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Things have been really hectic since my last post. Finding time to sit and write has been a challenge. The main project has been to get the house to a place where I can stay there while it is being finished.

We are almost to the point where the electric will be connected and the plumber is getting there. But, we still need to get the water to a place where it can be connected to the house.

The builder began plastering walls yesterday. He will do our bedroom and bath and my office first. Once those walls are plastered then he will lay the stone floor. Once those rooms are done then he will work on the rest of the house.

Today we are going to Lusaka. First on the list is Immigration to apply for my work permit extension and have Audrey added as a spouse. Then we will be visiting several shops etc. to pick up things for the house. We need a few more meters of roofing sheets to finish the roof. The plumber is coming with us because there are some parts he needs and neither Charles nor myself knows enough to be accurate. The electrician needs a few more parts and another roll of wire for the house. Then I want to purchase an air conditioner for the bedroom. Here we will use the split units. They mount the fan etc. on the wall of the room (high up) and the compressor is mounted outside. Eventually I will have one in each bedroom and at least a large one in the sitting room. The a/c is something of a priority because by the end of August it will getting hotter every day.

Later today Charles and Judith will leave from Lusaka and go to Kabwe where they will be bagging maize (corn) on their farm there. I will be on my own (sort of) for four or five days. There are some administrative things I need to spend some time on so that will be OK. I will also spend a good bit of time at the house. My presence seems to speed things along.

Being permanently in Zambia is still a new idea. I do not think it has really hit yet. Perhaps that is because I am still staying in the same room I always have stayed in at Eagle’s Rest. I guess when I get into the house that will make it more real. Then when the house is complete I will have a sense of being in a home. After that I can establish a routine.

Regarding routine…I want to move about each Sunday to a different congregation in the district (there are 18). This will allow me to become more familiar to them and I can then have an opportunity to see how they are doing and get to know everyone. So far my trips have been really busy and I am usually seeing so many people in a short time that I have not really been able to learn many names aside from those I interact with most. After the house is complete I want to begin to work with someone and learn Tonga to speak. I do not know how easy that will be for me but I need to be more familiar with the language around me.

Back from Lusaka late last night. I hired transport to bring the roofing sheets and other materials to Siavonga. It is kind of usual to have vehicle problems. The truck has a water leak somewhere and we were stopping every so often to put water in the radiator. But we arrived back in Siavonga late last night. I hope to post photos next time of progress on the house.

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