What Happened to Miss Independent...

On October 24th, 2007, Zambia celebrated 43 years of peaceful independence. I hope to celebrate the next 43 years in this snappy sweater vest! It is the perfect combination of high fashion and practicality as it is now hot season, meaning that the lack of sleeves provides just the breathability one needs while, at the same time, not compromising fashion. Long live Zambia!!!

You may want to keep an eye out as the Christmas season approaches...I may or may not have a little sumpin' sumpin' that was tailor made for the season!

The Cockroach

I find many a cockroach in my kitchen...this is how it usually plays out...

The roach is spotted...

It's over...

Cornucopia 'o' Goodness

Canadian Thanksgiving comes but once a year, and low and behold it showed up again this year...or so I hear...one can never be sure but I assume the holiday went on in my absence. But fear not, lest I forget where I come from I made sure being on a team of American's wouldn't dampen my Thanksgiving spirit. I prepared a makeshift feast fit for low ranking nobility, managing to keep all my digits intact and was honoured to have my friends Susan and Mike from Sinazongwe join me for this rich occasion. I made sure to wear a festive brown harvest sweater even though it was 30 degrees outside, too.I even a made this pumpkin pie from a real pumpkin...and those dark spots are supposed to be there. I like to think of it as one of those "Magic Eyes" where if you stare at it long enough something will pop out at you...or a psychology experiment..."what do you see in this image?"

Susan and Mike and the feast.
Now lets all go around the table and say one thing we're thankful for...

Stitch me up, Buttercup!

This day marked another milestone in my Afrikan Adventure...the world of medical care! I had a small incident with an unfriendly jungle cat, or an unfriendly kitchen knife if you will, and sliced my left opposable thumb open. They say the first cut is the deepest...baby, do I know!Here I am at the clinic...I believe here I had just squirted blood all over Dr. Joseph while he tried to clean it.

Like Beth from Little Women..."I can be brave, too!"

Dr. Joseph working his magic

The opposable thumb, all stitched up with no place to go

Shannon and Dr. Joseph,

Thumbs up for stitches in Africa!

All I can say is at least I didn't fry my foot in a George Foreman grill.

Best Friends Forever

Snakes happen to be one of my greatest fears but I think I have a good shot at becoming the next "Crocodile Hunter" with this stunning photographic display. The fact that I kind of freaked out and had to put it down shouldn't be a problem, should it!? Shannon and the python...completely relaxed

This is a shot of the cobra we found in our yard at home...eating a frog. Don't worry, I charmed it in no time flat.

"Then the LORD sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died."
~ Numbers 21:6

Little House in Lusaka

About 10 days ago I moved into a new dwelling place in the city of Lusaka. I live alone. I do not have any cats. Although there is the Allen family, new to the team, who lives about 15 steps away...but they are not cats either. It's splendid to be in the city as it is closer to everything and everyone...but there is still a very large place in my heart for Kasupe and the farm (I would give it the right ventricle of my heart) of which I still work in 2-3 times a week.

Join me on a photographic tour of my "Little House in Lusaka" as I Shannon Ingalls Wilder guide you through. Please refrain from flash photography and keep your hands where I can see them at all times...don't want any "sticky fingers"!

Click here for the tour

In Studio

Recently I recorded the Redeemed Church Choir out at the farm. It is the church located near the farm whose roof blew off in a freak whirlwind a couple weeks ago...but that's beside the point. They composed 9 songs that we recorded in a couple hours because we had to be done by 3pm because there was a big soccer game on that Sunday afternoon that all the men wanted to watch. It seems some things transcend culture!Here they are, the Redeemed Church Choir

In the "Studio" aka the library

Getting ready (the girl in the front middle looks super impressed...she's probably just eager to watch the soccer game I suppose)

Apparently they have written 9 more songs they want to record next week...

Tale of a Storey

I've posted my updates from the past seven months that I send out via email. So if you are ever suffering from insomnia you can check it out...

Click here to read the ramblings

You can also find the link puttin' out the vibe in the sidebar.

Eating "Set"

So, I've chalked up another item to add to my food list. You can order the staple food, Nshima, in a fashion called "Set", which is a chicken head, chicken feet, chicken liver, and chicken intestine. I went with my friend, Daliso, to this sketchy market place to sit down and enjoy a little meal. I'm pretty sure I have worms.Set...tempting, tantalizing, and "tasty"

The head...complete with brain...could always use another

Both ends

The intestines...mmmm

Young Grasshopper!

I've been teaching guitar to a couple of youth here in Kasupe. This is Peter during one of our lessons. We spend about 2 hours doing scales, an hour of theory, and then play a little diddy at the end. Kidding. But he is doing very well...

Payton Hit's the Big 0-3!!!

It was a big day on August 26 when Payton Whitfield turned 3... an event of epic proportions!Here's me and the little man...he seems to have a bit of a "Chandler" reaction to cameras!

His "Thomas the Tank Engine" cake in all it's glory!

The Push Start Champions!

Recently we ventured out with the Kasupe Rural Health Committee to visit and bring food and blankets to some desperately needing homes. Along the way, the mechanical genius that I am, killed the battery. So we had to push start it (something I have never accomplished in this lifetime). So we had 5 elderly Zambia ladies on the committee and two of our visiting team ladies (Alisha and Esther) push the beast of a cruiser. And on the third try we did it! I'll never forget the day I made 5 old ladies push a land cruiser.

Victory is sweet!

Carrying meali meal on my head...the old women took it from me cause they said it was too heavy for me and put it on their head instead

One of the homes we visited

Trekking...

Moving Pictures

teaching the youth choir to do the wave...how we end every week.



singing with the Kids Bible Club

So Long Stephanie and Susan

This past week I said goodbye to my good friends Stephanie (my roommate) and Susan. They have moved 6 hours south to Sinazongwe to do medical ministry with an organization called MVI. It's hard to see them go but I'm excited for them and this new opportunity!

So I've got room for one more in the hut now along with me and the rats on the bathroom ceiling...any takers! Until then I have crazy solitaire parties and try to figure out the rubics cube.

The Great Mouse Adventure

On my mission to eat weird and gross things here in Zambia, I believe I have come across number 1 on my list so far. With caterpillar and a whole chicken head firmly under my best (or more on my hips you could say) I successfully ate my first mouse...fir, tail, legs, insides and all. I left only the teeth! It actually tasted pretty good!The before and after...it was quite well done

Mmmm, this mouse tastes yummy!

Shannon's Slaughter Shack

Alisha and I had the honours of killing two chickens for a neighborhood BBQ we had last week. So here we are with the heads of our respective chickens...that saying about running around like a chicken with it's head cut off really IS true!!!

The Inside Storey

Take a little gander into what's been happening around here lately....

(above) This is our Saturday morning Kids Bible Club

This is the youth choir that I have started here with youth from the area. We meet on Thursday afternoons...it's a blast!

Playing netball with the girls

The short term team that was just here put on several dental clinics for our area which was awesome.

Here I am packed in a row of 5 people coming home on a mini bus...a situation I have come to embrace, literally.

Mary Goes to America!

This past week we experienced a miracle with the adoption of Mary by Steve and Patti Hupp. The US embassy was refusing to grant Mary a visa to travel home to the states and was requiring a document that would be impossible to come up with. But on Thursday morning, hours before their flight was to leave the embassy granted the visa. It's a longer story but that's the abridged version. God is good.

“Your ways, O God, are holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the peoples.”~ Psalm 77:13-14

Patti and her daughter Mary

At the airport

Haha! We found these great glasses at the farm...this is the beauty of it being your blog...
please don't hurt me Patti!