We Made It!

One inspiring commissioning service, a tearful prayer send off, a two hour bus ride, three plane rides (one being a whopping 18 hours, yikes!), four airplane meals, and one more 20 minute bus ride, we are finally in Zambia! I cannot even begin to tell you how excited we were to see African soil after being in the air for so long.

3 months packed up into 3 bags

My lovely friends came to see me off!

Team selfie on the way to the airport!

For the next few days we are living in Lusaka, Zambia's capitol. We are staying in a very nice guest house/compound. Here is a picture of one of the rooms! They are easing us into the Zambian life, ha! We even have good internet here and I have yet to see a spider in the house!

Our guest house hosts are preparing breakfast for us in the morning and then we are heading to an upper class Zambian mall then on Sunday we are going to the market! We are trying to pack this weekend with some fun activities because classes start on Monday. 

I can't wait to see what is in store for our team during the next eleven weeks. We have great team, awesome professors and an almightily God who will protect us and guide us through it all. Well that's it for tonight! I will try to post as often as the internet allows!

Cruch Time (written on August 13th)

In just five days I will be heading to campus for a week of preparation for our three months in Zambia. During this week we will be beginning out classes (Community Health Nursing, Leadership Nursing, Transcultural Nursing and Professional Transitions, an NCLEX prep class). 
Along with our studies we will be taking personality test assessments, engaging in team bonding activities, learning how to place IVs (on each other, YIKES), taking Tonga classes (the native language), having sessions with Indiana Wesleyan's Dean of Chapel about the spiritual and emotional aspects of the trip and so much more! 

But before I can even being to think about next week I need to finish packing! It is so difficult to put three months worth of necessitates into one 50 pound bag, a carry on and a backpack. At this point it seems impossible! Packing isn't the only preparation I have been focusing on though. Over the summer I have been praying for our team. We have such a great group of students and professors traveling with us. God is going to use each of us in such a special way and I cannot wait to experience it! I have also been praying a very difficult prayer that is allowing Christ to break my heart for what breaks His. In Africa I am going to be introduced to some sights that I have never seen or even knew existed  I am going to see a entirely different realm of pain and suffering. While this prayer scares me and opens me up to a world of hurt, I have such a desire to see and love others like Christ loves them. We are all His precious and beloved children.