Sunday, July 17, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Bumps (or lack of) in the road
If this is your first trip to ZMM then you are indeed blessed. You are likely to hear the ole-timers speak in wonder and amazement at the quality of the roads. The tarred road from Livingston to Kalomo is in good shape and the trip from the airport could take as little as a couple of hours. Our convoys move a little slower than most traffic;-)
Also we are having a grand opening for the radio station the day before the team arrives, and President Banda's office has contacted us to say he is coming for the event. As a result the local commissioners decided to grade the road from Kalomo to Namwianga, so this alignment of events has created a very cushy transportation environment for ZMM 2011.
Now having said that . . . the road to Kasukwe is apparently in bad enough condition that there is some question as to whether or not we can make it with the trucks (lorries) and buses, so that trip, if we are able to make it will probably be slow, dusty and tedious.
In any case, it is coming soon. So be in prayer
KB
Also we are having a grand opening for the radio station the day before the team arrives, and President Banda's office has contacted us to say he is coming for the event. As a result the local commissioners decided to grade the road from Kalomo to Namwianga, so this alignment of events has created a very cushy transportation environment for ZMM 2011.
Now having said that . . . the road to Kasukwe is apparently in bad enough condition that there is some question as to whether or not we can make it with the trucks (lorries) and buses, so that trip, if we are able to make it will probably be slow, dusty and tedious.
In any case, it is coming soon. So be in prayer
KB
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Misrepresentations
I recognize that I may have taken some editorial liberties with the training video. For example, Angela says the tables in the video imply that you will actually have a table for one of your meals.
She is correct that you will need to polish the art of balancing your plate on your knees (in the dark most often) while holding your hot-chocolate between your feet on the ground. I often come home with shoes that smell of hot chocolate.
Seriously, you don't often get to eat at a table, and you do eat often in the dark. We try our best to put lights up for our evening meal and meeting, but they are customarily inadequate. A good investment may be a headlight. There are cheap ones and expensive ones, but small and cheap will work for three weeks. It should seem like a common-sense piece of etiquitte, but if you wear a headlight, it is valuable to point it downward more than straight out to keep from ruining your neighbor's night vision. Mine is on a headband, and I often eat with it around my neck rather than my fore-head, which allows me to see my food without blinding everyone around me. Sometimes a small light with a clip so that it stays with you is more valuable than a 9000 candle-power search light, because you tend to have it when you need it.
It is also very cool in the evenings while we are there. It is tough to get on a plane in Dallas wearing a jacket when it is 100 degrees on the jet-bridge, but I often wear a jacket during travel for two reasons. 1) you will need the jacket anyway, and 2) you can stuff a lot of heavy things in your pockets, and as long as you are wearing the jacket, not carrying it over your arm, airline officials don't tend to want to weigh it like they do your carryon bags. In other words, I wear a travel jacket or vest, and stuff it full of the heavy things that I can put back into my carryon after I sit down on the plane. This helps my backpack look smaller (even though it makes me look fatter) and it certainly reduces the weight of the carryon until after I get on the plane. This may not be a good strategy for all of you, but it does provide you some options in those cases where your carryon luggage is being scrutinized.
In any case, bring several layers of clothing that you can quickly add to and take away, and if you are cold natured, be certain you have enough layers to stay warm while sitting around the fire in the evenings.
Have a great day and keep checking here on a daily basis.
KB
She is correct that you will need to polish the art of balancing your plate on your knees (in the dark most often) while holding your hot-chocolate between your feet on the ground. I often come home with shoes that smell of hot chocolate.
Seriously, you don't often get to eat at a table, and you do eat often in the dark. We try our best to put lights up for our evening meal and meeting, but they are customarily inadequate. A good investment may be a headlight. There are cheap ones and expensive ones, but small and cheap will work for three weeks. It should seem like a common-sense piece of etiquitte, but if you wear a headlight, it is valuable to point it downward more than straight out to keep from ruining your neighbor's night vision. Mine is on a headband, and I often eat with it around my neck rather than my fore-head, which allows me to see my food without blinding everyone around me. Sometimes a small light with a clip so that it stays with you is more valuable than a 9000 candle-power search light, because you tend to have it when you need it.
It is also very cool in the evenings while we are there. It is tough to get on a plane in Dallas wearing a jacket when it is 100 degrees on the jet-bridge, but I often wear a jacket during travel for two reasons. 1) you will need the jacket anyway, and 2) you can stuff a lot of heavy things in your pockets, and as long as you are wearing the jacket, not carrying it over your arm, airline officials don't tend to want to weigh it like they do your carryon bags. In other words, I wear a travel jacket or vest, and stuff it full of the heavy things that I can put back into my carryon after I sit down on the plane. This helps my backpack look smaller (even though it makes me look fatter) and it certainly reduces the weight of the carryon until after I get on the plane. This may not be a good strategy for all of you, but it does provide you some options in those cases where your carryon luggage is being scrutinized.
In any case, bring several layers of clothing that you can quickly add to and take away, and if you are cold natured, be certain you have enough layers to stay warm while sitting around the fire in the evenings.
Have a great day and keep checking here on a daily basis.
KB
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Weight for Luggage
Ellie experienced considerable issues with luggage weight this year in her travels to Zambia both at check-in in the US and when re-departing at Jburg. In the US she was slightly overweight on her checked luggage, and had to remove items. In JBurg her carryon exceeded the 8kg capacity and she had to remove items.
It is one thing to be sending excess underwear home with the people who take you to the airport in the US and another to have to put your camera in the dumpster in JBurg (I am exagerating of course), but the MESSAGE IS THIS:
Be conservative on your luggage weight or you may have difficulties. In the past 5-7 years I have never had officials pick up my carry-on luggage to check it for size and weight, but in the early years they did it almost everytime I got on a plane. I have personally found that luggage that can be made to look smaller and more flexible like a back-pack tends to attract less attention from officials than hard-sided cases. As sure as I say that they will start singling out backpacks.
In worse case situations you may have to check your carryon luggage in JBurg for the final flight to Livingstone, and this usually doesn't cause any real problems, but for those of you with expensive electronics it is a little risky. I am not sure what advice to give you except to check things that are heavy and low value and leave only essentials for your carryon luggage.
Similarly, home luggage scales tend to be finickly, so going to the airport with a bag that (by your scales) is 49.9 pounds can be risky. Give yourself a couple of pounds of margin. You will be surprised how little it actually takes to be happy in the bush. Leave some stuff home;-)
If we have more official advice later, I will put it here, but I wanted to get you started thinking about it.
It is one thing to be sending excess underwear home with the people who take you to the airport in the US and another to have to put your camera in the dumpster in JBurg (I am exagerating of course), but the MESSAGE IS THIS:
Be conservative on your luggage weight or you may have difficulties. In the past 5-7 years I have never had officials pick up my carry-on luggage to check it for size and weight, but in the early years they did it almost everytime I got on a plane. I have personally found that luggage that can be made to look smaller and more flexible like a back-pack tends to attract less attention from officials than hard-sided cases. As sure as I say that they will start singling out backpacks.
In worse case situations you may have to check your carryon luggage in JBurg for the final flight to Livingstone, and this usually doesn't cause any real problems, but for those of you with expensive electronics it is a little risky. I am not sure what advice to give you except to check things that are heavy and low value and leave only essentials for your carryon luggage.
Similarly, home luggage scales tend to be finickly, so going to the airport with a bag that (by your scales) is 49.9 pounds can be risky. Give yourself a couple of pounds of margin. You will be surprised how little it actually takes to be happy in the bush. Leave some stuff home;-)
If we have more official advice later, I will put it here, but I wanted to get you started thinking about it.
Official ZMM Training Video
It is great to see you commenting on our Facebook pages. What great words of encouragement. Keep the comments coming!
We had mentioned that we are going to do some praying with patients individually this year and asked if any of you were interested in participating. This would only be a temporary assignment (perhaps one morning or afternoon) and your ability to participate is closely related to your primary job. In any case, if you are interested in being considered for this, please email KB to volunteer. Vickie R. Lisa K., Scott C, Woody W., and Vicky P. have volunteered, but if others of you have discussed it with me, you might send me a reminder email so that I don't overlook you.
We are at Tee-Minus-Thirty-One and counting. Do you have your passport? Does it have plenty of visa pages in it? Have you confirmed your Yellow Fever vaccination? Have you purchased gifts and treats to provide to KB upon your arrival?
There are so many things to remember that we decided to create a video training series to help you appreciate and remember some of the most important aspects of a ZMM trip. Click here to watch Episode ONE.
If you have difficulty playing the video, click here to download a copy.
Or you can copy and paste this into your browswer window: http://www.byoaudio.com/playv/W4dG1QcQ
Have a great day, and keep praying for the trip.
KB
We had mentioned that we are going to do some praying with patients individually this year and asked if any of you were interested in participating. This would only be a temporary assignment (perhaps one morning or afternoon) and your ability to participate is closely related to your primary job. In any case, if you are interested in being considered for this, please email KB to volunteer. Vickie R. Lisa K., Scott C, Woody W., and Vicky P. have volunteered, but if others of you have discussed it with me, you might send me a reminder email so that I don't overlook you.
We are at Tee-Minus-Thirty-One and counting. Do you have your passport? Does it have plenty of visa pages in it? Have you confirmed your Yellow Fever vaccination? Have you purchased gifts and treats to provide to KB upon your arrival?
There are so many things to remember that we decided to create a video training series to help you appreciate and remember some of the most important aspects of a ZMM trip. Click here to watch Episode ONE.
If you have difficulty playing the video, click here to download a copy.
Or you can copy and paste this into your browswer window: http://www.byoaudio.com/playv/W4dG1QcQ
Have a great day, and keep praying for the trip.
KB
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Sermon -Tee Minus Thirty Two and Counting
Yesterday, I got to hear a great, if short, sermon from Dr. Behnke. It was delivered exclusively to me over the telephone, but if I could duplicate it and put it out as an audio book I would. Like so many of you, Marylou is interested in telling the Good News as a part of what she does, and her words of encouragement were great for me to hear.
As we pack and prepare for our trip, let's prepare our hearts for service and our voices for being a witness.
How has God been good to you? Leave a comment here for the team, but if you are willing, go to our Facebook site (www.facebook.com/zambiamedical) and leave some thoughts for all of our followers to see. Encourage, uplift and exhort.
Monday, June 6, 2011
MegaPhoney;-)
I have been most perplexed from reports that have gotten back to me that some had considered sabatoging important, if lengthy, ZMM team meetings by putting my megaphone under the wheels of one of the lorries. I had thought to bring a spare with me, but with budget constraints (due to too many economic-bail-outs on ZMM 2010) we just don't have the funds for a new megaphone.
Therefore, I wanted to bring you confidence that all was still well on the megaphone front. Laura and I have been asking Jessalyn to take this (see below) thing out of our house for several years, so I have chosen to put it to good use by bringing it to Zambia for our team meetings. I know you will sleep better knowing it is taken care of. This megaphone is not as durable as previous models, so I must ask the A-Team to be especially careful in packing it for the clinics.
Having said that, I look forward to seeing you all in Zambia. We are at "T-minus-thirty-three" days and counting (assuming July 9 is our first official day together as a team.)
If you haven't already, you will be receiveing your Medical History Forms (brown), luggage tags, directory etc. Please complete the Medical History forms and mail them to the address on the back of the sheet. These are very important, and need to be done fairly soon.
It is only a few weeks until we leave, so I ask that you be in prayer for our team. Eleanor is in transit today, so please especially ask for travel mercies in her regard.
Now, back to the megaphone. All kidding aside - it is important that we be heard above the noise of the medical mission. Our clinics are very much like a circus with lot's of noise, activity, excitement and many, many voices. Having the Good News heard above all of that takes intentional effort and care on our part.
Please be thinking about what message you intend to bring with you this year. I encourage you to frame your thoughts loosely around the concept of "God has been good to me!" If each of us simply takes the time and effort to let people know every day how God has been good to us, we go a long way toward cutting through the noise of the world.
Have a great day.
Check back often for updates and GET THOSE MEDICAL FORMS IN ;-)
KB
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