A spinster no longer

Hey People!

I realize it’s been a while since I’ve written. My deepest apologies, I’ve been a little bit busy. . .

I’M MARRIED!!! Yes, I found a keeper and promised to have and to hold him until death do us part. It’s pretty wonderful and exciting. You may now call me Mrs. Ngoma, if you so wish. Although I’m keeping Bennett at least until I return back on US soil. Exchanging my original documents through the postal service is not something I’m prepared to do at this time. The marriage certificate proudly states that I, Elizabeth Bennett, am no longer a “spinster” just as Blessed is no longer a “bachelor.” People in my village have been telling me all along that at age 24, I should really be married with two or three kids by now. At least by now a bit of the pressure is off.

Blessed and I are so happy and we owe everyone a tremendous thank you for all your support. We especially want to thank our families and our friends who made July 2nd such an amazing and wonderful, memorable day. WE LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!! For those who could not make it, we will find a way to celebrate the whole thing again in America-land when the time comes. “Yes please!!!” And Jessica, your presence was felt in the love and care with which you helped me prepare in spirit. Thank you so much.

I hope you’ll all get a chance to be visually stimulated by the few photos I’ve included here, as well as those posted by Lea and Katey King. I understand they, along with Kara and Mekkin, have posted several “snaps” from the wedding. Thank you all so much for taking so many wonderful photos! We have basket-loads of memories thanks to you all! I won’t thank the jerk of a photographer, who although he took several lovely prints, stole Beth’s camera. That was some bad karma in your direction Ba Mudala, really bad.

The photos I’m posting are from a long stretch of events since the last time I posted anything to this blog, beginning with several snaps of my Girls’ Camp in Kanyembo. It was a huge success, judging by the marked improvement in the pre- and post-test scores of the participants, and the 41 people who volunteered for HIV tests at the VCT Event that finished off the week. I was really pleased with the way everything went and am very thankful to the PARVEN Foundation for all of their hard work to make it all happen. Mwabombeni Mukwai!!!

Other photos in this new set are from the wonderful pseudo-honeymoon we shared with my family and friends. We had an amazing few weeks with an amazing group of people! Ten of us (Mom, Dad, Tia, Annette, Tad, Beth, Kara, Mekkin, Blessed, and myself) traveled to Livingstone the day after the wedding. After a messy breakdown in our tired minibus, (which actually could have been much messier – we broke down in the “ACID CONTAMINATED AREA” outside of Mazabuka) we arrived in Livingstone in the literal middle of the night. We spent the greater part of the following day at Victoria Falls and enjoyed being TOTALLY drenched by the spray, a cascade in its own right, after which we hiked down into the Boiling Pot to enjoy the sights of crazy people bungee jumping from the bridge. “No, thank you.” That night we had dinner at the NGOMA Zanga restaurant where the masses got to see Annette shake it like a Polaroid picture. The memories will live on and on. . .

Our return to Lusaka brought little rest as we forged on to Mfuwe in the Eastern Province for some excellent game viewing. Although we got a very late start and got lost a bit on the way, arriving at o’dark thirty (aka five o’clock in the AM), we truly enjoyed our accommodation and the many encounters with animals during our stay. We stayed at Flat Dogs Camp just outside the gates of South Luangwa National Park. “Outside the gates” doesn’t really describe the reality of the situation. The park has no fence or man-made boundary surrounding it, so the animals venture outside and into the contiguous areas. We had elephants at a 20-foot distance from our tents and I was even blessed with the opportunity to step in monkey poo. By the way, a big thanks to my loving mother for cleaning that business off my bare foot. Can you feel the love? The hippos made their hippo noises all night long, and my parents had early awakenings by the monkeys and elephants that came complimentary with their tree house. Yep, it was just as awesome as it sounds. On our game drives inside the park we saw giraffes, elephants, a leopard, lions, zebras, about a zillion kinds of antelope, hippos, warthogs, mongoose, hyenas, crocodiles, on and on and on. It was incredible. Definitely the best safari I’ve experienced. If you get a chance, go. And fly.

Upon return to Lusaka we saw off Tad, Beth, Annette and Tia. Our journey continued to my site. We drove the 8 hour trip to Mansa, where we stayed in a brand new guest house. Not sure how I ended up with something’s entire eyebrow in my breakfast sausage. I suppose that my stomach must be increasingly made-of-steel. Remarkably, by the time we arrived and settled in Kanyembo, everyone was sick except me and my dad. We managed a few fun experiences, including a short cruise on Lake Mweru and a full morning of chitenge shopping – resulting in a bit of chitenge wear returning to two of the most fashionable closets in Boston and Seattle respectively. We were greeted by several members of the Kanyembo community who were eager to meet Ba Maayo and Ba Taata, as well as Bana and Bashi Bwinga (The Mother and Father of the Wedding = Blessed and myself). We even got a chance to witness a bit of work being done on what will eventually (hopefully before the rainy season begins) be my, strike that, our new house. I like how married life means that everything that was once “mine” is now “ours.”

“Our Three Weeks of Glory,” as Blessed is calling it, was a really wonderful way for him to get to know his new American family and vice versa. I knew they would like each other, but never anticipated the bonds that would be made in those three weeks. They just seem to absolutely adore each other. Chawama SANA! We’ve settled back into the house in Kanyembo and the community is so happy to have us back. They’re all excited about having Blessed around and it is funny how much more a part of the community I feel now that we’re living there together as a married couple. The work we are planning to do together is getting me very excited and we’re about to get very busy. I am especially looking forward to the Home Based Care trainings we are about to do throughout the catchment area, as well as the Life Skills teacher training we have planned for the end of August.

We were really lucky to have the opportunity to go to the Mutomboko Ceremony at the very end of July. The traditional ceremony happens each year to celebrate the battle victories of the Lunda people in Luapula Province. (I’m told you can access more information on www.mutomboko.org) One aspect of the ceremony begins in my catchment area in Kanyembo, so we were able to see all of the events as they unfolded. My chieftainess plays a big role in the events and even got to dance the Mutomboko dance this year as the first woman ever to do so. She was awarded uproarious applause. Blessed attended the ceremony last year and knew all the important events to photograph, resulting in a very thorough pictorial representation of the entire weekend. We divided our time among friends from both Blessed’s experience and mine, pitching a tent with the Peace Corps crowd at a soon-to-open orphanage. I even got to meet my soon-to-be neighbor, Leo, who will be joining Lea and I in Nchelenge District by the end of this month. The orphanage promises to be really amazing and just so you all know, they are excepting volunteers from all over the world. I can get details for anyone who is interested.

Please enjoy all of OUR new photos. I wish I could share all of them with you, but they are slow to upload and the Internet in Mansa is too expensive to get everything to you all at once. I’m sure there will be a way to access all of the wedding photos compiled from all those who attended (for all I know with my limited Internet access, you’ve already seen all the photos and are thinking how behind I am), and when I know the details I’ll link it up to this business.

***for example, Tia's photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/10252231@N08/

All of my love and thanks to everyone reading,

LIBBY