Mudslide!!!

I have mentioned the termite mound in the backyard before. The other day it became a fun mudslide. The excitement started with the B kids pouring buckets of water from the top and watching it run down the side. Then Uncle Todd put the hose up there and the real fun began. We are nearing the end of the dry season here, so there has been no rain since we arrived. Everything is very dry - or at least it was until this day. I'm sure there will be more muddy adventures once the rainy season is upon us.

The boys went down the slide many times while Becky stayed at the top and watched. The picture to the far right shows that she was not shy about playing and painting in the mud, however!

Math Is Fun

The homeschooled missionary children in the area got together for a math challenge recently. They played games while practicing their math facts and having lots of fun. Altogether there were about twenty-two children participating.

The younger kids were under the charge of Auntie Bri and played a few games for number recognition and then they just played games. Everyone had a great time. Much thanks to Janelle P for organizing and hosting the event.

Container Arrival

We are praising the Lord that our container with our belongings arrived safely in Kitwe, Zambia on Saturday, September 22. This was only eight days after the original estimated time of arrival, so we were pleased. After many calls (starting the week before the container arrived), John was able to locate a crane that was in working condition and not already assigned to a job in the mines. (The crane was seen broken down by the side of the road after leaving our place - so we are thankful that it was able to complete our task.)

Both the truck and the crane made it up the drive to the gate. The drive is lined with frangipani (or plumeria) trees. Surprisingly few branches were knocked off. Kathy B hopes to plant some of these cuttings at their new place.

It was an exciting moment when the truck pulled away from under the container!

Isaiah H. was impressed with how strong the men were as they "moved" the container!

We had many spectators for the big event - both American and Zambian. The football (soccer) game at the playing field outside the wall was only temperarily interrupted. The unloading and positioning of the container took over two hours, but the job was finished safely.

Rhino Beetle

This small rhino beetle was captured near the house and has been enjoyed by the children. It is totally harmless, though it looks mean. They can grow quite large (up to 7 cm according to one source). The males use the "rhino horn" to fight with other males, knocking them off a log or onto their back.

Bemba Lessons

We are taking Bemba lessons under the instruction of Kristie W. She is a single missionary and grew up in Africa. She has taken an intensive course in Bemba and uses the language in her clinic and deaf ministries. We are getting a slow start trying to get our brains into the swing of studying. We desire to have a good working knowledge of the language so that we can communicate the truths of the Bible with the Zambians whom we have contact with. Some of them have a basic knowledge of English, but it is always best to use a person's "heart language" to share with them matters of the heart. Please pray with us as we embark on this important and long-term part of our learning process.

Creatures Great and Small

One of Caleb's favorite pasttimes is hunting for lizards. He has made "traps" for them, but his best success comes from simply catching them with his hands. There is plenty of "game" here for him and the other boys too. Caleb's first lizard was caught in the living room. It lost its tail after a little handling. Then Sophie was able to explain how God created lizards with the defense mechanism of dropping their tail to escape (most) captures and how they then grow a new tail.

This is the smallest lizard caught by one of the Beaman kids. We also have some lizard eggs found in the Washer girls' apartment. They are probably duds, because they have been around for a while now.

This is the largest lizard (actually a chamelion) caught in the yard. It was very intriguing and surprisingly calm. We watched its color change some when it was passed around by all the children and most of the adults.

There are a variety of insects too. We are told all the critters get more numerous during the rainy season which starts the end of November. This grasshopper was found in the rose garden.

It had recently shed its skin (which was also found in the rose garden), which may explain why it did not try to hop or fly away. Caleb is holding the skin in his right hand while the grasshopper is on his right shoulder.

Never fear, we have a band of fierce warriors to protect us from harm from any of these creatures.