Saturday, July 01, 2006

News and Notes - July 1

The medical mission is scheduled for July 10 – 19, and Namwianga is buzzing with preparations. On Monday we traveled to Lusaka and picked up some of the early team members. Several others arrived in Livingstone on Thursday. There are now 30 Americans on campus doing everything from labeling tents to making photocopies. We have five extra people staying at our house, with more due to come in on Tuesday. We’re eating all our meals together at the Hamby House, and I admit that I’m enjoying the break from cooking.

Our house is fast becoming an internet café. Several of the Americans brought along their laptops and are taking advantage of our wireless internet connection. Last night we had quite a group gathered in front of the fireplace visiting and sipping tea while some worked busily on their computers. At times like these, it’s hard to believe we’re in rural Africa. Of course, we had just recovered from a two-hour power outage in the early evening that forced us to eat dinner by lantern light, so I guess we’ll not get too comfortable with technology.

This weekend is also the Namwianga Lectureship, so people from all over Zambia are on campus for that event. David has been involved in planning the program and is one of the speakers.

Our daughter Sara and two others from Austin arrive with several other team members on July 4. Their trip here is a long, complicated affair involving two overnight stays in hotels. They had the misfortune of getting caught in an airline changeover that rerouted all their original flights and turned a two-day trip into a four-day odyssey. Instead of landing in Livingstone, Zambia, they will end up in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, and have to go through the border crossing process. I’m sure they’ll have stories to tell when we meet them on the Zambian side. Please pray for their safety and patience as they travel.

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