The New Normal

Things have been quite busy around here lately. 

I have been working now for a month. It is going well, and there are many different things to work on at the cafe, and some exciting things too.  Its been fun to come up with new ideas for sandwiches and salads. Today We made a cranberry almond green salad with chicken. It was the featured special. The dressing was really good and made it stand out to me from other salads, even cranberry salads that I have had before. Definitely a keeper. 

I am trying out new breads for all our sandwiches since right now they are just on the white bread and wheat bread from the local store, or the bagels. I have been practicing with the Honey Wheat, French Baguette, Focaccia and Ciabatta Bread. They have all turned out well, so now it’s just a matter of planning the timing of when we would make the bread. The space is very limited and most of the breads are only good the day we make them.  

I am enjoying talking with the customers and hearing their feedback. Probably one of the neatest parts is when someone new comes in. Sometimes they are new to Zambia, or they don’t live in Lusaka, maybe from a more rural area of Zambia or even other african countries.  They come in and get a blizzard or a smoothie, or a really good sandwich and  I see they have the “wow factor” going on. It just makes my day.

On the Home Front, Emma graduated from Grade 7 and took the Nationwide Comprehensive exams last week. In January we should get the results.  She had her ceremony at school and instead of walking in as a class, they dance in. Like a 10 minute dance/step all the way up to the stage then back down and into their seats. It was cool and that white girl CAN dance. She can also sing. On Sunday they had a special service at church for the graduates and she led the class in singing a song in Bemba. It was one of those proud mother moments. All the kids have done well here and can relate and interact with their Zambian peers, but Emma has a special something that seems to go above and beyond just the regular interactions. 

We had all the girls in her class over on Friday after their last exam. They had fun, Emma planned and organized and baked everything for the party so that was a big help. Sarah took one shift of Lifeguarding and then when I got in the pool, 15 girls all cornered me asking, “Auntie we want to know how to swim!...Teach us please”. 

I attempted to at least show them how to kick and move their arms, etc but lets just say it became very interesting. Emma asked if I was going to wear my swimsuit because once she had a friend over who said she knew how to swim and I ended up diving in, with my dress on to save her. 

Last weekend was Miss Gracie’s 5th Birthday. We had 3 families over with their kids and just had a low key party. Emma made a pinata we had cake and went swimming. 

She had fun with her friends and got 2 cakes out of the deal. Hard to believe she is 5 and has been with us 3 years now. 

On the weekend the 3 older kids went to a retreat with the youth group. They really enjoyed it and it was strange to have just the 3 younger kids at home. Made me think about many of my friends who have 3 kids...Oh, so this is what that would be like. ;) 

James got a promotion at work and he has a position now essentially as a vice principal of the middle school (7th, 8th, 9th grade). With his job, he was allowed to bring 2 of our kids in at the discount rate for school, but not 3. When he got the promotion he asked if he would be allowed instead of the minimal increase in salary, to bring a third child. It seemed they were going to say no and he even had to write a letter to the school board making his request known. The day before Emma graduated he was told that yes he was now allowed 3 children. We were so thankful for this good news. Even at paying 20% it is still a significant amount for us, but we are very thankful she can go there. So, she will start in January which would be the new school year for Zambia but the half year point for the International Schools.  She is very excited and I am happy for her. 

I am enjoying my time out at Chikumbuso also. We are getting ready to be marketing tofu and soy milk. Soybeans were donated to them and they have made it before and already had all the equipment, they just needed someone to get it started again and oversee the project.  They are making it now and I have been trying to arrange for packaging and labels to sell it at more retail places. The ones working in the kitchen are single moms, not the widows, so they are all young (younger than me at least...). I find it so interesting the opportunities the Lord has laid out for me and when you look at one point to another, how those things all come together to be doing things I never expected. Last week I showed them pics of my family and Emma’s videos from school and they all enjoyed it. When I left one of the girls said, “we will miss you”. 

Sweet. 

This week I went and there was no water so they had to go to the nearby well. I offered to drive them and their 6 buckets there because I couldn’t offer to carry it on my head. As we drove back, about a third of the water spilled out in the back of the car.

The girls were laughing and I said ok next time you have to teach me to carry it on my head. Then one girl replied, I don’t even know how to carry it on my head. I asked the other girl and neither did she. I  told them I guess not so much this younger generation, only the older mamas. 

I got to see my friend Fanny a few weeks ago and her baby. We were praying for her and the baby to turn because the baby was breech and she was going to have to have a C-section at a local hospital that is known for its bad conditions. A few days before the baby was born they said it had turned. She was very thankful. She went to deliver the baby and ends up he had not turned so she delivered breech, and then had some complications afterward. Thankfully the baby was ok and he was healthy. She is doing fine now as well.  Their church came out to our place for a baptism service to use our pool. One of the boys being baptized was the brother to one of the sponsored kids. Then Maureen’s son was also there, which was neat too. The kids are all supposed to come next month for the annual SWIM. 

Guess that’s about all for now. As I am looking ahead to November it already seems full with activities, and LIFE.  It’s not just about working full-time but also this whole teenagers with social lives, thing. Still trying to get used to the new normal. 

Work/School/Church...LIFE

3 weeks into my new job. I am enjoying it and everything seems to be going well. Adjustments and changes, but it’s going well. 

We have been working on a new cinnamon roll recipe so today when I stopped by at 10 all of them were sold. I actually thought maybe they didn’t have time to get them made last night after I left, but they said they turned out great and were all gone! 

The recipe works well because you make up the rolls then leave them to rise in the refrigerator overnight so when one of the workers comes in at 5:30 he just can bake them after he makes the bagels.

The bagel recipe is next. I have a good one we have tried out but I have to see if we can make them to leave overnight and see how they will turn out in the morning. 

I have been getting different customer feedback which has been very helpful. We have lots of ideas and are first trying to work on making our own bread. Right now they just buy from the grocery store next door. So this week I was making french baguettes and focaccia bread. Need to try it again next week too. 

Its been good to observe the staff and see how we can be more efficient, and see what they think will work and what won’t. 

I have been out to Chikumbuso one day each week and have enjoyed that. The first week I just met everyone and hung out with the ladies and then some of the kids at the school. Then last week they started making soy milk. Soybeans were donated to the project and so the cost is very minimal for them to make the milk which they then sell locally. We hope to get tofu started again and then I will be looking into marketing and packaging that for selling within Lusaka. 

So far its been working out at home, I take the kids to school in the morning and then pick them up in the afternoon. Things are really packed and we are feeling worn out, but we are surviving. James and I try to get up at 5, get a few things done then by 6 I go for a run, then am back in time when James, Sarah and Ian leave at 6:30 for school. Then I wake the other 4 kids up at 6:30 and we leave for school at 7:30. I then head to work until about 4. Then I get the kids from school we get home around 4:30 4:45. Try to  rest a few minutes, get their snack, homework done, then James and the two older kids don’t get home until 5:30 or 6 depending on the day. 

Sarah and Ian have activities they are involved in after school (Swimming and chess for Ian and Sarah has basketball and music) then twice a week James is tutoring. The school is on the other side of town and traffic can be pretty bad so most days they are gone about 11 hours. 

Once a week I have gone in early, 5:30 to the cafe and help with the morning preps for opening the cafe, then I come home at 7 to get the kids for school.  I try to be done earlier on Friday between 2 and 3, since the kids only have half a day of school. 

The past 2 weeks some of the kids have stayed home sick so I have been able to go in to work later and come home to check on them. 

Last weekend was crazy, I had a big order for cakes,desserts etc with the baking business so I put in ( with the help of Sarah and Olivia) about 10 hours friday evening and early sat morning. So I still am doing that on the side for now. If things go well with the cafe and a partnership as we have discussed then I would look at rolling my business into that. I still have weekly cake orders, energy bars at 5 different schools/gyms and ice cream now at a local restaurant. It is helpful because we need everything we can get right now, but long term it is not feasible. I am looking at maybe hiring someone part-time for now to help with the baking at home, for the business and just in general. We have been saving money by making a lot of things from scratch, but I don’t have time for that anymore so we will have to see how that all works out. 

The older kids are enjoying being at school at Lusaka International Community School. The discount for James teaching there only applies to 2 kids so Sarah and Ian are the ones there right now. We hope something can be worked out for Emma since she finishes this month at her school. Taking the comprehensive year 7 exams. They are doing fine, though I think they are still the only “white kids” in their classes. Rather than being all Zambians there is quite a mix of other nationalities as well. 

They are involved in the youth group at the new church we are attending and that has been a blessing and encouragement to them. It has been refreshing for us all. Its a varied group of people. Americans, (Canadians and Latin Americans included) Zimbabweans, South Africans, Zambians, Europeans, Oceanians (that covers those from australia and new zealand, right? ) Very diversified group. Some missionaries, some expats, nationals...but, they all have a heart for Christ. To love and serve in His name, living out the grace and love of Christ to others. That’s what we need. So we are settling in there. They don’t have a pastor right now, so different men have been preaching. James offered to help and they wanted him to start a series on 1 Peter that he and another guy will be going through. So that has been nice to have him preaching again. 

So the days fly by, we pretty much finish dinner, get the 7 lunches packed for the next day get all the kids settled for the night from 8 to 9 then fall in to bed and start it all over again at 5. 

Sunday is truly our only day of rest as Saturdays are busy with other work and activities. 

Today though our afternoon is free, first time in a month and after some not so great dinners throughout the week we are grilling out James’s awesome hamburgers, Emma’s french fries, Jackson’s fried apples, Corn on the Cob and ice cream blizzards made with Reese’s peanut butter cups that I found this week and homemade vanilla ice cream.  I think we might even swim. Looking forward to the rest. 

The rest of the month and weekends are busy. Friends coming for lunch tomorrow, a group of guys we have had over occasionally over the last couple years but this year we have tried every few months to get together with them. It’s always enjoyable. 

Then next weekend Emma has her school graduation, Grace’s Birthday party then the church in Kabanana is coming to use our pool for a baptismal service. 

Then Emma is having the girls from her class over for a party after they write their final exams. Then the older kids are going away for a youth retreat another weekend. 

But the next 6 hours..their ours. Our family. Some peace and quiet. Well never mind, thats a stretch, more accurately some chaos and noise, but its our chaos and noise. And we don’t have to go anywhere.