Glad all made it home safely. Meghan gets the prize for getting at least 75 pictures up on her facebook page! Check them out. Here is the last group shot at the Botswana border and then one more at the Falls! [View Full Entry]

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The 13 Conifer members of the Zambia-14 returned Tuesday, disembarking at DIA. Meghan we assume arrived 24 hours later and will look for her entry! Trip home was somewhat uneventful -- the fastest anyone had to move occurred with these events -- 1) Sean had to quickly demonstrate his juggling prowess to a grouchy security guard who eyed the juggling batons suspiciously, saying "you could BEAT someone with these!" -- then laughed out loud as the juggling demo proceeded. . . . 2) Mike had to sprint across the airport in Joberg after he left his phone and camera in the [View Full Entry]

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I have time for one more blog so thought I would tell the tale of the Chicken Caper. It is one of the pranks that the girls managed to pull off on Artie and Steven...with the help of their new friar student friends, Emmanuel (Manny) and Augustine AND with the help of the College president Fr Mack and Fr Bonaventure, the friary guardian. It involves catching the chickens and putting them in Steven and Artie's rooms. Artie's room was easier because keys were extra. Steven's room needed some creativity with removing screens from windows and replacing. The final coup was running [View Full Entry]

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Trying to get one more blog in and some pictures loaded. Yesterday was interesting with our Botswana adventures which the youth have lots of tales about. However, we did not forget about mass on Sunday either. Since it was such a packed day, we brought a mass kit with us and celebrated the Eucharist at a very special time. It was in the army tank/container vehicle that transported us from Zambia to the crossing into Botswana and back. It was on the way back, as the sun was beginning to set that Fr Patrick celebrated mass on our moving vehicle. As [View Full Entry]

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Hello all, We are so sorry for not getting more blogs out but no one has had much access to the internet. Today was a great day for all. We went to Botswana for the day and experienced Chobe National Park with all the animals. For the parents of Monica and Sarah, some bungee jumping and Gorge Swing has been attempted and accomplished. All are well and I am sure they are looking forward to sharing their many stories with you all. I write on the eve of their departure. It will be bitter sweet for me since I will remain [View Full Entry]

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Congratulations to Fr. Patrick on 10 years of priesthood! What a wonderful celebration. We were at mass for a total of 6 hours on Sunday, tons of singing and dancing and a suprisingly unique offering! We ate more caterpillars, african bologna with cake on the same plate. We continue to be amazed by the Zambian's generosity and hospitality, what joyful people! Monday we left Ndola and headed back to Lusaka, and arrived here at Lusaka Bonaventure College, greeted by all the brothers we missed so much! Tuesday we visited the Bauleni School for street kids, bought Zambia hats knitted by the [View Full Entry]

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We arrived back at the Franciscan Center in Ndola from which we had departed on Thursday morning for Ibenga (see previous entry). We woke Friday morning and after Anna and Sarah had nicely milked Father Angelo's cows (we think they are cow girls at heart) we toured the Ibenga hospital and left some of the medical supplies we brought. We also had the great pleasure of seeing Violet, an adorable, lovable orphan girl of about 4 years age who we all fell in love with at the Leprosorium the previous day. After that we were on the bus again heading for [View Full Entry]

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Ibenga Mission, Copperbelt region The group arrived at Ibenga Mission after a long day of service work at Walale Nutrition Center (feeding over 800 orphans ages 2 yrs to 12 yrs) visiting with the children and old people at Chibote Leprosarium and having lunch hosted by the Missionary Sisters of St Francis of Assisi. Sr Sabina (who has visited the parish in Conifer) gave tours and made sure all were well. After playing and having a party with the girls at Ibenga School for the disabled all went to bed. But in the early morning, Anna requested a lesson on milking [View Full Entry]

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Hello Everyone, This should be the second blog of the day. If you have not read the summary of the first, please do so for the facts and figures of the trip over the last 2 days. Tomorrow we get into the "meat" of the missionary part of the trip. Though we have helped with some destruction/construction of a building in Lusaka, and visited the school, and compounds (slums) of Chawama, those were mostly observational trips. We did get a lot of time to meet and interact with hundreds of people, and the kids have had a great time with the [View Full Entry]

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Monday -- Left Bonaventure College in Lusaka with the van and Sandy's Red Beast loaded with people/boxes/books/meds/supplies, heading 320km north toward Ndola. Driving north out of Lusaka into the African bush, as it appeared before deforestation removed the grasses and mukwa and mopani trees, through termite mounds, women carrying baskets of guava, charcoal, colorful vegetable stand stops (Stephen will add the story of Anna's first encounter with a Turkish toilet later -- let's just say that it began with a shriek and ended in a change of clothes . . . ). Arrived at Kapiri in time for a wond [View Full Entry]

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