From Karina

Our latest adventure was Come Back Alive. The 15 of us split into two groups. Our assignment was to survive the night by the Zambezie River, without any form of sleeping bag or blanket, nor food or fresh water. As a team we could take a total of 15 items. We took two pots, knife, two headlamps, water bottle, machete, camera, backpack, toilet paper, hand-sanitizer. Each team was given GPS coordinates to find our dinner. We approached the first place, there was a box of 5 matches (we got extra credit for the number of matches left in the box) and another larger box. We thought it would have some canned beans and stuff. Mark picked up the box. A claw came out of the bottom. All of us yelled out of shock. It was an a live chicken! We also found a bag of rice and salt. So we headed down the gorge, which is a major hike. Derek was the team leader so he assigned us jobs. I collected firewood while some of the others cut down small trees for the shelter. Derek and Tom constructed a teepee. We got water from the Zambezie and put it on boil to sanitize then cook the rice. I asked to kill the chicken. Mark held it for me. They all made fun of me for sawing the head off but my excuse is that the machete was dull. We then boiled, plucked and gutted it. We fried it in its own fat. The meal was really good except for some sand got in the rice and it was so gross when there was a crunchy bite. It was so cold (app. Forties). We all got about one hour of sleep. Again, it was so cold. Dan and Rachel came down to get us at 8:30. They graded us on stuff like moral, fire, shelter, etc. We then had to hike back up the gorge which took about 20 minutes of climbing rocks. But all in all, we came back alive!
We are sitting through lectures all day. The last hour of the morning session was filled with a 4-year-old’s screaming. He is the son of one of the Zambian workers. He has an infection in his finger and they were draining the pus.
It is noon and cold as all get out. I have 3 sweaters on. Winter is here.
I am learning a lot about team work and community living. It’s tough but fun.

It is a month from graduation. Next week we are studying medical stuff so I am excited.