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