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Malawi Journal – Day 18 Our Trip to Mzuzu – A Long Day

Up Early

I got up early this morning. We want to be on the road by 6:30. We have a lot of things to do today, I have been compiling a list for days of things we need to take care of in Mzuzu so I checked the list to make sure we were not forgetting to take anything. The car was loaded and finally, we are on the road by 6:45.

Heavy rains last night cause it to take twice as long to get through Mzimba and on the main highway. Everything is green after the rains.  The morning drive is breathtaking as it takes us through the forest and mountains. They are beautiful.

Malawi Journal
I believe this is Elephant Mountain
Malawi Journal
Green mountains- I wish a picture could do justice.

Our Trip Today

Our trip has one main purpose today, which is to visit Mzuzu Central Hospital. Five of us are traveling. 23 year old Chewemwe, his mom, Mbwenu, Wanangwa, and me. Chewemwe cut. his foot with an ax in December and spent two months in the hospital. He almost lost his foot and his life. As he started to recover they decided to send him home. They were concerned that he might contract Covid 19.

Applying Honey to the Wound

Chewemwe was sent home with oral antibiotics and instructions to change the dressing on his foot every day. He has finished his antibiotics weeks ago and is continuing to change the dressing every day and applying honey to the wound. The theory is that the bacteria will like the honey and leave the wound alone. His foot is still not healing well.

We have been quite concerned about Chewemwe losing his foot. It would be so tragic. A few days ago we visited his family and asked if he would like to go to see a specialist. They said yes, so we made arrangements for this trip.

Mzuzu Central Hospital

Lloyd met at the hospital. He is an uncle of Chewemwe. He had come ahead of us and made arrangements for us to be seen quickly. This was a huge help in getting through the gate and having the opportunity to see the doctor today.

They led us into the reception area to check-in for the visit. Behind the desk is a posted price list for each item. This gave me an idea about how much this visit might cost. They asked, “who will be paying?” I raised my hand. They said very well. We will hunt you down if you do not pay and they all laughed.

Our patient was escorted into the examination area. A few minutes later Lloyd came to tell us we should go and do our shopping because this was going to take a long time. Since we had a long list of things to purchase while we were in the city we agreed this was a good plan.

Shopping

Our list includes propane, songbooks, Bibles, a refrigerator, a printer, wholesale items for Wanangwa’s shop, and some children’s clothes. We stop and exchange the propane tank first. Next, we visit a shop that has both printers and refrigerators. They give us two prices for everything. One with a receipt and one without. We decided we would like to get a few more estimates since these are high-dollar purchases.

Mzuzu Church of Christ sits on a nice fenced piece of property. The grounds are well maintained. This is clearly one of the nicest church buildings we have seen in Malawi. There is also a classroom building and flushing toilets. We meet one of the church leaders, Robert to purchase our songbooks. We purchase 150 thanks to Lee and Jerry, Enoch, and the Southgate Church of Christ.

Robert travels with us and advises us where to shop for the printer and the Bibles. This is a great help because he knows the city and he gets a discount on the Bibles. Because of his help we were able to save money on the Bibles and over $200 on the printer. We drop Robert off at the Coffee Depot. I spot coffee and ice cream shops! We are definitely in the big city. The city is loud and people are everywhere. The roundabouts are busy and at one point blocked because the new president is supposed to pass this way. There are police officers everywhere along the route.

Kips

We do not wait for the president. For breakfast, we ate a banana in the car so we are ready for lunch. We stop at Kip’s for a nice lunch. Kips is a pizza place but also has traditional foods. I get the roasted chicken and rice, soup, greens, and a coke. It is all very good. The plate is huge so I get a to-go box and take part of it with me.

Mbwenu gets a call that our patient is finished so he leaves to pick him up and take them for lunch. The plan is for him to pick us up after we have shopped.

Wanangwa and I leave on foot to purchase some boys’ shorts. I find a nice piece of fabric to surprise Esther with a skirt. Then we hit the wholesalers! We shop until we drop. Wanangwa is no doubt the Proverbs 31 lady we ready about in the Bible!

The Holder

We buy so much that soon we leave some of our purchases with a “holder”. I am not really sure what they call him but we entrust him with our ever-growing stack of packages. I cannot possibly tell you how many wholesalers we visited. Soon we had more packages than I thought would fit in the car especially with the refrigerator, the printer, the Bibles, and the songbooks!

When we are almost through with our shopping  Wanangwa leaves me with the holder as she runs back for one more thing. I watch some men playing the fastest checker game I have ever seen. They have a homemade board and bottle caps.

Malawi Journal
Checker Game

The car is to meet us at the holder. I spot the car driving by and wave them down. Mbwenu parks the car and then we begin the process of trying to fit everything into the car. We have to fold down the rear seats and after some juggling, we fit everything into the car. We pay the holder. The two men are upfront and we three ladies are in the middle seat.

Leaving Mzuzu

We make one last stop at Shop Rite and head for home with cold water for us all. It has been a very full day. We are all tired and quiet.

Malawi Journal
Shop Rite – A Very Nice Grocery Store
Malawi Journal
Shop Rite

Arrested!

There are several roadblocks along the way. We have grown accustomed to these. However, at one roadblock the officer said you are arrested. I thought it was a joke! Some Tumbuka was exchanged and the only word I understood was sorry. We had broken the Covid restrictions. Under the guidelines, we were allowed 6 people but not 3 in a seat.

Mbwenu had to get out of the car and show our receipts for our large purchases and discuss our situation. He explained we are all one family and eat together. They ask what about the white lady. He explained that I was a Bible teacher and that we were paying for this young man to have the treatment and could not be left behind. They said all right, all right, and let us go. Whew!

Malawi Journal
Sunset

It was getting dark as we neared Mzimba. We stopped and purchased some bananas and left town for Tombolombo. The roads had dried up while we were gone and this made the last few miles a lot easier to travel.

We dropped Chewemwe and his mom off at home and she expressed her appreciation for what we had done for her son.

Hospital Results

The family shared with us the results of the visit. He was given oral antibiotics as well as an antibiotic ointment. Chewemwe was given nutrition counseling to control his high blood sugar which was discovered during this accident. Today his blood sugar was over 400! He takes insulin every day. There is no family history either! He has to travel to Mzimba every Friday to have his blood sugar checked! There are no at-home meters.

Malawi Journal
Chewemwe – Our patient
Malawi Journal
Chewemwe

Home At Last

When we arrive home Esther who stayed home with Lawrence had made chili for dinner. This is new for our host family. We eat and are ready to sleep.

Another full day!

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Malawi Journal – Day 17- Baby Blankets, No-Bake Cookies, and Shopping

Ladies’ Class

Today I taught ladies’ class, 13 ladies, 1 baby. I taught them Ten Lessons on Honor from Romans 12, one of my favorite chapters. Romans 12 has a lot to say about how to treat one another. There were a lot of discussions afterward. Especially, questions about repaying evil with good.

Some ladies mentioned they cannot read and how this is helping them to understand the scriptures as if they were reading them for themselves. It’s. humbling.

These sweet sisters were also concerned for their sisters who are not receiving this teaching or understanding these scriptures. We talked about our example and sharing with their sisters what they are learning.

No-Bake Cookies

After the class was over I gave them a no-bake cookie. They really like these. I told them I was teaching Wanangwa how to make them and they teased they were not sure they could trust her to teach them.

Baby Blankets and Hats

When all our discussions were over we took out the baby blankets and hats and discussed the best way we as a group could use these for God. It was decided that most of them should go to the local maternity clinic. We will make little cards with a scripture on them and the church name. Four ladies will go to distribute these to the new moms. During our discussion, I found out that at least one lady can crochet. I have seen yarn in several shops but so far not the needles needed. I am excited to try to get crochet needles for these ladies to crochet.

Malawi Journal
Baby packs
Malawi Journal
Blankets made by my mom and hats by the women at Woodson Chapel Church of Christ
Malawi Journal
Baby packs

We said our goodbyes and went home for lunch.  Wanangwa had a driving lesson and drove us home. The roads are not great but the rain has made them worse. Frequently, cattle are on the road.

Malawi Journal
Cattle in the Road
Malawi Journal
Muddy Roads
Malawi Journal
Mud

Shopping Day

After lunch, we went shopping in Mzimba. I am out of kwacha so I exchanged money. We had so much fun shopping together. Wanangwa ran into a friend of hers who wanted to know where I was from. When I answered Tombolombo there was an uproar of laughter.

How Much Beef?

I have been wanting to make chili for the family. In one of the shops, I found ground beef and told them I wanted to 2. I meant pounds but they thought kilograms. That was a lot of beef!! We had enough beef for four meals and that was being very generous with the meat.

Local Farmers

The local farmer area of the market is one of my favorites so we went there. I bought some beans to go in the chili. We also purchased some tomatoes, onions, and peppers from a sister. Then we found some fresh green peas and bought some of them too.  I was offered some things which look like bugs. They are roasted. They really wanted me to taste them. Wanangwa said they eat them on sandwiches and like them but she told me not to eat them.

Malawi Journal
Bugs?

On this shopping trip, I found some cool square containers for school supplies and a basket with handles which I put on my head and caused a lot of laughter.

Malawi Journal
My little basket

When we got home it was too late to cook the beans so I made a spicy meat sauce to go over rice and pumpkin for our dinner tonight. We also had bananas and fresh pineapple. Everyone liked it.

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Malawi Journal – Day 16

February 23 – Day 16

Today is the funeral of the neighbor, a family member. Mbwenu and Wanangwa are busy with the preparations for the funeral. The women cook for a lot of people. My understanding is that it is mostly those from far away not the neighbors. People come from all over when someone dies. If they are in South Africa they wire money to help with the funeral. Mbwenu will be the master of ceremonies so he goes and buys food and receives the money which is being wired for the family.

Whenever we have been out and about and there is a funeral a collection is made from relatives, neighbors, and friends. When I was shopping someone came around and asked for donations. On this occasion, they wrote the names down. The money helps pay funeral costs and anything left is given to the family.

Esther and I busy ourselves with washing dishes and doing laundry. We sweep and mop the living room and porch.

There are a lot of kids as usual. We entertain them by drawing, singing, and swinging them until I got dizzy.

Esther and I made no-bake cookies for tomorrow. These are easy to do here because we can find the ingredients and we can make them without an oven. Next, we cook lunch: skillet biscuits, fried eggs, and sliced tomatoes.

Hungry kids stayed all day. The family does not usually feed all the neighbor kids so I didn’t either. I did feel comfortable giving them snacks that I had bought. After lunch, I washed the dishes outside as usual.

As I was washing dishes the funeral procession started. Many people had walked 15-20 kilometers to get here. There were probably 500 + people walking by in front of the house. People I had met from all over the area. Many stopped to greet me.

I wanted to video the seemingly never-ending line but I was concerned about being disrespectful so I took a couple of photos from inside. I hope you can get an idea of what I was seeing,

Malawi Journal
Funeral Procession
Malawi Journal
Funeral procession
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Malawi Journal – Day 8 – Our Return to Milala

Milala Visit 2019

In September of 2019, we visited Milala as a possible sight for our Rutherford County Walk for Water Well. Our son Gabriel made a wonderful video of the community, the people, and the source of water. We carried their story home with us and shared it with many of you.

Milala 2021

Yes, their dream of a close water source became a reality in 2019 and an Agriculture workshop too! Thank you  Healing Hands International, Smyrna Church of Christ and the Rutherford County Walk for Water 2019 for providing this well to the Milala community!

When we arrive we are greeted by many villagers. We gather in the building and hear speeches of welcome and then the history. Elders of the village and local officials are hear to show appreciation for this life-changing gift and to share the it’s impact.

Ruth Orr

The leaders tell the story of Ruth Orr coming to visit. When Ruth came the church was meeting under a tree. Ruth helped them with the funds to build a church building. We met the man who donated the property. They spoke with heartfelt thanks for the gifts they have been given. These gifts improve their community, their health, and their lives.

Malawi journal
District Leader Kefase speaks

They take us to the well. It is so rewarding to visit and see the well first hand and gardens. As we hear their stories of how improved their lives are and how thankful they are, we rejoice with them. This is our first time to have met the people who received a well we helped raise money for!

Malawi journal
Village elder Sebastian takes us to the well
Malawi journal
Milala well

The Agriculture workshop gave them new skills to improve their crop yields and therefore improve their lives. They were able to use money from their first crop to help the church in Milala. They have high hopes!

Malawi journal
Reda and the oldest villager

Cecilia

We say goodbye to Milala and travel to Mzimba. Our car needs some repair. Wanangwa, Esther and I do some shopping while the car is at the mechanic. We meet up with Cecilia one of our students from 2018 who is a prison guard. She also helps to teach the women inmates. It is a joyous reunion,

Lunch at the Take-Out

We eat lunch at a local take-out and visit with our friends. After lunch Lawrence waits at the restaurant while we finish our shopping.

Malawi journal
Lunch and visit at the take-out
Malawi journal
Preacher Washington Mumba we met in 2018

Esther finds a beautiful piece of material for a dress and a black skirt. I purchase mosquito nets and water. We go back to the restaurant to wait and I realize my mosquito nets are missing. Retracing our steps we find the shop keeper has held the nets for us! I am happy. We head back once again to the restaurant and find the car is still not ready.

Mbwenu decides he will wait with the car while Bless will transport us home. We ride with three other passengers who question us about staying in the village. They wanted to know if we find it hard. It certainly is not what we are accustomed to at home, but I am loving it all the same. I have never experienced any greater hospitality and I have certainly experienced some great hospitality. I am thrilled to be a part of such a Christian community all over the world I am just at home!

Esther, Lawrence and I take on the task of doing our laundry by hand. Soon it is on the line and drying. After a while a rainstorm blows in and we make a mad dash to retrieve the laundry and drape it all over the house.

In the evening Mbwenu and I talk about childbirth practices and the maternal mortality rate in Malawi. I would love to do something to improve this situation. I feel so helpless at times.

We have had a very full day, a wonderful day!

 

 

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Malawi Journal – Day 7 – Our First Sunday

Our First Sunday at Tombolombo

Today is a very exciting day. This is our first Sunday with the Tombolombo church. Because of the heavy rains service is a bit later than usual. Today is a special Sunday because several of the area churches will be with us today.

Tombolombo Church has been central to the church in this area and helped to train preachers and start area churches. They have made it a practice to assemble together about once a month.

When we arrive Bible class is in progress. The children head outside for class and the youth stay with the adults. After class, we get ready for our regular assembly. Esther and I are sitting with the ladies and soon they call for us to come and sit with Lawrence upfront. We would rather blend in with the other ladies but alas we move near the front.

Communion

We have announcements and there is a chalkboard with the order and who will lead each part. The beautiful singing begins which always thrills me. Lawrence is preaching! Then we have communion which is about the same length as Lawrence’s lesson on I John. Today the church is using the new communion set. The bread looks like small marble shapes. Did the bakery ladies make it? I’m not sure but I think it is clever. For the juice, we use soaked raisins.

Welcoming After Church

After we conclude the service there is an official welcome for us with speeches. One of the leaders mentions that we have brought gifts for everyone. I get nervous, then he explains it is the communion set. I feel relieved.

Group Photo

They announced for us to all go outside for a group photo. After the photo, I saw Lawrence sitting on a bench studying the Bible with someone. I prayed with an elderly lady who has a hurt knee. The church is helping her get the medical attention she needs.

Malawi journal
Group Photo
Malawi journal
Group Photo

Glory

While we were outside I turn around to see Glory, one of the tutorial teachers. I first met her in 2018. Last year we brought her school supplies and soccer balls and snacks the first year. We ran into her at the market yesterday and were thrilled to see her at church this morning. She brought us fresh corn from her garden.

Potluck Malawi Style

Soon we were called to eat. The custom is to serve us separately. I would like to understand this better. I would prefer to be served with everyone else. The food was good and then we had more visiting.

Esther is Playing Games with the Kids

Esther was playing games with the kids. She was doing duck, duck, goose when I saw her. She stayed with the youth to play some other games and a group of young people walked her home later. Then they took her to visit some neighbors.

Malawi journal
Esther playing with the kids

Our host Mbwenu has not been feeling well. He has the symptoms of malaria with headache and joint pain. I was thankful I brought extra bottles of Ibuprofen to share. Something I take for granted. The pain reliever gave him a little relief.  He and his wife make a trip this afternoon to the health clinic. It is not malaria but the doctors are able to help him. They gave him two shots and some oral antibiotics. We hope he will be feeling better soon.

 

Malawi journal
Glory gives me corn she grew!
Malawi journal
Lawrence and one of the brothers at the church.
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Malawi Journal-Day 2-Luggage, Security, Addis Ababa

Malawi Journal – Day 2 – Luggage, Security, Addis Ababa

Leaving Washington, D.C. at 10 a.m. meant getting up at 6 and catching the shuttle back to Dulles International Airport with all of our luggage.

Luggage

Our luggage includes 5 – 50 lb. bags besides our 3 carry-on bags and backpacks. To most people, this looks extreme and it feels extreme to me at times. Would I ever do this for a personal trip? No! I can usually pack in a backpack or certainly not more than a carry on for a two-week trip.

Why so much luggage? Malawi is one of the poorest countries on earth. We carry hygiene bags, sewing kits, baby blankets and hats, ibuprofen, books, school supplies, communion trays, and cups, Bibles, teaching materials, and so much more!

Ethiopian Airlines is one of my favorites and they have a friendly spirit and attitude of service. We find out we can check one of our carry-on bags so that frees us up a bit. They go over our paperwork thoroughly. Covid test results, passports, etc. Now we are ready for security. At least we thought we were ready for security.

Security

This morning security is not very busy so there is numerous extra staff on hand. I am not sure what they were preparing for but I was not prepared. They cleared us and our backpacks but pulled both of our carry-on bags to go through X-ray multiple times. Then they opened each one and went through all the items. Opened a new package of Bibles and scanned each one as well as the children’s books I was carrying. I found out they were scanning everything for explosives. Eventually, they finish and give me the mess to put back together. I think they should have to repack after the mess they made, but I don’t say so.

Afterward, I find out that the supervisors were present so they were trying to look busy…. 30 minutes later I am on my way to the gate. As we leave the security checkpoint we hear the signals going off and the officers saying shut down all security stations. We were thankful to be through before they shut it down and walked away quickly to avoid being caught up in the excitement.

We arrive at the gate which is across from Wendy’s so we grabbed a breakfast sandwich and soon boarded our plane to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, our longest flight over 13 hours.

Onboard we were able to spread out because there were a lot of empty seats. I had three seats to myself. Plenty of room for a nice nap or two during such a long flight. The long flight went by quickly. The flight attendants kept us busy feeding us snacks and meals. There were many movies to choose from, even though it is not usually my thing. I did watch Abraham Lincoln.

Soon we set foot in Ethiopia.

Day 2 complete.

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Malawi Journal – The Journey Day 1

Malawi journal

I hope to journal as often as I can as we live out our two-month stay in Malawi. I will upload my journal when I have wifi. This means our journal entries will be delayed a few days.

A different kind of trip.

This trip will be a different kind of trip for us. Lawrence, Esther, and I have all been to Malawi before but not to this area. This time we are going to a new area and living the village life.

Up early dressing and checking last-minute details. Josiah and the grands arrive and Gabriel next. They help us load the bags and with last hugs, we are off to the Nashville airport.

The boys help us get our bags inside the airport and Jonas stays with us in case we need anything. Thank you, Jonas! Soon we are through check-in and headed through security and to the gate.

Masks

Being masked certainly changes the dynamics of this trip. For one thing, I have only worn a mask for two hours at a time. I don’t like it but I try not to complain under the circumstances. Our longest flight is almost 14 hours and will require a mask. I miss those smiling faces. So communication is different as well as the discomfort and anxiety caused by wearing a mask for hours!

We board for our first leg of our journey, the short flight to Washington Dulles International Airport. Our flight goes well and soon we are landing, Upon arrival, we find out that we have to collect all our luggage for the night! We ponder this news for a while and decide we will stay at the motel across the street.

All five 50 lb. bags are loaded onto the shuttle and our carry-on bags as well. A few minutes later they are stored for the night and we are checked in. Because of Covid, they are only doing take-out meals so we order and soon eat dinner and read the Bible, and head to bed.

Day 1 of our 38-hour journey is complete.

 

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Merry Merry Christmas to You!

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Merry Merry Christmas to you! As we near the end of the year and look back you no doubt will have some strong memories. Tomorrow is Christmas. My wish for you is that you will have joy, peace, and gratitude as you head into the new year. That’s what we all wish for, right? Well, at least the joy and peace part. Sometimes we just want to have our own little pity party and rehearse all the bad things which have happened to us. Say NO to that!

You are so blessed

Yes, this year has been a doozy! But look closely at your life and see all the fantastic and beautiful things that have happened amidst the struggles. Please remember those things. Choose to celebrate the blessings instead of the struggles at least for one day. I do not know your circumstance but I do know that you are so blessed. Refuse to give in to the negative. Make your day full of joy and gratitude. You will feel better and so will everyone else you share space with.

A tiny list of my blessings

God is my Father!

Unlimited supply of clean safe water.

Food.

Two legs.

Ability to speak.

I have two eyes and I can see.

I have an amazing family. Yes, both physical and spiritual!

My husband’s health has improved this year.

A new grandson this year.

There are thousands of things that I could add to this list but this is just a tiny list so I will stop there. Why don’t you make your own tiny list?

Thank You!

I want to thank you for reading my blog this year. You have brought me joy in so many tiny and big ways. Your words of encouragement have lifted me up! Have a beautiful Christmas and a Happy New Year.

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Putting More Joy in Your Christmas

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Putting more joy in your Christmas

What Christmas traditions do you have that do not require spending money? Or buying gifts? Can you really have a Christmas without things? I personally do not know. I have lived most of my life in the land of plenty. But traveling to some of the poorest countries in the world really has had an impact on my perspective. There are many places and people in the world who never even question what they will buy for Christmas. Yet they are full of joy at the approach of Christmas.

What do you do when you have little or no money to create a big Christmas? One friend told me that you make the celebration bigger. Homemade decorations maybe, Christmas movies together, hot cocoa or popcorn.

Maybe this year you have chosen to keep Christmas simple for many reasons or just want to add some simpler touches.

Childhood Memories

So ask yourself what memories do you have from childhood? What was fun? Compare Christmas from your childhood with what Christmas looks like now. If you have children at home maybe you can share stories of your childhood Christmas. Most kids love stories. Get the grandparents involved with sharing their stories of childhood Christmas past.

What do you wish for? Personally, I think the gift of time is the best.

Here are a few suggestions for putting more joy in your Christmas

Play charades

Caroling to your neighbors or with them

Lego building contest

Flash mob of Christmas songs

Gingerbread men or houses or Graham Cracker houses

Bake sugar cookies and decorate them.

Make ornaments

Paper chains even the youngest children enjoy doing this.

Have friends or family over just to enjoy time (no gifts allowed) calm, lowkey day, sing songs, put together a puzzle, play a game. Eat soup maybe Andalusian Christmas Soup but keep it simple.

Making gifts for each other from things you have on hand – give a favorite book you’ve read, with your own review or some unknown tidbit about the author. Maybe you have a teacup to share.

Make coupons for backrubs, no chores pass, clean out your car, etc.

Giving something from your wealth of possessions to friends and family.

Write a poem or story for a specific person.

Give extra blankets, coats, gloves, etc. to those in the cold.

Perhaps you will want to purchase a “doing gift” for your family. An experience. This can be a lot of fun but may require some scheduling.

I know that many of you have some great ideas to share. Please do share below!

 

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25 Ways You Can Teach Your Children to Serve Others

25 ways to teach your children to serve others. Why 25? I’m not sure just a good number I guess. I am sure the list could be even longer. But first I want to talk about why for just a few minutes.

Service begins at home.

Service should begin at home. Your children can make a very important contribution to the running of your home. Children can and should help out. Here are a few reasons. They gain valuable life skills and confidence when they know how to do basic jobs around the house. The world does not revolve around them. Why should someone else clean up all of their messes? Being part of the family team brings you all closer. Enjoy chatting while doing the dishes together. Set a timer for 10 minutes and have the whole team do a quick evening pick up. This will be a time of joy and fun as you serve one another.

Serving outside of your home.

Why serve outside of your home? We live in a self-focused world. Do you know how important it is to see the needs of others and to learn to help? There are a lot of blind people in the world. I am not talking about physical blindness. Children come into the world with no concern for others. Service is something you can nurture in your children by helping them to see and supply the needs of others. You can make a big difference in the world by serving one person. It is rewarding for those who serve as well as those who are served.

Here is my list of 25+ ways you can teach your children to serve others. 

  1. Visit an elderly person and sit on their porch and ask them to tell you about some aspect of their life. Pick up sticks or rake their leaves.
  2. Color a picture and send it to someone in the nursing home or hospital.
  3. Do you work on jigsaw puzzles? Pass it along after you work it. I recently left one of mine with homemade cookies at the desk of a nursing home for a friend of mine. Visits are not allowed. He called me later and said he hadn’t done one in years and really enjoyed it. He has mentioned it since then too.
  4. Pick up trash in your neighborhood. This will help them also be conscious of littering.
  5. Collect all your coins for a set period of time and donate it to a good cause like hhi.org/walk4water/smyrna-tn-2020. Ask others to share with you. You will be surprised at how many coins you can gather in a short time and make a lifelong gift of clean water. The gift of life!
  6. If you sew or have a teenage girl. you might want to help her make sanitary pads for girls in other countries. Many girls must miss a week of school every month. These girls may only have mud or grass to use. If you need a pattern check here:
  7. Do you have an elderly neighbor? Maybe you take their trash can to the street for them every week or once.
  8. Let your children help you make dinner for someone who is ill, had a new baby, or surgery. Even if you have to door drop during this season it will create a lasting memory of serving someone else.
  9. Have an elderly friend who loves to sing? Take a few people and have a short sing along with them. Ask their favorite songs. What song was a new song for them when they were younger?
  10. Do something nice for a single mom or maybe volunteer to babysit one afternoon while she has an afternoon off. Make this a family event.
  11. Volunteer at a workday. Widows, camps, spring building clean up or community clean up projects.  Make sure they are involved with many age groups. They learn so much this way.
  12. Every year there are floods, tornados, tropical storms, or other disasters and you can participate in some way in the recovery efforts. Cooking, donating, actual clean up, etc.
  13. Attend a Habitat for Humanity presentation. You will find several ways to serve. If your kids are too young they can make sandwiches to feed the workers.
  14. Make hygiene bags for the homeless, battered women’s shelters, etc.
  15. Pack snack bags and/or small throws and keep in your car to give to the homeless.
  16. Take a flat of water with you and give out on a hot day. Laundromats are good places.
  17. Encourage them to be the one who meets the new people and visitors at church. Maybe invite them over for a play date and share beforehand how they might feel moving to a new area or visiting a church for the first time.
  18. When allowed visit the nursing homes. Just your presence brings so much joy.
  19. Decorate a door. One year we chose one person in the nursing home and decorated their door for different holidays.  Spread happiness.
  20. Have a free yard sale.
  21. Take your children to be the first to meet the new neighbors with a plate of cookies perhaps.
  22. Hug patrol. Many elderly people miss physical touch. Especially widows. If you are concerned about hugs then encourage your children to pick out one older person at church each Sunday and go speak to them or hug them before they sit down. See my article about a single hug.
  23. Serve dinner at the local homeless shelter.
  24. Take goodies and thank you notes to the local Police Station or Firehouse.
  25. Collect throws and blankets from your stash and share them with those in need. I put these in a ziplock bag and give it to my favorite police officer who keeps them on hand to give out as needed. Maybe have your child write a short note or small picture on an index card to include.
  26. Make Magi boxes.
  27. Write cards to the sick in your congregation or visitors, etc.
  28. Pick up the phone and call someone who might be lonely.
  29. Healing Hands International is in my area and has volunteer opportunities. Many nonprofits are looking for volunteers.
  30. Read books to a daycare or school classroom. Dr. Seuss’s day is a good day to do so.
  31. A few years ago I heard Earl Lavender say, “Hospitality can change the world”. Make it a practice. Remember to keep it simple so that you can all enjoy it.
  32. Make care packages for the military or a college student.
  33. Go on a mission trip with your teens.
  34. Make a game of doing good deeds in secret.

A few more than 25. I hope this list will be a spark. Please comment below with your favorite ideas and experiences. Let’s spread some sunshine!