Funny Things that Happen in Africa.

When you use the toilets in the office you have to pour water in the toilets to flush them. Toilets do not automatically flush here. Sometimes they need a little help.

We stick forks in electrical sockets to make them work. (Yes, opposite of what your momma told you.)

You take showers in the bathtub standing up without a curtain, so, sometimes water gets on the floor. Sometimes the hose does not reach when you stand up and you have to sit and shower.

We break out in random dance parties everywhere. On the street, in the immigration office, at local restaurants, at the FLMZ office, and always in villa 57. The summer theme song has been Low.

We try to talk in a Zambian English accent, and it usually sounds more like an Asian accent.

Coffee is very deceptive. When it is light brown it is usually strong, and when it is black it rips your stomach up. Sometimes when your water heater is broken you boil water on the stove. (We drink instant coffee here - Ricoffy.)

The Internet is painfully slow – similar to dial up. So, uploading things is very impossible.

Not only do we dance everywhere, but also we sing everywhere. We usually sing in Nyanja, and sometimes I do not know all the words so, I pretend I know them, and then I’ll make them up.

Sometimes the electricity goes out in Zambia at random times. It may be out for hours with no indication of when it will come on again. So, you get use to the dark.

I like to watch the Zambian children jump off the bus when they are at camp. There will be a group of them, and then they spot their American and Zambian camp counselors and they will take off after them in a full sprint. They usually then dogpile their counselors. It's like watching a pack of hyennas attack a wilda beast - it makes me laugh.

Often it feels like college life in that there are sometimes 8 to 12 girls that live in your house, and you share a bathroom with four of them and a room with at least one of them. (I don’t get a lot of alone time here, but the community is AMAZING!) I laugh all the time when I'm not crying, and then I'll usually start laughing again.

We taught some of the Zambian staff how to two-step and jitterbug. And the two-stepping was RID-IC-U-LOUS. Zambians have rhythm but, even in Africa - guys step on your toes.

You have to look both ways when crossing the street – literally, because sometimes you forget if you’re in Africa or America and you have to reverse your directions or you’ll get run over.

We get honked at constantly and yelled at “Muzungu – Marry Me!” Why are there not American guys this bold? ;)

I like to watch the grown men (the 50 yr old crowd) dance with their grown boys at camp. I laugh as they start dancing and prancing around in a circle like they were 20. Sometimes Jesus makes us look like fools -but it sure is good entertainment.

Even in Africa there are crazy kids- not demonic – just crazy. There was one kid named Junior who is 5, and he punched and kicked Teddy and tried to bite Pastor Raphael. They just both looked at each other and said, “ This kid is crazy.” He would look at Kasey, and mimic her and say, “No fighting”, and then he would go and pummel some kid.

All the Zambian children are obsessed with the wrestler John Cena. They often say, “Satan – you can’t see me!” As they say this, they wave their hand in front of their face and then hold up their hand and shout, “The Lord is MY SHEPHERD.”

There is this orphan named Paul, who has been at camp almost every day since we have arrived. He assists us in various things, and generally just makes us laugh. His school has not even come through camp yet, but he has already received his “blessings” from the Lord. He is the Zambian version of Dennis the Menace.

Zambians call flip flops - tropicals. And when they say the – it sounds like da. And they add the ee sound to the end of many words. For instance light is lightie.

There is a strong presence of marijuana here at Mulungushi – every night. Apparently people can smoke pot in their house here, and this odor lingers outside. This odor comes from the other Gushi residents or at least I’m hoping it is not from the Camp LIFERS. If it is then it gives the PSALMS – He makes me lie down in green grass, restoring my soul – a whole new meaning.