Hello! I am in Lusaka to help facilitate a training for the new volunteers. It was good to be involved and try to share some of my insight, but I am very ready to head back to the village. I just sent Lins back to the states last week and am officially in withdrawl. We had the best time. I am excited to continue work, wrap some of my projects up, and prepare for my replacement to come. I still have a year to go, so there's no rush, but it is good to think about things early. I am seriously thinking about extending in my village for an extra 6 months, meaning I will be home around Sep of 2009. It is not for sure yet, but I have a lot of work left to do, and I really love Mwamba. We were able to get a good chunk of the money we needed for the preschool and have started construction. This is very exciting, but we lost money on the exchange rate and were a few thousand short of our budget so my sweet mom is still collecting donations...wink wink :). It really feels good to see all of our work and planning come to fruition. The school is such an amazing place and it's nice to reward the communities hard work. I can never stop thanking everyone who has supported the project.
A few days ago, President L.P. Mwanawasa passed away and Zambia is in mourning. It is the first President that Zambia has ever lost, as the first 2 are still alive. Things here have been somber, but Zambians pride themselves on their peaceful unity, so no problems are expected. For 3 months the Chief Justice will lead the country until Elections take place. It will be interesting to see an election in another country as one is going on at home as well. It is strange that at the end of my service both pictures of the Presidents displayed at the Peace Corps office will be different from when I arrived. I welcome the change and hope it will serve both countries. Stay well.....

until next time....lisa

Sister Travel

HELLO!! Linsey and I are about done with our wonderful adventure. We started with a jaunt to Victoria Falls and then headed to my village. The falls were stunning and of course the village was wonderful. When we biked up to the school by my house there were hundreds of people waiting. The nursery kids were singing and the other village kids were dressed up in white paint and home made grass skirts to welcome her. It was overwhelming. Everyone was so excited to meet her. She loved the village, though I kept her busy with meetings and bike rides. We are headed off to Lake Malawi tomorrow for some relaxation and snorkling. It is really special for her to see my world, and to finally understand some of the things I've spoken about. I only wish we had more time. It is a gift to have her here. Hope all is well in your worlds!! I'll write more soon. Thank You again for your support, love, letters, packages, and donations. I always feel loved.