We have successfully skipped 6 hours of
our lives to reach our desired destination of Lusaka, Zambia! After around 19
hours of flying our feet finally touched the ground to then be driven an hour
to our home for the next few days.
Our journey began with a nice morning
run with our classes and then some last minute packing before the big trip. We
all convened at Messiah around 12:45 to begin the task of loading 26 black body
bags filled with our lives for the next 14 days onto the bus. We each tearfully
said goodbye to our beloved teammate Holly as we boarded the bus to the Dulles
Airport. After unloading it was pretty smooth sailing through bag checks and
customs. Everyone then scrambled to enjoy one last American luxury of Chipotle
or Starbucks before the long daunting flight. We were finally called to board
and took our seats with the buds we'd be spending the next 17 hours with.
On the plane we endured many firsts. We
battled a crying infant (thank you Lyd and Riss and the kind stranger for
helping to quiet her down), members of team experienced their first time in a
plane bathroom, we feasted upon the mini meals of South African Airlines, and
we time-travelled 6 hours into the future. We each may have gained a few pounds
from eating and sleeping as shown through our kankles as we exited the plane.
Many of us enjoyed watching movies, reading To
Chase a Dream, meeting new
friends whose endeavors also took them to Africa, and journaling all the
while struggling to find a comfortable position to sleep. We made a brief stop
at Dakar, Senegal to refuel and then begin the trek to Johannesburg. In
Johannesburg it was a quick turnover to begin our 2 hour flight to Lusaka. Most
of Johannesburg was a sleepy blur. Although Jess did have to be patted down by
security for setting off the detector, and we were all entertained by a wild
little boy running around the airport.
The final stretch began at 7:05(African
time) from Johannesburg to Lusaka. After 17 hours of flying the 2 hours felt
like a breeze and we safely landed in Lusaka, Zambia around 9. Our next trial
to face was the hour long battle for our visas. In the end we came out on top
and were glad to see that all our bags were accounted for.
We were happy to see the familiar faces of
Eric and Corie Thuma waiting to take us to where we would be staying. Their
helpful hands allowed us to load the bus quickly and begin our final hour of
traveling to the flying mission base where we would be staying. Although it was
dark we all began to get our first glimpses of the foreign land we will be
staying in for 14 days.
We ended the night by being assigned a
room or a fateful tent to brave the first Zambian night. We shall see the
outcome of those select few chosen to endure Zambia's natural habitat in the
morning. We were all able to steal a view of the breathtaking night sky, filled
with countless stars that blew us away. Just a reminder of how great our God
really is even here on the other side of the earth. We are thankful to be here
safely and ready for a good night's sleep. We cannot wait to see what the
morning brings and what God has in store for us over these next couple of
weeks!
Love,
MWS
(Ally and Summerly)
Great Stuff Glad you guys got through all of the Jetlags and such! Keep up the Great work and service there! God Bless!
ReplyDelete