Packed up and heading out

"Mulishani!" is how you say hello in the native language, Bemba. So, Mulishani! Today's the day that many of us are leaving to begin our journey. We're scattered about from Lauderdale, Jacksonville, DC... The one common thing we share is our contagious enthusiasm and excitement about what lies ahead. It seems like to much has been building up to this that it's somewhat surreal that it's actually time! For those of us who haven't been to Zambia before, the excitement is laced with a little bit of nerves. I know that I am personally most worried about the 15 .5 hour direct flight from DC to Johannesburg, South Africa. After a night in SA, I'll be flying to Ndola where we will all meet.
Mr. VanZwieten is on the ground in Zambia already with Dr. Thinus. Apparently one of the cars broke down while driving from South Africa, so the groups will have to share a car. We are going to meet up with Mr. VZ and Dr. Thinus at the airport in Ndola on Saturday and then head to Mufulira, which should be about 45 minutes to an hour away. A map of Zambia is below:

The moringa project is pretty organized (for now) and we're ready to get things started. We know that we have to remain very flexible, as things have a way of changing suddenly once we're in Africa. In the past few weeks we've made contacts with people throughout the world that are interested in what we're doing. One of the contacts is a doctor and nurse team of missionaries with the PC(USA) church that are stationed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). They have been working with moringa for several years with great success. They have a great website at http://www.pcusa.org/missionconnections/profiles/haningerm.htm. Make sure you check out their photo album- there is a link to it just underneath their picture at the top. Another group that we're going to work with is another Christian non-profit called Isubilo (http://www.isubilo.org/index.htm). Isubilo is starting a moringa project in Ndola and needs some additional support getting things going. They have the contacts and we have the resources, so we are going join together to hold a workshop in the area. Some of their needs include biodegradable pots for replanting the moringa seedlings, as well as additional seeds and information on how to easily harvest the tree and incorporate it into their diets. This is what the moringa tree looks like once it's grown:


The other groups are also cranking things into gear. It's sure to be a fulfilling and exciting time! Please keep us in your prayers and check back for updates regularly.
Team STS would also like to give a "shout out" to all the future members of Team Stop the Spread (STS) in Mrs. Clarke's 3rd grade class at Holy Nativity Episcopal School in Panama City, FL. Keep working hard and maybe you can join our team in about 10 years. Also, make sure that you check out our video in the previous post. Turn the music up!!!
Take care and God bless!