JoBurgers

White Rhino

A herd of elephants and a stuck hippo

I spent the last week in Johannesburg, South Africa with Cindi Lombardo.  If you don’t already know, Cindi is a pastor and great mentor/friend of mine.  She lives in Kansas City but ministers around the world.  I could go on and on about her unbelievable story and how God is using her, but I would be typing for days so you should just check out her website.  Anyway, Pastor Cindi knew that I was in Zambia and invited me to join her as she spent some time ministering in South Africa.  I gladly accepted the invitation.  I took a 27 hour bus ride to join her in JoBurg on Friday, May 20th.  Over the week, we were privileged to have an opportunity to minister to pastors, churches, friends, and many others.  It was a blessing to be a part of the ministry of the Holy Spirit that took place over the week.  In addition to the ministry time, our hosts also made sure we had a good time seeing the sites.  We visited the "not as ancient as you might think" Sun City.  We went on a wildlife drive and saw kudu, wildebeest, springbok (and various other forms of biltong), rhinos, elephants, giraffes, and one or two hippos.  We visited several historical monuments and educated ourselves on some Voortrekker history.  It was an unforgettable time.

Voortrekker Monument

But even with all of that, the most enjoyable part of the whole trip for me was getting to know our hosts- Ansie, Corne, and Riekie.  Ansie was the one who told me to come on down to JoBurg and that she would make sure I had a place to stay.  I stayed with her, her son Corne, and his wife Riekie.  They welcomed me into their home like family and I instantly fell in love with them.  They are officially my “South African” family.  Corne and Riekie have a beautiful baby boy named Rico who will be a year old on June 4th.  I already miss being greeted by his smile every morning.  Ansie’s daughter, Anina, and her husband, Ruan, live next door.  They have a 5 year old daughter named Kirsten and a wonderful 2 month old baby boy.  Kirsten is probably the most intelligent 5 year old I have ever met.  English is her second language (it is rarely even used around school or the house) yet she speaks it better than most 5 year old Americans.  Since Kirsten was living next door, she helped keep me busy and entertained with all sorts of games. (My personal favorite was where I would try to tag her but whenever she said, “stop” I would have to freeze... For some reason I never could tag her.)  Anyway, the best part is that Ansie’s brother lives in Kansas City so they occasionally come to KC to visit him.  So I didn’t have to say, “goodbye,” only “see you later.”

Kirsten at the monument

This Place is Hopping

The grasshoppers have started to come out...

And they grow 'em big here in Africa.

Our dog walked up to us today with this grasshopper in its mouth.  It was still alive but none to happy.  It is probably the largest one I have ever seen, but the Zambians were not that impressed.  They said they see bigger all the time.

Snake Charming

So... We had a spitting cobra get into our house last week...

Count It All Joy

“Count it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you meet trails of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect, lacking in nothing.”
James 1:2-4

We have had to count it all joy this last week.
Zambikes has been waiting on the arrival of a shipment of two containers from China containing bike parts and spares.  They were scheduled to be delivered a few weeks apart, but they arrived at the Zambian border at the same time early last week.  This caused a problem.  Zambia taxes the importing of bike parts at 5% and complete bikes at 25%.  Since the combined contents of the two trailers could be used to assemble some complete bikes, the government insisted that the contents be taxed at 25% instead of 5%.  This increased the tax on the containers by $20,000.  We battled with the officials at the border for several days, but it was no use.  And since the shipping company was ready to start charging Zambikes an extra $500/day that the containers stayed at the border, we finally threw up the white flag and paid the extra amount.  It was a rough day.  And certainly that would seem to have been enough trial to cover the yearly quota, but as they say, “When it rains, it pours.”  So while most of the Zambikes’ directors were busy Saturday night celebrating the marriage of Chiteau, a Zambikes’ employee, some thieves were busy breaking into the Zambikes’ office and stealing computers and bikes.  We discovered this the next morning while we were waiting for the two ($20,000 added tax) containers to finally arrive at the warehouse- containers that it turns out, are missing much of the spares that were ordered.  Oh, and I just found out (as I am writing this) that the company truck broke down.  I could go on, but I think you get the idea.  So... Here we are in the midst of a downpour of trials... Praying, trusting, and fighting to count it all joy and remain steadfast.  And we are.  Because as a friend shared with me, “True joy does not come as a result of good circumstances...  It comes from the expectation that awesome is about to happen.”

“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”
James 1:12



On a lighter note... Lauren, Dustin’s girlfriend, has been practicing her Nyanja (the local language), which has proven to be rather challenging for her and entertaining for us.  Most recently, she was attempting to say, “Ti zou nana” which translates, “we will see you later,” but instead found herself saying, “ti zanya,” which apparently translates, “we are pooping.”
...Not your average farewell.

Bamboo Bikes

Stain Chafwa sanding a bamboo frame.

I just realized that I don’t think I have mentioned anything about the bamboo bikes that Zambikes is making.  You heard me right... in addition to the several steel framed bikes that Zambikes makes, they also produce bamboo bicycle frames and they are sweet!!!  Apparently, bamboo’s combination of strength and flexibility makes it a perfect choice for building a comfortable, durable bicycle frame.  And since bamboo is a sustainable, renewable resource, it is environmentally friendly.
Right now I can even hear the sound of bamboo being sanded down at the Zambikes’ shop next to where I am staying.  It takes about a week of labor to construct a single frame, and I have been able to witness each step of the process.  Here is the abbreviated version:  First, the crew selects, treats, cuts, and sands down each bamboo piece.  (And I have learned that I love the smell of sanded bamboo.)  Then they carefully connect the pieces so as to construct a frame that it is of the highest quality and durability.  Then the joints where the bamboo connects are secured with epoxy and local hemp (doesn’t get much greener than that) and the entire frame is covered in a protective sealant.  And then... BAM(boo)!  You have got yourself one legit handmade bicycle frame, a real African work of art.

Zambikes originally started making bamboo bikes to see if they could produce a high quality bike at low cost to Zambians.  Unfortunately, the expense of bringing in the extra parts (derailers, wheels, pedals, crank, etc) was too high to make it cost effective.  So... they changed angles and started producing high quality bamboo bike frames that can be exported to the US and Europe.  Now people can buy a sweet bamboo bicycle frame made in Africa while helping employ 40+ Zambians and promoting community development right here in Lusaka West!  Win-win, if you ask me.  I am planning on coming back to Lawrence with one.  If you want to see more or buy your own bamboo frame check out Zambikes.com.  (And if you think the website looks nice... I’ll take a little credit for that.)