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Here is a list of our previous mission reports:
Heuvelton August 2009 with Ministries in the North Country
New Orleans July 2009 with Operation Southern Comfort

Our current report is from Ken Reed who is in Africa installing shallow wells with Marion Medical Mission. Check back for updates twice a week.

Departure and First Work Day September 18-22

The flight went well and my luggage arrived safely. I tried a different, less expensive airline this time and so far, so good. I am teamed with other experienced volunteers and we will be working in Zambia this year. My first work day was frustrating. We had a 4 hour drive to get to the first site. By the time we got the well installed, we had to return to where we are staying, as we try to be back before dark. Our goal has been 8-10 wells per day in the past. We don't have a secure area to leave our truck, so we have to unpack all the equipment. Hopefully tomorrow will go more smoothly. Thank you to those who picked up the prayer cards and who remember me while I am gone.

Remainder of Week One

Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept.22nd - 23rd, stayed at the Lundazi Castle Hotel in Lundazi, Zambia, and drove to the well sites from there. Here is a YouTube link to a video of this hotel.

Thursday Sept. 24th. Drove about 1 hour south to the town of Lumezi ( Umezi on some maps ). We are based at the Lumezi Mission Station, a Roman Catholic mission and hospital complex. The team installed 3 wells that day. It took almost 3 hours to drive to the first well site. At one of the well sites we drove as far as we could then hiked over a mile, carrying the well pump and parts up and down what seemed like mountains, and through fields and gardens.

Friday, Sept. 25th. At the mission station we have a kitchenette with a stove and refrigerator, but no hot water. Breakfast was hard-boiled eggs and oatmeal. The eggs were given to us as a gift from one of the villages where we installed a well earlier in the week. Lunch is usually a peanut butter sandwich. Thursday and Friday nights we were invited to have dinner at the home of field officer Alick Ng'uni. A meal in a Malawian or Zambian home is always a treat and much appreciated.

The temperature has been in the mid-80's every day, and the sun feels very hot. Saturday will be a full work day... no two-day weekends here!

Week Two

Saturday, 9/26 We have installed 17 wells as of today. I had my first flat tire of the trip. Hit a sharp stump or something; there was a piece of wood embedded in the tire. I had to drive north to Lundazi to have it repaired. What would have been a 20 minute drive at home took 1 hour and 15 minutes. The road is a main road, but is just a succession of potholes; very bad.

Sunday, 9/27 Today was our first day off. I was told that there was a church service at 9:30, but when I got there, discovered there was no service... I don't know why. I met a young man, Clayton Zubi, who is the accountant at the hospital. He was involved with planning the guest house where we're staying. The house is only 3 months old, and he wanted to know if there was anything that should have been included when planning for visitors. It may sound trivial, but the only thing I could think of was a hook in the bathroom to hang our clothes while showering. Later, I did think that I should have mentioned the mosquito nets over the bed. They are only long enough to come down to the beds; we can't tuck them under the mattress, which is important. I'm glad I have my own one-man screened "tent" with me. I'm able to put it on my bed and zip it up completely.

Tomorrow we'll be back to work. We'll be up at 4:30 a.m. and get to bed around 10 p.m. The weather is a little hotter than earlier in the week..in the 90's now.

Monday, 9/28 We installed only 2 wells today. Found that the trucks do not make good boats. While crossing a stream on the way to a well site, we bogged down in the middle of the stream. The wheels sank in about 8 inches of soft sand and silt on the bottom. One of the Zambian supervisors was able to get a larger truck to pull us out. We put logs under the wheels and attached a large chain between the two trucks, and were able to ease it out of the mud. The whole operation, which included snapping the heavy chain at one point, took about 3 hours.

Tuesday, 9/29 Today, as we were taking our truck to Lundazi to switch it for another truck (someone needed to go back to Malawi for a meeting, and our truck is the one that's insured to drive in Malawi) we had 3 flat tires! The truck is old, and the tires are in poor condition. Despite the delay, we were able to put in 4 wells. We've been having supper at the Ng'uni home with Alick, his wife and 3 children. Mrs. Ng'uni cooks the food that is given to us as gifts, usually chicken, beans, rice and peanuts.

Wednesday, 9/30 We have a new truck with new tires; things are looking good! Today was a little overcast, which is something new for us. It felt almost cool. We've been told that there are lions and hippos in the area, but haven't seen any as of yet.

Thursday, l0/1 As of tonight, our team has installed 30 wells. Even after all the delays and aggravations, we still feel that we're accomplishing something good. The people are very appreciative; in fact, at two of the villages, I got hugs and kisses from the headmen, which I never had happen before! Usually, a handshake is it. The children are the ones who break your heart. I had some small soccer balls that I took with me to give to the kids. Somehow, word got around that I had them, and the kids were waiting for me when we got to the next villages. I felt bad because I didn't have enough to go around, but it's impossible to take many. I also had some small bottles of bubbles for them. The ties are still a hit with the headmen of the villages.

Tomorrow we're heading back to Mzuzu, Malawi. I don't know if we'll be there for the last week, or if we'll come back to Zambia; have to wait and see.

Final week

Friday, 10/2 Back in Mzuzu. Had dinner tonight with Jim and Jodi McGill, Paul and Darlene Heller and about 8 other volunteers from the Mzuzu Guest House. Nice to see everyone and share stories. I'm hoping to visit the Hellers' Crisis Nursery tomorrow. I'm not sure if I'll be able to arrange it.

Saturday, 10/3 The teams have not been able to install any wells in Tanzania so far this trip. Customs is holding pipes and other parts at the border. The government Ministry in charge waived the tariff for Marion Medical, but now the customs dept. is waiting for the Ministry to pay the entry fee before they'll release the parts; I guess governments are the same everywhere. We're afraid that the people will be discouraged and stop digging the wells. If they do that, no wells will be ready when the parts do arrive. Marion Medical is hoping to hit the 10,000-well mark in the next 2 weeks! Sorry I won't be here for the celebration.

Sunday, 10/4 Went to church this morning at Mr. Koso's church. Mr. Koso is the co-ordinator for the shallow well project; the position held previously by Jim McGill. It's a large Presbyterian Church, about 1000 members.

Monday, 10/5 Tom and Jocelyn Logan, Jim Nussbaumer and I are heading back to Zambia today. I'll be working with Jim, who is Vice President of the board of directors of Marion Medical Mission; he has been to Malawi every year since 1999. We installed 4 wells this afternoon. We'll be staying in Lundazi tonight, then head back south to the mission house at Lumezi. Tom worked north of here, and said at one point there was a heavy downpour of rain; something I have yet to experience in Africa. Jocelyn went grocery shopping for us, and it sounds as though we'll have more variety in our meals this week.

We received word that the equipment has been released, so they can start installing wells in Tanzania!!

Friday, 10/9 Worked Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in Zambia. We are back in Malawi today, packing and getting ready for the flight home. Tomorrow morning we drive to Lilongwe, spend the night there, and fly out Sunday afternoon. My flight goes through Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; then to Washington, D.C. and Syracuse. See you soon.

Sunday, 10/11 The last week was fairly uneventful. The first team of 23 Marion Medical volunteers had a very successful three weeks, installing a record 843 wells. The crew I worked with installed 51 of those wells. The second team arrived at the airport in Lilongwe this afternoon, and the first team flew out on that same plane. We are confident that the second team will be able to install the wells needed to reach this year's goal of 2000. The first team normally installs fewer wells than the second team because a lot of the time in the first three weeks is spent hauling cement, pumps and parts. When the second team arrives, those things are mostly in place, so they can concentrate more on the installations.

The flight home was long but uneventful. The time enroute-from leaving Malawi to arriving at home-was 30 hours. It was a rewarding trip, but it's always good to get home.

Here is a map of locations being mentioned.

View Ken Reed Shallow wells 2009 in a larger map