“Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant…” Mathew 20:26

Tuesday  19 August 2008Today Zambia lost a great man and a dedicated leader when President Levy Mwanawasa died at the age of 59 following complications from a stroke.  He was one of the few leaders in Africa who was not afraid of opposition and not afraid to fight a difficult battle.  He fought for what he believed in, and what he believed in was the Zambian people.  He was heralded for his continuing fight against corruption at all levels of the government.  He was a Christian man who lived a modest life as President of this nation.  He was not known for his charisma, but for his honesty and integrity.  He was highly respected and well known for being a true servant of the people.  President Mwanawasa was committed to improving the lives of his fellow Zambians.  He looked not only at the statistics, but also the tangible truth he could witness for himself.  I’m sure there are those who did not love this man, but I have not met any.  We were driving into town this afternoon when Foster received a text message on his phone saying the President had died.  He looked for the Zambian flag which flies high above the Provincial Government Building in town.  It was at half mast.  A sure sign that the message was true.  The first reaction here was disbelief.  The second reaction was to drop to your knees and pray.  Pray for this nation who was struggling with this strong leader to fight its way out of a corrupt political arena.  Pray that the economic advances President Mwanawasa fought so hard and so long for will not be lost.  Pray that the corrupt politicians will not be able to buy their way into office.  Pray for peace.  There is fear here.  Fear for the nation’s future.  Fear of opposing parties, fear of opposing factions within the ruling party, fear there may be attempted outbreaks of violence by opposing parties.  Kitwe, the town Foster and his family call home is a political hotspot.  Immediately following the announcement of the President’s death, soldiers were deployed and lined the streets of Kitwe, as a reminder that law and order will prevail, and they are very ready to stop any outbreaks of violence or riotous behavior.  The streets here in Ndola remain calm.  Already the streets here are quieter though, as Zambia begins a seven day national period of mourning.  There is a tremendous sense of loss.We simply don’t know the effect any of this may have on our stay here.  We will see more of what is to come following the national period of mourning.  There is no perceived sense of fear or any reason to believe there will be any trouble along our path.  But we don’t know.  Americans are well received here and welcome.  But, we are on the U.S. Embassy listing for notification of any impending danger and we can depend on their assistance as well, if needed.