Travel Summary (days without internet)
Sunday, June 29
Today we went to a bush congregation in Katakula. We left the Mission at 8:00 with 5 of us loaded in the double cab and 8 secondary students in the back. As long as were on the dirt road (I have adjusted to the fact that these bump fields are called “roads”) I wasn’t worried, but when we took to a path I wondered if we would be seen again. We finally reached the “building” and gathered with the believers there. It was a wonderful, wonderful service. The songs were all from their Tonga songbook and sung as I had hoped. The man beside me nudged me with his elbow and shared his book with me. I tried to sing in Tongalese but not very loud. After the service, they ask the visitors to leave first and form a line at the entrance then each member exits and shakes each hand until they fall in line at the end. They are singing the entire time. It was so nice to have been there. I understand the service here in the auditorium is very “western”.
This afternoon we went to the home of a lady living here at the Mission who makes bags and make-up kits out of the African material. I bought Keri a bag and a make-up bag and several additional make-up bags.
Another trip to see the toddlers who wanted to be held, supper on the veranda and evening services at the College. We leave tomorrow for Lusaka to meet with the Minister of Education. We have three night booked at the Holiday Inn.
The night sky is so amazing. The Milky Way looks like a path you could walk on. Keri and Ian will be into that.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Well, I have now marked off one of my lifetime goals. I have ridden through the African bush in a Land Rover. They are disappearing here in Zambia as the English influence gradually diminishes but there are a few left. Namwianga Mission has two. Kel Hamby said they would probably have to replace them with Toyota's when the time came.
Yesterday morning, we had biscuits and gravy with bacon and coffee. I have discovered that you eat very well here. Ellie said that she just gave all the recipients to Lennard, the Zambian cook, and she no longer feels any need to do that. Beckie, Sara, Merideth (a hold-over from the North-Reach campaign) and I headed into Kolomo. On the way, we toured the Namwianga Medical Clinic where Sid Tate used to work.
We strolled to the bank (Sara still cannot access her $), then on to the
market. It was a village market so no tourist influence where we purchased our “chitenge” (material used for the traditional women’s skirt). Meredith bargained for us and we got them for 8500 Kwatcha (about $2.83) each. We will get some more because Beckie and Sara have decided that we will have “Chitenge Friday” from now own. I guess I will have a shirt made from one of them. After stopping at an internet café (think about that, an internet café in a small rural village in Zambia, Africa) we ate lunch at a restaurant owned by graduates from ACU and 
then headed back to Namwianga. There is no internet available at Manwianga at the present. The system is in place but it is not working.
We visited “the babies” this afternoon at The Haven. There are so many of them and at least 10 or 12 are HIV positive. One of my favorites, Brian, is not expected to live. It’s tragic to think that some of these children will not make it. They are so beautiful and smile so sweetly at you. The “toddlers” in the other houses were all asleep. We then went to “Eric’s House” where the Merrits live. They have 36 children living with them.
Friday. June 27, 2008
Meeting and work day – including tour of the Namwianga Mission, secondary school, and George Benson Teacher’s College. We met with representatives of the college and mission and were told that we were an “answer to prayer.” This afternoon, we are developing curriculum to be presented to the Zambian Minister of Education during our meeting in Lusaka next week. It was strange sitting on a porch in Zambia, Africa developing course material. For dinner, we had “nshima and relish”, a traditional Zambian meal. It was cornmeal mush with chicken, cabbage slaw, and bread and butter. Last night, we played cards to stay up awhile and I took “Simply-Sleep”. I had the first full nights sleep since I started taking the malaria medicine.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
It has truly been an amazing day!! The ZigZag was perfect for us. My supper was great last night. I always want to try local specialties so I ordered the house special - curry and rice. It was great!! I have tried to like curry for years but there is always one spice in it that I don’t like. This did not have it. My room was very small, but it had a bathroom and a mosquito curtain. It seems way to cold for mosquitoes but I used it anyway. I noticed a candle to use if the generator went out, but it made it through the night.
We had a nice breakfast in the open dining room and headed for the SuperSpar to get water and snacks for the day. We also bought some postcards, only to discover they were taken by Ellie Hamby from the Namwianga Mission, our destination for today. Then we headed for Victoria Falls. It was an unbelievable place. I find it one of the most awe-inspiring places on earth. I will include a photo because words cannot do it justice. A friend from college days grew up in Rhodesia and spoke of them often. As we were leaving, we spotted a monkey running along the roof of an 18-wheeler waiting to go into Zimbabwe. We didn’t have time to get a photo of it.
We met someone from the airport at 12:00 to follow him back to Namwianga. Unfortunately, his Mom’s flight was delayed so we headed out on our own. On the way out of Livingston we had lunch at the Wonder Bakery. My favorite was “samosas”, a pastry of meat cabbage and spices. They were wonderful.
The road between Livingston and Zimba was the worst I have ever seen. You don’t understand! THE WORST THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!! There were cars and trucks with broken axles and blown tires. There was even an 18-wheeler turned over and all sorts of breakdowns. It was about 90 kilometers but took us about 3 hours. The last 40 kilometers of paved road was excellent between Zimba and Kolomo. The rest of the way was a pleasure. Someone met Kel Hamby met us in Koloma in his Land Rover and we followed him back to the Namweanga Compound. The dirt road was difficult in a car but we made it just as it was getting dark. Ellie Hamby had a large dinner party planned and we ate outside near fire braziers. We then headed to bed in the Guest House, a large thatched structure. We are truly in Africa!
Today we went to a bush congregation in Katakula. We left the Mission at 8:00 with 5 of us loaded in the double cab and 8 secondary students in the back. As long as were on the dirt road (I have adjusted to the fact that these bump fields are called “roads”) I wasn’t worried, but when we took to a path I wondered if we would be seen again. We finally reached the “building” and gathered with the believers there. It was a wonderful, wonderful service. The songs were all from their Tonga songbook and sung as I had hoped. The man beside me nudged me with his elbow and shared his book with me. I tried to sing in Tongalese but not very loud. After the service, they ask the visitors to leave first and form a line at the entrance then each member exits and shakes each hand until they fall in line at the end. They are singing the entire time. It was so nice to have been there. I understand the service here in the auditorium is very “western”.
This afternoon we went to the home of a lady living here at the Mission who makes bags and make-up kits out of the African material. I bought Keri a bag and a make-up bag and several additional make-up bags.
Another trip to see the toddlers who wanted to be held, supper on the veranda and evening services at the College. We leave tomorrow for Lusaka to meet with the Minister of Education. We have three night booked at the Holiday Inn.
The night sky is so amazing. The Milky Way looks like a path you could walk on. Keri and Ian will be into that.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Well, I have now marked off one of my lifetime goals. I have ridden through the African bush in a Land Rover. They are disappearing here in Zambia as the English influence gradually diminishes but there are a few left. Namwianga Mission has two. Kel Hamby said they would probably have to replace them with Toyota's when the time came.Yesterday morning, we had biscuits and gravy with bacon and coffee. I have discovered that you eat very well here. Ellie said that she just gave all the recipients to Lennard, the Zambian cook, and she no longer feels any need to do that. Beckie, Sara, Merideth (a hold-over from the North-Reach campaign) and I headed into Kolomo. On the way, we toured the Namwianga Medical Clinic where Sid Tate used to work.
We strolled to the bank (Sara still cannot access her $), then on to the
market. It was a village market so no tourist influence where we purchased our “chitenge” (material used for the traditional women’s skirt). Meredith bargained for us and we got them for 8500 Kwatcha (about $2.83) each. We will get some more because Beckie and Sara have decided that we will have “Chitenge Friday” from now own. I guess I will have a shirt made from one of them. After stopping at an internet café (think about that, an internet café in a small rural village in Zambia, Africa) we ate lunch at a restaurant owned by graduates from ACU and 
then headed back to Namwianga. There is no internet available at Manwianga at the present. The system is in place but it is not working.We visited “the babies” this afternoon at The Haven. There are so many of them and at least 10 or 12 are HIV positive. One of my favorites, Brian, is not expected to live. It’s tragic to think that some of these children will not make it. They are so beautiful and smile so sweetly at you. The “toddlers” in the other houses were all asleep. We then went to “Eric’s House” where the Merrits live. They have 36 children living with them.
Friday. June 27, 2008
Meeting and work day – including tour of the Namwianga Mission, secondary school, and George Benson Teacher’s College. We met with representatives of the college and mission and were told that we were an “answer to prayer.” This afternoon, we are developing curriculum to be presented to the Zambian Minister of Education during our meeting in Lusaka next week. It was strange sitting on a porch in Zambia, Africa developing course material. For dinner, we had “nshima and relish”, a traditional Zambian meal. It was cornmeal mush with chicken, cabbage slaw, and bread and butter. Last night, we played cards to stay up awhile and I took “Simply-Sleep”. I had the first full nights sleep since I started taking the malaria medicine.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
It has truly been an amazing day!! The ZigZag was perfect for us. My supper was great last night. I always want to try local specialties so I ordered the house special - curry and rice. It was great!! I have tried to like curry for years but there is always one spice in it that I don’t like. This did not have it. My room was very small, but it had a bathroom and a mosquito curtain. It seems way to cold for mosquitoes but I used it anyway. I noticed a candle to use if the generator went out, but it made it through the night.
We had a nice breakfast in the open dining room and headed for the SuperSpar to get water and snacks for the day. We also bought some postcards, only to discover they were taken by Ellie Hamby from the Namwianga Mission, our destination for today. Then we headed for Victoria Falls. It was an unbelievable place. I find it one of the most awe-inspiring places on earth. I will include a photo because words cannot do it justice. A friend from college days grew up in Rhodesia and spoke of them often. As we were leaving, we spotted a monkey running along the roof of an 18-wheeler waiting to go into Zimbabwe. We didn’t have time to get a photo of it.
We met someone from the airport at 12:00 to follow him back to Namwianga. Unfortunately, his Mom’s flight was delayed so we headed out on our own. On the way out of Livingston we had lunch at the Wonder Bakery. My favorite was “samosas”, a pastry of meat cabbage and spices. They were wonderful.
The road between Livingston and Zimba was the worst I have ever seen. You don’t understand! THE WORST THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!! There were cars and trucks with broken axles and blown tires. There was even an 18-wheeler turned over and all sorts of breakdowns. It was about 90 kilometers but took us about 3 hours. The last 40 kilometers of paved road was excellent between Zimba and Kolomo. The rest of the way was a pleasure. Someone met Kel Hamby met us in Koloma in his Land Rover and we followed him back to the Namweanga Compound. The dirt road was difficult in a car but we made it just as it was getting dark. Ellie Hamby had a large dinner party planned and we ate outside near fire braziers. We then headed to bed in the Guest House, a large thatched structure. We are truly in Africa!
posted by DCT | Tuesday, July 01, 2008
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