We made it to Zambia! Thank you all for the prayers - it couldn’t have gone smoother. We are so grateful for the amazing team who transported our family and cargo to the airport (Robin, Cathy and Ray) - and the gracious welcome party (Nsansa Village and AFM representatives) who were waiting for us in Lusaka! We are tired, but our hearts are full.
Here is a synopsis of the past few days...
Monday: We arrived in Lusaka exhausted! All 14 items (cargo totes, suitcases, carry-ons, car seat, stroller, etc.) made it to our destination, praise the Lord! We quickly unpacked the necessary items and grabbed dinner at our favorite Lusaka restaurant - Nando's.
Tuesday: We slept in for a total of 12+ hours of rest, which was so helpful! It was a light day of organizing, grocery shopping, etc. Essentially, we all walked around in a daze and tried to make coherent conversation!
Wednesday: Morgan broke a molar on a piece of biscotti and had his first tooth pulled - eek. Thankfully, it went well, and he had a great dentist! Owen started fifth grade via homeschool, which is a new experience for us. We absolutely love our curriculum, so it was a successful first day and he's maintained great momentum throughout the week. Also, we spent time with our dear Nsansa family - it was a blessing to see the boys and begin to get reacquainted with each one of them. It was exciting to also meet new staff members and start to integrate into the onsite team.
Thursday: Electricity has been very sporadic all week due to "load shedding" from the drought conditions. It is impossible to predict when the power will turn off and on. On Thursday, the power went off at 10 AM and we ran out of the solar backup by early evening, so we cooked by lantern! Morgan helped clean up via headlamp, as pictured. We definitely made the best of it.
After several hours in line, I obtained my official Zambian work permit card, so I am allowed to work in-country for the next two years until a renewal is required. (Morgan's work permit wasn't available, so he went back to pick up his card today (Friday). He is still waiting there as I type this - 4+ hours later!)
Friday: To conserve energy, I did three loads of laundry this morning by hand, and wow - nothing compares to the smell of laundry dried in the Zambian sun and breeze! They dried so fast; it was a much quicker process than I anticipated. We hope to do a second walkthrough of a potential rental home today, so I will keep you all posted!
Support Update:
On a related note, we are still actively raising support - and getting closer! Now that we are on the ground, it is more critical than ever that we reach our budget goals. For more information on how to join our support team, please check out our CTEN page. All gifts are tax-deductible and greatly appreciated!
Here is a glimpse of our favorite Zambian trees - enjoy!
For the latest updates on our family and happenings at Nsansa Village, please follow our social media accounts on Facebook and Instagram.
Blessings, dear friends,
Laura
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