Sara from A to Z - ZamNews!

It's not every day when you go out and drop nearly a half a million on a weekend shopping spree. Before my donors have a heart attack - it was in kwacha! There was a day when the US dollar and the Zambian Kwacha were the same. However, today it takes more than K5000 to equal just $1. I am getting pretty good at dividing numbers by 5000 so I know what I am spending. If only they would just knock off some of those pesky zeros. With all the traveling I have been doing, I hadn't gotten the chance to go out and get all those food staples (and plastic containers for everything to keep the bugs out), and some essential appliances (who can survive without an electric handmixer?). My shopping trip took me to Shoprite and SuperSpar, the two big grocery chains here in Zambia. And then came my first trip to Game, which is sort of like Walmart. I could have spent all day there, but I demonstrated amazing self-control and limited my purchases to the essentials. It's amazing how lack of a car really helps you cut down on your purchases. You can only buy what you can carry home.

A is for Air Travel….

Thirty-two hours after entering Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson International Airport, I finally arrived in Zambia. From my aisle seat over the wing, I was not able to get much of an impression of Africa from the sky, but as we landed, I could see nothing but grass dotted with bushes and homes that looked like white shoeboxes. The airport looked exactly as you might imagine an airport in Africa to look – a small terminal beside an airstrip and a few planes ranging from the Boeing 767 I came in on to very small ones which carry only a few passengers in the middle of the wilderness. Even at 6:30am, it was bright and sunny. The temperature and climate reminded me of Atlanta in June – warm and sticky, but not unbearably so.

I was the last one through the entry gate and found my four pieces of luggage piled up and waiting for me in the deserted baggage claim area. My two co-workers waiting outside of the airport looked relieved to see me finally come out. (If I had missed this flight, it might have been days before I could catch another!)

It was about a twenty-minute drive from the airport to the flat, so I had time to get used to the whole driving-on-the-left-side again. (I came equipped with an international driving permit, so I will get use my left-side driving skills I learned in New Zealand – if I can figure out how to shift.) The flat I will be sharing with an American co-worker is right in the middle of Lusaka, Zambia’s capital city. I like the flat very much and I can already see it has lots of potential. (See the pictures below.)

After only about 4 hours of sleep during my entire journey, it was a struggle to keep my eyes open, but I was determined to stay awake until bedtime. The only way to do this was to keep busy, so by 1pm I was completely unpacked and had my room organized. In the afternoon, I took my first trip to the office so that I could use their awesome VoIP phones to call home – for free. I can hardly remember the rest of the day, but I did manage to stay awake, though maybe not lucid.

Sunday morning I woke up refreshed. It was strange to open my eyes and remember I was in Zambia! I decided to stay at the flat all day instead of venturing out with my mind still muddled. As I read my Bible by the window, I could hear a congregation somewhere singing “Only Believe, Only Believe, All Things Are Possible, Only Believe…” Later on, I heard some young people practicing/learning a song in with harmony. And of course, being the rainy season, it rained. The rain brought a really nice breeze.

And so went my first weekend in Zambia.

I plan to try and post at the beginning of each week. However, it looks like I will be leaving sometime this week to spend some time in the town of Mazabuka, and may be without internet for a couple of weeks. According to Globetrotter, Mazabuka holds “little of interest to the traveler.” But don’t be concerned, I am sure I will find something to blog about. ☺

Tidbit:
I was reading in my study Bible this morning about how the Book of Psalms is organized. Often, individual psalms use an acrostic or alphabetic arrangement: the first letter of the first word of each verse or section begins with a different Hebrew consonant and advances in alphabetical order. This may have been done to aid in memorization or to demonstrate that its particular had been covered from “A to Z”. ☺ (Paraphrased from the McArthur Study Bible)

My Luggage!



Can't wait to find my way around my new kitchen. (Note the amazing water filter on the counter everyone - I am being safe thanks to the Wood Family!)



The Living/Dining Room has great hospitality potential!



This strange little porch is accessible only through the living room window!



My bed feels just like home! (Thanks Jill!)



My city views (?) come with similar sound effects (roosters crowing at 4am!)


The shower and I are officially at war over the use of hot water.