journey

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The Journey to Zambia
and the Return Home

The Journey to Zambia

At the Atlanta Airport

My parents, Linda and Lewis Armstrong, drove me to the Atlanta Airport on the morning of Thursday, July 5th. At about 10:30 we lifted off and I was on the first leg of my trip to Zambia. The South African Airlines stopped in the Azores Islands to refuel. About 18 1/2 hours after I departed, we landed in Johannesburg, South Africa. On board the flight were three nurses who were members of the Medical Mission 2005. We had about an 8 hour delay before flying on to Lusaka, Zambia. We were met at the airport by Elizabeth Halale and transported to the Namwianga Mission.

The Departure

We left Namwianga on July 20, in a caravan of us, being driven to the Airport at Livingston to catch a flight to Johannesburg. We were fortunate to catch a flight on South African Airlines to return, because a strike was imminent, otherwise we might have been delayed several days. I had taken dramamine for fighting off motion sickness, hoping to get some sleep during the return flight

The Flight Home and Reflections

As I sat on the plane flight home I had plenty of time to reflect on the trip (18 and ½ hours on a plane can do that to you). I thought to myself I survived...
I survived...
       -living in a tent and bathing with handi-wipes...
       -falling asleep at night, while the Zambians, who were so happy to have us, that they sang late into the early morning hours...
       -eating all types of food that did not need refrigeration...
       -experiencing extreme temperatures from 90F during the day to 40F at night (plus a cool breeze into the tent)...
       -using an out-house... Otherwise using body wipes to remain clean.
                  Outhouse

       -and working and sleeping deep in the bush and no one was attacked by lions or other wildlife...
Then I thought how insignificant my sacrifice was... After all, I was here for only about 2 weeks and helped several people with little things we would never even think of here in America. Yet these things are the cause of tremendous obstacles for the Zambian people...
          - I have a car to drive and roads that are well maintained (We traveled in an old American yellow school bus and who would know that it could be an all-terrain vehicle on dirt roads out in the bush)...
          - I don’t have to walk 31 miles (50 kilometers) to the nearest clinic for medical aid...
          - I had bottled water to drink and did not drink from the parasite infested water pumps...
          - I had food in my belly (actually too much food) thus having a full tummy from food and not a bloated belly from malnutrition and worms in my intestines...
          - I can hear (I saw at least 20 people who could not hear in one or two ears because overtime ear wax builds up.)
When we shower the heat warms the wax and it drains out of our ears....
          - I have air conditioning and heat in my home when I need it...
          - I have shoes on my feet and don’t walk barefoot (thus many people had terrible wounds on their feet)...
          - I sleep on a bed, not a dirt floor...

And Then Returning Home with a Precious Memory

Meet Vera.

My parents, Lewis and Linda Armstrong,
have arranged to support Vera at $50 a
month as she is just finishing high school and
will be entering George Benson College
where she will be majoring in english or
math to become a school teacher in her
country.

I tell you she is precious. Knowing she now has support will serve as greater motivation for her.

The Mementos With Which I Returned

The five animals of Africa carved on a wall plaque	Elephant Candle Holders	Hippo and Two Elephants
The craftmanship of the people of Zambia is awesome. I was blessed to return home with the mementos show here. I returned with a number of other items to give a gifts to friends.
The Five Animals of Africa in a wall hanging	The Five Animal of Africa in an elongated bowl with a lid	These are cloths that are about 43x70 inches and are used as skirts by Zambian woman and to wrap babies on their backs

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Created August 5, 2005
URL: http://paworld.i8.com/za/journey.html