:Zambia:  This time next Sunday I will have arrived in DC and would be waiting for my connecting flights to Lusaka Zambia.  I will be traveling with a team of 11 fellow missionaries from my church and a neighboring church.  Our mission will involve delivering supplies for the new school, two laptops for the school, Vacation Bible School supplies, expanding the garden project (women) and a minister conference (men).

My last mission trip was to central Costa Rica which was only about an 8 hour journey.  This time our trip getting to our final destination will take approximately 26-27 hours with a 13 1/2 hour flight being the longest leg.

Immunizations were finished up a few months ago.  Our local nursing school at Auburn Montgomery was able to get me in for my shots.  Interested in what I had to get?  Typhoid, Influenza and finished up the 3rd set of Hep A/B vaccinations.  All my other vaccinations were still valid from Costa Rica.   I also got prescriptions for malaria prevention which I will start taking 2 days before I arrive.  A wellness check was needed for the trip and my health care doctor prescribed me a broad-spectrum antibiotic and something for nausea and vomiting (just in case I need it).

 

Packing began a few weeks ago.  I’ve slowly packed and unpacked, sorted, and removed items.  Do I take this or rather take that… I finally believe I have it all sorted out, but I still have a few days to take another look.  My checked bag has stayed under 50 pounds so far.  At first I’d planned on taking only my carry-on but some of the larger items pushed me over my preferred weight for my backpack.  Considering we will be changing planes at least twice I didn’t want to be hauling too much weight through the airports catching our next plane.

My checked bag has a lot of items which will be left in Zambia.  An anonymous donation of new bedding, towels and wash cloths was made to our team from someone at our church.  These we will use during our trip and leave behind for incoming teams to use after we are gone.  I’ve also taking some gardening hand tools as well.  Pretty sure those could not be in my carry on.  🙂