The rainy season is a bittersweet time of year for Zambians and those of us who live in Zambia. The rain is such a blessing that refreshes the earth, cools the air, and brings the nourishment for the crops to grow. With the rain also comes disease, illness, insects, and hunger. During the rainy season, we are not able to get deep into the bush because the roads wash out and it is impossible to drive to those places. Not only do we not travel, but trucks with goods and transportation for the sick is limited.
People are exhausted from working in their fields planting corn, peanuts, soy beans, and cotton. Many people in Nyimba go to their fields and live in them for 2-3 months during the rainy season because their field is so far from their home. They do not have a home in the field, they live under a small grass roof shelter with no walls. Snakes are numerous, rats try to come into the fields to eat the seeds, and monkeys will eat the corn off the stalk if someone is not their to keep watch.
After three years of living in Zambia we have learned that the majority of the funerals we attend are during the rainy season. In the past month, we have known four people to die that we knew. The water they are drinking is filled with bacteria because of the mold that comes with the wet days and malaria is out of control. Samson's little boy was bitten by a cobra. Paul's goat was killed by hyenas. Paul's sister died of an intestinal infection. Our neighbor has meningitis. Jumbe and Kampion informed Kendall that there are many many babies dying at the hospital from malaria.
Hunger is rampant this time of year. The food that they have from last year's crop is depleted and most people in the village are eating only one meal a day. Our friends that have a good income are struggling to eat two meals a day because they had to use their money to buy seed and fertilizer. As we drove through Nyimba on Wednesday, it was the most depressing sight that Kendall and I have seen. No one is smiling. Hunger is written all over their faces. Sadness of sick loved ones and mourning families is prevalent in Nyimba. Our hearts are breaking for our Zambian brothers and sisters.
Please pray for them that God would supply their every need.
Continue to pray for more rain, there was a 2-week drought here and farmers are still in need of more rain for a good crop in order to feed their families.
Pray for the medical staffs all over Zambia that are flooded with patients this time of year. Pray for us to be extra compassionate and understanding.
As my friend says "be kinder than necessary to everyone because everyone is fighting some kind of battle."
A woman leaving the hospital after delivering food and visiting a loved one that is sick.
The Nyimba Hospital
1 comment:
Am praying for the rain to continue and for God to be merciful to His children there. Bittersweet is an excellent descriptive for this season, apparently because I was just trying to think of a word to describe how it feels to pray that the rain would continue while praying that the rain would not bring harm to those working during it and what came to mind was...bittersweet. Thanks for keeping us up to date, Joy!
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