Week Two

 It’s 8:52 PM. I’m sitting in the Livingstone Airport waiting for my 11 PM flight to Nairobi. I’ll arrive around 3 am and then have a 45 minute drive to my accommodation. It’s going to be a long night.

This was the fastest two weeks of my entire life. It’s hard to write this without my eyes filling with tears. My heart is here. The way everyone here has brought me into their arms and given their love is unreal. The staff at the guest house is almost all different than last time I was here, but they all greeted me as if they’ve known me for years. Every night I played UNO with Paul, Choolwe, and Joseph. We sat around a fire, ate nshima (the staple food), and had the most fun. Paul always won and made sure we knew it.

At school, I worked with grade 1 and middle class (3-6 year olds). The kids are filled with so much joy. The middle class had one table in the classroom. Kids would come to the table 5-6 at a time, complete an activity in their notebook, and go back to sit on the floor. There’s 38 kids in the class. The teacher writes every single activity for every subject for every single student. Add access to a copier to the list of things I take for granted. On the last day at school, they put on a performance for the volunteers. They sang, danced, and recited poems. In the background, was the brand new water tank that we were able to buy for the school! Not only will it supply water for the kids so they always have fresh water at school, but it will also support the community when they don’t have access to water. 

On Saturday, I took 10 of my old kids out to lunch. We talked about school, their families, and their dating lives. They want to be pilots, artists, missionaries, immigration officers. They’re funny, smart, and so so loving. Another day this week, I took one of the boys to the market to get some supplies for bracelets he makes to sell. I told him that it was hard to see them all grown up and he said, “we’ll always be your babies”. 

I am so grateful for the time I had with my kids and in Zambia. Saying it’s hard to leave is such an understatement. 

Until next time, Zam 🇿🇲