The Red Sea was too far to the east to see, but we saw the enormous dunes of the Sahara, and more dunes, sand, sand, sand, dunes, sand sand, dunes, sand, sand, on the flight to Addis Ababa. Thatched roofs greeted us on the approach to the airport. Approaching Harare, the smell of wood smoke filled the plane. We could see that the smoke was from agricultural fields that farmers were burning to clear of last summer’s crop debris. We also saw that all the mowed area on both sides of the runway was being cut by a team of 8 men using machetes, something you would never see back home, and a big hint that life is harder here than what we are used to.
-John Woodwell
Teacher
Getting here was harder than I thought but I got here. I was feeling pretty nervous, scared, sad, and many other things. As of now I feel like I’m on top of the world;
which I pretty much am. When I was on the plane I felt like I was passing heaven it was amazing I had never seen anything so beautiful. I mean if I go to a good park in
capitol heights the sky is always pretty. But today I saw the true beauty behind the sky. Looking at the clouds set my mind and spirit to peace. I knew that I wouldn’t have to worry about anything else. Even though I ran into a few very interesting people, smells, and the almost 26 hour flight; I am fine. I’m not scared of anything I’m ready to do what I came here to do and then some. So Long story short I’m great and I’m alive!
-Paige
25 hours. Over 10,000 miles. Man, that was horrible. If purgatory exists, I’m pretty sure it would be somewhat like the plane ride to Lusaka. It’s not good, it’s not bad, and there’s no sense of time or place because of the jetlag and high-speed flying. It’s just a feeling of nothingness and existence while you watch the world go on before your eyes. However, the last 2 hours of the plane ride was amazing. The suspense leading up to the arrival at Lusaka was great, and the scenery…oh god the scenery. The sunrise looks exactly like it does in the opening sequence of the Lion King, it was amazing. We also got to see an overview of the Nile River, and one of our supervisors Jeremy shot some great pictures. When we got to the guest house where we will be staying, I was delighted to find that it’s a lot more…luxurious than I had imagined. My spirits are high and I cannot wait for tomorrow. I hope I’ll make it back in one piece.
-Daniel
One thought on “Arrival of Group 2”
I really admire you guys and what you are doing right now. It's awesome that you have the ability to help others while learning about yourself & making a difference in peoples' lives. I am so happy that you guys had a safe (if not very interesting) flight and that your accommodations are better than you expected. Have fun! @Paige: I'm sooo proud of u, lil sis…you're amazing. And Drew says hi!