My new office

As I write this, I am sitting in my new office; it is in a chicken coop, and I couldn't think of a better place to be. Our partners, the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian, Synod of Zambia, have their temporary offices in a line of chicken coops, and one of them has been remodeled to accomodate my department. The General Secretary, Deputy General Secretary, Accountant, and Administrative Assistant, all share another remodeled chicken coop, at the opposite end of mine. And in between us are chickens. Lots of chickens. Right on the other side of my door, there is clucking and squawking and strutting.

In front of my door is the community bore hole. Streams of people flow by to pour water into buckets and carry them home, often balancing one jug on their head, holding another in their hands. On my first day of work, a man stopped by and asked to buy a chicken from me. On the second day, someone approached my office to purchase manure. And every day, I greet men, women, and children, as they wait for their turn to fill a jug of water.

After seven months of working from home, it is delightful to be here. Baby kittens play near the bathroom, crops grow outside my window, and there is the noise of life all around me. But the best part is the people, of course. The laughter as women wait for water, the fearless girl who climbs on my lap, the men who play games with giggling children, the administrative assistant who comes into my office just to sit and chat. My colleagues, who speak of abuse and disease and HIV/AIDS and hunger, and then get to the work of changing the world. Wow. I keep thinking, I can't believe I am here.

This is a place where people come together; they come for water, they come for a chicken, they come for manure, they come for assistance, they come to serve. The other day, I watched as the General Secretary of our denomination got on his knees to clean the hands of his two year old granddaughter. Serving, loving, coming together. This is a place where love is.

I have come here from so far away, to do what I can to support the work of this wonderful denomination, as it seeks to follow in the ways of Jesus, loving all people, feeding the hungry, caring for the poor, witnessing to God's love. And I get to be here, where people gather together. I am so deeply grateful.

When God's people gather together, when we drink and eat and serve and farm and work together, beautiful things happen...and I can't think of many places more beautiful than my new office!