Mission Trip to Jubilee Centre in Ndola - Day two 5th July 2012 Part One

This is part one of today's log; I'm writing on the plane from Nairobi in Kenya to Ndola in Zambia. I actually got maybe half an hour of sleep on the international flight, enough to keep me going.

Kenya Airways is so antiquated; in the plane, the entertainment systems (if they were working) and most noticeably in the staff. There were no smiles, no interaction and they were barely there. We went through some exciting bouts of turbulence and no air crew came to check people had their seat belts on - very strange. But hey, they got us on the ground safe and well.

We had a couple of hours to kill in Nairobi airport and it's a good job really. The plane had told us we needed Gate 12, but when we got there it wasn't right. Then we were told gate 6 before finally finding a board saying gate 3. The trouble was that there was no one around.

So we waited and chatted and when our flight was called, in African chill mode at the last minute, we went to our gate 3. When we got there everyone was already walking across airside - can you imagine that at Heathrow - and boarding the plane. Five of us were speedy through checking in and baggage check but when we got to the plane we realised five were left behind. I wouldn't like to say there was panic as such, but it was a nervy 5 minutes hoping they'd made it through in time.

I'm now in this flight to Ndola; in a tiny plane with lots of Chinese men who I'm guessing are off to work in the Chinese owned copper mines. We weren't entirely sure where to sit because everyone's tickets were clearly for a different plane type; but we found seats and all is well.

I'm feeling quite lonely this morning; strange when I'm with 9 fantastic friends; but I'm missing the hugs and kisses and closeness of Mike and Rachel. I feel a very long way away; and I am a very long way away. I miss them and it hurts.

It feels very selfish to be doing this and yet not because it's a gift of myself - very weird - stuff I'll try to figure out over the days ahead.

I think we'll land in about an hour and then the interminable travelling will be done; can I hear you say Yay!

That's all for now folks.