More visitors and visits

It's not only friends that visit me here at my house! I have a small house frog that enjoys my shower, a sparrow came to say hallo in my second bedroom! Lizards regularly pop their heads in at the windows and I wouldn't feel at home here without the odd spider!

I visited the hospital briefly yesterday and chatted for a while with Sr Juunza, the Hospital Administrator. She told me that funding has been greatly increased and the number of doctors and nurses are dramatically higher than in former years. Hopefully this will greatly improve the outcomes at the hospital. I was surprised how many people at the hospital knew me.

I had a grand tour of the new Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, built since my last visit. It is an impressive building, very bright and peaceful inside. After my visit I met with the new Bishop – Bishop Raphael who greeted me with a big hug. We have known each other for some years, when he was a priest at our Lady of the Wayside.

A lot has happened over the past few days with visits to many friends including Obert's family where I caught up with Nancy. I also called in on Charles and Brian visited me at home.

I will be leaving for the UK very soon. The time has run away very fast.

Chris

When it's Hard to Spot a Bishop

Saturday 17^th June

It is not always easy to recognise a bishop! This is especially so when he is divested of his episcopal finery. I suspect that I have been in the presence of the bishop during my stay here at the Curia without being aware. David told me that the Red Bishop was resident in the garden here at the Curia yet I haven't noticed him around! He is a handsome fellow in his rich regalia and should stand out from the crowd. However, on further investigation, I find that, like most bishops, he only wears his robes during special occasions. At this time of year he blends in with the crowd and is hard to distinguish from other weavers or even females – yes they do have female Red Bishops here in Zambia!!

It is easy to become blaze about the bird life here. A lovely rounded tree just beyond the garden is a perch used alternately for Black Headed Herons and Brown Breasted Snake Eagles. The snake eagles sometimes fly in formation two or three at a time. They hang in the sky like a kite without a string, on their long wide wings surveying the ground below. Other birds show aerobatic skills twisting and turning – the Fork Tailed Drongo is a master. I even saw a Pied Crow use the power lines as asymmetric bars – hanging on by its toes rotating upside down!!

I have become so used to the sights here, that I find little surprising. A lady balancing a single wellington boot on her head was a little unusual – baskets of food, cases and even pumpkins on the head are routine! I couldn't resist asking if I could picture two children sitting comfortably in a wheelbarrow – something we might even see in the UK, less common in our Country is to see adults resting in the same way. Ox-carts are a common sight in the centre of town, but there are also large lorries that find their ways onto the smallest dirt tracks and park outside mud huts!!

On Thursday I went to the Immigration Office to extend my visitor's permit. Fortunately there is now an office in Monze and the operation is very straightforward. In the past, a trip to Mazabuka was required. This took a good half day by the time transport was found. For some reason you only get a 30 day Visitor's Permit – it can be renewed twice without any difficulty or extra cost, but you can only get 30 days at one time! On one occasion I had to travel to Mazabuka just to extend my permit by one day!

Ireen had almost finished my shirts by Thursday evening. A couple of weeks back I brought two pieces of material for Ireen to choose the best to make a shirt (I also had another chitenge in the bag which was to be for display back home). She said all three would be good!! So this year I will be very well adorned! Rather than wait for buttons to be attached I agreed to meet Saturday – later today – when they should be complete.

I continue to meet friends from the past – most of whom I don't recognise. A guy reminded me that some years back I gave him a manual on ACCESS – Microsoft's database design software. Somewhere in the distance it rings a bell! He is keen to meet up and catch up again. Sarah greeted me warmly when on one of my trips through town. I always confuse Sarah with another woman from the hospital, but on this occasion I was completely confused!! Sarah told me that she is still in the laundry, where they have a lot of new equipment. It seems that provision of equipment is improving, yet there are routine drugs where shortages occur and staff who retire may never receive their gratuities.

Mr Phiri who owns the hairdresser's Sweet Sixteen bumped into me as I passed by. He has plans to open a lodge and other businesses, but says he is having a bit of a rest at present. He cut my hair in 2004 and I seem to remember he took rather a shine to Emily – the physio!

I have seen Deana and Charles a couple of times now – always rushing!! I will ring Deana later and arrange a proper meeting.

I seem to have lost a week!! I thought I had a month remaining, but it only appears to be three weeks!! As usual there is a lot to sort out. I spend quite a lot of time with Mrs. Sianga discussing the progress of the school and the huge challenges they face. I find I need a lot of time to think through the issues and try to plan with them a way forward. The school has developed over the years, but PIZZ is so much more than just a school. We have a rich community of families where the students range from grade one to University, and family members involved must count in the thousands. Maintaining the delicate balance which makes the project so successful is extremely difficult – my job is to work closely with the people here to avoid its collapse.

I have taken a break from working on the computers and decided to see if I can jump to a proper solution. For years I battled at Monze Mission Hospital to establish a process to maintain antivirus software and have regular back-ups. Eventually I admitted defeat!! I have the same challenge at the school. Access to the Internet has improved, but the same issues remain. I am willing to give it a shot, but doubt if the odds are in favour of success – we shall see.

Another book I have with me from which I am gaining inspiration is called “Ostriches, Dung Beetles and other Spiritual Masters”. It is written by an American nun Janice McLaughlin who spent 35 years living and working in Africa. Ben enjoyed this book while he was here. She reminds me of the importance of giving time for rest. We are now programmed to be busy all the time. Even in Zambia I find it difficult to stop! To stop reading and listen to the birds for ten minutes is uncomfortable. Yet we need to try to adopt a more natural rythym – Sister Janice looks at the animals and sees that they have plenty of time to rest and to play.

We shouldn't feel guity about stopping, resting and taking in our surroundings. We are much more likely to be productive if we follow the natural rythms of life – we might also learn to listen more and talk a little less!!

With love and prayers,

Chris

Arrival of the New Bishop

Wednesday 30^th April

There was great excitement in Monze today with the arrival of the new bishop elect.

Yesterday I had arranged a couple of appointments. Precious and Charles were coming to see me to tell me a bit more about their groups. Charles works for the Danish Institute of Human Rights as the National adviser for Zambia. Precious is in charge of a small organisation that focuses on women's rights and together they are fighting to change some of the attitudes that have been present here in Zambia. If necessary they fight the cases in court.

In the afternoon I visited Buntolo where they provide support to orphaned children and try to support the guardians by selling goods they have made – bags, aprons, necklaces and baskets. I will add a photo or two – I usually bring a few goods home with me and am always interested if anyone is keen to buy them! They have a lot of problems finding a market.

On the way home from Buntolo I popped into the hospital and re-introduced myself to the doctor who has taken on the position as Director. He seems keen for me to revive the stores stock control system! I would need to be convinced that it would be properly maintained before I invested much more time on the project. However, I agreed to discuss it with Teddy and am happy to demonstrate the system – it just happens that I have a copy of the system with me!!

There is always plenty to do on the computer – checking through records and writing reports – but I am also going through a few books! I think it is a blessing that the telivision picture is so poor!

My landlady came around this morning while I was busy on the computer. She recognised me as having been around over the years, but hadn't put two and two together to realise who her tenant was. We chatted for a while and she said that she would bring a few extra chairs, more crockery and cutlery. She added that I should to let her know if there was anything I needed. As the day progressed the cleaner arrived with a succession of goodies.

I popped out to get some bread and managed also to pick up a large box of Boko cornflakes and more teabags – the two most essential items on my shopping list. Unfortunately I also need vast quantities of milk to go with them and all these items cost rather more than in the UK.Still the fruit and vegetables compensate. Last night I put together a guacomole dip using a lovely fresh and large avocardo bought a few yards from my house for equivalent of 25p.

At 15 hrs the new bishop (elect) was due in Monze. He was met at the stadium – at the far end of the high street – by a crowd, who escorted his car with dancing and drumming. Mounted police (the first I have seen in Monze) made sure the crowds around the cathedral kept in the right place. Eventually the procession reached the church and Fr. Moses entered with a large number of the local priests. He has spent the past few years in Rome, but he was brought up in Kafue – between Monze and Lusaka.

I thought that it was unlikely that a new bishop would receive a huge welcome as he came to a town in the UK. Fr. Moses will be consecrated as Bishop of Monze at a celebration on Saturday.

The church was full and I stayed just outside to listen to the addresses and prayers. For Zambia the ceremony was very short and before 16 hrs it was over and people were moving off after exchanging greetings. There were quite a number of people I knew including some from Our Lady of the Wayside and many of the local priests.

Chris