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Got to Pittsburgh last night around 9:30. My bag however did not make it from Boston... Should arrive at my house later today. Will post some more later.

Here We Go...

So, here's the scoop. Our second attempt last night was rejected, the flight was cancelled again because of strike issues. Back in the hotel again for the night. We are now scheduled to leave today at 2pm. Air Maroc is bringing in a jet from another company and sending its customers on that. I hope it's a nice one... Anyways, we'll get to Casablanca tonight, spend the night in a hotel there and then head to NY tomorrow morning. I'll arrive in Pittsburgh Sunday night via a connection flight in Boston. Don't ask me how that works, I don't know. Here's to hoping it all works out today and tomorrow. See you soon!

Stuck

So we're stuck in Gabon. The airline has gone on strike and cancelled our flight tonight. They put us up in a hotel. The strike is supposed to end tomorrow. Please pray for quick negotiations so that we can return to the US. Thanks.

Last Few Hours

Back at the house from our last medical caravan. I'm pretty much packed, just finishing our last meetings with Tim and Meredith. I can't believe we'll be on our plane in several hours... Time has flown, but the memories and relationships made here will last forever.

Today was bittersweet as we worked with the members of the medical caravan. It was awesome to remenisce with the people I have aided these last three months. We sat down to eat lunch and found ourselves talking about funny stories of each caravan. Like the time...Tim ran Joseph's truck into a huge mudhole OR the tire on Joseph's truck fell off three separate times OR when Natalie had a push-up competition with Joey in Ndjole. It was fun to talk about those times with the people I consider my family. Towards the end of the caravan, Mama Jeanine and Pastor Jacob surprised me with a couple of shirts and shorts made for me. You never expect gifts, but that's exactly what we got. Each one of the interns also got a elephant carved out of wood. Arican also gave me a small elephant, awesome. He's one of my good friends that I have gotten to know here. It's hard to leave, but I look at it as "See you later!" More to come on Saturday when I'm back in Pittsburgh.

P.S. - We saw a man filleting two sharks this morning. Crazy!

A picture from Santa Clara beach last Thursday.

Last Beach Day

Yesterday was our last beach day here, so we went out to Point Denis (accross the water from Libreville). An awesome day on all accounts with such nice weather. For me, it was a day to really relax and soak in the sun (something I haven't done in a while). On Monday, Tim, Christian, and I went back out to the church in Melen to finish, err actually start the drop plywood ceiling in the pastor's office and deacons' room. That was an interesting day because we started around 10am and finished at 2:45pm without a break. No biggie, because we were at the beach yesterday anyway. :-) Rough schedule for today and tomorrow, as we prepare to leave tomorrow night, is: shopping and Hope House today (I'm making dinner for us and Straw's tonight) + clinic and leaving tomorrow. There it is, our last two days in Gabon this summer.

Cool experience on Monday afternoon. I was walking back to the house from up the street and a group of Mamas called me over to where they were sitting. I guess I knew them from somewhere, but I could not think of it off the top of my head. We began to converse and they started to tell me about the baby that was with them. I learned that he was 4 months old and some other info. I also learned that they go to church and are believers in Christ. They then proceeded to tell me about another baby which is sick or had been. Let's back up first though, the mamas had me pray for the first baby, so I was placed in a plastic chair and prayed for the baby while I held him. Alright, they then presented me with the other baby and I held and prayed for her as well. This whole series of events spoke to me because I'm pretty sure the mamas don't know me that well. I'm sure they know that I'm staying with Tim and Meredith, but who is to say that I'm not a sketchy kind of person. They trusted in their prior knowledge enough to allow me to pray for their children. I am continually blessed here when God shows me this kind of trust and level of comfort with people.

On another note, the prayer request from my last post still stands. Please continue to keep the Heidengren family in your prayers. Thank you.

Unexpected

Hey all,

Urgent prayer request. I just found out that a guy I worked with last summer passed away yesterday. No need for details, but I ask that you keep his family in your prayers as it is a difficult time for them. It is the Heidengren family. Thanks.

Zach

Coming Down...

It's my last Sunday morning in Gabon today, we're going to Avieux Deux. I'm excited to go here because: (1) it's one of the biggest churches in Libreville and (2) it's the church we went to our first week here. It feels as though we've come full circle in our journey as interns. I've been checking my e-mails pretty regularly the last few days to get caught up with stuff back home, and I'm pretty much going to start my new ministries when I get back. The excitement of the next chapter in my life after Gabon is one that utilizes my passion for serving. God has continually opened up doors with which to help me develop and grow as a man of God. As I reflect on my days here, I also look towards the next couple of weeks and where I will be then.

Yesterday we sent two teams out: one to the mobile medical clinic and another to the church at Melen. I was at Melen where we tore down a drop ceiling and roofed a deacons' room and pastor's office. More to come on that later.

Above is a picture of the team from Allegheny Center, which is my church. Also with us is Martin, our translator in Ndjole. He's an awesome guy.

Beach

So went to the beach today with both teams. We went to Santa Clara, which is about a forty minute drive north of Libreville. The bumpy ride was worth it though. This beach was amazing. It has been a rather long stretch of events in the last week or so and this was worth it. It was especially fun to have friends here that I am familiar with. What a great time to hang out and goof off. I am, however, continually amazed by the creation God has blessed us with. The waves of the ocean today were horrendous. Horrendous as in powerful and torrential.

Tomorrow we head out for one of my last medical clinics at a church called Rogue (pronounced Roh-jay). We've come down to my last seven or so days here in Gabon. I'm savoring these days and praying that God continues to speak to me. I am excited for the journey home next week because new things pop in rather quickly at school and such, but it is bittersweet because this has been my home for the last three months. Please continue to pray for some team members who are sick. Thanks!

Quick Update

Hey everyone. We haven't had internet here for about a week and a half. Here's a quick update:

• 2 new teams arrived - Langley, WA and Pittsburgh, PA (yes, my church!)
• Langley helped lay a couple of cement floors at the Nyeng Zyong church
• Pittsburgh helped work on waterline stuff at the Ndjole church (3 hours south of Libreville)

Everything is great, but some people have been getting sick. Please pray for health of all team memebers. Thanks!

Post sometime later this week.

Ali Ben Dang?

So I got up rather early this morning, probably around 6:45. I have no idea why, I just couldn't sleep anymore... It's giving me a chance, however, to post something which I haven't in a little while.

The Faith team just arrived back from Bongolo Hospital last night. What a blessing to get them back safe and sound. God did great things in and through them down there. The South Shore team has been working at the Ali Ben Dang church in Libreville. Already an established church in its area, just making some repairs and doing other projects at the site. Basically, installing a wood ceiling in the pastor's house and finding solutions for water-runoff at the Sunday school wing. Today we'll work in the morning and then go to Hope House in the afternoon. I love going to HH because it really is relaxing and lighthearted when we see the kids. Please continue to pray for the housing situation. I'll post pictures soon of the land that they obtained.

Also just want to quickly throw something on that is on my mind. Family. Yes, my own which is awesome, but also how relationships here are so familial. It blows my mind whenever different Gabonese walk through our front door and see me. They bellow out my name like they've known me for ages. I may have met them once, but they know my name all the more. Family is so important, literally and figuretively as friends. We are to care for one another as our family cares for us. You know the one verse that sticks out in my head? Luke 10:27 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself." Think about it.

Okolassi

So today was digging day. We went to the village of Okolassi to start the foundation of the church. The foundation itself is 8 meters by 12 meters which meant a lot of dirt was flying. Let me give you the rundown: 40 meters distance, 40-65 cm deep, 40 cm wide, 20 people, 10 shovels, 3 pick-axes, 2 machetees, and sweat galore. :-) We got it all done though. I'll try to post some pictures at a later time.

I think the coolest part today was some of the village kids coming down to help us dig. It was right around lunchtime when we were all dead-tired, and they were an encouragement to keep on going. More so because this church is for them as well. Let me explain: the team starting this church (about 5 months ago) ministers to about 100 kids a week which is roughly 5 times the size of the adults attending service. The church is going to for many children and this allowed them to take ownership of something that will be integral in their futures. Someone brought this up in debrief: won't it be cool to one day meet a kid that helped us and he says "i helped to build the church and my kids now attend it where there are 500+ attenders." What an awesome opportunity God had us be a part of today. Two words for today: God works.

Prayer: A couple of the team members have gotten sick the last two days. Pray for good health and safety for the duration of their trip.

Ready, Set, Go

So we've been preparing for the next team to arrive, which is tonight. The whole team has been working on building bunk beds for the guys' bunkhouse. I cut the lumber yesterday, Dick and Dan assembled the pieces with washers and bolts, and then we fully assembled them today (actually in the process of assembling right now). I can't believe how fast the days have gone, our next team is about to arrive... I'm excited though. I'll be staying here in Libreville with each team. We'll have two teams here at the same time: one will go down to Bongolo Hospital on Monday and the other on Saturday. The rest of the interns will accompany each team, but I'll be sticking around up here to be at worksites with the teams.

We went out to eat with the intern team again last night. It included all of the interns, Yoann, Christian (one of the African teens we met in Ebel-Abanga), and Joseph. What an awesome group of people. I didn't realize how far my french has come until I found myself having a full-blown conversation with Joseph during dinner. That's one thing that has amazed me. I am to the point where I can communicate what I need to in french without someone giving me a "what the heck did you say" stare. I appreciate, so much more, the patience of the Gabonese when I was learning.... be back to finish this because I need to do some work...

Ok, I'm back. I'm all over the place on thinking about things tonight. More on the Ebel-Abanga church. 2 years ago, a group from a church in Libreville decided to go out to EA and start a church. A doctor that used to live in EA funded the entire church plant. The "church" started meeting in the house of a woman in EA, sometime later they had to move to the current building which is rented from a well-known man in Libreville. The congregation had enough finances to suppport a pastor last year so the national church (C&MA) sent a pastor to EA (Pastor Moises). Now, 1 year later, they are in the process of building a church. What an awesome experience to be a part of. The passion that I can see in the team that started this church process is incredible. God has a plan and what a neat opportunity to be a part of it.

This week we will be digging and pouring a foundation for another church plant. The site is about 30 minutes outside of the city. I can't wait to see what God is doing there as well.

Time for a Break...Maybe.

So one more shout out to the team that just left. Thank you for letting God use you to not only speak to the Gabonese, but also to me. You all have reinforced what I already knew and see daily: God works. You glorified God in all of your actions and I know that you went 100% all of the time. Safe travels as you continue back to PA. Maybe we'll run into each other sometime :-).

Many thoughts going through my head from last night at the airport to now. Saying good-bye with a heavy heart for the work God did and trying to stay focused because a new team arrives on Saturday night. Hectic... Finished clean-up on the bunkhouse and what not, also went to Hope House this afternoon. Tomorrow we will start to build more bunks because of the 41 people that will be in the house next week. Just need to get in gear now to switch from one thing to the next.

God continues to speak to me. This is especially true when I actually stop to listen to His voice. Hmmm... Could there be a connection there? I led worship last week and played the song "Give Me Jesus." The song really spoke to me, isn't it weird how that works sometimes? Here are some words that really stuck out: In the morning, when I rise. Give me Jesus. (If you want to hear the song, it's right here on the blog) What an awesome line! To often in my life, I have thrown away the morning not really seeking Him from morning to night, 24/7. What a waste of my time. But at the same time, we need Jesus daily. He is our strength, our rock, and our provider. How can we ever get through a day without Him. Yes, breakfast is the most important meal of the day (in my eyes), but isn't Jesus much more important to have in the morning? Start your day off right, give me Jesus.

Prayer:

• Re-orientation to the states for the Lancaster team.
• Safe travel for the Faith (OH) and South Shore (MA) teams as they arrive on Saturday and Sunday night, respectively.
• Strength for us as we prepare for them and go through the days when they are here.

Happy Fourth of July

So we spent the 4th of July in Ebel-Abanga with the Lancaster team this week. What an awesome experience to be able to work alongside Gabonese as well as high schoolers. They are both pretty sweet people. I'll just give a quick synopsis of the week:

Got to Ebel-Abanga (EA for short) on Thursday afternoon, set up camp (26 people) and met the EA church team. We then went out to evangelize on the street with students from the church that planted the EA church. Friday we worked through the afternoon to clear land of brush, logs, stumps and other "crap." Saturday we dug foundation for the new church building (86 meters in distance, 40-65 cm deep, and 40 cm wide). Sunday went to church, Lancaster leader preached and then had a cornerstone ceremony for the new church building. Arrived back at the house on Monday afternoon.

I'll go into more detail about the day either later tonight or tomorrow when I have more time. The Lancaster team is leaving this evening :-( so it's "see you later." Thanks for an awesome week and a few days guys and girls. I had a blast hanging with you and getting to connect with you.

Welcome Lancaster

The team from Lancaster arrived on Sunday evening. Yesterday, they helped us clean out the hospital warehouse and unload our medicine container for the Bongolo Hospital. Today we went to the village Ntoum and had a medical clinic with the team (Mama Jeanine, Pastor Jacob, etc.). It was neat for the team of students to experience this ministry.

I was leading worship tonight at our debrief and we sang the song "Give Me Jesus." What a powerful song, it speaks to me in that all I need is Him. Nothing says more than one of my goals this summer: to always seek to glorify Jesus and really hear His voice. Not much time tonight, I'll post something later... Hope House tomorrow.

Please pray for the team that God will speak to them and that they will hear His voice.

Back to Ndjole

This week has been fairly busy seeing as today our first team comes in from Lancaster. We've been working to get the house ready, and it is basically ready. Yes, I worked all week, but I also found myself on the way to Ndjole on Friday morning for a medical caravan. It was kind of a spur of the moment type deal, so it was just me, Joey, and Torey who went. We rode out with Pastor Jacob and Natalie (one of the eye clinic technicians) in a taxi. Got to Ndjole around 12pm and started working. I was mostly on pharamacy duty that day which meant that I filled prescriptions from the consultation station. Let's just say it's nothing like a US pharmacy. We had about 50 people at that clinic. We stayed at a "hotel" with the medical team, so 11 people in this conference room sleeping on air mattresses and other such pieces of furniture. Did another clinic the next morning from about 9:30 to 3:30 for 60 people. What a long day because we didn't get back to Libreville until around 7pm. It was a great trip though.

I think the best part of this village trip was the time I get to spend with the medical team. One thing you have to understand is that this caravan stuff is run completely by them. They do all of the planning and traveling because they care about the people in Gabon. They are a family and you can see it whenever you're with them. Just 4-5 weeks ago, I met them for the first time not knowing what to expect. Now I on a solo trip (yes, our first solo trip as intern) with them and I feel like a part of their family. It just continues to show me what brothers and sisters in Christ really means. If one falls, another is right there to pick him up. We are one body in Christ seeking to glorify God in all of our actions. Family.

Hope House

You may indeed be wondering what Hope House is. It is an orphanage run by one of the Gabonese pastors and his wife (Pastor Israel and Natalie). They have 26 children who have been abandoned by their parents and they all live in a rented house. There are, I believe, 18 boys and 8 girls, and they range from 2 years old to 16 years old. The girls split two rooms and the guys have a "bunkhouse" outside which they share with only 2 bunkbeds (you do the math...). As cramped as it is, they are blessed to have food, clothing, shelter, and love.

We go to HH every Wednesday afternoon to have time with the kids. We sing songs, teach a Bible lesson, and play with the kids. The older boys usually play soccer in the school yard beside the house, girls talk and do "girl stuff," and the younger kids just run around. Today, Steve sent over a plastic jungle gym/swing set for the yard. You should have seen the looks on the younger kids faces. I have never seen kids go down a slide so many times before!

These have so few things, but the joy on their faces is still very visible. They are a family of 26, and the key word there is family. A family takes care of each other, no matter if they are from different parents or of different color (though they are not of different colors). They remind me each week God's goodness and faithfulness, for they are in Hope House because it is in God's plan. He has a lot of things in store for each one of them, I know it.

Next week we're inviting them over to the Bible school by the house for an afternoon of "Olympics." This idea started after I started a long jump contest a couple of weeks ago with some of the boys. It's awesome to be able to connect with them and really be intentional about building relationships with them. I ask that you pray for Pastor Israel and Natalie as we found out today that the owner of the house that they rent wants to sell the house. This means they will have to find another house that houses 28 people or land they can build on. Pray that God would show them where they are to go and what they are to do. This ministry would not have started without Pastor Israel and Natalie.

Check them out!

Quick, before we leave for Hope House. I want you to check out what some of my friends are doing. I have friends across the globe this summer, not all of them have internet, but here are the blog addresses for the ones that do:

http://pngupdates.blogspot.com

This is my friend Charlie who is in Papua New Guinea with his sister Lea.

http://faithlikeachild-emily.blogspot.com

This is my friend Emily who is in South Africa working with an orphanage called Door of Hope.

Please pray for them as they seek God's will in everything they do. Others abroad are Chuck (working with Athletes in Action - Soccer in Paraguay), Jackie (working at an ESL school in Cambodia), and a group of GCC students in Uganda. Thanks!

Another Week

So I haven't posted in a little while due to some stuff going on here in Gabon. I can't say much about it, but just ask my parents or anyone else that might know. Anyways, was at Bongolo Hospital this past week which is about 8-9 hours south of Libreville. If you don't know much about Gabon, find a map and look. :-) We went down to do another scouting trip about what teams will be doing. Primarily they are there to see the hospital and tour the facilities, which are an awesome testament to God working. People from all over Gabon travel hours and hours over bumpy roads and curvy roads to get seen at Bongolo. Bongolo is not only concerned with their physical needs, but also (and most importantly) their spiritual needs. What an awesome thing they are doing. If you get a chance, check out their website http://www.bongolohospital.org It's definitely worth your while.

So we checked out housing, which a family is there as an STMO site where teams will stay. Also, we want to give teams a good experience, so they will be tubing down the river through Gabon. The interns and Tim took it on Wednesday and it turned out to be a 3 hour 15 minute ride, not bad I guess. Nice time to relax and check out the scenery. It was also very peaceful where I got the chance to reflect on my last 3 weeks here. First, can you believe I've been here that long? Second, I was sharing with the other interns last night my goal this summer of hearing God's voice as well as serving and I have had the chance to hear Him. There is still much listening to do on my part, but it has been a start so far. I'm reading the book "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan right now, and I love (no pun intended) tying hearing God's voice and His awesome love for us together. I challenge you as you read this to reflect on your life and see how much you've been listening to God's voice. How do you do this? Through prayer. And also through times of just silence, like when I sat over the ocean in a tree and heard the waves crashing against the beach. Remember, it doesn't necessarily take missions overseas to experience God's voice. So, sit down and take some time to listen...

Oh Friday Nights in Gabon

So, a lazy saturday morning here. Just got back from helping Romie (a professor at the C&MA Bible School) at her yard sale because she and her husband are leaving in a week or so. Anyways, went out with the other interns last night for dinner. We also went with Mama Jeanine's youngest son Yoann who is nineteen. Nice to have another guy my age, and he is a good English speaker.

We left the house around 7:00 to catch some taxis to the other side of town. Took a taxi from our street/cartier to Snee, which is a big taxi hub a little ways away. (we had six in the taxis every time) From Snee we headed to the restaurant, but our taxi got stopped at the big market police stop. We believe it's because we, except for Yoann, are all white/American and there were six of us packed into the car. Anyway, we all had to get out and show the police our passport copies and the driver had to pay him like 2,000/3,000 francs to continue driving us. So we got to the restaurant around 8:00 after that whole ordeal. At the restaurant, they only had burgers left out of everything on their menu, or say they said, so we all got cheeseburgers and fries. Got our food around 9:00 (same time the Straw's walked in, the only other white people we know in Libreville) and then Lindsay got a milkshake before we left. She wanted it to go, but the concept isn't really prevalent in Gabon. She got them to put it into my empty waterbottle, which I had just chugged down about 2 minutes prior... So we boarded a taxi back to the house. This taxi was the coolest ever because it had stuffed animals everywhere and lights and rap music playing (in english). I started out in the front seat with the driver and Yoann, but my butt was too much on the clutch so the driver made me move to the back while he was driving. So I squirmed my way to the back, which already had the 4 girls in it, and rode laying across their laps. Got to about 2 kilometers away from the house and the driver pulled to the side of the road. Is this where you're dropping us off? What's going on? Yoann's exact words as an explanation, "He go pee-pee." He definitely stood outside of the taxi and went... Oh Gabon. Finally got back to the house around 10:00. Oh what a night.

It was great getting to know Yoann because he is a great guy. He is eager to learn more english and has many things in common with all of us interns. He also has a facebook so after we leave, we will all be able to keep in touch. Facebook is a great tool to keep in touch. I am excited to see where Yoann goes because he has two more years in high school here and then he wants to pursue an education hopefully in the states. We'll see. God is very much working in his life. He has a faith that is strongly influenced by his parents, Pastor Jean-Mark and Mama Jeanine. But it is his own faith, he has gripped it and runs with it everyday. Truly a testament to how God works.

Pic from a while ago

Remember the truck stuck in the mud?  Here, it is.

Getting Ready

So we've been getting the house ready all this week to be team-ready by the end of June. One month sounds like a good amount of time to finish stuff, but we leave next week for a 4-day tour of Bongolo Hospital about 8-9 hours south and then a 6-day tour of Franceville east of Libreville. We then have a week before teams start to come down. So back to getting the house ready.

We have a new dining/eating area for teams and have been working to get it screened in and walls cleaned/painted. Also have a new guys' bunkhouse that needs work (floors, walls, windows maintenance) and also working on little details inside the regular house. This work just means that it won't be very long until high school students will be roaming around here.

I am excited for teams to arrive, not only the fact of more males in the house, but also the spread of God's work in Libreville. We (the STMO staff) are here to support the national C&MA church in Gabon and the teams' presence only testifies to others in the US that the Gabonese church is alive and well. The fact of males in the house does give me motivation for getting to the end of June. It is different living with 5 other girls (soon to be 7 other girls with the 2 arriving on Monday night) and not having any other college guys around. God continues to work through this situation though. I guess living with them 24/7 isn't so bad because they continue to teach me many things. I am glad that we are working as one team with the common goal of glorifying our Savior. I knew that there were others that love to serve and have the passion to go other places outside of the US, but this summer puts it into perspective. It also puts into perspective that Gabon, for me, is not my only mission field. I can't wait to get back and start next school year because of my new freshman hall. That is another field I am excited to minister and instruct in. God continues to show me the essence of missions and ministering to His people: no matter where they are or who they are.

Ndjole

So we're starting late this morning, probably around 9 or 10 which is the reason I can post this in the morning.  Anyway, we were at a village called Ndjole (en-JOEL-lay) all weekend to scout it out for a work project and housing, which is about 3 1/2 hours south of Libreville.  This is the location of the church that the ACAC (my home church) team will partner with when they come down at the end of July.  The pastor of the church is named Phillipe and he has a wife (Verdine) and 3-year old son (Arnold).  He was sent to Ndjole 3 years ago to a small church (7 people to be exact) and basically no home or running water.  Today, however, the church is about 100 people and he has built a home adjacent to the church, but still no running water.  So, like most of Africa, they have a shack: one side has a square hole in the ground which is the toilet and the other side has a couple of buckets of water in it which is the shower.  Not bad, but can you imagine living with that for the last 3 years?

Enter ACAC team because part of their job will be to install a water line from the original pipe to the pastor's house.  This is a huge distance, probably about 250 meters, but definitely a do-able distance.  So we will dig the hole for the pipe and then run the pipe to the house and install 2 each of toilets and showers.  Also, Phillipe just planted a third church and is in the process of building it.  We need to put the roof on the building.  Not much to say about that, I guess.

That's about it.  This week is basically dedicated to working on the renovations of the house so that it is ready to house teams in about a month.  Also, the last 2 interns arrive here on Saturday night, but they are both girls...  I think I'm counting down the days until the first guys arrive on a team.  Just kidding, the other interns are awesome people.  Plus, they might be reading this...

Lastly, please continue to pray for the teams that will come down at the end of the month.  Pray that communication would go well so that they are ready to "hit the ground running" when they get here.  Preparation of their hearts and minds and the knowledge that they are God's hands and feet.  Thanks.

Above are some pictures of the Ndjole. (first one of the bathroom shack, second of the church which is adjacent to Phillipe's house, and the last of Ndjole but only a part of the village)

Interesting Nights

So did another village trip yesterday about 2 hours away from the house.  Everything went smooth and got back around 5pm.  Pastor Joseph called around 5:15pm and told Tim that one of the tires fell off of his truck, or that's how it got translated.  (this is the same tire he had trouble with on the way to the village) So Tim and I left the house around 5:30pm to go help him, along the way...got our spare tire fixed in case we got a flat (30 min. - time is now 6:00ish), picked up Pastor Jean-Mark (his wife was in the truck and has been there since around 3:30 (20 min. - now 6:30ish), picked up Joseph's mechanics (they had to do a bunch of stuff before we actually picked them up, long story...1 hr. - now 7:30ish), found Joseph at the big town outside the village [apparently he hitch-hiked his way about a 40 min. worth of driving] (1 hr. - now 8:30ish), got to the truck where we found Mama Jeanine, Perine, and Natalie; they had: started a fire on the side of the road/started to eat palm nuts (which was mine and Tim's dinner along with sugar cane that Mama Jeanine used a machette to peel for us - an experience all in itself) (30 min. - now 9:00ish), mechanics tried to fix the tire - don't think they knew what they were doing... (2 hrs. - now 11:30ish), start to drive with Tim's van in front but after getting involved in a discussion figure out that the truck is no longer behind us; so drive back and find that the tire has slanted now need to see if the i-don't-know-what-i'm-doing mechanics fix it or not which they do (45 mins. - 12:00am), get the tire up and running and Joseph drives in front; apparently goats sleep in the middle of the road so he has to swerve to miss one of them; bad idea because that causes another tire slant - more mechanic time (30 min. - 12:30am), finally decide to leave the truck on the side of the road where Joseph will sleep in it until tomorrow when the mechanics come back (20 min. - 1:00am).  Now have all the medicine containers, Pastor Jean-Mark, two mechanics, Mama Jeanine, Perine, and Natalie, Tim, and I in the van to go home.  Joseph has bug spray and a flashlight for the night.  Drop everyone off and finally get home around 2:00am.  Yes, that was after the workday, an 8 1/2 hour adventure.  No pictures either because we were in the middle of nowhere in the pitch black.  Yah!  Oh the experiences.  Haha.

Itch

So, back from church and just hanging out at the house.  We went to the C&MA mother church this morning which has two services.  The service we went to had about 3,000 people in it.  Wow!  The second service was said to be even bigger...  Anways, we had another village trip yesterday for med stuff.  Not as eventful as the day before with all of the bumps and mud, but successful nonetheless.  We also went to another village to scout it for next week (another med site).  Make sure the chief knows we are coming on thursday.  It's a beautiful village because it's right on the coast, but it is a pretty far and bumpy ride there.  Oh well.

One negative thing about the trip was the amount of mosquitos that were flying around the village.  We all got bit up pretty bad...  I just counted all of the bites and the final total is around 98, give or take a few...  Was not fun last night or this morning with all the itchiness.  I love anti-itch cream!

I continue to stand in awe of the work God is doing in men like Pastors Jacob and Joseph.  They are passionate for the Lord and want to see His name sent everywhere.  It seems like they never tire or grow weary in any situation.  I ask that you pray for them because the Lord is doing great things in and through them.

Here are some random pictures: 1st is of Sunset Beach on our first full day in Gabon, 2nd is of my new guitar I bought in LA (long story...), last one is of my intern team (L to R: me, Lindsay, Hannah, and Torey).  Still trying to put up the pictures of the mud and truck...

Muddy Med Caravan

So went on the first medical caravan this morning.  Left the house around 8:00 to meet the rest of the med team which consisted of Pastor Jacob, Pastor Joseph, Mama Jeanine, and some other nurses and technicians.  We rode in Pastor Joseph's truck (take note of this) and Tim's van.  We made it to the village back roads where it was very muddy and knew the van wouldn't make it.  PJ's truck, however, needed to make it up because it held all of the med supplies.  It made it about half way up the muddy hill before it got stuck.  After pushing it out (of which I sank in a muddy hole and shoes got covered...) multiple times from different spots on the road, it finally got stuck in a huge hole of mud.  The back left tire was surrounded by mud.  It took many guys to help dig it out and push it out.  So after 1 1/2 hour setback in the morning, we finally headed to the village which was another 2 kilometers away up and down big, bumpy, muddy hills.  The truck only took about 3/4 of the team, so me and some others walked.  The ladies decided to take a random cab that passed by (yes it was a village in the middle of nowhere that we were going to...) and Pastor Jacob and I were left to walk or "marche" in french.  Actually a truck full of Africans picked us up and we rode by standing on the back bumper.  Very interesting way of transport :-)  Got to the village, had about 20 patients where each were weighed, bp taken, and consulted then given drugs/meds.  Had lunch afterwards which was about 3-4 hours later.  The trip home was even better.  The guys rode in the truck bed and Joseph is not a slow driver, but the roads did not help either.  Let's just say that Tim and I rode on the edge of the trucka nd our tooshes got manhandled by both the roads and truck.  No other way to explain it.  One of the scariest moments of my life.  Interesting first day of Gabon-life to say the least.

First Couple of Days

This is going to be a quick one.  Getting ready right now to head out on a mobile medical clinic in one of the villages.  Yesterday was a "get accustomed"/beach/relax day.  We met the Straw family who is the other missionary family who live on the other side of town.  Then we took a trip to Sunset Beach with them.  What an awesome day to go.  Sun was shining and water was warm.  We also had dinner with them and just hung out getting to know them.  Today will be fun too because it's our first medical clinic, something most short-term teams will experience.

Training

So I'm sitting in a hotel next to the hotel that I'm staying in because they have free wireless...  Anyways, I am currently on day 4 of training out here in LA with all of the other AY missions interns.  We got to San Diego on Thursday afternoon and proceeded to Ensenada, Mexico for the last couple of days.  There we did some "mock" events of which we will do with our short term teams this summer (meals, orientation, work project, travel, etc.).  Fun stuff.  On Friday night, the cook in Ensenada prepared us dinner which was called Menudo.  We ate it, but unbeknownst to us was that it was soup with chunks of pig intestine.  Ummm...  I only got about half of the bowl down, I did not, however, throw up or anything along those lines.  :-)  After all of that we headed back to LA on Saturday afternoon and have been here since.  My team is the last to leave for our site so we will be the only ones in LA come tomorrow.  Hopefully I'll be able to communicate with a lot of you then.

Training has been very worthwhile because the emphasis has been on giving everything to God.  This is something that I really committed to doing this past semester.  I think too many times, we take for granted the presence of God and the ability He has.  He is everything, and as such we should lift everything up to Him.  For instance, this summer, I will have times of struggle and difficulty and the only thing that I should and need to do is give it all to God.  I challenge you, as you read this, to think and reflect of all things you haven't given to God and tried to do on your own.  Remember, we are all only human.  What have you not given to Him, our Creator?

Here We Go...

I'm sitting in the Pittsburgh Airport right now waiting for my flight to San Diego via Minneapolis.  It's way early, but I'm pretty wide awake with the excitement of a)flying by myself and b)kicking off my summer in Gabon.  I can't wait to see what God has in store for me in the coming months.

On another note, I can't thank the people around me enough, meaning my friends and family.  The amount of prayer from all of you is overwhelming.  Thanks to my family, GCC friends, ACAC friends, and FCC congregation members (and anyone else that was left out).  God works and prayer is one of the ways that He works.  Just know that I am praying for your summers as much as you are mine because I know God will use each one of you to impact someone's life this summer.  Talk to you hopefully in San Diego...

Studying

So I should be studying right now...  I have a spanish final in about 19 hours, and I need to know a ton of stuff.  Yet here I am.  I am so blessed to be around people that are supportive and also looking to further expand their worldviews.  I live in a suite with 7 other guys and 3 out of the 8 of us are going on missions trips this summer.  Chuck is going to Paraguay with Athletes in Action for 2 months and Charlie is going to Papua New Guinea for 2 months to help a missionary family.  What awesome experiences?!?  I can't wait to come back and share how God worked through us and in us.  Interesting fact here, with Scott (who lives with me and is going to England), the 4 of us will touch 6 out of 7 continents this summer. :-)

I am however, as a I stand less than a week from leaving, looking forward to seeking and listening to God.  There has been a yearning in me this semester to go out somewhere and just take time to be still and listen to God.  That deep sense of standing on the top of a mountain or in the middle of the jungle and experiencing the stillness and peace.  I think, as Christians, we don't spend enough time (I know that I don't) listening.  We are always doing.  That is a great thing, but we also need to take and make that time to listen to what God is saying to us.  It does not necessarily need to take a missions trip for this to happen, but we do indeed need to make it happen.  I am excited to embark on this journey next week and grow as a man of God.  I know that God will use me, stretch me, and speak to me on this trip.  I hope that this summer, you will grow as well, let God do great things in your life.  Listen and learn.

"Be still and know that I am God..." - Psalm 46:10

Jew

Visa

I couldn't help it.  I have to post something RIGHT NOW.  My passport/visa stuff just got here via FedEx.  Awesome!  Everything is pretty much set for the summer now.  My funds are raised and my paperwork is done.  All I have to do now is get through school and finals, pack when I get home on the 13th, and fly to intern training in Cali on the 14th.  Oh, and just found out from mom that I know a lot of the people coming down from the church the last week I'm in Gabon.  Jacob and Ben are coming down, it's going to be sweet.  I'm getting pumped!

Flights

So I got my flight stuff this week!  Here's the schedule of flights: PIT to MIN to San Diego, LA to JFK (Wash, D.C.), JFK to Casablanca, Morroco, Morroco to Gabon and then back through JFK and then PIT (home).  Confusing, right?  Luckily I'll be the one worrying about that, and all you have to do is read the blog posts.  :-)  So, since I have all of my flight info, I can now apply for my visa.  I got the last remaining detail done today so that I can send the app in.  I got the yellow fever vaccine.  My, was that fun...  Almost all of the paperwork for the trip is done.  Finally!  Now all I have to concentrate on is track and schoolwork.  Easy...

Zach

Easter Break

Hey,

Just got back this afternoon from school for Easter break.  It's nice to be back, probably the last time I'll be home for an extended period of time before I head off for the summer.  Isn't that crazy?!?  This break is basically letting me and the family get all of the little details worked out and plan for the craziness in May.  Finals start May 8, I plan on moving everything out of my dorm during finals and then fly to LA for training on May 13.  Wooo....  Anyways, I look forward to it.

Right now, details are being worked out and gear is being put together for the trip.  Lastly, thanks to everyone who is supporting me prayerfully and financially.  I am grateful for all of the support.  God works through each and every one of you.  Please continue to pray as myself and the 3 other Gabon interns get closer to shipping out there.  Thanks!

- Zach

Paperwork

So I've got a little time right now.  I have most of the paperwork and am slowly filling things out.  The most important things I need to do soon are get vaccinations and apply for my visa.  Lisa, the AY secretary, is arranging all of my flights so I should find out soon all of the dates of when I fly in and out of places.  This is also needed for my visa application.  I mailed out letters to a lot of friends and family these last two weeks, but if you want one just let me know and I'll either mail or e-mail it out.  Updates to come soon.

Zach

The Beginning

Hey everyone,

I want to use this blog to keep everyone updated on my plans for the summer in Gabon, Africa.  This summer I'll leave right after finals on May 14 bound for Los Angeles, CA where I'll meet other interns, such as myself.  After about 4 or 5 days, I'll then head off to Africa with 3 interns that will be with me through the duration of the summer.  If you want to know more about my trip, I'll try and post some more info soon.  Otherwise, I'll continue to write stuff up here to keep you updated.  Almost time for track practice now though, too bad it's raining...

In Christ,

Jew