We worked at Katowa Basic School yesterday, which is a more than 2 1/2 hour drive from our lodge in Choma. The 2007 Zambia team also worked at Katowa. Due to a ZOE sponsored feeding-program at this school, the population has increased from 200 to 450 children since our last visit. In 2007, most of the children were without shoes and had many serious heath issues; today, most had shoes and the occurrence of serious illness is greatly reduced. On Friday we participated in the dedication of a new bore hole (well) sponsored by ZOE. The bore hole will provide safe, clean water for the school and surrounding community for years to come. In many ways, this school is extremely blessed; in addition to the new water source, ZOE has a program manager to do the monthly weight checks and administer ringworm treatments to the kids every 3 months.
The teachers and headmaster were so happy to express how pleased they were to see a greater interest in learning. ZOE is having a life-long effect on this community. As a member of the 2007 team, it has been a personal privilege and joy to witness the improvement in health and education in just 2 years.
At the same school in 2007, I had an especially good interpreter that showed much appreciation for what we were doing. He returned as a helper again this year. I gave him a picture of himself from the last trip and he seemed humbled to receive a personal gift. It was good to reconnect with him.
As I write, there are 3 impalas grazing within 30 feet of me. Thank God for HBUMC and ZOE Ministry for providing these opportunities.
Harold Rose
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Cameras, Videos, and Even Words Just Aren’t Enough
It is Sunday in Choma, Zambia and we have just returned from a three hour service at the local Anglican church. We have a lot to catch you up on and I will leave it to some others in our group to share our many experiences over the past 2 days.
Instead, I want to try to put into words some of the emotions we have experienced over the past week.
Among the 16 of us, we have taken thousands of pictures and shot hours of video that will certainly help convey the multitude of experiences we are having on this trip. As you may imagine, Zambian dial-up internet is no Roadrunner and uploading these pictures and videos to share with you now is beyond impossible. So instead, I am going to try and put into words what we are seeing, smelling, tasting, hearing, and touching with the hope of illustrating just how powerful and prevalent God's presence is in this country.
Seeing
Not a minute has gone by during which we have not seen something inherently beautiful. A glance in one direction shows a mother nursing her child, thankful to provide nutrition for him, a promise that she will not be able to keep as he ages. Turning the other direction, one sees an 80 year-old woman, tired and worn yet proudly displaying signs of resiliency and resolve rarely encountered in the world outside this place. A turn down a dusty road yields two young boys less than 8 years old walking a pair of oxen and shouldering responsibility decades beyond their age. The same dusty road takes one past small huts and exceptionally dry farms with families huddled in the doorway, waving emphatically and smiling cheek-to-cheek at the big purple bus full of white people bumping down the road. The dusty road comes to a clearing and the land explodes in both directions, confined only by the horizons which expand as far as the eye can see and on which are pointed deep blues and purples on one side, juxtaposed by vibrant reds and oranges 180 degrees away as the sun slowly sets. The expansiveness of the horizon brings one to tears and truly exudes the power of God. There are no other words to describe it. As night sets in, the stars emerge, slowly at first and then, in the blink of an eye, there are thousands upon thousands of them spanning one horizon to the other, seemingly touching it, bringing heaven and earth together. Even as I sit here writing, an impala walks across the lawn just outside the doorway of the hotel reception area! In short, the visual stimuli of this country are almost too much to bear at times, and they reflexively open the heart and mind and bring us closer to God
Smelling
This is a country full of unique smells, some fragrant and others not, but all of which enhance the authenticity of the experience. The slums of Misisi offer the widest variety of smells: from cooking porridge to burning charcoal to bodies not washed in days or weeks; the smell of a village latrine is one that will remain with us and that serves as a stark reminder of just how much we have and how much we take for granted. The smells on the bus have amuch more constricted range as our nostrils, lungs, and beings are fulled with the dust of the earth that kicks up behind the bus wheels as we travel to our destinations. You won't hear too much complaining about this and perhaps it's because, filled with dust, we are closer to the earth than ever before. That, and because woodpeckers weren't allowed on this trip.
Tasting
We have been incredibly fortunate to have had only GREAT tasting experiences on this trip. The food provided by the hotels has far exceeded expectations. Each meal consists of an array of soup, potatoes, maize corn, freshly cooked veggies, beef, chicken, pork, and fish. Between Zambian meals, our taste buds are dulled by the likes of powerbars, fruit roll-ups, pretzels, and peanut butter sandwiches, all of which leave them screaming for more native food. The only difficult part, and it is significant, has been returning to such a gracious amount of food only minutes after treating children who are thankful to receive just one bowl of porridge in a day. Our response to these feelings has been to thank god profusely for what has been provided for us, to take only what we need, and to pledge to do something about the problem of food here in African after we return.
Hearing and Touch
Today at church each of us had a true "God Moment" (more like a three-hour "God Marathon"), more profound in its sanctity and whole in its grace than any I've experienced. I will do my best to convey this experience though I will utterly fail at accurately describing it. The church is a concrete building with a tin roof, filled with Zambian men, women, and children, many of whom don blue and white choir uniforms and all of whom seem truly content and at peace to be where they are. We are greeted by music, the sound of voices harmonized and without accompaniment, seeping from the open-air windows and doors and finding its way to our bus. We are seated and the service, though not really a service but more of a concert and praise-session, begins with the same harmonized voices, now full and powerful and well beyond need of an organ, piano, or violin - the music is so pure that accompaniment would denigrate it. Each song is unique in its composition, tonality, and lyric though all are sung with passion and musicality exceeding anything I've ever heard. Interjected between songs are bible verses, prayers, and even a sermon by Pastor Bill Berry! And with each spoken interruption, an almost panicked sense grows among churchgoers to return to worshipping through music. And as soon as we do, the church is lifted and the congregation begins soaring yet again. There are times in the service when it feels as if all the power of heaven is directed on a single point in the church, a wooden cross leaning in the corner, from which it emanates with every bit of God's majesty across every square inch of the dusty concrete floor, shaking the congregation to its core, penetrating the heart, the mind, the bones until waves of chills travel in succession from head to toe, one after another after another.
And just when the senses have seemingly reached maximum capacity, the fifth, touch, is called upon to bring heaven and earth together as one. The pastor calls for the congregation to show signs of peace and reconciliation to one another, set to and the words "Touch me God, Touch me God." This is a command that is answered by such an outpouring of warmth, hospitality, and peace that can only occur under a roof built by God. Hugging, hand shaking, reciprocal smiles, and the words "peace be with you" are undertaken without abandon and are followed by dancing, singing, and improvisation with t he sole purpose of glorifying God and coming together as brothers and sisters in Christ, as one global community, as two nations separated by an ocean, by material wealth, by disease but ultimately two nations brought together by the love of one another and the love of God.
This is what God, life, family, community, charity, and love are all about. This is where heaven and earth meet.
Glory to God,
Will Bynum on behalf of the Zambian Team
Instead, I want to try to put into words some of the emotions we have experienced over the past week.
Among the 16 of us, we have taken thousands of pictures and shot hours of video that will certainly help convey the multitude of experiences we are having on this trip. As you may imagine, Zambian dial-up internet is no Roadrunner and uploading these pictures and videos to share with you now is beyond impossible. So instead, I am going to try and put into words what we are seeing, smelling, tasting, hearing, and touching with the hope of illustrating just how powerful and prevalent God's presence is in this country.
Seeing
Not a minute has gone by during which we have not seen something inherently beautiful. A glance in one direction shows a mother nursing her child, thankful to provide nutrition for him, a promise that she will not be able to keep as he ages. Turning the other direction, one sees an 80 year-old woman, tired and worn yet proudly displaying signs of resiliency and resolve rarely encountered in the world outside this place. A turn down a dusty road yields two young boys less than 8 years old walking a pair of oxen and shouldering responsibility decades beyond their age. The same dusty road takes one past small huts and exceptionally dry farms with families huddled in the doorway, waving emphatically and smiling cheek-to-cheek at the big purple bus full of white people bumping down the road. The dusty road comes to a clearing and the land explodes in both directions, confined only by the horizons which expand as far as the eye can see and on which are pointed deep blues and purples on one side, juxtaposed by vibrant reds and oranges 180 degrees away as the sun slowly sets. The expansiveness of the horizon brings one to tears and truly exudes the power of God. There are no other words to describe it. As night sets in, the stars emerge, slowly at first and then, in the blink of an eye, there are thousands upon thousands of them spanning one horizon to the other, seemingly touching it, bringing heaven and earth together. Even as I sit here writing, an impala walks across the lawn just outside the doorway of the hotel reception area! In short, the visual stimuli of this country are almost too much to bear at times, and they reflexively open the heart and mind and bring us closer to God
Smelling
This is a country full of unique smells, some fragrant and others not, but all of which enhance the authenticity of the experience. The slums of Misisi offer the widest variety of smells: from cooking porridge to burning charcoal to bodies not washed in days or weeks; the smell of a village latrine is one that will remain with us and that serves as a stark reminder of just how much we have and how much we take for granted. The smells on the bus have amuch more constricted range as our nostrils, lungs, and beings are fulled with the dust of the earth that kicks up behind the bus wheels as we travel to our destinations. You won't hear too much complaining about this and perhaps it's because, filled with dust, we are closer to the earth than ever before. That, and because woodpeckers weren't allowed on this trip.
Tasting
We have been incredibly fortunate to have had only GREAT tasting experiences on this trip. The food provided by the hotels has far exceeded expectations. Each meal consists of an array of soup, potatoes, maize corn, freshly cooked veggies, beef, chicken, pork, and fish. Between Zambian meals, our taste buds are dulled by the likes of powerbars, fruit roll-ups, pretzels, and peanut butter sandwiches, all of which leave them screaming for more native food. The only difficult part, and it is significant, has been returning to such a gracious amount of food only minutes after treating children who are thankful to receive just one bowl of porridge in a day. Our response to these feelings has been to thank god profusely for what has been provided for us, to take only what we need, and to pledge to do something about the problem of food here in African after we return.
Hearing and Touch
Today at church each of us had a true "God Moment" (more like a three-hour "God Marathon"), more profound in its sanctity and whole in its grace than any I've experienced. I will do my best to convey this experience though I will utterly fail at accurately describing it. The church is a concrete building with a tin roof, filled with Zambian men, women, and children, many of whom don blue and white choir uniforms and all of whom seem truly content and at peace to be where they are. We are greeted by music, the sound of voices harmonized and without accompaniment, seeping from the open-air windows and doors and finding its way to our bus. We are seated and the service, though not really a service but more of a concert and praise-session, begins with the same harmonized voices, now full and powerful and well beyond need of an organ, piano, or violin - the music is so pure that accompaniment would denigrate it. Each song is unique in its composition, tonality, and lyric though all are sung with passion and musicality exceeding anything I've ever heard. Interjected between songs are bible verses, prayers, and even a sermon by Pastor Bill Berry! And with each spoken interruption, an almost panicked sense grows among churchgoers to return to worshipping through music. And as soon as we do, the church is lifted and the congregation begins soaring yet again. There are times in the service when it feels as if all the power of heaven is directed on a single point in the church, a wooden cross leaning in the corner, from which it emanates with every bit of God's majesty across every square inch of the dusty concrete floor, shaking the congregation to its core, penetrating the heart, the mind, the bones until waves of chills travel in succession from head to toe, one after another after another.
And just when the senses have seemingly reached maximum capacity, the fifth, touch, is called upon to bring heaven and earth together as one. The pastor calls for the congregation to show signs of peace and reconciliation to one another, set to and the words "Touch me God, Touch me God." This is a command that is answered by such an outpouring of warmth, hospitality, and peace that can only occur under a roof built by God. Hugging, hand shaking, reciprocal smiles, and the words "peace be with you" are undertaken without abandon and are followed by dancing, singing, and improvisation with t he sole purpose of glorifying God and coming together as brothers and sisters in Christ, as one global community, as two nations separated by an ocean, by material wealth, by disease but ultimately two nations brought together by the love of one another and the love of God.
This is what God, life, family, community, charity, and love are all about. This is where heaven and earth meet.
Glory to God,
Will Bynum on behalf of the Zambian Team
Thursday, July 9, 2009
A Universal Language
Our day has come to an end as we have arrived in Choma, Zambia after two days of hard work in Misisi. We treated about 450 sick children and adults total. I have already learned so much from these beautiful people. They are all very ill with malaria, stomach worms, fungal and bacterial infections, HIV, tuberculosis and various chronic diseases, yet they are so happy and thankful to be alive. The living conditions in Misisi were extremely poor, as the children were so covered in dust and soot that at times they seemed to blend in with the ground. Nonetheless, it was difficult to find a child who did not have a smile on their face. I know everyone says that a smile is a universal language, but now I truly understand what that means.
I fell in love with every child that I held, every child that I saw. The most capturing aspect of these beautiful children was their eyes. They all gazed at me (and everyone else) longing to be loved and cared for. One little boy today stole my heart in 30 seconds flat. Phiri Breada was a 3 year old twin that came to me with sores behind his ears and under his arms along with a raging eye infection and stomach worms. He sat in my lap quietly sucking his dum-dum while I listened to his lungs and inspected his skin. He was one of the few children who did not crack a smile. I quickly collaborated with Dr. Robert Littleton about the plan of care and sent him on his way to pharmacy. For some reason his face stuck with me all day and when we were finished and packing up, I went to find him. He was with his twin brother and I immediately made it my quest to make him laugh. We played a few minutes of tickle-contests and finally he began wailing with excitement and joy. I spent the rest of the day with P.B., his brother and his 21 year old mother. God moved me through them and I will forever keep them in my thoughts and prayers.
Around 1:30 we packed up and left Misisi. We grabbed our bags, ate a quick sandwich and boarded the bus for a 5 hour trip to Choma. The trip passed by quickly because we were all enthralled by the 2 hour sunset. I've never seen so many colors in the sky at once-the entire sky was literally a rainbow. Erin and Will were able to take some absolutely breathtaking photos. As soon as the sun went down, we became enchanted with stars that seemed to touch the ground. Harold pointed out the Southern Cross constellation shining overhead.
At the start of the trip in Misisi I remember asking myself, "Where is God in all of this?" Now I am seeing that God is everywhere, but most of all, He is most evident in the spirit of the people of Africa...
Katherine Watson
I fell in love with every child that I held, every child that I saw. The most capturing aspect of these beautiful children was their eyes. They all gazed at me (and everyone else) longing to be loved and cared for. One little boy today stole my heart in 30 seconds flat. Phiri Breada was a 3 year old twin that came to me with sores behind his ears and under his arms along with a raging eye infection and stomach worms. He sat in my lap quietly sucking his dum-dum while I listened to his lungs and inspected his skin. He was one of the few children who did not crack a smile. I quickly collaborated with Dr. Robert Littleton about the plan of care and sent him on his way to pharmacy. For some reason his face stuck with me all day and when we were finished and packing up, I went to find him. He was with his twin brother and I immediately made it my quest to make him laugh. We played a few minutes of tickle-contests and finally he began wailing with excitement and joy. I spent the rest of the day with P.B., his brother and his 21 year old mother. God moved me through them and I will forever keep them in my thoughts and prayers.
Around 1:30 we packed up and left Misisi. We grabbed our bags, ate a quick sandwich and boarded the bus for a 5 hour trip to Choma. The trip passed by quickly because we were all enthralled by the 2 hour sunset. I've never seen so many colors in the sky at once-the entire sky was literally a rainbow. Erin and Will were able to take some absolutely breathtaking photos. As soon as the sun went down, we became enchanted with stars that seemed to touch the ground. Harold pointed out the Southern Cross constellation shining overhead.
At the start of the trip in Misisi I remember asking myself, "Where is God in all of this?" Now I am seeing that God is everywhere, but most of all, He is most evident in the spirit of the people of Africa...
Katherine Watson
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
The Choir of Angels and Day 1 in Misisi
To say that the first day working in Zambia was overwhelming would be an understatement. In 8 short hours most of us experienced a range of emotion unmatched by few days in our collective pasts. The day was spent in Misisi, a very large, overpopulated "slum" (I do not prefer this term though it is the easiest way to convey the area in one word) in Lusaka, the capitol of Zambia. Our operation was housed in a small and rudimentary, though beautiful, Anglican church in the heart of Misisi. The day began with a song by local women and a prayer by Emmanuel, the pastor of the church. His words, beautifully spoken and arranged, were accompanied by a choir of children's voices playing outside that was channeled through the doors of the church from all four sides. To say that God was present in this moment would once again be an understatement.
The operation for which we traveled 2 days began with a fury following the introduction ceremony. Many children and some adults, over 250 in total, flowed through the doors and along the conveyer belt of church-delivered medical care: from the check-in table to the "nurses station" (manned by the manly (and nursely) Pete Walter and his sister Hattie) to one of three doctor's stations run by the three physicians, two nurses, and one medical student, and finally to the pharmacy where four team members furiously cranked out prescription after prescription, including disproportionate amounts of Tylenol, anti-fungals, and anti-biotics and more anti-malarials than one would hope to dispense.
One story in particular that I would like to share occurred at the end of the day when a small group was asked to travel through Misisi by foot to make home visits. The first home was inhabited by a family of 5, four of whom are HIV positive and three of whom (two children and the mother) have serious co-existing infections. Emmanuel told us of the situation that turned out to be somewhat of a miracle: they were all receiving medications for their co-existing illness, all of which are very expensive and difficult to come by in such an impoverished place (they were donated by another charity). However, none of the three are currently taking the medication because it must be taken with food and there is no food to be found. Our initial reaction was blunted by the rest of the day's activities but a later group discussion unveiled very real emotion among the members of our team. I personally am not sure how to feel at this point: angry at the situation, ashamed of how much I have, or empowered to change this situation; the answer will hopefully come with more thought and a lot more prayer. At this moment, we are all thankful that we have been given the opportunity to experience the realities of the world and to share them with you and others in the future.
Regardless of the outcome of the day's events, our emotions as we experienced them, and those that we continue to have this week, God's presence today was undoubtable and more palpable and real than ever before.
Thank you for your continued prayers and for everything you have done to make this experience possible for all of us!
Sincerely,
Will Bynum on behalf of the Zambia Team
The operation for which we traveled 2 days began with a fury following the introduction ceremony. Many children and some adults, over 250 in total, flowed through the doors and along the conveyer belt of church-delivered medical care: from the check-in table to the "nurses station" (manned by the manly (and nursely) Pete Walter and his sister Hattie) to one of three doctor's stations run by the three physicians, two nurses, and one medical student, and finally to the pharmacy where four team members furiously cranked out prescription after prescription, including disproportionate amounts of Tylenol, anti-fungals, and anti-biotics and more anti-malarials than one would hope to dispense.
One story in particular that I would like to share occurred at the end of the day when a small group was asked to travel through Misisi by foot to make home visits. The first home was inhabited by a family of 5, four of whom are HIV positive and three of whom (two children and the mother) have serious co-existing infections. Emmanuel told us of the situation that turned out to be somewhat of a miracle: they were all receiving medications for their co-existing illness, all of which are very expensive and difficult to come by in such an impoverished place (they were donated by another charity). However, none of the three are currently taking the medication because it must be taken with food and there is no food to be found. Our initial reaction was blunted by the rest of the day's activities but a later group discussion unveiled very real emotion among the members of our team. I personally am not sure how to feel at this point: angry at the situation, ashamed of how much I have, or empowered to change this situation; the answer will hopefully come with more thought and a lot more prayer. At this moment, we are all thankful that we have been given the opportunity to experience the realities of the world and to share them with you and others in the future.
Regardless of the outcome of the day's events, our emotions as we experienced them, and those that we continue to have this week, God's presence today was undoubtable and more palpable and real than ever before.
Thank you for your continued prayers and for everything you have done to make this experience possible for all of us!
Sincerely,
Will Bynum on behalf of the Zambia Team
To Feel the Presence of God
To say that the first day working in Zambia was overwhelming would be an understatement. In 8 short hours most of us experienced a range of emotion unmatched by few days in our collective pasts. The day was spent in Misisi, a very large, overpopulated "slum" (I do not prefer this term though it is the easiest way to convey the area in one word) in Lusaka, the capitol of Zambia. Our operation was housed in a small and rudimentary, though beautiful, Anglican church in the heart of Misisi. The day began with a song by local women and a prayer by Emmanuel, the pastor of the church. His words, beautifully spoken and arranged, were accompanied by a choir of children's voices playing outside that was channeled through the doors of the church from all four sides. To say that God was present in this moment would once again be an understatement.
The operation for which we traveled 2 days began with a fury following the introduction ceremony. Many children and some adults, over 250 in total, flowed through the doors and along the conveyer belt of church-delivered medical care: from the check-in table to the "nurses station" (manned by the manly (and nursely) Pete Walter and his sister Hattie) to one of three doctor's stations run by the three physicians, two nurses, and one medical student, and finally to the pharmacy where four team members furiously cranked out prescription after prescription, including disproportionate amounts of Tylenol, anti-fungals, and anti-biotics and more anti-malarials than one would hope to dispense.
One story in particular that I would like to share occurred at the end of the day when a small group was asked to travel through Misisi by foot to make home visits. The first home was inhabited by a family of 5, four of whom are HIV positive and three of whom (two children and the mother) have serious co-existing infections. Emmanuel told us of the situation that turned out to be somewhat of a miracle: they were all receiving medications for their co-existing illness, all of which are very expensive and difficult to come by in such an impoverished place (they were donated by another charity). However, none of the three are currently taking the medication because it must be taken with food and there is no food to be found. Our initial reaction was blunted by the rest of the day's activities but a later group discussion unveiled very real emotion among the members of our team. I personally am not sure how to feel at this point: angry at the situation, ashamed of how much I have, or empowered to change this situation; the answer will hopefully come with more thought and a lot more prayer. At this moment, we are all thankful that we have been given the opportunity to experience the realities of the world and to share them with you and others in the future.
Regardless of the outcome of the day's events, our emotions as we experienced them, and those that we continue to have this week, God's presence today was undoubtable and more palpable and real than ever before.
Thank you for your continued prayers and for everything you have done to make this experience possible for all of us!
Sincerely,
Will Bynum on behalf of the Zambia Team
The operation for which we traveled 2 days began with a fury following the introduction ceremony. Many children and some adults, over 250 in total, flowed through the doors and along the conveyer belt of church-delivered medical care: from the check-in table to the "nurses station" (manned by the manly (and nursely) Pete Walter and his sister Hattie) to one of three doctor's stations run by the three physicians, two nurses, and one medical student, and finally to the pharmacy where four team members furiously cranked out prescription after prescription, including disproportionate amounts of Tylenol, anti-fungals, and anti-biotics and more anti-malarials than one would hope to dispense.
One story in particular that I would like to share occurred at the end of the day when a small group was asked to travel through Misisi by foot to make home visits. The first home was inhabited by a family of 5, four of whom are HIV positive and three of whom (two children and the mother) have serious co-existing infections. Emmanuel told us of the situation that turned out to be somewhat of a miracle: they were all receiving medications for their co-existing illness, all of which are very expensive and difficult to come by in such an impoverished place (they were donated by another charity). However, none of the three are currently taking the medication because it must be taken with food and there is no food to be found. Our initial reaction was blunted by the rest of the day's activities but a later group discussion unveiled very real emotion among the members of our team. I personally am not sure how to feel at this point: angry at the situation, ashamed of how much I have, or empowered to change this situation; the answer will hopefully come with more thought and a lot more prayer. At this moment, we are all thankful that we have been given the opportunity to experience the realities of the world and to share them with you and others in the future.
Regardless of the outcome of the day's events, our emotions as we experienced them, and those that we continue to have this week, God's presence today was undoubtable and more palpable and real than ever before.
Thank you for your continued prayers and for everything you have done to make this experience possible for all of us!
Sincerely,
Will Bynum on behalf of the Zambia Team
Safe and Sound in Lusaka
Well, we made it! 16 people and all 30 bags arrived safely in Lusaka, Zambia late last night after one and a half long days of traveling. We were met at the airport by Farai, Constance, and Norah - familiar faces for some, new for others - with big smiles and very welcome hugs all around.
We're staying at the Longacres Lodge here in Lusaka for 2 nights (http://www.zambiahostels.com/longacres.htm). Our accommodations are pretty nice once you embrace the bucket and pitcher shower system we've got going and the 5 AM wake-up calls from the roosters next door. Maybe they were merely saying "welcome to Zambia!" but I bet they're back again tomorrow. Our hosts here have been very gracious and let us use one of the conference rooms last night to sort our medicines and supplies in preparation for the days ahead of us.
For everyone following us back at home, thanks so much for all your thoughts and prayers as we traveled here as well as those still to come throughout our journey here in Zambia. Know that we're thinking of you in return and keeping our families and friends stateside in our hearts while we embrace the people of Africa and all the gifts God has given us.
Cheryl Boone
We're staying at the Longacres Lodge here in Lusaka for 2 nights (http://www.zambiahostels.com/longacres.htm). Our accommodations are pretty nice once you embrace the bucket and pitcher shower system we've got going and the 5 AM wake-up calls from the roosters next door. Maybe they were merely saying "welcome to Zambia!" but I bet they're back again tomorrow. Our hosts here have been very gracious and let us use one of the conference rooms last night to sort our medicines and supplies in preparation for the days ahead of us.
For everyone following us back at home, thanks so much for all your thoughts and prayers as we traveled here as well as those still to come throughout our journey here in Zambia. Know that we're thinking of you in return and keeping our families and friends stateside in our hearts while we embrace the people of Africa and all the gifts God has given us.
Cheryl Boone
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
We have arrived!
we have made it safely to johannesburg, south africa and are boarding our plane to zambia momentarily. just wanted to let everyone know we are here and that the flight, though long, was uneventful and actually pretty comfortable. we will post more about the trip and our initial impressions as soon as we arrive in lusaka and have a little more time. thank you for the continued prayers and have a blessed tuesday!
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