Transitions. Remembering. Thankful.

I now find myself back in the states, back in Ohio, back with my parents.  It is good to be back with my family, seeing familiar faces, walking familiar roads and singing familiar hymns, but I am also missing things that have become familiar this past year.  Missing people who had become like family, missing the familiar paths surrounded by flowering trees and bushes, missing the hugs of small children and missing the feel of the laid back life in Zimbabwe.  

Now life feels tricky.  How do I balance restarting life again in the states while trying to keep in contact with friends in Zim?  How do I start looking for work and try to integrate what I have learned from this past year? How do I keep going but still keep pictures, memories and people in my mind from Zim?  How do I keep remembering cause I don't want to forget?  How do I even begin figuring out what is next?  

While life seems to be a delicate balance right now, it must go on.  Here are some ways I hope to remember the past, embrace the present and look forward to the future.  

1. I have discovered that both in Zimbabwe and here in Kidron, Ohio people are extremely friendly.  I have been happy to discover that in most places where I live or have lived people exude warmth and love.  I hope to also portray more warmth and love.  

2. The humidity in Ohio has been keeping me from practicing 10:00 tea time but as the temperatures will cool down (someday) I hope to stop more to drink tea with people.  

3. Many people have been willing to listen to my stories from Zimbabwe.  I have been working hard to not start every sentence with, "Well, in Zimbabwe we do this or that or whatever it may be," but I have been grateful for the people who have listened and asked questions or have just said, "it is good to have you back." 

4. I hope to continue to do things in life that I am passionate about.  I hope to find work or volunteering that I am excited about and that connect me with people, peace and the earth.  

5. I hope to be more hospitable.  This has many meanings.  I do not always make a ton of effort to be in touch with people that I am not currently present with and so I hope to work harder at being in contact with friend and family in Zim.  This will take effort not because I don't care but just because I don't always love to talk on the phone or text or email.  I also hope to be more welcoming to people I host or see on the street.  The introvert in me likes to hide away, but I must find ways to be more open to people, because people make life interesting:)  

So...its a short list and I still have a lot to figure out. I still have a lot to process and I will continue to transition in the weeks and months ahead because I am still unsure of what exactly the future holds, but that is okay!  

I am so thankful for the many many people who have supported me over this past year.  For family and friends who stayed in touch even though I was far away.  For new friends who treated me as one of their own.  It was a wonderful 11 months in Zimbabwe but I also know that the weeks and months ahead will hold new wonders, challenges and much joy!  

Birthday Extravagansas!

My 28th birthday is a birthday I will not soon forget! My co-workers, host family and friends helped my celebrate in big and small ways that will be forever ingrained in my mind! I celebrated for about 11 days straight and felt so very loved!

Although my birthday is on May, 8, two of my co-workers/dear friends took me on April 30-May 2 to celebrate at Hwange National Park. We had so much fun. We relaxed, talked, ate lots of yummy food and of course went on many game drives and viewed elephants, zebras, giraffes, buffalo, wildebeest, kudu, impala, many species of birds, hippos, crocodiles, lions, a leopard, a hyena, a cheetah and more! Not only are the animals breathtaking at Hwange but I could spend hours staring across the Savannah at the acacia trees, the big blue sky that eventually turns into a glorious sunset and the multitude of stars at night. I could not have asked for a more amazing birthday gift.

The day of my birthday my coworkers at the Sandra Jones Centre and my coworkers at MCC both surprised me with small gatherings of food, friends and cake! I was also able to talk to family and friends on my birthday back in the states via Skype. It is also apparently a tradition in Zimbabwe that on someone's birthday you throw water on them. After I returned home from my late afternoon jog I heard the girls at the Centre whispering about wishing to throw water on me. Fortunately, it was cold enough that the sensible ones decided it was okay not to throw water on me:)

Then on the Saturday after my birthday, my host family had a birthday party for me! They invited many of my friends and we had a braii! It was lovely to have many of my friends gathered together. We hung out and ate a lot of good food and had an amazing cake provided by one of my friends! After the party was over my host family and I gathered around the table back at home and we ate more cake and they gave me a lovely gift. It was a wonderful day:)

Like I said, I have amazing family, friends and co-workers here in Zimbabwe. They made me feel so loved and special on my 28th birthday!

Time has just been flying bye lately. Which I realize means I am really having fun and enjoying myself. Not only am I enjoying my social life here in Zimbabwe but the other joy that I am experiencing is that I continue to love my work. Whether it is teaching pre-school, life skills, literacy or just hanging out with the children or girls I am so passionate about my work. I still learn a lot everyday and am grateful that my coworkers are always willing to teach me and entertain my crazy ideas!

Thanks to all who have made my birthday so special as well as my time here in Zimbabwe. It is hard to believe I only have about two months left. Looking forward to many more fun times yet to be had in Zimbabwe:)

A few photos from Hwange!

Victoria Falls!

 Last weekend I went on an amazing adventure to Victoria Falls for the first time. Victoria Falls surpassed my expectations. It was beautiful, full of power and inspiring. The falls are very full at this time of year, and especially with all the rain Zimbabwe has been getting, they were very strong. My friends and I became soaked by the end of our walk through the falls because the mist was so heavy and constant, it felt like we were caught in a downpour, but it was totally worth it! I now understand why Victoria Falls was once called or is referred to at times as the Smoke that Thunders!

It was also a lovely weekend because I traveled with a dear friend and one of her friends and a new friend we made through MCC. It was a wonderful weekend of talking, dancing and taking in some beautiful sights. We really only had one full day at the falls and an evening and morning, but it was worth the trip. Our day at the falls ended with a sunset cruise on the Zambezi River which was also a delight and we saw some Hippos, too!

Here are a few pictures of the weekend, sorry they don't really capture the beauty and power of the falls but they give you a small idea of why they are so inspiring and peaceful!

Thank you to the women...

Happy International Women's Day

A thank you to the Women...

Today I am thankful. Thankful for women. Thankful for women who have paved the way. Women who have heard the call. Women who have fully lived their lives. Each day I am inspired to love harder, care deeper and learn more because of the women who inspire me.  During my almost 28 years of life I have been so lucky to continually be surrounded by strong women who have nurtured me and pushed me to be stronger.

I think first of my own mother, my mother who gave me life. My mother who taught me that women are equal to men. My mother who led by example, that women can and will be leaders in the church. My mother who upon ever hearing language in church that spoke of humanity with male language would lean over and tell me how to change that language to include women. My mother who has everyday of my life encouraged me to be a strong woman and to believe in myself. My mother from whom I received much of my passion and strong opinions. Thank you mom :)

I am thankful to my women friends. College friends and friends that I have met at many other junctures in life. I have felt so lucky to share life with some amazingly stellar friends. My friends have listened to my rants, have not judged my mistakes but have challenged me to be better. My friends have joined with me on many adventures; road trips, exploring, and trips all over the world. My friends have taught me the value of strong female friendships. My friends have also led by example. My friends are teachers, social workers, community developers, service workers all over the world, health care workers, counselors, peacemakers, advocates, mothers, pastors and farmers. My women friends teach me everyday that I can take on the world and they remind me that they are always by my side.

I am grateful for the women who are leaders in the church. Women who have in the past and continue today to break down the belief that women can't be pastors, professors of theology or spiritual leaders. Women who have not needed to change who they are and have stood up for what they believe. Women who are also changing the face of the church, making it a place that is welcoming, creative and refreshingly open to the spirit of our creator. Thank you to the women who have flourished despite those members of the church who just don't think women have the ability or gifts to be pastors.

I am thankful for the past 6 months that I have been in Zimbabwe because I have continued to meet amazing women who are living life with so much joy and passion. Women who are raising children on their own, women who are leaders and creators of amazing organizations, women who do anything for children and teenagers who have been abandoned or abused and women who humbly take no credit for their hard work each and every day. I am grateful to have another mother here in Zimbabwe and now a sister. My Zimbabwean mother and sister and I went out for coffee and snacks to celebrate International women's day. I was reminded of what a support they have been to me over the past 6 months. We have enjoyed many conversations, many cooking experiments in the kitchen and many adventures together. They are passionate women and I will forever be grateful that they let me into their family.

My host mother, sister an me out for coffee and dessert to celebrate International Women's Day!










I am thankful for women. Women who:
-lead the way
-who follow
-who work all day
-who stay at home
-women with new insights
-women looking for deeper meaning in life
-women who do it all
-women who balance work and self care
-women who are seeking peace
-women filled with passion
-women who listen
-women who speak up
-women full of spirit
-women sharing the difficult experiences they have faced
-women who are open
-women who long to be open

My list could go on forever. I am thankful for the women who have spoken into my life and have taught me to never give up my dreams. I pray that women will continue to support one another and encourage each other even though some days it may feel like the world is against us. I pray today for women who have experienced hurt or violence, physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually. Women who may feel like they are unable to love or be loved.  My hope is that we, in this world strive for peace, for an end to violence and we would create spaces for healing. I am also thankful to the men in life who believe that women are their equals. I am thankful for men who have spoken up when women are being slighted. I am thankful for my father and brother who support and love me each day of my life, have listened to and understood my feminist beliefs and have believed in me and the gifts I offer the world.

Thank you, women! Thanks for inspiring me and teaching me to love myself as a woman. May we continue to strive for equality and peace. Believe in yourself and know you are beautiful and loved.

A few more things.....

Here are few other things that have happened during the past couple weeks:

-I ate my first caterpillar (it was cooked and slathered in sauce, no worries)
-I visited Botswana with a few  of my co workers
-I enjoyed visiting some other MCC projects-Here is a picture of one of the schools MCC sponsors.

I also wanted to share these pictures of my favorite place to hike and have a picnic. Rainy season seems to be coming to an end, but we have had so much rain over the past several months that the Dams have been filling up and everything is so GREEN! Here is the change from before rainy season to after rainy season!

Here is also a picture of my dear friend Petronellar and I at the Goshen Butchery that sits at the Morning-side shops right between our homes, which are about a 10 minute walk from each other. We feel that it is fitting that there is a Goshen shop between us as Goshen, Indiana is the place that connects us. Although, I think we would have still met and become great friends even if we would not have had this connection!!

One thing that makes me super happy in Zimbabwe, is Pomegranates!! I love that one of my favorite fruits is grown here and I do not need to feel guilty about it being shipped halfway across the world before I eat it. I am also grateful for coworkers and friends who bring me pomegranates from the trees in their yard! 

Finally for your viewing pleasure a few pictures of one of my favorite little ones:) and myself, just in case you miss my face!

 

Education!

During the past two months, new shoes have been purchased, backpacks and uniforms adorned and the energy of a new school year has been upon us. Now, evenings are spent working on homework and preparing for the next day of school. I continue each day here in Zimbabwe, to become more  interested and passionate about education. I continue to see the way that education empowers young people to make a way for themselves in the future but more importantly develops their character and creativity. 

I have had the joy over the past several months of working with the preschool that exists for the delightful minds of our three and four year olds before they are ready to attend grade zero. Teaching preschool has been a challenge, difficult at times to engage active preschoolers in tight spaces with little resources, but I am quickly learning to be a bit more well planned, laid back and creative.  I have also discovered that even though I do not think I want to be a preschool teacher anytime soon, I love teaching, I love being creative and finding fun ways to teach and I love seeing the children excited about learning! It is so fulfilling to have children run up to me and say "Auntie Lena, look" and they are so excited to show me what they have learned whether it be counting to 20 or  singing head, shoulders, knees and toes! 

I am also going to begin getting more involved with a program at the centre that I am so passionate about.  It is called the Training Centre. The Training Centre began back in August and helps some of our girls who have not done well in school to have a school of their own where they can to learn all kinds of important skills.  The main focus is on agriculture. The girls garden many vegetables and also raise rabbits and chickens. They also learn computer skills, math, English and life skills. The life skills is where I come in, I am working at teaching the girls life skills a couple of days a week. I am still trying to discover what they will learn, but I am hoping to expose them to some creative projects, character building and an active lifestyle. It is a learning process for me but I am grateful that the Centre is giving me this learning opportunity!

On Friday mornings I also have been enjoying working alongside one of my coworkers and going to a local private school to teach grade 7 about character building and anti-bullying. This is also a good new challenge for me. Two afternoons a week I also continue to help another volunteer with literacy groups. 

I currently find myself entrenched in education and I am really enjoying it. I am struggling to figure out what this means for my future. I am still unsure what career to pursue but am so happy for this year of learning and trying new things! SALT, has given me many ways of exploring my interests and developing my gifts!

My lovely preschoolers! If only I could get them to all look at the camera at the same time:)