Kwasiya buti (Good evening!)

Zimba, our most recent home here in Zambia. Our team arrived on Sunday afternoon to the mission home. This place feels so homey. And the best part? Fresh brewed coffee every morning. I find it’s easier to wake up early in the morning when I know there’s a hot pot of coffee in the kitchen. Last Saturday before our team left for Zimba, we visited the orphanage for the last time until October. I let the kids run around with my camera, and I just wanted to share some of the faces that melt my heart. 

On my last post I included a picture with Masiye; the orphanage has a sponsorship program so the children can go to school. I'm praying it works out for me to sponsor this young man who wants to be a pastor one day. 

Group picture with these precious children. 

Our group also took this picture back in Choma on our first day in the hospital. Now that we're in Zimba, we're spending a lot of time in clinical since the hospital is so close by. 

 These pictures were taken one morning when we went to visit a local school.

I made a little friend during the school visit :)

I miss my little friend. I am thankful that we are spending almost the first 3 weeks of October back in Choma.

 It's hard to live out of a suitcase sometimes!

Melissa & Ired on the day we left for Zimba.

In Zimba this past week we have been so busy. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were spent working at the Zimba Mission Hospital. The hospital is right down the road, and it’s nice to be able to walk back and forth. The market also happens to be close by, and we visit there enough that I’m starting to learn some of the names of the venders. I love to walk around the market and practice my Tonga with the Zambians. Also it’s fun to buy snacks and candy that are equivalent to cents in USD.

Our first full day in Zimba we went to watch the sunset before dinner. The photographs hardly capture the beauty and the colors of the sky, but I think these pictures show how much we’ve all grown to love each other :)

At the hospital on Tuesday I was assigned to travel on a village outreach with some of the hospital staff. The travel time to the village lasted just over an hour. When we arrived, hundreds of mothers and babies were waiting for us. The nurses provided some brief education, and then we set up a “clinic” on the dirt floor of a one room schoolhouse. The purpose of the outreach was to vaccinate these babies, because of these mothers do not have transportation to the hospital. Unfortunately many of the babies came in happy and smiling, but left screaming because we administered several injections. I think this remains one of my favorite experiences so far. The nurse that I worked with taught me so much and I learned more about the importance of vaccinations. This ended up being almost a 12 hour day; by the time I got back to the house I felt exhausted.

Next week our team finishes up our community nursing class, and we start into the second half of the semester with leadership and management.

To all of you at home (both in PA & back at school) I miss you so much! I can’t believe we’re heading into the second half of our trip soon. I’ll be seeing you before long :)