Stories from kathryn

What Graval does to vinjelu....
Vinjelu was feeling a bit sick to his stomach one morning when we were going to Sandys creation in lusaka East, a absolutely beautiful peaceful HUGE garden center/lodge, we go to the garden center side where there is a HUGE jumping castle and a very large play ground for kids. So we just sit enjoying the surroundings and watch our kids play and play for hours. Anyway, so vinjelu was complaning about his stomach (I have been sick alot and so have to really pry compassion out of my self for a small discomfort like that... heehee) so I gave him one graval, I contemplated giving him two and see the end of the nausia, but I thought of his body weight and thought better of it. So... I gave him one, he said he had to go the the bathroom, after 20 minutes I was thinking wow he really had to go, then it went to 30 minutes and after, then out he walks I was like wow what happened to you, “I fell asleep!” -- oh my gosh so FUNNY! He was like drunk I am telling you on one graval! It was hot so we went to sit under a big grass hut thing to cool off for a while there he fell asleep in his chair again, I just let him be (except for the time seth bit his toe, he woke up for a few seconds to yell at him) me and the kids left for the park again once a big cloud covered the intense sun for a while. 45 minutes later Vinj found that he was alone in the hut, he came walking up and I had a coffee waiting for him. It was pretty funny, and he felt better, and I am just thankful I didn’t give him two, we may have had to stay there all night : )

Some of the things I am thankful for this week ...

Herbal essence
My grandma J and cousin left Herbal essence behind for us to finish! And the smell just reminds me of something familiar, home, etc. I use to use it all the time since I was a young teenager. I love the smell, I have been grabbing the bottle and just smelling it.

My new phone
My phone goes onto facebook very easily and cheaply, and I can go on all day and see updates from all my friends, I just wish there was a chat function on it, but I am so thankful for this awesome gift! I miss home so much, sometimes so much contact with home makes me miss it more... but I love you all, and drop me lines on facebook I can see them so easily.

My husband
He is my constant some times too much where I should be leaning more on God... but even so vinjelu is there, and I am fine when he is there (I can see I need to lean more into Jesus, but thats where I am now). I love him so much, he’s worked his butt off since we got here, and gone on my little wims here and there. Thank you to all my family for accepting him into our family as yours, he is more amazing then I could have eve congured up some amazing guy. I love him.



Two new appliances in our house.
Coffee maker, and Fan. Need I say more... it is getting VERY hot, so the fan comes around the house where ever we are. We looking at air conditioners, they go from $400- $1000! Cant really bring our selves to spend that kind of money.

Opportunities to give
There are obviously millions of opportunities to give, and we take as many as we can when we are hearing, we try to hear what the Holy Spirit is saying of corse. But we meet some people just in the right time. Let me encourage you, give and don’t look back, God blessing is in our hearts being moved to compassion and love for other. Don’t hold onto your stuff, give freely. It’s actually REALLY fun!

Sandy Creation
I mentioned this place already, but its absolutly beautiful, maybe try to google it for some pictures,I am sure they have a web site. It’s in lusaka.

Ok onto the story about the Doctor who I almost slapped...
So we were going to just some random clinic because vinj just needed a quick physical for his Zambian drivers. So we stopped at this place and in the mean time I said I should check for malaria since my joints were hurting so much the night before (I just thought it was from being tired) So it ends up I did have malaria, which meant I had to see a doctor and all that. So we go in together since Vinj needed to the examination.
In short the doctor got both Vinj and I to take HIV tests for what reason I don’t know, and kept talking about STI’s and so on, when Vinj is just getting a physical, and me getting a prescription for the malaria.
Two days later I was in to get another injection, and I took taliah in with me, I though her symptoms were just teething, but I wanted to be sure she didn’t have malaria. So we had to see that doctor again, in that place he was just being so smirky and giving me thiese looks. I went in and sat down and he said who is tyhe father to that child, and right away I was annoyed because we had told him we ARE MARRIED! Since he was treating both of us like some loose hussies. So I said “YOU MET MY HUSBAND”, he said “no thats not your husbands baby, shes white, that baby isn’t mixed.” of corse I was a bit shocked at first then I said “excuse me?” he said again just incase I didn’t get it “she is white, that baby is white” , I said “you have met my husband, this is his daughter, and our son is HIS son... you are very close to offending me very deeply. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY!?” Then he just sat there smirking at me, and I said “KUMBA!” meaning speak. And he said it again, shes white. So I said am I done here, so he gave perscription for her runny nose, and chest... of which I have not gien her anything since I knew she was getting better. I left and as I was leaving he said “your not really upset are you?” and I said “Yes I am” he kept saying “no come back come back” so I turned around and said He could appologize tomorrow when I come again. I could see he wanted to just brush it off. I confess now I probably didn’t respond in love or humility... I can see that. I haven’t seen him since and today is my last injection, and I will not be going back there again as long as I can help it.