We made it! Thank you all for your prayers and support. Although there were some bumps on the road (literally and metaphorically) we managed to travel safely and are now currently in Ndola where we are staying at the new children's home. Our 2013 team includes 11 members in total: 5 from Edmonton, 4 from British Columbia, and 2 from the USA. For some members it is their first time in Zambia. We are all really enjoying our experience thus far!
After our arrival in the capital city known as Lusaka, we went out and did a lot of shopping to bring back with us to Ndola. The trouble came when we realized that with our 30 bags of luggage (strategically packed into the back of our bus) and our very large amount of shopping; there was little to no room left in the bus for us to even sit. Not to mention that there were 18 large irrigation pipes also packed inside of the bus! Regardless of the fact that we had to climb in and out of windows, and also over these large items to get to our seats; we made it work! Local Zambians seemed amused by our successfull effort to fit everything (including ourselves) into the bus.
After a long and hot 6 hour drive to Ndola, we were finally nearing our destination We anticipated our arrival to the Mercy Touch farm greatly as we were all jet lagged and very exhausted. Although it was only around 7:30 PM that we arrived - it was very dark outside. The African sun sets quite early. Not only was it dark...We found that the power was out at the home! We then had to unload our bus (packed beyond its capacity) in the dark. However, we were very happy to see the excited children and house mothers who congregated around the bus to welcome us here. After we finally unloaded the bus we maneuvered around the house with flashlights and candles until the power finally came back.
The house is truly beautiful inside and out. It is also very spacious for the children who will soon be residing in it. You will have to remain tuned for upcoming photos. Words just can't do it justice!
We have had a great time visiting and connecting with the children and the house mothers. The children have really grown! On Sunday we all attended Integrity Christian Fellowship church in the city. The entire team, all the children, and the house mothers attended service. Pastor Bernard Mukwavi gave a great word as he was the guest speaker at church. The praise and worship was wonderful, as well as our time with the church members. We had a great time visiting with people after the service.
After service we all headed to Nando's for lunch. We basically took up half the restaurant! Of course we ended our meal with a nice cup of ice cream to enjoy on the hot sunny day.
After lunch some of the team attended a dinner function put on by the same church. They had a really great time eating and fellowshipping with the local Zambians. The remaining members went back to the farm and watched a soccer game; as some of the Mercy Touch children, workers, and other community members play in a league. They then spent time eating and playing with the children.
In the evening the children and the 4 housemothers got to try on their new soccer jerseys donated from Canada. Thank you all for your donations. They have really been blessed by your support. Please do remember to keep us in your prayers and remain tuned for more updates and photos as we will be blogging regularly.
Thank you again and God Bless!
-Mercy Touch 2013 Mission Team
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