"You look stronger"

Just this weekend, I was out and about fellowshipping with like-minded people who love speech therapy and Jesus. During the speech therapy fellowship, one of my teachers heard me talking about Zambia and said "Anna, I think your heart is there." This is an undeniable truth that I was almost shocked to hear someone say to me. I cannot deny it though---I think about Namwianga and all of the children and the people and the things I learned on a daily basis. My heart sometimes aches to be there--in the wee small hours of the morning it is all I can do at times not to cry and pray for the people of Namwianga.


During my other time of fellowship---outside of speech therapy---I was reunited with an individual I have not spoken to for maybe a year. We got to talking about our lives and what-not. As I told her about how beautiful my life is and how much the Lord has been strengthening me starting in Zambia and on into the present, she interrupted me with words I have needed to hear:


"You look stronger."


Yes, the Lord began renewing a very hurt part of my soul during my time in Zambia, and He has continued to prove Himself as my strength every day since my return.

I attribute my heart being there and my ever-increasing strength to our Lord. It is He who used Zambia to change my heart and strengthen me with a heart that is to become more like His. It is He who knows my heart and is ready and able to pick me up when my spirit is weak.


Praise God for the work He has done and continues to do in our hearts!


"O taste and see that the LORD is good"
 Psalm 34:8a


"The Lord is my strength and shield.
      I trust him with all my heart.
   He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
      I burst out in songs of thanksgiving."
Psalm 28:7


Be encouraged today :)

I have been changed.

Well, I have been back in the states only a few days now. I may have said it before, but I will say it again: I will never be the same again since my trip. Best experience ever. A lot still sinking in. Thanks for keeping up!

P.S.
Mary smiled before we were gone. Many times :) win!

Love,
Anna

Bittersweet

I don’t know how to begin summing up the last couple of days here other than to say that it has already been one hard week and it is only Wednesday. To get you on track, I must explain that there was a little boy around 3 years of age named Andrew who became sick sometime before we left for Livingstone. The first time he was taken to the doctor was because he had a rash on his body. The doctor dismissed it as a fungal thing and sent him back to the Havens with Meagan—a young woman who comes every summer specifically to work with the children here. Not long after this, Andrew started refusing to eat and when he did eat he was throwing up whatever he ate. Meagan took him back to the doctor where they kept him at the hospital for several hard days. Now, Andrew was HIV positive and tested positive for Hep-B at the hospital. He was still refusing foods and vomiting up foods after going to the hospital. His veins were collapsing when they tried to IV him. There was one day, according to Meagan, where they visited him and he was sitting up and looking somewhat better. All of that changed the next day—Monday—when his kidneys began failing. We were told sometime before lunch that he was not expected to make it through the day. In the meantime, Andrew had contracted PCP pneumonia. He was on a feeding tube, oxygen, and drips. A few hours after supper on Monday evening we got the news that he had died. Now, we were prepared to deal with a death while we were there because we had been previously educated about what happens when a Haven child dies. Initially, my response to the news of Andrew’s death was one of peace of mind that he was no longer suffering. I did not cry and really was not too sad. A lot of us responded via emotional eating.

Now, usually when a child dies here, the funeral occurs the same day. Since Andrew died later in the day and had some family planning things for him, it was put off until the next day.

The next day (Tuesday), we got up and started our day as usual. We were told to go about our normal routine and be ready to pause it for Andrew’s funeral. It was very hard to just “do the day” with that looming over us. Not to mention that it was our last day in Namwianga. The morning routine was usual and I loved on the kids a little more than normal. We found out that Meagan was going to pick up Andrew’s body sometime after our lunch, so that mentally prepared us for what was to come in the afternoon.

I had a hard time eating my last lunch—fried chicken, green beans, potatoes, gravy, and pumpkin cake—knowing I was about to witness something I had never experienced. Everyone seemed to be dealing with it in their own way—the silence was very telling as we waited to go to the funeral following our meal.
Dr. Weaver drove us in shifts—I was with the first group. We waited outside of the Havens for what seemed like forever. In the meantime, we joined the rest of our group for cake deliveries of gratitude to each Haven before going outside to wait again. Next thing we know, we hear vehicles pulling up and men singing. Everyone was there and the funeral was about to start. The scene was like nothing I have been through in my life—men in the back of the trucks that drove in were singing, a truck pulled up behind the Havens and stopped. Woman—mostly the aunties—surrounded it singing and weeping and wailing. Then the emotions came. I had been told that they usually just wrap the bodies in blankets here, so I was prepared to see something like that. I moved through the crowd holding my breath and fighting tears as the tailgate of the truck was lowered to reveal a small coffin—Andrew.

The women wept and wailed in ways I have only read about in the bible. Not an eye was dry in that moment. As his coffin was moved onto a table brought out from one of the Havens, I couldn’t control my sadness. Cari and I stood with each other, arms around, crying as Mama Cecilia—one of the older aunties—said “I won’t waste much of your time. This is one of the last times the body can be seen before it is buried.” With that, the coffin was opened just enough so you could see Andrew’s face. Meagan walked over and pulled the blankets off that covered his face before many were walking by—the aunties first, weeping, wailing…one in particular cried out “Bye bye Andrew.” I knew I had to go say goodbye to him for myself, for Andrew, and for people back home that have loved him. So, I left Cari to do so and was joined by Jill. I only gazed at him long enough to utter “I love you”, and he just looked peaceful. Still, it was very very hard, but I do not regret it. We followed a line of people—one woman in particular was still weeping and wailing—to a small grave yard a few steps back behind the Havens. While Andrew was still being viewed, we stood among the graves of other orphans that had died watching men finish digging his grave. In the meantime, all of the aunties stood by and sang songs. I thought to myself “How strong they are to be singing through this.” It was beautiful down to even the cracks of their voices when they cried while singing. The burial was more involved than the viewing. Several spoke—a family member of Andrew’s, Meagan, and maybe a couple of others. His coffin was lowered down, words were spoken, family was invited to sprinkle in some of the dirt on their own, and then it was finished. After the grave was covered, his favorite toy, some flowers, and a bag of Cheetos were placed on top. The Cheetos were from us—one day Andrew ate quite a bit and made us all laugh a lot—so we bought those to leave there.

After the service, we walked teary-eyed back to our desired Havens to finish our last day. I went to Haven 3 of course to spend my last hours with Matt and Bennett. Chitenges were tied, babies were kissed, and it really was a perfect ending to a hard day. The rest of the night was taken up by packing, more shed tears over the day, and teary goodbyes to the night watchmen.

Today we drove into Lusaka. I have eaten, showered my last shower in Africa, and am finally emotionally able to write out all of this. We fly home starting tomorrow. Much love and thanks to you all for your support and love during my time here :)

Anna

Father's Day and frightening Giraffes

Happy Father’s Day to the Dads!

Today has been great! I got up, had breakfast, and went to church with everyone. I went to children’s church for the last time and almost cried. I am going to miss them a lot. After church, we enjoyed a fantastic meal—chicken dressing. I don’t know how to describe it other than chicken and stuffing were involved and it was amazing. We also had salad made with lettuce cut right from the garden a few steps away. De-lish.

After lunch, I went to the Havens with a few others. I only stayed in Haven 3 and had a fabulous time for two hours. I brought a chitenge to hold some kids in for photo opportunities.

I discovered today that Matt is terrified of stuffed animals—particularly stuffed animals in the form of a Giraffe. So, all I had to do was hold it near him and he screamed. There is video footage. Pretty hilarious.

I had to help prepare dinner—leftovers—so for the salad Liz and I went out to the garden with a basket and a knife and literally cut it out of the ground.

Not a lot more has happened since then. We are now sitting around and will go to church soon.

Love.

Low-key day

Today was pretty good. We had breakfast this morning in Livingstone before heading out for a little shopping. I am really excited about giving gifts!!!! I left with the first group, came back to Namwianga, organized, visited Mrs. Moono (MOH-NO), and cleaned up. We all had dinner together and have just been relaxing tonight. Tomorrow we will put in some time at the Havens. I am looking forward to seeing the kids again J Love you and see you soon!

Anna 

Stressful market shopping and beautiful things

This morning I had some breakfast and joined a a group to walk to some markets for shopping. The markets here are a lot different than the ones in Kalomo and Choma. The stalls were in a line of a building and there were about 40. People watched us and talked us into their little shops trying to get us to buy stuff. I found myself extremely stressed out--kind of like the stress you get in the states when lured into a mall kiosk except more intense. Anyhow, I ended up giving money and items to trade for what seemed like a lot of random things. But that is okay. I now have most of my gifts for people back home, so that is good. After shopping, eating, and making the trek back to the hotel, I quickly gathered things for Victoria Falls. Next thing I know, I am looking at the biggest waterfall EVER. Ponchos donned, we trekked around the trails getting wet and having a good time. I thought I had seen something excellent until I made the 600+ yard hike down to the Boiling Pot. The Boiling Pot is a big swirling pool that the Zambezi pours into in a gorge. It was the most beautiful thing I have ever witnessed. I went with Tessa and Ashley, and although I started to panic and fear for my life on the hike down, I don't regret climbing down. After we made the strenuous--for Ashley and I--hike back up, we joined others for more stressful market shopping. After being basically conned into getting things, we went back to the hotel to clean up before heading to another hotel for our sunset cruise. We boarded a three story boat that had tables and chairs for us to eat dinner at. Dinner consisted of three courses--all finger food. Meanwhile, we just relaxed and took pictures. The sunset was beautiful to see on the water. We headed back to the hotel afterward and now I am hanging out with Ben, Tessa, Cari, and Ashley. Good times. Headed back to Namwianga tomorrow! Love you all!

Anna

This Entry Brought to you by Ashley, Anna, Ben, Tessa, and Cari from room 139

Today. Yesterday. Tomorrow. Forever. Africa. 

THE CIRCLE OF LIFE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOVE YOU!!!!

Well, I don’t even know where to start now…Yesterday we drove to Livingstone, Zambia. Upon arriving, I checked into a nice hotel and then was off to lunch—Olga’s: The Italian Corner. Yes, legit Italian food in Africa. It was quite good and how much I consumed is shameful. Okay, I had a taste of bruschetta and a couple of other appetizers followed by a whole pizza and a scoop of gelato. So good. After that we quickly popped into a few shops before meeting up with the rest of the group at the hotel. Then headed to a super nice hotel---The Royal Livingstone—where we had tea and endless desserts. They do this thing called “High Tea” during certain hours of the day where you order a tea and then go to a room of desserts. It is like a buffet. They serve the tea in fancy china. We ate outside facing the Zambeze River. The mist of the Falls could be seen in the distance. It was beautiful! The night would not have been complete without the many monkeys that seemed to come out of nowhere and wreak havoc on the patio. Yes, things were broken and sugar was stolen. Hilarious! We then left in shifts for Victoria Falls! We are going again tomorrow to see them during the day, but we went last night for the lunar rainbow and—surprise—a lunar eclipse! Now, the lunar rainbow comes from the light of the moon shining through the mist of the falls. Very awesome. Speaking of awesome, the sound of the falls was more than awesome. I remember my first peek at them in the dark—my stomach turned in awe. “God made that”, one of our group stated. I agreed in silence.  I opted not to get wet last night because it was COLD. Instead, I sat at the top of the falls with Bweave, her daughter, her best friend, and a few others in our group. We watched the rainbow change here and there and waited for the lunar eclipse. Well, a lot of us were freezing, so we left before the eclipse and caught bits and pieces of it at the hotel. I felt pretty sick after eating so much, so I went to bed pretty soon after. This morning, we were up early for a nice—and SUGAR FREE (for me)—breakfast before leaving for the safari in Botswana around 7:30. I’ll spare the details of crossing over into another country and back, but it was interesting. We did so by boat. So, we rode on these awesome safari trucks to this beautiful place called the Chobe Marina Lodge in Chobe. We loaded onto a boat and went on the water part of the safari until lunch. We returned to the Lodge for a great lunch before getting back on the awesome safari trucks and driving to Chobe National Park.  We saw a lot of animals—giraffe, antelope, various winged creatures, lizards, crocs, elephant, hippo, baboons, warthogs, mongoose, and probably other things I have pictures of but cant remember. I do know that we saw no cats or zebra L I was a little bummed about that, but “The Circle of Life” was blaring in my mind and kept me focused! Haha. We finished up and returned the way we came—just with less energy. When we got back, I went to Olga’s for dinner and had pumpkin ravioli for the first time—I loved it! I have since returned, showered, and am planning on getting up with a few of the girls to go shop a bit in the morning. Later tomorrow we will go back to the Falls and then get on a boat to see the sunset on the Zambeze J And that is my life since leaving Namwianga/Kalomo. We go back on Saturday, and I look forward to seeing the kids again before headed to the states. Let me hear from you all! Love you!

Anna J

"We have been encouraged"

Hello! It is Monday and we only work one more day before heading to Livingstone for a few days of adventure. Crazy! I am back in a language group with toddlers for now. Busy busy. So let me tell you about yesterday (Sunday). We hopped into every vehicle we could find and drove into the bush—basically the middle of nowhere compared to where we are currently—on roads you wouldn’t believe a car could travel on. We were going to Kasibi to worship with the people there. You see, our cook— Lennerd—is from this little village. Upon arriving in Kasibi, we parked a few feet from a small building made of concrete. Next to it was an “arbor”, if you will, made of tree branches and straw/grass.  Under it were rows of benches also made of concrete bricks. The people of Kasibi were bringing out wooden benches from the church so that everyone could worship outside together. All the men sat on the left side and the women on the right, entering in. All of the songs they sang in Tonga, their native language. I recognized two we had sung at the Namwianga church—one we had sung in English—and so I hummed along. For each speaker, a native translated for us. It was very interesting and awesome to experience. Toward the end of the service, two groups of Kasibi singers sang to us—a female group and a male group. They were entertaining and wonderful. After they sang, we were invited to come to the front and sing to them. After singing “I love you with the love of the Lord” in English, we proceeded to sing two songs in Tonga—the ones we had learned from Webster the night watchman. He even came to church with us to lead us. The members were reportedly very honored that we did this—no other group has learned and sung to them in their language. Awesome. When service was over, the entire congregation lined up outside the arbor along the road and we shook each hand on the way out. Never in my life has this happened. Many of them even curtsied to us! So different.  We walked down the road with everyone to an area where a house and different live animals were found. A little band was playing under some trees and we sat under the same wooden benches they carried out of the church earlier. We were invited into the house to get some traditional Zambian food—I LOVE IT! And then we sat and enjoyed some musical entertainment. It wasn’t tribal or too upbeat much to my dismay. It was pretty chill and when we finished eating everyone—yes, even I, with coaxing—joined in the circle around the band for some dancing that was much tamer than I had anticipated. I spent the afternoon relaxing and then attended church locally with everyone else.  All in all, Sunday was super interesting and wonderful.

One of our faculty—Dr. Hopper, who just visited—summed up my feelings at this point when he stated “We came to Zambia to encourage, and we have been encouraged.”

Right now we are watching a show on the veranda of one of the houses. We have a screen with a projector. Be jealous J I am drinking hot black tea made in South Africa and I am becoming so very fond of it. 

Anyhow, love you all and see you soon!

Anna

Cardboard boxes

Today is/was Ian’s (Dr. Tullos’s son) birthday! He turned 14. After a busy morning, we had African lunch—tshima!—followed by birthday cake. After lunch, I retreated to the house to clean and organize things for feeding class.

Now, there are a few women and men who keep our house and do our laundry throughout the day while we are in and out. One of the women is named Mildred. She sweeps our house and makes up our beds every day. I have greeted her so much she knows my name. So while I was cleaning up things for therapy in the kitchen today, she was also working in the kitchen. I got to know her a little better and learned new things. She first asked how old I am, so I told her. She replied “Oh! You are YOUNG!” I laughed and asked how old she is. “Thirty-six”, she replied. I said “Wow, Mildred, you look younger than that! You age well!” She giggled. I went on to ask her where she stayed and she described where she lives from where our house is. She went on to tell me she has a husband and five daughters—20, 18, 16, 13, and 10 years old. Yes. She also has a grandson who is 2 years old. When I asked if she spoils him, she laughed and said “No!” Oh Mildred, I like her. Anyhow, so while she and I talked I sort of explained some of the toys and instruments I was packing up for the afternoon. Mildred was cutting up squares from paper boxes—trash bag, Ziploc, cereal, etc—the whole time. When I asked what she was doing, she explained that she was cutting them for the people at the clinic to write information on. I wanted to give her all the paper and pens I could find in that moment. Who would ever think to use trash—if you will—for paper? Mildred did not act like it was even a little bit odd. She wished me a good afternoon as I left for the Havens, and that was that. The afternoon went quickly. I spent time with Matt and Bennett again before heading back for the night—they cried and clung to my legs when I left L

Tonight we rushed back, hopped into a few vehicles and rode a short and bumpy ride to Jordan’s Rock, a literal and very large rock in the middle of what one might refer to as the bush. It was awesome. We roasted hot dogs and s’mores. We watched the sunset and witnessed the beautiful starry sky. Good times. After returning home, I have rinsed off the day and am looking forward to a good night’s sleep with a little help from Melatonin—I have had trouble falling asleep the past few nights. Hope all is well on the other side of the ocean J Love y’all! 

Messy children

I woke up this morning and when I stepped outside, I noticed an uncharacteristic overcast sky. Just as breakfast was starting, I heard the sound of RAINDROPS?! Yes, rain drops. It rained for maybe 2 minutes, and then it was done. The walk to the Haven was dry and cool. Throughout the day, however, the skies cleared up and it warmed up outside. Overall, it was a tiring day I must say. I spent the first two hours of my morning in Haven 3 with the TB and HIV babies. Ruth rolled from her stomach to her back, but just couldn’t seem to roll from her back to her stomach. She hated me for working her out, but I know she will thank me when she is rolling all over the place next week. The next baby I had was Adam, a six-month-old baby. He was defensive about me being close to his mouth with our feeding and swallowing instruments, so I stayed far from his face. But then Adam started the “let’s get Anna really dirty today” theme by spitting up his medicine all over my hands and skirt. The next hour of my day occurred in Haven 1 with a baby named Chilala. She is a super cute and very alert 5-and-a-half month old. Now, the other day I held a baby and put her back after she spit up once on me. Well, Chilala spit up on me 3 times and I just could not put her back for some reason. I sang to her and just held her and thought about how much that might mean to her to be held by someone for an hour. Hooray! Lunch was fantastic and the break between lunch and the afternoon couldn’t have been long enough. Next thing I knew, I was back at Haven 1 being spit up on by Virginia. Oh well. The remainder of my afternoon took place in Haven 3 of course. I spent lots of time with Matt and Bennett, my children as far as I am concerned on this trip. They got goldfish crackers all over me and each other. Funny story… Matt was sitting in my lap sort of eating when Bennett walks toward me and falls onto my lap/Matt. When he fell, a gold fish cracker flew out of his mouth onto Matt’s arm. Yes, and then Matt ate it. So at the end of the day, I was nicely decorated with various food groups thanks to all the kiddos. I am going to miss them terribly.

But enough of that. Love to you all!

Anna

Six miles a day

Yesterday was the first day of our third full week with the kids at the Havens! I am in the feeding group, so this week I am with younger babies who have demonstrated issues with developing muscles in their body properly to eat appropriately. We had a couple of feeding groups this morning in which we sang to them and used some techniques and instruments to facilitate better muscle tone and eating habits. The next group was just individual interaction. After holding one baby girl who christened my new skirt and my already dirty shirt, I cleaned her up and laid her down. I held a couple of others for a while after that. Needless to say, this group is much different than the last couple weeks of toddlers. Still, it is good and I can tell even the little ones enjoy being held and touched and fed.

Today was a good, tiring day. Dr. Weaver went Today B Weave went to pick up her daughter and several others coming to hang with us until we leave. A couple of guys came to film a documentary of our trip which is awesome!!! Anyhow, so since B Weave (Dr. Weaver) had the truck, we were on our own to walk back and forth to the Havens. I usually walk two or three out of the six times back and forth. Each way is 1.75 miles. Today I did about six miles and I totally feel it.

So, we are doing a class blog while we are here, and I posted today. I figure I will share that link so you can read that as well as my classmates thoughts so far. It is csdinzambia.blogspot.com.

I love you all!

Anna

It is Friday!!

Another week is over! Crazy. So this week was good—I did more language therapy stuff this week. A lot of it was interacting with kids through play and songs with the other clinicians. I really fell in love with a couple of little boys in Haven 3, the Haven where the babies with HIV, TB, and other health problems stay. Their names are Matt and Bennett. They each have their own personalities and they just click with mine. We have good times. Every afternoon I end up going over there to play with them specifically. I like encouraging them to get pumped up and talk to me.  I taught one to say Anna today! AWESOME! They are incredibly cute!

I think I have already posted about a typical week for me, and I will say that this week was pretty typical. I had been a little down after being sick again on Sunday, but after Tuesday I felt a lot better and was loving everything more.

I can’t remember if I have mentioned singing with Webster or not…so I will elaborate. Well, Webster is one of the two night watchmen that guard our houses throughout the evening into morning. One night last week, a small group of us was chatting with him and he taught us a song in Tonga. He liked it so much he made us sing to our group. Well then everyone liked it so much that Webster started “singing practice” with us every evening. Since then, we have learned—and quite nicely perfected—a couple of songs. He is really good at teaching us and he really enjoys it. It’s been fun. We have often sung some of these songs with the aunties and the kids at the Havens during the day. I think it is a beautiful statement to our willingness to form relationships among the people here. It is just a simple way to stop trying to impress—if you will—our own songs from our own culture upon them and humble ourselves by joining theirs. One of the aunties always sings with us and it is awesome to see her not only to that but to also open up to us in other ways. She invites us to help prepare the toddlers’ lunches and she sits with us during our time with them. Her name is Beatrice and I am sure you will see pictures and hear more stories of her.

Tomorrow some of us will go into town to pick up things we need, but it will also be a free day. I need to go to the Havens and prepare for gathering research for my capstone project on development. So I am sure I will start that tomorrow or Sunday. I also hope to take some pictures and maybe video of the place we are staying. I have lots of documentation of the kids and some from our trip here, but not a lot more.

 Right now the power is out for the third night in a row—it has been going out only at night lately and about an hour after dinner. So, we are sitting around with headlamps, flashlights, etc…playing games, chatting, watching movies, whatever. That’s just how it goes.

I will be posting this once power is back!

Love.

The weekend and the week so far

On Saturday, we all got up for breakfast and then loaded up onto the vehicle, for Choma, a town about an hour away. Most of us rode in Khaki Jackie while Pharmacy plus one took their vehicle. The ride was eventful thanks to one of our notary nauseous individuals who requested we leave windows open to keep her from getting sick. Now, you have to understand that Khaki Jackie is no ordinary vehicle. There is one long bench seat on each side(they face each other), and  each are supposed to seat six. Now that is fine for hopping down the road, but for an hour long car ride in Africa…it is okay. Saturday we had five on one side and six on the other I believe. Dr. Weaver drove, Dr. Tullos and his son, Ian, rode together next to her.  The wind was quite chilly with the windows opened, but we managed. Once arriving in Choma, we stopped at the post office before making our way to the markets. Now, the purpose of this trip was to shop for material and anything else we might need. We were also scheduled to visit the craft museum. So after a few of us mailed some things, we headed toward the markets for fabrics and what-not. I bought fabrics to have a quilt made for a friend and I also bought a couple others that caught my eye and were reasonably priced. I may have a dress or skirt made from them sometime before we leave here. There is a woman a few houses down from us who loves to sew things and sell them to us. I have already made several purchases. Anyway, the markets are basically a bunch of wooden tent structures lined all together. Once you enter it is almost like a maze and you really become aware that you are in a third world country. So, after some shopping we headed over to the craft museum for a quick picnic outside before going in. It was hard for me to eat because there were kids standing at the fence watching us eat and obviously wanting food. We did some shopping at the museum before leaving. As we left for Namwianga, we saw the kids I previously mentioned digging through the trash we had thrown out. When we got back to Namwianga, we went straight to the church for a Zambian wedding. We didn’t know the couple, we just knew we were invited. It was very long, but very entertaining. The wedding party danced down the aisle. I have a lot of video footage, but I must say that I felt very cultured. I will share upon request once I get homeJ  After the wedding, we came back for dinner and relaxing. I got sick on Sunday again, but I have pinpointed what it was that made me sick—it is one of the ingredients in a few of the meals we have here. Anyhow, so Sunday was good despite feeling icky. I really enjoy worshipping with the people here.  Sunday night Cari and I left fifteen minutes before everyone, so when we got to church let’s just say we stuck out pretty awesomely. We shrugged it off and sat among the congregation. The week so far has been good. I am still in a language group, but I am working with different kids and adults. In the mornings I am in the same place, but in the afternoons I am with a girl named Rita who has cerebral palsy. My time with her is relaxing in a way. I enjoy talking, reading, and singing to her very much. Today when I left her she cried—the only sound I have heard her make since I started working with her yesterday. It was reassuring to me. I told her I would see her tomorrow. After I worked with her, I headed over to another Haven to hang out with whomever I chose! Awesome.  So yes, the week has been good so far. I hope you all are well. I will try to get back on track with these entries! Love!

First full week COMPLETE!

So, our first full week of work went well. We were split up into different groups for clinic—some of us do language activities, others do feeding and development activities. I have been in the language group this week and we have been introducing them to body parts using the song “Head, shoulders, knees, and toes” and some visual prompts. We have also been trying to elicit speech from them using songs with gestures as well as play. A few have opened up over the course of our time with them so far, so I am looking forward to seeing what they are doing when our time here comes to an end.

So, what is a “typical week” for us? Well, now that I have experienced ONE, I will tell you.  On Sundays, we go to church in the morning and evening. This past Sunday we attended at the church here in Namwianga, but I missed evening service because I was sick L  I think we will continue going there, but may visit another church while we are here. During the week, we have breakfast together at 8:30, then head out to the Havens to work until about 12:30. Lunch is at 1, and it has always been great! After lunch, we nap and/or chill out until about 2, then we are back at the Havens from 2:30 to around 4:30. We go to our assigned Havens with our assigned groups. I usually walk with everyone in the morning, but ride back in the afternoons to catch a quick solar shower before dinner at 5. After dinner, most of us will gather into the Mann house (where I am staying) common room and hang out or play games. We have had the power go out a couple of times while we are there and we just sit around with our head lamps and enjoy each other’s company. Occasionally, a small group of us goes outside to chat, and stargaze on top of Khaki Jackie. It is nice. This Saturday we will go in to Choma, a town about an hour away, to shop and go to a museum. That is all I know about being in Africa for now!!!

The weather has been nice. It is cool in the mornings, but it is nice enough to walk. In the afternoons, it is warm but not too warm. It is pretty dry here—no humidity! I like it, but my allergies do not. Some people have been burning things outside, and the smoke has really gotten the best of my passages. But it is all good. I am just glad to be here and to be over the other stuff I had earlier this week. Yuck! Thank goodness pharmacy traveled with us!

I hope all is well with you all J Love.

I knew I didn’t need to worry about food while I am here, but wow! We have eaten so good every single day! I wish I could remember every meal, but I will tell you that we usually have a good breakfast—one time it was oatmeal, one time it was biscuits and gravy, another time eggs and toast; as for lunch, it is usally large; dinner is usually lighter. I love it! Today we had chicken spaghetti and peas. I love peas! Not to mention rolls and leftover chocolate cake. Don’t worry, we are FEASTING. As for the many Clif bars we purchased…well, there isn’t a lot of time to snack when we are with the kids in the mornings and I am too full after lunch to snack, so I still have many.

This morning we were broken up into groups for different kinds of therapy. I am in a group doing language stimulation. We spent the first half of the morning singing and reading to toddlers and tried to get them to talk to us. The next group of kids were around a year old and they were all over the place. We were pretty exhausted come lunch time.

This afternoon my group went over to another building to do more language stimulation with another group of tots. Introducing them to crayons was quite the event. Many tried to eat them, but it all worked out in the end. One child in particular, Mary, stuck by my side for most of the time there. She never changes her facial expression—it is always a blank stare. I will make her smile, I will!

After this, we hopped in the jeep and headed back for quick showers and a light evening meal. Tonight we will gather together and fellowship and share stories.

Hope all is well there! Love.

Kids are funny

I didn’t write yesterday?! Oops. Well, it was a good day. We started observation at the Havens to determine what we need to be doing with the kids.

Today we got up and headed to chapel with the first year college students of George Benson Christian College. The singing was awesome, and we were again introduced. Afterward, we headed to Haven 2, where the toddlers stay. We met them out on the playground and played a bit. Next, we headed over to the house and sat with them on the porch and read books to them to kind of assess where they were developmentally with language. It was an interesting time. We had a few kids have “accidents” on the porch, resulting in a saturated book. We also learned some cool songs from one of the aunties there. After a while, we headed to Haven 1, where the babies stay. We were told to find the children we “assigned” ourselves to on Monday. Mine are Jessie (female), 2 months, and Gilimo (male), 10 months. Jessie is a calm, quiet, and alert baby who I just love to hold. I finally heard her cry today! First time since I met her! I also got to rock her to sleep for the first time. Gilimo is a happy-go-lucky little chunk of love who I absolutely love to play with. He isn’t crawling yet, but I am hoping he will before we leave. He wants to so bad!

After lunch, we went to Haven 3, where the more medically fragile children stay. We were told to make sure we saw every kid so that we could have a good idea of where each was developmentally. My favorite I spent time with today was Lincoln (male), age 8 months I believe. He has the cutest smile and loves to babble.

One a more hilarious side note---while at Haven 3, three naked African toddlers came running from their baths and headed straight for me and Charissa. Yep, big naked hugs for us. Awesome. Next thing we know, the aunties are yelling at them and they turn right around and run away!

I’m really enjoying working with the little ones. They are so fun and wonderful.

At the end of our work day, I came in for a shower then we all gathered for dinner. After dinner, a group of us walked over to the soccer field to watch/play with some of the college kids. I took pictures for a couple of girls. It was fun and we met some new people J

Spent the evening playing games in the common area. All in all, a full day.  I really like it J

Love to you all!

First Sunday

Sunday  morning I discovered that I have contracted my first sickness—nothing too bad or unfamiliar, but still frustrating. I was able to eat breakfast before going to church. Church was great! The people of Namwianga Church of Christ gather in a nice size auditorium with wooden benches and concrete floors. I noticed that they had lights as well as a sound system, but a few of the lights were out. Still, we could see just fine because of the many windows. Although I did have trouble understanding some of their speech, I really enjoyed the experience of worshipping with brothers and sisters so far away. We sang songs that I have sung back home. The congregation sang very loudly. It was heart and soul touching.

Mid-sermon, I went to drink some water and my bottle sort of exploded in my face—pretty hilarious and slightly embarrassing, but it is all good.  Toward the end of church, we were [quasi-awkwardly] introduced to the congregation via a member there and Dr. Tullos, who passed the microphone around so we could introduce ourselves. When I spoke into the mic, I said “Im Anna Denton…WHOA THIS IS LOUD [laughter]…and I am a speech-pathology student.”  And so not only was I introduced, but my personality as well …

After church we were greeted by a few, and some kids ran into other’s arms. I was jealous because it is my DREAM that one will do this to me while I am here.  It is coming though I believe.

The rest of the afternoon consisted of fixing and having leftovers for lunch and unloading a big container full of boxes of supplies we will use. At some point I laid down for a nap because I felt bad, but I was able to get up and take my second hot shower in a row! I’m thinking the afternoon is the prime time to reap the benefits the solar showers have to offer!

All in all, a relaxing Sunday despite being a little sick [I have withheld mentioning details to keep things happy, but worry not…I am on meds! Love you all!

On beautiful babies and Dial soap

Today we had breakfast together on the back porch. We had oatmeal, coffee, bread, fruit, and coffee. Soon after, we got ready to visit the babies and have a look around the Haven. For some reason, Cari and I were the only ones near the jeep when we saw the Pharmacy students and a couple of teachers in the jeep. No one else was in it, but we assumed we were supposed to go with them. Dr. Weaver said that they were just going to look at the clinic—which is where the pharmacy students will be during our summer here—but then she said it was fine if we rode with them. Next thing I know, me, Cari, and the pharmacy students are bopping along in the back of “khaki Jackie” (the name of the Jeep).  Dr. Weaver was our trusty driver, and yelled “BUMP!!” every time we got to a speed bump or pothole on the dirt road to the clinic. At one point, Cari was thrown across some laps when Dr. Weaver braked suddenly. It was quite a humorous moment. Later, we picked up the Speech Path crew and headed to the Haven, which is a mile or so away from where we stay. The Haven is an orphanage where there are three houses—one for babies, one for sick babies, and one for toddlers. All of the houses are close together with a play area in between. We went into the Haven first and immediately were led to rooms full of babies lying side by side in little wooden beds. We were welcome to hold any of them, feed any of them, and just get acquainted with them today. The first baby I picked up and held for a while was Jessie. She was very calm, alert, and had the prettiest eyes. She was wearing the cutest little dress—very girly. I put her down after a while to pick up a crying baby named Tim. I fed him until he went into “food-induced-coma-land, then laid him back in his bed. I held several other sweet ones who I have many pictures of. Some were bigger, some smaller. Others seemed to have trouble staying healthy. Many had very skinny limbs. At one point we did walk over to the toddler house, but they were eating. They seemed very happy to see us. We will see the sick ones later. What stood out to me the most was when we would put on child down to go to another one, the other would start crying. One in particular, Megan, clung to my leg after I sat her on the floor to walk away to another baby room. Pretty soon, Megan’s entire room was crying. It became very clear to me that these kids starve to have all of their senses stimulated. We aren’t just here to hold them; we are here to nurture something that delves deep into their very souls. We are here to serve them by facilitating a better quality of life, and I am excited about that. After visiting the kids, we all walked together back to have lunch at the house. After that, we went into town in groups to do some shopping. I realized again that I am in a third world country. A man approached some of us asking for like 500 kwacha (which is less than a dollar). I realized later how little he was asking for and how that might have been so much to him. I also saw that people really do anything for money because they are desperate. It was very eye-opening. After shopping, we returned back to the house to see about showering (which is better when in the afternoon because they are solar showers). Liz, Ashley, Lauren, and I gathered our things and headed over to the showers. There were only three stalls, separated by curtains and walls—it was very much like camp. So, my shower was hot and nice but midway into my shower, I heard Ashley shriek. A frog was in the showers. Then I heard Lauren scream and exclaim it was outside of my shower near my bag. She was just sort of hanging around waiting to shower, so she was in a better position to escape the house but less motivated to shower at that point. I tried to hurry because the last thing I wanted was to try to out-hop a slimy frog while half-dressed and etc. Eventually, Ashley got done showering and somehow got it out of the showers. Oy! First shower in Namwianga: very eventful, but you know what? It was nice to be clean. Oh, and by the way, they provided us a bar of Dial soap. Dad, you should be proud. It is all good. A few local girls ranging in ages 8-10 and a baby showed up and said they wanted to play with us. Tessa gave them a coloring book and markers and we sat outside with them until dinner. Dinner was great. We all talked about what struck us the most today and it was interesting to hear what everyone said. After dinner, we all retreated to the main part of the house to hang out and play games. The power went out at some point and we have been sporting head lamps in the meantime. We went outside for a bit to look at the stars—they were amazing. Very beautiful. All in all, a full day I hope I will not forget. Hope all is well back home and around the world with you all. Love.

HERE!!!!

Got up this morning, had a fantastic continental breakfast at the hotel in Lusaka, then prepared to leave for Namwianga. I must first say that this breakfast was far better than the breakfast in the states. Awesome. It was probably the granola and the yogurt. And the fact they SERVED me coffee. Funny story—after being offered and then accepting a second cup, the servant did not come by for a while. I started to worry he had forgotten when someone else offered me more. I tried explaining I was waiting, but before I felt like he understood he just took away my cup! NOOOOOOOOOOOO I thought. Anyway, about three minutes later, “my server” comes out of the kitchen with a pot of coffee and the other server approaches him and I hear indistinct mumbles about coffee. I am pretty sure my server was upset at the other guy for taking my cup away. The second server walked off looking confused, and my server got me a new cup from a freshly set table and served me a second cup. Fantastic. Anyhow, soon we were off to Namwianga by bus/van. We stopped off on the way and had lunch at a place called Tooters—yes, Tooters. They have “fast food”—I think they are famous for fried chicken. I ordered chicken and chips because it sounded safe. It was a big chunk of fried chicken and fries. It wasn’t bad. Many pictures have been taken so far, but the best might be the ones taken when we had to assist our driver by pushing the bus so it would start—NICE. The entire drive was very serene—windows open, warm sunshine, cool breeze, and happy chatter. I sat with Lauren and enjoyed getting to know her, swapping stories, laughing, and resting. I took several pictures today on the road. We arrived around 4:oo this afternoon—I think. Having trouble keeping up with the time…Anyways, upon arriving we were greeted by a few people then we unloaded the vans, got rooms, and unpacked. Namwianga is a small village I believe, and it is just outside of a town called Kalomo (spelling may be wrong). The mission we are staying at is very rural, but has several little houses as well as a little college. Most of us girls are staying in a house with a kitchen, common area, and three or four bedrooms. There are four girls in three of the rooms and one in each other room. The rooms aren’t huge and they have bunk beds. Ours is at the end of a hallway and has a small bathroom (toilet/sink) attached. We do have a small closet that is currently locked by a barred door we cannot seem to find the key for, but will have soon. I kind of like it. It’s cozy. The roof of the house is straw-like, and the walls seem pretty normal. The floor is concrete. We have electricity and running water, and the showers are in a little house just a few steps away. They are solar-powered for warm water that reportedly work best in the afternoons. There are beautiful trees around the house as well. Honestly, it is a little “rough”, but it is also peaceful and I think we will all be just fine. It is almost like being at camp, but better. I am rooming with Lauren, Liz, and Ashley—the HIZ-Path “alumna”. Ha. She has been here before so we roomed with her! I did start to get a little overwhelmed when I was unpacking. It has been a very busy trip so far and we have constantly been around each other and I am still a little jet-lagged. I perked up during and after dinner though. Lennerd (he cooks here) was going to make his “famous” fried chicken, but apparently they had power off for a long time today, so he made grilled cheese instead. It tasted great! We had a few veggies with it and followed that up with a fabulous homemade chocolate cake that said “Welcome HIZ Path”. Very delicious! After dinner we all went to the common area in our house and played a game while we waited on an update from our teachers about internet info and plans for tomorrow (Saturday). The internet is not very fast and only works like one person at a time. I haven’t really attempted getting on yet. Tomorrow we have breakfast, then we are going to tour the campus. Later we will shop a bit for material and come back here to unload some supplies needed for working next week. Maybe I will shower then too ;) That’s about it for Friday. I am tired, so I am just going to relax and probably go to bed early. Love you all!

DAY TWO:MAY 18/19

*again, excuse errors...*

DC to Ethiopia

Woke up around 6 after a night of in-and-out sleeping secondary to a lot of thinking, hopped into the shower, got dressed for the flight, and joined everyone downstairs for some fantastic breakfast. Quickly after, we prepared to leave for the airport. Because basically everyone at the hotel was trying to get to the airport for the 12:00 flight to Ethiopia, there was limited time and shuttle availability. To help us out, the hotel paid for a taxi to take a few of us on what may have been the most frightening taxi ride of my life, but hey—I am on the plane to Ethiopia as I type this, so guess who survived?! J (Jill, Kara, and Lauren survived with me on that one). Anyhow, we got to the airport and got in a really long line to check in, and it wasn’t long til we were through security and on to our gate. I sat with Tessa on this flight—much to her delight, as she had been having bad luck with her seating arrangements so far on the trip. She and I have yet to sleep and have  currently been on the plane for like five hours. That is okay. I have watched several movies, listened to some rockin tunes, and enjoyed a great meal so far. They have shut down the lights and drawn the shades. Going to see about resting. Resting did NOT occur on 12 hour flight to Ethiopia. Tessa and I got up frequently and I was sure to drink lots of water. Anyhow, I am cutting this short now. The ride from Ethiopia to Zimbabwe to Zambia wasn’t bad—met some fun people maybe I will talk about later. And ask me about my “I’m in Africa now” moment sometime. Totally great. 

DAY ONE:May 17

***disclaimer: this was written on the 12 hour plane ride while undoubtedly very tired. please withhold any anxiety over bad grammar and/or poorly fo rmed sentences and enjoy***

Beebe to Memphis

I woke up thinking about not waking up in my bed for a while, not being able to walk into the kitchen and start a French press, or take a shower in my bathroom. Yes, these are the thoughts that I have. Totally normal. I made myself a large French press, and went about my morning getting ready to leave. Mom and Dad drove me to meet everyone in Memphis. On the way, Dad pulled up information on his phone about Zambia---what streets to NOT walk on, what weapons to stay away from, and etc. We stopped off at Walmart to obtain a few last minute things, and made our way to the Memphis airport.

Memphis to Chicago

Upon entering the airport, I saw a few of the girls going with us and some of their family members. Mom and I joined them while waiting on dad to park the car. Meanwhile, temporary(?) bonding occurred between various parental groups.  Once the rest of the crew arrived, we got in line to check in for leg one of the journey. When I got up to the counter and handed the checker my tickets, I noticed very quickly a slight change in his brow. UH OH, I thought. I knew something was wrong. He quickly told me that my tickets were not my tickets and that it appeared I had already checked in with two bags. He then told me they were Dr. Weaver’s.  She happened to still be close by, so she came to the counter to see what was going on. We told the guy we were together and he ended up just checking my bags under her name. It was crazy! After we got through security, it wasn’t long before we boarded the plane to Chicago.  We had to go outside and board the plane on a ramp as opposed to going through the tunnel thing (excuse my terrible noun-age). Feeling like a celebrity, I decided to wave off of it. I felt myself smug. After we boarded, we noticed that Dr. Weaver was walking up and down the aisle only to discover she had NO SEAT! At first we were thinking that maybe they booked us for the same seat, but apparently that was not the case. Pretty soon, the same checker I had encountered before was on the plane checking MY boarding pass! Soon after, they reminded everyone that the flight was going to Chicago, etc., etc. To wrap things up, they had overbooked the flight by one person and ended up kicking the last person to check in off the plane. So, about twenty minutes after we were supposed to take off, we were Chicago-bound. The flight was pretty uneventful with the exception of inside-joke stories involving Ben and his seatback pocket, not to mention the Skymall magazine exploration among Tessa, Cari, Ben, and myself.

Chicago to Dulles

Upon arriving in Chicago, Liz and I—as well as the rest of the group—were ready for some F O O D. We didn’t have a lot of time between our landing and our next departure. Liz and I hit up sandwich place and had wraps and three dollar water. Yep. Three dollars. Next time, I will carry my own instead of stowing it under the plane. Anyhow, soon after D E V O U R I N G my wrap, it was time to board. As I made my way onto the plane, I thought to myself “wow, this plane is super huge and super nice”, but soon I realized that I was walking through first-class. The next thing I know, I am still in a huge airplane, but the seats are closer together. Luckily, my seat was in the very back on the aisle in the middle. I found it to be pretty comfortable. Several minutes after boarding the plane, they announced they had to fix the weather radar on the plane before we took off. About an hour later, we were off to DC. When we got to DC, we gathered our bags and went on an adventure to find our hotel shuttles. Tessa, Ben, Cari, and I—sensing a trend here—embarked on that journey apart from the others. It was quite interesting. Eventually everyone met up with us outside, and we waited a while to be taken to our hotel. Tessa and I ended up on one by ourselves with a couple of other people and a lot of baggage (not of the emotional sort). I sat by a young woman from Burundi who immediately spoke to me and asked what we were up to. She seemed to be about my age, and was also working on a master’s degree. Her name means “Joy” in Swahili. I liked that. I found it very interesting to be in the same place as her almost. We are all more alike than we are different. When we got to the hotel, Cari and I got into our room and were totally impressed. It was F A B U L O U S. We went to sleep feeling good and very comfy in our giant beds, only dreaming of the adventure to come.

Stay tuned for Day TWO and the rest of the journey leading here :)

We are on the ground!

We made it to Lusaka, Zambia and will drive to Namwianga in the morning. I am super jet-lagged, and am keeping a journal of the happenings to be posted soon :)

About to leave!!!!

twelve hour flight in a few!! love!

Stay tuned

The adventure begins on May 17th. Keep up with me on here :)