1/7: Spark City - Scary!!

First off, I'm ok! Great opening, right? I gave myself quite a fright today...one of the scariest things I've experienced in awhile! The tricky thing with traveling to different countries is the different volate levels and currents going through electronic gadgets. It seems almost every trip when I blow a fuse or blow an adapter. I'm OVERLY cautious because my wife can attest that my least favorite thing is being shocked in the winter time when you get out of a car, touch a door knob, etc. And with each adapter that goes, I'm typically unable to charge that item for the duration of my trip -- must pack lightly here!

Anyway - this morning, as I was sitting down to type this blog, I thought I would be ambitious and plug in my powerstrip through an adapter, attached to a Zambian surge protector. I've seen it done and have generally been too scared to try it because I hate being shocked. Having TOTAL confident this morning in both the surge protector label on the Zambian cord and mine from Targus in the USA, I actually plugged it in without too much worry.

Here, after plugging in the item, you must flick a switch to turn on the power. Well, when I turned the switch on, a gigantic flash of light emerged from the Zambian power cord, setting off a bang, and a shot of electricity up my right arm and into the right side of my chest. IT HURT! The crazy thing is that I saw it happening as it went up. Our brains are incredible that way, even though it was a flash of light.

But again - I AM FINE! My power strip is not and will be retired on day 4, in record time for me. Sad.

My poor wife and others worry about cholera and rogue officers in Zimbabwe. I, instead, am challenged by a power cord. :) I MUST AGAIN EMPHASIZE that I am totally fine and would not be joking about this if I wasn't. It gave our whole house a fright since the bang and my girlish scream stirred everyone to come rushing in.

Except Fibion. :) He quietly emerged a few minutes later, laughing. He had heard me do the same at the end of my screaming. :) He came in and said, "Is everyone still alive? I thought I'd let you die a little bit." We all laughed because, as usual, my reaction was WAY more dramatic than the situation actually called for. He has a nice, calm, pastoral way of calming us down when we are frightened.

In other news - we are about to set off for the day after a brief meeting this morning and distributing a lot of the stuff I brought for Remmy & Fibion to help them in their work for Forgotten Voices (pens, notebooks, planners, business cards, voice recorders, etc.).

Today, we'll visit a feeding programme sponsored by the local Vineyard Church in Ndola. The leader is a graduate of the Theological College of Central Africa here in TCCA, which I referenced in my post yesterday. Not only are we looking at their model for feeding, but trying to get to know the main churches here in Ndola, which Vineyard is certainly one of and has some influence on various areas of ministry in the city.

We'll then go into town, have a lunch meeting together, and then do some shopping (look for an extension cord) and book our transport for this coming Sunday when we depart for Zimbabwe. School holiday ends here over the weekend and starts back Monday, making weekend travel difficult. We have a few backup plans == will update you all.

Pray for wisdom and discernment for Remmy, Fibion and I as we look at projects that we may help fund and make decisions about some difficult ethical and moral questions facing some of the projects.

Perhaps one of my favorite things about my job is putting the pieces together -- seemingly unfixable situations. I love listening to all the positions and perspectives over the few weeks of traveling and then slowly, with rflection, putting pieces together that will bear fruit long-term in these difficult circumstances.

This trip has already challenged me in this area and promises to continue doing the same. Pray on, my friend.

Until I get to a computer next,
Your ambassador and servant in this grand adventure,
Ryan