Catch-Up

The past few days have been fairly routine.  The stomach bug is making its way around but only one or two are out at a time.  Beckie and I finally met with Mr. George Phiri this morning when he stopped by the house before breakfast.  There is still a possibility that the class will meet but there seems to have been a change in schedule which makes to difficult to schedule.  We shall see.  Beckie is the supervision floater, so she will try to schedule it in if and when it is arranged.

The "gangs" from the primary school are very interested in everything we are doing at The Haven.  Yesterday, several were playing in the yard with their "sling shots" and they posed for a photo.  It is amazing how accurate they are with these things.  I never saw them miss what they were aiming at (poor grammar but you get the point). The staff at the Royal Livingstone use these to keep the monkeys at bay.

I got this photo this morning of the Land Rover and the side yard to the Hamby House.  It seemed like a very good "African" shot to me.  I really love the weather here.  It is pleasant during the day and cool at night.  Much better then back in Arkansas.

 Heath is one of my favorite kiddos from last year.  He has had this expression in every photo I have ever taken, but I liked how this one turned out.  I may use it as a title slide on a future PowerPoint presentation.  If we could only get him talking.

The last photo here is a towel that was laying in the bathroom this morning.  Remember that I am in the middle of Sub-Saharan Africa and this is my in-laws monogram.  I've never known them to have brown towels, but it was still a shock.  I am curious where they came from.

Contradictions

This is a country full of contradictions.  This has been an amazing evening.  Webster and Prince (a friend of one of the students stopped by the Hamby House and led everyone in singing.  There were many beautiful Tonga songs, including some that Webster had taught us.  The thing that amazed me the most was the version of Pachelbel's Canon in D Major with the parts all sung by the students.  I so wish I had had it recorded.  Maybe they will sing it again.  I kept thinking that here I was sitting in the middle of a the Sub-Saharan African bush listening to voices singing Pachelbel's Canon.

The second thing that struck me tonight was to always expect the unexpected.  One of the students purchased this six-pack of Pepsi at the SPAR in Choma.  You can see that the box contained five Mirinda Oranges and one Mirinda grape.  Not a Pepsi in the box, in spite of the statement on the side indicating that the box contained six cans of Pepsi.  Welcome to Zambia!

Departures

Back to work after the adventures of the weekend.  Dan and Kim Atchley left today.  Kim works in the International Program Office and Dan teaches in Pharmacy.  Dan made such major contributions to the Clinic. Their presence was also valued by our group and they will be truly missed.

They decided to cut down the tree beside our house and limbs started falling just before lunch.  There is not the luxury of hiring a tree service, so there were people sitting on limbs cutting with handmade axes and limbs started falling.  Note the bare feet and the handmade ax.  We will see in limbs fall on the house.  I think they are going to remodel our house, but I can’t find out the exact details.  I’ll let you know when I know.

Ian and David and a few additional friends are exploring the bush.  He is going to know more about Zambia then most map makers.  He is having a great time and I am so glad he has this opportunity to explore this culture.

Choma & Bush Fire

Yesterday was a big day for all of us.  Most of us were feeling a little better (I know I was) and we had a day off.  As usual, we had a great breakfast and loaded up the bus (we need to come up with a name for it).  We had planned to take Khaki Jackie but we must find her a new battery.  We also heard that Kalomo had diesel so we stopped there to pick up petrol.  As we left, we lodged a fist sized stone between the left rear tires and were afraid it would damage them.  It took only a short while to get it out and then we were off.

Choma was relatively unchanged.  After the post office and ATM (the best way to get money when you travel), we headed into the market.  Ian and I showed all where the chitenge stall was located (K6500 or $1.22 each) and got got some more Africa Cup chitenges.  We then headed to the Spar to get some sweeties (treats), then off to the museum.  Beckie picked up the lunches at the Spar and we had our usual picnic on the grounds.  Everyone then had a chance to explore the museum and the craft shop and loaded up on gifts.  They are always so grateful because it is such a boost to their economy when we arrive.  The clerk was so grateful he wouldn't let me pay for the chief's wand I was trying to purchase.  He said our purchases were appreciated and unexpected and he always welcomed our visits.

Sue Calder gave the staff the evening off and made us this wonderful dinner of macaroni and cheese and apple crisp for dessert.  While we were cleaning up, a "controlled" burn got out of control next door.  Everyone was called out with buckets (wastebaskets, dishpans, large containers, etc.) to help put it out and watch were assigned to watch the thatch roofs.  Crisis averted quickly, but it did provide some excitement.

I will post some photos of the activities soon.

Africa Freedom Day

Today is Africa Freedom Day, a holiday in Zambia, as well as most of Africa.  All offices and schools were closed.  However, we finished off our week with the kiddos.  We really are here to provide clinical services and have to take advantage of every spare minute to get it done.  We are already beginning to see progress and once again, I can see why this is such a valuable project.

The diarrhea that began with me spread through Ian and now four of five of the students.  I think I had the worst case because I thought I was going to die on Wednesday (and at time wished I would).  I am on the mend now and supervised therapy Thursday and today, but I still don't feel very good.  I slept well last night however, and I should recover.

We head to Choma tomorrow.  There is a wonderful craft museum there where we get some nice things and there is a much bigger market that is always great to see.  We are all going on the bus since Khaki Jackie has suffered battery failure.  No amount of charging or popping the clutch would bring her back to life this time.  We need to wait until someone can go to Livingstone to get a new battery.  Life here is really like it was in rural America in the 1930s.

Greetings to the few that are following.  I would appreciate some responses from anyone who is interested and I will try to answer questions.  If you see the responses from DCT and worry about me talking to myself on my own blog, it's not as bad as it looks.  Keri is signed in in Searcy and whenever she answers it looks like me.  Keri, we wish you were here.  We are doing fine!

The Big "D"

Well, it was inevitable.  Everyone ends up getting sick at some point but I have avoided it for years.  Last night and today was my turn.  We have five supervisors and Beckie is serving as the backup.  Today she had to cover for me.  I stayed in bed until 12:00 and then ate two slices of toast.  I've had nothing else and do not really want anything.  I've got to go back to work tomorrow.

First Full Day of Therapy

We began therapy today after assessing yesterday.  Each student got in four and a half hours of therapy with most special needs at The Haven covered.  It was an amazing experience but it was exhausting.  Ba Leonard was ill yesterday but is back today.  His son Herold also does a great job cooking, but we are always happy to have Ba Leonard around.

Ian and David headed out to cut the grass around the cemetery at The Haven.  Andrew's grave will be marked in the near future.  Of course, there are no power tools here so they use blades.  I'm sure there are frequently injuries.

I also spent some time with Hamilton today.  Those of you who have followed this through the past two trips rejoiced when he began to eat in 2010 and worried about his cataracts last summer.  Here is a photo of him as a two year old.  Can you believe it?  This makes it all worthwhile.

We're still dealing with power outages.  This afternoon, Ba Leonard said "It's Tuesday, be sure and carry your torches (flashlights)."  Sure enough, the power went out around supper time and came back on around 8:30.  You can see from this photo that no one got bored.  As a matter of fact, I've noticed they interact better when the power is off.  I need to check on the research available on the Internet's impact on social behavior.  Things are going well!'

Frustrating Internet

We have been having continued problems with electricity and the internet.  The power was off from 4:00 to 8:00 this morning and again this afternoon right after supper.  The internet seems to be working, but the band width is so small that it takes forever to load and will only hold several people at a time.  A solution for that would be for individuals to limit their use so other people could get on.  So far that is not happening, but hopefully it will get better.  One of the students saw a rat on the veranda which put the students in a panic.  Webster simply brought out his solution (what I called a "bean-flip" as a child and demonstrated its use.  I have no doubt the rat would be history if it comes back.  We saw them using these to keep the monkeys away at the Royal Livingstone last year.

Our remaining two students arrive in Livingstone, and then here tomorrow.  We also spent the day assessing at The Haven and will begin therapy tomorrow.

Where's the boy?

Sunday has come to an end and we are all getting ready to begin our assessments tomorrow. The students are playing on the veranda and we have enjoyed Zambian singing at Church.  We have the internet and electricity.  Life is good today here in Zambia.

I mentioned in my post this morning that I went to the market in Kalomo yesterday and Ian went to Nkanga River Bush Camp for the day.  As I walked through the market, at least 10 people I didn't know personally came to me to ask "Where's the boy?"  It seems we have made an impression here.

I also received a disk with over 300 photos of Ian's adventure yesterday at Nkanga River Bush Camp.  I thought I would include this one.

Lazy Sunday

Obligatory Mosquito Netting

 Ian had a great time yesterday and brought back lots of photos.  We looked at them before we went to bed.  Can you pick out Ian in the photo?

We have a restful day planned for Sunday.  We are resting up for the push that will begin on Monday.  Breakfast, Church Lunch, Rest, Supper, Church, Bed.  It's a tough life but someone has to do it!!

Eric's Place Gang

There is a fuel shortage here in Zambia. The press is saying that the end is unknown, so things might get a little interesting in the next several weeks.  We had a similar shortage several years ago, but it ended up only lasting a few days.  As they say here, "W T Z" (pronounced zed) which means "welcome to Zambia."

Home to Zambia!

Welcome Home!

We landed in Livingstone on Thursday afternoon.  Of course, the entry process was not easy but we made it through with minimal complications.  Rod and Sue Calder met us with Khaki Jackie and the new bus for our trip back to Namwianga.  We needed to make a few stops first and we headed to an ATM for Kwacha (Zambian money) the Shop Rite for a few things, and the Airtel for a sim card and minutes.  The cell phone system is set up well here (unlike the monopoly the exists in the States.  Everyone purchases a phone (relatively inexpensive).  Then you buy a Sim card (K12,500 or $2.50) which gives you a number and then you buy minutes.  I purchased a K100,000 ($20) card which will give me many calls here in Zambia and back to the States.

We then headed “home”.  We pulled into Namwianga, unloaded and got settled and set down to a wonderful Ba Leonard meal.  He welcomed us with this wonderful cake.  Those of you that have followed this adventure before know how much we value those cakes.

Yesterday, we visited The Haven where we will be working and met the children and renewed our friendships with the staff.  Some of our kiddos are gone.  Kritz, one of our loves has returned to his family.  The goal of The Haven is to raise the infants when the family is unable to do so and then return the child to the family.  Kritz was picked up by an aunt and taken to his grandmother in Livingstone.  My prayer is that he will be blessed and that his time at The Haven (and with us) will prepare him for a productive life.

We are unpacking our container today and heading to Kalomo.  Ian has headed out with Mr. Roy and his boys (including Ian’s best friend David) for a day of swimming and canoeing near Choma.  Of course I’m worried.  I told him to stay away from still water and to avoid getting any into his mouth.  Say a little prayer for him.

Of course, the internet has been down since we arrived.  I’m typing this in Word and will transfer as soon as we get access.  We lost electricity for several hours on Thursday night (Zambia’s welcome) but have had no additional power outages.  We shall see!

Update!  It has taken me all day (whatever time I had free) to finally get on.  Ian has returned from a day of adventures with his friends from Eric's Place.  I will TRY to post later.

Zambia won the Africa Cup in earlier this year and there was much celebration here in Zambia.  I found a couple of Chitanges (K15,000 or $2.86 each) today in honor of that win.  I will try to put in a link telling all about it. Here is a blog (Zambia’s journey to the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations finals) telling the history of Zambia's journey and another telling of the victory.

OH NO! MY SIUTCASE IS TOO HEAVY!!!!

Delta Airlines (bless their hearts) have decided that we can take only one suitcase instead of the two we usually take.  They didn't bother to change their website advising us of this until several weeks ago.

Here We Go Again!

Ian and I are heading out again tomorrow for another adventure in Zambia.  Of course, packing is my least favorite part of any adventure.  I now have another least favorite part.  It has taken me almost an hour to get to the point where I could begin entering information in this blog.  There have been all types of changes since I last posted and I was finally able to break through.  I certainly hope I can get in again.

We leave tomorrow afternoon for Atlanta to catch a Delta flight directly to Johannesburg, South Africa.  It is a 16 hour flight and I'm trying to get ready for it, but we shall see.  I will try to post something from Jo-burg on Wednesday night, but I don't know about the internet there.

Let's Try This Again!

I have been fighting with this for an hour!  I'm about to sail my laptop across the room.