Gearing Up

This phrase can be used in two ways. And in two ways we are using it. We are currently gearing up to go to Africa for six weeks. We are preparing our bodies, our minds, and our spirits for the journey ahead. Jake speaks often about what lies ahead for him, there is one career certainty for him, that his school year ends soon. Possibly this is the only thing that is certain for him. A scary place to be, but one that can be enjoyed if your trust is in God, as I know Jake's is. In the same way, we are very certain about this trip that lies ahead. It has a clear purpose, a clear beginning, and a clear end. Well, the end is not so clear because the "end" of this trip can blend into the beginning of something bigger, therefore not being an end, but just a point on the line. There are so many options for us after that, nothing is certain except that God will use us. That's all I have to say about that.

We are also gearing up by acquiring gear that we will need for the trip, and for our hiking hobby henceforth. We went to REI recently and purchased a Kelty pack for Beth, got a killer deal on it using the 20% off for new members deal. I really enjoyed using my pack as a suitcase in Africa last year. It is much more versatile than a roller bag. I also got an REI brand Flash UL daypack.

Yes, it is ugly, in a nice sort of way. It is 1,000 cu. and can be worn as a backpack or stuffed into a pocket. It weights just 10 ounces. I can strap it to the outside of my big pack and not have to worry about how I am going to carry two backpacks. It was only $25!

We also got Beth a headlamp to match mine, which are essential for late night "short calls" when you don't want to have to hold a flashlight in one hand and do everything else with the other as you squat.

We just ordered a pair each of Chaco sandals that were just over 50% off from Sierra Trading Post. That will beat my flip flops any day. They can be worn in nearly any circumstance, and we can carry our boots and the sandals and leave our tennis shoes at home.

Now all we need are some sweet safari hats to protect us from the Equator sun.

Sometimes we stop and think, "does all this buying go against what we are really about?" Well, somewhat. On one hand, we only buy things that are great deals, shopping on the outlet websites and using member deals, etc. I watch Steap and Cheap constantly since they only post things that are more than 50% off. We also only buy things that are going to be useful in multiple facets of our life. This generally means use for hiking and traveling overseas. On the other hand, hiking is one of the most expensive hobbies, and the amount of gear you need before you are actually overnight-trip-ready adds up in cost fast. So we are adding items at a pretty slow pace. And because of the cost, it could be argued that we could find a better use for this money. But for now I think these are smart purchases. We just have to continue to go light on other hobbies and entertainment costs.

I have no deeply spiritual book that I can quote from right now, I will leave that to Jake.

I will leave you with these facts about Zambia from the 2001 Operation World book:
Area - 752,614 sq. km.
Population (2000) - 9,168,000, growing at 2.27%, 12 per sq. km
Income/person - $370 per year

Language
Literacy - 78%, declining annually, 25% functional
Official language - English
All languages - 41
Languages with scripture - 15 full bible, 8 NT only, 6 in progress

Religion
Christians - 85%
Traditional ethnic religions - 12.6%
Muslim - 1.4%

HIV
20-25% of population infected (less in recent years)
650,000+ AIDS orphans (more in recent years)