Let’s have a gratitude attitude. Can we? Yes! How do I cultivate an attitude of gratitude even when things are not going so well? Or during what I call downtimes? We have had a lot of downtimes with Covid these last two years but there is still lots of room for gratitude.
Count Your Blessings Even When You Don’t Feel Grateful
I need to acknowledge the innumerable things I have to be grateful for each day. Count them, write them down or at least mention them out loud. It lifts my spirits when I confirm the goodness of God. My head knows God’s daily goodness to me but sometimes I may not feel so grateful. So remembering these blessings in a tangible way makes me feel better.
Count Your Blessings
Read Your Bible
Keep this one routine. Read your Bible! If you think you don’t feel like it, deciding to read one verse and thinking about it will help. This one routine will help you stay on track and lead to additional benefits. I just pick a book of the Bible I haven’t read in a while and start working my way through it whether by one verse or several. When I complete a book of the Bible I write the month and year on the title page. I am always glad I did!
Read Good Books
Reading good books helps me insert something positive into my day. When I may not be very motivated to do a lot whether it’s from sickness or the blues I can feed my mind on learning something beneficial. I love to read non-fiction and memoirs as they share the struggles and the best of times. This helps me find perspective in my day when I realize we all have them!
Helping others is great therapy when I am feeling down or struggling with the blues. Get moving! Having a plan for the day instead of sitting helps me to adjust my attitude, I feel better when I am moving. If I can’t bring myself to do much or I am unable to do a lot physically I can give an elderly person, a shut-in, or an old friend a short call just to say hi. I guarantee you will feel better.
Examples of Gratitude
I have two great examples from ladies I have known. One was Eva Lee Smith. She was in her 90s and couldn’t get out much. One day I went to visit the hospital and the lady I was visiting was on the phone with Eva Lee. She couldn’t leave her home but she was checking on others and you know she brightened their day. The second lady, Mrs. Renfro was 86 when I met her at a yard sale. She told me a Bible verse that became one of my favorites, Nehemiah 8:10 “the joy of the Lord is my strength”. She also told me she helped little old ladies and that sure made me smile. What a joy she was, it was obvious she was enjoying life!
What are some things that keep us from having a gratitude attitude? Focusing on our problems. Forgetting to notice the little blessings. Thinking only of myself. Feeding my mind on the wrong things. Having no goals or plans for the day. All of these can steal our joy and keep us from having an attitude of gratitude.
Have a beautiful day full of gratitude! It’s up to you today!
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.
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.
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!
Hot Air Balloon Ride – Thanks Kids!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.
Smell the freshness of the woods and feel the crunch of leaves beneath your feet as you walk with Caleb and Vale through this adventure. The seasons are quickly changing. Family ties are thick as Caleb and Vale have shared so much of their childhood not only as cousins but almost as siblings. With the changing seasons the memories flood their minds. Vale can hardly contain her excitement as they plan their annual hunting trip alone. Though they feel deeply the loss of their grandpa they are excited to return to his cabin as in years past. Plans take an unexpected turn when Caleb invites a new friend. Though the thought of sharing this weekend with Caleb’s new friend is not what Vale envisioned she tries to welcome her for Caleb’s sake.
The seasons change in life as these two young people are on the verge of adulthood seeking their own lives yet wanting to hold on to their childhood friendship. We wrestle with Caleb as he tries to maintain his independence and make decisions on treatment after his brain injury. Vale sees things changing so fast, fear grips her heart as she considers the possibility of losing Caleb in more ways than one.
I love that the young people in this story shared an active faith. And when the story ended I wanted more. As always Jean weaves a beautiful story of faith, family, and hope intertwined with real-life issues. I enjoyed reading this story and I think you will too!
Check out this book and others by Jean Ann Williams on Amazon. Jean blogs at https://jeanannwilliamsauthor.com/
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.
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.
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.
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.
Today I am thinking about patience. I am thinking about how I respond to people. I consider myself a fairly patient person. Being a mom of 8 boys and 3 girls requires one to acquire some. Books help me with my patience, so I usually have my Bible or a book nearby just in case I am stuck in traffic or anytime I am waiting so that I can trade a joy for a frustration. But even patient people have their moments. So this is what happened this week.
Surgical Center
On Monday I drove my mother for a procedure at a surgical center. The procedure was short and due to Covid and my broken foot I dropped her off at the door. The staff had my phone number and sent updates by text.
Beautiful Day
It was a beautiful autumn day. The sun was shining as I sat under the shade of a large tree with my car windows down, listening to an audio book. The procedure went great and soon she was walking out the door chatting with the nurses. Her folder was complete with contact info should we have any questions, photos and follow up instructions.
Beauty!
Quick Stop at the Pharmacy
The center had called in her prescription so our first stop was the pharmacy. My mom and I chatted as we waited our turn in line. When I reached the window I found out that her prescription had been called in to another pharmacy down the road. As a result I had to choose: they could transfer it or just pick it up at the other location. This would be faster they said. I chose to go to the other pharmacy. On the way I swung through the Panera drive through and got my mom some soup to take home.
Second Pharmacy – Thinking About Patience
As I drove up to the other pharmacy I noticed there was no line.At the window there was a sign that said no pharmacist on duty. Picking up my cell phone I tried calling the first pharmacy and was on hold 20+ minutes before I arrived back and got in line again and gave up the phone option.
When I reached the window I was a little frustrated. I explained what had happened and they seemed to have a hard time believing me. I told them my mom had now been in the car driving around after her procedure for over an hour! They explained this was not there fault that they were very busy and understaffed. They told me there was pharmacist at the other location now. I said no transfer the prescription. She told me it would be an hour. I said do it! I took my mother home and waited over an hour and went back for the prescription.
Third Trip – Thinking About Patience
As I sat in the long line for the third time I was not very happy that this had taken so long. If fact it was taking longer to get her prescription than the whole procedure had taken. It was a bad situation for me, for my mom and actually for the pharmacy.
How Should I Respond?
How should I respond in this situation? I realized I had a choice to make. It is true that this person did not really cause the problem. Could they have done a better job? Yes! What are my options? I could take my frustration out on this technician who actually showed up for work today. Wouldn’t I be justified? Or I could call corporate and complain. Google revenge, I could give them a bad rating on google. Or I could smile and say thank you. I chose the latter.
An amazing thing happened. I felt a lot better as I drove off. The frustration was gone and I finally had the prescription.
Today I Am Thinking About Patience
I wondered to myself, what would happen if I chose to give patient responses or showed kindness instead of frustration, even when it didn’t seem to be deserved? What if I did this for a day? What if for just one day I gave up my rights, my expectations, my will? Could I for a whole day treat everyone with patience and kindness even in situations like these? What if everyone chose to just be nice especially in bad situations?
As I tried this, I noticed so many nice gestures people made: Helping open doors, offering a chair to someone, carrying boxes for people, and just smiling. It’s amazing what you see when you look!
Maybe you do not struggle with this at all. That’s great. However, if you do struggle then try this challenge and see what happens.
Let’s Try This!
In conclusion, let me challenge you to try this for one day or even one week. Make a choice to respond with a smile or at least patience and kindness even if someone makes a mistake on your order, even if they drop your call after you’ve been on hold for almost an hour, or deliver your package to the wrong door or mistakenly send you to a closed pharmacy.
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.
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.
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!
We arrived home in April from Malawi and life hasn’t slowed down a bit! We had planned to make a big trip to Washington state to get our house ready to go on the market. Before we could leave for Washington we had a couple of Malawi presentations to do. We also had to celebrate a few milestones.
Esther our last born child turned 18 years old! How could that be? On the same day, our church celebrated the 2021 graduates. Not only is Esther graduating but our firstborn granddaughter is also graduating. We had a wonderful day at church together. My mom came down for the evening banquet and celebration given in the kid’s honor. The girls were showered with cards, gifts, hugs, and well wishes. It was a beautiful day for all. I feel such gratitude to those who have invested in our church kids, especially mine!
Graduation BanquetFamily!A. ReddingE. Redding
On Monday morning James and I headed for Washington state. We arrived in Tacoma just in time to meet Sarah and Eowyn for Wednesday night Bible study. It was nice to see them and our Lakeview church family!
Our Trip Begins
James and I spent 5 weeks painting, cleaning, mowing, etc. getting our house ready to market. What a job! I treasured the time I got to see my kids and old friends while there. We visited our friends in Aberdeen, Tacoma, Seattle, and a couple in Everett! Treasured days!
A few opportunities allowed me to share about our work in Malawi! That is always close to my heart. I am thrilled to have friends who love God and have been such an encouragement to us through the years and continue to be even now! The response to our message was so encouraging.
It was so nice to see an old friend I hadn’t seen in almost 30 years. She was part of a Bible study group and became a Christian during this time. We were young moms last time I saw her and now we are grandmas! We talked for hours and took a nice walk around the park and enjoyed a salad lunch together.
Finally, James and I got our house on the market and we were ready for the return trip home. I had so much fun making the trip to Washington and back with James. We talked, studied, worked hard, listened to podcasts, and so much more.
We arrived home with a day to rest up before my family reunion with my cousins, in Alabama at Jasper City Park. It was so nice to see everyone after our two-year break. We had lost a few family members but we treasured the day together. My mom and her brother are the only surviving siblings of 10. It is so sad to lose this generation.
The CousinsCousins!
After a nice day with lots of fun and laughter, rain, and a leaking shelter, we gave our last hugs goodbye and I headed to East Tennessee to meet my husband. Lawrence was preaching the next morning at Byrdstown, Tennessee.
Red Hill Church of Christ
We enjoyed a nice morning with the church family and lunch with a sweet couple from church. Then we headed home.
We are up early doing our last-minute packing and finishing one final stack of World Bible School lessons before we pack our laptops. Farewells are so hard. So many people have stopped by to say farewell. I am out of tears.
Cadamanja
Our friend Cadamanja stopped by early. Very early but we were already up getting last-minute things done. It was decided that I would stop by the shop and double-check the color of the fabric for the nursery school uniforms. I decided to purchase the fabric for the school uniforms and let each parent pay for the sewing co-op to make their uniforms. (A compromise after our misunderstanding).
Esther and I made a quick video of Wanangwa sharing about the women’s ministries at Tombolombo. She is an amazing woman and they are blessed to have her in their church and community.
Last-Minute Details
I am leaving a huge pile of things to be distributed as they see fit. We finish the last of our packing. So little left to bring home. Five bags are now one. I am thankful for collapsable duffle bags.
We sweep our bedrooms and double-check that we have not left anything. We have a quick breakfast of tea and buns.
Hugging the sewing group ladies, several times, we hop in the car. I know I will miss them. I am so incredibly proud of these ladies!
We make a quick stop in Manyamula to drop off Wanangwa and pay Cadamanja for some fabric for the nursery school uniforms. They are going to pay the sewing co-op to make the uniforms. I deliver the fabric to Wanangwa who will get it to the correct place.
Milala
We make one final stop, Milala! After our school supply giveaway, we had several bags leftover. We decided to give them to the children at Milala. The children were very excited to receive this very small gift.
There were two expectant moms and I gave them each one of the last baby bags I had left.
Milala Church of Christ school supply giveaway
First Aid Kit
When we first arrived in Malawi one of the church leaders had asked us for a first aid kit because they are so far from the medical clinics. I could not put that together locally so I gave them all of my leftover ibuprofen, bandaids, antibiotic ointments, etc. (note for next trip!).
First Aid
Selena, An Orphan Girl Without a Foot Needs a Sponsor
As we were leaving we met a young orphan girl (6 years old) named Selena. Selena was born without a foot. She lives with her grandmother because both of her parents are deceased. Every three months she has to travel to the city to get a new prosthetic.
There is never enough money to pay for the prosthetic but the hospital allows her to make minimum payments when she comes. The church helps her make these small payments. To us what seems so little can be a huge barrier to these precious people. From time to time the area churches take up funds for her to make this payment. They do not always collect enough to cover the trip and the minimum payment. I really want to find a sponsor to help Selena and her grandmother. Let me know if you are reading this and want to help with this need.
Meet Selena, a little girl born without a footGrandmother
Lilongwe
With final farewells, we leave for Lilongwe.
Our trip is made without incident in good time and when we arrive Evon has wonderful dinner waiting for us. We have ended all three of our trips by staying the last night at Blessings Hospital’s Chichewa House. Evon is a familiar friend by now.
I stop by the hospital and ask about Covid testing. After talking with the staff it is decided that the best course of action is to go to the airport with our questions. Online the airlines list two possibilities, a 3-day negative Covid test or proof that we have had Covid and recovered in the last 90 days. We have the latter.
President is Coming
As we approach the airport security is spaced alongside the road and the airport is almost shut down. Surprisingly, they let us through the gate. I found out that the President was soon to arrive. One of the workers for Malawi Airlines has mercy on us. We find out they will only accept a test in the last three days, which we do not have. She gets on the phone. She has a friend at the Covid lab who will help us get an emergency test first thing in the morning. $100 US each.
Zacheus
We return to Blessings and find Zacheus has arrived! He is an old friend who has driven for us in the past. We are excited to see him.! He has been on public transport for several hours and is hungry. I am thankful we saved him a plate. Lawrence and Mbwenu start singing and then we have a short devotional before bed.
Covid Testing
We have to be at the lab across town by 7 am. We sleep well and pack up early to head across town. Thankfully Zacheus knows exactly where to go. The lab is easy to locate and we get there just in time to get our test. They tell us we can pick up the certificates at 11. We have several hours to wait. The guys ask Lawrence where he wants to eat breakfast and he jokingly tells them pizza. They head to the pizza place. Who knew?
Covid testing
Pizza and Ice Cream for Breakfast
We are in the big city so there is a lot of things we are used to. There is a mall nearby so we go to the food court for pizza and ice cream. It is a lot fancier than our food courts and has waiters and menus, etc. This may be our companion’s first pizza experience. The extra-large pizza is not very big but very tasty. We get strawberry soft serve ice cream before we head back to the lab.
Ice cream for breakfast
Food Court
Expired Visas
Picking up our certificates we make a rush to the airport. We fly in 2 hours. After our check through security, we go through immigration only to find out our visas have expired! How could that be? They do not have the visible expiration date I am accustomed to but we haven’t even looked at them since our arrival. The immigration official calculates and tells me it is $600 US per person. I tell him he must keep us that we have spent all of our money and do not have it. He asked me how much I have left, I say $100 each to get us home. The official keeps telling me he wants to help us out and finally stamps our passports and takes only $100 US with no receipt of course. Lesson learned: check my visas carefully.
Finally, through immigration we go through second security I have Polly Pocket left and give that to the security person for her little girl. We board our plane and leave for Addis Ababa where we will have several hours layover before we board a plane for a 14-hour flight to Washington, D.C., and then to home.
Glory’s parents came to thank us for all the help we have provided for the nursery school. This is our third year working with Glory. They brought us gifts of nsima, beans, and Fanta. Somehow Glory misunderstood when I asked for her school colors. She thought I was providing uniforms for the students. I must be more careful.
Sewing Group
Christina came to the sewing co-op and brought corn and a live chicken. She thanks us for what we have done. The rest of the sewing group is gathering for a day of work.
The elders stopped by for a final meeting.
Bless Soko and 2 fellow preachers came by asking about raising support for workers.
Nursery School
This is our final stop at the nursery school and we take gifts. We gave them a soccer ball, book, markers, posters, and sweeties.
Lovemore Nursery School
While in Manyamula we make our last purchases. I know we will miss this place. We bought two cool rugs for $1000 K each ($1.50).
Lucia Has Made a Dress!
The sewing group has made great progress and Lucia has made a dress! She is. very proud of her accomplishment and wants us to take a picture of her. We are very proud of her too!
Lucia and Lucy. Lucia made her first dress!Busy Sewing Group
Chili
Last night I soaked some beans and made plans for chili for our lunch today. I wanted to cook for the whole sewing group. They were very happy about this. Early this morning I started them over the wood fire outside in the cooking building. I gave some Nsmia to the ladies and they agreed to cook it to go with their lunch. I still haven’t learned how to cook Nsima!
We eat our chili and rice and head out for some visits.
Isaiah’s Study Group
The drive to Isaiah’s house was beautiful. I was amazed to know how far he has been riding his bicycle to bring the lessons to be graded.
The group was waiting for us when we arrived. It was so wonderful to meet such dedicated people. Isaiah has been hosting nightly Bible study meetings. They have all finished their 7 courses and we are here to present a Bible to each one of them.
They are so excited. We congratulate each one and take a group photo. They asked us to please send more lessons that they may continue their studies. Note to self. Find more advanced lessons.
They present us with a live chicken the second for the day. Even with little, these people are so generous and we love them! Tonight we will have chicken and rice with gravy.
Isaiah’s Study Group
Abisha and Agness
Today is the only day left to visit with Abisha’s wife Agness. He came Sunday and asked us to visit with her before we left. She hasn’t been attending church and he is worried about her.
So we make a call and go for a visit. We sit outside and chat for a bit. Agness is a lovely lady and seems happy for us to visit her. We greet the neighbors and I give sweeties to everyone. One child is traumatized when he sees me. I have a scary white face. Somehow everyone is amused by this especially my husband.
I finally sit and chat with Agness. She tells me her story and her history of growing up in Catholicism and how she came to the church and raised her family there. After a bit, I pray for her, and I ask her if she would like to study. She tells me she will be in church with her family on Sunday. We hug and say our farewells.
AgnessReda, Agness, AbishaLiquid Manure
Village Savings and Loan
While we were chatting the Village Savings and Loan group have assembled. They charge 20% interest on loans and they also charge a fine if you are late to the meetings. I am very curious about these groups.
This morning Gabriel picked us up to take us shopping. He frequently drives as a transport for others. He has a nice little car which I learned he paid for with the funds from his maize field. A profitable field! He ordered the car from Japan in December and it arrived about a month later. Not many own a car but this is the usual way of purchasing a car.
The original plan was to go to the schools today and give away some school supplies to the teachers and classes. The primary school is on strike again. They did not get paid during the shutdown with Covid. So they are on strike. With the exception of the class due to take annual testing. They can still go to school.
We decided we would not cancel our transport but go ahead and do some shopping. Our first stop was Manyamula to check with the printer about some replacement copies and to exchange a mini soccer ball that would not inflate. There were many people waiting in Manyamula for transport to Mzimba. We had an extra seat so we gave our okay for him to take on another passenger. He was a little concerned about how we would feel about it.
Transport – Typical sight
So we had a pleasant trip to Mzimba for shopping. I made several stops to pick up printer paper, oil, water, and rice. I also went to my favorite store Hesams for beef and chicken. The printer is still working on our copies and has taken the printer to his house to get more done. We will get the copies later or he will send them with someone coming to Tombolombo. We headed for home. I thanked Gabriel and paid him 10,000 K for helping us shop.
My favorite meat storeShopping at Big Mart
In the afternoon I decided I should have bought snacks for the sewing workshop. Raphael agreed to take me by motorcycle to Manyamula. This time he was not near as slow and easy as our first trip but we made it in good condition. I purchased some small bags so that our sewing group could sort buttons and have them ready for the clothes they were making. I also got 12 packages of cookies before we headed to the house.
Isaiah has come to the house twice today. Once this morning and again in the evening. This is no easy task as he lives several kilometers away. His study group is working hard to complete their courses before we leave Malawi.
Our friend and neighbor Cadamanja stopped by to drop off Wanangwa and say hello! It’s always nice to see him. He is so friendly and loves the work we are doing here.
I am still doing last-minute packing and sorting. This is our next to last night in Tombolombo. In two days we say goodbye and head to Lilongwe.
