Making space.

I'm here! I'm safe! I'm back!

I apologize for not blogging in a while - we've been out of internet since returning home from community stay. I've had two great weeks of being completely immersed in one of the communities we've been working in as a member instead of visitor and then one of being completely immersed in my team during a week of learning about relationships with no internet to connect to anyone but each other. Yes, we might have wanted to pull each other's hair at one time or another, but it's been great.

I have missed being able to connect with you, and I'm sorry for those that were worried about my lack of communication. I managed to snag a ride to town today (Thanks Brittany!) to update you and share some pictures from the week with you.

Community stay in Mboniswene last week was amazing! Thank you so much for your prayers!

I have countless stories that I won't be able to hold back next time I go to a nice restaurant with you and eat something without toenails and can excuse myself to go to the bathroom without putting my nose in my shirt and holding and without having to ask if you brought toilet paper. For now, since time and internet are still so limited, and the stories are way better with my overly-emotionally involved facial expressions, I'll just invite into my week with as many pictures as I have time to load.

Thanks for being a part of this with me. I wish you were here to see it all. (And taste it all!)

This is my house. 6 people live there plus me and Lanie. This house was built by the government for low-income families.

Me, Go-Go (Grandma) and Baby Fiona

Our bathroom.

Except at night. Then it's a bucket. A very small bucket.

Speaking of toilets... are you wondering what I ate? This is me cooking chicken in the kitchen.

They cook everything with just a SPOT of oil. (My pores are paying for it now.)

The family treated me to some of their favorite meals since I was their special... and especially white... guest.

Tripe and Pap.

COW INTESTINE.

You don't want to ask what it tasted or smelled or felt like. But it did taste better than it looked.

Seth, I wish you would have been there for this.

Chicken Feet and Pap.

I ate toenails! But I just could not be fully African and eat the bones. They understood. I ate every single one of those feet though!

No matter where in the world you are, boys love big trucks. I loved this big truck. It brought clean water! Cleaner than we even have on base!

Here's where we kept it.

Here's how we did the dishes in the morning and evening.

Here's the dishrag.

Smooching by the banana trees.

This little boy lived with us because he was abandoned by his parents. Go-go took him on as her own. I'm completely in love with him.

The twin boys (Go-go's grandkids that live nearby and visit each night) dug a hole in the backyard to burn trash.

So I jumped in with all the kids until I'm pretty sure THEY got in trouble.

And you knew there'd be some of this.

I told you. Can I keep him?

My bathtub.

This is what I used to sweep the yard in the morning. The yard is dirt. I swept the dirt.

"Where should I sweep this dirt."

"Over there."

"oh, ok."

My family.

It was a wonderful trip. I love it! More later. Zambia in two weeks!