Happy first day of summer, Western hemisphere. As for us?

I think not. Cold season has officially landed in Zambia and those of us in sub-Saharan Africa are starting to pull out the extra blankets, warm socks and drinking tea even more than usual. I personally enjoy the cold season although the one downfall is that it is only cold inside or in the shade. The sun during mid-day hours still manages to be blindingly hot, which makes preparing one's outfit extremely time consuming. This is especially a challenge for those of us that struggle creating an appropriate outfit anyway. This is what I came up with:

Tank top, sweater, Zanzibar scarf, jeans........ and flip flops.

The flip flops are not out of stubbornness or the Florida/Cali train of thought that you can wear any time of year, nor are they out of fashion (clearly... I mean look at them). It is because I simply do not own any closed toed shoes that are not tennis shoes. I'm embarrassed.

Anyway, cold season means tea, blankets, hoodies and sweats which just so happen to be my favorite clothing items. The beach is a valid option, even for laying out in the sun as long as you are there from 12:00-14:00 (military time.. yes!) when the sun is hottest and when there is no wind.

I don't even want to think about a Michigan winter.

One of the programs I work with at SCCP is the After School Program, an English immersion program for grades 1-6. We do crafts, reading, a Bible memory verse, games and phonics. Most of the kids here know how to read by memorization only, so if we go over phonics they are learning the more sustainable skill of READING instead of just having "memory words".

We have a team of teacher's coming from Willow Creek Church in June/July and the are bringing some more arts and craft supplies. These last few weeks we have been organizing all of the arts and crafts supplies and I found over 300 toothbrushes and travel size toothpaste tubes. I decided that this week would be a great time to have a lesson on growing strong, dental hygiene and BRUSHING OUR TEETH! Enjoy!

One of the programs I work with at SCCP is the After School Program, an English immersion program for grades 1-6. We do crafts, reading, a Bible memory verse, games and phonics. Most of the kids here know how to read by memorization only, so if we go over phonics they are learning the more sustainable skill of READING instead of just having "memory words".

We have a team of teacher's coming from Willow Creek Church in June/July and the are bringing some more arts and craft supplies. These last few weeks we have been organizing all of the arts and crafts supplies and I found over 300 toothbrushes and travel size toothpaste tubes. I decided that this week would be a great time to have a lesson on growing strong, dental hygiene and BRUSHING OUR TEETH! Enjoy!

Long story short: I bought a phone on ebay, it said it was unlocked, and indeed it was not. I was a little panicked because you only get 10 attempts to try the code. The guy from the organization that I bought the phone from had me try to type in a few things, and they all were wrong. Friends here were helpful but I still didn't have any unlocking code and was skeptical of all ways to get them online. Then I found....

http://www.gsmphonesource.com/

Ta da! It was amazing. Every review of their services was A+, and I would give them nothing else. I e-mailed first explaining the situation and the man I was emailing with was very helpful. I paid $7.99 via pay-pal, he received a confirmation email and I had my unlock code that WORKED in about 3 minutes.

Not a scam. Not a paid advertisement. Just great, helpful service.

The Education Department at SCCP works with 22 local area churches and sponsors 700+ kids for school books, fees and uniforms. We have 2-5 volunteers from each church who are advocates - mentors of sorts for these children. They are responsible for visiting the children, checking on the child-guardian relationships, and delivering information and feedback from the families back to SCCP. Patricia, Mr. Kabamba and I each go on home visits with the advocates on day a week. Today was my day, and it was great. We went to one house and found no child. We went to another house that was supposed to have 2 SCCP supported children and had the same luck. We went to a third house and found 2 students. The advocate and I asked questions about school, church, home, family, friends, etc. I encouraged the advocate and student to have an open relationship, and got feedback from the students about SCCPs programs.

Friday I went to the beach with the youth Life Skills group from the training center here in Samfya. We wanted to have a final closing for our Term 1 sessions, and a way to relax and review the term and how we can improve. One of the over-arching themes for the first 3 months was self-esteem and self-confidence. Especially with the girls, we discussed that these issues from our club (peer pressure, alcohol, drinking, premarital sex, relationship dynamics) can all be positively influenced by someone with good self-esteem. So we all wrote in the sand... we wrote something we didn't like about ourselves or something we wanted to change. We watched the water wash away our insecurities and talked about how we can try to change them, but in the end we need to focus on our positive qualities and our strengths if we are to improve our self-esteem.

Then we passed around cards with the person's name on them and we wrote something we liked or admired about them. It was a classic "self-esteem booster" game, but they enjoyed it. We had a volleyball game and threw around a frisbee. After having a coke and a tootsie roll pop (thanks America!), we went home and I got to have a cup of tea outside watching a huge storm roll in.

It was a good day.

God has pushed me into a season of contentment in Him. Many lessons have been learned, many mis-steps have been taken but through it all, I am learned more passionately than ever how important it is to be constantly searching for Jesus’ heart.

“Godliness with contentment is great gain.” – 1 Timothy 6:6

I have been searching for something new, something exciting in my day-to-day life at SCCP. I found it the other day. I went on a home visit with one of our advocate volunteers named Hilda. Quiet, yet strong and confident, Hilda was greeted by almost everyone we passed, showing that she was known and loved in the community. We had short but meaningful chats in Bemba as we biked around to see 3 different students that she was mentoring. They all knew her, and felt comfortable and at home with Hilda. The last family we visited was an older couple, overjoyed to see us visiting their home and welcoming us with open arms. As we were leaving to head back to the office, we stopped to pick fresh guavas from the tree. Hilda and I, biking together snacking on guavas down a sandy path beautifully decorated with trees and flowers – it was there that I found my contentment.

The women at SCCP, including the volunteers in the area, have started a Bible study on Thursday mornings. These women have filled me with so much encouragement and joy and are becoming an amazing support system for me in Samfya - an answered prayer indeed. I have been so challenged lately to pull the plank out of my own eye. (Matthew 7:5) Once you realize the size and magnitude of your sin and shortcoming, it no longer has ownership over your life. Once you acknowledge where you so desperately need Jesus, you find He is more than sufficient to meet your needs.

And you become content again. : )

Things have changed quite a bit since my last blog, over 6 months ago. I've moved out of the village and into Samfya and begun work at SCCP (Samfya Community of Care Providers). I love the new place, working with new faces that have quickly become friends and facing the different challenges of working in a town. I worked for a month and a half in October and November before returning to the states for a visit. It was great to see everyone and thank you thank you THANK YOU for all of my friends who put me up, entertained me and opened up their lives and homes to me. There were so many highlights of the trip, and I am looking forward to upcoming visitors to Zambia in the next few months.

So what do I do now? SCCP is an organization that has a micro-loan program, HBC (home based care), church mobilization, and education. I work under education, and we sponsor almost 800 students in grade 3-12, as well as a handful of students in university, trade school or another post-secondary option. Some of the jobs I was recruited to do were capacity building of our "advocates" - mentors from the churches we work with, and research and implement ways to improve test scores among students under our sponsorship. We also run an After School Program for grades 3-6 which is an English immersion program, giving them the option for arts and crafts, reading, and games. In 2010, myself, two other volunteers and the missionary we work with spent a lot of time running the program but this year we are training some church volunteers to run the program and having our existence as more of a support staff instead of primary coordinators and facilitators.

The high school group has been my most favorite to work with in Zambia, and so I've started reaching out to our students who are under sponsorship in grades 10-12 at the high schools. We work together to talk about communication skills, long term and short term planning, careers, and many other subjects that don't get discussed often in the schools. I really enjoy it and they are a great group to work with. We had a Career Day in October and it went very well, giving the students opportunities to think about the future and their options after they finish grade 12.

We are a small organization in rural Zambia that is funded through a missionary organization called Bright Hope (www.brighthope.org). I am currently looking for donations in the field of sports equipment for our church mobilization team, particularly for soccer (football) equipment. If you are interested in helping, send me an e-mail (rjcommissaris@gmail.com). We can have things sent to Bright Hope's office in Chicago, and then they can come in the suitcase with a missionary team heading our way.

My address is the same, I still have access to our mailbox in Mansa (P.O. Box 710150, Mansa, Luapula, Zambia), and goodies including (but not limited to) letters, packages and photos are still welcome!!

I have one month, less than 4 weeks remaining in Matete village, the place that so quickly and suddenly has become home. I'm not sure how I feel about it but I know the Lord is still teaching me things, lessons that I can't learn anywhere else and I am soaking up His grace.

I'm staying for a 3rd year. I wanted to wait until it was official but now it is. I will be working at SCCP (Samfya Community of Care Providers) on their child advocate and mentoring program, as well as their after school program and other projects that come up during the year I will be working there. This also means I am taking home leave - coming home to America - from November 20 something until January 2. I am so so so excited about this and hope to see as many of you as possible. I apologize in advance for my social awkwardness towards Americans, my poor English skills and my general obsession with Zambia, all 3 of which will probably be ever present in my life during this time. Not scared yet? Then let's hang out. Especially if you're one of my dear Sisters in Christ who has had a BABY since I left that I have yet to meet. Smile.

I love Him and I love you,

Becca

Thank you so much to everyone who donated to the preschool project! We raised all of the money in what I would consider record time. Peace Corps is transferring the money to my account (16 million Kwacha!!) and building will begin very very soon. I will post pictures and updates as they come.

If you are still interested in contributing to this project, we can definitely use some school supplies, especially posters, books, and anything else that maybe is being discarded from classrooms at the end of the school year. Mailing packages is a bit expensive but they do have small, medium and large flat rate boxes for $12, $25 and $50.

Becca Commissaris

Peace Corps Volunteer

P.O.Box 710150

Mansa, Luapula

Zambia, Africa

Again.. thank you thank you thank you!! You are amazing and the community (especially the kids!) are so excited to begin this project.

Thank you!

Becca

Hey everyone!

I hope you had a blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year. I rang in 2010 with my parents who visited from America and had all sorts of "African Adventures" in the village, Lusaka, Livingstone and the 1500km in between. It was so wonderful to be able to spend time with them and finally introduce my Zambian life to my parents, and my parents to what I now call home. We had an amazing Christmas, complete with nshima in the village, at least 15 traditional Zambian dishes and vegebales and goat, fish and beans -- my favorite food here. The grade 8 students prepared and performed dancing, drama and singing. It was my favorite Christmas yet, and I'm sure I will never forget it. (Also, my dad made a video and if you know Randy, you know there are always extra copies!)

After being here almost 18 months, I have decided to partake in what Peace Corps calls "Peace Corps Partnerships Programs", a PCPP. It's a program where I can raise money from friends and family in America and add that with a community contribution from the hardworking villagers in my area. We sat down with active community members and decided that a pre-school would be the best project for our community. Currently, the school is meeting outside and they have a space much too small for the amount of children that want to attend. So if you feel called, or are willing to donate, please don't underestimate the power of just $20 to these children here! I know in our world today it's difficult to find places where all of the money is going or whether the cause is legitimate, so hopefully you can rest assured knowing that it's my neighbors, and my friends that you are helping. I will be happy to put pictures and a updates as soon as we begin building, you can also check out my blog too!

Additionally, some of you have already heard of this project and I just wanted to send a big THANK YOU for the contributions already given to my Peace Corps pre-school project -- we are almost halfway there! Have a blessed 2010, and feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Thanks, Becca

https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=611-050&

*You can also just google "Commissaris 611-050" and it is the only search result that comes up!

Bupe.

Violet Katebe aka TROUBLE.

Robert Musomfi.

The road in Luapula. There's only one.

Kids getting water.

My house from behind, before I painted my windows blue. :)

Mwape, Impala, Muzo and Chomba

It's a wonderful world.

Some of my neighbor kids. I LOVE their eyes.

It's December 18, I haven't updated this blog in forever and it's almost Christmas but doesn't quite feel like it just yet. Things here are progressing, as some frustrations with work in the village and projects falling through bring me down, the children and Zambian people continue to amaze me with their kindness. Like yesterday, my friend and I got a ride from Mansa (Provincial capital) to Lusaka with a guy and he stopped to pick up a family member and they immediately invited us into their home and fed us boiled maize for breakfast. So kind. A bit awkward, yes, but still the gesture of hospitality doesn't even exist here - it's just their nature.

Every 6 months we have provincial meetings with all of the volunteers in Luapula and this time I cycle from my house (Nchelenge District) to Mansa. It's approximately 280km and we did it in 3 days. It was hard at times, but I've developed a slightly unusual and very deep devotion to my Trek bicycle and so for the most part, I enjoyed. I was even daydreaming a bit about the opportunity to cycle to work in the future.... Still haven't figured out how that would work in the snow, but I've got time to work out the details.

My parents are coming. TODAY! After a mechanical delay in DTW, missing their flight from DC to South Africa, they are finally arriving on this continent tonight, and then Lusaka tomorrow morning. It will be joyous and I have waited for this day for a long, long time. I even made a poster. Yes, I'm that girl (but you've always known that, haven't you?)

So I feel like my English vocabulary skills and sentence structure guidelines are gone and my thought processs have become much more erratic in the last 18 months so I apologize. Nshishibe inchi ndefwaya ukulanda mucisungu lelo nalishiba muciBemba.

Last but not least, your help has been so wonderful with these two projects that my dad has been working tirelessly to promote. The Shimpundu Women's Group has raised enough money for their sewing machine so we just need to work out the "who's accountable for what and where it's going to be stored" plan and then they will be purchasing one to start making school uniforms to subsidize their incomes. The preschool project is continuing to raise money every day and I hope that early in 2010 we will be able to start building. All of these things do not go un-appreciated so...

THANK YOU!!!!!!

My definition has changed so much in a year, what is normalcy? Almost every letter I've written lately has begun with the sentence "Things are good, life here is starting to feel normal", and I didn't realize how true that statement is. I've been in country over a year now and it's almost unfathomable for me to think about coming home. It seems so far away, and so awkward on top of that. I'm used to dreaming in Bemba, getting 10+ hours of sleep a night, cooking over an open fire and cutting tomatoes and onions multiple times a day. My idea of what is fun has changed from movies, hanging out, bowling and baseball games to working in the garden and going for completely unnecessary (4 hour) bike rides. Never in my life have I been so excited to eat chicken breast or have cold water. Joy is simple.

Life is simple if we choose to make it that way. Treat people the way you wish to be treated, be patient, and listen more than you speak. I think if you want to make a difference in the world in any way, shape or form, you need to be willing to make a sacrifice.

Yesterday was the dustiest day of my life.

After biking 4 hours and somewhere in the vicinity of 80 kilometers, I finally experienced my first Mutumboko Ceremony. Mutumboko is the celebration from when the Lunda people from the Congo came and conquered the Bembas of Zambia. Of course this happened in the 1700s so I'm not sure what Zambia was called at the time. But as a newly converted Bemba (my villagers always tell me I'm no longer American - and I'm starting to believe them...), I thought that this experience was important to my Zambian adventure. And yes, it was.

The event started Friday with the Mwata (a Paramount chief) drinking some ceremonial beers and brews. My friends Joe, Mindy and I worked with some amazing Zambian counterparts at a booth handing out information about HIV and encouraging them to go get tested at the event.

Mulefwaya ukupimisha umulopa?

Some NGO from Lusaka was going to do another VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing) at the local all girls high school called Mabel Shaw, and invited us to go with. The 3 of us piled into the back of yet another pick up truck, an occurrence that is becoming as normal as brushing my teeth, and sped off to the high school. Many girls got tested, they asked Mindy, Joe and I tons of questions and giggled a lot. I definitely think Mindy and I are going to try and arrange something similar at Nchelenge High School because I think having young, new faces teaching about HIV is much more effective.

Saturday was the big show, and I have to say I was impressed. The President of Zambia, Rupiah Banda, came, as well as the provincial governor (maybe...? he's a big man, not exactly sure of his title) Moses Katumbi came from the Congo. Both arrived in choppers, and I almost joined the herd of hundreds of Zambians running to see the chopper. Not the Prez or the "Big Man from across the river"... but the chopper. The Mwata threw the sacrificial food gifts into the river, did his ceremonial run from the palace to the showgrounds and then the party really started.

Hundreds of Zambians crowded around the stage to watch the dramas, the dancing and the speeches. People came from all over the country bringing gifts for the Mwata - I think I saw at least 6 fridges. The women dancers came in 3 groups, and the dancing was amazing. The traditional doctor did some type of ceremony. Unfortunately, we couldn't see all that well in the beginning until our Zambian friend John suggested we just ask the guys at the gate if we could get in to sit on the ground in a prime viewing spot. Who would have thunk they'd just say yes? I don't understand how Zambians move their hips the way they do but it is something to be seen, I'll tell you what. The final event and main point of the Mutumboko Ceremony is the Mwata doing the dance/re-enactment of when the Lundas conquered the Bembas.

Then it was over. As quickly as they came, everyone left, running back down to town creating the biggest dust cloud I've ever seen. It was an excellent weekend all in all and the clinic officer and counterparts we were working with asked if I would help again next year. And I think I will.

Pictures to come later. :)

And that's how we do it in Zambia... thirsty?

Just listening to some Zam Pop sitting on the side of the road waiting for transportation... that never came even after 6 1/2 hours of waiting! TIA (This is Africa)

My fabulous grade 8 students at Kafutuma Basic School, and my amazing sister.

The latest contribution I made to the Fort Street Newsletter: The Steeple.

With love, from Zambia

The rains have ended! Every day beings and ends with sunshine and blue skies. After being here for almost a year, things are starting to seem normal. The light starts to peer through the grass thatch of my roof as I awake to the sounds of children laughing and babbling in Bemba, sounds that have become so familiar that it no longer takes me a minute to figure where I am and how I got here. The kids LOVE the art supplies sent, thank you so much.

I never cease to be amazed at the kindness and generosity of the Zambian people in my village. This week my friends brought me a huge bag of sweet potatoes (ifyumbu) and another of groundnuts (imbalala) which constitute a significant part of their harvest and their financial income. Yet they brought them to me, as a gift, and a thank you for my work in their community. And as a thank you for them, I made some famous Commissaris banana bread. They loved it! I hope that one day I will have even a sliver of their servitude to others and our Lord.

So how many of you are wishing you were in my shoes getting to see these spirited children every morning, learning from these beautiful people every afternoon? For a first hand outsiders view, talk to my sister. Carrie is returning to you all after an amazing time in my beloved Zambia. She was in Livingstone for the month of May, working hard with home-based care trainings, clinic work and bungee jumping, and came to visit me in my village for 8 days in June. Our time spent washing clothes my hand, walking miles and miles, no one showing up for meetings and cooking over an open flame (or at least watching your sister do it ☺) We waited for 3 hours and 45 minutes one day for transportation, and also sat on a bus for 15 hours: makes rush hour traffic seem like a birthday party in my opinion. While we were in Matete Village, we were able to meet my chief. All in all it was a great cultural, social and sisterly experience. After dealing with the everyday struggles in the village ended our trip ended with a wonderful night at the Protea Hotel in Lusaka, with hot showers, Italian food, big beds with springs and many other amenities that PCVs don’t see on a monthly basis, or even during their whole service. I was thankful to say the least.

Some big things are coming up soon! In August, I have planned a Gender and HIV workshop for my grade 8 and 9 students. For three days, we will be coming together to talk openly and honestly about HIV and how it relates to their everyday decisions and their future lives. On the final day, we will be having a big VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing for HIV) and soccer tournament. I promise I will give you pictures as soon as possible, and I am hoping this will be one of the best events of my service. If it goes well, we may make it a bi-annual event. We have just submitted the proposal for the PCPP Kafutuma Preschool Project, so within a month or two you will be able to start donating. I’ve taken a few pictures of the children learning in their current facility and I will do a before and after newsletter to thank all of you for your prayers and donations for the project! You’re all in my prayers and thoughts daily. I keep hearing all of the exciting news about new babies and weddings and greatly appreciate being in the loop.

May the Lord bless you and keep you, and may He make His face to shine upon you. ☺

Here are the top 5 most helpful and positive things about Peace Corps Zambia I didn’t know before I signed up for this gig.

5. How funny everyone would be – Everyone I have encountered in Peace Corps thus far is pretty gosh darn hysterical. People have good days and bad days and those come out too, but the amount of laughter that I’ve experienced so far is nothing short of amazing. They’re just hysterical. Side note, check out the Harry Potter spoof Wizard People, Dear Reader when you get the chance.

4. Outstanding support – Peace Corps provides us with comprehensive medical care should any illnesses arise while we are in country, but they are also fantastic when you just need someone to talk to. Thankfully I have not been in need of medical care yet but I know it’s there. I just feel ridiculous for packing 4 boxes of bandaids and 3 tubes of athletes foot cream – In America it would take me years to go through a box and I’ve gotten athletes foot once in my life, in addition to the huge, well stocked, non-expired medical kit they provide us.

3. The kids will become you best friends – It’s a simple statement. They hang out at my house and most of the time they don’t ask for anything. They just want to be around and hang out with the “mzungu”. They help me learn Bemba because they speak in slow and simple words and phrases. They make me laugh when I’m homesick and they help me plant my garden and pump my water. They are more than friends; they are my joy.

2. Friends in the BOMA – BOMAs are the largest town in each district. All of the professional offices (Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health… you get the idea) are found in the BOMA. There you usually find your market, the bus station, hardware stores, and other amenities that are lacking in the village. In my particular BOMA, there are also a handful of restaurants owned by an amazing family that we are friends with. Diana owns the Havana restaurant and her son and his wife have become our best friends here. We cook them American food, watch movies and just wander around town together. They feel like family and when my PC neighbors are gone, they are the saving grace that keeps me sane. Plus they love American movies, and so do I.

1. Peace Corp neighbors – Single handedly the best thing thought up by the Peace Corps Lusaka staff, the other Peace Corps Volunteers that live in your district. I see these people (it used to be 2 – Leo who was about 12 km away from me left in March, now its just Mindy… how convenient that she’s my best friend). They are the only people that truly understand what you’re going through and they are wonderful to have. We meet for lunch in the BOMA (town), we cook dinner together and it’s nice to have people understand the ups and downs of our service. And those wicked nasty hills in Nchelenge District.

I think by now everyone has heard about my PCPP (Peace Corps Partnership Project) to build a preschool in my village here in Zambia. We are submitting the proposal to PC Lusaka within the next week or two, so look for an e-mail from my dad in the next month or so. The kids are adorable and currently learning in an old UCZ church building, without desks or blackboards. The community is extremely motivated and they are doing all of the labor for free. In America, that means laying carpet, installing doors and maybe painting. But here, it means building bricks by HAND, drying them in the sun, clearing the land with hand hoes and all of it in the hot Zambian heat. So just think about it, pray about it, and know that any donations would be making a world of difference in the lives of my neighbors and friends; my kids; my Joy.

Hello everyone! I decided to write another day in the life, this time typing it up first at our provincial house in Mansa (the Provincial capital of Luapula province) which is definitely a lot easier than handwriting it and having to transcribe it.

Things at my site are amazing – I am constantly amazed by the hospitality and kindness of the Zambians in my village, the ones I used to simply call my neighbors but now I call my friends. They bring me food, teach me how to wax my floors and weed my garden (I know what you're thinking but it's not as easy as it sounds…) and how to be patient and surrender. I get frustrated because I want to do things my way but God is teaching me that the Zambian women know how to live in Zambia so I should listen to them. The children in my village are amazing, I love the quiet moments sitting with them on my porch speaking broken Bemba and learning about their families and their dreams. I love asking the kids "What do you want to be once you finish grade 12?" and hearing their answers. Some of them have never even considered making it that far in school – especially the girls. I hope to leave with them the beautiful truth that they can and WILL make it that far if they make education a priority. They love coloring (hint hint coloring books & crayons in packages!) and we do math sometimes too. They have never been given the chance to artistically express themselves and while I'm no art major, I love spending time with them just drawing and relaxing.

My work is good – I'm about to head to Lusaka (the capital of Zambia) for IST (In-Service Training) which means I'm done with the awkward community entry period of my service… time to get to work! I've already started some different community groups and they are already planning trainings to further their education about water and sanitation issues, nutrition and sustainable effective farming practices. Fortunately, I am collecting information and forming curriculums for these workshops. About once a week I go to my clinic and check in, talk to the HIV/AIDS counselors and do malaria tests. I love getting the hands-on medical work and the real, honest interactions with the women and children.

My two favorite things about Zambia so far are breakfast and sunsets. My house is about 1km away from the lake and the clouds that form over the water are amazing, then the sun reflects off the clouds from the valley and every color imaginable pops out and I sit on my porch in awe of God's creation. Even my cat just sits and stares because it's phenomenal. I try to tell the children to look, enjoy and be amazed but they are used to seeing God's glory and his love for us in the sky every single day. Breakfast is another story. I sit on my front porch and cook Kassava and groundnuts and tea and hope and pray that one or two children will wander around the corner and ask me to share. Sometimes it gets overwhelming when I have 20+ kids at my house, but when it's just a handful I love it.So, until next time - :)

Hello everyone! Muli Shani Bonse!! So sorry I haven't been updating at all lately, the internet cafe I go to about once a month would not open the blog website, but now we have a second, faster, airconditioned (for the swealtering African Christmas) internet cafe so here's the update.

I love my African life. With the joys, struggles, frustrations and occasional tears, I love it. I have an easy time being happy here, walking with my neighbors to the market to get fresh tomatoes for dinner or going to the borehole with my neighbor kids to pump water. There are ups and downs, and there are days that I wish I could teleport home just for one minute to see everyone and then bring you back to what I now call home. But, I have never once wanted to go home; just BE there. Yet I know that God is doing a work in me that He couldn't if I was in America.

My work as a PCV in my village of Kafutuma has started to take shape. I have been having community meetings, school meetings and doing the occasional malaria tests at my clinic. I will be working a lot with some farming communities about 15km from my house. It seems that the villages most eager to work with me are the ones furthest from my actual home - thanks for the bike Peace Corps. :) I am putting in about 150-200km per week and I am definitely loving it.

I found a small cute little Pentacost Baptist church in the next village over and I go with my best friend in my village, Sarah. She is amazing, speaks English and really truly listens and tries to understand what I'm going through when the language breakdowns or homesickness settle in.

I got a kitten, and I thought it was a boy so I named it Frankie Sinatra because of the piercing blue eyes... only to find out she's a girl. So Frankie Mwape (that's her Bemba name) is doing well in her new home and would love cat toys or treats in the mail :)

Christmas was good, I went to the provincial house and we had delicious food and cookies and watched A Christmas Story & Love Actually. I got to talk to my family on the 24th and 25th so that was awesome. I think we are going to do a waterfall tour (since Luapula is famous for waterfalls!) for new years but classic Becca, I forgot my camera. Oh well, they'll be there next time. I go to Lusaka for training on January 13 and I will make a serious effort to put some pictures on the blog or facebook.

I miss you all, wish you the Merriest of Christmas and the Happiest New Year!

-Becca

Hello everyone!

I am writing from a swanky internet cafe in Mansa, the provincial capital of Luapula, the province of Zambia which will be my home for the next 2 years. It is beautiful... so incredibly beautiful. Training is winding down and last week we left for our second site visit, where we visit currently serving PCV (Peace Corps Volunteers) to get a slice of everyday life as a volunteer. I spent the week learning about the work I will be doing with Rural Health Clinics (RHCs), teachers, community based organizations and all types of other individuals working with HIV/AIDS as well. Then, FINALLY, on this past Sunday I saw my hut in my community; I met my rural health staff, my school teachers and my neighbors. I cannot express to you the joy, peace and excitement I felt to finally have a mental picture to put with the stories and dreams about what could be my home for the next 2 years. I am in a village called Kafutuma, in the Nchelenge district of Luapula Province of Zambia. It is on Lake Mwansa, in the north/northwest most part of Zambia, right next to the Congo. My best friend here, Mindy, is a mere 10 kilometers from me, which is a 40 minute bike ride even on a slow day. She is such a blessing and continues to be one of the awesome provisions God has sent before me on this incredible journey. I have a feeling we will spend a lot of time venting, crying, laughing and learning about life in Zambia together.

I know I promised to keep this blog interesting, and trust me - some really funny things have happened, but of course I forgot to bring my little sheet of paper that had them all written down. It's amazing how quickly I've gotten used to not having internet, TV, fast food, etc. Soon I will be getting a new address in Luapula -- one for letters that is about 10 km from my hut, and another for packages that is in Mansa (where I am writing from now) where the Peace Corps provincial house is. As soon as I find out those address I will post them.

Keep fightin the good fight and I miss you all!

I'll update again in a few weeks before I get officially moved into my site (posted in PC terms).

Love love LOVE!

-Becca

Hello all - exactly 2 weeks and 7 hours until I will be on a plane to ZAMBIA! Ahh, can't wait. I've already found out sweet news that I don't need hiking boots, a tent, sheets or a pillow which obviously cuts down the total amount of stuff I'm taking by 1,000 lbs. (Clearly my pillows are made of steel)

Anyway, I am just thinking about last minute things that would be good to have and I completely forgot to ask for CDs!! I am not going to be picky at all - anything would be amazing, I'm so serious. Mixed CDs are always fun, gospel, christian, acoustic-y, rap, country, alternative. Anything you could burn and send me would be amazing. I am going to try and get a bunch of CDs from the library to burn but I think I will very quickly get sick of them. The address is on the bottom of my e-mail, and on the side of this blog webpage and my facebook. It will change in September but I will keep you posted. The ones I am taking so far:

-All Hanson CDs

-Drew Raklovits and Brian Fraazas CDs

-Rascal Flatts "Still Feels Good"

-A lot of Kirk Franklin

-Casting Crowns "Lifesong"

-Clay Aiken "A Thousand Different Ways"

So my CD collection is less than impressive. Help help! Thank you. Now it's back to packing, shoving all my batteries and pens into waterbottles into shoes into my hiking pack.

Beloved family and friends,

As many of you know, I recently graduated from WMU with a Bachelor's degree in Social Work. Although I have fallen in love with my future career, God had put on my heart a very strong desire to return to Africa and for those of you that have been there, you know what I mean. In September 2007 I began the application process with the Peace Corp. I filled out an online application, wrote 3 essays, had a formal interview on WMUs campus, was nominated for a position in Africa working with HIV/AIDS, got my medical clearance, and then was officially invited to serve as a Peace Corp Volunteer in Zambia, as an HIV/AIDS Community Mobilizer!!

*YAYYY!! So excited!! My favorite class in the social work program was Community Development!!*Many of you are aware of what the Peace Corp does, but for those that do not, here is a brief description. In 1960, President John F. Kennedy challanged students at UofM to serve the cause of peace by living and working in developing countries. The three goals of the Peace Corp are:

1. Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.

2. Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.

3. Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

So developing country, here I come! Feel free to e-mail me any questions you may have about the Peace Corp, and although I know a lot, I may not know the answer but I will do my best to find out!

On July 22, I leave for staging, also known as pre-departure orientation. I have been dropped a hint that this event is going to take place in Washington D.C., but I can neither confirm nor deny these rumors. After a few days, we begin our travels to Africa. Unlike my study abroad trip which flew from Detroit to London, and London to South Africa, we will be flying straight from either D.C. or New York to Johannesburg, South Africa. What a great blessing that I get to set foot on South African soil again! The following day, we fly from Jo'berg to Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. Once in Zambia, I will be there for 3 months going through an extensive program attempting to educate me in the culture, technology and most importanly language of what will be my future area of work in Zambia. At this point, I do not know the specific area I will be in for the duration of the 2 years, nor do I know what my exact job will be. However, as soon as I know and get an opportunity to post - I will!

Get a pen.

My address during training (from July 22 until late September-ish) will be:

Rebecca Commissaris/PCTPeace CorpsP.O. Box 50707Lusaka, Zambia

The joy of the world wide web (I'm forever indebted to you, Al Gore...) is that I can search other blogs and websites of current and former volunteers, e-mail them and get their insight, straight from the horses mouth! Other Peace Corp volunteers have mentioned a few suggestions. Check at the post office for the flat rate international envelopes or boxes, and stuff them full. Usually it ends up being cheaper than mailing your own box. Do not send extremely valuable things, although I will treasure your letters like gold (unless the next ice age comes, in which case I will not hesitate to burn them to stay alive). Write "God Loves You", some bible verses and other phrases indicating religious material regardless of the actual contents because apparently this hinders post office workers from stealing my mail, but also serves many other purposes like encouragement for me and showing God's love to them. Suggestions of things to send that I have heard are spice packets, non perishable items like curry powder, cinnamon, and even parmesean cheese! Books. BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS would be amazing! I'm sure I'm over-estimating the amount of free time I will have, but I would love any paperback books, especially apologetics, history or anything really. DVDs are always welcome but keep in mind a) I can only watch them at the Peace Corp main house, and b) I will be leaving them there once I return. (Dad - that means no band DVDs, only home videos from Christmas and other important holidays!!) AT&T phone cards are the only ones/ones that work the best, so if you want to send one you could. Really, anything you send would be greatly appreciated.

E-mail is questionable, but I will be using rjcommissaris@gmail.com. I may be able to get internet from my XO laptop which says it is solar powered and recieves satellite internet - we'll see. If not, whenever I go into town I will try to send an email or post a blog. I think that most PCV (Peace Corp Volunteers) get a cell phone in Zambia. Who knows, I'll figure it out as I go. This is my blog. Bookmark it. I'll try to be witty and keep it entertaining.

http://www.commissarisrj.blogspot.com/

Last but not least, the Peace Corp office has stressed to the new volunteers to tell family and friends that no news is good news. So keep me in your prayers, thoughts and keep me informed on the daily grind in the United States (and England!) You, everyone who is reading this, has in some what or another shaped me for the better to who I am today and that person has been brought to the beginning of this HUGE journey - and I could not be more encouraged. Please stop by and visit my family from time to time if you're in Kalamazoo or Plymouth and make sure that they haven't forgotten about me (and my wit), and see if they've gotten a foster child to replace me yet.

With Love and gratitude, Becca

P.S. I'm sure everyone is aware of my 27 month hiatus on all weddings. Just checking. :)

As we got into the boat, everyone attempted to pick spots based on athletic ability and rafting experience, but I think we truly ended up sitting where dumb luck had let us fall. I was in the back with Nuzz, and Ernest the ultimate decision maker since he was in charge of steering the boat.

Every sense was heightened, every hair stood on edge and every eye in the boat was wide looking at what was fast approaching. It seemed like an oddly placed rock, probably 10 feet by 8 feet wide that had dropped into the river hundreds of years ago. The waters approaching it were fast but calm, a false sense of security that left us all feeling more safe than we should have. Ernest commanded "paddle hard left, then hard right and keep paddling right once we're through. DO. NOT. STOP." Without knowing he meant now, we plunged our paddles into the mighty Zambezi and off we went. Never in my life have I seen so many bubbles, which could only indicate the immense speed at which the water was traveling, but where was it going? Paddling harder and harder we made it past the rock and to the left was a hole, a giant, gaping enormous hole in the water. My memory prompts me to believe that this hole was about 10 feet in diameter, but the feeling of my heart pounding as I remember the event wants me to believe that it was 30. The water was moving so quickly and the water level was so low that the rapids had created a hole.

8 months until 27 months.

Seeking God's guidance, support and love, which comes unconditionally but I still feel the burden of my own sin through selfishness, pride, and following what I want as compared to the ultimate plan He has for my life.

"How many times have I turned away

The number is the same as the sand on the shore

But every time You've taken me back

And now I pray You do it once more

Please take from me my life

When I don't have the strength

To give it away to You Jesus

How many times have I turned away

The number is the same as the stars in the sky

But every time You've taken me back

And now I pray You do it tonight"

-Take My Life, Third Day

Here's the plain truth. When Africa has become such a part of my life, enmeshed in my dreams, goals, aspirations and desires, it's hard to see people who have experienced the same 5 months studying abroad as I have, begin to move on. Whats even more hard, is seeing those who have completely moved on. The worst is when people tell ME to move on.

Move on? Move on from thousands of children dying every day, civil wars destroying entire countries, an entire country ridden with HIV? My apologies, but that seems a tad selfish. I'm not longing for wine class, a Neelsie feta & spinach sandwich or the Stellenbosch Mountains. Sure, I miss those things but what I long for is justice and freedom. Jesus didn't give up on me, who am I to give up on anyone else?

I think it's a combination of feeling like they've moved on from me, and that they've forgotten all that we've learned and experienced. Injustice, homelessness, crime, AIDS -- we CANNOT forget. With freedom comes RESPONSIBILITY.

I've recently discovered that my tendancy to be a wander or a drifter around the globe of sorts has matured, been molded and transformed into a God-given pursuit of social justice and freedom for the entire world. And I kind of like it. I have an idea of where God is calling me to next, but I don't know if I'm ready for more than a few people to know. After all, I have an entire year left of college. I'm not going anywhere until June at the earliest, so fret not.

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."

-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

That quote is truly inspiring me to get off this couch right now and go do something. Unfortunately, I'm babysitting and that would be irrisponsible as well as illegal. But think about it. We think we are so safe here, so protected and everything is JUST RIGHT (haha, just & right... get it?) but it's not. Injustices are everywhere. Corruption, lies, deciet, evil lurks everywhere and with are hands too busy counting our money we have no time to pray against these things. What would we do if Bush turned into a dictator like Mugabe in Zimbabwe? What if the Republican or Democratic party used assasinations as a way of swaying votes in the 2008 election? We would not stand for it. JUSTICE would be served.

But why only here?

So completely and utterly happy right now. God's guidance is a gift I take for granted EVERY day. Well no more. In regards to the story about the best day of my life.... it will be continued once I get a free second to let my thoughts process. Also, I have to find my journals from Africa. They are packed away in a box and I need them to remember the smells, sounds and sights of that mighty mighty fine day on the Zambezi. Big things are happening all around in the world -- I can feel it.

I'm trying to be more cost/health/earth/life conscious these days. I've been riding my bike more, eating alot healthier and just being more aware of things. I'm going to attempt to ride my bike to work every day, which is about 5.7 miles from my apartment. Easy, 25 minutes, but at 6am?? We'll see. I'm going to bike it on Sunday as a test run. It has very little to do with the environment, slightly more to do with health and the most to do with my wallet and gas prices. And no, I'm not turning into a free-loading-non-showering hippie. But if I was, would you judge me?

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”

Matthew 24:35.

Monday nights from 7-9pm, I have the pleasure of going to the local county jail and spending time with the women who are incarcerated. We talk, laugh, cry, read, but these nights consist mostly of prayer and listening for me. The Holy Spirit moves in these women; never have I heard such cries for salvation or love from Jesus in my life. Tonight was only my third night but it was the most moved I have ever felt.

We walk into ASM1-2, meaning A floor, South wing, Maximum security blocks 1 and 2. There is only one inmate, we'll call her Naya, a beautiful but tiny dark skinned woman who is longing for company. She is laughing when we walk in, her smile is twice as large as the rest of her and her dimples are beyond precious. We get through the normal chit-chat that opens us up into deeper things, Christ things. When Naya speaks, she commands the presence of the room. Naya jokes about moving to LA to become famous when she gets out on Sunday. I am still just observing at this time and a much more experienced woman is taking the lead in this conversation and I am more than happy to sit back and watch as God moves. Naya has three children -- 2 twins that are almost 2 years old and one girl that is 4. We come to find out Naya was premature, and her mother did drugs while she was pregnant with her. Not only has Naya been told she was a mistake, but generations of women in her family have constantly been told that they were not good enough. Years of lies and deceit have led Naya not only to believe that she is a bad person, but that she is not wanter or beautiful. How can this beautiful, passionate woman of God believe that she could be unwanted? So we spoke to hear about God creating her, God planning everything in her life, and how she could never ever be a mistake in her Father's eyes.

I can't explain to you the transformation I saw in this woman. First, she went from strong, independent, happy although superficially giggly to broken sobbing begging for God's forgiveness to empowered, confident and determined. I know God was moving in her. If that isn't your cup of tea, Naya was transformed because she felt loved. She felt for 30 minutes that me and Sheila (the woman who I followed around) loved her. And we did. No one had ever told this woman her potential in life, that her passions were much desired and that she was beautiful, inside and out. How is this possible? Why is this okay?

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him; but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit."

1 Corinthians 2:9-10

If I don’t write it, I won’t remember it, and to forget it would be to lose a part of myself. This is one day, the best day of my life. We were nervous, unsure of ourselves and tired of signing away our lives on half sheet waivers. I think there were 6 in total, each one more real than the next. Outside the gate was a vehicle that looked exactly like our safari truck and we were escorted up into it by strong men with dark eyes and soft smiles. “We are the rrrrrrafting crew, we are the rafting crew, rafting the Zambezi, rafting the Zambezi”. I’m not one for annoying songs but this one was different, this song had the passion and heart of Africa, and we were not ashamed to be singing it. Sure, the Zimbabwean women and children on the side of the road laughed at us, probably muttering “white tourists” to each other. But with love, they had accepted us into their country and were not about to go back on their word. The vans stopped and we were given our paddles and gallon jugs of water and sugary drinks to keep us sustained. I was one of the lucky ones without a jug, and I thank God for that. The four inch steps at a dangerously steep angle without a hand rail would have been my death, quite literally. Down, down into the 100 meter Zambezi river gorge we trekked, all of us too excited to think about the fact that once we walked down, eventually we would have to walk up. As we walked closer, we began to hear to thunder of the Victoria Falls, the largest sheet of falling water on the world. Even closer, and we felt the mist. We were greeted by ten or twelve men, either dark as night or equally tan, each sporting a bright red lifejacket, paddle and smile that said “you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into”. They were right. We split up into our boats, got situated and we were off. Sitting at the back of the boat was our guide, Ernest and in front of him were eight nervous faces. Michael Dodge, Hillary Weimont, Laila Luopa, Jordan Atterbury, Liz Nuzzolese, crazy Tim, sweet Raylene from Australia and myself were the hippos.