see, the blog got a little makeover ;).

Our first day in the villages was spent going to see boreholes that were sponsored/drilled last year by CUMC and Water 282. We were introduced to a lady in Msambo village who had been harvesting maize (aka corn). Sidenote: I have never in my life seen so much maize. It was incredible, and you could see it was HARD labor! You couldn't help but notice the never-ending smile on this woman's face. She seriously may be the happiest person I have ever encountered in my life up to this point. We spent some time there with her discussing what life was like before & after having clean, safe drinking water. The story goes that the drillers came and couldn't find water. After hearing this, Rev. Mbewe, the DS for Eastern Province, had a dream that the drillers should drill in the middle of the field behind this ladies house. He called them the next day as they were about to move on to another location in hopes to find water and told them they should try in the middle of the field. After some deliberation, Rev. Mbewe was able to convince them to try one more time. And they struck water!!! It's stories like this one when you just know God's at work. HE WILL PROVIDE! But the "awesomeness" doesn't stop there. Do any of you remember seeing this picture posted by W282 on facebook a few months ago?

This is why we do what we do. This should not be happening in the world today. 

Well, guess what? This lady I've been telling you about...this lady with the smile I will never forget. She's the one in the above picture who had been drinking quite possibly the dirtiest water we have seen in Zambia. So thanks be to God for providing clean, safe drinking water and for allowing me to meet such an incredible woman. Oh, and she's the one who gave me a chicken as a gift since we couldn't stay for lunch. One of the most precious gifts I've ever received. She was an absolute joy to be around. I'm reminded daily here how much I have to be thankful for even though I fail miserably in actually being thankful on a daily basis. There's a lot I (we) can learn from this beautiful, generous woman.

So very happy to have clean, safe drinking water! 

Told ya it was A LOT of maize! And that's only about half of it...

The next few days were spent meeting with chiefs and visiting villages with new boreholes. We also attended a celebration in Samyele Village. Instead of recapping every day, here are some pictures from the rest of our time out in the field in Eastern Province.

Traditional tribal dancing at the celebration in Samyele Village. 

Some of the precious children in Samyele Village. They were pretty curious about the mzungus :).

The kids LOVE to chase the drone while it's flying!

One of the villages we visited that had a borehole drilled last year. 

Our time in Eastern Province was amazing. I hope you've enjoyed the pictures and stories from our trip there. And, I hope you have a better idea of what our lives are like here in Zambia. There's never a dull moment!

Love,
Libby

Also, get in the habit of commenting on my blog so that I know you are actually reading it. In fact, if you read this post, just go down to the bottom and leave me a little "I love you". And write a comment for the first five or so posts so it feels like everyone is engaged. After that, you only have to comment on the ones that speak more to you. Thanks!!

A Very Special Day

Today is a very special day in the Hudson household...it's my MOTHER'S BIRTHDAY! So forgive me for going a little off course for today's post to stop and wish her a wonderful birthday!!! I haven't lived in the same place as my parents for pretty much the last 12 years so I'm sure I have missed being around for a few special days here and there, but it's a little different when you are literally thousands of miles away. I figure this is the best way to celebrate my Mom since I can't be there to give her a big hug and wish her a happy birthday in person.  

Here are a few wonderful memories with my Mom...

Mom & Dad's first trip to Zambia. Africa just has a way of grabbing hold of your heart :).

Trip to the Highlands

Village visit in Zambia to see a new borehole.

Bridesmaid Brunch

Wedding Day!

Us in Botswana on safari. Jacob is SO ready for football season ;).

Jacob and I both love you very much, Mom, and are celebrating your life from Zambia today!!! We are so thankful to God for you. Enjoy your special day and make that crazy husband of yours (Dad) pamper you like you deserve :). Also, you should have a special delivery from me & Jacob (aka Mary Margaret) sometime soon. Love you!!!

Also, get in the habit of commenting on my blog so that I know you are actually reading it. In fact, if you read this post, just go down to the bottom and leave me a little "I love you". And write a comment for the first five or so posts so it feels like everyone is engaged. After that, you only have to comment on the ones that speak more to you. Thanks!!

We've Hit Water!

Today was another day of firsts for me. We spent the entire day at Ngulu village watching the drilling process. It can be a long process depending on how deep the drillers have to drill until they reach water, considering they find water at all. Fortunately, Zambia sits on a large, natural aquifer so it's not very often that the driller is unable to find water. When those circumstances do arise, we bring in a team of hydro geologists to survey the land to find water. Thankfully, today we did not find ourselves under those circumstances. After about 4 hours of straight drilling (and a few minutes of uncertainty) the drillers struck water! It was hands down one of the most exciting moments of my life. To experience it for myself is one thing, but to experience it alongside a group of villagers who have been living without clean water for so long is quite another thing. I really can't describe the emotions that came over me in that moment. Real, Pure, Genuine...JOY!

Enjoying the view ;)

These smiles say it all.

Jacob representing #lovmob in Zambia. 

These kids are so excited they will have clean, safe drinking water within days!

Sweet friends watching & waiting on the drillers. So happy!

I hope these pictures give you a small glimpse into this amazing day :). Thanks again for all the wonderful feedback on the blog. We miss everyone in the states so much, and hope you are all doing very well. 

Also, get in the habit of commenting on my blog so that I know you are actually reading it. In fact, if you read this post, just go down to the bottom and leave me a little "I love you". And write a comment for the first five or so posts so it feels like everyone is engaged. After that, you only have to comment on the ones that speak more to you. Thanks!!

Cornerstone

So we've now been back in Zambia for about 2 months and a lot has happened in such a short period of time. I'm going to try and catch you guys up over the next few posts.  As I mentioned in my first post, we traveled to the villages right after we moved into our new home. Bob Whitsitt, the Executive Director of Serving & Outreach at Christ UMC in Memphis, came to visit us. It was a busy week filled with new experiences, bumpy roads, long hours and lots of fun! Since so much happened during the time that Bob was here I'm going to start with my favorite day of that week. This post is about one of the coolest (for lack of a better word) things I've ever experienced...

We got to help lay the foundation for a new clinic in Ndui village! Without clean, safe drinking water provided by CUMC Memphis and Water 282 this would not have been possible. It was an absolute honor to be there to celebrate with the people of Ndui village as they came together and started the groundwork of something amazing. The entire day I was reminded of the following bible verse:

Ephesians 2:19-21 "So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord."

It was truly a day I will never forget. Now I will let the pictures do the rest of the talking :).

At the clinic site after the celebration
Above: Me, Jacob, Dr. Alfred Kalembo (Bishop of PWC Zambia), Chief Mnukwa, Bob Whitsitt
Below: Rev. Alex Mbewe, Counselor 

Laying the foundation for the clinic 

Me with two of the village warriors. They performed traditional N'goni dances during the ceremony and even did a marriage dance for Jacob & me. 

Hope you are enjoying the posts so far. Thanks for all the love in the comments section! You guys are awesome!!!

Also, get in the habit of commenting on my blog so that I know you are actually reading it. In fact, if you read this post, just go down to the bottom and leave me a little "I love you". And write a comment for the first five or so posts so it feels like everyone is engaged. After that, you only have to comment on the ones that speak more to you. Thanks!!