Choma, Visit to Immigration. Day 18

Time of learning...including library tour.

 Before returning to Zambia we tried hard to learn what we could about visas. 

It was not clear from the information on line or even after Cory spoke to both the Zambian Immigration office in the USA and in Zambia.

Some of the options changed recently due to dishonest people saying they are volunteers or working with churches.

It was our understanding from also talking with leadership that we should travel on a visitor visa and then extend it while here and they would help us.

As we had some question on whether or not our first visit of 11 days counted toward our 30 days for all of 2022 or not we headed to Choma on Wednesday to try to renew, as we did not want to overstay.

We left the Bible compound with Rev. Benson and Charlie the driver at 7:42 a.m. following a short delay to get a small propane tank with a stuck regulator ready to go.

Reached Pemba where we transition from dirt road to pavement at 8:20 and dropped something off at a small store.

The fuel needle pointing at E necessitated a stop for a couple liters of petrol at a roadside stand assuring we could reach the first gas station on the outskirts of Choma, which was our next stop other than paying road toll.

Before Immigration:  a short stop at the ATM for cash; the propane dealer; and another drop off at a secondary school where the Wesleyan women were holding a national conference. We were able to meet the former Bishop's wife Mrs. Mumbe Kalembo who was on her way to speak.

We reached Immigration office at 10:10 and were immediately ushered into the small building's front room. We learned we were too early to renew Fritz's visitor visa and need to return closer to the 29th of August.

Healthy macadamia tree blooming
in the mission yard in Choma

Cory and I will need to apply on line for temporary employment permit (which includes volunteers/
people not receiving pay from Zambia) and bring the receipt with us. Then in 6 months we will renew it again.

By 10:30 we were standing on the Choma Wesleyan Mission campus. Surprised to find it directly next door to Immigration! We purchased a couple Tonga hymnals that were being delivered to the staff and met a lovely couple from England who rent and live there.

We visited their garden and had our first refreshing cup of tea while enjoying a short visit and learning a bit about life in Zambia as they have lived here for six years. They shared moringa seeds with us!

11:30 hardware shopping. Fritz and I remained in the vehicle while the guys went down a row of small hardware stores shopping for tools. Sucess! We returned home with: hammer, screwdrivers, a garden hose, window screen, crescent wrench, pick, and machete.

12:30 p.m. picked up fried chicken and fries [chips here] for lunch. Fritz and the guys ate in the car while Cory and I completed grocery shopping at SPAR, a South African grocery chain found in several countries. 

1:40 p.m. Parked outside the Choma Post office where there are trees and plants for sale. Cory picked up a few plants being limited by the space remaining in the car. However he now knows what is there and the prices. 

We returned home with: an orange rose, a dark red rose, spider lily, day lily, small succulent, lavender, and a peach tree [purchased earlier from a street vendor.

Sad parts of the day...I lost my baseball cap which was a gift from Anna, and one of the 5 gallon buckets we bought along the way still had wet black paint in it that leaked on the cooler and a bit on the car floor mat. Lesson learned-check every bucket before buying!

We then headed back reaching Pemba for our last shopping stop at 3:40 p.m.. Very thankful for good internet that allowed me to spend the last hour of the trip participating via my phone in my mom's Women's Bible Study back in Michigan.

5:10 p.m. found us home again and unloading. A long day but a good day.