Travel Tips for Malaria, etc.

Q: If people are going to an area with mosquitoes, what should they take?

A: I always advise them to use an insect repellent containing DEET. DEET is the safest,well-studied insect repellent. It has to contain at least 30 per cent or higher of DEET — there’s no need to use more than 50 per cent — and they have to apply it every four hours to exposed parts of their body. If you use less than 30 per cent, you need to apply it more often. There’s one brand that I recommend, because I look at all these products, and it’s Coleman.

traveller’s diarrhea is the No. 1 cause of illness [for travellers].

Cipro: Depending on destinations, in Southeast Asia, Cipro does not work anymore against those common pathogens that cause traveller’s diarrhea. So if a traveller is going to Southeast Asia, the only [antibiotic] that works right now is azithromycin. A lot of travellers are not aware of that because primary-care doctors like using Cipro. But in Southeast Asia, it’s not going to work.

Q: Any tips for staying healthy when you’re in transit?


A: The dirtiest part of the plane is your tray. Use disinfectant, like wipes, on your tray table before touching it, and also use wipes on the armrests. And of course, always use hand sanitizer.

National Post

Teaching at TTC Kitwe Zambia January 2013

I attended a PAOC conference in Rustenburg, South Africa and then set out with John and Ruth Kerr for Zambia. Stayed at Nata Lodge in Nata, Botswana -- a lot of fun. Saw some great sights motoring through Botswana -- 21 elephants (at least), and a magnificent giraffe. Up at 4:30 this morning getting ready for Apologetics class day one; enjoying a cappuccino and a hot chocolate. The roosters kick in around 4. The dogs bark all night. Heard a train around 6am -- must ask the Kerrs about that!

Taught apologetics while implementing my Tyndale Seminary DMin research project on academic literacy/integrity.

Got very sick upon my return to Canada. Adverse reaction to malaria meds (Deltaprim). Kidneys stressed. IV drip helped. Took about a year to slowly recover.

Trans-Africa Theological College Zambia 2012

My early morning New Year's eve flight out of Toronto to New York was cancelled due to freezing rain. After much hullabaloo, I left the next evening via London Heathrow. Sheraton day hotel at Heathrow followed by overnight flight to Johannesburg.

After my second overnight flight in as many days, I arrived at JNB Johannesburg airport where I was met by my hosts John and Ruth Kerr. We drove through Kruger National Park on the way up to Zimbabwe. Wild dogs, rhinos, hippos, elephants, monkeys, baboons, lions. The wild dogs made me miss our thoroughly domesticated Reggie and Brady!

We crossed the border into Zimbabwe. In Africa you have to both exit one country (S/A) and then enter the next (Zimbabwe). It's usually chaotic. This was no exception. On the Zimbabwe side they had a Mission Statement, a Statement of Values, and a Vision Statement on the wall. I owed the Zimbabwe guy $75 USD. I gave him $80 and he was unable to make change. I was able to give him the exact amount, although I had to deplete my stash of US one dollar bills to do so. The next gal stamped me into Zimbabwe as January 2011. She wrote over the 1 to make it 2012. Zimbabwe, tear down those mission, vision and value statements!

Entry into Zimbabwe was entry into relative deprivation. The first gas station washroom had no soap or toilet paper and you had to fill a bucket from the sink to flush the toilet. This was a national chain gas station. The Wimpy's take-away had coffee, but no take-away containers to put it in. We provided our own coffee mugs.

Zimbabwe has gone to the US dollar to stop its inflationary slide into the abyss. The US bills get recycled and recycled but never replaced, so they are filthy. I have some with me that I put in a snack bag -- did you know snack bags make excellent bill depositories? I wouldn't think of offering the bills to anyone in Canada/US. I will take to Phoenix and exchange at Wells Fargo. Followed by sanitizing hand wipes all 'round.

From Zim to Zambia. Another border crossing, out, and in. Down to Lusaka. We worshipped on Sunday at the Anglican cathedral. Then on up to Kitwe and the Copperbelt. I met with Mathieu Mufika and was able to give him a box of new French language books to seed his Kolwezi DR Congo theological college library. That's one mission accomplished!

I had 22 students in the apologetics class this year. They all managed to pass the course with a few just squeaking by. English language skills are lacking in many cases.

As a result of this year's efforts, I have the following ideas for next year.

1. Develop a "super-syllabus" that outlines all of my expectations and guidance as an instructor. The super-syllabus will lay out all the expectations I can think of and will serve as a tool to promote improved African student academics.

2. Source out a good, inexpensive reference book in English writing skills and stock the library with 30 copies. I'm thinking Painless Grammar. Does anyone have a better idea?

3. Re-jig the apologetics course to reflect an African orientation. De-emphasize atheistic objections and emphasize specific African challenges. Classical apologetics is a two-step process. First, does God exist, and then, is he revealed in any of the world religions. Evidential apologetics generally starts with the resurrection -- and the strong historical evidences for it -- and goes from there. I still want to cover the classical evidences for the existence of God, but I may move them to the back of the bus!

4. Promote the use of spelling tables to improve student spelling. A spelling table is where students create a table with their mis-spelled words on the left and the corrected spelling on the right. I find that instructors correct spelling in papers but it seems to make absolutely no difference in subsequent submissions. So, this should promote a good academic habit.

That's it for this year. For more photos from Kruger Game Park, go here:

http://gallery.me.com/rkball/100470

Off To Africa 2012

Image via Wikipedia

It's New Year's Day and I'm starting the year off right -- with a short-term missions trip to Africa. I was supposed to leave New Year's Eve morning via New York but my flight was cancelled due to weather. So, I'm leaving today via London Heathrow. Flying on British Airways always gives me a secure, solid feeling.

I'm flying into Johannesburg, South Africa where I will be met by my missionary hosts, John and Ruth Kerr. I leave Sunday and arrive Tuesday. We'll be heading back to Zambia in a day or two, hopefully via Kruger National Park. We'll  pass through Zimbabwe on the way up to Zambia.

So, what's involved in getting ready for a missions trip? Here are some thoughts as I wait it out at Pearson.

1. Getting the best airfare you can. This year I booked on something called CheapOAir. So far, it's living up to its name!

2. Getting your health/medical up-to-date. This year all I had to do was take some Dukerol as a digestion problems preventative. My Yellow Fever is still good. I've got enough Doxy to get me started on anti-malaria meds and will get more -- the cheap stuff -- when I get to Africa.

3. Getting as much stuff to Africa as you can. I've been perfecting my system over the past several trips. For this trip, I used two cardboard boxes for luggage -- cardboard weighs next to nothing and is good for a one-way journey. Two times 50 = 100 pounds of Christian books and stuff for Africa! I packed my roll aboard bag with clothing I will use on the trip. To top things off, I packed an extra 18 pounds of books in my travel vest, travel jacket, and raincoat which I wore to the airport-- there's no airline restriction on extra stuff in pockets! Downside is I could be mistaken for a penguin, but, hey, you have to make sacrifices for the team, right?  In order to pack as much in as possible, I'm wearing a pair of travel pants under my dress pants. At some point I may discreetly shed a pair, but not before I'm aboard the plane.

4. Preparing your materials. I have a 319 page Apologetics presentation. I found a way to print it 8-up, meaning I get eight slides to the page. So, I pack 319 pages into 40 printed pages. I'll make the copies when I get to Africa. Each slide is small, but readable.

5. Prepare for your return. I'll be returning out of Ndola, Zambia. Flying down to Johannesburg, then across to New York Kennedy, and then up to Toronto.

But that's not for nineteen days.

6. The last thing you have to do is prepare spiritually. I've got my eyes fixed on Jesus the author and finisher of our faith -- I'm good to go!

I appreciate everybody's prayers and look forward to giving you a trip report when I can.

--
Rick Ball.

2011: Oxford/Reading/Kitwe Zambia Adventure

 1. I flew the British Airways overnight red-eye from Toronto to LHR Heathrow, and took a morning bus up to Oxford. At Oxford Centre for Mission Studies, I dropped off a box of books kindly donated by Dr. Craig Keener of Philadelphia.

Mr. Ralph Bates - Librarian, OCMS

2. Next, I took a bus over to Reading, where I briefly visited St. Giles, where Fr. David Harris of Charlottetown PEI is slated to be the new rector. I over-nighted in Reading.

St. Giles, Reading UK

3. Next evening I flew down to Lusaka, Zambia on a 10-hour British Airways overnight red-eye flight. Was met by John and Ruth Kerr, my hosts in Zambia.

4. We drove up to Kitwe, a 5-hour drive, and settled in.

Mosquito net plus pills = no malaria!

5.  I delivered a box of theology books that I had brought for Dr. Kerr.

6. I also brought with me a spanking-new white projector screen which I had bought last summer from Staples in Charlottetown, PEI. The screen was used to great advantage during the seminar I presented, and will be an ongoing asset to the college. It is nice to come "bearing gifts"!

The projector - with some of Dr. Kerr's books strapped to the OUTSIDE of the box!

7. I taught six days at the Trans-Africa Theological College, plus exams on the seventh.

TTC Apologetics Class 2011

8. I treated Rev. Matieu Mufika of D.R. Congo to lunch at the Sherbourne and gave him some supplies including a used digital camera and some money for his ministry in the D.R. Congo, which includes churches, a small theological college, and an elementary school.

Rev. Matieu Mufika - wearing my old hat -- fits like a glove!

He needs French theological books, so I am going to have to work on this in 2011!  (If anybody knows of a source, let me know!)

9. I visited two African churches. Worship is always vibrant and enthusiastic.

Not as nice as St. Giles -- but just as precious to God

10. There were 26 students for this session. I brought them each three small devotional books and bag from Trader Joes in Arizona to put stuff in. The students included 16 4th year TTC students and 10 continuing ed. students who are already serving as pastors in African churches. It was a great honor to be their teacher; many of them minister in very trying conditions which include poverty, witchcraft, traditional religions, and syncretism.

11. I hitched a ride with Dr. John and Dawn Elliott back down to Lusaka on Wednesday, exam day.  Stayed with the Elliotts overnight. Because I was flying on a special BA humanitarian fare, I was able to move up my departure date to Thursday from Saturday!

Thank God for safe travel to/from Lusaka

12. Thursday am.  the Elliotts dropped me off at the Lusaka airport and I was "on my own" again.

Dr. John and Dawn Elliott - American AOG Missionaries

13. I made the 10-hour flight back up to Heathrow; stayed at the Heathrow Sheraton overnight (after a trip to the nearby McDonald's for therapeutic fries and a burger!).

14. The next day I took the 8-hour flight over to Toronto, and was soon home again and in the land of high-speed internet (the Internet in Zambia was at a snail's-pace!).  It takes three days to travel to Kitwe, and another three days to get back -- it is a very tiring trip!

15. My health was great -- better than expected and better than usual.

It is a wonderful thing to be involved in the spiritual thrust of the great commission.

Thank you for your prayers which fueled this adventure.

Trans-Africa Theological College January 2011

I'll be teaching Christian Apologetics again this year at the Trans-Africa Theological College in Kitwe, Zambia.

Features of teaching in Zambia include

- malaria meds
- mosquito nets at night, in which I manage to get myself all tied up
- "iffy" internet
- "iffy" electricity
- wonderful African students

You can't beat worship in the African dirt!

Some more highlights...

1. Handing the books donated by Dr. Craig Keener over to T.T.C. was a definite highlight moment.

2. Dinner in Lusaka with the Kerrs on my final night.

3. Marking the papers and reading one student's top-rate book reports.

4. I think I already mentioned attending the 4 1/2 hour church service with signs and wonders following. One fellow had been in chains in a mental institution. He had been prayed for in Jesus' name (African-style!) and stood before the congregation completely normal, sane and articulate.

I thank God for safe travel. Driving on an African road is a dangerous action. On the road down to Lusaka from Kitwe, we saw one freshly over-turned truck still on the road, a recently derailed Mercedes (lost a wheel), and one or two other accidents of various vintage.

In Africa, you realize how tentative and provisional life is. Our life is contingent -- that is why we look to the One whose life is eternal -- necessary, and necessarily eternal. The Great One!