Bush Camp in Petauke

Here are the top 5 things I learned at Bush Camp:

1. Scorpions and giant camel spiders come out at night.
2. It takes about 35 pumps at the well to get enough water for a bucket shower.
3. Your body begins to adjust to going to bed at 9pm because its pitch black.
4. Zambians know how to use a sling shot to kill snakes.
5. The squatty potty is not that bad.

We had an 8 hour bus ride from Lusaka which was not so much fun but the landscape was amazing... over the mountains and through the bush to the small town of Petauke.

It felt like two worlds were colliding as we drove in a luxury tour bus (with no a/c) through the bush as far as the eye could see... with small villages alongside the road in the middle of no where. It was a surreal experience as I thought about how many of these people have never seen what life is like outside of the bush. Makes me thankful to God for the many comforts I have and the opportunities He has given me.

Our humble abode for 2 weeks. I have never been camping before so this was a new experience for me. Overall, I enjoyed it but could do without the big 3: spiders, snakes and scorpions!!

The kitchen staff helped in Lusaka and then traveled with us to bush camp. I had a good time talking with these ladies (and 2 guys) and learning about Zambian culture. It was such a blessing to get to know them! I'm going to miss their smiling faces as well as the singing and dancing.

We had the opportunity to go out into the villages and just be with the people. We talked with them about life in the village which will be helpful to our ministry in Joburg. We have found that even though we live in a large city, many of the people still have connections to the village.