Category: Memories

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Fermented Lemon Ginger Honey and a Quilt Story

This is how I learned about Fermented Lemon Ginger Honey. Last year in January, I got sick. Regina, a friend from church, sent me some of this concoction. It was so soothing to my scratchy throat, cough, and cold symptoms! I couldn’t wait to make some of my own and I have been making it for a year now. I try to always keep some on hand.

While in Malawi I made some for our host who was also suffering the same symptoms. He also found relief.

Instructions Found Here:

Follow the link below for the YouTube video tutorial. https://youtu.be/NxrlSrslq4c?si=vTbAuWUWh2Fhfh1T

Ingredients:

organic lemons, fresh ginger and unfiltered honey.

Start by adding some honey to the bottom of the pint jar, then layer lemon slices, ginger, and more honey. Repeat until it is full. I seal the top with the honey. It looks really thick as you make it, but soon it will be juicy. I check it and push down the lemons each day or flip the jar over a couple of times. Sometimes I cover the top with honey if needed. I let it ferment for two weeks. It is soothing by the spoonful or in hot tea.

It really is amazing.

 

The Quilt Story. The photo of the beautiful quilt is just to spread a little homemade happiness today. This was made from scavenged pieces of fabric from old clothes. It was made many years ago by my husband’s grandmother. She passed away in 1982. I was told she made enough of these quilts that her children, grandchildren, and many great-grandchildren were able to have one of these handmade treasures.

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Simple Joys – Let’s Catch Up

Simple Joys

Home

Since we got home we have enjoyed the simple joys of hot clean water, sleeping in our own beds, cooking, preparing flower beds for spring, and mostly visiting with our families. Biological and Christian.

Malawi

Having spent two months in Malawi (September 12 – November 8) it is good to sleep in our own beds. As we left the airport, we headed to West Virginia to visit my mother-in-law and two sisters in laws. Happily reunited and finding them in good health. We enjoyed a short visit with them. Then we made it home on the second night, where we slept 10 hours! We continued this trend for several days.

Three of our sons came and helped us with some unfinished projects. They helped us finish the gutter and prepare for winter in our little house.  I was able to get a couple of flower boxes ready to plant for spring.  My new focus is on studying cut flowers. Herbs have been a favorite of mine for many years.

Christmas Jam and Saurkraut

One of my hobbies is learning new things. Keeping the old crafts alive. My husband made a batch of saurkraut. I’ve still yet to make my first batch. Christmas Jam has been on my list since last year, and I am glad I was able to finally make some. Here is the recipe I used. https://www.theseasonedmom.com/christmas-jam/ 

Simple Joys
Christmas Jam
Simple Joys
Saurkraut

On Thanksgiving, we gathered at my mom’s house. This has been our tradition for many years. My sister and I spent Wednesday with Mom and helped get prepared.

We are not all able to be together every year, because we live in 5 different states, but there’s always a crowd, good food, and usually a game or two.  This year, 24 of our family gathered. Their younger cousins enjoyed running around and playing, and sneaking marshmallows.

My mother is an amazing quilter and has been making each grandchild a quilt. This year, James received his quilt. The Underground Railroad. She took his love for history and made his quilt historical. It is beautiful and he was thrilled.

Simple Joys
Underground Railroad

Turkey Bone Broth

I brought home the turkey bones. I know I am selfish 🙂 I made 3 quarts of bone broth. Yummy. To make the broth, I throw the bones in my crock pot or Instant Pot. Cover them with water with a couple of tablespoons of vinegar, some celery leaves, a bit of onion, and a carrot, etc., and cook them on low for 24 hours. The Instant Pot, I usually cook them for 3-4 hours until the bones are soft.

Simple Joys
Bone broth

We kicked off Christmas and celebrated one of our grandsons’ 4 birthday. Graham Cracker houses have been part of our Christmas for a long time. It’s fun to see the second generation enjoying this tradition.

Today we have beautiful snow. We are staying home.

Simple Joys
The tree in front of our house

Now we are back to work on our record keeping and reporting as we finish up this year. How did December get here so fast?

Thanks for reading along. Hug your family and don’t forget to enjoy the little things, the simple joys of living.

 

 

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Decorating Graham Cracker Houses -Gingerbread Houses

Decorating Graham Cracker Houses

Many people make gingerbread houses this time of year and I think it’s a wonderful tradition. I love the smell of gingerbread. I do not make the gingerbread houses though.

Since the 1990’s I have made little graham cracker houses with my kids at Christmas time. I think my mom gave me the idea to do these. I make the houses and have them decorate them with candies. My daughter in law calls these candy houses. We still continue to do this though they are grown.

For the Houses

I buy the rectangular graham crackers. Make sure you do not get the stacks. Some brands are better for this than others. This year the Walmart Great Value brand has been the best. They are not as fragile. It had less broken crackers to start with and not a single one broke during the construction. And they are less expensive.

The Honey Maid graham crackers are much thinner. Whole packages were already broken before the box was opened. They were a bit frustrating to work with.

A regular size box of graham crackers will usually make 3 houses if none break.

HINT: I use the broken graham crackers for crumbs, which I can use to make peanut butter balls or graham cracker crusts.

Put Your House On Cake Boards or Cardboard Squares Covered with Foil

Prepare your boards for the houses. I use cake boards or cardboard covered with foil. You can decide what size you want to use. This year I used 12 inch diameter cake boards. Sometimes I use squares or rectangles. Some of the kids like to do elaborate “yards” so they like having some space to decorate outside the house.

Frosting Recipe:

The royal frosting or “glue” only takes three ingredients.

Meringue powder, powdered sugar, and water.

I use Wilton’s recipe.

4 cups of powdered sugar

3 Tablespoons meringue powder

5 Tablespoons warm warm

Add all of these to the mixer bowl. I use my Kitchen Aid. Beat on low for 7-10 minutes. If it is too thick add a Tablespoon of warm water. This is the consistency I use for the houses.

Decorating graham cracker houses
Royal frosting (“glue”)

After this is made I cover it with a damp towel until I am ready to use it. It will get crusty and crunchy if you leave it uncovered. Covering it with plastic wrap may work too.

Assembling the Houses

To make the houses you need 8 whole graham crackers for each house.

Decorating graham cracker houses
Pieces for the house (missing the two rectangles for the roof).

I use a serrated knife to gently saw the ends of the houses. Don’t press too hard or you will break the cracker. Gently keep it from moving while you saw. If you look in the photo you will see that I have made a line from the edge of the middle horizontal line to the top of the vertical line .

I cut one set at a time. When you are done cutting a set you are ready to assemble.

Fill your decorator bag with frosting. Decide where to position the house on the board. Also whether you want the ends joined to the  inside of the walls or outside.

Squeeze a line of frosting the length of the graham cracker. Place one graham cracker standing up. This year I put the ends on the outside so I put frosting on the cut triangle piece and added it to the first wall. Next I added the other wall and finally the second triangle piece.

The Roof

When this is done you will need a roof. Since the walls are on the inside the roof can be a little tricky. I let the house set for a minute and then I add a line of frosting to the inside of the triangle on each end and a line of frosting to the top of the wall. I gently add the first half of the roof. You may need to gently press the house to get the walls adhered or straightened. If one is tipped out a bit you can slide a knife down from the roof and gently slide it into position.

Next repeat for the second half of the roof. Gently press the tops to try to make them meet. If there is a gap at the top add a line of frosting to each side and add a squiggle of snow to cover the gap. If you have a problem it can be fixed.

I’m sorry I didn’t take any photos of the assembly process.

Each little house will be different. These are not for magazine or instagram photos. These are for happy kids, making memories, and spending time together. I hope you have a great time making messes and memories with the kids in your life!

Other Ideas

I have done these with senior centers and libraries. I make up all the little houses and the seniors invite the kids in their lives to bring candy and decorate the house. For the libraries the kids sign up for the program and the library provides the materials. Great Fun!

Decorating graham cracker houses
Little houses

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Visit to Scotland – Part 1

McEwan Hall Dome

In March my husband and I had the great opportunity to visit Scotland. Our son graduated with his Master’s Degree in Philosophy, Science, and Religion from the University of Edinburgh.

Because of Covid graduations were postponed. The school set a date and invited those who had completed their work during the pandemic to come for a special graduation.

Graduation was held in the beautiful McEwan Hall. It was a wonderful day and a wonderful accomplishment. Afterwards we walked around the campus and attended a reception for the graduates. The receptions were held by department.

This was the reason we were in Scotland but there was so much more to our trip I will try to share soon.

McEwan Hall DomeMcEwan Hall Dome

The Dome
The Dome

Us in McEwan Hall
Robotics Lab
Micah receives his diploma
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Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter Balls

Here is a great recipe that my family has used for a long time. Tried and True! My daughter Sarah and I had a great time making these and sharing them this week. I thought you might like to try it too! Enjoy!

Chocolate-Covered Peanut Butter Balls 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 sticks of margarine or butter softened

1 lb. powdered sugar

1 1/2 cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs

1 lb. milk chocolate melts (chocolate coating)

Directions:

Combine the peanut butter, margarine, powdered sugar, and graham cracker crumbs. Shape into small balls and dip in prepared chocolate and place on waxed paper covered plate and refrigerate until glossy.

Or you may want to use a small peanut butter cup mold and put a small amount of melted chocolate in the bottom of each cup and push a peanut butter ball down into the chocolate and top with a small amount of melted chocolate to cover the ball. Let set in the refrigerator a few minutes until glossy.

Gently remove from mold and place in paper cups or on your tray.

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Today is Pi Day! Try Blueberry Crunch Pie!

Pi Day? 

Today is Pi Day! Do you know what Pi is? In basic mathematics, pi is used to find the area and circumference of a circle. Have you ever memorized Pi? When my children were at home they had fun trying to memorize the first 100 digits of Pi. Maybe you are like me and prefer to memorize pie recipes. This occupied them for hours.

I am not sure who holds the record in my house but according to the Pi World Ranking List the world record for reciting the most digits of pi belongs to Suresh Kumar Sharma of India, who recited pi to 70,030 decimal places in 2015. It took him 17 hours and 14 minutes! That’s a long day of work.

Do you want to try this with your kids? For fun check out the bottom of the page for the first 100 digits of Pi. Maybe you can make pie while they work on this today. Here’s my signature pie recipe.

Signature Desserts

Another thing we did as a family was eat Blueberry Crunch Pie. Almost any holiday or special occasion called for it! Chances are if you have visited my house you have tasted the yumminess of Blueberry Crunch Pie. This accidentally became my signature dessert. That’s how memories are made many times by accident.

Blueberry Crunch Pie is a quick dessert to make. In fact I can make it in less than 30 minutes. While the crust bakes I mix the filling and then it is all ready to go as soon as the crust is cooled. Sometimes I cheat and put the crust in the fridge or freezer to cool it faster.

Today is Pi Day! Try Blueberry Crunch Pie Today!
Blueberry Crunch Pie

Version 2

A few years ago I made a little change to my recipe. I still use the same ingredients I just tweaked it a bit. Below you will find the  Blueberry Crunch Pie Version 2 Recipe. When my children were home I doubled the recipe.

Recipe

Blueberry Crunch Pie Version 2

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup self rising flour

1 cup nuts (divided – save  1/4 cup to sprinkle on top)

1 stick margarine softened

11 oz cream cheese

1/2 lb. powdered sugar

1 can blueberry pie filling or homemade

Whipped topping 16+ ounces

Instructions:

Layer 1 — Combine flour, nuts and margarine. Press into 13×9 pan, bake until lightly browned about 15 minutes at 350° F or until lightly browned. Let cool. 

Layer 2 — Combine cream cheese and powdered sugar. Stir in a cup of the whipped topping. Spread on cooled crust.

Layer 3 — Spread 1 can blueberry pie filling ( or homemade) evenly and gently over layer 2

Layer 4 — Spread with whipped topping

Layer 5 — Sprinkle with nuts.

Do you have a signature dessert? Please share it in the comments or email it to me! I love reading recipes!

Try Memorizing 100 Digits of Pi for Fun!

Here are the first 100 digits in case you want to memorize them today!

3.1415926535 8979323846 2643383279 5028841971 6939937510 5820974944 5923078164 0628620899 8628034825 3421170679

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A Few Things I Have Learned – 41 Years of Marriage

41 years of marriage! Wow! How could I possibly be married that long? Today is NOT my anniversary in case you are wondering.  But I have learned a few things after being married for 41 years though not nearly as much as I should have! Today I am going to share  just a few things I have learned in 41 years of marriage and who knows maybe another time I will share a few more.

A few things I have learned
August 12, 1980 We’ve only just begun!

Early Marriage

When I was first married and still a college student at Freed-Hardeman I met a lady. I so wish I had met her more than one time. Monda Alexander introduced me to an older lady who was visiting campus. Unfortunately, I cannot remember her name. She was so excited when she learned that I was a newlywed. As we sat in the booth at the Lion’s Pride, this sweet lady  shared some of her wisdom with me and I have never forgotten that meeting.

She told me that the huge love I felt for my husband would one day seem small compared to what it would grow to be. At the time I just couldn’t wrap my mind around it but I believed her.  I think of her every few years when I consider how much my love for my husband has grown.

The naive girl is long gone but my love for my husband has only grown more and more as the years pass.

A few things I have learned
Hawaii 1981

A Few Things I Have Learned  in 41 Years of Marriage

Love grows, and grows.

Having a family is a lot of work but gives many opportunities to grow and  multiply your love through family. Love for each other and each new addition. There is always more love to go around.

Commit to God and Pray

Commit to God. Marriage is a lot of work even under the best circumstances. Being committed to God and each other is key! Remember to pray for your marriage.

Sometimes there will be misunderstandings and that’s okay. Assume the best motives for each other.

Some seasons are hard but you will grow personally and as a couple through life’s ups and downs.

Don’t give up during the hard times. It will get better!

A few things I have learned
Hot Air Balloon Ride – Thanks Kids!
A few things I have learned
Crater Lake

Dates

Make time for each other. Sometimes monthly dates or sometimes weekly it depends on your season of life. Maybe just movie nights at home when your kids are little or adding a candle to the dinner table after the littles are down for the night.

First Baby?

During  the time we had the most teens at home we had weekly dates which turned into parenting meetings at times. We couldn’t go very far lest there be too much excitement at home. (there are stories). We would go to a little Mexican restaurant on the edge of town. (I was expecting my 10th child). One day the owner asked if this was our first baby. We laughed. After he was born we took the whole family to eat one day and they were a bit surprised or maybe shocked.

Listening and eye contact are important. These things say you are important to me. This applies to everyone not just spouses.

Building a great marriage takes work and dedication. It is worth it!

Study at being a better mate. You can only change you. It’s worth it! When you put in the effort to improve yourself surprising things happen.

Laughter is the Best Medicine

Laughter is the best medicine. Sometimes there is just no other appropriate response. Laugh often! This is one of the big things I appreciate about my husband. He can always bring a smile and a laugh to even tough situations.

Sleep solves a lot of problems. Food doesn’t hurt either.

Overlook some things. One day when you are looking back you will realize some things were not as important as you may have thought at the time. Some not even worth mentioning.

Respect your mate.

Be considerate and kind. It always pays!

Show appreciation. You will notice it comes back to you.

Little things mean so much. A little Hershey’s chocolate bar or Diet Coke can go a long way in showing love or saying I’m sorry or thank you.

Make your mate feel special. Learn what speaks love to him. Learn his love language.

Keep getting to know your mate. Even after all these years I still learn new things about my husband all the time. He still surprises me.

Come grow old with me the best is yet to be.

A few things I have learned
Lawrence and Reda
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When the Magic Happens -Training Kids

When the Magic Happens

I think being in the kitchen with my kids and peeling potatoes or doing once a month cooking or just cooking dinner is one of my favorite times. I think that’s when the magic happens. Just doing everyday necessary things.

Praying for a New Baby

I remember having a conversation with 2 little boys who were praying for a new baby. I’m so glad they loved babies enough to ask God for one. On this occasion I reminded them that a new baby would mean more work for us all. And that is very true. At the time they eagerly agreed.

Sharing Life is When the Magic Happens

Working together with my kids was a joy and a necessity. When you have a large family there is more work than one mom or dad can do alone. That’s when the magic happens. Sharing the daily work was a way to share life with my kids, and a way for my kids to share their little hearts with me. It was a training ground and a joy. I wish I had treasured that time even more.

Quality Time

There is a lot of talk about quality time. It’s hard to plan for time to be quality. Sometimes that wonderful treasured talk happens right in the middle of the mundane normal moments of the day.

I spent a lot of time with my kids! Being able to stay at home with my kids is one of my life’s biggest blessings. I wish I could say that I was always as focused as I should have been.

My Childhood

How to work is one of the best things I learned from my parents. Work is a big part of what makes up life. We should learn to do it and enjoy it.

Growing up we all worked around the house and/or in the garden. I grew up cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, hoeing the garden, and helping with whatever was needed.

My parents both worked full time. How they did all the things they did I will never know. We had huge gardens, chickens, pigs, rabbits, cats and a dog. Sometimes we slaughtered our own pork and the relatives would come to help. My mom canned a lot of food every summer. She made our clothes, quilts, crocheted, and so much more! She still had time to help others too! And she took us to church 3 times a week. So I grew up with a good example of how to teach children to work.

Teaching Children to Work

When I grew up and married my husband we didn’t have the gardens of my childhood. But my kids did grow up helping from a very early age. Usually, before they were really able to be a true help they were eagerly asking to participate in the daily workload. This was a joy having my little ones around me and under my feet. I happen to love the chaos and I remember it with smiles.

When the magic happens
The tailor’s son measuring a little girl for a dress.

 

Child Sized Tools and Jobs

Sometimes, we purchased child size tools so the kids could really help. I remember purchasing a cute little wooden handled straw broom and dustpan for a little three year old boy. My mom also gave one of the boys a small weed eater because he wanted to do yard work. Our littles first chore was folding washcloths and of course picking up their toys.

On my first trip to Malawi https://redaredding.com/my-journey-to-malawi/ I saw how every member contributes. Little toddlers would mimic their siblings placing sticks on their heads.. Maybe only two sticks but they helped. Even young children could pick stones out of the garden spot, help fertilize the fields or carry babies on their backs.. Everyone contributes.

 

When the magic happens
Little Helper

Gaining Confidence and a Place to Belong

Not only is it useful to train your kids to help but it is also self esteem building. I think there are so many positive things about raising children who help out in the family. Children gain a confidence that is hard to come by in other settings. A connection, a place they belong, and a knowledge that they are a part of a unit, the family. Learning to work with others is a very valuable skill.  They also feel good when they can cook a dinner, learn to bake bread, sweep and mop the floor, comparison shop and so much more. Plus the reward of a job well done is a reward of its own.

When the magic happens
Isn’t she cute?

Do You Have a Couple of Kids I Can Hire?

Children who grow up working and helping out in the family are the best workers employers can hire. People would stop by my house and ask if they could hire my children to do various jobs. I even had a grocery store owner and a dry cleaner ask me to please let one of my sons work for him.

That’s When the Magic Happens!

I believe kids who grow up working are learning valuable skills and are happier people. The magic happens side by side.

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Family Adventure to West Virginia

Family Adventure

Our family adventure to West Virginia all started with a conversation between our son Daniel (Danny) and his dad. Soon plans were made to spend a few days in West Virginia. Tickets were purchased and plans were made for those who were within driving distance to be there.

I got to West Virginia first. I dropped off our dearest family friend, D to visit her brother in the hospital. He wasn’t doing very well and she would have 3 final days with him. This was heartbreaking.

 

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80% Chance of Rain

At one point we tethered the two boats together and had our lunch, a mixture sort of potluck style. Aunt Von was the best prepared and brought a full meal. And a huge bowl of watermelon. With an 80% chance of rain, most of us thought we would get rained out. We brought healthy snacks and a lot of Diet Coke!  We all shared, no one went hungry.

After several hours on the lake, the clouds got darker and the rain started as we headed back to the marina. Huddled under the small canopy we were a little warmer from body heat. We were all drenched when we finally reached the Marina though a bit wet, not too cold. 

The rain settled to a drizzle by the time we disembarked. The team at the marina loved that we were all family and having a great time together. They mentioned to me several times how wonderful it was to see a family like ours together. I thought so too! Just imagine if all of our kids and nephews had made it! God has truly blessed us with an amazing family. Is that bragging? I don’t think so! My heart is just so full sometimes it has to spill out.

Firecreek BBQ & Steak

We all headed back to the stone house to get dry clothes and take Josiah for his birthday dinner. On the way to the stone house, we stopped by this cool coffee shop, Appalachian Coffee, and got hot drinks! Emily said the coffee was so good she wanted two cups! I had a wonderful hot chai and it helped to warm me up. I am sure we made the shop smile, 15 new customers, all family.

 

Finally, making it to the house we quickly changed and got ready to go to dinner at Firecreek a BBQ and Steak place. The food was good and it was such a good evening together. It ended too soon. Part of the group had to leave for home after dinner. One more hug and picture before they left.

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Early Bedtime

We went back to the stone house and had a fun time laughing and playing and watching some people learn to play Wingspan. John Mark had to work online and it seemed everyone wanted to keep him company. Lawrence and I were the first in bed that night. We are getting old. What can I say?

Porch Sitting 

The next morning I was the first one up and most were still sleeping at 10. I cooked bacon and some eggs (most cooked their own eggs) and Lawrence made coffee. Lawrence and I sat on that wonderful porch where memories are made and read our Bibles and had morning “coffee”. It was a beautiful morning. Everyone ate in shifts and got ready for the day.

New River Gorge

We drove to the New River Gorge Bridge Visitors Center and hiked down to the overlook. It wasn’t very far down there but the return trip up the steps showed me how out of shape I had let myself get.

Next, we piled in the cars and drove down the old road beneath the bridge. We stopped at a couple of overlooks along the way and of course, the kids got too close to the edge for my comfort. We stopped for a bathroom break at the drop-off/pick-up site for white water. There were several groups enjoying the day.

Cathedral Cafe

Micah and Emily always find cool places. They found this place. On the way back from our family adventure to the New River Gorge, we stopped at the Cathedral Cafe for “coffee” and some amazing toffee brownies! It is inside this cool old church building with original stained glass windows and hardwood floors. I definitely love the building. Tiffany found some Lavender Blueberry Kombucha next door to take home. This made me want to search out my kombucha recipe and start making it again. This was an interesting little town.

 

 Ghost Town – Thurmond, West Virginia – Population 6

Back to the stone house and fixing dinner of a taco bar and lots of ice cream and Diet Coke. We had a couple of hours before dark and Emily asked if we had ever heard of Thurmond, WV.  Some had, some hadn’t. We discussed it for a few minutes and decided we would regret it if we didn’t go see the ghost town. After all, we had rave reviews from Emily’s brother, Ryan! He was right too! I am so glad we went. I love history after all!

After driving down curvy roads to the river we crossed a bridge and arrived at the Thurmond Depot! Someone has done a great job in restoring some of the buildings. Trains still run on these tracks and we actually saw a couple of trains come into Thurmond from different directions. We walked through town on a little gravel road that ran alongside the railroad tracks. Some of the buildings featured their history. In one building there was a large timeline mural of the history of Thurmond, West Virginia.

Return to Tennessee

We made a plan for the return to Tennessee. We were going in three different directions. Our car went to Charleston, WV, and dropped off Daniel at Mawmaw’s house for his flight the next day. We had to have Husson’s Pizza before we left though and hug Mawmaw one more time.

We got to have two of the “grands” (as I call my grandchildren) make the trip with us! A few miles down the road I remembered we had Daniel’s backpack. So I called him and we turned around and he met us to retrieve his bag. Of course, I got one more hug. Wish Jess could. have come!

It was a pleasant and surprisingly quiet trip to Kentucky where we stayed the night in Beaver Dam. We wanted to be near the Friendship Church of Christ in Fordsville, Kentucky where Lawrence would preach the next morning.

Our family adventure to West Virginia turned out to be a great experience which I hope will become an annual event!

 

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Malawi Journal – Day 19 – My Birthday

Early Morning Blessings

I got up early this morning the air was nice and cool. Esther and I were enjoying sitting outside in the breeze. As I was washing the dishes the rain started. I put on water to heat for our baths today. I am happy to be able to help today. Wanangwa is usually up and busy before I am.

Too Cold?

Lawrence and the men were to meet this morning. Mbwenu said it was too cold to have the meeting outside. Esther and I looked at each other. The temperature seemed perfect for us. I checked the temperature and it was 69 degrees. So the men decided to meet inside.

Baths

We carry a bucket of hot water and one of cold water to the bathhouse. We have a tub to mix them in and a scoop to pour the nice hot water over us. I really like this bathhouse. The tub works the best for me to wash my hair. We have had some bucket baths in the past and some cold showers. So far this is the best for me, I am really enjoying this hot water. And, yes I am very spoiled.

Scones for Breakfast

For breakfast today I had tea and a scone from the Women of Hope’s, Mtendere Bakery. I ate my scone with peanut butter and apricot jam. YUM!

Surprise Skirt

While in Mzuzu I found a great buy on some fabric. I decided to surprise Esther with a skirt from the tailor next door. So this morning I took the fabric over to the tailor when Esther wasn’t looking. She will love her new skirt.

Bicycles

I spent almost all of my kwacha on our big trip yesterday. So, today I went into Mzimba and exchanged funds. While we were in Mzimba we also bought four bicycles for the church to use for the World Bible School work.

We dropped the bicycles off at the bicycle mechanic to assemble. We had heard we were going to the best one. To our surprise when we arrived we knew them! They were former WBS students we had met at the Mzimba prison in 2019 where they were serving time. It is obvious they are changed, men. We are so proud of them and the good work they are doing.

Malawi Journal
WBS student Kelton from Mzimba Prison 2019. Now out and doing great. He has a thriving business.
Malawi Journal
WBS Student, Mashambe from Mzimba prison 2019. Doing great!
Malawi Journal
Four new bicycles for WBS work.