Four of our guys met back up in Johannesburg where they had split off a few days earlier and flew into Ndola, Zambia. Here, they will be awaiting the arrival of our 5th man while doing work around a place we call the Wakefield farm, even though the name changed recently. Desi and Brian had been at the farm in 2005 and were looking forward to returning. At that time they built the little houses found there now that are used for orphan camps and whatever else. They even outfitted them all with bunkbeds. But the farm has a larger house and also a large garden growing produce used for the orphan feeding programs. Pastor Jacob is in charge there for Hands At Work and is a really wonderful person.
This is Desi's update as texted from Zambia yesterday:
So, we made it to Zambia. All went well, except for one of my bags not showing up. Just so happens that it was the one containing 1/2 my clothes, my shoes, power convertors and toilettries bag. It's not like you really need deoderant here anyways, right guys? I think that being here in Zambia for a few days will be a good thing, a stopping point between where we were at and where we are heading. Sort of a chance to ease ourselves into the devbastation that we are about to live in for the coming weeks. The farm here has always felt like such a relaxing place for many of us who have had the privledge of spending time here in the past. It is still that place. We have all begun sleeping normally now and are getting caught up and on schedule.
There are a couple of guys that live here on the farm that Brian and I could not wait to see again, since meeting them here 3 years ago. Oswald and Mathews are as incredible as I had remembered. A couple of guys who if not laughing are smiling. I think they are laughing at us and smiling at the list of work that they have for us to help them with around the farm. An order for lumber is being placed tomorrow morning and then we are off and running. Bob has stated that he feels like he is in Zambia again and never realized how much he had missed it. Being the first one up this morning he grabbed Mathews and got the full 2 hour tour of the farm before the rest of us even got started. This is the Bob that I know and this place is where I most love hanging out with him. (Yes Bob, even more than the Bent Elbow)
Tonight we sat out by the pool (not operational) and discussed life in Africa. We do this often here, sit around and solve the problems. Friday we will be going to do Home-Based Care and Friday night instead of solving more of the problems here we will probably just be sitting silently realizing we don't know a whole lot about anything, except that we have become sad. Hopefully we will also all know that we cannot see these things and do nothing. Hopefully hope will follow, but more often than not that part takes a while. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
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