Deuteronomy 31:8

"The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." Deuteronomy 31:8







Thursday, July 29, 2010

Muli Shani Mpika

It's hard to believe I've been here a week...I've done so much in just this short amount of time! I'll try to make the details as concise as possible :)

Sunday was spent at IST (in-service training) where we got some shots, filled out some forms, and got sized for our bike and helmets. It was a rather short day of actual scheduled activities and so we had quite a bit of free time to walk around the grounds and just hang out. It was nice to have some freedom to just get out and be outside.

Monday started off bright and early at 0530. We packed up the land cruisers and headed to out 1st site visits. There were 8 of us CHIP volunteers headed to Mpika in Northern province, going to 2 separate sites. It was about a 6-7 hour trip after the stops that we made, and was actually a lot smoother than I had anticipated. Most Zambians do not have personal cars so they get where they need to go walking on the side of the road, biking, and hitching rides...so it was crazy to see people walking right by us as we went 120kmh. Myself and 4 others were at Sarita's site...a volunteer who has been posted for 1 year. Her site was AMAZING! Beautiful garden, separate kitchen, and a very nicely decorated hut. I will have to steal some of her ideas...Since we didn't arrive until late afternoon we just spent the rest of the evening hanging out, asking thousands of questions, and cooking dinner. Chris, a fellow PCV in a nearby village, was also there and he was an incredible cook. He hand made tortillas and then we had tacos with soya pieces as our source of meat. DELICIOUS!

Our first official day was spent meeting the headman of the village (he is the leader), visiting the local clinic where Sarita works with a nurse, and an ECT on many different projects like HIV/AIDS outreach and child health week programs. All of the healthcare provided there is free for patients (including vaccinations) and so are any drugs that they need, including medication for HIV positive patients. That blew my mind! Next we headed to a local school to atttend and afterschool program called anti-AIDS club. The club is made up of 7-9th graders who meet once a week to learn about HIV and AIDS and how to prevent it and educate others about it. They greeted us with songs and a drama skit. And we were also able to play two games with them; lifeboat and an africian version of sharks and minnows now called lions and antelopes. Myself and four of the children were in the final lifeboat so we won "sweeties" or candies. Surprised I went for the win in a game here in Zambia? You shouldn't be :)

On Wednesday we headed off to a village down the road to meet with the neighboorhood health committee (NHC) to go on village inspections. There were about 10 members present and so we split off into 2 groups to check every site in the village to ensure that everyone had a permanent toilet, bathing shelter, handwashing station (called a tippy-tap), mosquito nets for every member of the household, refuse (garbage) pit, and a two-tier drying rack. If any one of those elements were missing the house was charged a 5 pin (5000 kwacha) fine. If they had no money they could give something else, like a chicken or radio, to cover the cost. Improvements would have to be made in the week and the NHC would be back to check. These inspections provided a great teaching opportunity for why all of these were important elements to stay healthy because that's what this Zambian community wants is to be healthy and they are very motivated to do what it takes to get there.

After village inspections we were having a cooking party with the NHC members in the village! My first duty...kill the chicken. Yes you read it correctly, I killed the chicken. Ba Dorothy talked me threw it and with her amazing guidance I had success! Don't believe me? I have pics and a video to prove it, which will be up sometime soon? We'll see, but I have the record! Then we had to cut up all these veggies for the garnish and then the hard task of making the traditional nshima. These Zambian women are so strong because the process requires serious guns due to smashing all the ground nuts, and then whipping the thick nshima batter. I give them so much credit. And we were apart of every step of the making and the Zambians would just laugh and laugh as we struggled and they just asked "do you have food in america?" because we were such strugglers. It was so much fun and they were all such patient teachers with us, and I can only hope that I would be as patient with them if they came to America.

The whole first site visit was such an encouraging time for me. At first I was nervous because they kept telling us about all the people who ET (early terminate) from service and I worried, what if that's me? what if I can't do it? But after being here and living the life in the village for a couple of days (including successfully voiding in a pit latrine and taking a bucket shower) and interacting with the villagers I know that this is where I want to be. It's going to be challenging, but I know that through all things Christ is the one who strengthens me, and I will depend on him to get me through those tough days where I just want to give up.

Prayer Requests:
1. Prepare my heart for the site I will recieve in a couple of weeks time. Also prepare the hearts of the villagers that they will recieve me well.
2. Strength and endurance for PST. Tomorrow we head to a host family and begin our 8 weeks of language skills, tech skills, and health training...it's going to be an intense time where we are busy all day every day and are really stretched. If you are going to send a letter my way consider doing it during this time because on those hard days I think they will be a great source of encouragement knowing that people are really praying for me and supporting me from back home.
3. Continual building of friendships among fellow volunteers.


Okay that's all for now...not sure when I'll be back, but I look forward to hearing from you!!

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Zambia..."the real Africa"

I HAVE ARRIVED IN LUSAKA, ZAMBIA!!
And so have both of my bags :) PTL

It was a long 4 day journey to arrive here, and it feels great to be here. Last time I wrote I said I would be on the 10:50am flight out of J-berg, but because of some confusion I actually didn't end up leaving until about 6:55pm. So it was a thrilling day at the airport just sleeping, and going to a cafe, and then sleeping again. We arrived at about 9pm and were greeted by 3 staff members who hugged us because they were so glad we finally made it! And then going outside there were current PCVs waiting with signs and noisemakes...it was a very warm welcome to my new home. One of the signs said "FISH and CHIP" and we were all very confused, until we figured that it stood for our projects, the aqua culture (FISH) and Community Health Improvement Project (CHIP). Oh Zambian sense of humor! We are staying at this college type institute for a couple of nights before we head out to our site visits.

What is a site visit you ask? Good question! On early monday morning (around 6am) we will load a small bag, pile 8 of us into a land crusier and drive about 8 hours into the Northern province to meet a current volunteer at her post. There we will see what our future will look like! We'll be cooking the meals, seeing her work, and sleeping outside her hut. Since I didnt bring a tent, I will be sharing with a lovely volunteer named Nancy. Now this won't necessarily be where I am placed for sure but it will give us an overview of what we can expect. We will be there until Thursday evening and then we have a debriefing Friday and then training resumes on Saturday morning here in Lusaka.

I also found out today that I will be learning the language of Bemba, which is the most common of the languages spoken here in Zambia. I don't know what region I will be in yet because it is spoken in so many, but I honestly could care less of where I am because I'm here finally!

I love this place and I am looking forward to the 8 hour drive up north to see more of Zambia!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

SOUTH AFRICA!

So currently I am supposed to be in Zambia, but our flight to J-berg was late leaving and took longer than anticipated so we are staying at a hotel here in J-Berg. It's very nice and I am so excited for the opportunity for another shower...or possibly 2 :) So part of our group is now leaving at 10:50am, and others are TBD. I am one of the lucky to go at 10:50.

The flight over here went really well...it didn't seem like 16 hours at all. I was able to watch the latest Matt Damon flick, Green Zone so I was very excited. They had SOOOO many movie options that I almost didn't want to sleep. But no worries I slept for probably like 6+ hours on and off throughout the flight. I also was able to listen to Justin Bieber one final time. Thank you Delta.

Everything is still going great thus far and I am glad I'm finally here in Africa :)

Not sure when I will be able to update next, but know that I'm safe and I will write as soon as I can!

Also in the hotel they're playing Dave Matthews....I wonder if he is some sort of local hero?

Peace and Blessings, peace and blessings

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Thank You

Also I need to say a huge HUGE thank you to all of you who have supported me through this whole process. I have been talking with some other volunteers who have people all along the way telling them that they can't go, they won't make it, they aren't strong enough. I was so sad to hear this and it hit me how blessed I am to have friends and family who are excited for me, supporting me, encouraging me, and praying for me. So thank you for making me feel loved and encouraged :)

Today is where it begins :)

So after a fantastic going away party and many tearful goodbyes I have arrived in Atlanta at the "staging" event. We are staying at a swanky hotel in Buckhead, ATL and had an orientation of sorts today from about 2-7pm. We got LOTS and LOTS of info that my head is just swimming. But already I am loving every minute of it :)

Coming into today I had no idea how many other volunteers would be going, why I was crazy enough to choose to do this, and if I would have any friends to speak of in these volunteers. However, I am happy to report I now have some answers. Right when I got off the plane from MSP to ATL I met up with 2 fellow Minnesotan girls on their way to Zambia. So we snagged a cab and made our way with our bags to the hotel. From there we put our stuff in a room and walked up the street to a diner for some lunch. It was so great talking with people going through the same things and to find I was not the only one who was an emotional basket case for the weeks prior to leaving.

Afterwards we lined up and turned in our stacks and stacks of paperwork, got our government issued passports and found our spots in the room training would take place. We then, like I said, were bombarded with information about everything that was to come like Peace Corps objectives, safety and health issues, anxieties we were feeling, and just logistics. And we did some ice breakers along the way including some skits, drawing, and chart making.

There are 59 of us headed to Zambia tomorrow either going into my program of Community Health Development or in Aquaculture and setting up fish hatcheries. Everyone I met here has been great, both fellow volunteers and the staff. They said today that we should look around because we were now a family of 59, here to support one another through this incredible journey that is lying ahead of us. I looked around and was so excited about the people I will be serving with and this amazing opportunity I have to live life with them.

And now for the prayer requests:
1. For the forming of solid relationships with my fellow volunteers and opportunites to share Christ with them and just to really love and serve them.

2. Strength during the 10 week pre-service training sessions. (The first 10 weeks will be an intense time of spending about 8 hours a day, 6 days a week studying one of the 6 languages we will speak in the village, the culture, and technical skills. Then at the end we have to pass a test before being sworn in.)

3. Good health...I will get sick sometime over the next 2 years, but there is a high risk of getting malaria, dystentary, and other diseases from parasites and obviously a risk of HIV/AIDS.

4. Safe travels...I leave ATL tomorrow evening at 7:25pm, fly abot 15 hours to J-berg South Africa, and then have another flight at about 9pm on Thursday to Lusaka, Zambia. Pray that luggage will make it and that they aren't over the weight limit!

5. And most importantly that I will recognize God's grace daily. Things won't go perfect, but if I rely on His grace and His provisions it will all work out. God is good and it's all for His glory :)