March 2021 – Reda

March 30, 2021

Malawi Journal – Days 33-34 – Nursery School, Baptism, and Car Problems

Day 33

Today I cleaned my room and set up the new shelf for our World Bible School materials. We ate our breakfast and gathered things to take to the nursery school.

World Bible School Meeting

Lawrence had his weekly meeting with the World Bible School workers this morning. They discuss how their work is going. They turn in completed lessons and Lawrence gives them each their stack of graded lessons.

One of our problems with our work is running out of lessons. We brought a suitcase full with us and we have ordered some from Zomba. Now Zomba office is also running out of lessons.

Nursery School

Mbwenu and Wanangwa drop us off at the nursery school which uses the Tombolombo church building Monday – Friday from 8-11. The main purpose of a nursery school in Malawi is to introduce them to English. This is very important since most of their schooling will be in English. This gives them a head start. I give them each a coloring sheet and crayons to color their pictures. The teacher only wants us to give sheets to those who know how to color. Esther and I decided to trace their hands on the back of the paper. They have fun with this.

I have number cards for the teacher which are different colors. I go through the numbers and colors with the kids. Then the teacher has the children recite for us. They each say good morning. She takes them through a variety of things she has taught them. We give them each a bag of snacks. One little boy tries to escape so I ask the teacher if that is ok. She says “weewee”. So then everyone wants to go “weewee”. Some things are the same no matter where you are. All of the kids go out and pee in the yard.

A Baptism

Our car is back earlier than we expected. We say our goodbyes and head to the car. I am surprised that Wanangwa came back she was worried that we did not have enough food at the house to cook so she brought cabbage and tomatoes. She tells us there will be a baptism. Chiwemwe, the tailor! I saw some of the preacher guys talking with him when we left. He lives next door. We talk with him every day.

Our Car is Stuck

We go back to the house and pick up Lawrence and some of the guys and go to baptize Chiwemwe. After the baptism, our car sinks the front tire in mud. It takes a lot of time and work to free the car. The guys cut down trees, lift the car, and we all push. Another guy stops by and helps us push the car. We pop the bumper guard out. Eventually, the car is free.

Tuna Salad

We are behind schedule to go to the hospital. Wanangwa is worried about lunch. I tell her I can fix lunch. I quickly make tuna salad sandwiches and tomato slices, which is a new thing for them. They leave for the hospital.

Coloring – Shading

I gave the kids some sheets to color today. They call coloring, shading. Everyone loves to color young and old.

Car Trouble

I get a message the car has broken down again and I know they will be late. Rose’s son has malaria which probably caused the fall which dislocated his arm.

Mom Scares

Esther and one of the neighbor girls took a walk. She forgot to tell me she was going anywhere. I know they are in the area so I try to stay calm but I definitely am not happy. It’s getting dark and I have no idea which direction they have gone. I check to see if she took her phone and it is on the charger. Soon she is back and I have a little talk with her.

We finish supper preparations. Lawrence and Esther get the fish ready to cook. Fish are bought whole here and are not cleaned and gutted. They are frozen just as they come from the water. I cook cabbage and rice. Just as they are finished with the fish Wanangwa comes home and she and Esther finish the fish. Soon Mbwenu comes home with our friend Bless. The car is still not working.

March 26, 2021

Malawi Journal – Days 31-32 Death, New Life and Fried Green Tomatoes

Day 31

Ladies Bible Class

After breakfast, I leave for Ladies’ Bible class. Esther uses the time to do her laundry and to study for her afternoon class with the youth.

The elders are having a meeting at the building with the vocational school so the ladies are meeting in the bakery. We have a good group today. I have a coloring sheet with a scripture on it for them to color today. They enjoy this so much. We put away the markers and get into our lesson on Proverbs 1:10. As we leave the baking begins.

Comforting the Family

After a quick lunch, we go to comfort Peskani’s family. Peskani was a preacher who worked with us in 2018 and has since been working in South Africa. He died of a heart attack while there. He was about 40 years old. The whole church goes to offer comfort and I believe other congregations have joined. We sing, pray and have a message. In the local tradition, they take up a collection to help pay for the burial costs.

Baptism – New Life in Christ

A young woman, Maureen Chirwa, from this area has told one of the WBS workers that she wants to be baptized. Tenson has been preaching in the area and signing up WBS students. He heard him preach. There have also been several people who want to rededicate their lives to God.

We pile in the vans and head to the closest water. We take a short hike through the bush and arrive at the stream. There are a couple of fishermen here that we disturb but they don’t seem too bothered. Maureen is baptized and welcomed to the family and then we go back to our vans.

Fried Green Tomatoes

On the way home, we stop at the vocational school and they give us some of the green tomatoes they were not going to use. We wanted a few they gave us a bag full! We told them we wanted to make fried green tomatoes. They have never heard of such a thing. We offer to pay for them but they say zero K.

Esther and I fry green tomatoes. We slice the tomatoes and dip them in flour, then a milk-egg mixture, and lastly cornmeal. Then we fry them. 8-year-old Kwema the youngest member of the family really liked the green tomatoes and wanted all of the children from the neighborhood to try them. I am amazed that he will try so many new things. Everyone likes them. I should have given him more but I wasn’t sure how many we would need for dinner. We had a few leftovers after we ate. I probably snacked too much as I cooked. We also made fried egg sandwiches which make a quick dinner.

Day 32

Today I woke up early and got ready for the day. For breakfast, we had corn, pumpkin, and muffins. Lawrence enjoyed the remaining fried green tomatoes.

New House

We dropped food off to Wanangwa’s mom and talked with the carpenter about our new shelf. Then we went to visit the Chirwa’s new home. We walked around the property and saw the boundary lines. A worker is there clearing the land. Mbwenu talks with him for a bit. Eventually, they would like to build a few guest houses on the property. They have worked hard for this.

We take a tour inside the house. It is so nice! Wanangwa is very excited about moving to her new house. I am excited for her. It will have electricity (It will also have solar panels) and indoor plumbing. The windows and doors are next and then the flooring. Outside they show me a spot for my house. She tells me next time we will be here. Her excitement is contagious.

We go to the printer and pick up the last of our copies. I buy snacks for the nursery school and say bye to Wanangwa. She’s going to work at the shop. We go home for lunch. Soon I hear the motorcycle. Wanangwa got worried about leaving us on our own to cook lunch. She probably has no idea how much I cook in the states.

Laundry

I take the opportunity this afternoon to wash my laundry and sheets (by hand of course.) This is a challenge at times to get enough sun to get my laundry washed and dried all in one day.

Lawrence has been working on World Bible School all day. Esther and I help with the scanning of the lessons.

Hygiene Bags

We have run out of the hygiene bags I brought and have many ladies asking about them. I am going to teach them how to make the pads. So, I spend the afternoon cutting out the pads so that it will be easier for them to learn how to make them by hand. They do not have sewing machines. I made a hair tie by hand while I was at it.

Car Trouble Again

Mbwenu had car trouble again and had to go to Mzimba to get it repaired. When he returned he and Wanangwa went to Manyamula to check on the shop and pick up the shelf from the carpenter.

Hospital

Rose, our new sister in Christ, came by to use the phone. I did not realize what was going on. Her son had fallen and hurt his arm and needs to go to the hospital. Mbwenu is taking them to Mzimba to the hospital. He is the nearest one with a car.

Pumping Water

Esther and Tulumba (8 years old) filled the giant barrel from the well tonight! This is a huge accomplishment. I can fill a small bucket and I am tired. This 8-year-old girl is amazing. This little girl knows how to do everything. She can pluck the feathers and cut up a chicken for dinner, carry water on her head, make a charcoal fire, etc. She has great survival skills and has taught me a thing or two while we have been here. She’s a constant companion.

That’s another day!

March 23, 2021March 23, 2021

Malawi Journal – Days 29 -30 Prison, Grace Kitchen, and the Vocational School

Day 29

This morning we have a quick breakfast and get ready to go to Mzimba. We have been told our packages have arrived. Our first stop is Manyamula to pick up Wanangwa’s mom and sister. Her mother is sick. Apparently, she suffers from high blood pressure and has not been taking her prescription.

The Private Clinic

Our first stop in Mzimba is the Private Clinic. We drop Wanangwa, Tomaida, and their mom at the clinic.

Next stop the courier’s office where we retrieve our packages. We purchase some water and then meet Bless Soko at the auto repair shop. Our car is still in need of repair so Bless takes us on our errands about Mzimba.

Mzimba Prison

We go to the prison to try to meet with the Chaplain Peter, Jackson, and Cecilia old friends we have worked with in previous years. This doesn’t work out very well because of the Covid restrictions they are not all working at the same time. This was very disappointing. We were able to talk with Cecilia for a while. I gave her a school supply bag for her niece she is raising.

Cecilia called Peter and he met us on the road as we are going back into town. We find out that ministers are not allowed but we can transfer lessons back and forth through Peter. Lawrence was hoping to have a sit-down discussion with our three friends so none of this went as we would like but we did gain some needful information.

Azungu

There were seven kids beside the road watching as we chatted. White people are pretty rare and we are a spectacle everywhere we go it seems. The children always love to run and wave at us and call azungu. Esther gave the onlookers sweets. As we left the kids were waving and very happy.

Grace Kitchen

The car is still in the repair shop. So Bless drops us off at the Grace Kitchen to wait. The owners used to own a mobile kitchen in South Africa. Their food is very good. Lawrence didn’t realize that he had met the owner at the car wash a few days ago. People take very good care of their cars and wash them inside and out every few days it seems. The owners are very gracious and speak great English so we chat a bit. Soon our car is ready and Bless comes to say goodbye.

Some Struggles

We are excited to have our packages. Unfortunately, the packages did not contain all of the needed materials. We can find no available lessons in Malawi and shipping from the states is expensive and takes ways too long. We decide we must make copies for the time being to supply our students.

Day 30 We Visit the Mzimba Vocational School

Today is the day to visit the vocational school. When we arrive the director and teachers come to greet us outside the school building. We sit in chairs and chat a bit before we start our tour. The students are in class when we arrive.

Tour of the School

We start our tour of the gardens first and meet the cook for the school on our way. She is the wife of one of the teachers. There is a well right on the campus which is really nice. It also has a faucet with a hose attachment for easy access. We meet the gardener who takes care of the crops and the grounds around the school building.

Surrounding the campus are gardens and large fields of maize. Across the road are more maize fields and chicken and pig houses. These are all surrounded by a nice fence. After we cross the road we meet the caretaker of the animals.

Some of the teachers are given fields for their own use. Only one staff member lives in a house on the campus. The other staff members live very nearby.

This is a great facility. This school was started by Sunset School of Preaching. They are on a 5-year plan to get self-supporting. We complete our tour of the crops and are taken to greet the students in the class. This term there are only 8 students. The maximum capacity is 10 students. The students are here to obtain skills to be able to support themselves when they go back to their home congregations. They are either preachers or church leaders. I have not figured out if Sunset sponsors the students or their home congregation supports them.

The students introduce themselves and we are introduced. We give the students an ink pen and an old testament timeline. Soon their class is over and they are outside studying and talking about their timelines. The gardener and caretaker are also given a timeline. Everyone is interested and excited about these. Thanks to Lee Burgess! I am disappointed I didn’t get a picture.

Manyamula

We stop in Manyamula and pay for our larger bookshelf for WBS materials. We pay 45,000 K. I purchase some more fabric for shirts.

Life Group

In the afternoon we go to Life group at Justin Chirwa’s house. Lawrence does the lesson. and leads one song in Tumbuka. Everyone loves this! Our friend, Chiwemwe (the guy with the foot injury) is there and has made good improvement. It’s great to see him. Medias an older lady I met when I first arrived is also there. She has recovered from malaria. We have a nice time with them and then head home.

Esther and I help cook dinner. Tonight we have beef, mashed potatoes, greens, gravy, and fresh pineapple. Mashed potatoes are a new dish for them. As usual, I cooked too much.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Today is my mom’s birthday. Our internet is out I assume because of the heavy rains. I am not able to be on the zoom call for my mom’s birthday! A few days ago I was able to email her when we had internet. I am thankful that my mom is a woman of God.

Today my mom is 83 years old. Although Covid has kept her home a lot more for the last year she is still active. She spends a good part of every day doing for others. My mom has many projects. She made 60 + baby blankets and many shorts and dresses for children in Africa and Honduras as well as a dozen full-size quilts.

My sister works in alcohol and drug recovery and my mom has made hats and bags for the women residents, as well as hundreds of masks. She is also a Bible Correspondence teacher for prisoners in Tennessee.

I am thankful for my mom and that she is still very active.

March 20, 2021March 18, 2021

Malawi Journal – Days 28 Sunday – School Supply Give-Away

I got up early this morning and Wanangwa was heating water outside in the cooking room over wood. Are we using too much propane? I’m not sure. I wash the dishes and then get my bath.

Donuts for Sunday Breakfast

Today is Sunday! For breakfast, every Sunday Rapha makes donuts for us. We enjoy the donuts with our tea with milk.

I clean my room and organize some of my stuff. It’s always a mess. Today is the school supply giveaway after church. I have all of the bags ready to go to the car.

We arrive at church early to sing as usual. They really like for Lawrence to lead singing before class. As we sing everyone arrives for class. This morning Lawrence is teaching the class and doing the Lord’s Supper message. The sermon is in Tumbuka and I am able to follow along with at least the Bible passages.

After the communion and contribution are over it is customary to write the contributed amount on the board. 24,850 K. This morning I notice that the board also has a count. I must have missed this before. M – 35, F-52, C- 60. (Male, Female, Children).

School Supply Give-Away

After church one of the men comes forward with a list and they have me and Esther give out the school supply bags as they call the kids to the front. The kids are very excited and a bit shy about receiving their bags. It is customary for them to hold out two cupped hands to receive a gift. The children and parents are very appreciative. The school will resume this week after a break because of Covid.

Esther Teaches Class

Esther usually has a class in the afternoon with the youth. While she does that we go to comfort another family who has lost a loved one. As a church, everyone goes together and has a devotional which lasts about an hour. Sometimes they pass a bowl for a collection for the family. Other times individuals just give the family some money. This is my second time visiting this family and it is heartwrenching.

We go home for lunch and over lunch discuss the possibility of helping the task force get the jerseys for the soccer team. We eat kidneys, rice, and greens for dinner.

Today is my mother-in-law’s birthday. She is a wonderful Christian lady. She got us involved in this work about four years ago. One of the family members had organized a zoom Happy Birthday Song. It actually worked and we were able to see a lot of our big, crazy, happy family. Although it was almost bedtime here and a bit dark we were thankful for the internet tonight.

March 19, 2021March 19, 2021

Malawi Journal – Day 27 – Shopping Day- Hit By A Bicycle

This morning we got up and did our usual morning routine of washing last night’s dishes (too dark at night to wash) and heating water for our bath.

Finding an Old Friend

Today we went to Mzimba to pick up our package of WBS lessons from Davis Sauka. Our package has not arrived. While I was standing in line a familiar face walked in. It was Jackson one of the guards at the prison. We greeted him warmly. He was surprised I remembered his name. In 2018 and 19 we worked with him when we taught at the Mzimba prison. Jackson was waiting for his new suit to arrive. I assume it is a uniform.

Jackson walked to the car with us to greet Lawrence. He said it would be a blessing if we would come to the prison. They are not currently letting ministers come into the prison because of Covid. He also expressed his desire to have a Bible. I told him I would make that happen. He asked if that was a promise.

Grocery Shopping

Our next item on the list was shopping. We shopped at Big Mart where we buy grocery items and Hasam Investments where I purchase meat. They have very lean ground beef. The shopkeeper is always happy to see us. Wanangwa is a regular customer and now I am too.

Boss Fisheries

We stop at the Boss Fisheries store to buy Chambo. This time we get a bit larger fish. The fish here always comes with the head.

Chitenge Fabric!

I love the local chitenge fabric that the ladies wear. I found out that David Whitehead has a branch in Mzimba so I make a stop there. As we were pulling in to park a car backed into our car and dented our fender. It makes me so sad. Mbwenu said he let the person go because he too may be in that situation one day. I enter the store and see large stacks of fabric. There are many familiar pieces. The main difference is that they offer larger pieces than the other places I have purchased fabric. The prices seem a bit high but still good for American prices. I bought 3 – 6 meter pieces for 24,300 K.

Hit By a Bicycle

When I came out of the store the car was gone. Mbwenu was waiting. He pointed at a big delivery truck. As we walked down the road to the car a bicycle drove by very fast and hit my elbow very hard. I didn’t fall down but my elbow was hurting and bleeding. I soon got the bleeding stopped. The cut was small but the elbow felt very bruised. The bicycle was probably going 30 miles per hour. It could definitely be much worse.

Cooking Dinner

Esther and I cook dinner when we get home. The stove is a propane gas one with two burners. For dinner, we fix meat sauce with onions, tomatoes, and peppers to go over our rice or pumpkin. We have a cucumber and onion salad in vinegar and pineapple for dessert. I always cook too much so there are always leftovers. After dinner, we manage to get the dishes washed before bedtime.

March 17, 2021March 16, 2021

Malawi Journal – Days 24-26 Martyr’s Day, the Clinic and Death

Day 24 – Martyr’s Day

Today is Martyr’s Day, a Malawi holiday. It is honoring those who lost their lives in the battle for their freedom. This is not the day they got their freedom but it was the beginning of an uprising that led to them getting their freedom five years later.

I got up early and got my bath. We had breakfast before getting ready for my morning class with the ladies.

Setting Up the Printer

Lawrence and Mbwenu are working on setting up the printer today. There have been some difficulties since we do not have a disc drive and the driver is not available on download from the internet.

This printer scanner is to scan lessons and print letters to the students about their lessons. We have also used this to make copies for ladies’ class.

Clinic for 5 and Under

I leave for class with other neighbor ladies. We arrive and there are a lot of people at the building today. The church lets the five and under clinic meet in its building until the clinic is built. They have laid the foundation for a community clinic across the road. This is a much-needed clinic and helps provide local health care for nearby residents with young children. Most households do not have transportation of any kind so this truly meets a need to have access to healthcare nearby.

Ladies’ Class

We wave and head to the bakery for our class. The ladies are excited to see me and Esther and to be together for another Bible study. Today I give them a coloring sheet with a Bible verse on it and hand out the markers as we wait for everyone to arrive. Everyone loves to color! We have our class on Proverbs. I am taking lessons from a book we studied in ladies’ class at home. Life Me Up by Alice Cravens Moore. We finish class and head home as the baking ladies start their baking.

Life Group

We rush home for lunch and wash the dishes just in time to go to a life group. This one was rescheduled from yesterday. Today’s life group is hosted by Samuel Nyirenda one of the elders at the Tombolombo Church. Lawrence gives the devotional talk on Romans 6.

Aaron is at the life group today (you may remember he suffers seizures). He really looks good today. Aaron sees Lawrence’s water bottle with the red lid and says Coke. I am so glad to see Aaron is walking today and saying a few words.

After life group, we go to Manyamula for some shopping. Bags for school supplies, 200 notebooks, 200 suckers, water, tissue, and Coke.

We head home for dinner and bed.

Day 25 – Stay Home Day

We get our bath, breakfast, and dishes all done before we get ready for the day’s work.

Baby Bags

Today I have a lot of preparation to do. First I make cards to go in our baby bags for the clinic and then Esther, Wanangwa and I assemble 30+ baby bags. We are ready for tomorrow!

Wanangwa goes to the shop to work this afternoon.

School Supplies

Next, we start on the school supplies. We are making 200 bags. We have 178 primary-age kids in our church and satellite churches. With the help of some young people, we get all of the bags assembled. They seem to enjoy helping and it sure made the process easier. I rewarded them with suckers.

Maureen came by. She works at the clinic in town and has asked me to come to work with her. They need me she tells me! She will come back later since we are working.

The tailor brought the dresses for the little girls and a skirt for Talumba. They are so excited to see them. I take the girls to their moms to try the dresses on. I think their moms are as excited as they are. Katie is a bit shy but I finally snap a photo of these cuties.

One of our students came by for his results on his WBS lesson. I have to tell him he must repeat this lesson. The students must make 76% for a passing grade.

Wanangwa and Mbwenu get back home and we have dinner. I try unsuccessfully to order flowers for my mom’s birthday!

Day 26 Maternity Clinic and Baby Bags

This morning we got the news that Wanangwa’s 27-year-old cousin has passed away by suicide. He is working in South Africa. This is heartbreaking, to say the least.

They decide we will go ahead with our plans to visit the local maternity clinic. A midwife greets us at the car and walks with us to the clinic. There are actually two parts to the clinic. One is for maternity and deliveries. The other is a family clinic for all ages. People are lined up to be seen. I see the line and think oh no we don’t have enough. Then they lead me around back to where the moms and dads are waiting to be seen.

Introductions and Greetings

They bring a chair and have us sit. They love to have formal meetings and greetings. The head midwife comes out and introduces herself and she chats with our group in Tumbuka. They have me stand and say something. I was not prepared so I told them I was a mom to 11 children and they all looked shocked and clapped. Take good care of yourself and your babies I encouraged them. I would have been happy just to greet each one individually and give them their gift. When you are in Malawi you do as the Malawians and that includes gratitude and ceremony.

Next, they had the moms to number off. The ladies gave each mom a baby bag with a blanket and a hat. I explained that my mom had made each blanket and some other ladies had made the hats. The young moms were very excited to get the bags and one was chosen to formally thank us. 5 moms were not there yet so we left bags for each of them.

Tour of the Clinic

As my group headed to the car one of the midwives gave me a tour of the delivery room and maternity ward. They are in the process of getting the building next door ready for moms. They have about 30 births a month at this facility.

We stopped in Manyamula and I bought sodas for the ladies who came with me. Then we went to visit Emmanuel (13 years old) who has malaria. He looks very sick. He is already on medication so should be feeling better soon. We prayed for him and left.

As we were driving home I saw a sign. Lovemore Nursery School. This is the new location for Glory’s school. I was so surprised. They stopped the car for me to greet her. I happened to have just enough tiny suckers to give each child so I handed them out the window to her.

After this, we continued on home for lunch.

At 3:00 the church is going to comfort the family. This is one of the most heart-wrenching things I have ever participated in doing. The women went inside with the other women and sat on the floor. I was silent except for the tears I was shedding with and for this family. Outside the door, the men read scriptures and sang songs of comfort as we sang along. We were there for about an hour.

We were all drained with grief when we got home. I made fried egg sandwiches for supper with tomato slices. I was impressed the kids would try something new.

We were all ready for rest.

March 15, 2021March 13, 2021

Malawi Journal – Day 23 -Laundry and Coloring

Laundry

I slept until 7 am today! First I took my bath and washed my laundry. I am hoping it will not rain. The process of doing laundry is to collect two tubs of water. I brought a small bottle of laundry detergent which I do not usually do but I learned from Eddie Schott who came last year. It makes it a lot easier than the bar soap I have used. I scrub the whites, then colors, and then dark all in the same water. Wring them out the best I can and then rinse them multiple times and then wring out again and then line dry. My arms are getting stronger. I am thankful that Esther insists on doing her own laundry!

Breakfast

Breakfast today consists of tea with fresh milk, boiled eggs, chips (fried potatoes), and tomato and onion slices. Raphael is the best chip fryer! He usually makes our chips on the days we eat them. I wash the breakfast dishes.

Mbwenu left early this morning to take his oldest son Tonny to catch the transport back to school. He was supposed to be back by 10 but has not shown up.

I write in my journal and update those who contributed to the songbooks. I am so thankful for the generosity of my brothers and sisters in Christ. These churches are being blessed because of it. Heavy rain starts and I run to retrieve my laundry and hang it about the house.

Coloring Sheets

I trace some pictures for the kids to color, they have a great time with this. Today I traced some parrots and flowers. Everyone loves to color from the young to the old.

Roasted Peanuts

Wanangwa roasts some peanuts and they are delicious. She has a trick for getting the salt to stick on the peanuts. She mixes a little water with salt while the peanuts roast. When they are ready dumps the peanuts in a bowl and adds the salt mixture and stirs really quickly while they steam. It works great.

Visitors

We have visitors. Christina Banda and her daughter come to visit. They bring us corn. Christina is sick and thinks she may have the flu or malaria and is going to the clinic tomorrow. I give her some ibuprofen and instructions. I didn’t find out until after she left that she is the mother to Aaron who has the seizures. She also has another child who is bedridden from childhood. This is so sad.

We were supposed to go to life group at 2 but Mbwenu has not returned he is delayed with car repair. There has been a series of car issues. He arrives home after 5 pm and has not eaten all day. We all go to Manyamula where I buy some more fabric. I buy a coke and coffee. Lawrence and Esther get cold water.

When we get home Wanangwa lets me and Esther help prepare dinner. Our menu tonight is cabbage, soup, rice, sima, goat livers, and fresh pineapple.

Another full day comes to a close.

March 14, 2021March 13, 2021

Malawi Journal – Day 22 Surprise Visitors

Surprise Visitors

March 1 must be the day for visitors. This morning three young moms with babies on their backs show up to visit me. They do not speak very much English but one understands more than she can speak so she translates for the other two. I find out they are all three sisters. Roma is the neighbor lady who has a new baby. Eliz and Khrissy are her two sisters.

Hygiene Bags

I had given Roma a much-needed hygiene bag since she had just had her baby. She brought her sisters wanting to know if I could give them one too. I had 3 bags left. I explained this is all I have. They were very happy to have them. I am keeping the final one because we are having a class to make them by hand. They want to do the class too. We chatted mostly about their babies and I held one for awhile. These sweet young moms have my heart for sure. Three smiling moms went home with necessities thanks to some sweet Smyrna Church of Christ ladies.

Mzimba Vocational School

Our next visitors were from the Mzimba Vocational School. The director and teachers came to greet us and tell us about the school. This school was started by Sunset School of Preaching as a counterpart to the Mzimba School of Preaching. They have a five year plan to get self supporting.

There are 10 students per year. They are training ministers and church leaders to be able to make a living as they preach and serve. Their courses include: Farming God’s Way, Mentorship/Leadership that replicates that others may follow. This include conflict resolution and counseling. They train some women to teach women in the area churches. Pig and poultry farming are taught as well as marketing. Students are sponsored for the one year term.

We had a nice visit and they asked for ideas of additional subjects they might teach. They left with an invitation for us to come and visit. They gave Esther the assignment to remind us.

We had some heavy rains again this afternoon. We fill all our buckets and tubs when it rains! Free and easy water!

Mbwenu and Wanangwa brought two huge cabbages! These are probably the largest I have ever seen. We have talked with them about saurkraut. So we are going to try to make some soon.

It has been fun to try new foods here too and to introduce them to new ideas too. We have made cucumbers and onions in vinegar, fried green tomatoes, no bake cookies,mashed potatoes and gravy, fried eggplant, and we’ve made fried egg and tomatoe sandwiches for a quick dinner. And now we are going to make saurkraut soon. I will let you know how that turns out.

March 13, 2021March 13, 2021

Malawi Journal – Day 21 – Sunday, Baptism and Visits

Today is Sunday! When we arrived at the building it was very quiet. We have been arriving early so that we can have some singing time before church. I peeked in the kid’s classroom and it was already full. The children were sitting in the room being so quiet and waiting for Wanangwa, their teacher. It made her happy.

A Large Children’s Class

We started our singing and soon more and more people arrive. The children’s classroom becomes too crowded and they go outside. The little classroom is probably 10 feet X 12 feet. I count as the children head outside. There were at least 52 primary children in that classroom!

Adult Class

Lawrence continues teaching the adult class on I Peter as he has been doing. After class, we get ready for worship. One of the men writes on the chalkboard who will participate today. I do not remember the preacher’s name but he had a short sermon on Working for Salvation. I didn’t understand the Tumbuka but I was able to follow along with the scriptures. There were a lot of responses. Some of the responses were asking for prayer, some had moved from another area to the church here, one young woman Rose wanted to be baptized and the local Mzimba Vocational School students came to greet us as they arrived for the new term.

Hygiene Bags

After church, there was a lot to do. The life groups were meeting to get a count of the primary school children for the giveaway. Wanangwa and I had already planned to give the hygiene bags to the school girls today so we took care of that as quickly as possible. One of the deacons was working in the building and teased us about where his bag was. The girls are very excited to have these necessities.

Rose is Baptized

Finally, we are ready to go to find water to baptize Rose. At least 10 people pile into the car and many others are walking. As we are driving down the road we suddenly veer off to a small path that crosses the soccer field and goes between maize fields. We stop the car and continue on foot. There is scripture reading, prayer, singing, and baptism and then we all greet our new sister 21-year-old Rose.

Lunch and Visitors

We head home for a late lunch after two. After lunch, I wash dishes. We are tired and sit down and sigh. In a few minutes, Mbwenu tells us we have visitors. Cadamunja and his wife have come to thank us again for taking their son to the hospital and giving him hope. It is distressing at any age to have an injury or an illness. We are thankful for the opportunity to make a difference in this young man’s life.

More Visitors

Wanangwa and Mbwenu go to Manyamula to get water and check on the shop. While they are away Bennett and his wife Esther arrive. Bennett is the Uncle to our last visitor Cadamunja. He is from Lilongwe. He too has heard about us taking Chiwemwe to the hospital and thanks us. Bennett has a business in Mzuzu and travels this way to visit his relatives and check on his business about once a month. They are very nice and invite us to visit them in Lilongwe before we leave Malawi. They brought a gift for Wanangwa and tell us to greet them.

No Bake Cookies

I decide to make a batch of no bakes and I was very disappointed they would not set up! Ugg!

Dinner

Esther and I discover the peas we bought at the market and forgot about. We set about shelling them and Wanangwa arrives with pork and starts preparing the pork and rice. She makes the usual soup and adds the green peas to that.

We eat and get ready for bed. A full but happy day!

March 12, 2021March 12, 2021

Malawi Journal – Day 20 – Market Day and Sharing Dreams

Elder’s Meeting

Mbwenu had an elders meeting this morning. I think they are making a plan for us to attend the life groups in the different areas. They sat out front and chatted for a while. I am glad it has cleared after the heavy rain and hail storm of last night.

We ate our breakfast and got ready to go to Manymula. For some reason, Lawrence and I both have an upset stomach this morning. We can see no cause and thankfully doesn’t last long.

Market Day

Today is Saturday, Market Day! People are everywhere! It reminds me of a flea market at home. People come from all around to sell their stuff!. This is the busiest day of the week for the regular little shops, and they are doing great business.

Visiting Matthew and Neema

We are checking on the bicycles. They are still working on them. So we head out of town to Matthew and Neema Phiri’s home. It seems a long way down series of narrow bumpy roads. We finally arrive.

All the neighbors were there to greet us. Matthew and Neema were obviously excited to see us. Introductions are made and then we take a tour of their farm. They have only been back on the land for two seasons. Matthew is very proud of his progress and has great plans for his farm and the community.

Chickens

First, the stop at the chicken house which has three rooms. One for local chickens, one for exotics, and one for new breeds. He explains that it is very hard to get protein. Next, he shows us a small home he had built for the farmhand who works for him. It is very nice.

Healing Hands International Agricultural Workshop

This community received an Agricultural Workshop by Healing Hands International at some point and is excited to show off the garden they planted using their new skills. It is completely fenced and has a drip irrigation system in place. The garden is growing great. We see several fields surrounding this garden. Maize is growing and groundnuts, which we call peanuts at home.

Sharing Dreams

Matthew is the village headman over 16 villages. As we talk under the trees he tells Lawrence that he is giving him land to build a house. Lawrence laughs and tells him he has only known him for one week. We are called in for lunch. Two local ministers are there as we gather around a table and share lunch. Our meal was the traditional chicken in gravy, rice, sima, and greens. Wanangwa brought soda from her shop for us to drink.

After lunch, Matthew takes us to the land he wants to give us and shares his dreams with us. He wants his community to know God and shows us where he would like to give us land for a church building and a house. Bruce is the local minister here who holds services under some trees. We chat with him for a while. He tells us about his work.

As Headman, Matthew serves as a judge for offenders and is hoping to build a courtroom, a community center as well as a medical clinic. The land he is showing us is in a central location for the surrounding villages. He spreads his arms over the land and says these are my dreams. Oh, the good he would love to do for his people.

While Matthew is sharing his dreams Esther and Wanangwa go with Neema to the cassava field and are soon back with cassava.

We go back to the house and exchange our contact information. We had a nice lunch and outing with Matthew and Neema. Neema also asked for a WBS lesson to take. We wave bye to all the children and new friends of the day.

Back to Manyamula

On our trip home we stop back at Manyamula. They were still working on the bicycles. We sat in the shade and watched them. We were very excited as I said yesterday that these were former WBS students and are doing well.

As we sat on the bench a very drunk school teacher named Job came to talk with us. He was very impressed with Lawrence’s mustache. He has a mustache too. Job teaches primary school. Job stayed with us for a long while. I finally had to excuse myself. Mbwenu was soon back and rescued Lawrence from the mustache admirer.

The bicycles were finished and some young people from our village were happy to be the first riders of four brand new bikes. They road them all the way home for us!

Back at home, Wanangwa cooks dinner. We eat dinner. I do some writing and we get ready for bed.

Day 33

World Bible School Meeting

Nursery School

A Baptism

Our Car is Stuck

Tuna Salad

Coloring – Shading

Car Trouble

Mom Scares

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Day 31

Ladies Bible Class

Comforting the Family

Baptism – New Life in Christ

Fried Green Tomatoes

Day 32

New House

Laundry

Hygiene Bags

Car Trouble Again

Hospital

Pumping Water

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Day 29

The Private Clinic

Mzimba Prison

Azungu

Grace Kitchen

Some Struggles

Day 30 We Visit the Mzimba Vocational School

Tour of the School

Manyamula

Life Group

Happy Birthday, Mom!

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Donuts for Sunday Breakfast

School Supply Give-Away

Esther Teaches Class

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Finding an Old Friend

Grocery Shopping

Boss Fisheries

Chitenge Fabric!

Hit By a Bicycle

Cooking Dinner

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Day 24 – Martyr’s Day

Setting Up the Printer

Clinic for 5 and Under

Ladies’ Class

Life Group

Day 25 – Stay Home Day

Baby Bags

School Supplies

Day 26 Maternity Clinic and Baby Bags

Introductions and Greetings

Tour of the Clinic

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Laundry

Breakfast

Coloring Sheets

Roasted Peanuts

Visitors

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Surprise Visitors

Hygiene Bags

Mzimba Vocational School

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A Large Children’s Class

Adult Class

Hygiene Bags

Rose is Baptized