It's so weird to think that I have only been in this beautiful country for 48 hours...yet it almost feels like it's been months. I am overflowing with thankfulness and happiness as I sit here typing this. There are so many reasons why.
#1. The team is awesome. There are 16 of us (15 girls, 1 boy) on this trip and we get along so so well. I didn't know how it would be having so many people living together, but so far the group dynamics have been awesome. We have had so many laughs and great times together already! I am so excited to see how our relationships with one another progress over the course of the trip.
Our team standing in front of the prayer chapel at IWU a few days before leaving
L-R Leah, Rachel, Abby, Whitney, Christina, Alyssa, Jenna, Dan, Jamaica, Julia, Maggie, Lauren, Kaitlin, Christy, Sarah, Chrissy
Another shot of our team with Bud and Judy Leach, our RD Kara Horner, and Pam Leslie
The Kapingila Guest House we are staying at in Lusaka
Mine and Christy's room here at the guest house. Check out our awesome mosquito nets!
#3. My luggage, along with 4 others, did not come when we landed in Lusaka on Saturday night. Luckily I had packed a few days worth of clothes and some necessities in my carry on, so I was able to make it through...just had to borrow a toothbrush! It was a huge blessing to receive that phone call today that our luggage was in! We went back to the airport to find that only 3 of the 5 bags were back. One bag of supplies was missing and also Christina's carry on that she had to check. We're still hopeful they will come in the next couple days. I sure am thankful to have my bag though!
Our bags that were found- Belinda and Zambi (mine and Jamaica's....we like to name things)
We left Friday morning at 10:15. We had a small crowd of a few parents, friends and professors to send us off!
Our bus we took to the airport
Some of the luggage we took. All together we took 35 bags. We each had one of our own plus an extra of things we are donating...such as instruments and medical supplies
All packed in on the way to the airport!
When we got to the airport and began checking in, we realized we had to pay an extra $100 for each of our second bags. We were not expecting this but luckily we had the IWU credit card to solve that problem. We're hoping to be reimbursed because we were told we would not have to pay since it is international. They made us pay anyway since we had one domestic flight before going to Africa.
Chrissy kept us entertained with her ukelele skills
We got to Washington D.C. and pretty much immediately began boarding our next flight. They made us check some of our carry-ons because they didn't have enough space for them. (one of them still hasn't made it here!)
Our plane!
My first time on this large of a plane!
My seat buddy, Maggie
The flight from D.C. to Johannesburg was about 18 hours. It wasn't horrible..except for my minor claustrophobia attack during the middle of the night. We stopped about 8 hours in in Senegal to get fuel and more passengers. That really helped break up the long flight because we were able to get up and walk around for that hour. (even though it was about 2am our time!)
We got a little bored during our layover in Senegal
We had four in-flight meals. It seemed like a lot but because of the time change, we got four!
sleepy travelers
I was excited to see a little taste of home in my breakfast :)
Africa!
South Africa
We arrived in Lusaka, Zambia at about 9:15pm their time on Saturday (2:15pm at home) and didn't get to the guest house til closer to midnight. We got to sleep in the next morning which was awesome because we were all definitely jet legged! Sunday afternoon we went to the market and were able to buy some things! I bought a chitenge...which is basically just a large piece of fabric you wrap around your waist as a skirt! Some of us bought more than others because they just couldn't say no! :) It was such a great experience and helped us to see what their culture is like. Some key phrases were "looking is free" and "I give you good price". It was really fun!
Beautiful sunset our first night 
One of our first meals...the fish was a little disturbing
The team in front of our bus that takes us everywhere
The trees are gorgeous in Zambia right now! This is one of my favorites
We aren't doing a lot of classwork until we get to Choma on Thursday. We have been busy getting Judy and Kara their temporary nursing licenses and driving around! We also visited the Ministry of Health and were able to learn more about health care in Zambia and how it is being developed and made better. It will be exciting to help with that!
Internet is great here in Lusaka but we will be heading to Choma on Thursday so who knows how well it will work there. I'm looking forward to getting more immersed in the culture and seeing how God is going to use this awesome team to serve the people of Zambia! And of course play with all the little children! (there is an orphanage down the road from where we are staying Choma...I'm pumped!)
Sometimes as I think about this trip and what we are doing here...I get a little discouraged and don't really see how I can do much just being a nursing student without much knowledge. But someone shared a verse the other day and I absolutely love it.
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. John 15:16
I feel like this is a great reminder that I didn't just choose to go on this trip. God chose me first. He knew the plan for my life long before I did. I just need to go out and bear his fruit: love on the people of Zambia and hopefully use whatever skills I have learned in school to do so!
Blessings from Zambia!
Whitney
Love this! Love seeing what things look like over there and getting a glimpse into your time there. Can't wait to read more about it! :)
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