What a week!

Where to start? This week has been one of going, going, and more going.

I'll start at the very beginning...a very good place to start!

On Sunday, we had the awesome opportunity to drive up to Jembo Wesleyan Bible College (about 1hr and 15 away or so on some very bumpy roads) to visit with Mike and Cindy Helvie who were the resident missionaries at IWU for a little while. Mike is now the Academic Dean of the Bible college and they each do a ton of teaching and community building among the students up in Jembo. They are so hospitable! We were welcomed like old friends and greeted with fresh squeezed lemonade from the lemons in their backyard, fed pasta, bread, and chocolate cake for lunch, and given big mugs of Starbucks coffee an hour later. Talk about a taste of home! They are just awesome. It was great to see them in their element here in Zambia after praying for their ministry throughout the summer.

At 2pm ( the heat of the day) we went to the church at Jembo Secondary School and joined in a youth rally for their revival week at the school. Our group and a couple hundred students managed to squeeze into the church and had an awesome time sharing songs with each other and praying together. When we were introduced, they laughed so hard at our names that they could not pronounce. Their laughter was so contagious. After the service, we visited some of the girls dorms. They were so welcoming and did not want us to leave...I loved spending a little time with them. It is so humbling to see their dorms where four girls sleep in each bunk. It made me so thankful that I have an entire bunk to myself here at the guesthouse.

Soon after we left Jembo, we noticed a ton of smoke from a bush fire. We asked our driver if it was ok and he just laughed! That made me a little nervous as we drove down the the bumpy dirt road straight toward the smoke. The sunset through the smoke was gorgeous. All of a sudden, we were on top of the fire! We closed the windows and drove right through as the flames were jumping across the road around us. We felt the heat of the fire for sure. Some of the girls took video, but I was too busy keeping my eyes straight ahead praying and looking for an opening. :-) Obviously, we made it out safe and sound.