The Falls

Today was our first day full day in Livingstone. We again enjoyed a wonderful Protea breakfast and then headed to Victoria Falls. Victoria Falls was incredible! I never get tired of being there. It is such an exciting experience. The power and size of the falls is so humbling, it is an amazing thing to watch and experience. Our group first took lots of group pictures at the top of the falls and then we ventured down and across to the bridge to get a closer and wetter look. The large amount of mist that rains down on you is an awesome experience, and to hear the roar of the falls up close is just amazing. After being completely soaked and taking group pictures with water proof cameras we headed back to the entrance, and then ventured down to the boiling point. At the bottom of the falls there is an area where the water swirls around in a circle. I did not experience this last year but I was glad that I made the long journey down to the boiling point and back up again. I of course got as close to the water as I could. Ian and I ventured out on a rock that was as far as you could go. We were both enjoying the view on top of the rock until the rock was six inches under rushing water with us still on top it! We held on for a short while until the water reseeded, but this peace was short lived as I saw another surge of water heading toward us. I told Ian to hold on tight! We made it just fine. After that surge we hurriedly scampered off the rock back to higher ground.

Once we exited the falls we then had the opportunity to shop in the markets there. I found a painting of the falls that I really like, and I also bought some gifts for friends and family back home. The markets are always crazy, but I made it out with the things I wanted without spending too much money. The bus then took us back to the main strip where we were given money to get some lunch. A small group of us ate at the Hungry Lion (Zambian Fast Food) I got a burger that didn't taste so great, but I managed to eat most of it. We then walked back to the hotel and prepared for High Tea at the Royal Livingstone Hotel.  

High Tea at the Royal Livingstone again was a great experience. The food is great and the atmosphere is so much fun. The Royal Livingstone is a very nice hotel here in Zambia. Apparent the cheapest room is $500 a night. We come here to drink tea, eat delicious desserts, and then watch the sun set on the Zambezi. The tea was great, this year I got Apple Cinnamon tea. The food was good as well and the company was even better. During our tea time there was a zebra that walked through the grounds, only 50 feet away from where we were sitting! The sunset was also very enjoyable. It was so nice to take a break, sit and converse with friends, and watch the sun set. God is good.

Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Ben

Are you preaching?

This morning instead of going to the church at Namwianga I had the opportunity to go with Dr. Tullos and Ian to Webster's congregation outside of Kalomo. None of us had ever been to his church before so we didn't really know what to expect, and we didn't really have any idea how to get there. All we knew was that it was past the hospital on the left. After driving past it twice we got a call from Ellie. Webster apparently had seen us drive by and called Ellie to tell us where to meet him so that he could direct us to the church building. We found him and picked him up on the side of the road and headed to his church.

When we arrived he showed us the building and a plot of land next to the church where they are planning on building a new bigger building, and having the current church be a preschool. The church here was very nice compared to the Kasibi church. It was bigger and completely made out of concrete and brick. After the bible study Dan and I were informed that we were in charge of preaching and the Lord's Supper! FUN. We had been assured by Webster and Ian that neither of us would have to participate in the service, but both Ian and Webster were out with the children for children's church. Dan made up a short sermon on the spot, and I gave the communion comments. This is the first time I have had to use a translator. I had to break apart what I wanted to say in shorter phrases. Over all the experience was very enjoyable. God is good. The church service started an hour late, but Dan and I made sure that it ended on time with our short comments : )

After the service was over Webster took us to his house for a drink and to chat with the preacher before we left. I also got to meet 2 of 3 of his children, along with his wife. Webster then rode with us in the land cruiser until we made it to the main road, where he said good bye. Webster was very sad to say good bye to us. It was a sad moment for us all as we drove away.

Our last meal in Namwinanga was a group favorite, chicken spaghetti, then we packed the vehicles and left for Livingstone. When we arrived in Livingstone we had lots of time to relax and shower after days without water at Namwianga. Then as a group we headed to a dinner and had a wonderful time of fellowship and relaxation. At the end of our evening there the GA's handed out awards to all of us that usually consisted of inside jokes. IT was a very enjoyable evening. Our group as really bonded on this trip, we are not looking forward to leaving each other next week.

The rest of the evening we spent at the hotel resting and relaxing for tomorrow's adventures.

Please continue to pray for the group's safety as we stay in Livingstone for the next week.

Thank you for all your prayers and support

Ben

Good Byes

Today is our last full day in Namwianga. This morning a small group of students that needed extra hours due to illness headed off with supervisors Kara and Carol to the Havens. The rest of the group stayed behind after breakfast and packed up all of our supplies that we have been using the past few weeks and organized it into suitcases and put it in the HIZ storage container across from the Mann house. Once we were finished packing we were free to go to the Havens until lunch. I walked to the Haven with Ashley, Mel, and Dara. We arrived just in time to hang out in Haven 2 some play time with the kids before tea time. After tea time I continued to stay at Haven 2 with the kids there until it was shema time! Once all the kids were gathered to eat shema I left Haven 2 and walked to Haven 1 where I spent the rest of my time till lunch.

At Haven 1 I held Rita. She has grown so much since we have been here, and she is doing quite well. She has gotten over her pink eye and is feeding very well. I fed her and rocked her until she fell asleep. Next I picked up Irene. Irene is doing better as well. She has gotten over her sickness, but she still has difficulty feeding. She is becoming more expressive though. She smiled often as I played with her, which is always rewarding.

After lunch most of the group headed back to the Havens to say our good byes. I spent the first part of the afternoon in Haven 1 with Irene and Emmanuel. I fed Irene until Mel got there. (Irene is one of Mel's favorites) Then I played with Emmanuel the younger, Joy's twin brother (one of my favorites). He was so expressive and smiley today. I sat next to Chelsea on the couch who was holding Joy. We were both so pleased to see how well he was doing on the last day. When we first arrived he struggled maintaining attention or eye contact for very long, but today he was totally opposite. He was doing so well!

Eventually I had to put Emmanuel down and walk to Haven 2 where my true loyalties lie. Maureen was there to greet me, along with Twapegwa. Maureen spent most of her time that afternoon in my lap as I took pictures of the other toddlers around me. Maureen has become very attached to me and would push other children away from me who might have been interested in sitting with us. Oh Maureen. Eventually I put her down and picked up Marcus, who was crying. I think some of the children could since that some of the group was upset about the last day, because they were all whiny and crying. After tea time and eating bananas it was time for us to go. We all said our good byes to the children. I put down Marcus and said good bye to Twapegwa, Maureen, and Leah. It was time to go.

On the walk back to the house it was very quite until!... Jumping picture time! Last year Kara and I and others took jumping pictures on the path on the way back from the Havens to lighten the mood. This was very much needed again this year, and so we took some awesome jumping pictures to boost the morale before we arrived for dinner.

Tonight for dinner Rod made this wonderful delicious soup with wildebeest in it! It was so good I had two very large helpings of it. Apparently it is a South African traditional meal. I was very impressed. After dinner I spent most of my time with Webster and Justine. They were both very sad that we were leaving. Webster told many funny stories, and we listened to his favorite song "Good Girls" on repeat...many, many times. : ) Eventually it was time for bed. I left for Justine and Webster my head lamp, sweatshirt, and extra batteries. They were very thankful and I was glad to share.

Tomorrow we will attend out last church service here in Namwinaga, and then head to Livingstone after lunch, and spend the rest of the week there until we fly home on Friday.

Thank you for all your prayers and support.

Ben

Good Byes

Today is our last full day in Namwianga. This morning a small group of students that needed extra hours due to illness headed off with supervisors Kara and Carol to the Havens. The rest of the group stayed behind after breakfast and packed up all of our supplies that we have been using the past few weeks and organized it into suitcases and put it in the HIZ storage container across from the Mann house. Once we were finished packing we were free to go to the Havens until lunch. I walked to the Haven with Ashley, Mel, and Dara. We arrived just in time to hang out in Haven 2 some play time with the kids before tea time. After tea time I continued to stay at Haven 2 with the kids there until it was shema time! Once all the kids were gathered to eat shema I left Haven 2 and walked to Haven 1 where I spent the rest of my time till lunch.

At Haven 1 I held Rita. She has grown so much since we have been here, and she is doing quite well. She has gotten over her pink eye and is feeding very well. I fed her and rocked her until she fell asleep. Next I picked up Irene. Irene is doing better as well. She has gotten over her sickness, but she still has difficulty feeding. She is becoming more expressive though. She smiled often as I played with her, which is always rewarding.

After lunch most of the group headed back to the Havens to say our good byes. I spent the first part of the afternoon in Haven 1 with Irene and Emmanuel. I fed Irene until Mel got there. (Irene is one of Mel's favorites) Then I played with Emmanuel the younger, Joy's twin brother (one of my favorites). He was so expressive and smiley today. I sat next to Chelsea on the couch who was holding Joy. We were both so pleased to see how well he was doing on the last day. When we first arrived he struggled maintaining attention or eye contact for very long, but today he was totally opposite. He was doing so well!

Eventually I had to put Emmanuel down and walk to Haven 2 where my true loyalties lie. Maureen was there to greet me, along with Twapegwa. Maureen spent most of her time that afternoon in my lap as I took pictures of the other toddlers around me. Maureen has become very attached to me and would push other children away from me who might have been interested in sitting with us. Oh Maureen. Eventually I put her down and picked up Marcus, who was crying. I think some of the children could since that some of the group was upset about the last day, because they were all whiny and crying. After tea time and eating bananas it was time for us to go. We all said our good byes to the children. I put down Marcus and said good bye to Twapegwa, Maureen, and Leah. It was time to go.

On the walk back to the house it was very quite until!... Jumping picture time! Last year Kara and I and others took jumping pictures on the path on the way back from the Havens to lighten the mood. This was very much needed again this year, and so we took some awesome jumping pictures to boost the morale before we arrived for dinner.

Tonight for dinner Rod made this wonderful delicious soup with wildebeest in it! It was so good I had two very large helpings of it. Apparently it is a South African traditional meal. I was very impressed. After dinner I spent most of my time with Webster and Justine. They were both very sad that we were leaving. Webster told many funny stories, and we listened to his favorite song "Good Girls" on repeat...many, many times. : ) Eventually it was time for bed. I left for Justine and Webster my head lamp, sweatshirt, and extra batteries. They were very thankful and I was glad to share.

Tomorrow we will attend out last church service here in Namwinaga, and then head to Livingstone after lunch, and spend the rest of the week there until we fly home on Friday.

Thank you for all your prayers and support.

Ben

Farewell Friday

Friday morning I woke up to one of the most beautiful sights I have ever experienced! Biscuits with TWO bowls of gravy! It was delicious. I had my fill of the delicious gravy. God is good.

This morning I went to Haven 2 and worked with Mary and Maureen. I took both of them out to play on the play ground. We were having a great time until Maureen decided she needed to go to the bathroom. She started to pull down her pants, and I said, "No! Go inside! Toilet!" She fussed at me and started to do it again. I gave her the same response, which ended up in more fussing. Then she continued to want to go outside, so I said no, and picked her up and started to head inside the Haven. She started to wail, and continue to wail till we go to the toilet. And instead of going to the bathroom, she continued to wail. After wailing in the bathroom for a while I picked her up and found an Auntie and just handed her the screaming girl, and went outside to finish the session with Mary outside till tea time.

In the afternoon Maureen had forgiven me, and I had forgiven her, so we spent the afternoon playing in Haven 2. I took lots of great pictures of the kids. Maureen and Twapegwa hung out with me the majority of the time.

In the evening the power went out again! So we played nertz in the dark for one last time for a few hours. Seth decided to make some up some wonderful hip hop names for all of us. Seth was Sizzle, Hayley was Hezzy, my name was Boo, Courtney was Little C, and Kara was K-Dog. When the power came back on we spent time on the porch talking with Webster and Justine. Webster got married to Cat, and Webster and Justine organized a sit to show how the whole process  of dating and marrying would happen in Zambia. It was really entertaining, and much play-doh was involved.

Thank you for all your prayers and support.

Ben

No power? No water? Priceless.

Today the group woke up to no power and no water. We have had alot of water and power problems lately hopefully they will let up soon. The group is ready for warm showers and consistent electricity. Today at the Haven's I spent the morning with Maureen in Haven 2. She is starting to grow very fond of me. When the group arrives she always seeks me out, and then starts to whine if I don't pay her any attention....Perfect.

I spent time in Haven 1 as well with Cathy and Wilma. I took lots of pictures of the babies because our time is ending soon. I tried my hardest to get Wilma to smile/walk/crawl/anything. Not very successful. But I know she can talk, she talks for other clinicians. We just don't have the connection yet.

For lunch today we had the traditional meal of shema. I really enjoy this meal, and so I ate alot of it. I even went back for seconds. I was also very proud of Chelsea! because she actually tried the shema today and enjoyed it! And went back for seconds : ) So proud.

During the afternoon I went back to Haven 1 and spent time with the little babies there. They are cute and little. Some of them have grown so much since the beginning of the trip. It's been a great experience to watch them grow and develop these past six weeks.

Tonight the power went out from 5:30 to 10:30. This is probably the longest power outage we have had throughout the past six weeks, but I must say, this was the most fun power outage of them all. A small group of us, Ian, Mel, Dara, Kasey, Ashley, Cat and I went up on top of the storage container with sleeping bags and star gazed for 3 hours. There was lots of laughing and picture taking involved. It was probably one of the best nights I have had here in Zambia. God is good. He provides good friends, good fellowship, and a beautiful planet to enjoy. Thank you!

Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Ben

Monday through Wednesday!

I have been spending so much time enjoying my last week here, I have be slacking on writing posts everyday. So here are some of the highlights from the past three days!

The group is now finally healthy. We are doing well, and finishing strong. God is good! Also some of the children that we have been praying for have greatly improved as well. Christopher is now doing much better, along with Joel and Irene. Christopher no longer looks malnourished, and is becoming more vocal. Joel is also becoming more vocal as well. I have reports that is has been laughing! Irene is still has some upper respiratory issues that make it difficult for her when she is feeding, but she is doing better than she has been previously. Thank you for your prayers!

In the evenings here the group has been watching movies using the projector, and eating LARGE amounts of popcorn. We also have been having water difficulties. Many times there is no running clean water, which makes it difficult to wash dishes, or sanitize our tools, or wash ourselves. Apparently during the rainy season this past year they did not collect as much rain water, and so they are rationing it.

Tuesday night Kara and Dixie shared with us a special dance to celebrate two wedding anniversaries that we have in the group. Shaylin and Sarah. Their dance was very unique and will be forever memorable. I also had a great conversation with Webster, Justine, and Cat Tuesday night. They both were in silly moods joking the entire time, and Cat made them promise to teach her how to make Shema. They promised to teach her, so I am pretty excited to be apart of that experience. I always enjoy spending time with Webster and Justine. They are good men.

Today I spent alot of time with the kids at the Haven. I am trying to spend as much time as possible with the kids before I have to leave. This also means that the entire group is in a picture taking frenzy, making sure that we all get the necessary amount of pictures of our favorite, and not so favorite children. : )

Thank you all for your prayers and support.

Ben

Kasibi Sunday

Today we traveled about 45 minutes to the little down of Kasibi for church. It is a small congregation lead by Leonard, our cook. We filled the tiny little church building there. It was so full there was not enough room for everyone to sit. We were all packed in this little shack with homemade (not padded) benches for 3 hours. The service consisted of singing, bible study, the quintet singers, sermon, and then our group sang 3 songs. When we arrived the church always asks the guests to lead the service. Since no one was prepared to lead the bible study, or the sermon Rod, who has been a missionary in Zambia lead both, and Dr. Tullos did the communion comments. Even though the service was very long I really enjoyed everything that took place. The singing and the lessons were great.

After the service was over the entire church filed out of the tiny church building and lined up and as you exited you shook the hand of everyone in the line, making sure that everyone in the entire church shook hands at some point. The church did the same thing last year and I really enjoyed it. Then the church walked over to Leonard's house where he had prepared a large meal for our entire group. We had fried chicken, mash potatoes, and bread. Just like the States! When the group was finished eating the small band that came last year started playing, and everyone was invited to dance around the circle. Many of my classmates have been waiting for this moment the entire trip, and they quickly jumped into the mix. I however, was very content with watching. Sadly for me and Chelsea, we were drug into the circle against our will by Seth and Cat near the end of the dancing. Unsurprisingly my dancing skills have not increase in a years time, therefore what happened in the circle was neither exciting or anything to write about...at all. : )

Once the dancing was finished we headed back home. Lucky for me, I got in the same vehicle with the singing group, and they sang all the way back until we dropped them off. The rest of the day we spent relaxing. A group of us washed dishes after dinner and sang lots of our favorite church songs. We all had so much fun sharing our favorite songs and sing them with one another. God is good.

Thank you for all your prayers and support.

Ben

Jordan's Rock

Today was a busy day filled with wonderful experiences here in Zambia. Our day started out with some tasty Jungle Oats for breakfast and then the group made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch. We packed the bus and left for Choma by 9:15. When we arrived at Choma we were dropped of at the gas station close to the markets and told to be at the museum lawn by 1:30! This time we had alot more time to spend in the Choma market which was greatly appreciated. The last trip to Choma felt rushed. Everyone again bought alot of chitengie material and Ian bought an axe! Because we had a larger amount of time I was able to explore more of the market this year. Ashley and I finished our shopping and then we headed further into the markets. Eventually we ran into Dixie and Kara who were busy buying lots of material for friends back in the states. We walked all the way to the end of the market strip, and then all they way back. It was neat to see all the fruits and vegetables for sale, I also got to see some home grown chickens in home made cages.

After adventuring through the markets we headed to the Spar to get some groceries. I finally found some one of my favorite drinks from last year called Lemon Twist. It was only available in a glass bottle. When I went to check out the clerk asked me if I had brought in an empty bottle. I replied no and so he added 1000 K to my amount (which is around .20 cents). All together it cost me 3000 K for the drink, around .60 cents. Awesome!

After we left the Spar we headed to the Museum where we had a picnic with the group and had an opportunity to purchase items in the store if we wanted. As soon as we were finished we hurriedly drove home to prepare for Ian's birthday party. Just like last year and the years before, Ian's birthday is always celebrated by going out to Jordan's Rock, watching the sunset, cooking hotdogs and smores, and singing. There is always lots of group pictures taken as well. This year we had a bigger fire than last year, so I got to enjoy watching my classmates try to cook hotdogs with short sticks while trying not to get burned. : ) Priceless. It was Cat's first time to have a real camp fire, cook hotdogs, and roast smores! I was given the task of teaching her how to make the perfect smores, which I did perfectly. (of course) : )

At the end of the evening we packed everything up and I was one of the lucky ones that got to ride in the back of Rod's truck! Imagine a well used 17 year old truck that lives in Africa. Sue said they used to call it the Prayer Mobile, because if you stopped praying, it would stop running. I was responsible for making sure supplies didn't bounce out of the back. Kara was with me as well, and was responsible for making sure the cooler didn't bounce out of the back of the truck, and Lindsey was responsible for making sure Kara didn't bounce out of the back of the truck. This was the perfect combination for fun and lots of laughter as we drove over the extremely bump roads in the bush. The ride back to the house was great as we held on for dear life at times and saw the beautiful vibrant stars. This evening has definitely been one of my favorite parts of the trip this year. God is good.

When we got back to the house it was time to sing with Webster one last time before we preform tomorrow. The practice went really well. Everyone was in high spirits and the singing sounded great. Webster was please as well. The rest of the evening I spent in the Mann house talking with Kara, Ashley, Mel, Sarah, and Cat until it was time for bed...and we had one of the best conversation topics yet...cake.

Thank you for all your prayers and support! Currently the entire group is healthy! Hurray! God is good!

Ben

Free Hug Friday

Today was another great day in Zambia. Working with the babies here is always so rewarding no matter which child you work with. They are all God's beautiful children, and every day I am so thankful for this opportunity to serve the people here in Zambia. God is good.

This morning Ashley was unable to work with the children because she had pink eye! eww. So I took Mary and Maureen outside to play during the morning language groups. They were fun to play with, they both like to run around and have fun. Everything went smoothly besides the time Maureen randomly pulled her pants all the way down and peed, and then Mary decided it would be funny to lift her dress all the way up! Lucky for me Mrs. Marritt drove by around this time....perfect. Then I went to Haven 1 and held some of the smaller babies there until it was time to leave for lunch.

In the afternoon I held Joy. She was so sweet the whole time and was making lots of sounds and smiling. She is doing very well. Its been very rewarding to work with her the past few weeks. I then went to Haven 2 and worked with the toddlers. They are always so much fun to work with. They are going to be hard to leave at the end of the week.

Tonight we had a movie night, and we all watched the Sound of Music. Everyone of course sang along. At the end of the movie, those who were still awake sang in the Mann house with Webster until it was time for bed.

Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Ben

Shema! Shema Shema! And Relish!

Today I got an early start and arrived at Haven 2 a half an hour earlier than usual. Since I was the only white person there, the kids overwhelmed me! But it was nice, exactly what I needed. Leah sought me out and crawled a great distance to sit near me. She is so sweet! This morning when the sessions started I again took Maureen out to play on the play ground. Today we tried the big slide, and with some assistance on the way down she had a great time! Eventually it was tea time and we headed back together, and then I left Haven 2 and worked with Virginia in Haven 1. Virginia is an older  baby in Haven 1 and should be walking by now, so I took her out on the front porch and practiced with her. Eventually she got tired of that so we laid on the concrete porch and talked it out until it was time for me to switch. Later I picked up Cathy. Today we played with the ball and I tried to get her to crawl. She did not like it one bit. She would just cry on the floor. Botias, another baby would crawl over to her and try to assist, but he was unable to console her.

For lunch today we had our traditional Zambian meal of Shema and chicken. Most of the girls this year do not enjoy shema at all so I had a very large portion of shema and was full the rest of the day. Because so many people dislike shema, I decided to make up many many songs about the shema. Kara also assisted. Shema, shema shema! and Relish goes to the tune of Peanut, Peanut butter! and Jelly! We sang many other great hits. I'm sure we will come out with a cd soon!

During the afternoon I held Rita. She was having a rough day. Her eyes were irritated again, and she didn't want to eat. Eventually she fell asleep in my arms after a lots of coaxing. I then headed to Haven 2 and hung out with the toddlers there until it was time to leave. This evening Ellie Hamby arrived, along with her son Cale, and James. They are here to get ready for the medical mission coming up in July.

This evening the power went out, so I went out with Ian and watched the stars for a long time. Then eventually we decided that sneaking up on the girls would be a fun idea. When the power came back on Webster lead us in some singing in the Mann house. Our group will be practicing alot to get ready for our singing in Kasibi! when we get to sing for the church there!

Later in the evening Ian found some Innova discs in the closet. Some Aviar putters and Shark mid range discs. These discs are used to play disc golf, one of my favorite hobbies! I am looking forward to teaching Webster, Justine and Ian how to throw them tomorrow.

Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Ben

Chicken Spaghetti!

Today we were back to our regular schedule for therapy at the Havens. This morning I again worked with Maureen. This time since it was so cold we stayed on the porch and played and talked. Maureen is very fun to work with. She talks and loves to interact with you. She is doing well, but I always get to work with her because she is a trouble maker if she sits in on a language group. : ) Got to love the trouble makers.

At Haven 1 this morning I worked with Cathy. Cathy always looks like she is in a state of timidity. Her eyes get really wide and her hands kind of shake. She is a fun baby, she is usually very content with just about anything you do with her, which is nice compared to those squirmy babies! Today I found out that she loves bouncing on the exercise ball. We bounced for a while, and then I got her to put weight on her feet while she held the ball. She really enjoyed it.

For lunch today we had the very famous chicken spaghetti! It was very good and many of us had second servings of it. Mrs. Sue also made this delicious milk tart. In America, we would call it a milk pie. In Africa, if you use the term "pie" the expectation is that it will be containing some sort of meat. If it doesn't contain meat, then it is called a tart. Interesting! I also found out from the girls that you are suppose to start peeling citrus fruit by the top...not the side...who knew? I'm not really that convinced this is truth. Moving on.

In the afternoon I spent most of my time holding Rita and Emmanuel. Rita's eyes are doing much better, I didn't see drops today and the redness and irritation is gone. I fed her for a little bit, and then spent the rest of the time trying to get her to fall asleep. Once Rita fell asleep I picked up Emmanuel (the smaller). He is doing much better as well. He had great eye contact and tracking today. And he would smile and vocalize a little for me. At Haven 2 I spent more time with Maureen. Of course Twapegwa found me for a little while. The Haven 2 kids seem to be doing better and better everyday.

Christopher, a baby that I have previously mentioned on this blog is doing better now. We are still keeping an eye on him, but he is doing much better! Thank you for your prayers, God is good. I do ask that you start praying for Joel and Irene. Irene is a tiny baby in Haven 1 and is sick, and Joel is a baby in Haven 3 that might have some issues with his liver being swollen. We are not quite sure about his condition, but we want to keep him in our prayers as well.

Tonight Kara and Dixie wrote a song to help cheer up Chelsea and Shaylin because of their eye conditions are still not completely healed. It was received very well. The entire group was laughing by the end of it. Today our new supervisor Carol and her daughter Laurel arrived here today. I look forward to getting to know them better as they start in on therapy tomorrow.

Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Ben

Tola wanana junza!

This morning I again enjoyed the wonderful Protea Hotel Breakfast. They had bacon, sausage, yogurt, potatoes, scones, and I ate all of it. It was delicious. We then packed our bags said good bye to Carla and then headed to ShopRite for some last minute groceries, and then headed home. While I was in the grocery I found that avocados are just as expensive here as they are in the United States, which was disappointing. I also found out that I should not venture down the candy/cookie/chocolate isle. oops.

We arrived back home in time for lunch and then we headed to the Havens to work for the rest of the day. I went to Haven 1 and worked with Nichole. I usually don't get to work with her because Dr. Tullos monopolizes her : )  but since he was still in Livingstone I got to work with her! YAY! Nichole is doing much better than when we first arrived. She was very vocal when I worked with her. We both had a blast making sounds at each other on the couch. Then I went to Haven 2 and played with the toddlers there. Marcus had a hilarious hooded sweatshirt on, and his hood was so big that it was blocking his line of site. He looked pretty goofy sitting there with a very serious face with a giant hood over his head. While I was in Haven 2, I decided to take lots of pictures of the toddlers. I got some great pictures of Mary, Chililia, and Curt.

On Tuesdays there is a scheduled power outage from 6-8 pm. Today it started at 5:30 and ended around 8:30. Whenever the power goes out, we usually play nertz. We played alot of nertz! and then we played ERS afterwards, which was the craziest card game experience I have ever had with Hayley, Courtney, and Seth.

Before I went to bed I talked with Webster and Justin. They were both excited that the group was back from our short trip. I talked to them for a while and mastered a new Tonga word "Tola wanana junza" Which means, "See you tomorrow"

Thank you for all your prayers and support. Continue to pray for the groups health, so that we can continue to do good work here.

Thank you.

Ben 

Moonbow Monday

Today is the day we head for Livingstone! This morning we did our morning sessions at the Havens. I worked with Maureen during the first part of the morning. I took her out the the play ground, and we played on EVERYTHING! I would pick the ADHD child to work with. We played on the merry-go-round, we played on the teeter-todder. We went down the slides, we played in the dirt, we put stuff in a can. We were everywhere. Eventually it was tea time and I brought her back to the porch, and then headed to Haven 1 where I worked with Rita, Emanuel (the small one) and Irene.

I worked with Rita first. I found her crying in her bed with a bottle, so I decided to feed her. She was fussy the whole time, and never got comfortable. I noticed that her eyes looked irritated, when I put her back in her crib, found out that she had pink eye drops! AHHH, Can't get away from it, but no worries. I'm immune. Then I picked up Emanuel and fed him until he fell asleep. He seemed to be doing better today when I worked with him. He was tracking me for a while, and more interactive than usual. After he fell asleep I picked up Irene. I don't work with Irene very often, but I know that she has some feeding issues. She was fine for me, she was sleepy and was feeding slowly, but she did well. When Kara's therapy group came in I handed off Irene to them and went back to grab another baby. Emmanuel (the big one) was awake and needed to be fed, so I fed him until it was time to leave for lunch.

For lunch today we fixed sandwiches and then ate them on the bus on the way to Livingstone. I ate my sandwich, and then slept most of the way there. When we arrived at the hotel we received our room keys and money for dinner, and then we were set free to get dinner. Kara, Mel, Darah, Cat, and I took a 30 min walk to ShopRite where we bought some chocolate, and then we ate at this nice sea food place called Ocean Basket. Their menu was full of puns and misspellings. It was a nice place, and the food was great too. We all ended up sharing our meals and split it up evenly at the end. It cost around 11 dollars for each of us to eat some delicious sea food...in Zambia.

We walked back to our hotel where we prepared ourselves for the Moon Bow. Three times a year there is a full moon in the correct position where the moon is so bright that you can see a rainbow in the mist of Victoria Falls. When we first got there we took lots of pictures of the falls, and then we prepared ourselves to get WET and COLD! A large group of us decided to walk down to get a closer/wetter look at the falls. Its basically like walking in a constant rain storm! The falls are so powerful! I was amazed again this year at God's wonderful creation. God is good. The experience of seeing the moon bow while be drenched by the great Victoria Falls was an experience that will never grow old.

After being completely soaked some of the group went to the shops, but Courtney and Chelsea decided to stay with me and see watch the falls a little bit longer. I took them to two or three neat spots that I remembered from last year, and we got some great pictures there too. On the bus ride home I sat next to Carla since it was our last evening together. When we got back to the hotel I took a nice warm shower and then hung out with Carla and Seth the rest of the evening. It was nice to chat with her and learn just a little bit more from her before she left. She will be missed by all of us. But I look forward to visiting her when she moves to Arkansas this summer for her new job.

Tomorrow she will be heading to the airport to fly back to America. Dr. Tullos and Ian will drive her to the airport and then wait there in Livingstone for our new supervisor to arrive. Ellie Hamby is also arriving here in Zambia on Thursday! So please be praying for all these different parties and their safety.

Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Ben 

Raised from the Dead

Today was the first time I attended children's church here in Zambia. Usually right before the sermon, and the girls and Dr. Weaver and other women in the church leave to teach the children's class. Last year I always stayed and listened to the sermon, and previous Sundays I have always stayed for the sermon. Today the group was doing a skit about Lazarus being raised from the dead. So the needed Seth to be Jesus, and I was Lazarus. I have to say, I think this was my best role yet. I was the most convincing dead man. I laid very still, no smile, and then when Seth said, Lazarus! Get up. I got up...pretty great right. All the kids were amazed I'm sure. Acting skills? Check.

During the afternoon, a small group of us went to the Haven to play with the children. I first went to Haven 2, but found almost all of them asleep. Apparently it was nap time. Marcus was awake in his bed, so I picked him up and sat in the chair with him for while until he got sleepy, and then I headed over to Haven 3. At Haven 3 the older boys room was wide awake! Caleb, Lincoln, Joseph, Sibajene, and Leo were pumped to see me. They all jumped in their beds with excitement. Lincoln and Joseph would put their backs against the wall in their bed and then fall straight onto their matrices, and start giggling. All of them were being silly the entire time! This is the best time to interact with the kids. They were all imitating everything I said, and were very talkative...besides Leo of course. But he was smiling!

When they finally calmed down I headed over to Haven 2 for a short while, and then headed back to the house for a shower. In the evening we all attended church. The power went out right before church started so they lit candles. The church building looked so pretty in the dark with the candle light and the singing was great! Eventually the lights came back on, just in time for the lesson. The lesson was a fun one. Roy Marrett talked about abstinence! a popular topic here in Zambia.

That evening we sang for Carla since she it was her last night here at the Mann house. We continued to hang out with her until it was time for bed.

Tomorrow afternoon we are headed to Livingstone to see Victoria Falls during the Lunar Rainbow! We are very excited about this trip! Please pray for safe travel! Thank you!

Ben 

"Pink eye go away, don't come back another day!"

On Monday we are going to Livingstone to see the Lunar Rainbow at Victoria Falls in Livingstone. Because we will be missing a day's worth of therapy, the group is working a full day today so that we can  get the required amount of hours in. This morning Chelsea continued to have problems with her eye. Her pink eye has not cleared up, and this morning it looked very swollen, almost like a small blister in her eye. Sue decided to take her in to Kalamo town, and I decided to go with her for support. Chelsea and I sat at the pharmacy for an hour waiting on the pharmacist to show up while Sue went shopping. In the meantime Chelsea taught me all about wedding rings... : ) and we took pictures of her eye. When the pharmacist finally showed up, we told him what products she had been using, and he looked at her eye. We now have some stuff that should work! We are praying hard that God will heal her eye.

During the afternoon I headed back to the Havens with the group. I spent the first half of my afternoon in Haven 1 with Joy. I fed her the rest of her bottle, and then got to hold her as she slowly spit up close to all four ounces back onto the blanket I was holding her in. It was frustrating to watch. She got the hiccups again, and that didn't help her mood either. I hope that she will improve soon. During the second half of the afternoon, I went to Haven 2 and played with the toddlers there. My mission today was to take lots of pictures and video of the kids because I haven't taken enough yet this year. It was pretty uneventful in Haven 2 today.

On the way back we walked the main road instead of the path through the bush. It was nice to all walk together and talk at the end of the day instead of walking all in a line. After dinner the power went off for a while, so we just sat and chatted until the power came back on, and then we headed to the Hamby house porch to sing with Webster. After singing with Webster, Webster told a funny story about the rat, which many of the girls videotaped. He is so funny and animated. I am going to miss him greatly when I leave.

Thank you for all your prayers and support! Continue to pray for the groups health! Pray that the pink eye illness is removed from all those who have it!

Ben

Seven Fountains Friday

It's starting to get cooler here in Africa. Usually in the evenings it reaches the low 50s high 40s, but it always warms up to around 80 during the day. The past few days it has been cloudy in the afternoons and getting cooler in the evenings. The night watchmen always are amazed on how lightly we are dressed.

Today I spent the morning sessions in Kara's language group replacing Cat because she had pink eye this morning. We first worked in Haven 2. Layla spent most of her time in my lap during the group, she was very active until the end of the session when she fell asleep. The next session I followed them to Haven 3 where I fed Adam. Adam is not a good eater. He doesn't close his mouth around the spoon when he is being fed and when he is chewing. So alot of what you put in, ends up all down the front of his shirt. A few times I was able to get him to get good lip closure around the spoon, but a majority of the time there was no closure. Eventually Adam was tired of eating so he would just spit it out all over me...awesome. Over all though I did enjoy feeding Adam, it was a challenge to get him to do what I wanted to do, and stay clean. I always enjoy a good challenge. After Adam was done eating, Lincoln, Adam, and I ran around in the tables (working out) eventually I had the idea to put Lincoln and Adam in walkers, and they enjoyed chasing each other and bumping into one another.  Eventually I found a toy that I could push around as well and run into them. After Haven 3 I spent the rest of the morning in Haven 1 working with the little ones with Kara's language group.

During the afternoon I went with Dr. Weaver to Seven Fountains, which is a smaller orphanage outside of Namwinga. Carla, Seth, Hayley, Mel, Alexandria, and I went and assessed 9 babies that they had there. We all hopped in Khaki Jackie and rode through the bush to Seven Fountains. On the way there there were a series of gates that we had to open and close. Jurassic Park references were made. Ms. Mann, the lady in charge there was really nice, and was very helpful. She is a missionary from Canada, and used to live in the Mann house where we are staying. It was fun to break up the routine and do something new for a change, and meet new people. We assessed the babies there, ate some snacks, and then headed home. The babies there were doing pretty well. They have a better Aunties to babies ratio because there are way less babies at Seven Fountains. Most of them were in great shape.

In the evening we had movie night! We watched "Faith Like Potatoes" It is a movie about an Irish South African Farmer and his family. Popcorn was made by the wonderful Ian Tullos, Kara Threm, and Dixie! It was very good popcorn. Afterwards many of  us hung out in the Hamby house until it was time for bed.

Thank you for all your prayers and support! Please pray that the pink eye goes away!

Ben

Thursday

Today I spent my morning in Haven 2 sitting with Memory. She usually likes to cause trouble and cry near the other language groups in the morning so I decided to grab her and work with her during the first session. Afterwards I went to Haven 3 and found Leo hanging out all alone, so we sat together and I tried my hardest to get him to respond to me. I had no success until I threw him in the air. Then he would laugh, and then go back to his expressionless face again. I did get him to smile a little when we played with the ball, but he is so good at remaining expressionless. It was then time for the big boy language session which I became a part of with Leo. The boys love going outside during their therapy time. I noticed today that they really enjoy the slide. We got a smile out of Leo and the other boys.

Because today is Thursday we had shema again. I felt bad because the girls hardly ate any of the shema this time around, now that they had experienced it once before. I would say maybe 25% of it was gone by the time I went through the line, and I was one of the last to go through. I grabbed a large portion of shema, but barely put a dent in it.

In the afternoon I worked with Joy in Haven 1. I fed her a bottle for the first half of the session, and then she spit it all up the second half. Fortunate for me, I kinda heard it coming and was prepared for the spit up. Then the poor girl wanted to go to sleep, but she had the hiccups which did not help with the spitting up situation. Needless to say, this was not a bonding moment for Joy and I...maybe another day.

The second part of the afternoon I of course worked at Haven 2. I worked with many of the children. After tea time, Curt was being mischievious so I ran after him and grabbed him and threw him upside down and started tickling him extremely hard. He was laughing so hard apparently he couldn't control himself and he peed his pants! I eventually saw it running down his leg and forming a pool on the floor, lucky for me I did not get any on me. Everyone was laughing, even the Aunties.

Later in the evening a group of us hung out in the Hamby house until we were kicked out, and then Ashley, Carla, and I talked with Justin and Webster about random things about Zambia. Justin always jokes about coming to America. Tonight he decided that he should run for President of the United States, and I am his campaign manager. We also talked about how to get a wife in Zambia. Webster paid 2 cows and $200 dollars for his wife. Apparently some wives cost more than others, but you can negotiate the price sometimes with the family. It was a very interesting conversation.

Thank you for all your prayers and support.

Ben

Wellness Wednesday

This morning we had biscuits and gravy for breakfast, it was delicious! Leonard's gravy two days in a row equals happy Ben. Also this morning Chelsea woke up this morning with one eye swollen shut! Pink eye! Apparently she picked it up from a kid at the Haven. I wrote her a funny get well card involving many pirate jokes and giving her the pirate nick name "Captain One Eye." I'm sure she loved it. : )  We got the drops to her pretty quick, so she should be good to go for tomorrow! Hannah and Ashley were also sick this morning, so continue to pray for the groups health. Since Hannah was ill, I spent the first part of my morning with Dr. Tullos' language group. Matt sat in my lap for the majority of the time, along with Curt. Our next session we did language work in Haven 1. After working with two sessions, I decided to spend the rest of my morning time with Louise.

For lunch today we had tacos! They were delicious and there was guacamole! It was even better than the enchilada meal. In the afternoon the walk back was very, very hot. The group that walked was pretty tired by the time we reached the Havens. I spent the first half of the afternoon in Haven 1. I fed Rita who was bundled up from head to toe in blankets, with a winter hat on...in a room that was around 75 degrees. She was toasty. The Zambians keep their babies dressed very warmly in their winter, this is amusing to us because their winter is not cold to us at all.

After feeding Rita, and letting her fall asleep, I then headed to Haven 2 where I spent most of my time holding Marcus. Marcus is doing much better. He is getting more expressive with less effort everyday. He is still shy, but his confidence in his surroundings at Haven 2 have increased since we have been there, making it easier for him to express himself. He is also a peacemaker. I saw him pick up toys and give them back to crying children, and he obeys well. He did try to push Twapegwa off my lap a few times though. The kids here are really protective of their space.

The walk back for dinner is always such a nice time. The temperature is perfect, and the sun is going down, and we always get to share great stories about the children we worked with today. I love that in Zambia things slow down, and there is time to listen, talk, and discuss. It is good to slow down. There are less distractions to keep us away from great fellowship with one another.

Continue to pray for the groups health and the babies!

Thank you for all your prayers and support.

Ben

Tuesday Pancakes

Today for breakfast we had pancakes, and this morning I ate 4 of them. Now you might be thinking 4 pancakes is not that big a deal Ben, but Leonard makes them really thick! Why did I eat 4 pancakes? Well the first two that I ate really hit the spot and they were so good...and then I was full the rest of the day!

During our morning sessions I joined Dixie's language group at Haven 2 and worked with Leah! After the first session was over, I left Haven 2 and spent time in Haven 1 working with Nichole. Since Nichole is usually busy in the afternoon with other language groups, I decided that my only chance to work with her would be during this time of day. There is concern that Nichole may be on the spectrum. She hits her head frequently with her hand. This habit has been on the decline since we have been here, but Dr. Tullos has been keeping his eye on her. I think she is fun to work with, so I like to pick her up when I can. Eventually it was time for me to put Nichole down and move onto Haven 3 to work with the older boys language group. Today we took them outside to play. They all did really well outside, they were well behaved, and very little fussing. We were all very impressed with Joel. He sometimes is a mess during the sessions, but today he remained calm throughout the session. One of the boys, Adam, is very large baby. While we were out there, I think he put his mouth on just about everything in reach. That boy is so funny. We decided to put him on the teeter-totter and he loved it! We of course had to put two other kids on the other end, and a small kid on his side to even out the weight!

For lunch today we had Leonard's famous fried chicken and mashed potatoes! I was most excited about the gravy that goes with the potatoes. Unfortunately I had 4 pancakes that morning, so I wasn't very hungry, but I did put gravy all over my little piece of chicken and mashed potatoes. It was delicious. For dessert Sue made some strawberry yogurt pie. It was a great lunch! The group loved it.

During the afternoon I worked with some of the little babies in Haven 1. I found Joy in her bed crying with a full bottle of formula, so I fed her until she fell asleep, and then I picked up Olivia, and held her until she fell asleep, and then it was time for Haven 2 again! Today I hung out with Jessie most of the time. Jessie is the younger sister of Curt. Eventually it was snack time, and Curt decided to join me and Jessie in my lap, and then it was a sibling rivalry for the space in my lap...what a mess.

For dinner tonight, I still wasn't hungry. After dinner we played soccer again and made a new friend with one of the college students here named Weston. He played keeper for us the whole time. I think he mainly just wanted to watch the goofy Americans play soccer.

When we got back to the house the power was off, so a group of us played nertz. This time I was defeated by Kara...Nertz was fun tonight, all of us were in a singing mood so we would make up silly songs or sing church songs while playing.

Tonight everyone was tired so most of the group went to bed early tonight. (9:15ish) As I am sitting here writing this I hear what I think to be a very large rat in the ceiling... I threw a roll of tape at the ceiling in hopes to scare the rat from making further scratching noises however this was unsuccessful. He stopped for about 5 seconds and then continued to be annoying.

Thanks for all your prayers and support! Pray for Dixie, for most of the day today she was ill, please pray that her health improves.

Ben

Mondays in Africa are awesome.

When working here in Zambia, Mondays are not a drag like they are in the United States, maybe if I actually had a job over here and had to work, they would be a drag, but since my job is working with babies...it's really quite enjoyable. So much so that I even work on the weekends! So far I have really enjoyed working here with the kids again. It is even more rewarding for me this year now that I have more experience and knowledge.

Today I spent my morning time taking care of the stragglers in the groups and playing with Curt. Eventually Curt found my camera and while in my lap took about 50 pictures of my chest and arm...Thanks Curt. I then helped the Aunties herd the kids inside for Shema Time, and then I headed over to join Carla's language group in Haven 3 with the older boys; Adam, Lincoln, Leo, Joel, Joseph, Caleb, and then Shannon. Shannon is not really in the group, but sometimes she joins us if we stay inside. I ended up working with Shannon for that session, she did well in most of the activities and had great behavior compared to all the boys. That was a relief! After that session we left for lunch.

When we returned the the Havens I went to Haven one, and worked with Emmanuel. After working with Emmanuel for about 30 minutes I eventually got him to sustain eye contact for a while. Some of us think that his hearing might be very poor. He never really responded/reacted to any noises I made.  Eventually Emmanuel fell asleep and I put him back in his crib, just in time to leave for HAVEN 2 TIME!!!

Haven 2 is my favorite Haven. The kids are so excited and there are so many of them! Layla, Leah, and Marcus sat in my lap most of the time, with the occasional Twapegwa interruption.

After working in Haven 2 for the last 45 minutes of the day we walked back to the house for dinner. Tonight a group of us plus Webster played soccer out on the field! It was fun to play with Webster, he was very fast, and I was very out of shape. The group consisted of Hayley, Darah, Webster, Lindsey, Ian, and I. We split up into teams of 3 and played offense vs defense, and switched every 4 min. By the end we were all exhausted!

Later in the evening one of Lindsey's old friends Prince came and sang with the group. He taught us some new songs and Webster joined us. Webster and I got to sing bass together, we were loving it!
 
Thank you for all your prayers and support! Continue to pray for the group and the kids! Thanks!

Ben

Sunday Funday!

Dear family and friends,
Today at church we sang "If that isn't Love" I had never heard the song before, but the Zambians here can sing it so well! It has been the best song I've heard on this trip. It's been in my head all day.

For lunch today we had a meal inspired by a South African meal, Mrs. Sue made it. It was different than everything we have had so far. The meal over all got mixed reviews from the group. I ended up helping some of the other girls finish their meals.

After lunch my group did the dishes, and then I took a nice long shower, followed up with a nap on the couch in the Mann house. It was nice to take a day off and relax, apparently it was needed.

For dinner we had all sorts of cold leftovers from the previous week. The power was out, so there was no way to warm up anything. As soon as everything was in place to start eating, the power came on! Of course.

Tonight at church, an awesome singing group sang. They sounded really good, the men had on white robes that looked like graduation robes and the women had on normal attire. Our guess is that the group does not yet have enough funding for the women in the group to have robes...but that is just a guess.

Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Ben

Operation Rock

Today we spent most of our day in Choma. Choma is a larger town north of Kalomo. Many of us were sick that morning but still wanted to visit Choma. We all passed out the drugs/vitamins and positioned ourselves close to the doors as needed, and we were on our way. Our first stop was to get gas in Kalomo, and then make the hour bus ride to Choma. Once we left Kalomo the tire was making a consistent clunking noise. We all thought the worst at first and assumed that there was a flat. We quickly pulled over and Ian, Hayley, Dr. Tullos, and Dan all got out to inspect the tire. They found out that there was a rock wedged in between the tires, which was a relief, but there was no way to get to the rock with our hands and we were worried that it we left it, it could eventually tear a hole in the side of the tire. Dan grabbed some sticks, and Dr. Weaver rolled the bus forward and magically the rock popped out. Hurray! The rest of the trip I was asleep on the long trip to Choma.

Once we arrived in Choma. Dr. Weaver dropped us off near the markets and we were set free with instructions to meet at the museum at 12:30 for lunch. My group consisted of Ashley, Lindsey and I. It is much easier to get through the markets in a smaller group. We went to the fabric store that we hit up last year, but we were disappointed this year. Last year they had alot more interesting fabric patterns. After that we headed straight into the thick of the market. We ended up walking by this family in the middle eating breakfast.  An older woman yelled out to Lindsey and Ashley asking them how they were. And then she yelled to me, "masanqua!" which means boy. I then pointed to myself and said "Masanqua, and then pointed to her and said "Musimbi" which means girl. She smiled really big, and the rest of her family laughed. It's nice to have a little extra vocabulary this year.

Once we were finished in the market, we headed to the Spar, which is a popular grocery store in Zambia. I bought some strawberry cream cookies that I fell in love with last year, they are so good. Then we walked the rest of the way to the Museum where we had a picnic on the lawn and ate chicken and fries. The fries were just as soggy as last year. I thought they were disgusting, but Kara loves them....gross!

The museum was great. I didn't buy anything this time, but many of my classmates bought lots of stuff. Afterwards we drove back to Kalomo. Again I slept the whole way back. For dinner Saturday we had macaroni and cheese, and I must say it was the best macaroni and cheese I have ever had in my life. I don't really like macaroni and cheese, but this was great, probably because it had bacon and lots of cheese in it. It was great.

After dinner a group of us played nertz, I won...again. : ) The rest of the evening involved talking with Webster and Justin until I went to bed.

Thank you for all your prayers and support. Our group's health has improved greatly! We are doing well. God is good!

Ben

Friday

Today was another great day in Zambia. Today we had biscuits and gravy for breakfast. Biscuits and gravy is one of my favorite meals to have here. Cathy had never had biscuits and gravy before, so she was the first in line, and we all laughed at the fact that her first biscuits and gravy were in Africa. At the Havens I went to Haven 2 first and helped gather kids for their specific groups. After groups finished, I played with Marcus. I was able to get him to smile, laugh, and vocalize a little. When it was time for shema time I helped the Aunties move the kids inside, and when shema time was finished, I again helped the aunties move the kids into the bathrooms for bath time.  I then made my way to Haven 1 where I played with Nichole for a little bit until she got snatched up for another therapy group. But it worked out well because I then worked with Wilma, who was in a language group, but her clinician was sick, so I was able to fill that need.

For lunch we had spaghetti and garlic bread. The food was good and the fellowship between friends was even better. In the afternoon I spent an hour in Haven 3 working with Angel.  I hadn't worked with Angel before but he is in a feeding group during the day. Later in the day I headed over to Haven 2 and spent the rest of my time there until we left for dinner. I spent most of my time at Haven 2 with Layla and Leah. Twapegwa tried and tried to get into my lap, but was unsuccessful. Twapegwa likes to back up slowly, and with out looking slowly plop into your lap. Many times she misses, sliding off the the side or landing on your knee. It is so funny to watch, especially when its not you.

Later in the  evening a group of us played nertz. For once I won, but a major factor to my success was Kara did not start at the same time as the rest of the group. After playing nertz, Carla gave us all SLP financial advice which is always appreciated. Eventually we all started fading until it was just me and Webster.

Please continue to pray for our group. Many are feeling ill due to various stomach issues. I myself am feeling ill to my stomach, but I have decided that I will beat it with a positive attitude. During nertz I felt really nauseated, but so far so good. : )

Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Ben

Traditional Thursday

Today was another great day in Zambia. The kids are starting to get use to us working with them everyday, and they are becoming more responsive to us. Today I spend the morning in one of the language groups, holding the grumpy kids that were not participating. Today's grumpy kid was Chililia. She was grumpy and did not want to join the group, all she did in my arms was squirm and fuss. I was glad that I was able to help with the group though. Last year it was always a hassle when your kid wouldn't cooperate. This year the clinicians can hand of whinny kids to me, Ashley, or Mel. We are the bouncers. Eventually Chililia was so uncooperative, I placed her in her crib and left her until shema time. I stayed in Haven 2 for shema time and I got to feed Marcus. Marcus is the twin of Ruth. Marcus and Ruth were in Haven 3 last year, and were undergoing TB treatment, and both of them were apart of our feeding group last year. Marcus had recently been moved to Haven 2, but Ruth is still at Haven 3, finishing her TB treatment, so they are separated. I think this new adjustment for Marcus is hard. He just kinda mopes around and is not very  expressive. He does follow commands well and responds to his name. Be praying for him that he adjusts well to his new living condition.

After shema time at Haven 2 I went to Haven 1 and worked with Emmanuel, which was one of the babies that I took to the clinic yesterday. He was not very responsive when I was working with him. Eventually he fell asleep. Then I picked up Nichole. I always enjoy my time working with Nichole. Today I was so close to getting her to imitate some sounds. I could tell she was thinking about it, maybe tomorrow.

For lunch today we had a traditional meal! Shema, chicken, rice, It was delicious. I love the traditional shema here. Not because its great tasting, but I enjoy the experience so much, but it does taste pretty good. After lunch I went back to the Havens and spent most of my afternoon in Haven 3 working with Caleb. Caleb has was one of the babies in Haven 1 last year and now is in Haven 3. He has had casts on both legs since I met him last year. Today we worked on some turn taking skills and social interaction. By the end of our hour together he was getting the hang of it. Afterwards, Lincoln, Leo, and Joseph joined us and we ran around together chasing a big red ball. I would yell Zuza! and they would all go running and laughing. Once I tired them out by running all afternoon I went to Haven 2 where I was bombarded (as always) by toddlers. I didn't really work with one toddler more than another, but I did see Marcus smile. He was in my lap, and then two other toddlers surrounded him. I put my arms around all three of them and started swaying and yelling. They all smiled and laughed...gotcha!

When dinner was finished a group of us when out to see the sun set again. This time I brought a frisbee to throw while we watched. Eventually some of the college students were curious and wandered over to see what we were throwing. They joined us, and we attempted to teach them how to throw the frisbee. It was very hard for them, but some of them eventually got it.

When we got back to the Hamby house the power went out, so Kara, Hayley, Ian, Seth, and I busted out the decks of cards and played nerts. (my favorite card game). Kara destroyed all of us, but I put up a good fight a few times, and finished in second. When the power came back on it was time for singing with Webster. Webster taught us a new song tonight and rehearsed the other two songs he as taught us the past two nights. Working with Webster is always a treat. He is such a good director for having no experience at all. The group love is, and always has a blast.

Continue to pray for our group, many in our group are starting to get sick, whether it be lack of sleep, medicine complications, or just nausea. Please pray that we continue to stay healthy so that we can better serve the people here.

Thank you for all your prayers and support.

Ben

Operation Clippers

Today my assignment was to clip all the nasty long fingernails for all three Havens, and for the most part, it was a success. I had never clipped a child's fingernails before so today's experience was a first, and after clipping 78 babies nails, I have to say I'm pretty good at it now. I started in haven 1 because I figured the little ones would be easier to clip. I found out the opposite, the little ones were much more fussy compared to the toddlers. Some of the toddler saw what I was doing and held their hands out like, ready to be clipped. (Memory and Maureen) Once I was finished clipping nails I stayed in Haven 2 and helped the Aunties feed the toddlers Shema. I fed Martin and Quinton. Martin ate most of his meal, but Quinton did not want to eat. I eventually found out that if I held the spoon in front of his face long enough he would give in and eat a little bit off the spoon. Once they toddlers were done eating it was bath time! So I left for Haven 1.

When I got to Haven 1 Dr. Weaver had sweet Rita ready for me to hold. She is the newest baby, and is only 3 weeks old. I was able to finish feeding her, and then I clipped her nails and then I was able to hold her the rest of the time until she fell asleep. For lunch today we had Chicken Spaghetti. It was very good, one of my favorite meals to have here in Africa.

At 2 o'clock Dr. Weaver drove Ashely, Mel, Tori, and I to the Havens to meet Mrs. Cathy M. She needed people to help her take babies to the Clinic to test them for HIV. We took Jonathan, Joy, Emanuel, Olivia, Owen, Jacob. There were six of us all together in this truck, including the driver...yes the driver was driving a stick shift while holding a baby! There were two aunties in the back, and the rest of us sat in the cab with our babies. When we arrived we got alot of looks from people. White people with babies, and even more looks were at me, a white male holding a baby. We waited in a room for a while with the babies until the nurse was ready for us. The whole process was very easy. The nurse would prick the babies foot and squeeze until there was enough blood on each of the testing spots. The babies all screamed, but once it was over, they were calm.

When I got back to the Havens I spent the rest of my time with the babies at Haven 2. I always enjoy my time with them. Today I didn't spend much time with any certain baby, but it was nice to work with all 78 babies in one day!

This evening we sang again with Webster. He taught us a song that we learned last year, so I was able to pick it up quickly.

Continue to pray for our group. A few of our number are slightly ill. Please pray that we remain healthy enough to continue good work here. And of course continue to pray for the babies!

Thanks for all your prayers and support!

Ben

Operation Porch Switch

Our first day of planned therapy was a great experience. I was with Carla's feeding group. We first started off with some little babies in Haven 1. I worked with Cathy at the beginning. She didn't really need feeding therapy, but my assigned baby was asleep, and Cathy was crying for attention, so she got it. We stretched the babies, did various stretches around and in the babies mouth, and fed the babies. Cathy was doing very well. She was able to hold her head up, and she almost rolled herself over independently. Next I worked with Helen, she is a four week old baby that is so tiny! She was sweet, she woke up  hungry so I was able to feed her. She did really well with the stretches and facial stimulation before feeding, and she continued to do well with the bottle feeding afterwards.

Our last session in the morning took place in Haven 2. I worked with Aumbi. Aumbi is a eight month old baby with TB, Downs, and HIV. She has alot of sickness going on, she is currently recovering from pneumonia. Her body is very small for an eight month old, she looks more like 3 months old. Today when I was working with her she did well. She had good eye contact and was able to attend to me well. She did great with the facial and oral stretches. She tolerated tummy time, but she was not able to lift her head. When it was time to feed her, we were able to find her a small nipple that really worked well for her today. It also helped when I added pressure to her jaw when she was sucking. She did great today besides all the coughing caused by the pneumonia. Please be praying for this baby. She is fighting alot of sickness.

Once we were finished we headed back to the Hamby House to have lunch. For lunch today we had meatloaf and mashed potatoes and gravy. The gravy that Leonard and Harold  make is the best gravy I have ever had. I look forward to eating it again. Whenever the make it, it usually goes on the potatoes, chicken, and biscuits. And there is usually more gravy than anything else on my plate. Its that good.

After lunch we headed back to the Havens. We had a language group in Haven 3 with some of the older boys. I worked with Adam and Joseph. Adam was in Haven 3 last year and was the baby that had hydrocephalus and was not doing well. He was tiny. This year he is HUGE. Probably one of the biggest babies and he less than two years of age. He has some behavior issues, because he is bigger than all the other kids, he is good at pushing and taking other babies toys. I also worked with Joseph who did very well. He was interactive, and behaved well during our group language therapy. At the end of my time in Haven 3, I spent an hour with Leo. Leo was non-responsive the entire time. Even Carla blew bubbles in his face, but he showed nothing. We read a book, we walked around, we played on the rocking horse, we played with colors, we did everything. By the end of our time together I thought, well maybe I could get a negative reaction out of him, I started taking toys away, and placing them out of reach....still nothing. As I was walking him back to his room, I threw him up in the air and caught him, only to find him returning to my arms giggling with a big smile on his face...of course. To top it off when I placed him in his crib, he started crying very loudly, like he actually enjoyed the past hour we had together....babies.

The last 45 min of therapy we are able to choose where we want to work. I love the toddlers. They are so interactive and funny, I can't stay away from them. Also during that time the babies are always fed a snack, which is always fun to watch. Those babies are my favorites. I cherish my time with them greatly.

For dinner tonight we had taco soup and corn bread. After dinner many of us played cards in the dark with our headlamps because the power went out. After cards we planned to sing with Webster, but because the lights were out he was not able to come to our house to teach us to sing, because he needed to guard the house out in the darkness. So we made a switch. We all headed to Webster's porch and he then  taught us a song that I learned last year. It was fun to watch my friends learn the new song. I have found it very rewarding this year to watch my friends experience the same experiences that I did last year. I am so glad that my classmates are here with me this year.

After singing and learning our first song we all headed to bed. Tomorrow I have been giving an assignment by Carla to clip all the babies finger nails. I will let you know how it goes.

Thank you for all your support and prayers. Continue to pray for us as a group as we continue to serve the people here and maintain health.

Ben

Operation Evaluate

Today was the day to evaluate all the children at the Havens to determine which therapy groups they would be placed. I was told today that there are 78 babies at the Havens currently. We were split up into groups to evaluate each Haven. I was sent to Haven 2 with all the toddlers, Kara was the supervisor. Kasey, Hayley, Kristen, Ashley, and I worked together, and told Kara what the children could do/ couldn't do. Working with the toddlers was fun. I think they are my favorite group. Only after a few days I know all 27 of the toddlers in Haven 2. Many of them I knew from last year, living in Haven 1 or 3. Many of them are some of my favorites from last year like, Curt, Seth, and Leah. Some other babies that I have worked with last year in this group are, Maureen, Memory, Quniton, Heath, Marcus, Mary, Robert, Twapegawa, Ruben, Matt, and Peace. So as you can see, its a big party at Haven 2.

Today I felt at home in Haven 2 and I worked with the children. Its so nice when you know their names and can speak enough Tonga to get them to do what you want. The aunties use both English and Tonga commands, but I have a feeling Tonga is used more often. The language phrases that I learned last year are coming back quickly, and Justin and Webster are adding to my vocabulary every night. I have also started asking the Aunties for Tonga words as well.

Once all the babies were evaluated at Haven 2, our group then moved to Haven 1. They were not quite finished evaluating all the babies in Haven 1 because they were  sleeping. I was immediately given Cathy, who is a sweet baby girl. She was nice and very content the entire time she was on my lap. She was on my lap the rest of the time until we left. Today was also the day that I changed my first diaper. Don't ask how I got away last year without changing a single one. : ) On Sunday Courtney and I double teamed an awful diaper. Today was my first time changing solo. I think it when pretty well. Cathy and I both made it threw without any tears. So that was good. After receiving some instruction from an Auntie I was good to go. Change success.

For lunch today we had enchiladas with rice and queso. The queso was so good. I put it all over my rice and enchiladas. After lunch I took a quick nap in the chair on the porch, and then we headed back to the Havens for the afternoon. I again spent all my time in Haven 2, working with the toddlers. I think I was able to interact with almost all the kids at some point. Curt and Seth were out of control the entire time, running around and laughing, along with Robert. I alot of time with Marcus, and Heath. Marcus is currently getting over and illness, so he wasn't feeling well. So keep him in your prayers. Also be praying for Heath. He is healthy, but just not as interactive as we would like him to be. He just sits and stares. Last year he was the smiliest baby, but this year he is the opposite. I hope that therapy will help him.

For dinner tonight we had grilled cheese sandwiches and banana cake! The banana cake was so good, I had two pieces. And Chelsea did eat the frosting on her two pieces, so I ate that as well. It was really good. I really like banana cake.

After dinner the whole group met up to discuss therapy groups. Tomorrow I will be working in Carla's group. We will be doing mostly feeding therapy in Haven 3. Once some other students get here, I will them be a floater, and jump from group to group depending on who needs assistance. Since I am not receiving therapy hours for this trip, I don't need to be assigned a certain group. I'm looking forward to this, I think it means that I maybe able to spend one on one time with some of the babies that need extra therapy. I hope that this goes well.

Once the meeting was finished, many went to bed early, but a good size group of us stayed out on the porch and talked with Webster and Justin. Webster is convinced that if he came to the USA he would die in the snow, because its too cold. He is amazed that we survive in the cold weather. It is so entertaining to listing to him talk. He also showed us his catapult (sling shot) and how to use it. Eventually we all drifted off to bed.

Continue to pray for the groups health as we continue to work hard here, and please be praying for the health of the babies as well. We also have two more students arriving here tomorrow sometime, so be praying for safe travel for them as well.

Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Ben   

Operation Quiet Baby

Today was our first Sunday here in Zambia. We arrived early to the church so that we could hold babies during the church service. The babies were late, but most of our group was able to share a baby or two with the people next to them. Unlike last year, this year we came prepared with tons of toys to keep the children occupied and quite during the service. During the service I sat next to Hayley with Curt in her lap. Curt is a baby I knew from last year and resided in Haven 3. This year he is healthier and is now living in Haven 2 with the healthy toddlers. It was fun trying to keep him entertained during the service. Eventually I found out that the only thing that would please him is my watch. He found out that he could push a button to light up my watch, and that was the end...it was now his watch. When he left for class I forgot to take it back from him so I was a little worried, but after service, sure enough, he was still holding on tightly to my watch. Whew.

After service we had an awesome dinner with baked chicken, green beans, rolls, and corn casserole. It was very good. Afterwards  a group of us went to the Havens to play with the babies for the rest of the day till dinner. I spent all of my time in Haven 1 with the little babies. I first picked up Joy, who is just a few months old and has a twin name Emmanuel. I fed them both a bottle, and decided that they will probably be apart of the feeding class. I also held Christopher for a while, who was born March 30th. He is not doing well and needs lots of prayers. He looks very malnourished, shallow breathing, no sucking, and a weak swallow. I also spend alot of time with Louise which was apart of our feeding group last year in Haven 1. Now she is a year old and healthy. She was fun to play with, a very content baby. Eventually it was time for the babies to eat so I let Louise go and picked up a younger baby named Irene. I held her until it was time to go. She is a sweet baby. When I got back to the house, I remembered that it was my turn to make dinner. My team consisted of Dr. Weaver, Dixie, Darah, and Kasey. We just pulled out all the leftovers and threw them together, nothing fancy.

After dinner we went to evening service. The singing was great, and I was able to sing some Tonga songs that I had learned from last year. After service we all hung out on the porch and chatted. It was nice to hang out as a group. Eventually a large group of us played nerts. I was pretty confident in my skills but Courtney destroyed us all.

Tomorrow the plan is to evaluate as many of the babies as possible so that we can place them into groups for therapy. Be praying that good observations are made and that we can serve the babies as best as we can with the time we have.

Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Ben

Operation Container Closure

Our first Saturday in Zambia was a fantastic day to relax and get more accommodated with our surroundings and group. Today we had a late breakfast at 8:30, consisting of jungle oats, rolls, and yogurt. The jungle oats (oatmeal) were just as tasty as I remember them from last year. The main event of our Saturday was to go into Kalomo town and see the markets there and have our first experience buying items in the market. I was fortunate to be able to spend alot of time with Dixie, one of my supervisors, during our time in the market. First we scoped out the entire market, answering questions all the way. Once we had seem almost everything, we then went back to the shops we were interested in. We soon met up with some of the other students and Dr. Tullos, and I took them through the food market. The food market has a terrible smell due the tiny dried  fish there called kapenta. The Zambians put this in there shema so they can have a source of protein in their diet.

After being finished with the market we headed back to the house where we had some free time before lunch. At that time the internet had been turned on, so we spent much of that time emailing and uploading blogs and pictures. For lunch today we had tuna sandwiches. After lunch we were given the task to unload some materials from a large container. This container is very easy to open, but extremely difficult to close. It requires lots of muscle to get it shut. I remembered that Dr. Weaver and I had struggled with this a year before. This time was no different. After emptying the container of all the necessary materials,  Dr. Weaver and I then had the responsibility of locking the container back again. As I pushed the lever as hard as I could (making ridiculous sounds of course) Dr. Weaver would press downwards, and the Kara would be ready to swing the lock into place. After a few tries and alot of grunting, we achieved success! Soon after though we realized that Dr. Weavers jacket was missing...and we soon concluded that she had left it in the now locked container. We reopened the container reluctantly, but successfully received her jacket. Now we had a new mission. Lock container door with 0% strength. It was a tough battle that resulted in probably more ridiculous sounds and much laughter, but with the help of Kaysie, Dr. Weaver, Kara, and I, We were able to lock the container! Success!

As a group we then sorted and organized all the materials on shelves and had a quick debrief, and then we were given free time. I spent the first part of my free time talking with Hayley and Catarina (Cat/ Cathy) We talking about the differences in our graduate programs and the difference in our accents. (Speech Path Nerds) Cat then had the idea that we should play parachute. Yes, she brought a parachute. You know the kid you play as a kid. A big round piece of fabric that you can bounce balls or, or run under, or sit under. Yes, she brought one, And it was a blast. We had a group of about 8. And we ran under it, sat under it, bounced sandals on it, and eventually found a ball to launch in the air. Surprisingly, it was really entertaining.

For dinner tonight we had hamburgers and then we spent time in Meagan's house talking about what we will be doing the next few days. During our meeting the power went out. I soon went out to enjoy the stars. They are so bright here. And you can see the milkyway galaxy. It is an amazing sight. When the power turned back on I spent a lot of time on the porch taking with Webster and Justin. Justin introduced himself in the typical Justin way, which is talk in Tongan and confuse all the girls. It was really funny. When Justin went to introduce Webster to the girls, he called him the Snowman, which is an inside joke between the 3 of use from last year. Those two are so funny. The rest of the night, I spent with them trying to learn new Tonga words. I think I'm starting to get better.

Thank you for all you prayers and support. Continue to pray for the group's safety. I believe tomorrow Lindsey and Tessa will start their journey towards Zambia, so pray from their safety as well.

Thank you.

Ben  

Answered Prayers

Today was another great day of travel. We woke up early so that we could be packed and eating by 7  and ready to leave soon after. The place we stayed at offered free transportation to the airport. The only problem it is a round trip of about 40min and because they have limited space in their vehicles, for our group, it required 3 trips. There was alot of waiting involved, but everyone was able to make it on time. For those of you who were concerned and praying hard, Seth and I were able to leave the country of South Africa. They were a little confused by our electronic copies of our documents, but they let us through. Praise the Lord. Thank you for all your prayers. We boarded the plane to Livingstone, Zambia and had a great smooth flight. The end of t his flight was very scenic as we flew over the Zambezi river and saw the mist of the falls off in the distance. It was a neat view. After arriving at the Livingstone airport we gathered our luggage, and made a short stop at the markets to pick up some items, and then we headed north to Kalomo, to the Namwianga Mission. We unloaded our luggage, and soon after the power went out. We grabbed our lights and had a nice dinner together provided by our wonderful cooks. Tonight we had lasagna, garlic bread, and salad.

Soon after Ian, Ashley and I rushed off to the Havens to see the babies before they went to sleep. On the way there we ran into Webster, who is a night watchmen for the houses we live in while we stay here. The night watchmen consists of Webster and Justin. They are responsible for keeping all of us safe during the night. Preventing theft, and scaring away animals. They are two great men, whom I spent much time with last year. As soon as Webster realized who I was in the darkness, he was so excited that he shook my hand many times, and then picked me up, and then continue to shake my hand over and over. It was good to see him again, and he was so excited to see me again. I quickly told him that I would be back later tonight to spend time with him.

When we arrived at the Havens we went straight to Haven 3 were the majority of our little favorites live, (Though they are not so little anymore). We were excited to see them. I was disappointed when I found out that Sidney had be taken back to the Village with her family. It is a good thing for her, but still a little sad for me, but now I have the opportunity to fall in love with a new baby. I will also be looking for a way for me to possible visit Sidney and her family, If I can find someone to take me there.  We will see.

After the Havens we walked back on the road. The stars were absolutely amazing. I had forgotten how bright they are. As we were walking a friend of Ian's drove by and offered us a ride, So we rode back to the Hamby House. When I got back, I spent some time chatting with Kara and Carla, both of them are awesome supervisors. It was fun to hear stories from professionals in the field, and hear some things to look forward to as a professional.

Finally I was able to meet with Justin, I sat and caught up with him for an hour, and then eventually Webster came, and we talked late into the evening until it was time for bed. They are great friends, I am looking forward to spending more time with them this year. God is good.

Thank you for all your prayers and support. Continue to pray for the group to be well rested and remain healthy as we start to work here.

Thank you.

Ben

Operation Dry Pants

Today was the first day we were able to go see the babies. We had french toast for breakfast at 8 and then headed to the Havens to meet the babies. When we got there, many of the toddlers were out playing on the playground. We immediately went to them, picked them up, and didn't put them down until we had too. Once the rest of the group arrived we were given a tour of the three houses. The Havens are made up of three different houses. Haven 1 houses the little babies, ages 0 to one year. Once the babies are a year old, healthy, and thriving, they are then moved to Haven 2, which houses all the healthy toddlers. Haven 3 holds the ill, and sick babies of all ages. Once babies are healthy again, they are then moved to Havens 1 or 2.

The rest of the morning we played with the babies, and enjoyed getting to know each of the babies in all the Havens. I saw many of the babies that I knew last year which was very exciting. It was neat to see how much they had grown, and it was comforting to know that they were doing well.

When working with babies there is always a chance that you will get spit up on, peed on, or worse. It is always a mission of mine to remain dry as possible. Today was a fail. Within the span of 30 min I had been peed on twice. The first wasn't so bad, but the second...I was drenched. Operation Dry Pants did not work out today. But in the future I will be prepared with an extra pair of pants. Wish me luck.

After hanging with the babies all morning we headed back to the Hamby House for lunch. We had huge baked potatoes will all the "fixins" They were delicious. After lunch we packed up all the donated clothes and bottles and headed back to the Havens. We presented all the gifts to the Aunties and then spent more time with the babies. I spent alot of time with Wilma and other babies in Haven 1. Many of which were in our feeding class last year, and now are doing quite well. It is always rewarding to see progress with the children.

After visiting with the babies again we headed back for dinner. Tonight we had grilled cheese for dinner. After dinner we all spent time together Mann house playing catch phrase. It was nice to hang all together and joke around, and not be on a plane. After playing we all slowly faded to our rooms and headed to bed.

In my bathroom I had a praying mantis, frog, and two very successful (large) wall spiders. Many would be upset by this, but I knew that they were protecting me from the malaria carrying mosquitoes. The spiders are you friends!

Thank you for all your prayers and support.

Continue to pray for our group.

Ben

Operation Yellow Papers

Today was a fairly successful day of travel. Everyone in the group was in high spirits and ready to go. Checking bags and moving through security went well. As we were slowing moving through the security line, we were all pulling out our passports and boarding passes, and that is the point in time I remembered that I had not packed my immunization records. I causally asked Dr. Weaver what would happen to a person who had forgotten these records? To that she replied, "Ben! They don't let you leave!" I immediately called my mother who of course was teaching a piano lesson. So the she called out for Josh, and of course Rachel ended up on the phone. I calmly told  Rachel my situation. So calm, that she didn't really understand the seriousness of the situation. I knew exactly where my records were. In my room in Lafayette, Indiana, in my sock drawer. Sure enough there they were. Afterwards my sister and brother raced to the church building to use the scanner, where the lovely secretary, Mrs. Rachel Ravellette was able to assist and scan and email the documents to me.  Thank you! Tomorrow I believe is the day we will find out if these scanned records are good enough to get me out of the country of South Africa. We shall see. No need to worry though, everything will be taken care of I'm sure. Be praying hard that things will work out. A classmate of mine, Seth, is in the same position as I am. The rest of the day went great, the flights were awesome. I made a new plane buddy, and I had ostrich salad for dinner, and it was delicious.

Tomorrow we will return to the airport at 8 am and be on the plane for Livingstone, Zambia around 11ish. And then we will drive from Livingstone to Kalomo where the mission is located, and where we will be spending most of our time. Please pray that we make it thought the traffic alive and in one piece tomorrow, and that the flights and transportation go well.

Thank you for all your love and support!

Ben

The Trip Begins

Dear family and friends,
Today the long journey to Africa beings. I want to thank all of your for your support and prayers from this past semester. I am very happy to share that I was able to raise all my funds this year for the trip. God provides, and I was blessed richly. Thank you!

Today a group of us are meeting in the Reynolds parking lot at 12:00 to leave for Little Rock, where at 3:55 pm we will depart for Atlanta and arrive at 6:29 pm. There in Atlanta we will meet up with the rest of our group and then depart from Atlanta at 8:05pm and arrive in Johannesburg, South Africa on Wednesday at 5:25 pm. This flight is 15 hours and 20 mins long, and I believe it is the longest flight I have ever been on! Last year we flew from Washington, DC to Ethiopia, making it only a 12 hour flight.  Be praying that all goes well as we fly this long trip forever.

Similar to last year I will be posting on this blog daily while I am in Africa. I hope that this blog can be a blessing to you as it is to me. I would love for you to comment on the blog with any questions or comments that you might have, or you can always email me. I will also be trying to post update links on Facebook, but sometimes Facebook does not behave correctly in Africa/ the internet goes out/ the power goes out. : )

Thank you for all your love and support!

Ben

I'm going back!

Dear family and friends,

I have decided to return to Zambia this summer again with the speech pathology program here at Harding. I am very excited about returning and reuniting with friends and serving the people of Zambia again. My experience last year was amazing! Many of you kept up with my adventure as I blogged everyday. Thank you for all of your prayers and support. I recently sent out letters to many of you requesting your financial and prayer support as I prepare this spring to return to Zambia. If you haven't received a letter from me this year, or you didn't receive a letter last year, and you would like more information, please email me at: bstaffor@harding.edu.

Also, I highly encourage you to watch this video I have posted on my blog, it talks about the mission in detail, and it is very well done! Enjoy!

Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Ben