Photos Updated

More photos from South Africa, Swaziland and Zambia have been posted here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/danandamyhess

Reflections Before Flying

Today is the day we leave Africa. In many ways it feels as though we've already left. Nonetheless we know we have not yet arrived at home. It remains to be seen how this experience has affected and changed us. Although we are very ready to be home, there is some apprehension about the transitions ahead. Perhaps that is a good sign, evidence that we were really here and engaged in life.

Leaving Macha seemed a bit unreal, as though, after a couple of days we'd surely find ourselves on a bumpy ride up the Macha road once more. Even though our time there was only about six weeks we had grown used to being there. As we were preparing to leave many friends asked us when we would be coming back. One friend taught us a Tonga phrase appropriate for this transition: "Akabwenene taabuli kuswangana." Loosely it means, "Those we have met we will meet again."

Tired on Saturday

Lying down on a Saturday afternoon
Distant singing wafts into the open window
On the tail of a wasp looking for a new home
Alongside the broken-record calling of African doves
And chirping song of winged others
From the trees beneath which children giggle.
There is also the far off horn of a truck honking
Someone riding by on a bicycle or walking by on foot
And the memory of last night's rain on the roof
Which dropped two inches in an hour and carried me
Off to sleep.

Chobe

To mark the midpoint of our time in Macha and to renew the stamps in our passports we made a trip to the Chobe game reserve in Botswana last weekend. We traveled with Mary Westfall, one of the other med students, spending Friday night camping in the park. The highlight of the trip was seeing lions on Saturday morning before we headed back to Zambia. We've uploaded some pictures (no small feat considering our connectivity!) from the trip that you can check out here. We also got to enjoy two nights in Livingstone again along with some relaxing by the pool at Fawlty Towers Backpacker's Lodge. Believe it or not, we only have a little over two weeks left here in Macha and about three weeks or so until Match Day!

Flurry

If I thought that two weeks was "soon" for flying, then I'm not sure what to say now that our flight is about 18 hrs away. They're calling for snow flurries outside tomorrow but there's been a flurry of packing in our house today. Thanks for checking in; we'll post more after we arrive in Jo'burg.

Flying Soon

In just fourteen days we will be headed to southern Africa for a two month stay. Our first two weeks will be spent visiting friends in South Africa & Swaziland before heading to Zambia for the remaining six weeks. There, Dan will be working at the Macha Mission Hospital, a Brethren in Christ hospital in rural southern Zambia about 70km (44miles) from a town called Choma. Amy will be volunteering at a school called Macha Innovative Christian School (MICS) nearby. Our travel is being made possible through the Mennonite Medical Association's Student Elective Term (SET) and Dan is also receiving credit towards some graduation requirements at school.

We are excited about this opportunity and hope to share some of our experiences here on this blog (and in person when we return).