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Freshman Travels To Africa

Marlee Lovell

This past summer, freshman Chris Kinley and his dad traveled to Zambia, Africa on a mission trip. Chris and his father, along with sixteen other volunteers, spent two weeks doing electrical work in Zambia through an the organization I-tec Missions. During their time in Africa, the group ran over 35,000 feet of underground wire and 800 feet of telephone and overhead wire. The climate in Africa was immensely different from that of America and it took some adjustment. The heat was "intense" and the land was very dry. Adjusting to the climate was a small hurdle in their experience and the volunteers quickly fell into their daily routines. While working they had lots of time to talk with the Zambians, and even though they were only in Africa a short time, Chris felt that they were able to build relationships with the local people. "It was eye-opening to see the way people live; it's much different from the way we as Americans live." Chris had the unique opportunity to teach a physical education class to children of the community, and this allowed him to further develop relationships with the kids. Though we often find ourselves complaining about gym class, these kids loved playing basketball with Chris, despite the fact they had to make due with a rudimentary court. While in Africa, Chris and his father had the opportunity to travel to Victoria Falls--one of the Seven Wonders of the World. The pictures below of Chris bunjee jumping were taken at the falls.