Cultural training!

(April & Samantha visit the farmer's market)

This week we had a special visitor to our home for 3 days for "cultural training" weekend. Actually, we weren't the ones getting the training, we were helping Samantha Sylvia Myambo with her homework from a missions course she is taking. Samantha is an intern with Open Baptist Church, working with the children and also taking Seminary classes. Her assignment was to visit with a family from a culture different than her own. Samantha is from Zimbabwe and her culture is vastly different than ours. However, I think we ended up learning as much from her as she did from us. Isn't that what usually happens on mission trips?! She arrived on Friday with a very open mind, willing to try anything; from food to pets, she really got an education. Since we attend the same church, we were already friends with Samantha, but soon learned that there was so much more to her than we knew. What a sweet, beautiful, kind hearted, Christian woman! She had let us know ahead that she was very afraid of dogs, which presented a problem since we own 2 high energy, spoiled 4 legged creatures. However, they soon won her over and I think she left realizing what great companians they make and why we allow them to have the run of the house, inside and out! She even gave them both a bath, and commented "my Mother will never believe this"! Well Mom, believe it! Because we have the pictures to prove it (check out our photo link). We spent the weekend cooking, shopping, & relaxing just as we normally would and Sam pitched right in. Samantha went home today and we miss her infectious smile already! Come visit soon Sam. Lucky and Sophie miss you!