Serendipity and Blessed Encounters

One of the largest reservations my mother has about this trip is my lack of contacts in Kitwe. We still know people in Mwami/Chipata, but there's no one in Kitwe. What follows is an account of how that need, which I'm sure has been in my mother's prayers, was answered.

Intro/Flower Stand
I've worked part-time at the Coronado Flower Lady for the last 10 years--depending on school, schedule, availability and the like. For some people Disney is the happiest place on Earth, for me it's the flower stand. A part of that reason is because of the people I've met through the years and this July (2012) was no exception. The following encounter though is quite extraordinary considering that I was only working at the stand once a week during that time.

It was a standard Wednesday afternoon with a standard Flower Stand question: "What flower is that?"

We started chatting. Her name was Cecelia and she was briefly back in town from traveling but before that she had been in Africa as a Peace Corps Volunteer.

"Really, where?"
"Well, most of my time was in South Africa, but I also was in Zambia."
"Zambia! What part?"
"A copper mining town called Kitwe."
"Kitwe!?!?" I squealed and barely managed to keep from jumping up and down in joy. Fine, I did jump and down. Just a little.

We chatted for awhile, exchanged contact info, and promised to get in touch--it was amazing, in a few moments I felt as though I had gained a friend.

Meeting with Cecelia
I sent her an email this month and we were finally able to meet.

It was a cold, grey afternoon when Cecelia warmly welcomed me into her home. She had friends that she'd met traveling with 5Ws (Women Welcome Women World Wide or WWWWW) and they kindly let me join in their late lunch. We munched on Alexander Pizza's "Coronado" as Cecelia, Constance and Constance's husband shared travel experiences and advice.

I asked Constance about the best way to stay safe. Her response: "Don't be stupid!"

Sounds like a good plan!

After some pretty funny stories from worldwide travels, Cecelia pulled out her laptop and shared pictures of Kitwe and experiences she'd had there. The pictures of the market--titenges (colorful, sarong-like material worn as skirts), pyramids of veggies, ramshackle stands, nsapatos (shoes)--brought back memories of trips to the Chipata marketplace of my childhood.

Cecelia's Advice

• Transportation: Get a bike (not sure how much this will be needed since I will be staying at FSC) and be prepared to wait if traveling by bus since they won't leave until every seat is filled. Additionally, buses are apparently soapboxes/pulpits for preachers to spread the word (pretty captive crowd, eh?). She also strongly endorsed traveling by train (though this was done as a group).

"Luangwa Express" Train that runs from Kitwe to Livingstone

• Dress: No tank-tops/spaghetti strings, jeans okay in some settings but better to wear skirts, closed toe shoes to keep out glass etc.
• Health/Food: Filter and boil all water and get some REI tablets as back up (I'm now researching good filters); there are lots of veggies available so they, in combination with nshima and beans, will allow my vegetarian diet.
• Communication: Skype, cellphone in country, email cafes
• Must have: Sunscreen, mosquito net
• Nice to have: Lightweight/silk sleeping bag; bring any specific brand of shampoo or soap that I might want; shoes can be bought there but if I want any specific brand...bring it.
• Faux pas: Hanging underwear to dry where it can be seen. (I find this interesting since markets are full of "unmentionables" hanging from stalls, etc.). Another faux pas that was encountered during a high school mission trip was wearing flip-flops when we visited a government official.

Journal
Cecelia's advice was very useful and informative, but one of the nicest things she did was to let me take her journal home to go over stuff in greater detail. How cool is that!?!

Cecelia's journal echoed much of our conversation--the wonder and joy at Zambian culture and the people she met; her rewarding, yet challenging, work at New Start; traveling to Victoria Falls, Safaris, Zimbabwe and Tanzania; the companionship of fellow Peace Corps Volunteers; and restaurants!

Mukwa Restaurant and Lodge

She again stressed the importance of language and giving Bemba a shot, so I have ordered my Bemba dictionary and beginning grammar book and am checking out online sources (see upcoming post).

One hiccup she bumped into was the 30 day expiration of her visa. I've done a bit of research into it and Christopher (director of FSC) seems to be a pro at how everything works, so I'm not too worried.

A worry I do have is how comforting having fellow volunteers and people with similar backgrounds to talk to was for Cecelia and that I won't have that. I have no doubts about how warm and welcoming everyone at FSC will be, but it's going to be a big change--no matter what I think. It's because of this that I am especially thankful for the several contacts she gave me for friends she made while in Kitwe.

The journal also positively mentions Jolly Boys, the hostel in Livingstone, so I'm optimistic about that. I was hoping to get some insight about the weather, but Cecelia arrived in Kitwe in August and left in March--I arrive in April and leave in August--oh well.

After reading Cecelia's journal, I am even more excited about heading to Zambia.

What it all Means
I look at all the events leading up to this adventure and I am even more certain that it is meant to be and that God is giving me the desires of my heart. I mean how incredible--she just happened to be in town and I just happened to be at the flower stand?