Chubby Bunny

Hi everyone!

Sorry I have not written in a week - we had a lot of orientation still. We needed to learn all about the different programs that World Hope conducts before we could take part in them. So this week is when we are going to be doing food distribution. I am actually going tomorrow so I will be sure to write about that later on this week. I am really excited for this!!!

I am definitely getting much more confident in Zambia. I have been to the market a couple times. It is about a half hour walk one way and we can go anytime we are free in groups of 4 or more. I really enjoy going to the market - the first time I went everybody was shouting "Mugua" and I had no idea what that meant so I just kept walking and feeling a little embarrassed but NOW I know it means white person! So I just turn around smile and wave and they seem to enjoy that =) Sometimes I think I surprise them that I understand what they are saying =) I am getting much better at the language. I can say: how are you, good morning, good afternoon, good evening, thank you, no, and I can respond to all the greeting questions. Not too bad for a week!!

Last night though was an amazing experience! There is a couple that are missionaries here for World Hope and they have a house in our compound. Last night they invited some kids over from the near by village to have a bonfire. We roasted marshmallows and played chubby bunny. Sounds good right? Well the amazing part was that they had never had marshmallows. They were laughing so hard because they were so sticky and sweet. They couldn't figure out why we were telling them to say chubby bunny but they laughed any way. Then at the end of the night the missionaries had the glow in the dark wands that you can make into necklaces. Well they definitely had not seen them before. So we played Frisbee with the glow in the dark rings. I was laughing all night long! It has definitely been my favorite night since we have been here. Below are a couple of pictures from the night - Enjoy!!!

I'll try to post more pics of Africa in general but it takes about 20 min. per picture - You will def. see all of them when I get back =)

Welcome to Choma!

Hi everyone! So I finally made it here after 3 full days of travel. It took 3 flights and a 4 hour bus ride. Thank God that everyone including myself had all of their luggage arrive safe and sound. The 15 hour flight was great for me. I slept 10 hrs and watched 2 movies so I only had about an hour of down time which was spent eating dinner and waiting in line for the bathroom. Definitely can’t complain =) The bus ride however was a little well lets just say bumpy. We were on a nice road and then our Zambian leader Maureen said, “OK we are heading into the real Zambia.” This is the moment I truly realized I was in Africa. I began to see the huts made out of straw and the children running up and down the street and putting huge smiles on their face because we are white. Everyone here is so grateful that we are here in their country. The people keep saying, “out of all the places in the world, you chose to come to Zambia.” These people hardly have anything but they serve us with such passion. I feel bad because after a meal to tell them you enjoyed it you are supposed to leave food on your plate. The people barely have enough to eat but I am wasting food to say thank you. Their faces light up every time they collect the plates though.

The guest house that we are staying in is absolutely gorgeous. I mean yes it is Africa so there are a good amount of very very big bugs =) I showered for the first time with a spider but at night my mosquito net is keeping all of them out. I actually like sleeping in a mosquito net it makes it very dark and just feels like I am protected more. Even though it is just a net it feels like my own little room. I am in the super dorm so there are ten girls in my room. We each have a set of bunk buds so we are sleeping on the top with the mosquito net draped from the ceiling and then all of our clothes are on the bottom bunk.

When we arrived the World Hope Staff had made us an authentic Zambian meal. It was amazing chicken, green beans, and their staple food nshima. The best way to describe nshima is play-dough consistency made out of corn meal that does not have a taste. We use it to roll it into balls and then that is our silverware – I finding it really fun to eat with my hands =) After dinner we unpacked, showered, and went to bed. I slept so amazing. I didn’t wake up once – I actually haven’t slept that good in a while so I have adjusted to the time difference quite well but they say it might hit me tomorrow since I have had no complaints.

Finally this morning I went to church. In my group there is a total of 18 students. We were divided into 3 groups to attend one of the three churches here in Choma that we will attend the whole time so that we can become connected and serve in the church. Mine is called Shampande and it is in a compound. The building is pretty nice but the people are amazing. People in Zambia know how to do a couple things very well. The first one is singing. The singing in church this morning was absolutely beautiful and powerful all at the same time. I swear every person in church had an amazing voice. To hear it fill the church was an incredible sound. The second thing they know how to do is pray. Finally, they definitely know how to make you feel welcome. We had to go in front of the church and introduce our names and how excited we were to be there. There is definitely no blending in here =) They welcomed us and then at the end of the service every single person got in a line to greet us and welcome us. I am struggling with the greeting a little bit because I can’t look at men and older women in the eyes and then I have to do this curtsey thing while doing a fancy handshake and speaking in Tonga (native language, English is the main language though). They found it funny but they loved that I had no problem laughing at myself with them. So I’ll get it down eventually. Church though did last from 9 AM until 2 PM so lets just say I am glad I go to a church with backs to their pews.

Well that’s my update. I hope you are doing well. The plan is to start classes on Tuesday because on Monday we have more orientation with World Hope as well as going into town. The experience here has already been phenomenal and it has only been a day. Can’t wait to keep the updates coming =)

Love
janna

Orientation and Lift Off!

K guys this is it - I mean I am down to hours now! If this doesn't make sense I am apologizing now. I had meetings all day today and I am soooo tired. Tomorrow is even longer filled with many many many more meetings and we as a group are being prayed for in both chapel services.

I wanted to give you guys my flight itinerary so you could all be praying for me! On Thurs I leave Indy at 2:40 PM. Then I leave Atlanta at 8:25 PM. Not really how the time difference works but then I will be landing in Johannesburg, South Africa the next night at 5:30 PM. We will then be staying in a hotel until the next morning when our last flight leaves at 11:05 AM and will finally land in Livingstone at 12:50 PM on Saturday! It will be a very long trip but so worth it!

I hope you all are doing well I can't tell you enough how grateful I am for each and everyone of you! I couldn't be here with out you. Just continue to lift me up in your prayers, I can use every one of them.

Love
Janna

P.S. the next time I'll be writing I'll be there =)

A bit of a visual

This is a picture of our group that is going to be traveling - a couple are missing but I thought I would give you a visual =)

Luggage, Luggage, Luggage

What a week!!!! Last Saturday I finished up work for the summer and decided to take this last week off to fully focus on getting things together for this trip. It was a really good decision. Everyday has been spent shopping and then returning those items and then sometimes even re buying them!

For example... my luggage situation has been a little crazy. About a month ago I decided to get a head start and buy my luggage. I really liked it - I thought it was so pretty and big enough to fit everything I needed. Well it was a little too big. I received an email this week stating the allowed dimensions and it was WAY too big. So I returned luggage set number 1. Then I bought a nice blue set that was smaller and much lighter. I bought one bigger suitcase and one a little bit smaller. Well when I packed them tonight they were too heavy, so I returned set number 2. Finally tonight I returned to JC Penny to get hopefully my last set. They are two smaller suitcases but everything fit and they are under the weight limit by about 5 pounds which is great =)

It has been a crazy week but if you caught what I said - I am pretty much packed which is soooooo exciting =). I have been getting emails each day with different things to bring so I am sure I am not done but all my clothes and things like shampoo are sealed and ready. In fact ONE week from exactly right now I will be on my long (about 16-17 hrs) flight from Atlanta to South Africa. Things are getting so close which is so exciting.

Prayer requests for this week -
1. If you guys could pray for my health that would be great - some of my team members are coming down with some sickness. I am healthy now so we are believing it stays that way
2. Final details to all fall in place - especially the packing =)
3. Finally just for God's peace to just fill each step of this last week - some days my nerves are a little high and I can't believe this is actually happening but then He reminds me how amazing this is going to be

Thanks for everything guys - hope you all are doing well!

love janna