Sunny with the high of... 103?!

The temperature this past week hit 103 degrees. It blows my mind that it’s the middle of October. Aside from the weather, sometimes I still can’t wrap my mind around the fact that I’m in Africa. This past week in Choma has been so full, all of good things. One afternoon some of the team went to visit our friends at the orphanage. (Probably my favorite place to spend my time).  

Almost every evening last week some of the other girls and I went to visit our friends at the village in the hour before dinner time.

I’m finding that if I make it to the end of the day without holding a child, my arms ache. I think I’m going to have a hard time going back to a college campus where there’s no babies to hold!

Since we’ve been in Choma for several weeks, our team has set into a routine. Our leadership & management nursing class is in the mornings on Monday, Wednesday & Friday, while clinicals are Tuesday & Thursdays. Usually the afternoons are free to go to the market, visit the orphanage or walk to the village. Fridays & Saturdays I attend the support group for individuals with HIV/AIDS. No wonder the days pass by quickly.

Last Tuesday, my friend Danielle and I decided to make some cookies to share with the team. At the beginning of the trip in Lusaka I bought a cookie cutter shaped like Africa. We were so excited with how they turned out! (In the process though, we used Danielle’s water bottle as a rolling pin).

Every Saturday we take turns planning an activity for the team. The two girls who hosted this weekend created a dance off. Each team was given a genre of music, and created a dance to a song from that genre. This was such a fun night together, full of a lot of laughter. 

On Sunday evenings, we take turns sharing our testimonies with the team. Last night the girls shared their testimonies by a campfire. And we made s’mores – African style of course. With pink marshmallows, Cadbury chocolate & coconut tea biscuits.

Every night, this is our beautiful view from the front porch. It’s hard to believe our team only has 1 month left of this beautiful, challenging, growing experience in Zambia!