Disaster Averted

33 of our team members attempted to cross into Zimbabwe yesterday to fly out from Victoria Falls.  Due to slow action at the border post only a few of them made their flight, leaving 18 behind for an additional night.

Group tickets, like what we buy, don't have many options, so we were very concerned that our team might have to purchase completely new tickets.  The Lord was with us however, and they all flew to JoBerg and now have boarding passes to the United States.  Undoubtedly some will still suffer some consequences with missed flights in the U.S. etc, but the overall picture is good.

May the Lord be praised.

Thanks for checking in on us.

Milimo

Dust and Diesel Smoke

The team arrived at Namwianga after dark tonight.  The Lag Team arrived about 5pm and took everyone's luggage to their housing.  They looked dusty and beat even before the main team arrived, and all of the huge trucks had to be unloaded.  I know they will sleep well tonight, but it will be a short night because everyone has to have luggage out early tomorrow for travel to Livingstone.

In all they saw 16,029 patients, 10,647 of them medical, 2128 dental, and 3254 in eyes.  I am not sure how many cataract surgeries have been performed but I know it exceeds 100. 

When the team arrived in power was off at the mission, and only the radio station tower lights were on, so team members went walking off in the dark to their housing, to come into a dark house where they had to pack by flashlight.  The power came on about an hour later.

Again, it will be difficult to make postings after this, so they may end abruptly, but we will try to update later.

Update on the young man taken to Maacha with serious injury

I am at the mission at Namwianga, but can occasionally get a text message through to the team, and they responded today that the young man taken yesterday to the hospital in Maacha has survived. He was given 2 liters of IV fluid on the trip. The prognoses for him is good. The medical opinion is that he would have not died had we not been nearby. Praise the Lord.

Even though I am not with them, I know the team is tired. They had to pack up the clinic at the end of the day, and tomorrow will have to leave very early to get to the next and last clinic site.

The next to last load of cataract patients started off today about 4pm for the trip to Namwianga Hospital. Dr. Monze from Livingstone is still doing surgeries. As of mid-afternoon they had done 97 total, with another 50 or so to go.

Again I am at the mission, and was hearing laughing from outside the house. A large group is standing around listening to Namwianga Christian Radio. I went into my bedroom and dug out one of the small crank-powered radios to test it, and after a few cranks heard my name mentioned. What timing. I have no idea what was said after that because it was in Chitonga, but as they say, any publicity is good publicity;-)

The crank radios were donated by the Church of Christ in Gorman Texas to give to churches so that they can hear Bible reading and programming on Sundays. The radios are very small, but have a big sound and will operate with just a few cranks for several minutes, and they also have a small solar charger built in. It is amazing how much the rural people at the clinics talked about the radio station, it is their only real source of news, educational information, and entertainment in their native language. (To the folks at Gorman, I will pack this one back up after I am finished to be distributed.)

I will try to make later posts, but they may stop abruptly. Apologies in advance for this, but it gets crazy as the team departs.

I think I will take a moonlit walk to the station to see if I can find out what Musopole said about me.

Have a great day.

Thanks for your interest in ZMM

Leonard Mujala

Interview with Chief Chikanta

Various Photos

Chief Chikanta Tours the Pharmacy

Star Ferguson talks with His Royal Highness Chief Chikanta about the pharmacy