In Zambia

Hello All - sorry for the lack of communication. The internet cafe was closed last night... but open now. We have had a nice night in our hotel that we will be in for the entire time we are in Kitwe. We are leaving soon for Sunday service at Chamboli Baptist where Rev. Chanda is pastor. We are planning to sing and play recorder, Tulemi Totela (We Thank you God), and the youngest team members, Faith, Billie and Natalie, will be playing and singing Amazing Grace.

More soon, with pics, now that I have successful access. (honestly, it's better than it was in South Africa)

Love to all -
Lindsay and Trisha!

Our Hotel Room in Johannesburg

Sleepness Night, Again.

I've haven't slept for 5 hours straight yet, but I'm doing OK. Probably just too excited :) The wireless is being difficult, especially with photos. I'll keep trying and keep you posted. Thanks for the comments, folks here were very excited.

So, an update from here...

We all had a very nice dinner las night at the hotel restaurant. Fish, lamb and vegetarian dishes all-around, but Faith went for the beef ribs, and finished a very adult portion for all but 2 ribs. And then we had dessert! Fresh fish, ravioli and creme brulee are not expected to be on our menu in Zambia, it was an unexpected treat to have. The weather here spectacular. We leave after breakfast today, with our dirvers, Life and Eugene, for the airport for our flight to Zambia. More from there!

-Lindsay

We've Arrived!

In case you were wondering, 15 hours on a plane is really a long time!

We all arrived safely and had no problems going through the airport or customs. All are well, minus many swollen ankles! We are now at our hotel. (I'm working at the business center.) It's a VERY nice hotel. I'll upload more photos from the plane, drive to hotel and hotel pics when I figure out the wifi situation.

It's almost dinner time here, though we haven't had our lunch yet. I'll make another post by the end of tonight.

-Lindsay

A First Glimpse of Africa

Departure Photos

Group Departure Photo at Dulles

Missioners Depart!

The Missioners to Zambia departed Dulles airport this afternoon. Look for departure pictures at this site on Friday morning. Be in prayer for all the missioners as they travel to Johannesburg before departure to Zambia on Saturday.
-Cameron Edgar

Leaving Today

The missioners leave today. Pray that all make it to the airport without problems and that the good-byes with our families will be sweet and not too sad.

Dianne, Deana, Don, Natalie, Barb, Eric, Billie, Trisha, Brian, Lindsay, Sonia, Faith, Karen, Rosanne, Michele, Betty, Harold, Carrie, Mary Margaret, Ray

Be sure to check back in to see what the missioners are doing and what they are writing about. To see something just from one missioner, click on their name on the right side of the page, under 'Topics.'

Hello from Kitwe!

Patrick Chanda and Ed and Linda Miller were waiting for us at the airport. From Ndola, we drove the orphanage van and arrived at our hotel around 5pm. The highway was called, shockingly enough, the “Ndola-Kitwe Road”. The first township in Kitwe was Guangon, and they were selling goods on the sides of the highway. (Homemade baskets, corn, tomatoes, folding chairs, twin bunk beds and the whole road was lined with purple-flowering trees the size of a full grown maple tree. (Picture to follow)

Lindsay and my room is currently 85 degrees (my clock has a thermometer in case you were wondering.) The front desk equipped us with a large can of the brand named “Super Strike Flying and Crawling Insect Killer” spray. We guess that’s good. Oh, and we saw some real “free-range chickens” on the drive here. (Michele won’t feel so bad if she has to eat those.) Lindsay is convinced she’s being bitten, but there is no evidence to prove this… yet. (I love you Mom.) And surprisingly, no one lost any luggage. That’s it for now. Got a meeting soon. Very excited about being in Zambia.

Michele and Lindsay
September 29, 2007

Dianne is a GO!

Confirmation came late in the day yesterday that Dianne will, in fact, be able to join us! We are all very excited, her absence would have been hard on the team.

Time and Weather

Check out the right side of the page for local time for Kitwe, and general weather conditions for Lusaka, Zambia's capital city.

Need More Pictures Already?

People are saying they are anxious for more pictures from Kitwe. I can't post them here without permission, but I can help you find more... CLICK HERE

Or, check out this photographer's work as well. Very Powerful. CLICK HERE


Enjoy!

-Lindsay

Save the Date - Zambia Report

Be sure to join us on Sunday, November 18, 2007, at McLean Baptist Church for a full report on the mission trip to Chande Orphanage in Kitwe, Zambia.

To find out more about regular church services CLICK HERE.

4 Days and Counting

Surely all are excited. We leave for Zambia on Thursday. Please check back here to get updates as we get closer to our departure date, and certainly, as many updates as possible while we are in Africa. Be sure to leave comments for us here on the blog, an easy way for all of us to communicate with each other.

-Lindsay

Learning to Play

Our group has been spending much time over the past 9 months, preparing for the trip Kitwe, Zambia. Many sessions have focused on learning to play the recorder. We hope to bring a new music program to Chande Orphanage.

In this photo, taken March 10, 2007, Brian has the new players hold their hands to their mouths to feel their breath. He wants us to play with the 'warm' breath to achieve a pleasant tone. Faith and Billie, our youngest members, play with ease.

-Lindsay

Games

May 15, 2007

We separated into 2 groups - different languages, customs, currency. We sent team members to the 'foreign country' to find out more about them. One culture was strong, aggressive, anxious to make trades, and even take without asking. The other, reserved, wanted to spend more time with their own, play their games instead of interact.

Many figured out aspects of the 'other' culture, we all understood the game.

The Mission

Twenty of us will be traveling to Zambia from McLean Baptist Church to build bridges with the Chande Baptist Orphanage (see www.chandekids.org ), make music together and provide teacher enrichment and support to all involved with this ministry. Our team has been meeting and preparing for nine months as we go to be the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. In this group, there are children younger than 10, teenagers, twenty-, thirty-, forty-, fifty-, sixty- and even seventy-somethings. We are students, photographers, government workers, teachers, editors, administrators, librarians, social workers, contractors, retirees, and one pastor. Some of us have traveled all over the globe while others have never left the USA. Everyone has learned to play the recorder – for some, this is the first instrument ever played! Everyone has learned a little bit of the local language, Bemba, and everyone has read books, searched the internet and investigated this new culture we are about to encounter. We have also shared our faith stories and plan to share and experience the Gospel of Jesus Christ with our brothers and sisters in Zambia!

Click the link below to read some of the reasons folks are joining this mission:

http://mcleanbaptist.org/ministry/missions/index.htm

We begin our journey Thursday, September 27, 2007, and will return Saturday, October 13, 2007.