Rested and refreshed, we left the hotel in Johannesburg mid-morning on Saturday for the airport. We arrived in time to enjoy what will likely be our last good internet connection and our last cup of real coffee until we return to South Africa next week. At noon we boarded a tiny jet and two hours later were, at last, in Zambia.
Theresa, Pauline, and Mr. Kayula had promised to pick us up at the airport in the Living Compassion vehicle. Since we were last here, Theresa has graduated from driving school, so she was able to drive our little trooper herself--very unusual for a Zambian woman. They welcomed us with cheers and hugs as we emerged from Customs, and we returned their greetings joyfully. We have made some good friends here in Ndola.
As soon as our luggage was loaded, we set off for town, excitedly exchanging news along the way. The children in the Living Compassion House are all well, Theresa reported, though she herself was down with malaria recently. We learned that the fence around our new property in Kantolomba has been completed, and we made plans to see it on Monday. By all accounts our programs here are healthy and proceeding nicely.
As we drove along, we were struck by the lushness of the landscape. From our experience in Johannesburg, we had anticipated the pleasure of a green Zambia, but we could not have imagined the loveliness of this countryside in the rainy season. We have been here enough to feel we know the place, but we had only half the picture. Something green is sprouting from every speck of earth, even in the cracks of the broken sidewalks downtown. Everywhere we see gardens full of corn, beans, squashes, and vegetables we don't even recognize. A warm, tropical breeze blows almost continually through trees, over the vibrant grass along the city streets, and over our sweaty bodies. We love it.
A bit into the drive Theresa said she did have some sad news for us. "We lost Daniel. He was buried on Saturday." We sat for a moment just taking that in. Daniel was the young son of Josephine. Josephine was the one who had courageously come to us in July and told us of being HIV positive and asked for our assistance. When we met Josephine, Daniel had been on ARVs for one month, qualifying for free medical care in the Under 5 program in Zambia. Apparently he had gotten very ill in late December and been admitted to the hospital. He had stopped eating and was on an IV. The medical care available could not keep up with his declining health, and he died on January 5. We have known the statistics since we began work in southern Africa–there are thousands of children dying everyday. This is the first child whom we knew and loved who has died. We will miss him dearly.
Josephine and Daniel in July
When we arrived in town, we were confronted with our first logistical difficulty of the trip. We have learned to expect unexpected obstacles in Zambia--it is a part of the Africa experience--so we were not surprised. St. Joseph's Guest House, our home away from home, had no room for us. We had reservations, but that seems to have made no difference: full is full, and so we were forced to lodge elsewhere for the night. We found another guesthouse down the road that had room for us, and there we will stay until tomorrow, when we can move to St. Joseph's for the rest of the week.
Our temporary guesthouse.
Before the day ended we experienced our first Zambian rainstorm. Deafening thunder. Lightening that illuminates the entire room. Rain that sounds as if you are standing under a gigantic waterfall. We are told we can expect the pleasure of such a storm at least once a day in this season.
It is so good to be here.