Yellow Fever and a Bus to Zambia

It's been a bit longer since my last post than I was hoping, but school (more specifically preview preparations) has kept me pretty busy the past few weeks. It has been a fairly eventful few weeks with my preparations for this summer. Last week, I got the first part of my immunizations. I went to the Travel Clinic at one of the local hospitals and got my shots for Yellow Fever and Typhoid. I think it's safe to say that they were some of the worst shots I've ever had. The Typhoid made my arm hurt for about 3 days, but that wasn't as bad as the Yellow Fever. From what I understand, when you get your Yellow Fever shot, it is actually injecting a mild form of the disease into your body and about 25% of people get moderately sick, and everyone gets a little sick. I'm not sure if I was moderate or less, but I did get a fever for the next 2 days and just felt kind of strange. I've got to go back in a few weeks and get 2 more shots (Hep A & B) and then I'll be done!

While going to this travel clinic was the cheapest option, it also provided for a unique element that I would not have gotten at another doctor's office. I was required to pay for and sit through a counseling session before I received my shots. A RN printed up a bunch of information and explained to me the different required and recommended immunizations for the different countries I will be in this summer. She talked me through the different symptoms and treatments of the various epidemics. After talking for about 45 minutes, we both determined that with the shots I was getting and the people I'm going with, I'm going to be relatively safe, medically speaking. I received both a valuable education and some confidence for going into this summer. The shots are turning out to be about $150 more than I thought they would be, but I'm confident that God will continue to provide what I need.

Over the past few weeks, Mr. Harrod has been working on an itinerary for our trip. There are still some details to be worked out logistically, but it looks like my summer is going to be broken down into the following:

May 26 - Leave Boise 10:15 am
May 27 - Arrive in Nairobi 7:05 pm
May 28-29 - Rest in Nairobi
May 30 - Travel by bus to Kitale
May 31-June 7 - Visit churches in the Kitale Area (I will be with Danny and his old missionary colleagues)
June 8 - Travel to Nairobi
June 9 - Pick up Justin Shulmire
June 10 - Leave for Zambia
June 10-27 in Tanzania and Zambia
June 28 - Pick up Jacob Vaden in Nairobi, Kenya
June 29-July 2 - Rest in Nairobi and visit the slum work in Nairobi with CMF
July 3 - Travel to Kitale
July 4-20 - In Kitale Region (With possible a short trip over to Uganda)
July 21- Travel to Nairobi
July 23 -Leave Nairobi 8:40 am
July 23 - Evening and next morning in Amsterdam
July 24 - Leave Amsterdam 3:30pm
July 24 - Arrive in Boise 11:17pm

Just typing that up gives me a new burst of excitement. An addition to our trip that has developed is a trip down through Tanzania into Zambia. A situation with some refugees right here in Boise has brought up the need for someone to travel to Zambia to get some paperwork for a young man who has had some incredible injustice done to him. Danny, Justin, and I are able to make that trip without incredible expense since we will already be in Africa this summer. By going down into Lusaka (the capitol of Zambia) we are able to bring freedom and hope to a young man in the states, and it is incredible to be a part of such a dramatic life change. It will also give me the experience of a life time to travel through 2 entirely unique countries into a different region of Africa. We will be traveling by public transport and staying with missionaries through out travels. It will be great to make so many connections and to see such different cultures and parts of the world. I am blown away by the greatness of this blessing. Bwana asifiwe!

Once again, there is so much more I could say about how God has been using my preparation for this summer to grow me and stretch me, but this is getting long enough, so I must finish. Continue to pray for my fundraising. Continue to pray for my cultural, linguistic, and spiritual preparations. I look forward to writing again soon. Be blessed!