by Kaitie Wood
Cecilia Mukonbwe is an auntie at haven three. She works three nights and three days each week with Thursdays off. On her most recent free day, she allowed four college students to accompany her back to her home for 24 hours. She had spent the whole night prior taking care of the babies in haven 3. She scrubbed the walls and floors, cooked food, washed bottles, washed/folded laundry, and attended to the needs of the babies throughout the entire night. I was lucky enough to be one of those joining her after her long night.1 We met her at 10 hours (that is, 10:00 a.m.) at the havens and began our 7 km trek to her home in Mutala. It was an easy walk, but very tiring. I couldn’t help thinking about how the woman leading us walks this path two times every day, and many times after a night without sleep. The morning we left with her was one of those sleep-deprived walks.
Upon arriving, Cece quickly introduced us to all of her children, nieces, and nephews and then began to cook what would be our lunch.2 She cooked for hours only stopping to help us communicate with the kids when we were having trouble. The nsima, chicken, and chips (French fries) were delicious. After lunch, we traveled with our host to her garden about a mile away. Her garden is right next to the community water pump. We pumped water into our many buckets and watered her expansive garden. It was clear that she is a skillful gardener. Her plants are well cared for and intelligently protected. The minute we returned to her home with our water-filled containers, which we carried with our hands and she carried perfectly balanced on her head, she began to cook our dinner. She served us in her living room as she had done before and left us to enjoy our meal. While we ate, she cooked and served dinner to all of the kids outside.
After providing food for everyone around her, she finally ate for herself. While she ate, however, she continued to think about us. She roasted groundnuts (peanuts) as a snack for the four of us. We ate and talked and sang around the fire until we all needed to get some rest. Cecilia offered her bed and extra mattress (laid out on the floor) to her guests. Even though we opposed, wanting her to sleep in her own comfortable bed after a long night and day, she was adamant that we had to sleep more comfortably because we were visitors. Up before the sun Friday morning, she cooked our porridge and prepared our bath water. We ate and promptly splashed ourselves clean so that we would leave soon enough for her to get to work on time. Back at her place of work, she continued to put others before herself.
Never once did Cecilia stop thinking of others. She truly lives out selflessness like that from Philippians 2:3-4.3 She never stops working whether at work or at home. Being made in God’s image, she resembles Him through her love and concern and care for others. 1 John 4:12 explains that no one has ever seen God, but when we love we are making His love complete.4 I was able to see God in the life of Cecilia in such a short time. I believe that she shines his light so brightly because of her devotion to him. When I asked her about her favorite passage of scripture she quickly responded, “Ephesians 6 verses 10 through 20.5 I think of it every morning.” I only saw a tiny amount of this auntie’s life, but in that glimpse I was able to see a piece of the church, the love of Christ, and the beautiful determination of a woman working hard for others. She is wearing the armor of God and uses it for Him every day. The work of all the aunties here at Namwianga is inspiring. They are amazing, strong women and we could all learn so much about the art of selfless love from them.
Cecilia Mukonbwe is an auntie at haven three. She works three nights and three days each week with Thursdays off. On her most recent free day, she allowed four college students to accompany her back to her home for 24 hours. She had spent the whole night prior taking care of the babies in haven 3. She scrubbed the walls and floors, cooked food, washed bottles, washed/folded laundry, and attended to the needs of the babies throughout the entire night. I was lucky enough to be one of those joining her after her long night.1 We met her at 10 hours (that is, 10:00 a.m.) at the havens and began our 7 km trek to her home in Mutala. It was an easy walk, but very tiring. I couldn’t help thinking about how the woman leading us walks this path two times every day, and many times after a night without sleep. The morning we left with her was one of those sleep-deprived walks.
Upon arriving, Cece quickly introduced us to all of her children, nieces, and nephews and then began to cook what would be our lunch.2 She cooked for hours only stopping to help us communicate with the kids when we were having trouble. The nsima, chicken, and chips (French fries) were delicious. After lunch, we traveled with our host to her garden about a mile away. Her garden is right next to the community water pump. We pumped water into our many buckets and watered her expansive garden. It was clear that she is a skillful gardener. Her plants are well cared for and intelligently protected. The minute we returned to her home with our water-filled containers, which we carried with our hands and she carried perfectly balanced on her head, she began to cook our dinner. She served us in her living room as she had done before and left us to enjoy our meal. While we ate, she cooked and served dinner to all of the kids outside.
After providing food for everyone around her, she finally ate for herself. While she ate, however, she continued to think about us. She roasted groundnuts (peanuts) as a snack for the four of us. We ate and talked and sang around the fire until we all needed to get some rest. Cecilia offered her bed and extra mattress (laid out on the floor) to her guests. Even though we opposed, wanting her to sleep in her own comfortable bed after a long night and day, she was adamant that we had to sleep more comfortably because we were visitors. Up before the sun Friday morning, she cooked our porridge and prepared our bath water. We ate and promptly splashed ourselves clean so that we would leave soon enough for her to get to work on time. Back at her place of work, she continued to put others before herself.
Never once did Cecilia stop thinking of others. She truly lives out selflessness like that from Philippians 2:3-4.3 She never stops working whether at work or at home. Being made in God’s image, she resembles Him through her love and concern and care for others. 1 John 4:12 explains that no one has ever seen God, but when we love we are making His love complete.4 I was able to see God in the life of Cecilia in such a short time. I believe that she shines his light so brightly because of her devotion to him. When I asked her about her favorite passage of scripture she quickly responded, “Ephesians 6 verses 10 through 20.5 I think of it every morning.” I only saw a tiny amount of this auntie’s life, but in that glimpse I was able to see a piece of the church, the love of Christ, and the beautiful determination of a woman working hard for others. She is wearing the armor of God and uses it for Him every day. The work of all the aunties here at Namwianga is inspiring. They are amazing, strong women and we could all learn so much about the art of selfless love from them.
- The opportunity to be even more immersed in the Zambian culture by staying with an Auntie is something that has not been done by any HIZ group prior. It is an amazing way to get to understand the home life of many women in this area of the world. Even though she would have to cook for us and provide a place for us to sleep, she was willing to do this. We were blessed to get to do this. ↩
- In Cece’s village, everyone she lives with is related to her. All over Zambia there is a mindset of community and family with those that you live with/near, but in this instance everyone around were her actual family members. ↩
- “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.” (NIV) ↩
- “No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and love is made complete in us.” (NIV) ↩
- “Finally be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all of this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.” (NIV) ↩
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