Video

I've created a little video to summarize my trip in 7 minutes. To view it, follow this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0faCxXOMpWE

The "Little" Things

So along with a bunch of other items, I took some balloons, and also a "bell soccer ball". The balloons were a huge hit with the kids in the village. I'm pretty sure they had never seen anything like them before. And keep in mind they really don't have anything to play with. So blowing them up and handing them out was pretty fun. Even the adults got into it and were asking me for balloons for themselves. This all took place during a normal building day, but after lunch I decided to bring them out. It was pretty cool.

The "bell ball" is basically a typical soccer ball with a bell inside. One of the schools we were scheduled to visit in Lusaka had asked if someone could bring one of these. Apparently physical education and exercise is an area of concern for their blind students. This ball will give them the ability to participate in the soccer games. I was pretty excited to give it to them. Unfortunately the day we were scheduled to go I was really sick, so I asked Patty (one of our team members) if she would mind taking my camera and getting a photo. She said they were thrilled with the ball and the kids wanted to start using it right away. That was pretty cool to hear. As you can see they look pretty happy about it. Best $40 investment I've made...

New Friends

Thought I would post a few pictures of some new friends that were made.

Building

The really tough job is making mortar. First you have to take six wheel barrels of sand to the mixing spot, then you pour the bag of concrete in, and basically move a pile back and forth until all the sand and concrete is mixed. Then you can form a volcano type hole and start adding water until it gets to the right consistency. Not fun. Laying bricks on the other hand is a fun job. The little guy in my lap decided he wanted some safety glasses like mine, so me made a pair out of an old water bottle. You'd be surprised what's valuable to the people in the village. Old socks, old water bottles, juice boxes, anything really. We worked next to the homeowner, their family/friends, and the local contractor and his employees.

Sick, but not defeated.

I have a few minutes at this Internet Cafe in Lusaka, so I thought I'd write a brief update. You might be wondering why I'm in Lusaka. Unfortunately I had to leave the village a day and a half early as I am pretty sick. I visited a clinic yesterday and it seems I just have a virus that I need to let clear itself up. But more about that later... it didn't diminish my trip. The time I spent in Katete, the village outside of Lusaka was amazing. Our bus literally drove off the road and followed a dirt path/trail for two hours. The potholes made this more of an off-road adventure than a drive. The further into the bush we got, the more interesting we became to the locals. At one point the "road" was so narrow it was hard to tell if we were on a path at all. Our guide even had doubts for a while if we were still on the right track. But, finally we arrived. It was pitch black when we got there, but the women of the village all greeted us by singing and dancing and hugging each of us as we got off the bus. The surroundings were pretty much what you would expect from the African bush. Huts with straw roofs, and lots of dirt and open land. I'll post some photos when I have a chance so you can see. The next two weeks seemed like a year. The first friendships were made as soon as I busted out the football (soccer ball) and that became a regular activity after building during the day. We completed two homes and they look great. The owners are thrilled and one said it was a "dream come true". Unfortunately a couple days ago this impending sick feeling that has been lingering started to rear its head and I was getting pretty sick. Up until this point I hadn't missed a day of working on the houses. So imagine being really sick... now take away your apartment or house and replace it with a 300 sq ft house shared by 18 people. Then replace your bed with a mat on a cement floor by the front door which 17 people use every 1-5 seconds. Toss in 90 degree weather, random giant bugs, dust everywhere, oh, and a hole in the ground outside as your toilet. Not the best conditions for nursing an illness. Even though it sounds like I'm complaining, I'm not. This experience is going to be whatever it is going to be and I'm happy with whatever that is. One of our team members had to leave a couple days early to fly home (this was scheduled). So I decided it would be best to get on that ride (there are no vehicles where we were) and get back to Lusaka to see a doctor, and get some rest before the rest of the trip. The doctor first told me I had malaria. This scared me obviously, and I have to say that time at the clinic by myself, waiting for my test results, was not pleasant at all. But, thank god, I do not have malaria... just a virus that was probably having a hard time clearing up due to all the hard labor I was doing and my living conditions. Luckily I only missed only a half work day. I will miss the dedication of the homes today, but I'm not too disappointed about it. It doesn't take away from the experiences I had and the friendships I made. I'm content at the lodge by myself. The habitat people have been great about checking in on me and taking me to get lunch, etc. The solitude has been a good time for reflection as well.

I'll try to post some photos of the village this weekend. Until you see them, you won't really be able to begin to understand what its like. Mom, don't worry about me... I'll be fine!