FAQ

We get a lot of questions about where we live and what we do and lots of odds and ends in between. We’ve compiled a few of our most frequently asked questions. Still wondering about something and don’t see the answer here? Leave us a comment and we’ll add your question to the list!

Where do you stay?

In Fimpulu, we’ve made our home at the Choshen ministry house, or Mizpah house. The house is located one kilometer from the center of the village, and is surrounded by acres of indigenous bush. Designed to functionally support teams, the house is used mostly as a meeting, eating and sleeping place. Sleeping arrangements in the house are two simple rooms with space for mattresses on the floor or on bunk beds. We always, always sleep under a mosquito net. While the house is certainly more spacious than a typical village hut, it still has a thatched roof, no electricity and no running water. Think camping… with a slightly different motif.

What do you eat?

The local fare in a Zambian village consists of two things: nshima and relish. Nshima is the staple food of Zambia: a corn or cassava based stiff mush looking like mashed potatoes but having the consistency of play dough. Relish then, is anything eaten with nshima. Traditional relish is usually either beans, green leaves, or small sardine-like fish. Any time we are eating with Zambians, nshima is served.

For meals taken back at the Mizpah house, American style food is more often cooked. However, American style does not mean American variety. We eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, pasta, rice and potatoes, and soy-based products (for protein.) We rarely eat anything that requires refrigeration such as meat, cheese, cold soda or ice cream. Simple, but healthy.

What do you wear?

Style of dress in the village remains quite conservative for both men and women. Men are expected to wear shorts at or below the knee, or long pants. Pants are preferable because of their respectability. Any male taking a facilitation or teaching roll or finding themselves in a formal environment such as church should always wear long pants.

Women must always be covered well below the knee (no knee caps at all!). Chitenge material (two meter strips of fabric wrapped around your waist like a skirt) are a sign of respect for the women and are worn daily, especially in more formal settings.

With regard to shirts and shoes, anything goes. We just try to stay away from white as anything white eventually turns dusty brown.

What do you do?

For detailed information, check out the programs part of our website. During the times when we are not busy with programs however, we usually spend our time washing clothes in the river, playing with kids, planting things in the garden, or washing dishes by hand. Being with people is incredibly important to us, which is why we can also be found often strolling through the village, striking up conversations and taking on a rest on a short little village stool outside someone’s home.

What kind of things do you typically see?

Taking in the visual of the village can be as overwhelming as anything else. Thirty seconds in the village will have anyone saying, “I don’t think we’re in Kansas anymore Toto…” While a written description really isn’t adequate when talking about seeing, we can try to paint at least a bit of a picture.

The village is like a sea of grass peppered with huts. Huts in the village are made of mud bricks and have dried grass as roofs. The average hut is probably the size of a master bedroom in the suburbs, or a one-room studio apartment in the city. Kids pop out of seemingly nowhere to see you, and goats own the road. Many of the kids, and adults, go barefoot. Tattered clothing on kids is the norm, babies tend to not wear diapers and anyone under the age of 12 will probably look like they need a bath. Women carry water on their heads and babies on their backs, unless they are nursing – which is often done in public. Men carry whole families (with luggage) on their bicycle and often have a hoe slung over their shoulder. People do their “business” by squatting over a hole (which we do too). And these are only a few of the “uniquely village” sights we take in day to day.

What dangers do you encounter?

Relative to many places around the world, the village of Fimpulu is a very safe place to be. Crime in the village is almost exclusively of the petty theft variety. Person on person violence is very rare and foreigners are held in such high regards that the village is more likely to handle us with kid gloves than let any harm befall us.

Nature on the other hand can be a bit more hostile. Zambia is a Malaria endemic country, and foreigners are particularly susceptible. Avoiding malaria is quite straight forward if you take the right precautions. Sleeping under a mosquito net every night is paramount as the female anophele mosquitos are only active after dusk and before dawn.

Simply not strolling through the bush at night protects us from snake bites and wearing shoes prevents unnecessary sores and infection. Proper hand washing and water treatment also keep our tummies happy. Other than these things, there is relatively little to worry about health and safety wise.

What can we send you in packages?

Its true that being away from home for a long time can be lonely, and getting care packages is one way to make us feel loved and thought of! We have a list of different things that we would appreciate – some big, some small, some for us personally, some for work in the village. If you are considering sending a package off, feel free to peruse the following list and glean some ideas.

SawsAll Blades for RIGID

DVD’s of all kinds – mainstream and educational

Emergen-C packs

Gatorade powder – lemon flavor

DVD-R’s

HP 901 Ink cartridges for printer

Dumdums or other kid friendly suckers

MP3s of recent Christian music or sermons

paints for stenciling in LRC

Nail polish

English Bibles

English dictionaries

Art supplies for Preschool (Especially if you have an idea in mind and directions to go with!)

Fiction books for adults

Trailmix

Tuna, chicken, or salmon in packets

Dollar store rain ponchos

Bible reference materials

Bible studies

HIV/AIDS related books, materials, resources, articles, manuals

cookbooks or recipes

ESL workbooks, curriculum, resources

bike seat cover (with or without cushioning – the rats ate our seats!)

extra strong, plastic spatulas

board games for the youth

sheets for twin beds

pillow cases