In awe of His blessings....

Thanks to all of the prayers, time, financial support,

and the Lord's faithfulness,

our Night of Music fundraiser was an incredible success.

We were blessed by the presence of over a hundred people

who came and enjoyed delicious hoagies

(Thank you, Bradley's of Stone Harbor!)

and live music

(Mark Vallese, Lisa Salasin, The Laura Fisher Band, and others!).

Through God's goodness we ended up raising over $4,500

from the donations received at the fundraiser,

Crest Community Church,

and Sojourn Community Church.

Way beyond what we had even hoped for!

The pain and need we saw in Zambia

has been heavy on our hearts

ever since we first got to know that beautiful country,

so we are incredibly blessed to be able to send this money

and make a difference in their lives.

Once the funds reach Zambia and are put to use

we will update the blog so that you can see

how this money is blessing the people of Mukinge.

Twasanta Mwane!

-Jamie

"Come, you who are blessed by my Father;

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat,

I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink,

I was a stranger and you invited me in,

I needed clothes and you clothed me,

I was sick and you looked after me,

I was in prison and you came to visit me."

If you would like to make a donation,

or if you just want to know more,

please e-mail me at

jamiecramie89@gmail.com

From U.S. soil

Night of Music
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
5pm - 11 or 12

My brother Corey and I would like to invite you to come and enjoy an evening of music and food, and to support a good cause.

We left Zambia almost 8 months ago, hard to believe! We have not stopped thinking about and praying for that beautiful country and the beautiful people in it. And now we are finally backing those prayers with action :)

Those months completely changed the way we look at the world, and we realized just how much of our blessings we take for granted. We realize we could never fill the many needs we saw in Kasempa, but we have selected the three that God has pressed on our hearts, and we are asking for your help!

All proceeds of the night will go to Kasempa, Zambia to fill the three different needs that Corey and I saw when we were there last fall-

1) Formula for the children that rely on the care of the pediatrics ward of the hospital when their parents can't feed them.
(( http://www.webmissions.org/mukinge/ ))

2) Funding for the leper colony there that relies almost entirely on outside support for the things they can't physically obtain for themselves-
such as clothing, medicine, and most of their food.

3) The construction of Mulunda Miaka Orphanage. The vision of two Zambian nationals who have seen the many faces that come into the Mukinge Mission Hospital in desperate need of nutrition and care. They need just a few things to get them on their feet, namely electricity and a vehicle.

(( http://mmorphanage.org ))

Location:
The Cramer's House
11 Antina Lane
Cape May Ct. Hse., 08210

(Crest Community Church is now our rain venue.
In case of inclement weather I will send out an
e-mail confirming the venue)

***FEATURING***

Lisa Salasin

Laura Fisher

Mark Vallese

and more TBA!
Tickets will be $12 at the door.
There will be italian hoagies, coffee, and baked goods available for a small donation.
So come stop by at any point in the evening, and come hungry!

Too soon

Our last days here are slipping by much too fast, but we're doing our best to make the most of them and to enjoy Mukinge as much as we can. Corey complicated things by spraining his ankle and turning it into a big, swollen, multi-colored mess- forcing us to nix our final saturday morning walk to the boma. But besides that we're doing well. We're enjoying our last few days with the Tompkins, and getting ready for our last visits to the school and he hospital. It's hard to believe we'll be saying goodbye soon....


[The walk home from school]

While Corey has been focusing on bringing his ankle back to a normal size and color, I've been doing my best to soak up the scenery. Yesterday I joined two friends on a walk through the stunning hills of Kasempa. We wandered for a while, following the many different footpaths we stumbled accross, before it started to rain. The downpour wasn't much heavier than the other rains I've experienced here, but it's one thing to admire it from the window, and quite another to be caught in it in the hills, in the midst of a maze of footpaths that quickly turned from dirt, to mud, to streams of water filling my shoes. Needless to say, by the time we found our way home (an hour or two after the rain started) we were pretty waterlogged. But it was still worth it. Yes, these hills are that gorgeous.


[Stream/path]

I've tried my best to take pictures that actually do this place justice, but I have almost come to terms with the fact that that's not going to happen. There is no way to capture the way the sun hits the clouds and reflects the brilliance of the green landscape. Or the way the thick white mist rolls in and blankets the valleys so that only the very tops of the dark, prominent hills are visible. Pictures can't capture and words can't describe the loveliness of this place. So I'll have to be satisfied with my pictures of shadows that only hint at this breathtaking beauty, enjoying it while I'm here, and committing what I can to memory. The rest I'll leave behind me, and, who knows? maybe I'll be back to enjoy it again :)



-Jamie


[The best my camera can do...]

Home Stretch

My apologies in advance for the lack of pictures accompanying my descriptions. I promise to make up for it when we return to consistent, high-speed internet

As I have been walking around the Mukinge area recently, I have been both overwhelmed by the beauty surrounding us here and simultaneously frustrated by the fact that there is no way to do describe or even photograph the visual experience completely. The hospital and center of our community is located at the foot of Mukinge Hill, and the view from the front of our house reveals other densely wooded hills in the distance that have recently begun to spring with green and life now that we have entered "rainy season".

It seems like every hill you cross or road you walk down reveals a unique view of the distinctly "African" landscape. The road to school reveals a towering view of a small maize crop and the overgrown flora surrounding the dam, while the walk to the market provides a fantastic view of the many rolling hills of the Northwest Province, complete with grass roof mud huts scattered among the grasses and small farms.

The most breathtaking part of it all, however, is the sky. The other day as I was walking home from the hospital and some gigantic rain clouds were forming up ahead, Daren remarked that the sky "seems to go on forever". It really is incredible, whether its dawn, dusk, nighttime, storming or just overcast, I find myself stopping in awe of how impressive it is. For all the things we can say about this place, I don't think I could ever get over the natural beauty of it.

Mukinge has certainly won our hearts in a variety of ways, and as we near our departure date, the thought of going home is bittersweet. I think we both look forward to some of the comforts of home; driving our cars, fresh leafy vegetables, access to ice cream and chocolate and consistent power and internet access sound awfully nice to us now. However, we are extremely torn at the cost of going home.

We have both become pretty attached to our class of 30 8-12 year-olds, and they have already begun to express disappointment that we are leaving soon and have no tentative plans to return to Mukinge. I have been helping teach on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and occasionally joining "Auntie Jamie" when she goes on Fridays. In addition, the children have also made a habit of coming to our house after school hours to join us to swim or play a game of basketball. The children of Mukinge Hill Academy will definitely be sorely missed by both of us, and I will be even more upset to lose my status as "Uncle Corey".

Other than the school, I have spent the last few weeks using my experience in the food industry to assist in the opening of a "restaurant" built to help generate some income for the hospital. It is a small building with a kitchen the size of a small bathroom, but the menu includes a number of local favorites as well as "chips" (where I was happy to lend my "expertise" on making some quality American french fries). In the first week of being open, I have been managing, assisting the two cooks and trying to help the business to become somewhat autonomous (having the workers order their own vegetables, pick up their own meat, etc.), being that the hospital staff does not have the time to be overly involved in everyday business. I have also had some great opportunities to assist in some medical procedures with Daren during the days that I shadow him at the hospital and have even gotten to scrub in and assist in a few major operations. Speaking for myself, my time here has already proven to be invaluable in so many ways, and it will be excruciating to be driving away from this place when it is time to leave.

Jamie continues to fill in any and all gaps around the house, depending on what needs to be done, whether its watching the boys, taking care of the baby, doing laundry, cooking, baking or helping clean. She has also been "volunteered" to play piano for the hospital chapel service on Sunday night, which entails leading a few hymns and praise songs. She is a bit nervous, but it will be a great opportunity, and the enthusiasm of the worship here will provide its own reward.

I know I speak for both of us when I say that we are extremely excited to be going home soon, but are equally anxious to make the most of our valuable last two weeks here.

Village in the bush

A few weeks ago Corey and I were invited by Giveness, a Zambian woman that works at one of the missionary's houses, to come and have lunch at her home. It took us a while to work out our schedules, but we finally made it out there last Tuesday. One of her sons came to our house in the morning and led us to the village, about a 45 minute scenic walk from the mission. When we arrived at her house Giveness was already starting our lunch, so, after being introduced to another of her sons, we sat down and learned how to prepare sweet potato and cassava leaves. After that she walked us through her family's village, identifying different things in English and Kaonde, and introducing us to relatives along the way.


[Giveness, our lovely hostess]

Giveness has been a part of the missionary community for quite some time, but she only knows a little English, so it requires extra effort on both our parts to be able to communitcate. She will be talking about something in English, stop mid-sentence, mutter to herself in Kaonde as she tries to figure out what she wants to say, and then continue on in English. It's a long process, but we appreciate her efforts. After our tour we came back to the house to make lunch. We washed and pounded some kind of grain, I think she said it is sorghum, you can never be sure with Giveness, but we'll call it that anyway.


[Sorghum, being poured into the bucket for more pounding...]

After we finished pounding the sorghum we sifted the maize meal and started cooking the nshima....


[Corey, the nshima cooking boy, got a few good laughs out of the relatives that were hanging around.]

Cooking over the open fire was quite an experience. I did the stirring at the beginning, but the smoke made my eyes water so badly I couldn't see anything, that's when Corey took over. They thought that was pretty funny too :)

After we finished our nshima, beans, casava and sweet potato leaves (absolutely delicious) we sat down on her couch to wait out the midday sun, and she showed us her photo album and shared her life story with us. It was a bit of a challenge to understand her, but we got most of it. We sat outside for a bit with Giveness and her mother, finished sifting the sorghum, and then hoed the garden for them.


[Giveness' mother sifting the Sorghum. Somewhat of an art form that we couldn't really get the hang of...]

Then we gathered our things and got ready to say goodye, but Giveness and her mother insisted on carrying our bags and walking part of the way with us, a cultural tradition, apparently. We walked together for a while and then got our backpacks and learned how to give a proper farewell. The entire day was an incredible experience. Thank you Giveness!!!

-Jamie

MONKEYS

Special post for the Burns Family,
Bill, Michelle, Billy, Abby, Richard, Ella, Heather, and Rockford :)


Here is one of the promised monkey pictures!


This is one of the vervet monkeys that wandered around the
lodge we stayed at for our first nights in Zambia.
There were tons of them around the lodge, and they
were a mischievous bunch.
Anytime they saw humans with food they would come very
close and try to get it from you. One afternoon when we
were eating lunch we noticed an adorable little monkey
in the tree above us. He was sitting right over Corey's head,
and before anyone knew what was going on he had pooped
right on Corey's head and on the lemon garnish on his
plate. Corey jumped out of his chair right away, and
the monkey moved to a branch that was directly over my
head. I made it out of my chair just in time to avoid getting
pooped on, and he got my empty chair instead. The crafty monkey
continued to move to a different branch to get ready to drop
another present, but we scared him away before he got a chance.
The clever guy almost got a free lunch for himself and his buddies.
Almost... :)




I love you guys!

-Jamie

Finally Settled In

As of this past Sunday, Jamie and I have been temporary residents of Mukinge for two weeks. After getting over the initial culture shock, we discussed how our time here was more comparable to going away to college for a semester than a vacation or short trip. That being said, we have adjusted quite nicely to our Zambian life with the wonderful Tompkins family.

Jamie continues to act as "mommy's sidekick", busying herself with laundry, child care, clean-up, cooking and anything else she can do to help Elissa around the house. After discovering the great "appreciation" of quality baked goods in the household, she has also made it a point to provide a new dessert on an almost daily basis, utilizing the abundance of fresh bananas in a variety of ways. She has also managed to venture her way out to the Boma (the "bustling" central marketplace of Kasempa), which she accomplished with the help of Miranda, one of the missionary nurses from the hospital. She seems to have gotten into a groove and is thoroughly enjoying her time here.

I am nearly firing on all cylinders (thank you for the prayers) with my first run-in with some lovely African microbes that likely entered my system after my partaking in some local cuisine during my first trip to the Boma. I am now back in the kitchen, trying to relieve Elissa of a meal or two a day, and my culinary skills are once again being challenged by the limited resources we have out here.

Since getting back on my feet, I have resumed shadowing Daren at the hospital, which has been a truly eye-opening experience. My exposure to medicine and healthcare in the states consisted primarily of minor ailments and most of the patients I saw were generally treated for minor symptoms (coughing, headaches, runny nose, etc.). Mukinge Hospital is an entirely different animal. At any given time, there are multiple patients in any ward that likely have TB, and HIV is so prevalent that the fact that someone is on medication for it is generally just a side note when you look at a patient's chart. In addition, because Mukinge is one of the best hospitals in the country, many people travel from hours away or walk for hours in their terrible conditions just to be treated by this handful of doctors.

One case that really has stuck with me was the father of a boy and girl in the class that Jamie and I have been helping teach. He was diagnosed with HIV a year ago and had refused treatment with ARVs(not uncommon due to certain social stigmas that I still don't understand), even though he was actually pretty well off financially. As he is in Daren's ward, I was able to see the tail end of his decline in health and he passed away several mornings ago. It is sobering to see the harsh reality of life here, and knowing his beautiful children and seeing his wife on rounds each day made really made it hit home for me.

On a positive note, thanks to some favor with some of the Hospital management I have also been cleared to observe and assist in Theater (O.R.), which I did for the first time yesterday. David, the New Zealander surgeon, is somewhat of a "bush surgery" specialist, and has had a lot of experience performing procedures without the luxuries of surgeons back home. In fact, during my previous trips to Sierra Leone, he was stationed with a medical mission group in one of the cities nearby to where I was staying. It really is great experience working with him, as he has to work with his limited surroundings. He says I am getting to see how some of these procedures were done 50 years ago in the States.

As I mentioned, both Jamie and I have begun to volunteer at the local school on alternating days, teaching children eight to twelve. The children have already taken quite a liking to us and we are very fond of them. As with the other teachers, we are affectionately addressed as "Uncle Corey" and "Auntie Jamie", and the two of us share stories about our favorite pupils when we get back home.

I had intended for this post to be a bit more insightful, but there is a lot to catch up on, and now that I see it typed out I realize we have been very busy. The experience has been incredible for both of us, in different ways and we still have almost eight weeks to go. Please continue to pray for our time here, and we will try to keep everyone caught up on any exciting occurrences.
Corey

P.S. GO PHILLIES!