Saturday morning:
We arrived back to our lodge last night to find no power again, so I am writing the following am.
Four more team members left our group for Victoria Falls this am, leaving our skeleton team of 5, medical. We miss our team mates and the dinner table seems quite small now.
Yesterday was a day of good surprises and accomplishments, and some sadness. Foster and I went to the Dept. of Education at 8 hours and picked up two men who came to inspect our school site for registration and approval for the next school building. Zambia requires that we follow a government drawing to build the school. We chose 1 plan from the 3 that were given, and found out in record time while still on our site that we were not only approved, but have been given the green light to pour the next foundation for the school. The clearing of the land and foundation will begin next week!
We had the great pleasure of having all of our students at the site this am as well even though our school was still on official holiday. Our remaining team packed child “school kits” which included pencils, crayons, candy, necklaces, socks, and tooth paste and brushes. Each child was fitted for “crock shoes” and was given a mosquito net. Teddy our teacher demonstrated how to set up the net at the child’s home and the importance of using it to reduce the incidence of malaria. The children were thrilled to receive such a valuable gift.
As we were leaving the OMNI Village to head into town, we were being followed down the very dusty dirt road by a truck with Zambian men waving their arms and shouting at us. The next view was a large wooden cross being waved in the air by one of the men from the open bed of the truck. It was Mr. Maumba, who had made a beautiful hand carved cross for Jim, (who has left for the US a few days ago) As they attempted to pull ahead of us, another truck with “God is with us” written on the windshield passed by. Mr. Maumba pulled ahead of us to reveal a life size cross with a hand carved figure of Jesus lying on the back of the pickup on top of a full load of sand. It was the most awesome site we have ever seen. The life size cross was going to be driven to Lusaka a mere 6 hours south of here and delivered to a church where it will surely grace all who see it.
Our sad note for the day was the lack of progress of our baby Peter at Children’s Hospital. Dr. Lynn reports after rounds that his pneumonia has not responded to the 3 antibiotics that he is on, and his deterioration is recognizable. He remains in the 28th percentile for weight, and as Lynn assesses, may not be able to survive this pneumonia, or the progression of the HIV disease. He remains in our prayers each day.
Last night Dr. Lynn, Foster and I were dinner guests of Mr. Gosavi, the owner of Chemopharm where OMNI purchases our medications for our clinics. It was an interesting and delightful evening discussion our business relationship and all the various regulations and changes in medications here in Zambia and around the world. We are grateful to be able to have such a knowledgeable resource. It was a good day.
Blessings to all,
Karen
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Thursday, May 1, 2008
May 1, 2008
This is Karen checking in:
Yesterday, the highlight of my trip among many was to see Chriss in Kitwe a mining town just 40 minutes west of Ndola. Chriss is 28 years old and the brother who raised our adopted Zambian son Memory. It was a great 15 minute reunion at the “round a bout” next to the bus stop. Memory is starting to look like his older brother and both are very handsome as are so many of the people here.
On the way back to Ndola, we stopped at the OMNI building site to catch up with Foster and Jon who had been “ferrying” sand and lumber all day in our 4 ton truck from various places in Ndola to our village for our building. The team went on with the bus and Foster and I remained to pay the 3 guards, 4 teachers, and builders etc. that are employed by OMNI. On the way back to Ndola in the dark we were first upon a tragic accident, very common here where a bus like ours struck a mini bus with what appeared to be 14 people in side.
This AM, 2 more team members, Pastor Sherman and Chriss left for the states leaving us with 11 remaining. Each time someone leaves the OMNI team family the dynamics change and we feel less whole.
Today for the first time in many years, I have had a day off here in Zambia and had the opportunity to travel with the team to an orphanage village for Chimpanzee deep in the bush area of Chingola which is almost 3 hours west and north of where we are working. This remote orphanage was established over 25 years ago for chimps who were being killed and abused at the hand of humans around Africa and the globe.
On the way, our bus was detained at a police check point for carrying mattresses (to be delivered tomorrow for our new labor and delivery room at Kasango) in addition to our driver not having his driver’s license on his person….(WHAT??) Foster and our driver made some phone calls to friends and very soon we were off again. Our mattresses are now under our seats…
We all saw the 32 chimps, and much to my pleasure I was able to hold an 18 month old baby named Dominic. They are so human like that we were amazed.
Tomorrow will be a full day for OMNI work starting with an 8 am meeting with Foster, medical rounds at Children’s Hospital, and an appointment at the ministry of Education to register our school again for the new semester starting on Monday and much more. Tonight we packed “gift bags” for our 150 students.
We pray for Colin, baby Peter in our hospital here, and our traveling team members. Each day we pray for our families and friends at home who we miss and love.
Blessings to all,
Karen
Yesterday, the highlight of my trip among many was to see Chriss in Kitwe a mining town just 40 minutes west of Ndola. Chriss is 28 years old and the brother who raised our adopted Zambian son Memory. It was a great 15 minute reunion at the “round a bout” next to the bus stop. Memory is starting to look like his older brother and both are very handsome as are so many of the people here.
On the way back to Ndola, we stopped at the OMNI building site to catch up with Foster and Jon who had been “ferrying” sand and lumber all day in our 4 ton truck from various places in Ndola to our village for our building. The team went on with the bus and Foster and I remained to pay the 3 guards, 4 teachers, and builders etc. that are employed by OMNI. On the way back to Ndola in the dark we were first upon a tragic accident, very common here where a bus like ours struck a mini bus with what appeared to be 14 people in side.
This AM, 2 more team members, Pastor Sherman and Chriss left for the states leaving us with 11 remaining. Each time someone leaves the OMNI team family the dynamics change and we feel less whole.
Today for the first time in many years, I have had a day off here in Zambia and had the opportunity to travel with the team to an orphanage village for Chimpanzee deep in the bush area of Chingola which is almost 3 hours west and north of where we are working. This remote orphanage was established over 25 years ago for chimps who were being killed and abused at the hand of humans around Africa and the globe.
On the way, our bus was detained at a police check point for carrying mattresses (to be delivered tomorrow for our new labor and delivery room at Kasango) in addition to our driver not having his driver’s license on his person….(WHAT??) Foster and our driver made some phone calls to friends and very soon we were off again. Our mattresses are now under our seats…
We all saw the 32 chimps, and much to my pleasure I was able to hold an 18 month old baby named Dominic. They are so human like that we were amazed.
Tomorrow will be a full day for OMNI work starting with an 8 am meeting with Foster, medical rounds at Children’s Hospital, and an appointment at the ministry of Education to register our school again for the new semester starting on Monday and much more. Tonight we packed “gift bags” for our 150 students.
We pray for Colin, baby Peter in our hospital here, and our traveling team members. Each day we pray for our families and friends at home who we miss and love.
Blessings to all,
Karen
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