Getting Settled

Things at the Namwianga Mission have begun slowing down, only for them to spring up again. The weather is absolutely incredible and we spend much of our time eating, reading, and talking outside in the porch area. Kalomo is much like Searcy in that the students are the life of town. Everything seems dead this week since all of the students are away. All of us begin classes a week from today (Monday) and close to 1000 students will be flooding in. Here at the mission there is a primary school, secondary school, and George Benson college.

This week we have been spending all of our time learning to speak Chitonga, commonly known as Tonga. This will allow us to make our way through the market and make friends with all of the students once they arrive. Making friends is particularly important to me, because we are allowed to stay with friends on the weekends. Some of the students will live within a few hours of walking from the campus and this will be an opportunity to get the full experience. Like I mentioned earlier, according to Zambian standards we are staying in a very nice location. I hope to get a taste of what life is like in the outside villages.

We have befriended many young children who want to play with us at all times. Often times I will have one child on my shoulders and the other two will be holding my hands. I particularly enjoy watching little Jason. At one point yesterday, some of the children were chasing us, but he fell behind and began to cry. Trey and I helped him to get his pink Crocs shoes back on and began to run full speed while holding him in the air. He immediately stopped crying and began to taunt the other children that had fallen behind. From that point on he insisted on holding my hand while running.

There is an older man by the name of Marres that enjoys talking to the Americans very much. He continually speaks of his 1000 acres and wishes to leave his land with a white American. Several times he has offered his land to Trey, but we are not quite sure if he is joking or insane. Either way, we continue to talk with him and have exchanged information. Obviously this could just be a scam, but it would be silly to neglect a man with so much land, especially since it could one day be used to build a hospital and orphanage. We will not make any big decisions or promises that cannot be kept; it is just fun meeting new people and form connections where possible.

Getting Accustomed

From the left is Bill, James, and Gordon. I am not sure if Bill is the correct name. We taught them how to play tag and tic-tac-toe, which they seemed to enjoy greatly.

We have begun the transition between life in the United States and life here in Zambia. First off, I must mention such a wonderful place the Namwiaga Mission is. The Zambians do a wonderful job of cleaning and maintaining the nice buildings they have here. Compared to the living conditions we have seen in the villages, we are staying in a five star hotel. The only grass I have seen is on the mission. Regardless of how nice our homes are compared with the rest of Zambia, there are still adjustments that have to be made for us new comers. Water is no longer just there at all times. Water is a precious commodity and is not to be wasted. I usually use little water if any to brush my teeth. For showers it is appropriate for one to wet down quickly, lather with the water off, then turn the water back on to rinse. I plan to only take a shower every three days, but this mainly depends on the days I exercise. I am blessed to have nice clothes that are able to resist from sun, bugs, wrinkles, and smell (kind of). I do not have a mirror nor do I care for one. It is nice going from day to day without the regular concerns of Americans. Zach Daggett and I are currently in a competition to see who can where the same shirt the longest. We are both wearing North Face shirts that are the same material, but different colors. I am on day 5 and do not seem to smell yet; however, I am sure Tanner or Trey will be the first to tell me if so. Trey Carlock is one of the guys who talked me into considering the trip to Zambia. He is very intelligent and I envy his ability to retain information without studying. He actually reminds me of Dad, especially when he cracks his witty jokes. We were joking about putting on a show for Harding when we return to America and Trey recommended we call it “H-I-Z positive.” I immediately saw Dad saying the same thing in that situation.

Since we have arrived, the electricity has gone out once every day and I personally have been unable to connect on-line. If you are reading this then I was obviously able to connect long enough to send this information. We have a local cell phone that is free to receive calls. The caller has to pay 15 to 30 cents every minute. I will be giving this information to my mom if one of you ever needs to reach me.

Yesterday was a very long day and several events happened that I will never forget. Ba Merrit gave us a tour of the mission and we later rode the bus into the city of Kalomo. Ba Merrit keeps things running at Namwianga and his father founded the mission many years ago. Right from the beginning it was obvious how socially awkward I was being. It was not until the end of the day I could greet the people in Tonga and understand enough to reply. At this point I know all the common greetings, but unless they respond in a way that I can reply, “Gabutu” I am in trouble. Gabutu simply means fine and I am not sure of the spelling.

The first event I would like to share is my first experience at the Haven. The children are not use to men holding them, so it was interesting reading the facial expressions of the Zambians. After playing with the healthy children I made my way to the building where the sick babies stay since. Most of these children are either born with AIDS or are currently sick with any other type of virus. It is very important that one is healthy before entering this area because the children can become very sick, very quickly. A little baby girl that was barely old enough to stand, reached her hands up towards me, motioning for me to pick her up. Her name is Kim and she has a twin sister that is sick as well. Kim found all of the new visitors very intriguing and could not help but stare. Her blank confused face was very cute and her little hands clinched my shirt as tightly as possible. Although I know her name, I do not know her sickness because I did not ask. I wanted to hold her as if she was just like any other baby. I wanted her to feel loved. Often people neglect these sick babies because they are only looking out for themselves. The sick children need care and love like any other child and we must not be afraid of attachment for our own selfish reasons. I respect the women who take care of these children and give them the love they need, knowing the children's lives here on earth are very limited.After playing soccer with a few of the local children, I met up with the HIZ group to drive into the town of Kalomo. The market was very crowded and we stood out like a pink backpack. I cannot upload any pictures, but can share them later. Many of the Zambians that approached me were eager to ask us questions concerning our lifestyle and climate in the states. It seems as if each man I have a discussion with is eager for change and development. It seems as if they see our skin color as opportunity. One man dressed with an assortment of old torn dress clothes asked us to take an application from him, while others asked how to improve their ways. One man asked, “How can we find development?” while another stated, “When we see you, we see God.” Whether these questions and statements were heartfelt or simply hollow, I have no idea. But I do believe that people in developing countries are seeking a better way.

Victoria Falls

The double rainbow was truly incredible and defined in person. The rainbows swoop under this bridge in the picture and complete on the other side, above some trees and shrubs.

Second Picture: Throughout the pathway along the falls one can see baboons throughout. I was within hands reach of these two.

Once we arrived at the airport in Livingstone, the first place we drove towards is Victoria Falls. Victoria Falls has become a huge tourist attraction and it is obvious why. At this point of the entry I would insert some pretty nifty facts about the falls and about David Livingstone; however, I have no internet or books to use as a source. This is something I will definitely have to get use to. In the states, I ALWAYS iPhone it, google it, YouTube it, or wiki it. The Internet has its positives and negatives, but without it I will no longer be able to obtain the useful and often useless knowledge I am accustomed to.

Although I do not have all the facts, I can describe what Victoria Falls looked like to me and how it impacted my life forever. The first glimpse I had of the falls was when the plane was beginning to land in Livingstone. It was truly amazing to see the falls from an upper perspective; not only because of the angle, but because one can see the desolate land surrounding the zigzag of the Zambezi River. There are several things I noticed about the falls that made the experience incredible.On the way down to the falls there is a statue of David Livingstone alongside the path. Shortly after, one comes to the best angle of the falls. A rambunctious group of us fell dead silent upon the first glance of such a magnificent show of God’s glory. No camera is able to take a picture that can give justice to the beauty of Victoria Falls. I was able to get close enough to the edge of the cliff in order to be drenched by the mist that shoots out, well above the waterfall. There have been rare moments in my life that I have been able to close my eyes and truly be at peace and silence before God. So far in Zambia, this has become an everyday experience. Facing Victoria Falls, I did not need to close my eyes or tune out my surroundings to hear what God has to say. I simply looked towards the rainbow above the water and allowed the mist to cool my face. No words or pictures can scratch the surface of what I experienced, I only hope that each of you have or will experience the same in one way or another.

Namwianga

We finally arrived at the Namwianga mission last night (Thursday) after leaving Harding’s campus on Sunday. It has been quite a journey and I am very relieved to finally be here in Kalomo. I was very exhausted last night and was able to fall asleep at 9 pm here, which is 2 pm in Arkansas. I feel great this morning and do not seem to be experiencing any culture shock or jet lag. I joked with several of the guys once we arrived in Zambia that I was having culture shock after an upset stomach; placing myself in a ball in the corner of the Livingstone airport. The last plane ride along with a couple of bus rides left me feeling pretty terrible towards the end of the trip. My stomach has never done well with antibiotics so I assume this is from the Doxycycline malaria medicine, since I have never had motion sickness before.

I was very surprised how westernized South Africa has become, especially Johannesburg. Of course, everything was still in English and many of the stores in the airport are stores we see in America. Zambia, on the other hand, is very very poor and this becomes apparent the moment one enters the airport in Livingstone. Although Zambia is very poor it is quite beautiful in its own way. I am very pleased with where we are staying at the mission. The Zambians made their appreciation known to us right from the beginning. The people here at the mission want to truly take care of us and for that I am grateful. I know that I, alongside a few others, would have been content with much less.

Here at the mission we are not to kill spiders or lizards, simply because they help to kill mosquitoes. And everyone knows mosquitoes cause malaria. It would not be smart to kill a spider in the presence of a Zambian since the spiders kill mosquitoes and mosquitoes kill their loved ones. When I awoke this morning several spiders found their way into my room. I admit that I stomped a couple, however, there is a spider in one of the upper corners of my room who has already built a solid web and caught several bugs. For this, I decided to keep him and name him Jesse. From this point on I will try not to harm any bugs and will allow Jesse to guard over the room. Between Jesse, the mosquito net, and my malaria medication I believe I am safe from Malaria (no guarantees). Ba Leonard is our cook and does an amazing job. Ba simply means Mr. or Ms. in Tonga. Most of the people in this southern area of Zambia speak both English and Tonga. Some know up to 5 languages or more. We will spend the next few weeks learning Tonga as well.

Pictures take a long time to upload. I may compress the images somehow and post them or send them to someone through email to post them for me.

Finally

Starting from the left in the picture: Quintyn Bolay, Shelby Chambliss, Tanner Nichols, Trey Carlock, Mallory Doran, Emily Sansom, and David Gray.

I could not ask for better people to be doing this mission with. Each student brings something special to the group, not to mention the wonderful job that Janice Bingham and Shawn Daggett do in leading us. Our patience and attitudes have already been tested with all the little troubles that occur during long distance travel.

We have just arrived at a magnificent looking hotel in Johannesburg, after our 15 hour international flight. The flight was quite an experience for me. I was very surprised once I realized that the spiffy plane seats each had touch screen televisions on the back. One could use the screen to call an assistant, adjust the fan, or turn on the reading light. There were several choices for entertainment including recent movies, games, and shows. The last thing I thought to be interesting was the satellite view of our current location along the route as well as other informative information concerning time and temperature. During the first 5 hours of the flight I was thoroughly enjoying myself and was able to catch up on movies and television; however, things only went downhill from there.

I became very restless a few hours later and my love for flight DL200 vanished quickly. I was only able to sleep for a few hours and my flight was not near as productive as I had hoped. Although I was very ready to leave the plane, it was still a great experience. The hotel has a very nice pool area with neat decorations all around. Unfortunately I am very limited in the number of pictures I can upload from Zambia. Now it is time to catch up on some sleep!

Impact

This first entry is simply so you all will know that we have made it safely and make you aware of our final preparations before arriving. A main focus of this trip and the success for our mission is to keep God at the center at all times. We spent much of our time at HUT in devotion; singing praises to God. This was not worship like I am use to experiencing. I often find it hard during services to lift up my praises and allow the spirit to enter in; however, something is different. At one point I closed my eyes to sing and was unable to open them again until we were done praising. This experience was as if I was allowing Jesus to enter in. Not just that particular worship time, but the trip as a whole. One of our main goals as a group during this mission is to bless each life we come in contact with, no matter what the circumstances. At one point yesterday, Dr. Daggett made a point that I was able to connect with. He explained that as Christians overseas we can either act as cats or dogs. After feeding and petting a dog, they view you as God; but after feeding and petting a cat, they view themselves as God.

There are several reasons that caused me to make this trip and I would consider them selfish in some ways. There is no doubt that I will benefit just as much or more by this mission than any Zambians I come into contact with. I hope that my stay in Zambia will allow me to not only further my purpose in medical missions, but to help shape who I will be in the future. I will be able to focus more time on studying the Bible and I pray that all of this allows me to become one with the Spirit.

I would like to share a couple points that were made before our departure from HUT. Jeff Hopper visited us to share some thoughts before leaving. He mentioned, “When you help someone, you become more like God.” Although I have never met Dr. Hopper before, I immediately respect him due to his praise of others and witty way of speech. He stressed how every life ends and that health care simply prolongs life. As medical missionaries it is important to always remember God is most important.

Packing

I figured it would be best to have the first entry typed up before we leave for Zambia and everything becomes madness. I was recently informed that we will only be given 8 hours of internet during the 3 months in Kalomo. I view this immediately as a blessing because I spend way too much time on the computer here in the states.

This trip will bless my life in so many ways and through this blog I hope to share some of my reflections with you all. This entry is simply an introduction and I hope to post a few maps that will give a general idea of our location in Zambia. After reading up on some African culture and history I am already viewing life in a different way. I pray that our group is able to make a difference on our trip to Zambia and that through our good deeds God will be shown. May the Holy Spirit dwell within each of us; giving us the insight to do and say what need be.

As you can see from the map above: Zambia is southwest of Kenya and Tanzania. Although this is where we will be spending most of our time, other places around Africa will be visited as well.

Here is a map of Zambia. Kalomo is towards the south as you can see (above Livingstone).

Although I will be pressed for time; I hope to prepare entries on a word document using information from my journal, and simply paste them to this site. I am not sure of what all we will be doing while in Africa, but we will be busy. The Harding in Zambia program is targeted mainly towards medical missions. We will be helping out in the clinic and orphanage as well as visiting planted churches around the area. I plan to raft the Nile and bungee jump, which will not be addressed again until afterwards. This trip will be a great blessing in each of our lives. I hope that it may be a blessing to each person that reads this blog as well. Unfortunately, I am no talented, smooth writer; however, the words which are typed will be from the core. The things which are said will be real, leaving nothing sugarcoated. Developing countries are nothing like we are used to here in America.