One thing that I love about living in Zambia is that life is a little less frantic. I do not have night meetings all that often, I usually have time to pick the kids up from school, and we always, always have family dinner together, all four of us sharing our highs and lows. I work a healthy number of hours, and it leaves me plenty of time to watch the boys play soccer with their friends, to read stories while snuggling on the couch, to dance with my children in our living room, to sit back and enjoy some tea and biscuits with Joel. It is a very good life, and we are so happy and blessed to be here.
And so, when the boys mentioned their strong desire to sign up for after school activities, I was hesitant at first. Do we really need extra activities? There are so many fun things to do on our campus: climbing mango trees, swinging at the park, picking mulberries, playing soccer, practicing Chichewa with friends... But Frankie and Johnny were insistant, and so we agreed.
Johnny is doing art classes and gymnastics, and Frankie is in chess and karate. They are very happy, and it is actually really a blessing. Both kids are doing a great job of making friends both at their school, and here on campus, and it is good for them to develop relationships with children in both locations.
The two groups of kids couldn't be more different. Parents who send their children to LICS pay about $10,000 per year in tuition. The parents who live at Justo Mwale often have a hard time coming up with basic school fees for their kids to attend public school. The kids at LICS have birthday parties with inflatable bounce houses, clowns, tons of sweets, and piles of presents, while kids at Justo Mwale don't get presents because their families simply can't afford to give gifts.
It is an interesting reality, living where the differences are so stark and so unescapable. When we lived in the United States, we could feel "just like everyone else" with nice birthday parties and pricey vacations. But here, we know how other children live. So, do we spend extra money on Karate classes and chess club? Do we buy extra art supplies and a gymnastics uniform?
All of these questions are complicated for us, but I think they are for everyone who seeks to follow Jesus. Where do we put our money? Where do we find balance? How do we resist guilt, while embracing responsibility?
This morning, a man showed up at our door with 50,000 kwatcha ($10). A month ago, we had loaned him the money, not expecting to see it again. But Mr. Banda appeared with the bills in his hand and a smile on his face, and returned the loan in full. Yesterday, Mr. Phiri borrowed 200,000 kwatcha ($40), in order to take his driver's exam, in hopes that he might be able to become a driver. Next month, Mr. Phiri will do some gardening for us, and help us grow our vegetables. By the end of the month, he will have repaid the loan, we will have a good garden, and he will hopefully have a drivers' license. It is so fun to do these things with money, to see the way that loans can be repaid, relationships developed, and hope affirmed.
We live in a gray area, where we spend too much on karate, and spend too little investing in the lives of our neighbors. But every time we do, I see the returns, and I just thank God that for every small amount we give, God can make it into something big and beautiful. I certainly can't wait to see my garden grow!
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