Summer Plans

With most details finally in place, I thought I would let you all in on my summer plans. So, here's a glimpse into what the first two months of my summer will look like:

May 15th - Leave Regina, fly through Toronto, London (with a 12-hour layover in London), Jo'burg, and arrive in Livingstone on May 17th.

I'll be spending about 2-3 weeks in Zambia at Namwianga Mission with Ruhtt and Shepherd Mbumwae. I'll be staying at their house on the mission, and hope to help out with their work in the community schools and churches. I also hope to spend some time at Seven Fountains, The Haven orphanage, helping out at the clinic and possibly a day or two at the Zimba Eye Hospital. Zimba is one of the towns in between Kalomo and Livingstone. It has a well-established eye hospital, and I believe that ophthalmologists come for stints to work there. Mostly I'm looking forward to seeing familiar faces - the Mbumwaes; Calders; Dennis, Ennes, Allen and Duncan; Tebia; Mulamfus; Kadonsi, Lezia, Wendy and Wendell; Oscar and Nephias; Jalle; and so many more! Being able to go back to a place that I know and love is a blessing, particularly as I head off afterwards into an unknown place. I'll be readjusted to the African way of life before I head off on my own.

June 3rd - Fly from Lusaka to Dar Es Salaam, and then on to Kilimanjaro International Airport. I'll be spending from June 4th through June 30th at Good Hope Orphanage, just outside Arusha. I'm very excited about being placed here, as it lies in the shadow of this, and is also close to this, this and this. Even more exciting than all of those though, is the chance to go and love on some pretty amazing little kids. This was organized through Institute for Field Research Expeditions - Volunteer Abroad Program.

June 30th - Fly from Kilimanjaro back to Dar, where I will meet up with team members for the Eye Camp, which is run by this organization. We'll be travelling out into villages, and performing basic eye care for the people there. The Eye Camp will run from July 1st-July 15th. I'm very excited to be able to get some hands-on third-world eye care experience.

July 17th - Fly out of Dar, through London, Toronto, and eventually arriving back in Regina on July 18th.

Things have nearly come together. Flights are nearly booked. I mailed my passport away to get my Tanzanian Visa just today. Hopefully things continue to go smoothly. It's hard to believe that my dreaming from last fall has turned into something very real and very soon. Before I know it, I will be off on another African adventure!