Keep on Smiling

This week's post and photo come courtesy of Brother Tony. He sends a monthly email newsletter that gives updates on his travels, projects and what's been happening at the school over the previous month.

Big news this month! He and his team have been working for the past several years toward transitioning the school to a solely secondary educational institution and they continue to make great strides toward this goal. They have begun the placement of the younger students in other local primary schools in order to provide a secondary school that will have the ability to educate all of the secondary students in the area. 

St. Francis Secondary School will soon reach this goal, with incoming classes of students grades 8 to 12 beginning in January 2011. Congrats Brother Tony!

This month's letter ended with the following P.S.

"When in the States I shopped around for a dust-mop (not found in Zambia) and came with this Walmart yellow mop in my case. When Grade 8 Susan came to my room to return borrowed books, I put the mop on her head. She looked so well I asked her if I could take the photo and send it out on the email. I hesitate now to use the mop on the floor. The girls love to model it."

Modeling photo #2

Eunice

Snapshots

These are just a few of the many photos I took of random details from our trip.

The Zambia sky is radiant and expansive. I can still see it in my mind's eye. We traveled across many miles of flat land and in most places you could actually see to a horizon line--no skyscrapers, no jets, none of the usual distractions. And no smog to dull the colors of crisp ivory clouds painted on a vibrant indigo sky.  

These pigs live at the Franciscan mission where Bro Tony lives and I visited them every day while we stayed there. They were an entertaining bunch for sure. They would noisily greet me as I walked up, putting their snouts in the air and tripping over each other to get to the gate. They quickly lost interest in me, however, when they realized I wasn't there to feed them. So cute.

I was intrigued by the variety and colors and textures of the vegetation in Zambia. This is actually a banana plant, which I had never seen before. They are gorgeous.

Pure Magic

It's nearly impossible to describe the experience of being on safari. All of your senses are engaged and heightened, because you are seeing so many amazing and unusual animals in their natural surroundings; feeling the cool stillness of the air at dawn; hearing all of the sounds of the outdoors: insects, exotic birds and countless animals I couldn't possibly name; and seeing up-close the fine details of the trees, vegetation, water, flowers of such a vast and unique landscape.


We would be driving along and suddenly someone would point and say "Look! Over there!" The truck would stop and a hush would fall over the group. And in pure silence, we would sit in awe of whatever majestic creature we were fortunate enough to have cross our path. 







Sometimes the animals would acknowledge us and sometimes they wouldn't, but they rarely approached or ran away.

Every part of being on safari was so full of anticipation and possibility. That has to be one of my favorite parts of that experience. The way it made us all little kids again - reveling in the pure magic and wonder of it all.

Here they come...run!

We were getting ready to leave St. Francis as the morning classes were finishing up. A few of us were still holding bowls with just a few M&Ms left in them when the students came rushing out of their classrooms. Anticipating the wild reaction we'd get, we tried to keep the candy out of sight and quietly put it into the van before the kids realized there was any left.

Father Wayne didn't stash his bowl fast enough, however, and was quickly swarmed by this huge crowd of children. As he held the bowl high into the air, amongst all of the kids' jumping and shouting and laughing as they tried to reach the M&Ms, I couldn't help but notice the big smile on his face. I can close my eyes and still see it. And I laugh every time I look at this photo.

I wanted to include the two below photos because they capture the spirit of these little boys so well, and their calm and shy demeanor was in such contrast to all of the excitement. Despite their perch on the sidelines, they were open to letting us give them some attention and generously smiled when we greeted them and took their pictures. We were grateful.

The gang

I think a more formal introduction of the group we traveled with is in order.  So here goes...

Me, Jerry, Kathryn, Dan, Jane, Brian, Brother Tony, Father Wayne

This photo was taken while we were on safari, probably at about 8:00 in the morning. This group spent literally all hours of the day and night together: traveling, drinking wine, laughing, shopping, cooking, driving, reflecting, eating, chatting and visiting. There is no doubt that each one of them enriched my experience in Zambia, in some big ways; in many smaller, quieter moments; and in ways they will surely never realize.

Through their example I have witnessed: kindness, grace, patience, generosity, strength, compassion, wisdom, humility and the list goes on. I cherish, appreciate and admire each of them and know without even one of them, this experience would not have been the same.

When it came time to say goodbye to Zambia, leaving the people we met was by far the most difficult part. As I continue to reflect on and remember them and all of our incredible experiences, I will always think of this very unique and special group of people and all of the things I learned from them.

Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls, located in southern Africa on the Zambezi River between the countries of Zambia and Zimbabwe, are some of the largest in the world. They are almost twice the height of Niagara Falls at over 1,300 feet and they are over 5,500 feet wide.

The Falls was one of the first places we visited on our trip, and the sound of rushing water and views were spectacular. May is the end of the rainy season in Africa and the water levels at the Falls were very high, so we could barely see the Falls themselves. But due to the spray and mist, which during the rainy season can be seen from up to 30 miles away, we were surrounded by gorgeous rainbows.

We walked all through and around the Falls and were  absolutely drenched. Brian wisely opted for the raincoat and so did Kathryn and Jerry and most of the rest of our group (more on that later). After touring the Falls, we sat up at the top where it was peaceful, warm and lush, drying ourselves out and soaking it all in.

Slideshow, Take 2

Home visit

We went to an area known as "the compound," where many of the children who attend St. Francis live. We had been at the school earlier that morning handing out M&Ms, so our group drew a lot of enthusiastic attention from the kids. We had twenty to thirty children following us as we walked, asking for "sweets," holding our hands, many laughing and posing for photos.

As one might expect, the living conditions at the compound are very sparse -- one-room shacks with dirt floors, no running water or electricity, make-shift furniture, no luxuries.

What I didn't expect to find was the strong sense of love and community I felt there. And all of the people who greeted us with smiles, shook our hands and were proud to introduce their families and welcome us into their homes. I can honestly say that in all of our experiences with the Zambian people, I will never forget how incredibly open, gracious and unassuming they are.

The visit to the compound really affected all of us, in a lot of different ways. I still think about it and I know there is more to gain from the experience but for now I'll just say it definitely helped me recognize that: people actually need very little to exist and be content; I shouldn't take anything I have for granted; and I should learn to embrace and find joy in all of the small moments because many times, those are the ones that matter the most.

Back to Class

Our visit to the classrooms at St. Francis Secondary School was very interesting but also, in many ways, provided some unique insights into the Zambian lifestyle and culture. In addition to the new science labs--this photo was taken in the brand-new chemistry lab, I believe--we also toured the math room and home economics class room, which I personally found the most fascinating.

Home economics class is meant to teach life skills, and when I took it in high school we learned how to cook and sew, amongst other things. The home ec coursework at St. Francis didn't appear to be much different, with the exception of the bathtub in the classroom that we were told is used to demonstrate how to bathe an infant. 

There were also graphic diagrams posted, such as these, which teach students how to wash clothes properly, the parts of a sewing machine and the tools needed to sew.

Nutrition Center Part 2

A few more photos and memories from our afternoon at the Nutrition Center. I am trying to figure out how to post an album on here and once I do, I will let you all know!

While we were waiting to serve lunch, we spent time playing and talking with the kids. Dan, who traveled with our group and was a student of Father Wayne's (Kathryn's uncle), taught the kids a game - the one where you put your hands on top of the other person's palms and you have to jerk them away before your hands get slapped. There was a group of children around Dan at the nutrition center and pretty much everywhere we went. The kids adored him.

Aunt Jane and Kathryn scooped the hot beans and n'shima out of large pots. We made about 50 plates and helped to serve lunch to the kids.

 Lots of smiles! All of the children were so patient and curious and well-behaved. Spending time with them is one of my favorite memories from Zambia. Thanks for reading!

Our Visit to the Nutrition Center

We visited a local nutrition center, which has a similar function to a soup kitchen in the U.S. Mothers bring their children here for a hot lunch, some traveling several miles by foot and for many, this will be their families' only meal that day.

We helped serve the lunch, which consisted of beans and n'shima. N'shima is a staple food in Zambia and is typically made with ground maize. It has a starchy texture, thicker than mashed potatoes, and is rolled up and used as a utensil to pick up and eat the rest of the meal. Older siblings sat with the younger ones on their laps and fed them from their own plates. Their mothers sat off to the side, many nursing infants or talking amongst themselves.

 

The kids loved getting their pictures taken so we have many more photos that I will post soon, but I couldn't resist sharing this sweet little face.

A Smile for Your Day

This one of Mary's 3 daughters, Nomsa, who we met while we were at the Franciscan mission in Kitwe. She is 8 and a student at the St. Francis School.

Mary works with Brother Tony at the mission and during our stay there, she took a great amount of time and care making sure we were comfortable and had everything we needed.

She also took our group shopping at the market, to see the compound where many of the St. Francis school students and their families live and answered our endless questions, always with kindness and patience.

Brother Tony sent this photo of Nomsa with a note: "Let her give you a smile for your day." She did. I hope she does the same for you.

Cherished

While visiting the students at St. Francis school we handed out M&Ms and took countless photos of them (the kids loved seeing themselves on the camera screen!), which understandably caused some disorder. The children were quite well-behaved during our visit, but in all of the excitement some were trying to get our attention by jumping up and down, clapping, chanting "sweets! sweets!" I think while all of us were caught up in the children's joyful and frenetic energy, at times we felt slightly overwhelmed too.

Amid all of the commotion, this girl appeared in front of me, her thoughtful brown eyes filled with compassion and anticipation. Her demeanor was shy and polite as she softly said "hello," then put her arms around my waist and gave me a hug. I closed my eyes and rested my cheek on the top of her head as we embraced. We smiled at each other as we moved apart. She stayed nearby our group for a little while as we walked the school grounds, and then she was gone.

Our group that traveled together often talked about how each of us were trying to remain present in every moment, to soak it all in and remember every detail of this trip, no matter how fleeting or seemingly inconsequential. In that moment that girl's small gesture made all the difference and because of it, I am grateful to her and for her.

And I know I will never forget her.

Our dear friend and host in Zambia!

Brother Tony Droll has been living as a missionary in Zambia for 44 years. The Franciscan mission and retreat center where he lives and works is in Kitwe. We were fortunate enough to spend quite a bit of time at the mission and we were welcomed with open arms by all of the people there. It is a peaceful and lovely place.

Brother Tony planned our trip and hosted all of us while we were in Zambia. I will never forget how incredibly generous he was, and continues to be, not only with his faith, time and knowledge, but also by sharing with us his life in Zambia. He introduced us to some of the children and families he works with, showed us the school he tirelessly dedicates his time to and as we traveled all over, taught us about African culture and about the amazing wildlife we saw on safari.

I cannot begin to express my gratitude to Brother Tony for all he's done and continues to teach us, about humility, compassion, dedication, selflessness. When I look back fondly on the time we spent in Africa, he is at the center of and the reason for all of the special and memorable experiences we had there.

Bro. Tony with students from the St. Francis School

Above is a photo from the Franciscans web site of Brother Tony with a group of the students. The link to the Franciscans web site is below.

http://www.franciscans.org/FriarTonyDrollinZambia.cfm

Helloooo Kudu

We went on safari two times while in Botswana -- at dawn and at dusk. We were so happy we did both because we saw completely different animals on each outing. We saw lionesses, elephants, alligators, giraffes, impala, hippos, water buffaloes. More photos to come!

This guy was one of the most unique animals that we saw: the kudu. I had never heard of or seen a kudu before, but I've since learned that it is a type of woodland antelope. They are majestic, graceful animals, with white stripes along their sides and backs, and red markings inside their ears. And check out those crazy curly horns. They were a sight to behold.

Congratulations Father Andrew!

Kat and I had the privilege of meeting many warm and wonderful people while we were in Zambia, including our dear friend Andrew. When we met him in May, he was a deacon at
the Kitwe mission, working with the students at St. Francis School and preparing for his ordination.

We were fortunate to spend a lot of time with Andrew while we were in Kitwe. He was not only a tireless tour guide and extremely contientious driver (who literally drove us all over Zambia), he was also generous, patient and fun, always quick with a smile or joke or some rap music and made us all feel completely welcome and at ease no matter where we were.

On August 7, he was ordained as a priest in a ceremony that we wanted so much to attend. We were thinking of him that day and continue wish him all the best - Congratulations to Andrew! We know there are many great things yet to come for him and can't wait to hear of his continued success in his ministry and with St. Francis School.

St. Francis Secondary School

St Francis Secondary School

The St. Francis Secondary School is located in Itimpi, near Kitwe, in northern Zambia. The school was started in 2000 as the St. Francis Community School, with 400 pupils from the surrounding area. Over the past 10 years, the school has continued to grow, and now educates 1,600 orphaned, underprivileged and vulnerable children from pre-school to Grade 12.

For more information about the school, check out the St. Francis Secondary School web site at http://saintfrancisschoolzambia.org/ 

"Sweets" for the Sweets

When we visited St. Francis Secondary School, we brought several bags of M&Ms with us. We toured the campus, visited many classrooms, met the children and handed out the M&Ms. Some of the classes welcomed us with songs or handshakes, and we were always greeted with laughter and warmth from the moment we entered the room.

Some of the children hesitated at first to approach us, and the head master told me it was because they thought we were handing out medicine! When he explained to them that we had brought them chocolate "sweets," their faces lit up and we got to see the most beautiful, unforgettable smiles. Like these.