OMNI July 2006

Update #13

2006-07-23T14:55:00.000-07:00

Victoria Falls
Five of the eleven team members threw caution to the wind and bunji jumped at the falls today - Rick, Dan, Kurt, Christina and Natalie. Mark was short on funds and has jumped here before. Dan, Kurt and Christina also did the gorge swing. Reportedly, the gorge swing took a bigger toll on the participants. After completing the swing, they were lowered to the bottom of the gorge and had to walk and climb stairs back to the top.
Everyone got to enjoy the view of the falls from several vantage points. From the falls, they all caught taxis to the boat for the sunset cruise on the Zambezi River. This is the river that feeds the falls. Rick says it is a great way to end a trip, on the water watching a beautiful sunset. Kathy reported today being the best day of her life!
In the river, there were lots of hippos. Mark got several great shots of these amazing animals. After the cruise, a couple of men where performing on handmade instruments. One man had several drums he was playing and the other was playing the African version of a xylophone. Within a few minutes, Dan had joined the drummer and was playing along with the men on what would have been the bass drum. Rick said for most of the trip, Dan (a drummer) had been tapping and beating on anything he could. He got "scolded" more than once by those who didn't appreciate his talent at the time. This bit of music with the men was perfect!
Tomorrow, this group will wake early, again, to catch a bus to Lusaka. This just under a seven hour ride. They will meet up with the others at the airport and board the plane for Johannesburg at 2:35 P.M. They only have an hour layover in Jo'burg before catching the flight to Washington, D.C. Please pray that all their bags make the connecting flight! I'm sure no one will give up their personal carry on bags this time!
If any news comes from Rick while in Jo'burg or Lusaka before they leave, I'll post it. Otherwise, this will be the last update.

Update #12

2006-07-22T12:34:00.000-07:00

The Livingstone Group
Communications today are only from those who went to Livingstone. These team members arrived there around 12:30 P.M. They got a great view of Victoria Falls from the plane as they prepared to land. Mark Remine got some great pictures. Rick says the falls are as wide as he has seen then before, but less water seems to be falling over the gorge. There has been a draught. The cloud that hangs over the gorge is smaller than Rick has seen before.
After checking into the guest lodge, the team went to check on reservations for the sunset cruise (affectionately referred to as the "booze cruise"). A large party had reserved the whole boat, so the team will go tomorrow night. They spent the rest of the day near the falls at the market. Came back to the lodge for dinner and all crashed pretty early.
Tomorrow, the team will spend the day at the falls. Several plan to bunji jump from the bridge that spans the gorge between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Since the group is pretty big and several members want to jump, they could be there for several hours. Rick reported that some who were real serious about jumping earlier in the trip are now waivering. We'll see who really goes through with it. Google Victoria Falls to see what they are in store for. It's awesome!
There will probably be one or two more updates before the team gets on a plane to head home. Thanks in advance for all those who have shared comments and emailed compliments.

Update #11

2006-07-21T16:06:00.000-07:00

Clinic at Kawama
Kawama is the name for a ghetto area in Ndola. Today the team went to an established clinic in this part of the city. They took over for and worked along side the staff at this clinic. Though the community was crowded and poor, the clinic was nice. The staff here is limited in the help they can provide by the lack of medicines and trained doctors. It was very important that the team was here today to lend their expertise and share medicines. Lynn Swan share the following information.
1. There were many HIV patients. Several mother/child HIV+ pairs were seen. There was a man (HIV+) and his pregnant wife (HIV-). Also a mom who was (HIV+) when her child was born four years ago who found out today that this boy is also HIV+. Lynn was thankful that she was able to work with a clinic nurse who was also a trained counselor. It was a much needed skill today.
2. The team saw a four year old Down Syndrome child. The mother just thought he was slow (not walking or talking, yet). She had never received any information about Downs or how to teach and discipline a child with this condition. She received lots of information today.
3. A father and daughter came to the clinic today who were both burned in a fire that they were trying to contol and keep away from their crops. The daughter was burned more severely than the father. He had walked to the clinic from their home just over the Congo border, about a 17 kilometer walk with his daughter on his shoulders. Jeanette worked on the girl for over and hour and a half cleaning and dressing the burns. The father had no idea that the OMNI team was at the clinic today. He just knew the clinic was the closest place he could go for help.
4. Two mothers gave birth. Both babies are healthy. When people come to the clinic, they are supposed to bring their own sheet and food. Neither of these mothers had either to bring. The team provided food.
The team also checked in on the baby taken to the hospital earlier this week who was severely malnurished. She has improved, but has not gained any weight. Lynn reports that she is 19 months old and weighs about 12 pounds! The team brought food for the mom to have while she stays at the hospital with her daughter.
The team was back at the lodge by 5:00 P.M. They had a closing devotion at dinner led by Kathy. She included scripture and asked each team member to name an experience they would take home with them and to name something they were anxious to see/do once home. Rick said it was interesting to hear everyone's responses. The team also heaped praises on Foster for all his work these past few weeks. He has done a great job!
Rod and Lorinda (hosts for team while in Lusaka) are in South Africa right now. Lorinda got word that her mother has cancer of the esophagus and is not doing well. Please keep them in your prayers. Some team members will stay at Rod and Lorinda's guest house when the team returns to Lusaka on Sunday. Unfortunately, they won't see their hosts.
Tomorrow, 11 people leave the lodge at 5:30 A.M. to take a bus to Lusaka. From there, they will board a plane to Livingstone to see Victoria Falls. They will take a sunset cruise in the evening and visit the falls on Sunday. Monday, they take a bus back to Lusaka and prepare for the journey home. The remaining 7 team members will make final rounds at the hospitals where patients have been sent that were seen at clinics. They will take food and clean sheets with them. They will also go visit the tribal chieftainness of the area. This is a woman who holds a great deal of power in the region. She is the fourth largest land owner in the country. OMNI has worked hard to maintain a positive relationship with her. They will bring her gifts and tell of their work during this visit.

Update #10

2006-07-20T17:55:00.000-07:00

The team did not hold a clinic today. Instead, most went to the farm OMNI owns near Kitwe and unloaded medical supplies and some other items off the container. These items were delivered to George Compound. Teddie (a teacher at the school OMNI supports at George)Received some of the contents of the container. The team also visited the Ndola General Hospital and the Childrens Hospital. Jeanette stayed back at the lodge and just relaxed. Dan also stayed at the lodge and slept!
Rae, Jill, Mary Sue and Foster joined Rick and Mr. Ravensdale for a tour of the SOS Childrens Village. Rick took lots of pictures and they had opportunities to speak with staff members. Three hours later....this group ran a few errands in Ndola and headed back to the lodge.
Dinner tonight was a great social event. Since everyone wasn't dead tired on their feet, they enjoyed each others company and had lots of laughs.
Tomorrow, the team will do a clinic at an already established clinic in the inner city of Ndola. The team will work along side state nurses and doctors. They will see approximately 250 - 300 people, but the pathology will be interesting. In past years, the team has seen lots on HIV, Malaria and even a case of Leprosy.

Update #9

2006-07-19T15:48:00.000-07:00

New Clinic Site for OMNI
Karen got on the phone today to tell about the new clinic site the team was at today in a small village between Ndola and Kitwe. The team saw about 250 - 300 people. Overall, the health of this community was better than expected. Hank saw a small child that was severly jaundiced with an enlarged spleen and liver. The team will go back to this village tomorrow to take the child to the hospital. They also saw a child with a rare syndrome (name unknown) that left the child deaf in both ears and with bright blue irises and cat-like pupils. It was a very interesting case for the doctors to see.
Before going to this new village, the doctors went to the Childrens Hospital to do rounds. They saw the baby sent there yesterday who was near death. She was doing a bit better on IV nourishment. The mother was there. They spent a long time counseling her on her issues and the care of this infant. Karen talked to the head of the hospital and the head nurse and thanked them both for admitting this baby on behalf of OMNI.
Tomorrow the team goes back to the OMNI farm where they will unload the container that was sent to Zambia last year. The container arrived a week after the team came back to the U.S. So, it has been sitting at the farm, still loaded, for almost a year. A flatbed truck has been hired and items will be taken to both the Childrens Hospital and the main hospital in Ndola as donations.
The whole team is doing well. Spirits are up for they have had their second good day in a row. They will get a chance to regenerate a bit tomorrow, since there isn't a clinic.
Rick spent much of the day meeting with the builder he spoke to a few days ago. He visited the banana plantation the builder recently completed. He also took the builder to the property. Tomorrow, Rick meets again with Mr. Ravensdale and goes back to the SOS Childrens Village. MarySue Claus is going along. Rick will take lots of pictures, something he didn't think to do on his first visit.

Update #8

2006-07-18T14:34:00.000-07:00

Clinic at Baluba
This clinic information came from Lynn Swan.
As stated in the previous update, Baluba is a compound near the Congo boarder where approximately 8500 Congolese refugees live. It is a very poor area and the medical needs are great. The team saw about 550 people. There were many cases of skin diseases, pneumonia in children and HIV. Besides the medical care, the team distributed many pairs of glasses and clothing to those who needed it. Lynn saw a mother and a 13 month old baby. The mother stopped breast feeding the baby about three months ago because she is pregnant again. The baby was within days of dying. They tried to see if the baby would take any nourishment, but it was unable to swallow. The baby was transported to the hospital. The team will check in at the hospital in a few days to see if the baby was saved.
Jeanette cleaned out and sewed up an absess inside the cheek of a woman.
The team saw some people with seizures which they weren't able to help because they don't have the right medications. There were also many cases where a simple surgical procedure could have helped a condition. In the U.S., the surgery would have been done. In Zambia, it is out of the question.
Some time in the last few days, the team saw a hydrocephalic, two-year old girl. She still had good neurological functioning and was a delightful child. Again, in the U.S., this child would be treated, no questions asked. In Zambia, the mother was told nothing could be done.
Tomorrow, the team will have a clinic at a new village/compound near Baluba. Foster is familiar with this site. It will likely be as busy as the clinic today and with as much need.
Rick was busy today meeting with people who could be instrumental in helping the OMNI Childrens Village become a reality. He met with a local architech and will meet with him again on Thursday to visit the SOS Childrens Village. The SOS orgainization is worldwide. Their facility in Zambia (school and housing) is beautiful. Foster's wife is the superintendent of the school there. Rick and the architech will go to get ideas and see how an already successful facility is run.
Rick also connected up with a man that he met last year who was very helpful in supplying building materials. He was able to recommend several local builders. Rick met with one today who he immediately connected with. The two will meet again tomorrow to go look at a recent project the builder just completed, a banana plantation.

Update #7 cont....

2006-07-17T14:47:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, the team will visit Baluba. This is a compound of Congolese refugees located in the northern part of Zambia near the Congo boarder. The team has been to this site before. It typically is the roughest clinic of the trip. The building team will really be appreciated for their efforts to keep people in line. Keep everyone in your prayers!

Update #7

2006-07-17T14:22:00.000-07:00

Mansansa - Bush Clinic
The team saw 360 people today. Nine tested positive for HIV. There was lots of interesting pathology at this location. This is the second year the team has been to this site. Towards the end of the clinic, a young man approached Karen and asked her to come with him to his home. He had a relative there too sick to come to the clinic. Karen packed up several items and followed the young man about half a mile into the bush. The relative was an older man who had HIV. The best Karen could do was give him a shot of penicillin and leave behind some other meds. Once she got back to the clinic, another person asked her to come to see another very ill man. That home was about a mile in the opposite direction from the first home. Before leaving, Karen was warned that the area was full of black snakes. No report on whether or not she saw any! This man was at the end stage of AIDS and probably only had a few days to live. She left items that would help make him comfortable.
The team stopped at George on the way back to the lodge to deliver crutches to two girls who needed them. The crutches were in the container at the Farm and were retrieved yesterday when a group went to visit.
Rick spent the morning with Mr. Ravensdale, an American, who OMNI hopes to hire to oversee the OMNI Childrens Village project. Afterwards, Rick, Foster and Osword went to visit the woman with the severe burns that came to a clinic earlier in the week. They wanted to deliver a coat to her. The coat came from Karen's mom. Karen was told to find someone who could really use the coat. Everyone felt this woman was very deserving! From the hospital, the three men went to Koloko to buy Osword a male pig. He already has a female and needed the male for breeding. From Koloko, they went to Oswords home to drop him off - with the pig, lots of bottled water, a large bag of oranges and a bag of cheese curls for Osword's son (a special treat). The men were greeted by a very happy Clair and Osword's sister. The women had been worried about Osword's health. They knew he was in good hands, but didn't know what was wrong. Rick and Foster stayed there for a few minutes and visited.
From Osword's home, Rick and Foster went to Agape to pick up the bags that were left behind by the medical team a few days earlier. They got back to the lodge after 9:00 P.M., ate quickly and crashed!

Update #6 cont.....

2006-07-16T20:01:00.000-07:00

Monday, Rick will meet again with Mr. Ravensdale regarding the new property. This is a man who the OMNI board members have been in contact with before. Rick hopes to get names of people/companies that OMNI can contract with to start buildings.

Word was received today regarding the tests Osword had for Hepetitus B. All came back negative. He has Hep. A and needs to rest, eat well and drink clean water. He has had a few days at the lodge to do just that. He will probably go home tomorrow.

Update #6

2006-07-16T19:40:00.000-07:00

News from Sunday, July 16th
Some team members went to a church service at a Baptist Church in Ndola. Karen, Rick, MarySue and Ron Claus went to the new property. They all walked the land and talked about ideas. Rick did some rough surveying of the land and took lots of pictures then he met with a local official/elder. Karen and the Clauses took off for Kasango, so Karen could meet with Annie's care giver, as promised. All were back to the lodge for lunch. After lunch several people went to the farm OMNI owns near Kitwe. This is where Foster and his family live. There is a nice (by Zambian standards) ranch-style home on this property and several out buildings. The farm also has many fruit trees on it. Last year the building team spent several days clearing out an out building of weeds and covering most of it with a new roof. Rick thought that the building team this year might finish roofing of this building. Not so! Ron Claus was going to work on the hot water heater he installed last year. Apparently, it is not working properly.
After the farm visit, the team members got a chance to shop in Kitwe. They were all eager to share their purchases with those who did not make the trip.
Some of the younger team members stayed back in Ndola. Mark Remine visited a local bar and came back to the lodge with a plate full of local "snacks" that included some sheema (staple food of Zambia - boiled cornmeal), a small eggplant and dried catepillars. Mark reports that the dried caterpillars tasted like cornnuts, just a bit saltier. The Zambians at the lodge loved what Mark brought back and said it was a great snack!
The whole team was back together for dinner tonight. They spent some time discussing the clinic for tomorrow. It will be in Mansasa. The building the team uses for the clinic is very small and the crowd is generally large. The team decided to organize this clinic like they did last May. One doctor will work with the triage team to determine who really needed to be seen by a doctor. The other doctors would be set up in building along with the pharamacy. To keep the pharmacy from getting too busy, vitamins would be prepacked for easy distribution. The whole team sat at tables after dinner to pack the vitamins.

Update #5 cont.....

2006-07-16T19:22:00.000-07:00

A bit more news from George Compound (Friday)
The team saw 437 people at this clinic. Jeanette spent several hours working on a man with a severe infection on his foot. Most of the bottom of his foot had to be removed by the time Jeanette was done.

In total, for the five clinics to date, the team has seen approximately 1500 people. Natalie has been given the job of recording all patient information into an excel spread sheet on the computer. This information will allow the team to make better estimates on the amounts of medications needed to be purchased at the pharmacy and also help to keep track of patient health from year to year as the team visits the same villages/compounds.

Overall, the incidents of HIV seems to be down this year compared to past years.

The building team was supposed to begin a project of their own on Monday. Due to the acquisition of the property at George compound, Rick will be very busy for the rest of the trip meeting with local officials and trying to set up contacts with contractors and etc. This means that he is unable to get the building team going on a project. Each member of the building team understands that Rick's attentions need to be elsewhere, and they are committed to continue to help the medical team as best as they can. Since the team no longer has a security guard, Kurt has stepped into that position and really been a big help keeping people at the clinics in line and moving along in an orderly fashion.
Rick has already plotted out a draft of the OMNI Childrens Village and has drawn up some floor plans for the first orphanages to be built. He needs to share these plans with the local officials (elders of the compound). Those meetings are scheduled for Monday.

Update #5

2006-07-16T19:00:00.000-07:00

Team News for Saturday, July 15th
The team went to Kasango, another village that OMNI visits each time they are in Zambia. Somewhere between 300 - 350 people were seen. Jill Harrington was very busy dealing with wound care. She saw a mother of a new born baby who had an absess on one breast at or near the nipple. This prevented her from nursing the baby on that side. The baby, due to the size of the mother's breasts and how it nursed had a staff infection on its face. Jill drained the absess and made a sling (of sorts) out of a tube sock to support the breast. No word about the baby, but I am sure it was cared for, as well.
FYI - most Zambians in the bush don't own underwear of any sort. They just wear outer clothing. Most Zambians will only own a few pieces of outer clothing, most of which was given to them by groups like OMNI. It is not unusual to go into a compound and see American sports team jerseys on children or t-shirts with American icons on them.
The team saw the young girl Jim Brandt (OMNI Board Member) looked at last year with two clubbed feet. She seemed to be doing well.
A young man, named Joseph, served as an interpreter for Lynn Swan at Kasango. Karen and Steve Remine have been supporting his education for the past few years. He is now 19 years old and in the 10th grade. Lynn quickly took Joseph under her wing and showed him how to use a stethoscope and otoscope. He soaked in all this information like a sponge! Joseph first came to the team's attention about three years ago when he showed up at a clinic at Kasango. He had been poisoned by a witch doctor (an attempt to heal him). The team treated him properly.
Karen has also been keeping track of an orphaned girl named Annie at Kasango. Her parents both died of AIDS. She was then kept by an aunt who died of AIDS. Then another relative who died of AIDS. At 14-16 months old, she is now with her fourth care taker who is HIV positive. The care taker made a point of speaking to Karen and asking her to come to the home when she could. Annie was not with the care taker because she was home sleeping. The care taker had something to "discuss with Karen".

Update #4 cont.....

2006-07-15T18:46:00.000-07:00

The team no longer has a security guard. Apparently, there was a misunderstanding with Brite's commander regarding his acceptance of the job for OMNI. He had to return to his regular position. Rick and Foster got pulled into the controversy, but were able to resolve the concerns the commander had.
Rick is reading the blog postings when he can. He looks at the comments sent by those who read the blog. Many have been encouraging to the team and others are full of prayers. If you are so inclined to make a comment, Rick will share them with the team.

At the request of Dan Swan...3-5-2

Update #4 cont.....

2006-07-15T18:32:00.000-07:00

After the Rotary Club meeting, Rick and Foster went back to Agape Village to collect the bags that had to be left behind by the medical team. It doesn't sound like a new trailer has been purchased yet. On the way, Rick kept thinking about a former staff person at Agape, Pastor Osword, that was not around when the team was at the village. Rick asked Foster about him. Foster didn't know what happened to Osword. Before getting to the village, Foster turned off the road onto a two-track path where they came across a woman. Foster asked her about Osword. She gave him "Zambian directions" (go to the rock, turn right and go to the river....) and off they went. After covering some very remote areas, they saw a hut in the distance and Osword and his wife, Clair, walking towards them. After talking for a while, Osword revealed he was not well. He thought he had Yellow Fever or Malaria. Rick told Osword he was coming with them for a few days to be with the team and to see the doctors. Neither Osword or his wife objected. Once back at the lodge, Lynn Swan examined Osword. She felt he had Hepetitis, possibly A but could also be B. Osword was sent to the hospital for tests. The results will be ready on Monday. Please keep Osword in your prayers!
Due to the power outage, the team meeting Friday night was held by candle light. The realization of the enormity of the need in Zambia had hit some of the members of the team. This is an expected emotional time for team members, even veterans have this experience. The whole team processes the experiences of the day and reaffirm how their efforts are helping, even if in small ways. Please keep the team members in your prayers, as well.

Update #4

2006-07-15T18:13:00.000-07:00

Team Events from Friday, July 14th
Due to a power outage in Ndola (where the Kopa Lodge is located) no communications were received on Friday. Power outages are how the Zambian government deals with shortages. Power is turned off in certain areas for several hours at a time to conserve energy. For the past several months, there has been limited fuel supplies in the country. Ofcourse, these outages only impact areas where there is power!
On Friday, the team went to George Compound. Before going to the school, where the clinic was set up, the bus drove around the property OMNI recently acquired. This property had been promised to OMNI over a year ago. But as things go in Africa, the time to actually get the paperwork in hand is longer than we would expect. The property will become the OMNI Childrens Village. As mentioned earlier, the OMNI Board has lots of work to do to make their plans become a reality.
When the bus pulled up to the school the children were lined up outside singing for the team. It was a very touching moment, especially when they sang a song that described how OMNI saved them. OMNI supports this school by paying the salary of the teachers and by providing food and school supplies. The children all have uniforms ( a big deal) compliments of OMNI. The uniform legitimizes a child as a school student. Unfortunately, not much news was shared about what the medical team saw at the clinic. For sure, the children were checked out and several hundred other residents of the compound.
Rick, Foster and Karen left the compound after about an hour to meet with the Ndola Rotary Club. It was a very good experience for all. The club had 96% member attendance at this meeting - way more than the usual crowd. This club will coordinate efforts with the Salem, VA Rotary Club (not the Roanoke Rotary, as mentioned before - sorry!) to outfit the insides of the buildings constructed at the OMNI Childrens Village. A chairperson was appointed and several members signed up to be on the committee. Karen gave a great talk, as usual, about the work OMNI has done in Zambia and specifically George Compound.

Update # cont.....

2006-07-13T17:55:00.000-07:00

Sunday will be a down day for the team. Many have asked Rick about going to the internet cafe to send messages home. So be watching your email on Sunday for messages. Also, you may want to send something so they have mail to read.

Some of the younger members of the team got a cultural lesson today. On the team this year are two young couples who are used to open displays of affection here in the U.S. Apparently, some of the village elders spoke to Foster about what they were seeing and their concern for this kind of public behavior (hugs and kisses). Foster said something to Rick and Rick talked to the team members involved. Each was surprized and apologetic! No one wants to offend the Zambians.

Update #3 cont.....

2006-07-13T17:23:00.000-07:00

A bit about Koloko...
This is a compound run by an English agency. The team went there for the first time last year. The people were much more needy of medical care last year compared to what the team saw this year. Everyone was much healthier. There is a full-time clinic, a print shop and other small industries. They also make their own cheese and honey. The local people brought the team some cheese at the end of the clinic. Rick says it was a dry cheese sort of like parmesan.
At the clinic today, one person come in with a broken bone. There were two broken bones at Agape, yesterday. The team usually has an orthopedic surgeon with them, but he was unable to be on this trip. They could have used his expertise! Lynn Swan was able to set the bones with the help of a splint made by her son, Dan. Lynn felt the breaks were recent enough that they should heal ok. Dan's scouting skills also came in handy when a fire was needed to boil some water. Dan, as well as all the other first-timers, has learned that you just have to jump in and take care of whatever you see that needs taking care of. No need to wait to be asked.
Dan Swan, Dipa Joshi, Greg Johnson and Christina Meli are rotating duties between triage and blood tests. This lets them get both experiences. Also the blood testing table is usually set up under a tree, so it is a cooler place to work. Triage is out in the sun. Sounds like a good system they have worked out!
Tomorrow, the team goes to George Compound. This is a compound OMNI has visited many times. OMNI supports the school at George and has supplied the childen with school uniforms and food. They will be well received there and it is a treat for the team to meet up with old friends. The clinic will be a busy one. Word gets out fast that the team is coming. The crowd will be big.
Rick and Karen will meet with the Ndola Rotary Club tomorrow. This group will coordinate efforts with the Roanoke, VA Rotary Club. The Roanoke group has raised a significant amount of money for OMNI.
As for that property OMNI has been trying to get the deed to....it is in Karen's hands all signed, sealed and delivered. This property is approximately 60 acres adjacent to George Compound. The OMNI board members have big plans for this property that can now begin to be realized!

Update #3

2006-07-13T17:06:00.000-07:00

Back from the Bush!
Again there is lots of news to share, and I will put it all down in several postings.
For those of you who have "experienced" previous trips, here are some facts that we are used to getting:
1. Approximately 300 people were seen at the clinic at Agape Village.
2. Approximately 350 were seen at Koloko today.
3. No serious pathology at either location.
4. Not many cases of TB or Malaria; more cases of HIV
5. Many serious wounds to deal with besides the burn patient seen earlier this week.
6. Docs saw a second burn patient today at Koloko - 16 yr. old boy, burns were old, not sure what the docs were able to do. Boy also had Epilepsy.
Trailer news:
Basically, the trailer is "toast"! It would cost too much to have it towed to Ndola (2 hours away) or Lusaka (3 hours away) and be fixed. OMNI will most likely be purchasing a new trailer while there - an African trailer that can be repaired in country when needed! Foster has permission to try to sell the old trailer, if he is able. Otherwise, it could be given to the police. Remember it is sitting behind a police check point right now. The trailer is empty except for two tables that were too big to get into Foster's car. The team may go back for those on the way back to Lusaka, if able. It's not a big loss if they aren't picked up. The tables were the plastic Costco kind.
Since the team doesn't have the trailer and space is of a premium, Rick and Foster took the team's personal gear to the lodge earlier today. Then headed back to Koloko to get duffles and whatever else would fit in Foster's car. When they got back in the car to head for Koloko, Foster's car was dead. He knew what the problem was, but it meant a walk to town to the auto parts store. Some items were purchased, no luck. Another walk to town for different parts, no luck. Then the mechanic was called. He came out and was able to get the car running after an hour of work. Total hours fussing with the car - 3. With the late departure, Rick and Foster passed the bus with the team in it on the way back to Koloko. Rick and Foster continued to the compound to get the items the team couldn't fit on the bus. They got back to the lodge well after everyone else.

Update #2 cont....

2006-07-12T15:25:00.000-07:00

Apparently, after the guys left for Ndola, the clinic picked up. Several very needy people arrived - two babies with failure to thrive and a 25 year old woman with severly burned legs. She had open wounds, to the bone in one spot. Jeanette Capella and Karen worked on her for several hours. Just as the clinic was getting ready to close for the day (around sun down) a woman arrived with what looked like a new born baby. It was very tiny even for a new born. Come to find out, the baby was six months old with failure to thrive and HIV. The mother had HIV also. Needless to say, it was an exhausting day at Agape. All were in bed by 8:30 P.M.
Today was spent at Kaloco Trust where there is a working clinic. The people in this area were much healthier because of the regular medical care. Foster went to pick up the lady with the burns and brought her to the clinic. Karen and Jeanette spent more time rewrapping wounds and teaching relatives how to care for the wounds themselves. Tomorrow, the team goes to a deep bush school where they will hold another clinic. It will be tough day, as people in that area don't get regular medical attention. The clinic OMNI brings once a year is it! Tomorrow after the clinic, the team goes to Copo Lodge in Ndola where they will stay for several days. It will be their first opportunity for a real shower since they left Lusaka. Everyone is looking forward to that! The next communication should come tomorrow night from the lodge.

Update #2 cont....

2006-07-12T14:59:00.000-07:00

At the second police check point, it only took 30 minutes to convince the police that the officers at the first check point really wrote the letter. They were on their way again and things were going well until sparks started flying from the bottom of the trailer Foster was pulling behind his car. A trailer wheel came off 100 yards further down the road and went flying into the bush. The wheel was easy to find, but the damage could not be taken care of - all five lug screws had been sheered off! Foster went back to a village a few miles back and hired a man to stay with the trailer until someone could come back for it. The duffles were loaded onto the bus along with some of the tables used for clinics. The personal bags and some of the smaller women were packed into Foster's car. Since the duffles take up so much room, some of the team members had to sit on top of them - not comfortable! They were on the road again with only one more check point to get past - the toughest one. By the time they reached the check point, it was too late for officers to be on duty. They finally arrived at Agape at 5:00 A.M. very tired! Everyone got a few hours of sleep because the clinic had to be ready to go by 9:00 A.M. From the look of things in the morning, it seemed like it was going to be an easy clinic. The new team members got a chance to get used to clinic procedures. Their pace will pick up as the week progresses!
Rick, Dan Swan, Kurt Enkemann, Foster and Ringo went to Ndola to get parts to fix the trailer. They had to go to 10 different auto parts stores before deciding that an American trailer in Africa was not a good mix. Finally, they decided to purchase some parts and do their best to make it work. From Ndola, it was a two and a half hour drive to the trailer. Thankfully, it was still were they left it and so was the hired "guard". Once there, the guys were able to jury-rig the wheel back on the trailer. Foster paid the "guard" and they were off to Agape. They were waived past the police check point (the one closed the night before) without trouble, but 40 feet past, the trailer wheel came off for good - no hope of repair. The guys pushed it behind the police "station", tried to load some items into Fosters car and headed to Agape. They arrived at 10:30 P.M. to find everyone asleep.

Update #2

2006-07-12T14:34:00.000-07:00

News from the Bush!
There is lots to report. Since there is a word limit to each posting, there will be more than one posting today.
Jill Harrington got her license on Sunday. That process took several hours. After she and Karen got back to the guest house (noon), everyone went to the Shoprite - a local store that sells everything, but on a smaller scale, to get supplies for the trip to Agape. Once at the Shoprite, everyone decided to give Zambian pizza a try. The critics report, "not bad". Since they had to wait a long time for the pizza, they put off shopping and headed to the airport to get the duffles that were promised to be ready for pick up by 2:00 P.M. The duffles were waiting for them on a cart. Karen, Hank Maicki and Rick wheeled them right past customs. They were stopped for one second and then waived on - YAHOO! Once outside, they discovered that two duffles were missing and they had two that didn't belong to them. Also Natalie Weygand's personal bag was missing and Hank's cell phones were gone. Paperwork was completed for the lost bags/items - another long process!
From the airport, the team went back to the Shoprite, got groceries and met up with Foster and the trailer. It was 8:15 P.M. by the time they got on the road for Agape Village, meaning a 1:00 A.M. arrival time, IF nothing went wrong.
At the first police check point just outside Lusaka, they were stopped. Apparently, there is a new law forbidding busses to travel north out of Lusaka after 8:00 P.M. due to highway robbings on that route. Foster, Ringo (bus driver) and Brite (security guard hired by the team) talked to the police for two hours and finally convinced them that Brite could protect the team. The men also convinced the police to write a letter to give them permission to clear the other police check points. The team was on their way by 10:30 P.M......Agape by 3:00 A.M.????

Update #1

2006-07-10T10:50:00.000-07:00

The team has arrived safely in Lusaka! The flight from Washington, D.C. was smooth. The flight was over-booked and it sounds like late arrivers got bumped. The OMNI team arrived early enough to secure their spots. They were spread out a bit on the plane. The flight goes to Darkur, a small island off the west African coast to refuel and change crew. There is only one runway at this airport and no taxi lanes. So once a plane lands, it must turn around and taxi back to the terminal before another plane can land. Once refueled and new crew was on board, the plane had to wait for two other planes to land and taxi off the runway before getting their turn to take off again. This put the plane off schedule. When the flight landed in Johannesburg, the team had to do an "OJ sprint" to get to their waiting flight to Lusaka. Needless to say, the duffles did not make this leg of the trip. Also, some of the team members had their carry-on bags taken on the gangway for "storage below". Those bags didn't make it either, so team members with clothing have been sharing it with others who had their bags taken.
The team was greated at the Lusaka airport by Foster, the man OMNI employs to be their agent in country. He had a rented bus for the team and the jeep he drives - no trailer for the duffles. So, in a way, it was good the duffles didn't arrive, because there wouldn't have been a place for them. The bus is only big enough for passengers and their personal gear. Foster will go get the trailer from Kitwe today.
Karen Remine and Jill Harrington will go to the medical council in the morning to get Jill's license. This allows her to work in Zambia on a temporary basis. When they get back the whole team will go shopping for items needed while at Agape Village in the bush. Hopefully, Foster will be back with the trailer by then. From the store, they will go back to the airport and hopefully get the duffles and personal bags. From the airport, they will travel directly to Agape. This will mean a late arrival to the village, after dark. Everything takes longer than planned in Zambia!
No communications can happen from the bush. It is too far from the cities to access cell towers or the internet. The team may have a satelite phone with them, but it is not reliable and it is very costly to use. The team will be at Agape for a day or two. The building team will assess whether or not any repairs need to be made on any of the facilities. They will also help the medical team run a clinic. The building team generally helps with the organization of people and security. Typically, things run very smoothly at Agape and the children are always thrilled to see the team members. Karen will have special gifts for the children and food supplies. While at the village, the team sleeps on mattress on the floor of the small clinic. Some members opt to sleep on the bus, it tends to be quieter (no snorers allowed). This will be a bit tougher night compared to the guest homes they stayed in last night. There will also be lots of great experiences that will help to bond the team members even more.
Keep praying!

Pre-flight News

2006-07-09T08:06:00.000-07:00

The OMNI team left for the airport Saturday morning around 8:00 A.M. for their 12:30P.M. flight to South Africa. The check in process went smoothly, just time consuming. Each team member is assigned two large duffle bags(airline limit)that contain supplies needed for the trip. There are 18 members on the team and 37 duffles. The team had to pay $140 for the extra duffle to get on the plane. The hope is that all 37 duffles will make it to the final destination in Lusaka, Zambia (capital city) and all be released to the team. In past trips, some of the duffles didn't make it to Lusaka with the rest, but were eventually recovered. Last year, some were not released by the government due to the contents. Please keep this duffle issue in your prayers, as well. Each one is very important to the team.
Team news could arrive via email once they are in South Africa. If not, news will arrive once they are in Lusaka and settled. In Lusaka, the team will be greated by Rod and Lorinda, long time friends of OMNI. They own a guest house where some members will stay. The rest will go to area guest houses nearby. Everyone will eat at Rod and Lorinda's and spend most of their time there. Rod and Lorinda have a new home and guest quarters that have been renovated just in time for the OMNI team. It will be great to hear about their new place.

OMNI in Washington DC

2006-07-07T19:43:00.000-07:00

The full team has arrived in Washington DC and are excited to meet the people that we haven't had an opportunity to meet before. The team is from five different states this trip. We have completed our team meeting and are preparing ourselves for tomorrows long plane ride. The team went to dinner together and meshed immediately. It's going to be a great experience. We are very excited to have Kurt Enkemann and Christina Meli with us. Chistina suffered a great lost with the passing of her brother just a couple of days ago. We greeted her with a big embrace and applaude her for the courage to make the trip. She and Kurt feel that to make the trip will honor her brothers memory. That is the type of people that make up an OMNI team. Please keep them and their families in your prayers. They are about to journey on a very emotional trip and with the additional burden of her brothers passing on their hearts they are going to need the support of ALL the team and that includes the members of the team that remain in the USA.

Posted by R. Jaster

June 26, 2006

2006-06-26T08:43:00.000-07:00

Friends of OMNI,
The team is preparing for their July 8th departure to Zambia. Team members will gather in Washington, D.C. on July 7th for a final meeting before leaving. Please keep all team members in your prayers. As always, there are veteran members on the team and new members. Even for the veteran members, there will be new experiences.
Feel free to send this blog site to others in your family or friends who are interested in keeping up to date with the team as they are in country. I hope to be in communication with my husband on a daily basis to get the team news. I will pass that news on to others via this site. The team will also have this blog address with them and could post updates from Zambia, if they are able.

For more information about OMNI see the website at www.orphanmedical.net.
OMNI is a 501c3 non-profit organization.