A Gift from the Chief - Billy, the Kid

Conversation with the Chief's wife

Before leaving the palace compound to go on the tour of Mnukwa village, we had a brief photo session, and pictures were taken of our group with the Chief.  During that time, I was able to speak briefly with his wife (I don’t think I ever asked for her name).  Our conversation revolved around the needs of her people and young women, in particular.   She assured me that the work we hoped to accomplish in the village through the MVEVI would be most welcome, much needed, and greatly appreciated.  She encouraged me to stay in touch with the Chief and even gave me his cell phone number!  I gave her my pledge that I would be diligent to attend to the details of our project to be sure that we accomplished our goals.  As we were traveling back to the palace having completed the tour of the Resource Center, Kevin stopped to pick up a large bundle of malasha (charcoal) for Robert and Doreen.  He’s become more fluent in Chichewa and was able to converse with ease with one of the village women while the transaction for the charcoal was being completed.  I could only smile and wave and say, "Muli bwanji (how are you?)" I made a mental note to myself:  “Phylicia, you have got to get a phrase book and practice learning more of the language between your visits to the country.” 

The Meeting Tree

Once we arrived at the palace, we all resumed our seats under the meeting tree.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw two of the Chief’s advisors walking toward us, and they were carrying something really special.  A goat had been tied by its hooves with rope, and it was bleating in protest.  Robert Zulu was sitting in one of the chairs positioned in a circle around the tree, and the men placed the goat near his feet.  Praise the Lord the goat stopped crying.  Chief Mnukwa’s senior advisor came forward.  He sat down on the ground in front of the Chief with his legs crossed and addressed him respectfully with a bow from the waist.  I was so impressed with this man.   I don’t remember his name, but I’ll never forget him.  He is several inches shorter than I am, has all of his original teeth and an infectious smile, is well into his 80s, and has the mobility of a teenage boy!  I love the fact that his posture is always one of gracious humility when he addresses the Chief in a formal setting.  He spoke briefly to the Chief then he rose, walked a few feet, and sat down in front of Robert.  This dear man began explaining the purpose of the goat.  I found it a little difficult to hear the translation of the conversation, but this is the gist of what was said:  every time that Robert and Dan made an appointment to meet the Chief to discuss ZSOS business or Big Tree Baptist Church business, they never asked for anything in return, not even a drink of water.  Because of their testimony of selflessness and desire to minister to the people of Malongwe Village, the Chief wanted to present our group with a gift.  Hence, the goat.  I was astonished and speechless. 

Can't you just hear him crying?

As if on cue, the goat bleated again, and I suddenly felt a little squeamish.  It took me just a minute, but I realized that the poor little guy (I’ve since named him Billy) was being given as an ‘offering of thanks.'  I silently prayed that he would be kept as a ceremonial pet by someone in Chipata.  My hopes were dashed when the Chief began to describe the delicacy of roasted goat meat.  He spoke very graphically about how the belly meat was prepared and wrapped in a casing of the small intestine.  I felt like I would throw up, but I kept smiling.  I didn’t want to offend the Chief in any way, and I tried to engage in the conversation as he and his advisors joked about eating the freshly cooked goat sausage only to discover an unexpected ‘gift’ in the meat because the intestines weren’t cleaned well.  Oh my word!  The thought of eating goat poop really made me a little sick to my stomach.  We prepared to leave, and Billy was loaded into the back of Kevin’s truck.  Billy cried and cried.  I thanked the Chief and his wife, and they both encouraged me to stay in close contact.  I shook hands with everyone in the Chief’s entourage, and his senior advisor approached me.   He looked me in the eye and said that he would be praying for God’s blessings on me, Sisterhood Of Servants, and the projects we hoped to accomplish.  I could only offer my heartfelt thanks; it was an overwhelming moment.

Saying my goodbyes and apologizing to poor Billy

  I walked to the back of the truck.  Billy had quieted down.  I patted his little head, and my motherly instincts kicked in.  I apologized to him (really) and told him how sorry I was about what would be happening to him in just a couple of days.  Kevin laughed as he rearranged the cargo in the back of the truck.   Plans were made to have a feast after church on Sunday for the members at Big Tree, and Billy would be the main course.  I had to keep telling myself that his sacrifice would bring joy to many.  Later that night Dan joked with me about how I was going to carry Billy home in my carry-on bag.  If only I could. ☺

Day 5 - Face to Face with Chief Mnukwa

Friday morning arrived much too soon because I hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep.  Nonetheless, I was looking forward to the events planned for the day:  I would have my formal introduction meeting with Chief Mnukwa, and I was nervous as a cat!  I had been anticipating this meeting for more than 8 months.  In August 2013, I received correspondence from the Chief indicating his willingness to work with S.O.S. in developing land for the Malongwe Village Education and Vocation Initiative (MVEVI).  Even though the Chief had given his permission to implement all the components of the MVEVI, cultural protocol required that I introduce myself to him formally as the representative of S.O.S. and share my vision for our work in Zambia. 

It is customary to bring a thank you gift to the Chief when he grants a meeting at his palace.  Before driving out to the bush, Kevin, Dan and I drove to the Down Shops to purchase the gift.   I would be presenting the Chief with rice, sugar, cooking oil, and washing powder.  Yes, I thought it was an unusual offering, too, but when in Rome… ☺  The total cost of all the items was 405 kwacha (about $80 American dollars).  I prayed the Chief would be pleased with the gift. 

We picked up Doreen and Robert Zulu on the way to the Chief’s compound.  Once we arrived I was really surprised to see an enormous cell phone tower that had been erected on the property.  I chuckled inside and thought about how modern convenience was making its way to the Bush.  Surely, electricity and indoor plumbing were just around the corner!   

Our entire group: Kevin, Doreen, Robert, Dan, me, the chief's wife & Chief Mnukwa

Before the meeting began, Robert gave me some counsel on the topics I should and should not mention.  He told me just to share my heart and overall vision with the Chief, steering clear of the specifics and minute details of our plans.  We walked a short distance from where the truck was parked to an enormous tree.   I was told that this was the ceremonial gathering place for residents of Mnukwa Chiefdom when they wished to address the Chief and seek his counsel for answers to their troubles.  I looked off into the distance and there were at least a dozen villagers that were sitting and waiting for an opportunity to do just that.   The whole scene reminded me of an open air throne room, and I thought about the children of Israel seeking an audience before Moses when they needed his counsel.    Chief Mnukwa and his entourage of advisors arrived.   There were two chairs placed beneath the tree for the Chief and me to occupy, and there were several others chairs and reed mats placed around the tree for the advisors, Dan, Robert, Kevin, Doreen and the Chief’s wife.  All eyes were on me, and I was given the floor to speak.   

Sharing the vision of S.O.S. and my burden for Zambia

Only the Lord himself knows just how nervous I was.  I wish I could write that I had the confidence of the Apostle Paul when he stood before King Agrippa and shared his testimony of life change through the grace of God.  That kind of confidence escaped me, and I felt like I was speaking with gravel in my mouth.  However, I know that the Lord was guiding my words.  I shared just a brief part of my salvation testimony and how I had come to be interested in Zambia (you can read my bio here).  I shared with him how our organization had grown, and the desire that we had minister to our brothers and sisters in Malongwe Village through the MVEVI program.  After I finished speaking, Chief Mnukwa was so gracious in his comments and said the conversation was very inspiring.  I was overwhelmed!  That sounds like a boast, but I was humbled.  I praise the Lord for His favor and the positive response we received! The Chief then addressed our entire group and gave us a brief lesson on Zambian history and a ‘state of union’ address about economic conditions in Mnukwa Chiefdom and the vision he had to improve the lives of his people.   I didn’t realize the Chiefdom was so large.  It is made up of 30 villages with more than 20,000 residents.  The plans we hoped to implement centered around Malongwe Village, where Big Tree Baptist Church is located.  Chief Mnukwa had a much larger vision in mind for the entire chiefdom.  He invited us to be part of that overall vision and took our group on a short tour to see some of the projects already in place near the palace compound.  

Resource Center Building

Land surrounding the Center

Water is already available

This building shown above is located near Mnukwa palace and is a Resource Center for the community. It was built in 2011 by a non-profit group from England for the purpose of providing the youth of Mnukwa Chiefdom with vocational training in marketable agricultural practices. It comes equipped with 3 large classrooms that are powered with solar electricity, the foundational structure for 4 staff houses, a bore hole for water, and plenty of arable land. It is a GORGEOUS piece of property.  After we’d finished the tour, the Chief announced that if we, Sisterhood Of Servants, had the vision and could develop a program to utilize the facility to better the lives of the people of Mnukwa Chiefdom we could take possession of the building and all its resources.  I almost fainted on the spot!  We've many questions that have yet to be answered concerning this property, but the potential is incredible.  Our group was invited back to the palace for just a few minutes.  I assumed we had more official village business to discuss, but the Chief had a special surprise waiting for us.

Day 4, part 2 - Sisterhood Of Servants Goes Global (ZSOS)

Robert and Doreen Zulu, such faithful servants of the Lord

After having served as the Chairman of S.O.S. for the past four years, I have had an opportunity to meet incredibly interesting people with diverse personality traits.  Many of these encounters had yielded positive working relationships – others have been negative.  I know the cliche that ‘it takes all kinds of people to make a world go round’ is true, but when you’re endeavoring to accomplish a task whose scope is so vast and you know you’re venturing into uncharted territory, you need to have someone on your team that is empathetic, sees the big picture, cares about the details, asks questions, is fully invested in the success of the mission, and is never condescending.  Praise the Lord such a person exists for Sisterhood Of Servants, and his name is Robert Zulu.  Robert has been my emissary from the time I came home from Zambia last summer and began working on a proposal that would be given to Chief Mnukwa to secure the land in Malongwe Village for our school and vocational training center.  He and I correspond back and forth regularly between Chipata and the States.  I always get excited when a call comes in, and I see those 13 digits across my phone screen.  Robert and his wife Doreen (the literacy school teacher) have been invaluable contributors to the work that is taking place at Big Tree Baptist Church.   Robert is the Vice Chairman of our Zambian Board of Directors.  He and Dan Jalowiec, secretary of the Board, worked so diligently to see that all necessary paperwork was filed in a timely manner with government officials so that S.O.S. could have representation in Zambia.  Because of their persistence, Sisterhood Of Servants now has a branch in the country (ZSOS).  Robert and Dan were also instrumental in coordinating the details of my trip and getting together the prospective candidates that would serve as members of the Board. 

 

The new Board of Directors for Zambia Sisterhood Of Servants. Seated L to R: Justinah Kayela, Me, and Josephine Chirwa. Standing: Davis Mwanamoya (treasurer) Dan Jalowiec (secretary), Robert Zulu (vice-chairman), and Kevin Pestke

The time had finally come for me to preside over my first Board of Directors meeting for Zambia Sisterhood Of Servants (I just love typing that out).  Thursday night after the graduation ceremony, we gathered around the Jalowiec’s dinner table.  I called the meeting to order and we began our Board business.   I enjoyed hearing the personal testimonies of the members and learning a little more about them.  We addressed several items listed on the agenda and had tremendous discussion.  I loved the creative, intelligent, insightful, and thoughtful collaboration that was taking place around the table between all the members.  Even though we redeemed our time and packed so much into the meeting, there was more to be done before I returned to the states.  Dan, with his great foresight, had already made plans to schedule a second meeting on Saturday afternoon.  What resulted from both meetings were the following:

        1.  We adopted a Vision/Mission Statement for the organization 

  2.  We reviewed the Bylaws, Conflict of Interest Policy, and Code of Conduct     Policy for ZSOS  that will serve as our governing documents as we move forward  

   3.  We discussed the roles of each board member and officer

      4.  We decided on a regular meeting schedule for future board meetings

      5.  We established 4 separate committees that would be responsible for overseeing the work of ZSOS.

  6.  We made chairperson recommendations to lead each committee

 

I was so excited about our progress and felt like we had laid a great foundation toward accomplishing our short and long term goals.  Rome wasn’t built in a day, ZSOS wouldn’t function as a 50 year old, seasoned organization in a few short months, but we had made the first necessary steps to lead us in that direction.  To God be the glory.  Great things he is doing!

Day 4 - Graduation Festivities

The graduates in their matching shirts and skirts

Thursday morning came quickly, and the Lord gave us a beautiful day to celebrate the graduation.  There were several last minute details that needed to be addressed before making the 90 minute drive back out to the church.  At daybreak, Jan remembered she was supposed to bring cookies for the reception that would take place after the ceremony.  In the states, a quick stop at the grocery store to purchase an already-made sweet treat would solve the dilemma.  That solution is unheard of in Chipata, so I woke to the smell of chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven.  Jan had gotten up early and thawed out some dough that she had prepared on a previous occasion.  We also discovered that we were short two chitenge skirts for the female graduates.  As a result, we needed to stop at the Down Shops (individual retail shops/stalls located in “downtown” Chipata) to purchase a couple more chitenges so Doreen Zulu would be appropriately dressed for the occasion. 

Lil’ Savannah and I laughed and talked in the backseat of Kevin’s vehicle on the drive to the bush.  We finally arrived and took our seats on the front row of the church.  Everything was ready – the certificates had been printed, gift bags for the graduates had been filled, the front of the church had been decorated, the reception meal had been prepared, the guests had arrived, and all that was left to do was wait for the arrival of Honorable Chief Mnukwa.  I would have my formal introduction meeting with him the next day, but he was going to be part of the entourage of officials that had come to take part in the ceremony.   I would finally get to see him face to face.  The program was wonderful.  Dan and Kevin both addressed the congregation and the graduating class.  Chief Mnukwa addressed many of his remarks to the village headmen in attendance. The area counselor and education officials praised the work that Doreen Zulu had done with the class and encouraged her and the students to continue with their progress.

15 year old Dani Zulu, class valedictorian

I can’t even begin to describe how proud I felt watching these adults walk across the stage to receive their certificates.  Please take a moment to watch the video of the ceremony even though the footage is a little rough.  Two of the students are husband and wife.  Their names are Bernard and Joyce Zulu.  Both are in their fifties, and neither knew how to read OR write before attending the literacy class.  Bernard shared his testimony last summer stating that his goal was to someday be able to stand up in church and read a passage of scripture from the Bible.  Joyce had to endure the mocking and ridicule of friends every time she prepared to come to class (peer pressure isn’t felt by the younger generation, only).  They thought she was too old to learn and was just wasting her time.  I am pleased to report that those same friends who were mocking are now showing interest in attending class themselves.  God is good! ☺

Click the link below to watch a portion of the graduation ceremony

http://youtu.be/tb0V1G4-u64

Toward the end of the ceremony I had the opportunity to address the congregation, the graduates, the village officials, and Chief Mnukwa.  All of the speakers that had gone before me began their remarks with the greeting, “Yomashopa” which is the English equivalent to “Your royal highness.” This is what I said:

“Yomashopa Chief (and I courtsied).  I am so glad to be here today to witness this occasion and play a small part in helping the literacy class.  I am motivated by a love for God and a heart of compassion for al of you.  The people of this village are part of my new family and Chief Mnukwa is my chief.”  

Everybody started laughing right away.  In my mind I thought, “Oh no!  What did I say that was so funny?”  I found out later from Justinah, my translator, that everyone was laughing at what I said because Chief Mnukwa CAN’T be my chief since I don’t live in the village.  I thought I was being respectful; they thought I was talking crazy!  Oh well, another mzungu mistake.   I sure am glad I can laugh at myself! ☺

The Chief (in the middle w/ red and white shirt), 
village officials, and entire graduating class

5 hours had passed from the time Savannah and I took our seats until the final song was sung and closing remarks were made.  Sitting that long on a hard, mud pew really takes its toll.  My tailbone was ready for a change in seating, and my stomach was ready for lunch.  The reception meal was very special.  In addition to the customary Nshima (corn that is ground into a rough meal and cooked like grits) and relish (cooked cabbage/greens in tomato broth) that is eaten most every day by the nationals, white rice had also been prepared along with a really tasty beef stew.  Our hostess even brought out the silverware, and we all ate with forks instead of our fingers.   I enjoyed my food and sat with the Chief and his advisors for just a while, listening to their conversation and laughter as the reminisced about growing up in the village together.  I went outside and walked around with Jan and Savannah as Jan passed out her chocolate chip cookies.  They were a big hit.  After more visiting and picture taking, we left.  The evening was still young, and I had less than an hour and a half to prepare for the next big event of the day:  my first board meeting with the Zambia Sisterhood Of Servants Board of Directors (ZSOS).