Wednesday, 15 April 2009

Not gone yet

Its now less than two months before I will be arriving in Lusaka, gradually all my arrangements are coming together - just the malaria tabs to sort, my appointment with doc is booked so its all in hand.

Geoff, out team leader is already in Lusaka sorting everything out before we arrive. I've now got lots of excel spread sheets to read and inwardly digest - plus getting to grips with the risk assessment which I will need to do as soon as I arrive in June. In the meantime, Geoff will be going up to Uganda to spend two weeks with the team there.

Trevor and Yvonne who have recently joined Horley Methodist Church (where I worship) come from Lusaka - must get them around for lunch soon! They are helping me learn a few words - no easy job as I'm hopeless at languages, but i want to know a few words so that I can pray with folk.

I've just been asked to suggest a song for our songs of praise service at the end of May, how do I choose, so many wonderful songs around at the moment. Will have to start listening to some CD's to see where I'm led.

Must get on now.

Thanks for supporting me

x Carol

Saturday, 4 April 2009

I've copied this from Mission Direct's web site - this is all about what our teams will be working on in Zambia plus some information about volunteering. My close friends and family can come out for a tw week stint at reduced rates!! So think on - how about joing me for a visit?

Mission Trips to Zambia now running
Come and join Mission Direct on a trip to Zambia in Summer 2009. For dates in 2009 check with www.misiondirect.org .

The main project: As a result of HIV/AIDS and the economic situation there are many orphans and children at risk, without family provision of food, shelter, health care or education. It is these most vulnerable that we are seeking to help.We are planning to work with the Evangelical Church in Zambia (ECZ) one ofthe three mainstream Christian churches in Zambia, to help improve the facilities at a school they are running for kids from the shanty town of Kaunda Square. They have been running the school for almost 8 years now. The schoolis operating in a converted residential house, squeezing in over 100 pupils. Last year the council temporarily closed the school because they were not happy withthe size of the school buildings, lack of space and poor facilities. The childrenhad nowhere else to go to school and it was re-opened, but they have been unable to enroll any more orphans or other vulnerable children, because of the lack of space and facilities. We plan to build one or two more classrooms, toilets and improve the school to accommodate more children from the shanty community it serves. We will help with lifting and carrying materials, wheel barrowing, bricklaying, sawing, nailing, painting, cleaning and clearing up behind the professional builders we will be working alongside. Some volunteers, of course, may prefer to play with the children who will gather round as soon as we arrive and love us to play music and games and have fun with them.Other Partners we will also work with ECZ and other Christian partners on a number of holisticprojects. These will include programmes to help vulnerable people and children a trisk, clinics providing medical care, food for those living in slums, health education teaching basic hygiene and health care. We will visit a “child dump centre” where babies and young children who have no one to look after them are literally “dumped”.We will also work alongside local churches to show the Jesus film and tell the gospel message to people who have never heard any “good news” before!
Travel - we fly to Lusaka, which is about a 15 hour total journey time from Heathrow with a changeover at a major international airport to catch a plane into Zambia. You are collected by the Mission Direct staff team (ME) at the airport. It is only a ½ hour drive to our guest house, which is on the east side of Lusaka. W e will have short drives each day to projects in Lusaka and the nearby villages. At the end of the trip we will drive down to Livingstone on a boarder with Zimbabwe to see the Victoria Falls and visit a game park (I will do this about 6 times). It is a 6 hour journey on a reasonable road through arural African landscape; past farmers tending their fields, mud houses andox carts, sights which have changed little in centuries. We then plan to flyback from Livingstone.

Doesn't it sound wonderful - do come and join one of the teams