Here we go again!

Greetings all!

I just returned from Zambia yesterday night and am feeling wonderful today despite my reservations that jet lag would be an issue (God bless Mrs. Clark and her wonderful No-Jet-Lag homeopathic remedy -- it really does work!). See...it really is all a matter of perspective. I re-read the last two posts I put up before I left and had to smile at myself. Handling pressure is usually something I'm good at but for all my efforts it would appear that even I have a "breaking point." :o) Surprising? No, not so much --- I just had to run into that brick wall a few times before it really sank in.

How was Zambia? I'm still processing, but my immediate thought is: awesome, wonderful, exciting, adventurous privilege. Definitely falls into the category of "once-in-a-lifetime" just for the fact that it was such a neat, unrepeatable experience. Never again will I be able to say this is my "first time" in Africa -- and what a first it was! Not at all like I was expecting -- I think better because my preconceived notions (ah, those theological terms really can cross-over into regular life -- who would've thought!) were almost entirely off and I'm glad about that. So many different and unusual opportunities and then just the everday-normal stuff too. I didn't feel overwhelm in one sense because Janine prepared us well ahead of time, but then again I did, because there I was, a mazungo in the middle of black Africa (that means "white" in Nyangen if you didn't pick up on the thought flow -- and what almost everyone, especially the kids, referred to Dan, me, and Amy as....the entire time we were there -- after awhile you have to smile and laughingly agree with the "local" interpretation: stupid white person).

One of these days I'll get around to posting some pictures here and giving you the "whole nine yards" but for the moment you'll have to be satisfied with my less-than-satisfying truncated version. :o)