Jen and Melinda took off on a red-eye headed for JFK in New York, beginning the first leg of their 23 hours of travel to Zambia. From JFK on Tuesday morning they boarded a South African Airways flight which landed them in Johannesburg at 8:20 Wednesday morning - just barely enough time to sprint across the huge Johannesburg airport to make the 9:45 flight to Ndola.
The Johannesburg airport is remarkable for all the changes that have been made in anticipation of the soccer World Cup, a month-long extravaganza that will be held in July. As we crossed the airport, Jen was vividly reminded of the heart-wrenching events surrounding Theresa's lost passport, and everything that followed in an attempt to rectify the disaster. The nicest part of the memories were of all the people who had assisted during those long hours, several of whom were Johannesburg airport/SAA agents.
Jen (with the red travel bag) in line at the Johannesburg airport
Flying into Ndola, Melinda was struck by the lush greenness of the land, by the absence of paved roads, and by the seemingly haphazard distribution of farming plots - so different from the tidy, endless squares of agricultural land we see in the US.
View of the land around Ndola from the airplane
Theresa was at the Ndola airport to greet us and accompany us on the now-familiar stop at lost luggage to register the two large suitcases that hadn't made the transfer in Johannesburg. It was so wonderful to see Theresa and her brilliant smile, and Jen had a happy reunion with Peggy, the SAA agent in Ndola who has become an old friend.
Theresa greeting Melinda at the Ndola airport
Jen and Theresa talking with Peggy about lost luggage
We drove to Castle Lodge to have quick showers. Then Myunda, our main man for transport in Ndola, drove us out to Kantolomba. It's the rainy season here and the roads are much like creek beds - with water! Myunda is a skilled navigator, though, and got us safely from point to point to point.
Traveling the road to Kantolomba in the rain
The Living Compassion team greeted us with enthusiasm, smiles and song. After a round of introductions, Melinda was given a quick tour of the compound, which included the children eating in one room and the Living Compassion adult team in their English class, learning "F" is for "fish."
The adult class learning all about "F"
Next a stop at Shoprite, our favorite Ndola supermarket, then back to Castle Lodge to begin giving our bodies time to recover from the travel. Kaunda, the cook with the world's brightest smile, had prepared an elegant vegetarian lasagna. After enjoying it down to the last bite, the weary travelers went to bed.
One of the welcoming beds in a room at Castle Lodge