NEW BLOG

Read about my new day-to-day life experiences at:

http://alyssarogers.wordpress.com

Thought I'd start a newer and general blog since this one is finished and since I still want to keep sharing about what I am doing! See you all there!

Conclusion

I got back at home on November 24th, about a month ago. It is nice to be back in the U.S., to be back to the familiar and being able to be in my own culture. I had about three days of school after Thanksgiving break, and then was free to stay the rest of the week at college getting to see people before I had to leave to go home to Montana on the 7th of Dec. So, I have been hanging out with friends and family for the entire month that I have been back. It was also really nice to be home for a week and a half before getting back here to Indiana for Family Christmases.

In summary of my trip, I have been introduced to another way of thinking than my own - I have been shown a different culture where things are done differently than in my own, and have been exposed to many diseases that I would not commonly seen in the U.S. It was an eye-opening experience for me and the memories of my experience I know I will use in years to come. Also, I saw getting sick as a sort of window to peer into what those around me were suffering with and fighting (even though mine wasn't as severe as the majority of those sick in bed). I don't know if I would go back to Zambia particularly if I had the chance to go overseas again, but I do plan on going somewhere. Zambia has opened the desire for me to see more of the world and experience other different or similar cultures that exist on God's Earth. Although I am not feeling the desire to do any sort of long term mission trips, I am interested in the shorter term, such as the one I came back from.

As I finish up my last semester of college as a nursing student, I am excited to see where God will lead me as I let him direct my every step and seek Him in every aspect of my life.

Livingstone

Here are some animals we saw at the Safari!

Victoria Falls:

Since it is dry season, Victoria Falls did have much water running over the cliff edges. But, I did get to see a few rainbows in the water when the sun was shining half the time we were there. So, instead of being in a wall of mist, I got to look out over the huge gorge.

Village Life

Yes, there is a power pole in this picture. They are lined up everywhere, even in the MOST secluded areas. Many Zambians carry around a cell phone, even in the villages (depending on how far away the nearest big town is). Since the rainy season is starting up, we don't see many of these beautiful sunsets where we can see the sun. But, we did get to see these types of sunsets nearly every night for the last 8 weeks!

If there is not a town around, there are these many walking paths that people use to get from place to place. A lot of them are to and from where the Zambians get their water, passing between villages or other people's homes. I have been on these little trails before and have met man-made bridges consisting of car doors over a ditch or stepping stones in wet areas. Most of the stay here, the only thing that was green were the trees because the ground was pure brown dirt and dry grass. And, sadly, the only wildlife around are the normal bugs, spiders, hornets, dassie rats, and dogs.

On a few of our village visits at the end of last week, we helped carry water to the Zambians we were visiting. This picture shows what little water they have - it is about a foot and a half deep. Once it is dry, the Zambians wait for the hole to fill again, either by rain or by some underground spring that slowly seeps water up into the hole. Once collecting the water, a few of the girls from the group carried it on their heads (I watched). I have read that women who carry heavy loads atop their heads for an extended period of time causes their back vertebrae to compress together due to the weight. However, most village girls start learning to carry loads atop their heads as young (or younger) as six years old.

Apart of the village life is the extensive chickens that are running around. Although it seems like there are a lot of squawking, if there were visitors or family members from another village, the chicken population is greatly reduced. But, every village I have been to or driven by has had at least three or four chickens running around. These last few visits, I even saw some kittens and one or two puppies, which is a rare pet to have since they are of no value (except dogs are used for watch dogs, but most are feared due to being wild or having possible rabies). The hut behind the chicken nests in this picture is used as a storage area and to keep the valuables off the ground from animals. Also, most of the people I have met are farmers or work with some sort of beef or crop business - either it be tobacco or maize crops, which are the two biggest crops here in Zambia. Zambians also cell their garden products (if they have a garden), or they are workers for white or Zambian farmers.

The last picture is what a village looks like. The first building on the right is an area where Zambians go to get out of the hot sun as a social place to talk and relax. The other brick buildings on the left are homes. There may be nothing but a few rugs and home-made stools inside to sit on. But, their kitchens are outside with an open fire and great metal cooking pots to cook nshima (made of finely ground maize - looks like flour). They also eat kapenta - a fish that looks like a large minnow, about two or three inches in length that the Zambians usually eat dried like potato chips.

As my time here is coming to a close, I am enjoying every bit of being with the guest house staff (they are like family!), and allowing my experiences here to register and commit to memory. And I still have so many more stories to tell all of you once I get back!

Next stop: Livingstone - Victoria Falls, evening safari, and more exploring!

Disclaimer: None of these pictures are mine - so a lot of the girls are very good with photography!

What I've been doing lately

A couple of things that I need to brush up on, since it's been a while! I'll bullet what I've done so that it doesn't become a very long blog:

October 29th - Chabbobboma Banana plantation and Harbor

• Located near Lake Kariba for irrigation system
• 4,000 banana plants are harvested each year
• Crocodiles live in the lake, as do hippos which come out of the water at night to eat the banana plants. They are scared off by flashlights held by guards. Apparently hippos are not a fan of light
• Harbor - Fisherman who go out into the water may be fishing in a bad boat. They get washed up on the beach drowned because they cannot swim well. Fishing as a job is very dangerous and risky.
• Ate nshima, chicken, and relish for lunch Zambian style (with hands) on a comfortable log. It was good eatin'

November 5-8: Lusaka (capital of Zambia)

• Toured Lusaka, saw the Embassies of different countries, courthouse, courtyard, air port, and other government-owned buildings.
• Visited the late-president's grave
• Karaoke at Le Triumph Dolphin Restaurant - really good tomato soup there! And Indian food!
• Had American-style pizza for the first time in two months!
• Watched A Christmas Carol in a very nice theater! LOVED the computer graphics - very well done.
• Bought some souvenir type stuff at the craft center and learned the art of bargaining "Come, come and look. Pick out which one you like and we'll settle for a price." Heard that a lot, it was fun!
• Caught a cold. I think it was from the air conditioner in my room's fault because I did not have a cold before or after the trip to Lusaka. So, no surprises when I come back to the colder side of the world.
• Visited an orphanage/hospice. It was amazing that only 6 Sisters cared for nearly 45 infants/toddlers every day - changing, feeding, loving them. Hospice patients, in their sickness, greeted us with songs of greeting and joy that we had visited them. Homeless people also come in the night to sleep at the hospice (but only to sleep there and nothing else)
• Met a guy from Idaho who had worked for the Peace Corps. Supposedly his friends assumed that we were 'fresh off the boat' just because we were taking pictures. Nope, just fresh from Choma!
• Visited St. John's Medical Center, hospice, orphanage, urban school, Nursing Council building, and CHAZ (Christian Health Association of Zambia).
• Last day we were going to go to a church in Lusaka (Sunday), but two of our team members were sick, one with Malaria and the other with a GI upset, so we just headed home. Five hour drive, but it was all paved, so it was nice sleeping

November 9: Habanuga Village Visit

• Team from the Choma hospice allowed us to travel with them about 2.5 hours away from Choma waaaay out into the wilderness or 'the bush' to educate the Habanuga village
• Taught village men and women and children about how to prevent malaria, HIV/AIDS, being faithful to significant other, decrease or cease to drink the amount of shake-shake intake (village beer), boiling water to kill bacteria, washing hands properly, sexual health, spiritual health, and exercising to make them stronger.
• Learned some cultural beliefs about what makes people rich
• One person stated that they do not seek health care when they get malaria because it takes 48 hours to get to the nearest health clinic and by the time they get there the malaria is already very bad, so they just stay at home.
• The children ran away from some of the girls who wanted to play with them (they ended up chasing the children). This, I learned, is because when the children are younger, they think that white people resemble ghosts because of our white skin due to an old cultural belief. However, once they become older to understand, they know that white people are the same as they are.

I do not have any pictures as of now of all that I have experienced, and there is much more that I have not written down, but those are the main points. That's what I've been up to, anyways.

And it is starting to rain more! We had our first thunderstorm yesterday! Yay! However, it brought a lot of flying termites into the house and moths. I just found out this evening by one of the Zambian staff that they eat the flying termites with nshima as relish. The caterpillars that hang from trees I hear are pretty tasty, too.

Guest House

I have realized recently that I have failed to show where I live here while I am staying in Africa. Above is a picture of the guest house that we are all staying at. It is very nice and we all call it our 'home away from home'. It is always nice to be greeted by the knowledge that we have a stable place to call home in Africa, and a household staff that is just like family when we get back from traveling a long distance or when we come back from a two + day overnight trip.

Here are a few of us lounging in the living room. The kitchen is the bright door on the right, and the tv is on the very left. There is a long table that the meals are served on right behind the chairs on the left. And that is pretty much the living room. I am actually in this picture, but you can't see my face. Just my watch and water bottle.

This is my room. I sleep on the upper right bunk bed. We use that fan every day - 100 degree weather is HOT. We were already sweating by 9am this morning. By this time in our stay here, our mosquito nets have a lot of holes in them, so we have to sew them up. Good thing I have been equipped with that sewing kit my grandma and mom made for me when I was a freshman in college.

Here is a little bit of what Africa looks like in the Bush waaaaay out there. The huts on both sides of the brick building could be used as a kitchen, meeting place, or just a place to hide from the sun in the heat of the day. More than likely, the brick building in the middle is the house used for sleeping and escaping the hot sun. The sun is quite intense here... we are all wondering when the rainy season will start!

Enjoy the pictures! I have a lot of work to do today, so I had better get on to writing those papers!

Fashion Show and Independence Day

Friday was the fashion show that lasted from 8:30pm to around 1am (but we only stayed until 12am). I must admit that I have not been in my 'college student' mode. I was beat by around 10:30pm while the fashion show was still lively and energetic. However, the night was young as the 10 contestants came out to model what they were wearing. The different categories consisted of: office wear, sports wear, summer wear, traditional, and cocktail. The category that interested me the most was the traditional wear because they dressed like the different province tribes in Africa and the significance of each costume.

This picture shows the model in a nursing outfit. The person who was modeling actually wants to be a nurse as a profession. Other models wanted to be a soldier, social worker, secretary, among other jobs that I am not remembering at the

present moment. Between each modeling category, there were groups of young men who were on the stage to do a performance of entertainment. A couple groups did lip-sync raps and songs. There were two groups who did break dancing, which was very impressive. The music was very loud - all of us were the honored guests so we sat right in front on the right side with the speakers blasting into our ears. However, I did not hear anyone who had informed of ringing in their ears. I guess our ears can take more than what we give them credit for.

Independence day was Saturday, October 24th (a.k.a. Yesterday). The entertainment and celebration of the morning and afternoon consisted of frequent school who either sang songs or who performed the 'social dance' with both boys and girls. I think that s

ame dance was done about 4 or 5 times by different schools. The dance didn't change much, but the costumes and the number of people changed. There was also a boy who had a sack on his head and danced in front of the guest of honor. In the middle of his dance, he opened up his hands and

a whole bunch of people began to fill his hands with Kwatcha because he was dancing very well. Songs were sung by secondary schools as well as a disability school, St. Mulumba. The pictures shows a group of kids in the trees. The area around the performance square was packed with kids - about 85-90% of the audience seemed to be kids. There were guards and tape around the area. It was also really neat to see 'soldiers' march into the square with rifles (no bullets included) and saluted Zambia and its people in the beginning and the end of the program. After the entertainment of the morning, we headed back to the compound and were greeted with turkey, baked potatoes, potato salad, salad cuts, carrots, green veggies, and FROSTED cake. It was so very good! And the rest of the day was filled with catching up on homework and lovely napping. Out of the entire experience, I think I will remember the most about sitting behind the guest of honor in the shade of a small tin-roof stand and being served chilled peach-flavored water.

Three different cultures sitting under the trees

We went to St. Mulumba school today, a school for children who have an impairment such as blindness, Down Syndrome, and deafness. All the students, teachers, and some people from the community (including us Americans) were seated under three large shady trees to watch a Japanese group dance and show us a little bit of their culture. There wasn't a lot of karate chopping or anything, but there was a lot of full body moves (jumping in the air, thrusting their hands to the skies, bending low to the ground and then coming back up in about a millisecond). It wasn't just the Japanese culture dance that we got to see. We also got to witness some 'social dancing', and a group of girls that danced very fast, fast enough and energized enough that people were going up to the girls and throwing Kwatcha on the ground. They were all very talented.

It was also really neat to see how one of the people did sign language for the hearing impaired (the girl dancers were hearing impaired), and also to listen to the sound of a group of blind children. Their voices were amazing and excellent at harmonizing. The program consisted of a drummer drumming, Japanese dance, Zambian 'social dance' and 'girl-coming-out dance', singing, playing with Japanese children's toys, eating strawberry/vanilla ice cream, seeing what your name was in Japanese, a fashion show (the Zambians dressed up in Japanese clothes and the Japanese dressed up in Zambian clothes), and then learning how to do the Japanese dance they did at the beginning.

As far as my health is concerned, I am pretty much back to normal except for little spells of being really tired. But, the doctor told me at my checkup yesterday that it would take me about a full week to recover. So, I am drinking about 4-5 liters of water, and eating normally. Dinner time!

Malaria

My apologies for not have writing so long. A lot has happened, so I will briefly summarize:

Last Wednesday through Friday I went to the Salvation Army Hospital in Chikankata, which is a nursing school/hospital/AIDS research facility. I was allowed to sit in on one of the classes in the nursing school. It is amazing at how they have to learn. The teacher writes down EVERYTHING onto the chalkboard and the students copy those notes into big notebooks. We're talking pages upon pages of notes that the students write down. It makes sense to do this since they did not have a projector of any type or a laptop in sight. I befriended one of the students. She told me that they have school all year round with only a two week break in December and holidays off.

I didn't do anything with the AIDS research part of the hospital, but I was able to give an IV push in the ICU, observe tube feedings of babies in the NICU, and observe a G-tube placement in an infant. I did a lot of observing while following around the nurses who would explain the procedures they were doing as well as briefing me about different patients and what process of healing and care they were going through.

Now for the not so exciting news.... My original plan was going to be to blog all of this on Saturday night, but I wasn't planning on getting a severe case of gastroenteritis (aka nausea, abdominal cramping, diarrhea, vomiting). It was an experience that I stayed conscious and very alert throughout the entire thing. I won't go into the gross specifics (who wants to hear about that? Yuck), but I will just say that by 1:30am Sunday morning, the last time I tried to head back to bed from a bathroom visit was the turning point. I crawled to my room and laid on the floor - I crawled very slowly because I was severely dehydrated to the point where orthostatic hypotention would cause me to be unconscious if I tried to stand up. My two roommates helped me by making a bed on the floor with some blankets and one of my nursing professors came to assess my condition (she had been checking up on me all night). We decided that if I couldn’t stand up without feeling lightheaded, then I would have to go to the doctor. So, I tried to get up. I made it to a bent over sitting position and that’s as far as I could go.

I was carried out to the van and transported to the nearby clinic. The doctor was waiting for me. An IV was instantly inserted and I was started on IV fluids. My very first IV I happen to get in Africa. My very first experience as a patient I have in Africa. I thought that was an interesting little twist. I also received antibiotics for my gut infection and a fever was starting to develop… Malaria. Originally, looking back on it all and during the time, I thought that the attack on my intestines was the Malaria, but that was actually some weird unexplainable fluke that happened to be on my fork or food or a fly that landed on something I ate. So, I am a little upset that I don’t really know what it was that made me so sick. But, it was food related. This weakness, however, was the perfect opportunity for the Malaria to form its battle regiments and attack my immune system subtly. So, really, I only experienced fever, backache, possible nausea (but that was probably from the gastroenteritis infection), and weakness from the Malaria. I did not get fever and chills, dilusions, or any of the full-blown attack signs of Malaria because I was already being treated in the clinic. So, Malaria was present in my system (the blood test was positive), which made my case a very mild one.

I spent from early Sunday morning to late Tuesday morning recovering in the clinic with my IV line constantly pumping fluids into my veins. The doctor who took care of me (all credit to him) knew exactly what to do with my case and was so good at educating me about what I was experiencing. Very excellent doctor. He’s had worse cases involving the gut… such as hippos biting a chunk out of some guy’s side. But, that’s besides the point. He did say jokingly that I was now officially welcomed into the country by Africa because I had been welcomed by the common illness of Malaria.

I am now back recovering at the compound drinking a lot of water, eating here and there, and overall trying to get the energy racing in my system again. Anyways, there’s more to that story, but this entry has already been long.

Thanks so much for everyone’s prayers in my healing process. God is definitely doing so much for me and my health, both physically and spiritually. Not once did I panic because I was in Africa without my family. Not once did I get homesick because I knew God was with me and I had so many people here supporting me – even our wonderful Zambian staff who is like family to me. Prayer is a powerful tool that God has given us to use to lift others up when they are ill in any area of their life. I am so thankful for prayer!

Hope

It rained Saturday and Sunday! We were all very excited about it. I went to the Market Saturday morning at around 9 or 10 am with a small group of girls from my team. It had only sprinkled for about two minutes, so we didn’t think it would rain. BUT it did! During our market visit while buying fabrics for chetinges and bags, it began to gently rain on us. We befriended a Zambian young woman who had let one of the girls on our team carry her baby. He slept away as the rain downpoured onto his covered head. Our new acquaintance was amazing – she knew all sorts of back ways in the market as we zig-zagged through the stalls that sheltered us from the rain. Of course, none of us had an umbrella, so we felt very fortunate to have the skies downpour on us when walking through a wide open area around the railroad tracks. By the time we got to Spar (Zambia’s Wal-Mart), we were all pretty soaked. But it was our first African rain experience that we were soaked with, so just that part was a thrill (it doesn't take much to make me happy).

Today I went to a hospice and helped two Zambian nurses make beds and clean the bedside tables. It was amazing and very encouraging to know that their view of a hospice is a place to get well and return home, and not a place to go when a patient is near death. Most all the patients at this hospice were HIV positive, but they had hope of recovery and are fighting to live. The hospice also had an outpatient teaching program centered on the idea that if a person has HIV/AIDS they need to learn how to live and strive with it; to have immense hope because a person can still live with this disease if they take the time to get treatment. It is very encouraging to see the responses of hope and health promotion going on here in Zambia concerning HIV infected patients. There is a lot of teaching, disease prevention, and health promotion being spread throughout villages and towns. Zambia is not lost to AIDS due to the growth that is happening. I have become much more excited to help these

people who come to the clinics and hospitals waiting for check-ups, immunizations, or ART (antiretrovirus treatment). It is amazing to see how many people are not giving up because they are sick or have a disease they cannot get rid of, which means they have hope for their ailments to decrease. Although the battles rage, there is still a great sense of faith, hope, and trust surrounding these people.

This is today's sunset. Please enjoy!

We went to Zimba (an hour away from Choma) to have my first transcultural nursing experience. It was quite a success. I successively put in an IV, with my clinical instructor’s help, measured blood pressures, respirations, and pulses, learned how to use a mercury thermometer, and also learned how to use the charting systems. It was interesting to see how the nurses and doctors ‘improvised’ when they did not have something they ne

eded on hand. I admired their ingenuity and how they made things work because they had to. We were also able to go on an outreach program to one of the villages with a Zambian nurse to give immunizations and patient teaching. It was mostly said in Tonga, so I did not understand any of it. But, we got to sit under a mango tree on home-made Zambian chairs! Most of the things I experienced seemed pretty confidential on that visit, so I will just say that we helped a lot of people and educated them in several areas. It was an amazing experience!

One of the girls that I was with spotted this chameleon when we were waiting for the bus to come back. It was a bright bright green when it fell from a nearby tree, but then turned to this darker green once it reached the tree. It took it about 30 minutes to cross the drive. I was amazed by the way they walk with their jerking movements. It takes them about 5 to 10 seconds to make a step with one of their legs. The other nursing student I was with took these pictures; we got laughed at by the Zambians because of our peculiar behavior at marveling about something they see quite often.

Visit to the Village

We went to the village yesterday afternoon. It was about a five minute walk on little 'rabbit' trails that swerved and broke off into different directions. It was fun to see the reactions when we were in sight of the little kids who were playing on some bare ground right next to the huts in the village. There was a group of children on the trail already, and they followed us excitedly until we got to the rest of the kids. Overall, there were probably about 40 to 50 kids who were playing 'football' (soccer), throwing sandals, climbing in and out of dug out pits, and just chasing each other around. There was one little girl dressed in pink who just wanted to hold everyone's hand that she saw.

A couple girls taught one group of the littler kids how to play 'Duck Duck Goose'. They ran around in circles and sometimes would pass the person they were suppose to tag, not really getting the idea at first. However, by the end of the game, they were getting the gist of it. A few other girls held the little kids (ages around 3-5), some with beads in their hair, others with wide curious eyes. But, there was no loss of sickness in the large group before us. There was one little girl who had either lost an eye or had an eye infection (it was swollen shut). There was a lot of runny noses, crusts around the eyes, a few blackening teeth, and a few kids with bandaged feet. We also played with the ball that was either an actual cloth ball or a water bottle, and one girl from my group really got into racing the boys across the flat dirt area. There were so many kids bare foot, and sandals were used as toys to be thrown, picked up again, and thrown.

There was one little boy who had thrown a sandal in my direction, so I picked it up and started talking to him while holding the sandal out for him to take (like we would do in Am

erica), but he may not have understood English (some kids knew English, some didn't), and I kept trying to give it back to him. He looked intimidated because he backed away, even though he had a smile on his face nearly the entire time, as if he thought I was going to chase him. I tried a couple times to give it to him by approach, until finally I bent down and offered the sandal to him in my right hand (the 'clean' hand), which he immediately took the sandal from me and ended up throwing it again in a different direction and smiling back at me. I do not know if this applies to what I have been told, but in one of the WHIZ meetings, one of the staff said that when they are offering or giving something to someone, they always bend down on one or two knees and offer it with the right hand. The kid was pretty little - 6 or 7, probably, so I didn't know if he would know this cultural courtesy, although the possibility did cross my mind.

A slim few of us went to walk in the village (the other girls on my team were still distracted with playing with the children). Some of the houses were brick, others were grass huts. But, the place was pretty clean compared to other places around here. There was a

decent-sized garden, green plants that seemed to be used as property walls (probably not, though), a wel

l with clear water, and small grass-walled outhouses. Within the village, another group of boys were playing football while the women filled water jugs and balanced them on their heads while a couple of men stood besides them and watched them do this chore, talking about something. The women here have a lot of muscle - they can take a 5 gallon jug and put it on their heads in one fluent motion. And then go off with no hands holding it.

I am excited to go back!

Big Spider!

It was at the end of dinner time and about five or six girls were on the veranda talking (including myself). Our 'student leader' was opening a glass-bottled coca-cola, and it sprayed all over her and the table. We all were laughing over than when we heard people shreaking inside. "What is going on?" was the question repeated quite often, so we all went rushing over into the hallway that lead to the bedrooms, as did the people who were after-dinner-lounging in the big living room. A couple girls were at the end of the hall, where there is a door (with a few cracks in it) and they were jumping back and looking down.

"What is it?"

"It went under there, you can't really see it."

"It's a HUGE spider!"

"Ahhhh!!" The two girls in the hall jumped back as the spider peaked back out at them. The spider was altogether about the size of the palm (yes, PALM) of your hand. Our student leader wanted us to wait for our Professor to see if she could identify what kind of spider it was. By this time everyone was in the little hallway peaking over each other's shoulders and the top of heads to view the creepy crawler. The spider was huddled in the corner, and then scurried to the outer part of the door into another corner where it had no options but to sit and try to hide. There was a lot of laughter, shreaking, and "Oh my word!" 's as the spider tried to hide from all the noise. Our Zambian cook, who had been doing the dinner dishes, came to see what the ruckus was about. He was smiling at hearing our ruckus and looked down to see the little spider. He had a stick-like handle in his hand of some sort and poked at it, which produced more "Ewww!" and "Ahh!" 's and jumping back to avoid the spider. He lau

ghed, and said, "That is nothing," meaning that is nothing to worry about and was about to leave when one of the girls stated, "No, don't just laugh and leave! You have to do something about it!" But, he did leave, I think to get something to kill it with. By this time, as we all were still accumulated in the hall... like a clot in a blood vessel... the spider decided that he wanted to try and jump on our student leader to try and get away. The door was open, so he was making his move, jumping about and trying to get away. Some of the girls screached and backed away, but for some reason I decided that I should go in and try to end that little critter! So, I quickly took of my sandal that I was wearing, crouched down in one fluid motion and swapped that big spider, which stunned it, and then another time to kill it. I think the cook came back while I was busy trying to kill the spider, so he took another long stick-like handle and swept it outside the door. Let's just say that we were all glad that the spider was dead and wouldn't be on one of our pillows the following morning :).

We still don't know what it is. One of the girls thought it might have been a Wolf Spider. I don't know what kind of spider the picture shows, but that's what it kindof looked like (again, this one is off the internet, not from anyone here; where's the camera in the intense moment??). And, it does look like the spider could have been as big as the one in the picture. It did look like the wolf spider, except the end part of the spider (abdomen?) was more pointed at the top and less rounded. But, it had the same shape with the legs and the overall body structure.

I wander what we will have next.

Mbubo, Turkey! (Goodbye, Turkey!)

About everyone went to go see the turkey slaughter this morning. One of the Zambian staff members did the execution process. He used a broad-looking knife, got the turkey ready by tying up the feet and then scraping the knife blade against the rock. He also prepared a hole so that the blood could drain into. The head and throat were then sawed off while the guy stepped on the wings and legs so that the bird didn't flap around and spray us with his blood. The turkey was then hung upside down so all the blood would drain out. Then the Zambian showed us how to make a feather fan, braided the turkey's 'beard', and took pictures with some of the girls with the head of the turkey. Then, we poured the rest of the blood into little tin cups, toasted the drink, and gulped down that delicious, warm, metal-tasteing red liquid.

Not really! Actually, we didn't do anything with the blood, but we will be eating the turkey for Independence day, which is October 24th. But, the Zambian did make a joke about bending down and drinking the blood that was dribbling from the upside-down turkey's neck. Naturally, that joke got a lot of "Ewwwww!" responses from just about everyone, which made him laugh.

Out of courtesy to the people who are reading this blog and don't want to see the process, which we all took pictures of, the picture is only of the turkey alive.

On a non-fatal note: I went to Choma's library and museum today for our History field trip. It was really interesting to see in the museum what different kinds of information they had concerning the village life of the man and woman. The woman's main chores are to cook for her family and husband, housekeeping, childbearing, and making beers for special occasions or for men. The man's roles were hunting, fishing, providing food for the family, and other more important statuses, such as being the chief or a council member of the tribe. It was also interesting to note that a man's status in the tribe is determined by how many children, cows, wives, or land a man has. Apparently, their status isn't 'born-into', but earned by what they have or do. The library was another interesting place. Probably about 90% of the books were on the verge of their 10th year sitting on those shelves it seemed like, and the entire library had that 'old book' smell that some book readers love. There was a variety, but most of the books were educational and factual. I did find a book that talked about William Shakespeare's life story. Of course, the first chapter sentence was ' "What is in a name?" This was said by Juliet...' a very popular Shakespeare line. I personally like Hamlet better. I am not sure about the process of signing a book out, I am not sure that we could. But, I might go visit that library to read about Shakespeare sometime in the future.

Catch and Release

I was walking through the hallway of our guest house when I saw one of the girls look at me with an alert and surprised expression, and said, “There’s a big animal behind the door!” I looked behind the door (it was between the wall and the swung-open door). I was sooo excited and thought it was the cutest thing ever. It is called a Dassie Rat, or a Hyrax. I told the other girl who was there that I needed something to catch it with. She asked: “Do you want me to go get a pillow case?” “Yeah, a pillow case or sack or a sheet or something”, so she got me a sheet. And then, since it was behind the door, I used the door as a wall so it wouldn’t bolt off, and covered the little rodent with the sheet. I kindof did a scooping action around the squirrel/mouse-like rodent and enclosed the sheet around it. It struggled a little when I was trying to pick him up, but then he settled down (in fear) as I got the blanket more securely around him. So, I carried it outside with some girls that were wondering what all the ruckus was about. After walking to the dirt road a few steps from the Guest House, I dropped the sheet and Dassie dashed away across the compound. It’s fun to be from Montana where you see all sorts of wild animals every so often, so I think I am used to it. I did, however, think about the thickness of the sheet, just in case the little rodent was carrying a disease, so I didn’t get bit. But, it was the excitement of the morning. A little disclaimer: the picture does not belong to anyone here - I found it on the internet because I wanted people to see what little rodent I was talking about.

There is a turkey outside that was bought by one of the staff workers here. During and after the rodent episode, he was outside chilling on the cement pad right outside the parking area for the vehicles. He had is mouth open as if he were just about to attack something, and his wings were drooping to his sides in an alert position. And a few minutes ago he was making challenges to his reflection in the tainted windows just a few feet next to me. He's just walking around on the veranda as if he's lived here his entire life. I wonder when we're going to have him for supper...

Yesterday's Adventures

I went into SPAR for the first time yesterday – it’s a grocery store that has practically everything in it. I got some mousse-filled cookies. A girl in my group got some Orbit gum that tasted like cough drops. Yum! Haha. The mousse cookies are really good, though! I practiced some Tonga while passing people on the side of the road or the streets, "Muli buti ?" and they would answer "Ah, kabotu! Muli buti?" and be very pleased that we could say hello to them in Tonga. It seems, at first, that there is a barrier that keeps me from using the little phrases that I know in Tonga, but once I start using them the barrier is broken and it is easier for me to use them more often. I also got fabric to make a chetinge - a wrap-around cloth that has multiple purposes, but can be used to keep skirts clean.

What was more exciting during the hours of yesterday was that a small group of us went out to walk the rural road in the evening and got chased down by 8 or 10 little kids. It was fun. There was one little girl who kept on asking for things: "Where is my bag? Where is my shirt? Where is my money?" so, I assume that a 'Magua' has given her something before. It amazed me, though, that they could speak so well in English because a lot of the little kids I meet can't speak English - they only speak Tonga. One of the girls in my group asked, "Muli buti?" and she got a long explanation in Tonga that none of us could interpret. But, when it came to taking pictures, the kids began to pose in karate-like moves as if they had just watched a Jakie Chan movie. They were very enthusiastic about seeing us and followed us back about 3/4ths of the way to the compound. They then returned back to their villages since it was getting dusky outside. On Monday or Tuesday I get to actually go into the rural villages to pass out "Mealy meal". We are all excited to experience!

The Black Mamba

Scary story:

Yesterday we had a little bit of excitement - and danger! One of the girls in my group was going outside to participate in the 6:15 walk that some of the girls do. She was coming out the door, slipped on the rug, and landed in a sitting position. She did not notice the hanging threat that was about a foot away from her, but once she looked to her side, she noticed a brown/black snake that was resting. So, our group leader told her to go get one of the ladies who lives here to identify the snake, and it ended up being a baby black mamba. So, had the girl been bitten, she would have had 15 minutes to about 7 hours to live. That's pretty scary! And there were also about four or five other girls who had passed the snake on the same path when it was sleeping in that spot. Praise God that no one got bitten!

So, the lady who lives here came over and covered the mamba with a rug or piece of cloth and stomped on it to kill it. Yes, there were pictures taken, but I do not have them at the moment. I was not here for all this excitement, but I wish I could have been! It has amazed all of us how God protected the girl who fell, how he kept one of the most poisonous snakes in the world asleep while a small string of girls walked passed it, and how we all reacted to re-think our safety and be cautious but not nervous or paranoid over the issue!

I had class yesterday, WHIZ (World Hope International Zambia) meetings discussing the Reach4Life program. This program is about teaching those who are in highschool about abstinence and being faithful to the family and spouse. It is souly based on Christianity, and the book that they hand out to the group of highschool students they talk to has a series of situations being faced today and what the Biblical standpoint is on each situation. Such as: The Bible's perspective on Dating and Marriage, and abstinence. There are so many things that WHIZ is doing here in Zambia! A couple weeks from now, I will be able to work with an office in the WHIZ building just a few steps away from our Guest House. I know it will be an amazing experience.

Okay, I am going to try and download some more pictures since the internet is working so great right now:

Here are a couple pictures of some bugs that I took that were inside our bathroom. The black, longated beetle looking bugs lov

e to congregate in there, and we have found at least about 6 or seven since coming here. I found the praying mantis yesterday in one of the bathroom stalls.

The dog's name is Socks. She LOVES to be petted and always wants to play with someone. It's fun to watch the guards play with her every so often. She will run off on a sprint, then come about and ran back to him, duck under a bush or wall, and then run off again.

The other pictures of cows was taken when we were going to Choma from the airport. There were cows everywhere on the roadside!

Dust Tornado

Yesterday at lunch we experienced a crazy natural fluke. At first we didn't know what was going on when the doors to the kitchen slammed shut and then it go really windy just outside the porch area. But, one of the girls had gone outside to sit at the picnic table on the porch and she quickly turned around, saying "Oh! Don't come out here with your eyes open!" She had gotten dust in her eyes from the wind that had all the sudden picked up. But, it wasn't just wind. It was a huge dust tornado-like funnel that picked up the dirt on the road right next to the Guest House and was swirling it relentlessly. At first it was fun and amazing to watch, because it was bigger than the ones we get in the U.S., but as it made it's way to the other side of the compound, distruction was on its mind. Some of the WHI hired ground workers had been working on making a shaded area for the vehicles by propping boards up and nailing tin on top. They had the top covered with tin and nailed down yesterday. But, when the massive dust swirl came by, it tore right through the middle of the roof, taking a big chunk of sheet metal with it and flipping it over to land on the other side of the wall of the compound. The other girl and I were watching and saying, "Oh, no!" "I hope no one got hurt on the other side, because that could really hurt!" "That's horrible! They were working so hard!" as we looked at the swarm of workers that came to observe the damage. One man threw his had on the ground in frustration, understandably so, and other Zambians were trying to get the sheet metal without going on the other side of the compound wall. It will be fixed, I have no doubt, but it was a very intense moment at the time. A dust storm in Africa sure has a lot of power!

Today is classes, more meetings, and possibly another walk to the market. Or, I might use that time to study for my two nursing classes and journaling that I have to do as an assignment. I am going to be doing a lot of writing, which doesn't bother me much since I love to write and express myself through that, but I do have a fear of over-writing or burning out on it. Oh, well. We'll see what happens.

A Morning in the Marketplace

We drove to Choma today to see the town and stores. There were people everywhere in every direction we looked. And in every direction that we looked, there was at least two or more people looking back at us with curiosity. I was in a group of five along with an instructor, so I was not alone as I walked through the crowded streets. The non-verbal communication was that of smiles and nods. Our instructor told us that if the people look at you and are not smiling, it is because they are trying to understand what mood you are in. But, if you smile back at them when they look at you, they will return the smile. Which is what we did and we were met with a gleam of shining pearly whites.

There was the main road that was sometimes paved, but most of the time it was dirt, and then there were little 'alleyways' where three or four people could fit across it shoulder-to-shoulder. But, these little alleyways were crowded enough that you had to twist sideways to avoid people.

There was so many products being sold in the marketplace. All types of fishes, some that looked like minows and others that looked like salmon and bluegill. I do not know any of their real names, though. But there was a lot of those little minow-like fishes everywhere. They are as dry and flat as potatoe chips. There was also fabrics to make chetinge's, bags, and clothing from. Necklaces, bracelets, shoes, groceries. Anything you can think of they had. They even had a place where they exchanged flat tires or fixed flat tires for vehicles. And a car wash (there were three cars underneath a straw roof held up by carved limbs of wood and people washing them with rags and soap).

Interesting thing about cell-phones: my instructor told us that Zambians use cell-phones, but normally do not talk on them; they text. There were little stalls all over the streets where people could plug in their cell-phones to charge them because a lot of people do not have chargers, just the cell-phone.

Many people we passed shouted, "Magua! Magua!" as a greeting and was said excitedly as we passed by, and people would smile back at us when we smiled at them. Even when they were straight-faced and we smiled at them first, their face and eyes would just light up with their smile.

There is no such thing as Wal-Mart, Target, K-Mart, or any of the fast food restaurants that we are used to in the U.S. The Wal-Mart's name is called Spar, and there are a lot of little restaurants. It was a great experience. It helped to be in a group of five other people because it helped make me more confident and less self-concious. Overall, think hot and breezy with no humidity, and people walking, standing, and driving all around you. A busy place, the market place!

Sunday Service

Church service at Mochipapa church was very unique and amazing. First there was a Sunday School that started at 9 or so talking about the Love of God and what it means to love someone else in return. They used 1 Corinthians 1:1-7. That was for the first part of the hour. Once it hit 10 or around 10, more people started to come in and the church service started.

The sermon was about communion in the church and what significant link it has to Christ’s blood and body that he shed for us. He used the last supper passage in Luke 22:17-20, as well as other passages I cannot remember, but saying the same thing. Prof. Leslie said that today’s communion was the first communion the church has had. I hope that it will still be a very sacred event even when it becomes more common for them to do, as it has in other churches. Next week they will be having a baptism, which I am excited about!

The singing was amazing! I kept thinking to myself how they sound so good without any lessons. God gave them amazing and harmonizing voices! And they sing out, they are not shy to use their voices to praise God and ‘Jesu’ – Jesus. There was very little ‘dancing’ as you might say, they did sway a little, and one of the songs says “higher higher higher, lift Jesus higher, lower lower lower…. Come and see what Jesus has done” and they all put their hands in the air and flashed their fingers to the beat.

At the end of the church service, the Zambians made a line outside of the church to shake everyone’s hands that came out of the church. They shake with the right hand and you go down the line to shake EVERYONE’s hand. It was fun to shake them individually. Then, when you got to the end of the line, you would turn and join the line to shake the oncoming people’s hands. A lot of little kids grabbed my hand to shake it. One little boy wanted to take my hair tie that was on my wrist. He didn’t take it the first time, but the second time (after everyone was done shaking hands) he ran up to me, said something in Tonga real excitedly and snapped that hair tie off my wrist and put it on his and ran off. He did the same thing to another girl in my group. So, now there is a little boy out there with an orange hair tie on his wrist that he got from a magua (white person). Later on, the little boy who had my hair-tie around his wrist came up and grabbed my hand, and another little boy came and grabbed my other hand as well and walked the road with us until we came to the corner to the main road. It was interesting, the boy who took my left hand I think was trying to tell me to stand aside for the car that was coming, but I was trying to tell him that my group was ahead of me. So, I stayed behind and waited for the car to pass. I then, had to get going, but didn’t know how to say good bye, so I just left. I am ridiculous. Goodbye, I learned, was “Mbubo” so, next time I will need to tell them “Mbubo!” instead of just leaving them awkwardly.

God is working and I am so glad that he is also in Africa and not just in one spot on the globe. But, that he is everywhere and in everything. The Zambian people are also very sincere and envelope themselves into the service and worship. There was a time when they could pray out loud, and the voices just over-spilled in that little church. Altogether a great Sunday experience as a guest in a Zambian church!

First few hours in Choma, Zambia

I am finally in Choma, Zambia!! The internet is very slow with about 10 people using it at the same time. Patience is a virtue. The guest house is very nice and roomy. I like the tiger rug that is hanging on the wall in the living/dining area. Good news – all my luggage arrived safely, no flat tires on the 2 hour stretch of dirt road, no lost passports or money, and nothing stolen (that I know of). Altogether an enjoyable flight. I especially liked the international plane ride, a 15 hour flight, but I could watch a lot of movies and TV episodes to my heart’s desire. I ended up watching 17 Again, Fighting, and parts of Australia, and Star Trek as well as listening to Taylor Swift. It was fun. The only part that wasn’t fun was the leg cramps, but that passed.

the leg cramps, but that passed.

While going through the road that led to Zimba from Livingstone, Zambia, we saw a lot of people walking on or next to the road. There were a few cows wondering around, and some were being herded by their masters. When we passed little kids, they would wave and smile at us, very excited to see us. There was one small group of guys traveling who whistled at us and blew kisses. And, of course, we gave them no encouragement and just lost eye contact.

I had my first taste of Nshima tonight – the finely ground up corn that is tasteless. We were trying to compare it to something, and thought that it looked like play-dough. Kindof. More like drying mashed potatoes. The chicken was amazing and there was also salad and cooked green beans. They told us that, ceremonially, they wash their hands right before getting their food and right after. Which is understandable, considering your hands can get easily dirty and, after eating Nshima (which is sticky) you want to wash your hands again. Also, it was kindof hard for me, believe it or not, to leave that little bit of food on my plate out of politeness. I have been taught to eat my food and clean my plate, which I normally do. However, it is polite to leave a little bit of food here to show the cooks that you are full and satisfied. But, if you’re plate is clean, that means that you want or need more. But, I dutifully left a little chicken and salad to fulfill this custom.

Now it’s off to church in the morning! And getting introduced to a lot of people!

I think that I need to pick a different internet time… or just check my e-mail for about an hour at a time. And fuses have been blown – two so far. Ah, well J.

Last Day of Waiting

We are all excited to start our adventure. I am quite tired, but seeing friends and getting fun updates and visit time has been my lasting energy - like charging my 'battery' power. I was afraid that I wasn't going to visit everybody that I wanted to... and found out that I couldn't :(. If there was anyone I missed, which I know there were, I am sorry that I couldn't come see you :( but know that I will seeeeee you when I come back!! Definitely!

I had more meeting today from 8 to about 4:50. It was interesting to hear about Zambian culture and what to expect. There was a lot of information given, which I feel pretty overwhelmed to recite back, but one of the things that I do remember is the handshakes that is custom in Zambia. Also a few phrases: Muli buti (How are you?) Twalumba kapati (Thank you very much), and Kabotu (good). There are other phrases that I cannot remember due to brain energy depletion, but I will try to post them later.

I have also been informed that I may not be able to upload pictures due to how much it will cost because of slow internet and another factor concerning voltage or whatever it is that makes the the power of the signal or something. SO, I will try to describe it, or I'll just show whoever wants pictures later, and upload the pictures later on this blog when I get back. But, know that I WILL be using my camera :)

Here's a picture of our group (I am in green touching the globe on the right).

Right now I am downloading a whole bunch of e-mails for the history class I am taking. It will be two hours for two weeks with an average of 40 pages a night. Sounds intense... but I'll survive, I am sure of it. And then, to bed! The bus pulls out at 9:15 am tomorrow morning!

And the correct plural for syllabus is syllabi, thank you Katie :)

One more day ahead!

I am sitting in the Shattuck study lounge, thinking to myself how I don't have any academic responsibilities as of yet. I have no subjects to study, and quite a few of us in my group think it's weird not being in class like everyone else on campus.

However, we did have meetings from 8 am to 5:30 pm (with breaks, of course), and I am feeling quite accomplished with it all. I got all my syllabuses... or however you spell it, and met my Topics of History teacher. The history class will be in session for two weeks, two hours a day (Monday through Friday). I am actually excited about reading the novels that she has assigned, due to the fact that they are about Zambian and African history.

Also, today we learned about team building and leadership, insurance, and how not to be an easy target for people who would take advantage of the touristy-look that we will probably have. I thought it was interesting to know that when people want your money or your luggage while in the airport, thieves can travel in groups so that one can distract while the other grabs the goods. One story in particular that they talked about was when there is a wallet on the ground and a passerby picks it up, not to claim it but to see who it belongs to, the thief will come and demand to be paid the money that the passerby 'stole' out of the wallet. Clever. The passerby can't prove that he didn't take the 200 dollars that was supposedly in the wallet, even though the passerby didn't even open it, and therefore has to shell out the 200 from his own wallet unless he wants trouble. Lesson learned: leave lonely wallets alone in airports and let the security pick it up. And don't get distracted. Not that I am paranoid or anything, but it's better to be cautious than carefree.

All the information was a bit overwhelming now to think back on it. I recieved four syllabuses in about ten seconds. Whew!

More meetings tomorrow - same time same place. New set of information. Can't wait!!

I still have to make a few visits to some of my friends, so I had better get at it!

One more week

I arrived savely in Indiana, but not without some car trouble, as is a Sloan tradition. Our car leaks oil, so we had to check it every time we stopped for gas. I think it downed about three quarts altogether, which is a great improvement since the car 'got fixed'.

About 5 hours and 48 minutes (according to the Tom Tom) from our destination point (my grandparents' house), there was a strange sort of subtle jerking. I was going about 70-75 miles an hour. We stopped at a gas station (it was 2 or 3 in the morning) and called my dad. We checked the transmition oil, which was fine. We kept the air conditioning and the defrost off, due to the thought that the engine switching on the air conditioning may have caused the small jolting. However, this seemed to be unrelated because we put the air conditioning on in the day time and nothing happened - no jerking.

So, the jerking motion is a mystery. It stopped after another gas station break, while going only up to 60-65 mph. At one point in the trip, we were thinking about spending the rest of the night somewhere, and engine/car trouble seems to be more threatening at night when there is no one open than in the day. So, mom and I prayed that we would get here in one piece and that the car would behave enough for us to get here. I am so glad God answered our prayers and yours who prayed for a safe trip for us! It amazes me when he answers prayer when you are in the midst of the tough times!

So, we are now safe and settled at my Grandma's house with a four hour power nap behind me. Still tired, though!

Shopping for the rest of my school supplies tomorrow and hanging out with family! Yay!

Off to Indiana!!

I now have everything packed and ready to go! I’ve got my bug spray, Malaria pills, hat/bandana, and all other items I will need for my journeying in Africa. All the stuff I need for second semester is packed as well, which means that I’ll have to repack some things for the plane ride, but that probably won’t take very long. Right now, I am excited just to leave for Indiana. It will take about 22 hours to get to my

Grandparents’ house. Mom and I plan on driv

ing straight through in my brother’s ‘boat’ or Grande Marquis. As a prayer request, please pray for a safe trip for us. Can’t wait to see family. Can’t wait to see friends. Anyone who feels like calling, feel free to do so ANYTIME, even in the night – I guarantee you one of us will be up. We would love to chat with you J. I am also learning a little lesson due to this time before I go to another country: Take one day at a time, and never mind about the other days until they come – at least when it comes to waiting for them to get here. I am driving first. Yay! First stop: Rapid City.

Farewell, Montana sunsets – at least for a while!

See all you Indianan's soon!

In the meantime...

Earlier in the summer, we planted around 90 pine trees, 50 autumn olive, 30 mountain ash, and 20 cottonwood trees. The deer are starting to come around again, and have a history of killing our trees by eating the needles/leaves and rubbing their antlers on the bark. So, what we have decided to do to keep the deer at bay is to make a fence around our entire house/backyard/garden/trees area.

Dad and I put a stretch of fence up yesterday. There is one wire of barbed wire fence about four inches from the ground, then the webbed fence, and at the very top of the fence posts we put two more stretches of wires. Overall it's close to 8 feet tall in height. There is a certain satisfaction just knowing that a sneaky nocturnal animal has been conquered of their bad habits.

The picture of the tree was a mystery as to how it happened when my mom and I spotted them while walking across the bridge one Saturday. Originally, I had thought that the culprits in charge were the beavers, since they had left some evidence of their gnawings on the bark. But, looking closer, we noticed that the trees' roots rotted through, and when one tree went down on one side, so did the tree on the other side. However, the two in the middle are still standing, but I am wondering for how long.

Tomorrow I am off to get my Malaria pills, and get my money ready to be converted into Kwatcha (Zambia currency). Then, it's packing time!

A little info for everyone

Here's the plan:

Going to start traveling to Indiana on September 2nd, get there on the 3rd, have fun with family, and catch up with friends on campus. My briefing meetings for Zambia start on the 8th at 8 am until an unknown time. On the 10th I leave on a plane from Indianapolis and go through airport after airport until my final destination of Livingstone, Zambia on the 12th.

I have been told that I will be working in: 1) an orphanage in Choma, 2) Zimba's hospital, and 3) small clinics. As of now, that is all I know, other than there are small lizards that are everywhere, and not to kill them because they eat the bugs. So, instead of grasshoppers being everywhere it will be lizards. That will be a fun change. Maybe the lizards will eat the grasshoppers.

I still have a lot of supplies to buy, including skirts. Those who know me well know that I have not worn a skirt for more than half a day or so... and that's only for special occasions like weddings and graduations. So, instead of wearing jeans every day I must convert to skirts. I am actually looking forward to that.