Monday, August 25th

Today was our first day of officially being African tourists and we soaked it up! We slept last night in the Jollyboys backpacking lodge in Livingstone, which is awesome. We've met a lot of cool people passing through here. With us not being around the Malaria Research Hospital in Macha, we don't get to enjoy the generator anymore and have experienced the daily power outage that most of Africa has. Last night, it was from 12am to 5pm, so most of us were roasting in our rooms. Other than that, we all had a pretty good nights sleep... Other than Ben. Poor guy was sick all night and most of today. (He's feeling much better now though, praise the Lord!) We had breakfast at the lodge and headed to the market to do some shopping.. We've all developed some new bargaining skills after this experience. :) After shopping, we went to lunch at a place called Food Palace, which had a lot of food similar to America. Very good! The big event came after lunch... Victoria Falls! Luckily Ben was feeling better after resting all morning and was able to join us to the falls. Pulling up to the falls was pretty exciting to say the least, we passed elephants on the drive there and baboons were all over the parking lot. (FYI baboons are NOT friendly and they will totally chase after you and try to steal your bags). It's safe to say I now have a slight fear of baboons after today. The Falls were amazing though. I don't even know how to describe the experience, besides the fact that we serve a mighty God who has blessed this world with such beauty and creativity. We had to walk through a lot of rocks and water to get to it, and actually had some elephants block our pathways. We hiked to Angels Pool, which is at the top of the falls,  and everyone enjoyed jumping in and relaxing in the water. While everyone was doing that, I took a few minutes to sneak away and enjoy some alone time on the rocks by the ledge of the Fall. After the craziness of this week, it was great to enjoy some time to soak up everything that has happened and just enjoy the silence of nature in that moment. I thought of how unworthy we are of the gifts God has given us. Victoria Falls is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. God created this magnificent piece of nature for us to enjoy because He loves us enough to do so. I truly cannot explain Victoria Falls and I don't even know if the pictures we all took will do it justice. It's definitely sights like this that make me realize how truly small and insignificant my problems are in life. God is so mighty, it's insane. After the Falls, we went to dinner at an amazing Italian restaurant and are now enjoying some down time at the lodge. We start our day bright and early at the safari, so as a disclaimer, this may be our last blog post due to lack of wifi in the middle of Chobe National Park. I think we're all super excited for this, I know I am! Thanks to everyone who has been following our blog posts, we've enjoyed keeping everyone updated. We're all very sad to be winding down our trip, but we will be home soon enough and have plenty of stories to tell!

With love,
Skylar Cohick

Well today was a sad day.. Our last day in Macha. We started off the day going to the local brethren in Christ church which was an awesome experience! It was neat to see how a church halfway across the world worships the lord! The songs they sang were breathtaking and I loved seeing how they love and serve our king. After church we ate our last meal with the Thuma family.. Makes me sad thinking about it as I have grown to love my time spent with them but they are doing awesome things for the kingdom here in Zambia and I am so thankful for my week spent with them and the people of Macha!  After lunch was the trek back to Livingston, which we have called tourist land. Since arriving we have checked into the hotel and enjoyed a dinner at a local restaurant. It's been nice to relax a little bit from the week and really enjoy time with each other. Each day we have grown closer and bonded and it's been awesome to see the difference in now and when we first all met each other! The next two days are for visiting Victoria falls and going on a safari. I am so so excited for both but I'm sad we won't see the smiles and friendly hellos from the people of Macha. That is something I will for sure miss.

Emma

Friday--Our last day with the kids

Today we woke up and ate breakfast at the usual time, 8:30.  However, something was different.  It was our last day working with the same kids we had been working with for the past few days.  I was nervous about our last day..knowing that we would have to say goodbye to the people who had become our family in such a short amount of time.  Memories were made, stories were shared, games were played that all brought us all together. Even though we were from two totally different worlds, something as simple as a soccer ball or the clapping of hands could bring us all together. We made our way to our usual field and played a bunch of different games ranging from soccer to simple hand clapping games. Everyone was exhausted but we relied on the strength and power of our Lord Jesus Christ.  After having a soccer shooting competition, two members of our group shared their testimonies.  I (Courtney) shared mine.  I shared a little bit about what God has done in my life throughout the past few years.  I told them I worry...all the time..but I told them that when I do this, I am making everything about myself.  I am trusting in only myself and not in the Lord. I shared that the Lord revealed this to me but I still must battle my sinful self everyday.  It was always be a fight, but it is the good fight.  I looked at this crowd of children and told them I loved them, they were my family, and I will never forget them.  I told them I longed deeply for each of them to come to know Jesus.  That is my greatest hope that Jesus would come and fill their hearts and that they would pursue a relationship with Him. Skylar then shared her testimony and the kids listened intently.  I looked around and couldn't help but feel the Holy Spirit..it was so evident that God was with us. I left that field continuing to look back.. I never wanted to forget those faces or that field where so much work was done for the glory of the Lord.

In the evening, we met up again with the kids in the rec center. We all played board games, painted nails, played soccer, and read books.  It was our last hoorah with the kids. I couldn't say goodbye..it would be too hard.  I left that rec center remembering all of their faces and not wanting to leave.

Pray for us as we continue to spread the aroma of Christ!! LOVE from Zambia!

Courtney

Today we had the rare luxury of sleeping in until 9 o'clock.  No one missed out on the opportunity- Zambia is as tiring as it is amazing.  After breakfast we packed up and headed to Kalisowe, a neighboring village a few kilometers from Macha.  Although the villagers there were less familiar with white people (and even less so with the goofy ones we brought along in our group), they were as accepting and welcoming as anyone we've encountered.  First on the agenda was a vibrant church ceremony; filled with lively drumming and a choir of local singers, remarkable testimonies by Greg and Danny, and a unifying message from the local preacher.  A few of us even got up to dance and sing with the choir, a spectacle that had many of the villagers laughing and jeering.  After church we divided up the children to play games. The women cooked Nshima, Zambia's staple food, and goat- which, according to some group members, tastes like chicken (although I wasn't convinced). After a fabulous lunch and we headed to the local damn for the water filter demonstration.  Similar to Thursday, the people were amazed to see such dirty water become clean; and Ben did a great job connecting it to the way God sent Jesus to wash us of our own impurities.  Once the filters were passed out, we prepared for the soccer game.  We played a team of men from the village, and graciously won 8-2, earning cheers and laughs from spectating women and children throughout the entire ordeal.  It was amazing to see the guys laughing and competing, and both teams were beaming with smiles as the final whistle blew.  The ride back to Macha was short, and the group is half asleep in Eric's living room as I sit here and write this entry.  It was a good, good Zambian day, like every other one we've had here so far.

Oh, and Happy 22nd Birthday to Ben Wise, a huge part of this group.  A Zambian birthday is certainly one to remember.

Ryan Lago

Thursday, August 20th

Today was filled with pure joy. We got up and headed to breakfast. After enjoying some pumpkin bread, we headed to the clinic. Only, today we changed it up and taught the kids to play capture the flag. It was so cool to see them enjoy this new game and getting to play it with them. Some of us got to share our testimonies with the kids before and after the games. It was awesome to see how receptive the kids were of us and where we come from. We were able to speak truth into their lives through our own journey. How awesome is that? After lunch we had the opportunity to distribute Sawyer Water Filters in a village in Macha. This opportunity was not only a blessing to the families we provided them to but also to our team. We took time to teach the families how to assemble and clean the filters. In those moments showing them their newly cleaned water, we saw pure joy on their faces. There were tears and many, many thank yous. Walking door to door to distribute gave us a chance to get to know the families and to spend time talking, praying with them and sharing the gospel. It may seem like such a small concept but those filters ultimately represent Jesus. We, like the water, are dirty with sin but in our relationship with God, like the filter, we are made clean and pure. We were able to encourage these families to consider this idea each time they drink their clean water. How blessed are we to be able to provide such a gift to these people. But none of it truly compares to the gift of Jesus that we have received from God. Each day here, I realize h ow truly great it is to be a child of God and to be his hands and feet, not only here in Zambia but in all of the places that we go. God is at work here, especially in the heartss of the children. We are so excited to be a part of what Push The Rock is doing here in Zambia!

-Shannon

19th August 2015

A Wednesday

8:30 in the morning

The beginning of our day was the similar to the previous: breakfast followed by some hours of sports with the kids. The end of the session concluded with a soccer match between a few of the older kids and ourselves. Unfortunately, we were two players down and lost, but seeing their enthusiasm for the game made the defeat a little better. After lunch we walked through the Macha Research Trust's facilities and heard a bit about the studies being performed. Some of the projects include diagnosing young children for HIV/AIDS, developing a new test for antibody detection in children, and determining the strains of malaria infecting the Macha population. Due to their and the local hospital's hard work, the burden of malaria has dropped significantly in recent years: from 2003 to today, malaria prevalence has dropped 98% and mortality has fallen dramatically. In the afternoon we attended a local soccer game, and it was quite an experience seeing all the fans storm the field after a goal. The evening supper was spent with Dr. Phil Thuma (and his wife Elaine), a missionary doctor/scientist who has been in Macha for the majority of his life. 

Duncan

Wednesday

The day started off the same as yesterday. We had a delicious breakfast made by Corie followed by an all-sports clinic at the field. We got to teach the kids how to throw a frisbee for the first time in their lives today, which was quite an adventure. We also had soccer, lacrosse, and the wrestlers' games (who really knows what they do but it is always a great time). Danny and Emma killed it while sharing their testimonies in front of the kids.
In the afternoon, we toured the Macha Research Center. Our brains tripled in size as we learned all the science behind their research with malaria, mosquitoes and HIV/AIDS. In the evening, we watched a local, rivalry soccer match at a nearby village. Well, a few people watched but most of the group were playing with the children the whole time.
We concluded our day with hearing Doctor Thuma share about his life and God's work through him. In addition, we got to hear a powerful testimony from Larry. God is so good. We love it here and we are pumped for another day tomorrow.
-Lisa

This morning, we ate breakfast at around 8:30. Cory made baked oatmeal that was delicious. After breakfast, we headed over to a local field to play sports with some of the children from Macha. At first, there weren't many kids, but after about half an hour, there were over a hundred.  This was one of my personal highlights. I thoroughly enjoyed the enthusiastic attitude of the kids as we played sports. However, much more than simply playing games, I enjoyed the relational connections that the sports naturally brought about.  Next, we ate lunch. We ate with the push the rock personnel. It was a great pleasure learning how to eat nshima (a pasty white, rice-like, substance) in the traditional manner.  We spent the remaining part of the evening in the PTR pavilion playing board games and pickup sports.  I was astounded at the cognitive and intellectual ability of these children! (I was beaten at least five times by a twelve year old in checkers).  In the evening we explored the local area, which included watching the sunset from the top of an extremely safe water tower. That night, as we gathered together, Eric Thuma shared his testimony.  I was greatly encouraged by his commitment to this area, the people, and to our Lord. It was good to see such humility and reliability in someone in a vocation that I admire.  I learned a lot from listening to Eric.  God has been moving in amazing ways this trip.  One thing I learned occurred simply when I was walking back to the dorm.  It was night, and the stars were scattered across the sky like nothing I had ever seen before. The narcissistic question popped in my mind "why did Good create all these stars if I can't even see the majority of them?".  The answer, clear as day, immediately resound; "because they weren't made for you".  The beauty and creative ability of God is infinite. This world was created and is being sustained for Him. It exists for His perfect pleasure, His renown, His praise, and His glory. Not mine. I was made to rejoice and experience the ultimate pleasure, the worship of this awesome, perfect, good, and holy God.  May He become greater and I become less.
                                              For His glory alone,
                                                                 -Greg

Monday, Aug 17

After 38 hours of non-stop travel, we finally made it to Macha, Zambia. What a beautiful place! We are so excited to spend the week here. We immediately went to dinner at Eric and Corie Thuma's home, but we didn't make it past all the kids playing soccer and volleyball at the Push The Rock Zambia compound where their home is located. It was on! We didn't come here to eat a nice meal and get a good nights sleep (although Corie Thuma did make one of the best dinners I've eaten in Africa). We came here for the people. As our team talked, laughed, and played with these kids -we knew those 38 hours were worth it. Cross-cultural ministry is not simply traveling to a different country -that is not enough. Presence is not enough. Cross-cultural ministry is when you actually love and engage the people.

Danny Thompson

Monday, August 17th.

Monday was such a weird day for everyone I think because we kind of skipped Sunday altogether. This honestly felt like one of the longest days of my life though because 95% of it was spent on a plane or some other mode of transportation. Regardless, it was a day well spent making memories with our new Zambia family.
The morning started off by landing our 15 hour flight into Johannesburg. The flight actually went by faster than I had anticipated. The worst part for me was the random body aches that would happen from sitting in one position for so long. I oddly felt like I had accomplished so much though when the plane landed.  After we all stood up to exit the plane, a few of us made eye contact with each other like "WE DID IT!", which was just so relieving.
We hung out for a bit in the Johannesburg airport, which had a lot of really cool shops with African clothing and animal skins. The boys seemed to just be really excited about sunglasses though, because I swear they disappeared like 4 times to go look at sunglasses.
The flight into Livingstone was literally a piece of cake for us all. I think we were all just so exhausted that we all slept the whole flight. Courtney fell asleep so hard that it took 4 people to shake her, including the flight attendant, who thought she was dead. That was one of the funniest things for us all to witness.
We met up with Eric, Elem, and Duncan (yay!) at Livingstone and we exchanged our money for Kwacha at the airport. We had approximately 4 hours in a tight-squeezed van until we arrived in Macha.  It was pretty enjoyable getting to see Africa and just have fun together.
Arriving in Macha was such a breath of fresh air for  us and gave us all a feeling of relief.  We dropped our bags off and immediately headed over to play with some kids. We all enjoyed some soccer, volleyball, and pretty much whatever else we could make up with a ball. We enjoyed a fantastic dinner at the Thuma's and headed back to get some sleep early.  We're ready to get the ball rolling tomorrow!  Also, the stars in Africa are AMAZING, definitely a sight I will remember forever.  Thanks for keeping up with us and pray that God can speak to these children through us this week. God is so good!

Love always,
Skylar Cohick

So here we are... Waiting in the airport for our flight to Zambia. God has been moving throughout our team and we have created friendships and shared much laughter. We had a bit of a scare this morning when we were catching our first flight to New York. A few of our team members' bags got pulled aside to be searched and we were already very short on time. Needless to say, about half of us ended up SPRINTING..but actually..sprinting to get to our flight so it wouldn't leave without us! But God is so good and we made it. The first flight was short and sweet. We landed in New York about an hour ago and now we are anticipating this long flight to Zambia. We should get to our final destination of Macha around 5 o'clock on Monday.. Not sure what time zone that is. We all cannot wait to be with the people, be with each other, and share the gospel. Ultimately, we cannot wait to share the love of Christ and represent Him everywhere we go. Excited to see how God uses each and every one of us and our gifts during this trip!

Courtney

Hello blog followers!!

This is Emma, one of the group members of the trip, just wanted to update you on training weekend and what's all ahead!

We have been spending time together bonding and strengthening our team unity as we prepare to leave for Zambia! Early this morning we did a cross run which was eye opening to me and I'm sure others. It was a neat experience to physically feel the burden of the cross on my shoulders as I ran and to be able to relate that to the burden of sin that Jesus took from our shoulders when he died for us, how awesome is that! As the day went on we had sawyer water product training which was awesome to see what all they do and how the products work! Tonight we were able to spend time together as a team and just get to know one another and share a little bit about each other to the group.

I know I'm so excited to be departing in just a couple hours!! Can't wait to see what God has in store for all of us!

Emma