Surprise, I'm writing from Lusaka! I traveled here for the week for work and I'm already returning back tomorrow, after a very productive and useful week. This trip was a big deal for our family, since this is the first time I have traveled internationally without Daniel and the longest I have ever been away from him -- 8 days in total. I was apprehensive, I must admit, and felt very emotional about a week or so before traveling, but after lots of prayers and encouragement from different people (thank you, you know who you are!), I felt at peace and have continued to be so the whole week here. It really hasn't been difficult, praise God!
I've had a wonderful time; Zambians are friendly and polite, with wonderful smiles. It's just too bad I haven't seen much of Lusaka, let alone the country. But my priority was to make this trip as short as possible... I arrived last Sunday night and pretty much spent most of my time at the office or at the hotel. I was a little disappointed that Zambians are very Western in their eating habits; they like to eat for lunch: sandwiches, wraps and/or salad! So I had to really ask my colleagues to take me to eat Zambian food. They were surprised: "you really want to eat Zambian food", "Nshima?" "Yes, I said!" So finally today, on my last day, we got to eat some Zambian food and I enjoyed it! "Finally" I told them, "this is what I was talking about!"
Check out the photos from today:
Zambian Restaurant we went to
View from restaurant...
Finally, some Zambian food. It was really yummy! Not spicy, basically a beef and cabbage stew, fish with sauce and some sort of green leaves -- all very tasty.
The monitoring and evaluation (M&E) team with whom I worked with all week.
From left to right: John, Mercy, Beyant, Lovemore and a happy lady!
I finally got to try "Nshima", the staple food made of corn maze. After I had been told it was so bland, I was pleasantly surprised.
I had to stop and take a photo of this restaurant, in honor of my sister, tia Fafa!
Now some office photos... This is the M&E room, John and Lovemore (I know, what a name!)
Lovemore and Mercy...
Close-ups: Lovemore...
Beyant (M&E director)
John...
Mercy...
With Naomi and Prisca -- receptionists who always greeted me with beautiful smiles
Three out of the 4 drivers who drove me from the hotel to the office and back every day... Clockwise: Jonas, Thomas and Zibasa. (Too bad Chris wasn't there at the time; he played Christian worship music in the car every morning and it was such an encouragement to me!)
My office for the week...
View from my office...
Office hallway...
The vision and mission of our work...
I worked from the hotel this afternoon; a very nice setting...
Now back to the U.S... Here are some photos of us at the airport last Saturday. Praise God, it wasn't too sad...
I was also able to leave in peace because my mother and step-father are staying at our house to help Jonny with Daniel. And Daniel has been having a blast -- being spoilt by "vozinha and vozinho" I might add! They have had to take care of Daniel all on their own a few days and nights (because of Jonny's night school), and it has gone very well! My mother is just loving it and is just so in love with Daniel. She even got up at 6 am this morning to cook him fresh food to take to pre-school! Anyone who knows my mother knows that this a miracle -- she normally doesn't cook! Thank you maezinha and Stephen for all your support during this time! What a blessing you have been!
So now, God willing, in less than 48 hours, I'll be reunited with the loves of my life again. After 3 flights and over 24 hours of traveling, I'll embrace them, overjoyed to be together again. I just can't wait!
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