We’re celebrating a nice long weekend here in Lusaka. Although we worked Friday, July 4th, we managed to enjoy some American cuisine - burgers, hot dogs, potato salad, and corn on the cob along with fireworks in Robb’s backyard Friday night. Today and tomorrow are Zambian holidays – Heroes Day and Unity Day so we are off work and just relaxing. One of our Zambian colleagues has invited us to a barbeque (or braii as they call it here) tomorrow so we’ll learn more about the history of these two days from a local perspective.
We are recently back from Tanzania where we spent the weekend before my birthday in Zanzibar. We had been there once before (last year right after moving here). This time we went to the northeast coast to enjoy the beach to celebrate our anniversary and my birthday. You can take a look at the resort at http://www.pongwe.com/gallery/. It was awesome. Maybe some of you are more tempted to come visit??!
Not much else is new… I’m still working in and out of Lusaka, spending 50% of my time in the bush at the mission hospitals throughout Zambia. The travelling has gotten pretty exhausting, but it is always worth it when I’m at the site. Being there, rounding with the nurses, clinical officers, and doctors, working side-by-side with them in their HIV clinics, and providing lectures for the staff is really why I’m here. There are times when I wonder why we are here, and times when I feel reminded that we are outsiders that are not always welcome, but when I am out at the sites, all of that falls away and there is a very real collaboration to provide patients with the best care possible… so needless to say, I love being out there
Dave has been busy working 10-12 hour days consulting for CRS. It started as a consulting job where he was providing financial expertise to the program manager that did not have a finance background, then she left the program, and they offered him her job. He declined, preferring to remain a project consultant, but has been filling in since she left. He’s had a ton of work, but will be changing projects in September. His new project will focus more on audit and requires he travel for 6 week stints. The first is to Burundi. It should be exciting!
Otherwise, we’re looking forward to coming home in August! I’ll be attending the World AIDS Conference in Mexico City the first week of the month, then traveling to Baltimore for some work at University of Maryland. Afterwards, the holiday begins, and I’ll head back to the west coast for a few weeks of vacation. Dave is heading to San Diego the 2nd week of August. We are super excited to be in town for Angela and Cory’s wedding September 6th, then we head back to Zambia on the 8th. We are hoping that we’ll manage to see everyone when we’re in town – so look at your calendars and let us know!
We hope you’re well. We miss you – despite our infrequent communication, the distance has definitely made us appreciate all of you even more.
~Kim & Dave
1 comment:
Hi Dave and Kim! We miss you guys a lot! I love reading your blog and trying to imagine what it must be like to be the adventurers that you both are. Hopefully we can see you both when you are back in San Diego. By the way, I don't know if you heard the news, but rumor has it that Damon and Jess are engaged. Rumor also has it that Arman likes to where women's clothes... but I think that is just a rumor. Arman likes to remind me of how manly he is by flexing his muscles. Well, I am off to work at a desk doing non-Indiana Jones-ish work. All the best to you both!
Chris and Anh
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