emilymarion.com

May 21, 2008

Lusaka• Ndola 

• We finally made it! Just landed in Lusaka after the 16 hour flight from D.C. to Ethiopia. We were blessed with a free meal and room at the De Leopol in Addis Ababa.

• I am speechless at the poverty and friendliness of the people.

• Preparing for a 6 hour bus ride to Ndola from the Lusaka airport.

• We stopped at Manda Hill for dinner. I ended up buying apples after our flight, pre bus ride.

• 3 boys walking home from school made faces at us and goofed off with us while we were at a stop sign.

• Arriving at the guest house/Seeds of Hope office/headquarters. Our beds were covered with mosquito nets. No air. No power after 7 a.m.

• SO THANKFUL to finally be at our destination. I think it was worth it!

• Am I really in another country? I am so exhausted, but feel so at peace! 

I was headed to Africa. Zambia to be exact.

Today has been melancholy for me. I miss it even a year later. I figured the best way to remember my trip is to blog some excerpts from my journal. Some parts are to personal to blog, some to mundane, but I’ll do my best at remembering.

May 19, 2008:

Tampa airport• Washington D.C. airport• Addis Ababa airport

• I know I’ve said it before, but I can’t believe I’m on my way to Africa. I never thought I would have had the opportunity, but God has provided for me in so many ways. I love thinking about God’s plan for me in Africa. I’m not sure what to expect. I’m not nervous about stepping off a plane in a different country. I am nervous about how I will feel differently on the way home. I am so thankful for this opportunity. My heart is eager to serve and love Africa.

 • We arrived at Tampa airport and began the process of checking all 16 of our bags. My carry-on was weighed down with batteries for us to barter with at the market.

•Arriving at the terminal in D.C. I suddenly felt like the minority. Everyone is speaking a different language. The instructions for the flight were given, but I had to wait for the English translation. We are flying with Ethiopian airlines today.

• We are currently flying over the Atlantic towards things that are unfamiliar to me. Strange enough I’m at peace. I know that I am right were God wants me. What a wonderful feeling to have knowing I’m on the path God had intended for me. For the first time I’M HIS HANDS AND FEET! ME!?! I’m getting to go! MY GOD IS AMAZING! 

Okay, so It’s not much and I’m sorry to say my journaling becomes even more sparse as my trip unfolded. I’m just glad I have something to remember my trip.

Check this out. What would you have said? 

You know. Elizabeth Montgomery. Bewitched. I was a big fan of Bewitched as a child. Every once in a blue moon I’ll catch myself practicing the infamous nose twitch. 

I have a killer headache today induced by stress and the killer heat. Seriously, guys global warming is a *$#@%! The headache combined with the stress, combined with a little non-stop insanity has left me DRAGGING. I walked in my room, dropped my belongings on the floor and collapsed onto my bed. Just as my head met the pillow and I felt a little relaxation emerging. I realized I left my door open. Which isn’t a big deal except my parents see an open door as “come talk to me” and the cat sees it as “she wants to pet me” and I really just wanted to decompress.

That is the moment I thought “I wish I was Samantha Stevens.”

I would have raised my index finger and lazily swung my door shut.

Instead I DRAGGED my butt 7 feet across the room, shut the door and enjoyed collapsing into bed at 4:45 on a Friday afternoon. 

I didn’t know why, so I just picked up a new one and brushed my teeth.

:::FAST:::FORWARD::: 

3 days later a family member walks in and asks “Did you kill a scorpion with your toothbrush?”

in which I reply,

“No. Why?”

“Because there was a dead scorpion on your toothbrush.”

I did not see this thing that they said had happened. Apparently, a scorpion walked onto the bristles of my toothbrush and died. 

Now I don’t believe in omens, but that’s a BAD sign. 

but it’s gone now. There was an error and it vanished. I don’t have time to re-type it, but it was good, trust me.

by the desperation in this guys voice, to blog!

MY CO TEACHER RETIRED!

I would have blogged about it sooner, but I wanted to ensure that she was retiring and not just bluffing. I am very happy for her. She has wanted this for a while and just between you and me, has been retired mentally for about 2 years.  Her last day was exactly one week ago today.  I have taken over her hours and am now working 7:30 to 4:00!

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is huge. It’s been an adjustment, but definitely worth it.

The kids are so different in the morning as opposed to the evening. They’re quiet, emotional and clingy when they walk in the Purple Door. I am so thankful for the new opportunity to love on my kiddos.

That’s a glimpse of what’s been going on lately. What’s up with you? 

what was your favorite/memorable/special Graduation gift? 

Mine was a tall, slender square vase that was frosted with words that said: Remember, smile, cherish, believe, dream.

It was from a store called the Blue Magnolia that was next door to the Old Richards.

I liked Richards there, better than at the library. 

I had a wisdom tooth extracted Friday. I could tell you what number tooth it is, but I don’t care because now it’s sitting on my night stand. They didn’t even wash it off before wrapping it in guaze, so now it’s just covered in dried blood.

The tooth fairy does not pay extra.

Instead of getting put under I decided to take the cheap way out and took a valium and a couple of shots of novacaine. Big mistake.

Pay the extra cash. It’s worth it not to know what’s going on. I didn’t feel any pain. Just a lot of pressure, but I definitely heard everything they said.

At one point he asked me to keep my eyes closed so bits of my tooth wouldn’t fly into my eyes as he sawed through my tooth. The drill makes a high pitched noise once it starts drilling through your tooth.

I just re-read that and got a little sick to my stomach.

Pay extra to be put out.

So now I have stitches and my jaw hurts. And I’m all swollen up like Popeye. And it hurts to open my mouth wider than an inch. And I’m taking pain medicine that makes me sleepy. And I don’t care that I’ve started the last 4 sentences with AND.

Alex treated me to a Frosty on Saturday night because I had my tooth pulled, but it’s really because he likes me and stuff.

Crystal came by to say hi. It was a nice surprise.

That’s what I did this weekend. 

K-bye.

Hey Tommie, this scene still creeps me out.