What is a DFA?!

“Cara, what did you do in Zambia for a month?” Here are the posts for those who want details – ha! Our days in the city of Lusaka generally started with small group study/storying. Mine was with Doug & Kathryn Taylor (thus it was splendiferous) and two national believers. Then we headed out in groups of three for our Daily Field Assignments until lunch. After lunch, we’d debrief the day and have lectures regarding African culture, etc.

APRIL
23 – Intro day. Welcome to 40/40 in Lusaka, Zambia! Best moment of the day = arriving from the airport and getting big hugs from all of our friends amid screams of excitement. :)

24 – DFA: Observation Skills – see if you can figure out why they do what they do! Learning how to get insights into the culture by watching...in a very non-stalker sort of way. :P

25 – DFA: Group worship and learn how suffering is a gift (Phil. 1:27-30 & other passages).

26 – DFA: Basic Bio – how do you get to know someone in an African culture? Hint: greetings and goodbyes are the most important thing you can do right!

27 – DFA: What is a humanitarian – their answers might surprise you… We also had an “adventurous” meal near the market (Rose, the language helper for Lauren and me, is the one pictured above).

28 – DFA: Medicine and Heath – what do you do if someone gets sick? Go to a clinic, pray, visit the witch doctor…?

29 – DFA: Deaths and Funerals – traditions regarding these and a visit with a family who had recently lost a loved one to learn how to grieve with them.

30 – T4T (Training for Trainers) classes, and an adventure into the city of Lusaka for internet and a MOVIE.

MAY
1 – DFA: The long story.  Lauren and I had some great conversations with ladies who were sewing in the market. They had many questions about what the Bible REALLY said because they had been told much misinformation. Another man at the ice cream stand asked us to tell him the story because he had never heard it all the way through before.

2 – DFA: Church and eat with a national family - *sigh* this was day I ate caterpillars and kapenta, which are little, dried fish. I did slice off their eyeballs first because eating eyeballs, EWW! lol. The main food of Zambia is not rice like the Malagasy, but nshima. How to describe it? Think flavorless mashed potatoes with the consistency of play-dough and you’re pretty close. :P Heh heh. It’s really not that bad and makes for a good spoon, but I am very glad that our main food here in Madagascar is rice instead of it.

3 – DFA: Meet government officials/talk with leadership - in Africa it is so important who you know and who you have gotten permission from to be in the village you are in, doing the things you are doing.

Next up…VILLAGE LIFE. :)