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.