Sara in Zambia

Benja and Kevin

2009-07-27T12:02:00.000-07:00

I brought these two guys home this afternoon to play. I think their favorite thing was taking a bath - at the orphanage they are given quick baths in a small sink, so they love being able to play and splash around in the tub at my parents' house. I had to make them get out because they were shivering when the water got cold. Benja has a HUGE head and crazy personality. His favorite thing to say is "bye bye" with a little Miss America wave. Kevin is more subdued than Benja, and even though he is older he hardly ever talks. He loves to cuddle, and when you can get him to smile he lights up the room. I'm going to miss these guys when I go home!

Thank you Kristi & Ken!

2009-07-27T11:54:00.000-07:00

Kevin and Gary wearing new shoes thanks to my friends Kristi and Ken. The babies are always needing socks, shoes, and diapers, so thanks to Kristi and Ken's donation I was able to buy new shoes, socks, and lots of diapers for all the boys.

Church at Nazibula

2009-07-26T14:10:00.000-07:00

This morning my parents took Mark, Michele, and I along on an outreach to a village church at Nazibula. On the weekends they take groups of college kids out to various churches to give the college students experience and encourage the churches. My parents had never been to this church before - it was started in August of last year. It took us 3 hours of driving on a very bad dirt/sand road - we never made it out of second gear. Just when we were about to turn around because we were sure it was too late and we had already missed the church service (it was almost 11:00) and we were literally in the middle of nowhere, we pulled up to the church. They had heard we were coming, and so hadn't started yet. They quickly cleaned out and prepared the classroom where church was to take place. There were over 85 in attendance - a good number for such a new church. We enjoyed some very spirited singing and lessons from Mark and my dad. Midway through the 3 hour service, some women left the church. Pretty soon my mom could see them (out of the window of the church) plucking the feathers off of chickens, and then cooking them to serve us for lunch. So after the service we were served very fresh fried village chicken, along with samp (hominy - the Zambians eat it with sugar and sour milk - no thank you!) and nshima (dried corn that looks like mashed potatoes when cooked but has no taste). After church I introduced the children to a digital camera - they loved seeing themselves on the screen. Mothers were running up to have me take pictures of their babies, and then would laugh and get very excited when I showed them the picture.

I Passed!!

2009-07-25T09:48:00.000-07:00

A few days before I left for Africa, I took the middle school math certification test for Texas, and I just checked my scores online and I passed!! Big relief! Many thanks to Michele Broadway who tutored me - couldn't have done it without her!

2009-07-23T12:56:00.000-07:00

Quick Update

2009-07-23T09:07:00.000-07:00

I know, I've been a terrible blogger lately. But really haven't had much going on. I guess the best news is that I'm feeling a lot better, and would be back to 100% if it wasn't for this cough that won't go away. It probably won't go away til I'm back home and out of all this dust! Its terrible! Mom and I ended up feeling better on Monday and went out for the last two clinic days of the medical mission. I think the total of people that we saw during the medical mission (six days of clinics) was 16, 423. THat's a lot of people considering we only had 4 doctors and about 8 nurses! That number includes people who saw dentists and went to the eye clinic too though. There were also 100 baptisms.
Today I got back from Livingstone after spending one night there with the medical mission team. We went on a sunset cruise and stayed in a nice hotel and I got to take a real shower, which made the whole trip on the bumpy road worth it! When I got back I was missing the boys, so mom took me up to get Jason and George for the afternoon. They were so much fun. I just love listening to them talk to each other in Tonga. I wish I knew what they were saying. I showed them the Aggie t-shirts that David bought them and the next thing I knew they had their shirts off and the Aggies shirts on. They were a little big, but they'll grow into them. I'll post pics later when I find my card reader.
Tomorrow Mom, Dad, and I are going on a quick trip to Lusaka to see some of their friends. I'm just along for the ride. Its always fun to go to the capital city though. Hopefully I'll get to do a little shopping.

2009-07-17T10:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the medical mission group arrived back at Namwianga for some much needed rest and relaxation before going out for the next set of clinics on Saturday. I came back a little earlier than the rest of the team because I got sick yet again with a fever and really bad cough and congestion. I will not be going with the group for the next set of clinics, which is disappointing and frustrating when I know there is so much that I could be doing. But I wouldn't be much help in the state that I am in.
All in all, the mecial mission has been very successful so far and we have seen thousands and thousands of patients. I'm not sure what the exact numbers are, you can check the medical mission website for that info if you're interested. I hope you enjoy the pictures below from the clinics.

2009-07-17T10:28:00.000-07:00

As we arrived at our third clinic at Kapaule, a group of women greeted us with clapping and singing to welcome us and thank us for coming.

2009-07-17T10:21:00.000-07:00

I worked in the pharmacy filling prescriptions. Here, a Zambian nurse pats the swollen belly of one of the many malnourished children that came through the line. Every patient was given a pack of vitamins and a worm pill, along with whatever other medication was prescribed by the doctors.

2009-07-17T10:14:00.001-07:00

The children all gathered around us wanting to have their picture taken. I love their smiles!

Simalundu Sunset

2009-07-17T10:11:00.000-07:00

www.zambiamedicalmission.com

2009-07-12T13:21:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow afternoon we are leaving on the medical mission. Our first stop is Simalundu, a very poor and remote village that we have visited in the past. We will be camping out in the bush until Thursday, so I won't be able to post for awhile. You can follow the medical mission's blog for updates on what we are doing while we are there.

Church at the Basic School

2009-07-12T13:05:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up feeling much better, after staying home and not feeling so great all day yesterday. The rest of the medical mission team arrived safely Saturday night. My dad led a group of the Americans to a church that meets at the Namwianga Basic (Elementary) School this morning, and I went along. After communion, a lady behind me tapped me on the shoulder and said, "You come with us." Not exactly sure where I was going, I followed her out of the church, followed by all the children, which clued me in to the fact that I was probably going to be teaching a Sunday school class. My mother has gone around to the churches in the area and trained the women how to teach the children, and given them a children's Bible to use. So I used that to teach the story of David and Goliath. Then I taught them a few songs, and they taught me some too. Then the regular teacher, Angela, led the children in a game of "Jesus Says, which I figured out was the church version of "Simon Says." At the end of class, all the children recited the Lord's Prayer by heart, with their hands together, eyes closed. Even the littlest ones knew it perfectly.

Sick

2009-07-10T09:18:00.000-07:00

Inevitably, every year when I come to Africa I get some kind of sickness. This year my diagnosis is a sinus infection. I've had a sore throat ever since I got here, and tried to keep it away with allegra and mucinex, but the doctor told me yesterday with my weakened immune system it was a matter of when I would get the sinus infection, not if. I think we caught it early enough that its not going to be a big deal, and I'm glad I'm getting it now instead of next week when we are out in the bush. Little Jason is also sick, so he and I are staying at the house together and being taken care of by my mom (whom he calls "Nana"). Its so nice to have a mom around when you're sick! So keep us in your prayers - Jason has a 104 degree fever and is just plain miserable. We will take him to the clinic tomorrow to get tested for malaria. My fever is only 100, so I'm not too bad. The big group of Americans for the medical mission arrive tomorrow, and then Monday we will leave for the bush, so hopefully with antibiotics and some r and r we will be well by then.

For the Longhorn fans (sorry Aggies, I had to be fair!)

2009-07-10T09:09:00.003-07:00

This is George saying "Hook 'em Horns!"

Zambian Avocadoes

2009-07-10T09:06:00.001-07:00

For David (and all you Aggie fans)

2009-07-09T09:51:00.001-07:00

Trip to the Clinic

2009-07-09T09:35:00.000-07:00

Kevin, one of the little two year olds has been sick all week. Yesterday I brought him home for the afternoon to get some rest away from all the other boys and he seemed to be better by the time I took him back. This morning one of the aunties told me he needed to go to the clinic, and since he wouldn't go to anyone but me, I told her I would go with her. She had to bring one of the other boys too, so she helped me tie Kevin into a chitenge (a strip of bright colored fabric that the women use as skirts and baby-carriers) on my back for the walk to the clinic. Zambian women must have really strong backs, because by the time we got to the clinic I thought I was going to fall over. I had to hold Kevin while the nurse gave him a shot, which he was not happy about, poor thing, but he didn't squirm at all- just cried a little and soaked his cloth diaper which leaked all over me. Thankfully the auntie said I didn't have to carry him on my back for the walk back. :)

Memories of Foster Middle School...

2009-07-07T11:39:00.000-07:00

Fun with Chalk

2009-07-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

I brought some sidewalk chalk with me today for the boys to draw on the concrete basketball court with. Instead, George, Musa, and Jason drew on each other. They were pretty proud of themselves. So cute!

Me and the Boys

2009-07-06T11:17:00.000-07:00

This week I'm helping with the two year old orphans at Eric's house - an orphanage for boys. There are eight 2 year olds, and then George who is 3, and Jason who is 4. My mom took this picture right as I got there this morning.

Checking In

2009-07-05T12:02:00.000-07:00

There hasn't been much to report the last couple of days. Saturday I woke up with a sore throat and stayed in bed and slept most of the day. My parents and I had a very un-fourth of July - Dad spoke at the Namwianga lectureship and mom and I stayed home, drank tea, played cards, and stayed close to the fire. It has been really really cold here! And since my parents had their house painted last week, we have had to keep the windows open to let the paint fumes out. I've had a blanket wrapped around me at all times, which will not surprise any of you who know me, because I do that even in the middle of summer back home. Anyway, this morning (Sunday) dad woke up sick with a stomach virus which has been going around the mission. I felt better than I had on Saturday, so Mom and I went to church (it lasted for 3 and half hours and most of it was in another language!). Tonight we are doing more of the same - sitting around the fire, Mom working on her laptop, and me reading a book by the fire(I built the fire all by myself since Dad is sick, pretty proud of myself!). Tomorrow should be more eventful - I'm going up to the orphanage to work with the 2 year olds, and the early team of Americans for the medical mission will arrive sometime in the afternoon.

Unpacking

2009-07-03T09:22:00.001-07:00

When we got to my parent's house after a bumpy 2 hour ride from Livingstone, I let the boys open up a bag I had packed with goodies for them in it. It felt like Christmas morning with the boys tearing through the bag and pulling out each item with excitement and then rushing to the living room to open them up and play. At one point they even climbed inside the bag. I think their favorite item was some little toy trucks that cost $1 at Wal-Mart. It doesn't take much to make these boys happy. :)

Dinner in a Dutch Oven

2009-07-03T09:01:00.000-07:00

My parents are having their house painted this week, and today was the kitchen's turn, which meant we had to find another way to cook dinner. So my dad, savvy outdoorsman that he is, decided to cook a chicken (along with potatoes and carrots) in a dutch oven. He placed the coals in a ratio of 2 to 1, with double the amount of coals on top as on bottom since heat rises. Then he had to make clockwise and counterclockwise turns of the pot and lid so that it would cook evenly. I was pretty impressed. Haven't tasted it yet, but it smells delicious!

I'm here!

2009-07-03T08:19:00.000-07:00

I arrived in Zambia right on time on Thursday. All my luggage arrived along with me, which is pretty much a miracle since I hadn't laid eyes on it since Austin, and had taken 3 different flights and spent the night in Johannesburg. When I came out of baggage claim, my parents were there to meet me, along with JASON AND GEORGE!!! They are so big now, but as cute as ever. The picture is of George and me outside the Livingstone airport with some traditional African dancers who were performing (Jason was too scared to go anywhere near them and George clung to me for dear life the entire time).

Extended Forecast

2009-06-29T11:14:00.000-07:00

When people hear that I'm going to Africa for the summer, they automatically assume I will be experiencing the same heat we have been suffering here in Texas. But since Zambia is below the equator, it will actually be the winter season, which is also their dry season. So I'll be escaping this oppressive 100 degree heat and enjoying highs in the upper 70's, maybe low 80's, and lows in the 40's and NO HUMIDITY. Which is good since most places don't have air conditioning or even ceiling fans. So don't feel too sorry for me while I'm in a third world country. I'll probably be a little more comfortable than you (at least when you're outside).

Counting Down

2009-06-22T15:02:00.000-07:00

One week from Tuesday I depart on my 8th trip to Zambia! After not making the trip last summer (I was going to start grad school, but for some reason that didn't happen :)), I cannot wait to be reunited with my Zambian friends and especially the babies I took care of back in 2007 who are 4 years old now (oh yeah, and my parents-excited to see them too, but i saw them a couple of weeks ago!)! My mom says Jason still remembers me, and points me out in pictures around the house. I can't wait to see how he's changed and hear him actually speaking in sentences now. I'm sad that several of the babies I grew close to won't be there (Bernard, Adrian, Cynthia) because they have been taken home by family members, but so glad they are being taken care of.
I'll be starting up the blog again when I leave, so stay posted for this summer's adventures. Keep those comments coming!

Saying Goodbye

2007-07-23T11:28:00.000-07:00

I leave tomorrow for the U.S. Going home from Zambia is always bittersweet, as so much of me just wants to stay here. I sobbed today as I hugged and kissed each toddler goodbye, not knowing when or if I would ever see them again. I'm sure it will be the same tomorrow as I leave my parents.
Thanks to everyone who kept up with my blog this summer, I appreciate your support and look forward to seeing you soon!

Clinic Report #2

2007-07-23T11:01:00.001-07:00

The last three days of clinics went well - in all we saw over 15,000 people, and had 134 baptisms. Here are a few shots from Mabuyu and Nazibbula.

Clinic Report

2007-07-14T00:34:00.000-07:00

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Last week we were out in the bush holding our first three days of clinics. We spent three nights at a village called Njabalombe, which means "the village of the strong boys," so named because of the difficult living conditions there. We held two clinics there, and then traveled to Katungu to hold the third clinic. We have already treated over 6,000 patients, who were either seen by a dentist, doctor, or nurse, or were fitted for glasses in the eye clinic. I have been working in the pharmacy, which is housed on a big yellow school bus. Trunks of medicine are placed on each of the seats, and the patient brings their prescription to the front of the bus, we fill it with medicine from one of the trunks, and then send it out the back to a Zambian nurse, who then instructs the patient on how to take their prescription. It's actually a very efficient process, and having it on the school bus allows the buildings to be used by the dental and medical personnel. We leave today for another round of clinics and three nights in the bush. Please keep us and the Zambians we will meet in your prayers.

My African Home

2007-07-06T12:32:00.000-07:00

Judy Treat asked where all the Americans are staying when they get here for the medical mission, so I thought I'd show you where I have been staying, and where some of the other Americans will be staying when they get here also. This is my parents' 3-bedroom home. It was mistakenly built larger than my parents' plans, but the mistake in size has turned into a blessing because they have been able to host many people that visit the mission in their home. Currently we have 7 people staying here, but by Sunday night we will have 18 total. The rest of the Americans (about 100 in all) are staying in Zambian homes on the mission. Then when we leave on the medical mission we will sleep in tents out in the bush for three nights at a time.

Zambia Medical Mission

2007-07-05T00:59:00.000-07:00

Next week the medical mission begins, so there are about 40 Americans here right now getting things ready for when the rest of the team arrives from America on Sunday. Once the medical mission begins on Monday I will not have regular access to the internet since we will be out in the bush for 4 days at a time. If you would like to follow along with the medical mission, you can visit its blog site at www.zambiamedicalmission.info/ There are already several entries posted.

Baby Mobile

2007-07-02T13:25:00.001-07:00

On Thursday my dad was out with the vehicle, so my mom and I brought Bernard and Kathy home for lunch in this little wagon. The orphanage is about a mile away from my parents home, so my mom and I got a good workout pulling (and sometimes pusing) these guys on the bumpy, sandy road.

News and Notes

2007-06-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts recently; we have had limited access to the internet. I have still been taking care of the toddlers this week, and also made a trip to Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia. The Americans are starting to arrive for the medical mission that will occur in July. I will put a link to the Medical Mission Blog soon for those of you who are interested. Here's a picture of me at the orphanage with Adrian, Kathy, Brandon, Cynthia, and Jason.

This Little Light of Mine

2007-06-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of Cynthia shining her light while singing "This Little Light of Mine." The toddlers love to sing songs with hand motions. One of their favorites is "Roll the Gospel Chariot Along," and they enthusiastically roll right over the devil when it comes to that part of the song.

Adventures in Babysitting

2007-06-23T06:59:00.000-07:00

Good news! The pink eye is all cleared up and the babies are doing much better! They have been singing, dancing, playing, and wearing me out all week. They all want to be held ALL THE TIME, so I usually have three or four in my lap or two in my arms. I brought a different toddler home each day for lunch, and even kept Kathy overnight since she was feeling ill from an ear infection. Brandon figured out how to take his cloth diaper off this week, so I think it's time to potty train! Yesterday Jason came running in from the dining room holding Brandon's diaper up to me and giving me a look that said, "Look what Brandon did!" They have enjoyed playing with the toys that Trey and Melisa Goodwin sent with me, although they are very afraid of the McDonald's lion toy that winds up and jumps. They are also deathly afraid of my parents' cat. Yesterday when Adrian was home for lunch, he got so scared of the cat that he wet all over the floor! Pictured are Adrian, Kathy, and Brandon, from left to right.

Nchimuny

2007-06-23T06:49:00.000-07:00

Nchimuny is a tenth grade student I am sponsoring at a high school in the nearby town of Zimba. She is an orphan who is cared for by her aunt, a subsistence farmer with several children of her own. I received this letter from Nchimuny last week.

“Dear Sponsor,
I would like to thank our Lord our God. I am very thankful for your help. May the Lord be with you. …..
My sponsor, here at Zimba it is very cold. So I am asking if you have a spare bedspread or blanket. If you have one, please I am requesting you to do if possible. Even an old one, I can use it as long as it protects me from coldness.
School work is going well and everything is under God’s care.
Love and care.
Yours,
Nchimuny Mooya”

After reading the letter, my mother and I, choking back tears, agreed that we had to get this girl a blanket! We left the next morning with a bedspread and blanket, clothes, food, soap, lotion, sheets, and school supplies for Nchimuny. We found her at the school and she showed us her classrooms and a garden project she was working on before we gave her our gifts. She was very grateful and hurried off to her dorm room to make her bed for the night.

Trip to Chiili

2007-06-23T06:33:00.000-07:00

On Thursday my parents were scheduled to drive Mrs. Kapaale, a teacher at George Benson Christian College, to a remote village school called Chiili so that she could observe a student teacher. I had heard my mom talk about this school a lot, so I decided to go along for the ride. It took us four hours to get there because of the condition of the road (in the U.S. on a good road the trip would have taken about an hour and a half). The road to the school is so bad that the only transport in and out of the village is a truck that comes twice a week to deliver supplies.

When we arrived, the students were getting ready to have sports practice. My mother and I walked with them down to the field and watched as they ran the 200 meter dash. We noticed that only one out of ten of the students had a pair of shoes, but they ran as fast as they could on the rocky dirt path anyway! We also watched as they played soccer with a ball made out of string and plastic bags.

Jason

2007-06-19T12:13:00.000-07:00

This week I have been the only makewa (the word the Zambians use for white person) at the orphanage. The other girls are on a medical mission up north, so its been left up to me. I have lots of help from the Zambians employed there, though. About five of them have come down with pink eye, so we have been trying to get that cleared up, but I'm afraid it will spread to the others before the week is over. At lunch time I have been bringing one of the babies home with me to get some individual attention. This is a picture of Jason and me at lunch yesterday. My parents have a lot of chickens and baby chicks, and he loved watching them and saying the English and Tonga word for chicken (the Tonga word is "cuckoo").

Church in the Bush

2007-06-18T11:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I experienced what a typical Sunday morning is like for my parents here in Zambia. The day began as we traveled for 2 hours over bumpy "roads" to reach the small church at Kalinga village. We arrived late due to some minor car trouble, but hardly anyone else had showed up yet, so we were actually early! The church building was a small cement building with a thatch roof, which also serves as a school on weekdays. As we came in, at the front of the church, a man was writing the order of worship on a chalkboard. My dad was scheduled to preach, but next to preacher, the man wrote "Miss Gregersen" instead of "Brother Gregersen." Well, the only "Miss Gregersen" in the room was me! I looked across the church at my dad who was grinning and pointing at me, as if to say, "You're up, girl!" The Zambians who knew English were also chuckling to themselves and looking at me. Finally my dad told the man that he had made a mistake, and he changed the "Miss" to "Brother." The church service was held in Tonga with English translation, and vice versa, depending on who was speaking. As the collection basket was passed, I had to insert my money in between cobs of corn that had been given by members of the church. Since many Zambians are only subsistence farmers, these cobs of corn are what they give instead of money. The churches take the corn cobs and save them in a bucket until they have enough to buy communion wine with. When church was over we left the building singing and formed a line as each person shook the hands of the person in front and behind. You do this in such a way so that by the time everyone has filed out of the building you have shaken every person's hand. During the church service, a group of women had built a fire under a tree and killed a chicken to serve us for lunch. They also cooked nshima (ground cornmeal that looks like mashed potatoes, but has no taste) and a green vegetable called "rape," and served it to us in the church. It was an honor to be fed such a delicious and lavish meal by them, but hard to accept because we knew what a sacrifice had been made on their part to provide it for us, and that the rest of the congregation would not be fed along with us. After thanking them for the meal we said our goodbyes and prepared to leave. The children formed a line and waved goodbye as our vehicle drove off into the dust. On the way home I was humbled as I compared a typical Sunday back home in Tulsa to what I just experienced.

Sinka!

2007-06-17T12:37:00.000-07:00

There isn't a word for "smile" in the Tonga language, so when you are taking a picture you say "sinka," which means laugh, instead. As you can see from these pictures, Zambians have the most beautiful smiles!

When You Gotta Go, You Gotta Go

2007-06-17T12:16:00.000-07:00

On Saturday afternoon, we went on another children's outreach to the village of Kalweza. While one of the college students was telling the Bible story, this little boy got up and stood right behind the teacher and used the bathroom. No one except me seemed to think this was out of the ordinary, and the class continued on!

Trip to Livingstone

2007-06-15T10:42:00.001-07:00

On Friday, I took a trip to the city of Livingstone with a group of girls and Kathy Merritt to pick up some more travellers from the airport. Livingstone (named after the African explorer David Livingstone) is a thriving tourist town, thanks to the political turmoil across the border in Zimbabwe. We first hit up the trader's market, called Makuni Village, to shop for curios. Each trader has his own stall with the crafts he has made, and they allow (and expect) you to bargain the price with them. When I took my camera out to take a picture of the market, the traders all wanted to get their picture made (they called it a "gotcha"). After picking up the girls at the airport, we went to see Victoria Falls, one of the seven wonders of the world and the waterfall with the largest amount of volume in the world. Just the mist coming up from the falls soaks you as you follow the trail in front of it. As we walked in, we were welcomed by several baboons along the pathway. As my friend Josh can attest, while these creatures may look cute, given the chance they will not hesitate to chase you or snatch things out of your hands, so I was a little leary while taking these pictures!

Meet Brandon

2007-06-12T13:09:00.000-07:00

It didn't take me long to fall in love with this one. Brandon has sickle cell anemia, but he doesn't let it slow him down! He loves to sing and play and is one of the first ones to catch on to new words and songs and games. He loves to be held, and can hardly stand it if someone else is in your arms and he isn't! Here he is waiting patiently for his lunch to arrive, and in the second one trying on my shoe.

Out of Shape

2007-06-11T10:23:00.000-07:00

Today I helped Meagan Hawley, a girl my age who lives here at Namwianga, care for the 2 year old orphans at Eric's House. There's nothing like taking care of eleven toddlers to make you realize just how out of shape you really are! I came home from the day, arms and legs aching, covered in slobber and snot and who knows what else, but still excited to do it again tomorrow. Here's a picture of George, the little guy I posted a picture of earlier, with my sandals on. He or another baby had one or both of my sandals on all day, and when I finally got them back, they were more than just a little bit slobbery!

Kanyaya Outreach

2007-06-09T12:33:00.001-07:00

This afternoon I joined my mother on a small outreach to a village church called Kanyaya. Three girls from Harding who are here working at the orphanage joined us, as well as Cindy Robinson and 2 translators, Rodgers Namuswa, and my friend Mosozi, a girl from the secondary school. Cindy taught a Bible class to the ladies while the rest of us taught the children. We used flip charts and stick puppets to tell the story of the Prodigal Son. Any American child would be bored to tears merely looking at a flip chart, but these children were enthralled. Not once did we have to stop and ask a child to be quiet or to quit messing with their neighbor (I am definitely teaching in the wrong country!). I couldn't help thinking, "What would these kids think of a Smartboard?!" After the stories, we had the children make a visor with the words, "Jesu Ulandiyanda" on them, which means "Jesus Loves Me" in Tonga. We passed out crayons in Ziploc bags to the children, and had to teach many of them how to use a crayon, and even how to open a Ziploc! At the end of the day, we, the visitors, lined up outside the church building as the women and children sang to us and shook each of our hands, as is Zambian custom, to thank us for coming.

I made it!

2007-06-08T12:43:00.005-07:00

After 5 flights and over 48 hours of either sitting on a plane or trying to pass time in an airport (I had a 12 hour layover in Paris!), I finally made it to Zambia. I left my apartment at 5:00 am Wednesday morning, and walked off the plane in Zambia on Friday at about 6:30 am Oklahoma time, which is 1:30 pm here in Zambia (7 hour time difference). I didn't actually make it to my parents' home until 6 pm, since we had to run errands in town before driving an hour and a half to Namwianga Mission where my parents live outside of a small town called Kalomo.
Although the traveling was difficult and tiresome, it was worth it to be back here in a place I love so much, and to get those hugs from my parents that I've missed for so long!

Baby George

2007-06-01T15:03:00.001-07:00

I fell in love with this little guy last summer when I visited "The Haven," an orphanage near Roy and Kathy Merritt's home. I'm sure he has grown a lot since then! One of the things I will be doing during my stay in Zambia is taking care of the toddlers at the orphanage while their regular caretaker is away. I will also present several teacher training workshops along with Michele Broadway, as well as work in the pharmacy during the medical mission.

E.T.D.

2007-05-30T20:12:00.000-07:00

"When are you leaving?" is the question I'm asked several times a day. So I thought I'd let everyone know that my estimated time of departure (ETD) is 7:16 a.m. Wednesday morning, June 6. I fly out of Boston via Cincinnati, land in Paris for a day, then fly to Johannesburg, South Africa. From there I catch my final flight to Livingstone, Zambia, where I will stay for 6 weeks. I hope to keep you informed of all my adventures in Africa, so stay tuned or should I say, "blogged in!"