Home at Last!

          I realize it has been four days since I got back to Wallace.  I've been trying to get my body clock in sync with Eastern Daylight Time.
           The plane finally touched down at ILM around 11:30 p.m. on Sunday night.  Nancy and Natalie were there to meet me.  Dr. Dan Robinson was also there, to meet his dad who was on the same flight.
            My trip to Zambia was truly an adventure and a wonderful blessing and experience.
            I enjoyed sharing Dr. Phil's Zambian Adventure with all of you!

Back in the U.S. of A. But Still Far From Home

          I'm back in the States, but it's going to take me two hours longer to get from D.C. to Wilmington than it took to get from London to D.C.  It all started when the flight from Heathrow left about 45 minutes late.  I was already on a tight schedule to make a 2:29 p.m. connection with Delta at Dulles.  By the time I cleared immigration, customs, claimed my bag, and got to the Delta desk, it was 2:00 p.m.  The agent said it was too late for me to make it to the gate.  She rebooked me on a later flight to LaGuardia in NYC, then on to Wilmington, due in a little after 11 p.m.
           As I was sitting at the gate for that flight, I overheard someone say that LaGuardia flights had been canceled.  Sure enough, when I checked the departure board, I saw that my flight had been canceled.  The agent rebooked me on US Air through Charlotte on to Wilmington, to arrive around 11:30 p.m. tonight.  So, I had to go through security AGAIN!  The x-ray person pulled my bag and had another TSA agent check it for liquids (I didn't have any).  She unpacked my carry-on and pulled all of my wrapped wooden souvenirs out to be scanned again.  She was very nice and, when she found out I had flown all the way from Zambia yesterday and that my flights had been missed and canceled today, was very sympathetic.  She told me about her trip to Africa.  I thought it was interesting that that happened, since my bags were scanned at Heathrow, again at Dulles when I went through customs, and again after I had checked in with Delta earlier this afternoon.
             Oh well!   Here's hoping I'll make it to Charlotte and then Wilmington.  I'm at the gate, and the flight to Charlotte that was supposed to leave a little while ago has been delayed.

Halfway Home

           I'm blogging from the Heathrow Hilton Hotel near the airport in London.  Dustin picked me up at 6:20 this morning and took me to the airport.  My flight left at about 8:15 (7:15  London time) and arrived at Heathrow around 5:45, so it was a very long flight.  I got to the hotel around 8 and I am so tired I've done nothing but lie on the bed.
              Tomorrow's flight leaves around 10 a.m. and gets to D.C. at 12:50 EDT.  I will have to hustle to get on a 2:30 flight to Wilmington via Atlanta.  I'm supposed to get to Wilmington at 8:15 tomorrow night.
               I am ready to be home!
                See you soon in Wallace!

Saying a Bittersweet Goodbye

          In an e-mail earlier this week, our daughter, Natalie, said she figured it would be a bittersweet goodbye for me today.  She was right.  I am looking forward to getting home, but I am sorry to leave the folks here at JMTUC.
          At the conclusion of chapel this morning, Dr. Zulu, the rector, called me and Marty to come forward.  He thanked us for teaching during this three week term and we got a round of applause.  He then asked each of us to say a few words.  After that, we were presented with coffee mugs with the Zambian colors and the name of the national futbol/soccer team.  We were asked to stand in the receiving line after chapel.  We shook a lot of hands and received lots of good wishes.
          Marty and I taught the same students (he had one more than I, a man who was taking Hebrew rather than Greek).  Earlier this week they invited us to have coffee with them at 11:30 this morning.  It was a very nice gathering:  coffee, tea, cake, cookies, cheese and crackers.

 

 

          Abraham Mwale, the class representative, opened our gathering with a nice prayer.  After we ate, he offered some comments on behalf of the class.  Again, Marty and I were asked to share our thoughts and feelings about our experience.  Different class members then expressed their appreciation for our teaching.  Each of us was given a card signed by all of the class members.  Shingi even wrote "We love you" in Greek in my card!

         Abraham presented each of us with a wrapped gift and told us the gifts were Zambian shirts for us to wear and to remember them.  I waited until I got back to the house to open the gift.  I expected to find a T-shirt.  Instead, this is what I got!

 

 

          There is a lot of excitement and apprehension on campus today.  First, second, and third year students found out where they will be doing their 5 week practical ministries in July and August.  Fourth year students will soon find out where they will be posted for their first ministry.  They will serve a one year probationary period before being ordained.  I asked Charles where he would be for his practical ministry and he told me the Copperbelt (which is an area quite a distance away from Lusaka to the northwest).  He said he was a little nervous because, as he put it, "That's a different place up there."  He told me he had been born in Lusaka and had spent his whole life in Lusaka.

            We took a class photo with me and Marty.  Everybody was there except for Dorah.  Here is our group.

 

 

          Several students wanted to have their pictures made with us.  They referred to us as their "fathers" for these past three weeks!

 

 

Abraham Mwale

 

 

Noah Siwo

 

 

Godwill Mwanza

 

 

Charles Ngoma

 

 

Leonard Mwanza

 

 

Mphatso Matemba

 

 

Gilbert Mbewe

 

 

 

          I have turned in my final grades and course paperwork to the Dean of Studies.  My suitcase is packed.  Marty and I will eat supper at Dr. Retief's house tonight at 6:00 p.m.  My flight to London leaves at 8:50 a.m. tomorrow.  Dustin wants to have me at the airport two hours before flight time.

 

          It's been quite a Zambian adventure!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 





 

Greek 3 Is Finished!

          Except for my grading the final exams and submitting the final grades to the Dean of Studies, Greek 3, BTh 2 is finished! 
          We met for an hour this morning to review Lessons 21-28.  A couple of students stayed after to ask me some particular questions.  The exam began at 2:00 p.m. (14:00) and everybody had finished  by 3:30 p.m. (15:30).  I will probably start grading them tonight after we get back from supper.  Marty and I are going with the Ellingtons to eat at Mahak, the Indian restaurant where we ate the first week.
           Eunice, the woman who has been coming twice a week to clean the house and wash/iron clothes, came for her last time today.  When I paid her for her work, I also gave her a couple of Carolina Strawberry Festival tote bags with some pads, pencils, and Tootsie Roll Pops in them.  She was glad to get them.
          Here are some pictures that Dustin took on Sunday's boat ride on the Zambezi River.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More Zambian Cuisine

          Marty and I ate supper at Dr. Lameck Banda's house tonight.  He is the Dean of Studies at JMTUC and also teaches theology.  He is a delightful man.  I had communicated with him several times before I arrived, as I had to send my resume and a copy of my ordination certificate for their records.  He also requested a copy of my course syllabus.  I have enjoyed getting to know him.  We had a good time visiting at the Sports Festival Day. 

         Dr. Banda asked me to express his deep gratitude and appreciation to WPC for the purchase of bicycles for their graduates.  He echoed Dr. Zulu's comments from Monday night, about what a difference the bikes make for the pastors and the communities they serve.  He is also most appreciative of the people at WPC who have edited student papers.  He is interested in having more people edit papers, as the students appreciate the perspective and the help they receive.

         We had a traditional Zambian meal, a variation of which we have had at all of our Zambian hosts' homes.  Tonight we had nshema (the corn dish that is like firm grits), pasta, slaw, boiled potatoes, rice, and a kind of beef stew (the most delicious thing I've eaten in the time I've been in Zambia -- Marty agreed!).

         We had a good time talking about soccer (the Zambians are crazy about soccer, and Mrs. Banda is, as her husband put  it, a "staunch supporter of our national team.").  There is still a chance the Zambian national team can make it to the World Cup.  They have an important match with Ghana coming up.  They have to win that match to move along.

         We also talked about American football and other sports.  Dr. Banda loves to play volleyball and to run (he is quite fast, as he showed at Sports Festival Day). 

          The Bandas have three children:  an 18 year-old son and a 16 year-old daughter, both of whom attend boarding schools away from Lusaka, and a 10 year-old daughter who ate with us tonight.  She is delightful.  Unfortunately she has not been feeling well lately.  Here is a picture of the Bandas.  His wife's name is Catherine Shane Banda.  Their daughter's name is Chimwemwe, which means "joy."  That seems to be an apt name, for she was smiling and happy on Saturday.  She's not smiling in this picture, but she had just about gone to sleep when Dr. Banda roused her for this picture.

Minister of Word and Sacrament

               Thirty years ago today (June 26, 1983), Nancy and I were ordained as ministers of the Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA).  We were both candidates for ordination under the care of presbyteries (Nancy - Wilmington Presbytery; Phil - Atlanta Presbytery) in the former Presbyterian Church in the United States (the former "Southern" church).  However, we were ordained shortly after the reunion of the PCUS and the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (UPCUSA).  We graduated from Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, VA.

               We were ordained by the former Presbytery of Albemarle, which was located in the northeast corner of North Carolina.  Albemarle Presbytery became part of what is now known as New Hope Presbytery.

               We were ordained at the First Presbyterian Church in Rocky Mount, NC, where Nancy and I both served as associate pastors from June 1983 - August 1986. Here is a picture of FPC.

 

          We returned to Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, VA in August 1986 and I began my Ph.D. studies in New Testament.  We lived in Richmond for two years while I fulfilled my residency requirements, took my required courses, and passed my doctoral exams.

 

           In September 1987, we were asked to supply preach at the Stanley White Presbyterian Church in Roanoke Rapids, NC.  We ended up preaching there quite regularly (about twice a month) for the next year (and also preached at the Littleton Presbyterian Church in Littleton, NC).  We were called to be co-pastors of the two churches in September 1988 and served until March 1998.

 

           In January 1998, I was called to be pastor of the Wallace Presbyterian Church in Wallace, NC, and began serving on April 1, 1998.  Here is a picture of WPC (the painting of the stained glass window was done by a church member, Sharon Moore).

 

 

          I have served half of my ordained ministry as the pastor of the Wallace Presbyterian Church.  I am most grateful to God for the opportunity to serve at WPC and for the many wonderful saints in our congregation.  God has blessed me with many interesting opportunities during the last thirty years.  This teaching experience at Justo Mwale Theological University College is one of the highlights.

 

         As I said in my sermon on June 2 at WPC, "I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now.  I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.  It is right for me to think this way about all of you, because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God's grace with me . . . For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the compassion of Christ Jesus.  And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that in the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God."  (Philippians 1:3-11)

 

          The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.