I made it home!!
Well not exactly, but since I was born in Kenya everyone is saying I’m ‘home’ by being back in Africa. My squad made it down to Zambia on Sunday and I am staying with a team that is in the city of Livingstone, way down in the southern part of the country. Here is a little recap of how I got here:
– We left our host in Albania at 3 AM and boarded a bus to the airport.
– One hour flight to Rome.
– 16 hour layover in Rome where we were able to enjoy the city.
– 6 hour flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
– 6 hour flight to Lusaka, Zambia.
– 8 hour bus drive to Livingstone, Zambia.
It ended up being 51 hours of straight travel. Yes there were some problems that came up, like our transportation from the airport to the bus station not arriving. Our bus tickets got moved around to different buses so we could fit all of our packs on them. We ended up getting on the bus at 6:59 for the 7:00 departure. Around 11 PM our bus got a flat tire so I spent 45 minutes staying on the side of the road by a bonfire watching them change a tire without a flashlight. So for an African travel day it went pretty well!
I will be in Livingstone for the month of June. It’s most famous for Victoria Falls, a mere 10 minutes away, and some local safaris that are pretty spectacular. My mission is not the tourist part of this country, but instead its people. There are two teams at my location and the 13 of us are living in a house that we are so thankful for. Yes we sleep in our tents inside and the water doesn’t usually work but it’s an incredible place to come back to every day after ministry.
Our ministry this month comes in many different forms, but the main object is the people of this country. We are leading bible study with widows, running youth camps at schools and orphanages, going to church every day for prayer meetings and worship services. Each day is a different chance to spread the love of Christ to a different age group of this country.
To be honest I’m not exactly qualified or prepared for some of the things coming my way this month. Thankfully the Lord gives me the wisdom, strength and abilities I need on a daily basis. He gives me the words and strength to pray for the sick and possessed people that come to church seeking deliverance. He gives me the patience and abilities to minister to a classroom of kids when I am thrown in front and told to entertain them for the next couple hours. He gives me the insight to spot opportunities as we walk down the street to share his love with people we meet.
This month in Zambia is going to be amazing. The Lord is at work in this country. Please pray for:
– The health and safety of my team.
– The boldness and strength to speak the life of Christ to the people of Zambia.
– That Zambia impacts us as much as we hope to impact this community.
Thank you for all the prayers and support, especially this month! It’s good to be ‘home’!
