My favorite day. Our car is still being repaired (we hope). Matthew Phiri has volunteered to drive us today. I’ve shared about Matthew before. He is the village headman over 16 villages. Matthew arrives at 8 am but we do not leave for the church until 9:30. We have a great time visiting with Matthew and sharing a breakfast of fried eggs, chips, and a very good pumpkin.
No-Bake Cookies
I saved some no-bake cookies, especially for Matthew. He goes immediately to the car with them so that he will not forget. He asked for the recipe so I printed it out for him. Measurements are different so that is going to be an issue. And there are no measuring cups to be found in this area.
Late for Church
Church started late because of a funeral in the area. Wanangwa has a short class and Lawrence does a shorter adult class today too. We have our regular worship assembly.
Comforting the Family
After church, we all go as a group to comfort Daniel’sfamily who has lost a loved one. Daniel is one of our WBS workers. Apparently, when a member passes away the church goes to comfort the family on several occasions as well as neighbors and families surrounding them. This time a collection of mealy meal has been made and we take a huge container of meal to the family as well as a collection of 5200 kwatcha. We sing songs, Lawrence gives a short lesson and someone prays for the family, We say our goodbyes.
Lunch
When we get home we finish the lunch preparations that were begun before church. While lunch is being prepared I walk with Matthew around the farm. He is very interested in Mbwenu’s animals and gardens. I show him the new baby goat. Mbwenu comes and shows him the fields of maize. Then we have lunch. I introduce Matthew to the chow chow I made and he likes it. Most people like it much better than the sauerkraut.
One Day Old Baby Goat
Matthew and Mbwenu leave to check on the car repair. Esther and Raphael start the dishes. After this Raphael takes Wanangwa to the shop for a while.
Hedgehog
Lawrence does some work on WBS and I do some writing. I feel very lazy today so I don’t do much. Esther has her usual crowd with a few extras today. They bring her a surprise. At first, we thought it was a porcupine but it is very little. They laugh a lot at how intrigued we are with what turns out to be a hedgehog. It curls into a ball with its head inside. Esther holds it.
A nice day!
Day 44
Funeral
This morning there are a lot of people walking by the house. Today is the funeral for the 86 year old woman who fell into the latrine they were digging. So sad. For one thing, it is uncommon to live to this age and so sad for her to die by an accident.
I do my laundry by hand today and I hope it stays sunny enough to dry in one day.
Scanning lessons
I help Lawrence scan in his backlog of WBS lessons. We make pretty good progress and then we take a short walk together. Some people come by for WBS lessons and I look out the door to see two young men studying the Bible and WBS under the tree together.
Jump Rope
Today is one of those calm quiet days. Everyone is hanging around and almost seems bored by my American eyes. I give them a jump rope and they spend a long time jumping. Young and young adults. They have some amazing tricks they can do while jumping rope. They are crazy. talented.
Mbwenu has business in Mzimba so he picks up a money transfer for us. Esther goes to the soccer games with the kids.
Turnip Greens
We pick some turnips and greens for dinner. I helped pick beans. After dinner, we sing with the family. We love this! Our singing is a mixture of Tumbuka songs and English ones.
Another nice day.
Day 45
Breakfast doughnuts and eggs. One interesting thing I have forgotten to write about is how they do their boiled eggs. After the eggs are boiled, they fry them so they have a crisp coating on them. I am not sure if there is a special reason they are done this way or not but it is interesting and they taste good too!
There is an elder’s meeting this morning so I shell beans while they meet. Everyone wants to help me so they are finished up quickly.
Jonah
Since we will be home most if not all of the day I want to do a Bible story with all of the kids hanging around. Esther and I make a giant fish out of a sheet of my flip chart paper. I make the flap so that I can move it to show Jonah in the belly of the fish. I also printed coloring sheets for Jonah. It was a great idea but it didn’t work very well. Our fish was good and everyone like it. They just had a hard time following the story. The kids and adults all participated and enjoyed coloring their pages. Kondwoni, our prize WBS student, decided to read the story after I told it. So maybe all is not lost.
Beans and Fried Okra
I cooked beans and fried okra for lunch. Mbwenu had to leave (probably to check on the car progress). He grabbed some fried okra and left. Daniel, one of our WBS workers came by to check on his WBS lessons. Lawrence is overwhelmed with so many lessons. Our students are so eager to have their lessons. We probably need to teach them some patience.
Lunch Guest
We invited Daniel to stay for lunch. He seemed to enjoy having lunch with us. Daniel had never tried turnips or fried okra. He was very intrigued about the turnips. After lunch, I took Daniel to see the turnip green patch. He thought they reminded him of beetroot.
WBS
Lawrence and I worked much of the afternoon on scanning WBS lessons. We are having a hard time keeping up with all of the incoming lessons. Part of the issue is that we had to come up with the system from the Malawi side when we are only used to the US side of the project. I think Lawrence has created a pretty good system now.
Fresh Chicken
For dinner we are to kill the chicken and have instructions to cook more fried okra. Fried okra is becoming a family favorite! Esther heads out to kill the chicken and the neighbor sees her and says no. He takes the chicken and kills it for her. (He doesn’t know she has done this before).
Meanwhile, I boil the water and Esther uses it to pluck and clean the chicken for dinner. Talumba, a 9-year-old from next door helps her with it. Talumba cleans the intestines and wraps them around the feet to fry for dinner. This girl has great survival skills. Soon Flora comes over and helps Esther cut up the chicken for frying. I wish I was not so squeamish. I really feel like I need to know how to do this. Maybe someday.
While preparing dinner I discovered there is no cooking oil and I get a little too frustrated with this. Wanangwa brings oil and we finally finish dinner and head to bed. Tonight there is a GIANT spider and a lizard beside my bed. Lawrence tried to kill the spider but it disappeared. I am sure I cannot sleep. We look under the bed and find it dead. Whew! I am not worried. about the lizard.
I woke up with a bad headache today and some of the same symptoms as the others with malaria. I take the meds I brought with my breakfast. Today we have buns from the Mtendere Bakery and bananas for breakfast.
We have a lot to do today so it will be hard to stay on schedule especially since the car is still not working. We have ladies’ class, baptism, and life group on the schedule today.
Ladies’ Class
I make copies for my ladies’ class and walk to the church building. When I arrive there are only two ladies there. This is puzzling as there are usually many. The ladies start their shading while we wait for everyone else to arrive. Some more ladies arrive and soon there is a room full. The ladies young and old all enjoy the scripture coloring sheets. This can last a long time so when everyone arrives, I usually have them put aside their coloring while we do our lesson and complete the coloring after class. We continue our class on Proverbs and I decide to only do part of the lesson and finish next time because of the baptism.
Ladies’ Class at Tombolombo Church of Christ
Samuel is Baptized
Ela Soko shows up to transport us to the baptism. She was to pick up Lawrence and Esther first and then come to the building. Unfortunately, they just looked at each other and could not communicate. So we go to the house and pick them up. She is a great driver and manages the big van and the roads remarkably. There are very few women drivers and these roads are unbelievable to travel.
Samuel Makamo’s baptism
We pick some others up and Samuel who wants to be baptized. Laurent from the vocational school goes with us and does the baptizing. We have our usual devotional and welcome time for the new Christian.
We drop everyone off and head home for a lunch of leftovers and a few other things thrown into the mix. Ela visits with us for a bit and shares lunch before we get ready for life group.
Life Group
Justin, one of our elders stopped by and says he will escort us to the life group meeting today. Ela is our driver and seems to know the area well. We make a couple of stops along the way and pick up a few people. She drives us down a narrow path between the maize, to the house where we will meet today. Lawrence is the teacher on Romans 6 today. We shift seats a bit and the men laugh that I choose to sit on the mat instead of on a chair as the men. ( I think the women love that I am one of them). We have a great time together and the ladies ask me to stay.
Our roadLife Group
Eager Student
Kondwoni comes by when we get home with another completed lesson. Most likely he will be our first student to complete all 7 courses and beg for more. We borrow one of his lessons to duplicate. Ela agrees to drop it off at the printers in town on her way.
Harrison dropped by with a gift of cucumbers in the afternoon. The people here are so generous. I am amazed and humbled. He is one of the young men considering going to South Africa for work so he is eager to practice his English and learn how to ask for a job.
My head is still hurting so I do not help with dinner preparation tonight.
Day 40
Early this morning one of our WBS workers came by and dropped off some completed lessons. I offered him coffee. I am not sure he liked it. He did add sugar.
Our neighbor Cadamanja came by to check on Esther. He is the friend who took us to the doctor when she got malaria. She is feeling a lot better.
Every day we have a lot of kids and adults who come by to practice their English skills with Esther. After the 5th year of school, it is all in English. So being able to speak and understand is a very important skill for school and work and even helps with getting a job.
Esther, Esther
Shortly, after six a.m. I hear a tiny voice calling Estaa! Estaaa! Mutende 3-year-old little girl from next door is up early and wants to see Esther. The preschoolers are even picking up a lot of English words. They are adorable and all of the adults get excited when they learn some new word.
I printed some pictures for them to color. I discovered that some of my crayons are missing. This is the huge pack I was considering giving to the school. I hope it turns up. (They are returned by morning).
Ten Mile Bike Ride
One of our friends Washington rode his bike from Mzimba (probably ten miles one way) to bring us 96 completed WBS lessons from the Mzimba prison where we have worked before. The Chaplain is the transfer person because of Covid. Washington brings new lessons and picks up the completed ones from Peter, the Chaplain. We ask him about needs in the prison and he shows us pictures where he has given soap to the prisoners recently through the guards. A gift from David Harper of Concord Rd. Church of Christ. I know how much they appreciate this gift! They have told us that it let’s them know they are not forgotten. Washington gets on his bike and rides back to Mzimba!
Washington Mumba
Day 41
This morning I took my malaria meds on an empty stomach and this was a big mistake! I threw up and felt sick most of the morning. Esther cooked for us but I couldn’t eat much.
Several people stopped by to chat with Lawrence, neighbors, students, and elders. Esther had her usual crowd surrounding her practicing English, (and Esther her Tumbuka), playing games, coloring pictures, listening to music and hanging out.
We had heavy rain today. Today was mostly a lost day for me.
Day 42
Lead Farmer Training
Faith from Namikango will be at the Tombolombo Church of Christ today for a workshop! I am excited to meet him. I was hoping to get to visit the mission on this trip but all the car trouble has prevented it. Today should be a good day!
Certificates
The purpose of the workshop is to present certificates to those who have completed a 3-year Lead Farmer program taught by Namikango. The program consists of classroom and hands-on training. and the trainer visits each farm. They periodically have meetings with extra training. Lead farmers have traveled a great distance to participate today. Many arrived last night and slept in the building.
Lead Farmer WorkshopLead farmers all have cool shirts! I love them!
What Do You Have in Your Hand?
Today we discuss what do you have in your hand to invest and give back to God. A great lesson. Even though Faith is a young married man he presents a great lesson on Marriage. We take a break with cookies and soft drinks and enjoy the nice day outside. People are spread out all around the building. Someone is preparing lunch for the group. We have a nice lunch and then resume our meeting.
Faith Lewis from Namikango
No Hunger
One quote I found interesting today was from one of the women who is a lead farmer. She is obviously a good leader and encourager. “No hunger is found in any of our homes since we started Farming God’s Way.” She is speaking for the whole group of lead farmers. This is impressive! After the speeches are completed Lawrence helps with the presentation of the Certificates. The farmers are excited about their accomplishments. We say our goodbyes and congratulations and Faith drops us off at home.
Something Funny
Lawrence and I work on WBS. I chat with the neighbor for a while. She knew I was sick yesterday. While we were talking she asked me why I didn’t bathe yesterday. 🙂 (No I did not stink). I’m sure they find my bathing habits humorous or at least curious. I always go to the bath house with Lawrence and I am not sure what kind of rumors we have started but I do know they are watching.
Someone delivers a live chicken to us. I think it is supposed to be for dinner. Wanangwa comes home and kills and cooks the chicken for dinner. She makes this look so easy and fast! She is so amazing! We are very close to our food source here in so many ways.
I woke up with an upset stomach this morning which is very unusual. Nothing I ate should have caused this. When I travel to other countries I have never gotten sick. (other than the time many years ago when I got chickenpox in Malaysia.)
Mbwenu leaves to deal with the car which broke down yesterday while Wanangwa goes to the shop. Today is market day! Today will certainly be a stay-at-home day for us.
I heated our bath water and had my Bible reading. Today is a good day to work with Lawrence on World Bible School. He has gotten so many students so fast that he is a little overwhelmed. I spend some time helping and then some time writing on my blog. We stay so busy and we do not always have internet so I try to make use of this downtime to do some writing. I write in my paper journal every day and then try to write and schedule posts when time allows. So the posts are actually behind schedule.
For lunch, I make stir-fried rice with our leftovers and pumpkin and sardines. I skipped the sardines.
Kids
Khwema is home for the day so we are babysitting if you can call it that. There are always kids around and they are so creative. Most of the morning though they beg me for coloring sheets which they call shading. So I happily give the crayons and papers to color. The boys make a maze from some Jenga blocks we brought and catch some bugs to let run through the maze. Water is a big deal around here and that even shows up in their playtime. This is the second day the kids have gathered containers and a very small hose and build a “borehole”. We call them wells. So they play with this for hours. They show me how it really works. I love their creativity. They have homemade toys and they have a great time with them. On the other hand, they are fast and mean soccer players!
Bore Hole (Well)A Maze complete with crawling bugs
Mushrooms
A lady comes by selling mushrooms. She sells them by the bowl. Which she says 100K. My mouth drops open that is certainly too little. I pay her 150K. Esther really loves mushrooms and wants to cook these. They are a different variety than what we find in the grocery store.
Walking
Lawrence and I take a walk in the afternoon to the vegetable garden that we eat out of most days. It has really grown since our last visit. Today Lawrence is really struggling with his walking. I am not sure what has happened but he is having a lot more trouble with one of his feet. A podiatrist visit is on the list for when we get home.
Senior Pictures
Esther and I take a walk to take some potential senior pictures. All the children follow us and our plan doesn’t work very well because the kids always want to be in every picture. We go back to the house and Esther changes clothes and we try again. I have been wanting to walk the perimeter of the family farm here to see all the houses. It really doesn’t go back as far as I thought. There are 8 houses all relatives because this is their family land. The fields are all around the houses. I enjoy the walk and we laugh and take some silly pictures as well as some good ones.
Lovely kidsEveryone wants in the pictureLovely EstherEsther in the flowers which grow along all the roadsEsther
No Electricity
When we get back it’s time to start dinner. Just as we get started our lights go out. The solar is depleted from the cloudy day. I turned on the stove to discover we are out of propane. I head outside for the small charcoal stove. Tulumba, the 9-year-old next door runs and gets some hot coals for me from the neighbor and she helps me start cooking over the charcoal. Tulumba has better survival skills than I do.
After dark Wanangwa gets home and with Rapha’s help we get the propane stove working and finish cooking dinner. Wanangwa brought some LED lights home which help a little. We eat and all go to bed early. I think it is probably good to have a slow day occasionally!
Day 36 Two Funerals
Last night we had the heaviest rain I have ever heard. I had trouble sleeping so I got up early. My stomach is still upset so I head to the outhouse and hope that today there is not a line. There really is never a line but it seems that is the only time of day I have competition for the toilet. Malawians have the best hearing. If anyone is occupying the toilet they will knock from the inside before you ever get near. They hear you coming.
Sunday Doughnuts
Raphael cooks our usual doughnuts for Sunday morning breakfast. He also cooks some sweet potatoes. We eat breakfast and get ready for the day.
There are two funerals in the neighborhood. When someone dies everything stops. There will be no church today because of the funerals. Being without a car again means we will stay home for another day.
Wanangwa and Mbwenu leave early for the funerals. The funeral starts at 8 am and they are walking. One of the funerals is for a man we worked with during 2018, Peskani (approximately 40) died from a heart attack, and the other for Wanangwa’s 27-year-old cousin (death by suicide).
Both have been working in South Africa and died there. This is heart-wrenching to the families. Their bodies have finally made it home to the final resting place. So many men and some women go to South Africa to try to make a living and send money home to their families. Some never return, remarry and start new families. We so wish the families could stay together and have more opportunities right here in Malawi to make a living.
For lunch, we have either goat or beef. I can’t tell the difference. We have rice and Esther prepares her mushrooms. We still have no electricity today and all the rain and clouds will not help the situation.
Young and Old Love to Color
Lots of people young and old are here coloring turtles, bringing WBS lessons, and just hanging around practicing English with Esther. We found out today that one of the teens will not be going back to school. She had to come home because she got malaria so she will finish her schooling at the local school.
Mbwenu and Wanangwa arrive home. We find out that they actually went to two different funerals. In the afternoon Wanangwa goes to her shop with Mbwenu on the motorcycle. I tease them about being two young lovebirds going off on the motorcycle.
My stomach is still not good. I feel guilty for not cooking dinner. Wanangwa cooks meat, rice, avocado, soup, and cabbage. I can’t eat. We sing some and discuss the plan for tomorrow before we head to bed.
Day 37
I slept really well last night but my stomach is still not right. Today Esther will go to the shop to work with Wanangwa. Motorcycles come to drive them. Esther loves this!
Motorcycle taxiEsther and Wanangwa travel to the shop
All three of the boys left for school at about 6:30 am. Matthew Phiri is coming around 9 to take the three of us to Mzimba to do some shopping and work on the car repair. We also need more WBS lessons copied. Always running out!
I told Wanangwa I would cook dinner tonight so I am hoping we get back in time. We stop at the print shop first and leave our copy order. Then we check on the car. The mechanics are behind some shops just out in the open. There is a shed that appears to house their tools. They are still checking out possibilities for our car problem.
Auto mechanic
Mini Microscope
I keep a mini pocket microscope in my backpack. I take it out and we play with it while we wait. We show it to Matthew and he enjoys seeing the fibers on his close and a hair under the microscope. Lawrence and I take a short walk and I buy a Coke and a chitenge and we walk back and wait some more. Matthew says waiting is boring. He wants to take us to a nicer place to sit. As we are driving we see the Chipku store and remember we need water. We make our purchase and then he takes us to The Grace Kitchen.
Grace Kitchen
The Grace Kitchen is a nice place to eat. We ate here last Monday. The owner greets us and tells us she has birds today. We are not sure what she means. We sit for a while and drink water. The restaurants are really nice about letting visitors wait at their tables even if they are not eating. We were not ready for lunch and decide we will wait on Matthew and Mbwenu for lunch, they are off doing errands. Soon they stop back by and say they will be right back for lunch. They tell me the restaurant owner is a village princess!
I decide to walk to the Private clinic around the corner to see if I can purchase some antibiotic ointment for Esther. She has a spot that looks like a spider bite and it is infected and a toe she hurt playing soccer. I wait a few minutes and the receptionist comes out and helps me. He takes me to the pharmacy and gets the ointment. He speaks great English by the way. 2000K for the ointment. When I get back we order lunch.
I get the grilled chicken, rice, greens, soup, and salsa are to share with Lawrence who orders the same thing. Mbwenu and Matthew come a little later and Mbwenu orders the same grilled chicken. It is delicious. Matthew orders the birds with nsima. (Quail) He says it is so tender.
Best grilled chicken
After lunch, we go to do our shopping. I buy some beans for 900K from the outdoor market. It starts to rain. I run for the car. Next, I stop at my favorite place for meat. I buy some ground meat and some sausages to go with our sauerkraut for dinner. The ground meat will go in the freezer. I pick up some seasoning for Wanangwa. The heavy rain continues and it is decided that Matthew will take us home and Mbwenu will bring the rest of the shopping list. They are probably concerned about the roads getting worse.
Diet Coke
On the way out of town, we stop to pick up Matthew’s license plate which is newly painted. I run next door to Big Mart and notice for the first time that they have Coke with no sugar which tastes like Coke Zero. When I bring it to the car Lawrence wants one and also some peanuts and cookies. Matthew stops out of town for a ginger soda for himself.
Diet Coke
Esther is Malawian
Mbwenu calls on our way home and suggests we pick up Esther. When we get there we can see she has been to the beauty shop and has her hair done in tiny braids and beads all over her head. They say she is a Malawian now.
Esther visits the beauty shopEsther is Malawian
Matthew drops us all at home. Tawonga Chomene! Thank you very much! I cook sausages to go with our sauerkraut for dinner. First, we all have to sample the sauerkraut. Matthew likes it very much and I make a small jar for him to take home to Neema. We make rice and soup and cucumbers in vinegar to go with our sausages and sauerkraut.
Sauerkraut
The electricity is still out so we cook with an led flashlight. Wanangwa and Mbwenu are very late and I message and ask if I can feed the boys. We feed everyone but only Raphael likes the sauerkraut. We gave Charles a taste of the sauerkraut and he does not like it at all.
Mbwenu and Wanangwa arrive and eat dinner. Wanangwa does not like the sauerkraut either. Mbwenu eats his with mayonnaise as Lawrence does sometimes. He makes a phone call and gets the lights to work. We sing for a while and head to bed. I wake up in the night and hear noises. I assume Mbwenu is leaving for a workshop.
Day 38 Malaria comes to the house.
When I wake up I find out that Khwima is sick. That was the noise I heard in the night. He was throwing up and has a fever. Wanangwa takes him to the doctor to test for malaria and he tests positive.
People People Everywhere
The morning is very busy as everyone seems to be stopping by for WBS lessons. One person brings us a lesson to copy because we have run out of lessons. Kondwani comes by with a completed lesson. Next, Charles comes by and wants his graded lesson. Chimwemwe comes by for hot water to take to milk the cow. Then one of our workers Daniel comes by he has run out of the 20 WBS lessons we gave him at the last meeting. We give him some more as well as some graded lessons.
Rocky Mountains
Daniel tells us he has been thinking about the Rocky Mountains. I show him pictures on google of the snow-capped Rocky Mountains. Then we talk about birds. Daniel is so smart and has studied so many things. I loan him a book on animals of the high mountains. He has such a thirst for knowledge.
Wishing for a Library
My heart longs to have an amazing library for this area. Did I really write that? Books have been such a huge part of my whole life and there are so few books here.
Today my main goal is to make Chow Chow! I have most of the ingredients but none of the spices. I am looking for some green peppers everywhere I go.
Esther Has Malaria
Esther isn’t feeling well. I check her temperature and she has a 101°. I walk to Cadamanja’s house to ask for a ride to the doctor. He is not home. I go back home and soon I get a message that he is on his way to take us to the doctor. We meet up with Wanangwa in Manyamula. First, we try the Private Clinic but the doctor is out of malaria test kits.
Government Hospital
We go to the government hospital and no one is around. Wanangwa walks to the houses nearby and comes back with a doctor who gives Esther the test. She jokes with us that she is not going to give Esther the test because we don’t have her health record. She tells Esther to take two pills a day for 5 days and ibuprofen for three days.
We go home and start dinner. Raphael brings meat for dinner. I cook beans, cabbage, tomatoes, and onions which I later blend with the ground meat to serve over rice.
Beautiful beans
I can’t find the peppers I need for the Chow Chow and I have asked around. A young man shows up at the door with a bag full of peppers. I am thrilled to pay him 1000K. His uncle grows them on his farm.
I make the Chow Chow for dinner and we all eat.
Before I go to bed my stomach is upset again and finally settles down and I sleep.
Today I cleaned my room and set up the new shelf for our World Bible School materials. We ate our breakfast and gathered things to take to the nursery school.
World Bible School Meeting
Lawrence had his weekly meeting with the World Bible School workers this morning. They discuss how their work is going. They turn in completed lessons and Lawrence gives them each their stack of graded lessons.
One of our problems with our work is running out of lessons. We brought a suitcase full with us and we have ordered some from Zomba. Now Zomba office is also running out of lessons.
Weekly WBS Meeting
Nursery School
Mbwenu and Wanangwa drop us off at the nursery school which uses the Tombolombo church building Monday – Friday from 8-11. The main purpose of a nursery school in Malawi is to introduce them to English. This is very important since most of their schooling will be in English. This gives them a head start. I give them each a coloring sheet and crayons to color their pictures. The teacher only wants us to give sheets to those who know how to color. Esther and I decided to trace their hands on the back of the paper. They have fun with this.
Nursery SchoolNursery School studentTombolombo Nursery School
I have number cards for the teacher which are different colors. I go through the numbers and colors with the kids. Then the teacher has the children recite for us. They each say good morning. She takes them through a variety of things she has taught them. We give them each a bag of snacks. One little boy tries to escape so I ask the teacher if that is ok. She says “weewee”. So then everyone wants to go “weewee”. Some things are the same no matter where you are. All of the kids go out and pee in the yard.
A Baptism
Our car is back earlier than we expected. We say our goodbyes and head to the car. I am surprised that Wanangwa came back she was worried that we did not have enough food at the house to cook so she brought cabbage and tomatoes. She tells us there will be a baptism. Chiwemwe, the tailor! I saw some of the preacher guys talking with him when we left. He lives next door. We talk with him every day.
Chiwemwe is baptized!
Our Car is Stuck
We go back to the house and pick up Lawrence and some of the guys and go to baptize Chiwemwe. After the baptism, our car sinks the front tire in mud. It takes a lot of time and work to free the car. The guys cut down trees, lift the car, and we all push. Another guy stops by and helps us push the car. We pop the bumper guard out. Eventually, the car is free.
We’re Stuck!StuckWanangwa waiting in the shade.
Tuna Salad
We are behind schedule to go to the hospital. Wanangwa is worried about lunch. I tell her I can fix lunch. I quickly make tuna salad sandwiches and tomato slices, which is a new thing for them. They leave for the hospital.
Coloring – Shading
I gave the kids some sheets to color today. They call coloring, shading. Everyone loves to color young and old.
Car Trouble
I get a message the car has broken down again and I know they will be late. Rose’s son has malaria which probably caused the fall which dislocated his arm.
Mom Scares
Esther and one of the neighbor girls took a walk. She forgot to tell me she was going anywhere. I know they are in the area so I try to stay calm but I definitely am not happy. It’s getting dark and I have no idea which direction they have gone. I check to see if she took her phone and it is on the charger. Soon she is back and I have a little talk with her.
We finish supper preparations. Lawrence and Esther get the fish ready to cook. Fish are bought whole here and are not cleaned and gutted. They are frozen just as they come from the water. I cook cabbage and rice. Just as they are finished with the fish Wanangwa comes home and she and Esther finish the fish. Soon Mbwenu comes home with our friend Bless. The car is still not working.
After breakfast, I leave for Ladies’ Bible class. Esther uses the time to do her laundry and to study for her afternoon class with the youth.
The elders are having a meeting at the building with the vocational school so the ladies are meeting in the bakery. We have a good group today. I have a coloring sheet with a scripture on it for them to color today. They enjoy this so much. We put away the markers and get into our lesson on Proverbs 1:10. As we leave the baking begins.
Comforting the Family
After a quick lunch, we go to comfort Peskani’s family. Peskani was a preacher who worked with us in 2018 and has since been working in South Africa. He died of a heart attack while there. He was about 40 years old. The whole church goes to offer comfort and I believe other congregations have joined. We sing, pray and have a message. In the local tradition, they take up a collection to help pay for the burial costs.
Comforting Peskani’s family
Baptism – New Life in Christ
A young woman, Maureen Chirwa, from this area has told one of the WBS workers that she wants to be baptized. Tenson has been preaching in the area and signing up WBS students. He heard him preach. There have also been several people who want to rededicate their lives to God.
We pile in the vans and head to the closest water. We take a short hike through the bush and arrive at the stream. There are a couple of fishermen here that we disturb but they don’t seem too bothered. Maureen is baptized and welcomed to the family and then we go back to our vans.
A hike to the waterMaureen Chirwa’s baptismBaptismGroup for baptismMaureen Chirwa new sister
Fried Green Tomatoes
On the way home, we stop at the vocational school and they give us some of the green tomatoes they were not going to use. We wanted a few they gave us a bag full! We told them we wanted to make fried green tomatoes. They have never heard of such a thing. We offer to pay for them but they say zero K.
Esther and I fry green tomatoes. We slice the tomatoes and dip them in flour, then a milk-egg mixture, and lastly cornmeal. Then we fry them. 8-year-old Kwema the youngest member of the family really liked the green tomatoes and wanted all of the children from the neighborhood to try them. I am amazed that he will try so many new things. Everyone likes them. I should have given him more but I wasn’t sure how many we would need for dinner. We had a few leftovers after we ate. I probably snacked too much as I cooked. We also made fried egg sandwiches which make a quick dinner.
Day 32
Today I woke up early and got ready for the day. For breakfast, we had corn, pumpkin, and muffins. Lawrence enjoyed the remaining fried green tomatoes.
New House
We dropped food off to Wanangwa’s mom and talked with the carpenter about our new shelf. Then we went to visit the Chirwa’s new home. We walked around the property and saw the boundary lines. A worker is there clearing the land. Mbwenu talks with him for a bit. Eventually, they would like to build a few guest houses on the property. They have worked hard for this.
We take a tour inside the house. It is so nice! Wanangwa is very excited about moving to her new house. I am excited for her. It will have electricity (It will also have solar panels) and indoor plumbing. The windows and doors are next and then the flooring. Outside they show me a spot for my house. She tells me next time we will be here. Her excitement is contagious.
We go to the printer and pick up the last of our copies. I buy snacks for the nursery school and say bye to Wanangwa. She’s going to work at the shop. We go home for lunch. Soon I hear the motorcycle. Wanangwa got worried about leaving us on our own to cook lunch. She probably has no idea how much I cook in the states.
Laundry
I take the opportunity this afternoon to wash my laundry and sheets (by hand of course.) This is a challenge at times to get enough sun to get my laundry washed and dried all in one day.
Lawrence has been working on World Bible School all day. Esther and I help with the scanning of the lessons.
Hygiene Bags
We have run out of the hygiene bags I brought and have many ladies asking about them. I am going to teach them how to make the pads. So, I spend the afternoon cutting out the pads so that it will be easier for them to learn how to make them by hand. They do not have sewing machines. I made a hair tie by hand while I was at it.
Car Trouble Again
Mbwenu had car trouble again and had to go to Mzimba to get it repaired. When he returned he and Wanangwa went to Manyamula to check on the shop and pick up the shelf from the carpenter.
Hospital
Rose, our new sister in Christ, came by to use the phone. I did not realize what was going on. Her son had fallen and hurt his arm and needs to go to the hospital. Mbwenu is taking them to Mzimba to the hospital. He is the nearest one with a car.
Pumping Water
Esther and Tulumba (8 years old) filled the giant barrel from the well tonight! This is a huge accomplishment. I can fill a small bucket and I am tired. This 8-year-old girl is amazing. This little girl knows how to do everything. She can pluck the feathers and cut up a chicken for dinner, carry water on her head, make a charcoal fire, etc. She has great survival skills and has taught me a thing or two while we have been here. She’s a constant companion.
This morning we have a quick breakfast and get ready to go to Mzimba. We have been told our packages have arrived. Our first stop is Manyamula to pick up Wanangwa’s mom and sister. Her mother is sick. Apparently, she suffers from high blood pressure and has not been taking her prescription.
The Private Clinic
Our first stop in Mzimba is the Private Clinic. We drop Wanangwa, Tomaida, and their mom at the clinic.
Next stop the courier’s office where we retrieve our packages. We purchase some water and then meet Bless Soko at the auto repair shop. Our car is still in need of repair so Bless takes us on our errands about Mzimba.
Mzimba Prison
We go to the prison to try to meet with the Chaplain Peter, Jackson, and Cecilia old friends we have worked with in previous years. This doesn’t work out very well because of the Covid restrictions they are not all working at the same time. This was very disappointing. We were able to talk with Cecilia for a while. I gave her a school supply bag for her niece she is raising.
Cecilia called Peter and he met us on the road as we are going back into town. We find out that ministers are not allowed but we can transfer lessons back and forth through Peter. Lawrence was hoping to have a sit-down discussion with our three friends so none of this went as we would like but we did gain some needful information.
Roadside meet up with the chaplain
Azungu
There were seven kids beside the road watching as we chatted. White people are pretty rare and we are a spectacle everywhere we go it seems. The children always love to run and wave at us and call azungu. Esther gave the onlookers sweets. As we left the kids were waving and very happy.
Onlookers!Esther gives the kids a sucker
Grace Kitchen
Grace Kitchen – Great Food
The car is still in the repair shop. So Bless drops us off at the Grace Kitchen to wait. The owners used to own a mobile kitchen in South Africa. Their food is very good. Lawrence didn’t realize that he had met the owner at the car wash a few days ago. People take very good care of their cars and wash them inside and out every few days it seems. The owners are very gracious and speak great English so we chat a bit. Soon our car is ready and Bless comes to say goodbye.
Some Struggles
We are excited to have our packages. Unfortunately, the packages did not contain all of the needed materials. We can find no available lessons in Malawi and shipping from the states is expensive and takes ways too long. We decide we must make copies for the time being to supply our students.
Day 30 We Visit the Mzimba Vocational School
Today is the day to visit the vocational school. When we arrive the director and teachers come to greet us outside the school building. We sit in chairs and chat a bit before we start our tour. The students are in class when we arrive.
Mzimba Vocational School
Tour of the School
We start our tour of the gardens first and meet the cook for the school on our way. She is the wife of one of the teachers. There is a well right on the campus which is really nice. It also has a faucet with a hose attachment for easy access. We meet the gardener who takes care of the crops and the grounds around the school building.
The cookThe gardenerThe gardener
Surrounding the campus are gardens and large fields of maize. Across the road are more maize fields and chicken and pig houses. These are all surrounded by a nice fence. After we cross the road we meet the caretaker of the animals.
ChickensPigs
Some of the teachers are given fields for their own use. Only one staff member lives in a house on the campus. The other staff members live very nearby.
Visiting the Classroom at Mzimba Vocational school
This is a great facility. This school was started by Sunset School of Preaching. They are on a 5-year plan to get self-supporting. We complete our tour of the crops and are taken to greet the students in the class. This term there are only 8 students. The maximum capacity is 10 students. The students are here to obtain skills to be able to support themselves when they go back to their home congregations. They are either preachers or church leaders. I have not figured out if Sunset sponsors the students or their home congregation supports them.
The students introduce themselves and we are introduced. We give the students an ink pen and an old testament timeline. Soon their class is over and they are outside studying and talking about their timelines. The gardener and caretaker are also given a timeline. Everyone is interested and excited about these. Thanks to Lee Burgess! I am disappointed I didn’t get a picture.
Little Gifts
Manyamula
We stop in Manyamula and pay for our larger bookshelf for WBS materials. We pay 45,000 K. I purchase some more fabric for shirts.
Life Group
In the afternoon we go to Life group at Justin Chirwa’s house. Lawrence does the lesson. and leads one song in Tumbuka. Everyone loves this! Our friend, Chiwemwe (the guy with the foot injury) is there and has made good improvement. It’s great to see him. Medias an older lady I met when I first arrived is also there. She has recovered from malaria. We have a nice time with them and then head home.
Life GroupLife Group – Lawrence leading singingThe ladiesLife Group at Justin Chirwa
Esther and I help cook dinner. Tonight we have beef, mashed potatoes, greens, gravy, and fresh pineapple. Mashed potatoes are a new dish for them. As usual, I cooked too much.
Happy Birthday, Mom!
Today is my mom’s birthday. Our internet is out I assume because of the heavy rains. I am not able to be on the zoom call for my mom’s birthday! A few days ago I was able to email her when we had internet. I am thankful that my mom is a woman of God.
Today my mom is 83 years old. Although Covid has kept her home a lot more for the last year she is still active. She spends a good part of every day doing for others. My mom has many projects. She made 60 + baby blankets and many shorts and dresses for children in Africa and Honduras as well as a dozen full-size quilts.
My sister works in alcohol and drug recovery and my mom has made hats and bags for the women residents, as well as hundreds of masks. She is also a Bible Correspondence teacher for prisoners in Tennessee.
I am thankful for my mom and that she is still very active.
I got up early this morning and Wanangwa was heating water outside in the cooking room over wood. Are we using too much propane? I’m not sure. I wash the dishes and then get my bath.
Donuts for Sunday Breakfast
Today is Sunday! For breakfast, every Sunday Rapha makes donuts for us. We enjoy the donuts with our tea with milk.
I clean my room and organize some of my stuff. It’s always a mess. Today is the school supply giveaway after church. I have all of the bags ready to go to the car.
We arrive at church early to sing as usual. They really like for Lawrence to lead singing before class. As we sing everyone arrives for class. This morning Lawrence is teaching the class and doing the Lord’s Supper message. The sermon is in Tumbuka and I am able to follow along with at least the Bible passages.
After the communion and contribution are over it is customary to write the contributed amount on the board. 24,850 K. This morning I notice that the board also has a count. I must have missed this before. M – 35, F-52, C- 60. (Male, Female, Children).
Sunday Board
School Supply Give-Away
After church one of the men comes forward with a list and they have me and Esther give out the school supply bags as they call the kids to the front. The kids are very excited and a bit shy about receiving their bags. It is customary for them to hold out two cupped hands to receive a gift. The children and parents are very appreciative. The school will resume this week after a break because of Covid.
School SuppliesGroup Picture at School Supply Give-AwayEsther giving school suppliesStudents receiving suppliesHappy StudentGroup picture
Esther Teaches Class
Esther usually has a class in the afternoon with the youth. While she does that we go to comfort another family who has lost a loved one. As a church, everyone goes together and has a devotional which lasts about an hour. Sometimes they pass a bowl for a collection for the family. Other times individuals just give the family some money. This is my second time visiting this family and it is heartwrenching.
Esther teaching about being salt and light
We go home for lunch and over lunch discuss the possibility of helping the task force get the jerseys for the soccer team. We eat kidneys, rice, and greens for dinner.
Today is my mother-in-law’s birthday. She is a wonderful Christian lady. She got us involved in this work about four years ago. One of the family members had organized a zoom Happy Birthday Song. It actually worked and we were able to see a lot of our big, crazy, happy family. Although it was almost bedtime here and a bit dark we were thankful for the internet tonight.
This morning we got up and did our usual morning routine of washing last night’s dishes (too dark at night to wash) and heating water for our bath.
Finding an Old Friend
Today we went to Mzimba to pick up our package of WBS lessons from Davis Sauka. Our package has not arrived. While I was standing in line a familiar face walked in. It was Jackson one of the guards at the prison. We greeted him warmly. He was surprised I remembered his name. In 2018 and 19 we worked with him when we taught at the Mzimba prison. Jackson was waiting for his new suit to arrive. I assume it is a uniform.
Jackson walked to the car with us to greet Lawrence. He said it would be a blessing if we would come to the prison. They are not currently letting ministers come into the prison because of Covid. He also expressed his desire to have a Bible. I told him I would make that happen. He asked if that was a promise.
Grocery Shopping
Our next item on the list was shopping. We shopped at Big Mart where we buy grocery items and Hasam Investments where I purchase meat. They have very lean ground beef. The shopkeeper is always happy to see us. Wanangwa is a regular customer and now I am too.
Boss Fisheries
We stop at the Boss Fisheries store to buy Chambo. This time we get a bit larger fish. The fish here always comes with the head.
Chitenge Fabric!
I love the local chitenge fabric that the ladies wear. I found out that David Whitehead has a branch in Mzimba so I make a stop there. As we were pulling in to park a car backed into our car and dented our fender. It makes me so sad. Mbwenu said he let the person go because he too may be in that situation one day. I enter the store and see large stacks of fabric. There are many familiar pieces. The main difference is that they offer larger pieces than the other places I have purchased fabric. The prices seem a bit high but still good for American prices. I bought 3 – 6 meter pieces for 24,300 K.
David Whitehead FabricFabric made in MalawiChitenge
Hit By a Bicycle
When I came out of the store the car was gone. Mbwenu was waiting. He pointed at a big delivery truck. As we walked down the road to the car a bicycle drove by very fast and hit my elbow very hard. I didn’t fall down but my elbow was hurting and bleeding. I soon got the bleeding stopped. The cut was small but the elbow felt very bruised. The bicycle was probably going 30 miles per hour. It could definitely be much worse.
Cooking Dinner
Esther and I cook dinner when we get home. The stove is a propane gas one with two burners. For dinner, we fix meat sauce with onions, tomatoes, and peppers to go over our rice or pumpkin. We have a cucumber and onion salad in vinegar and pineapple for dessert. I always cook too much so there are always leftovers. After dinner, we manage to get the dishes washed before bedtime.
Today is Martyr’s Day, a Malawi holiday. It is honoring those who lost their lives in the battle for their freedom. This is not the day they got their freedom but it was the beginning of an uprising that led to them getting their freedom five years later.
I got up early and got my bath. We had breakfast before getting ready for my morning class with the ladies.
Setting Up the Printer
Lawrence and Mbwenu are working on setting up the printer today. There have been some difficulties since we do not have a disc drive and the driver is not available on download from the internet.
This printer scanner is to scan lessons and print letters to the students about their lessons. We have also used this to make copies for ladies’ class.
Clinic for 5 and Under
I leave for class with other neighbor ladies. We arrive and there are a lot of people at the building today. The church lets the five and under clinic meet in its building until the clinic is built. They have laid the foundation for a community clinic across the road. This is a much-needed clinic and helps provide local health care for nearby residents with young children. Most households do not have transportation of any kind so this truly meets a need to have access to healthcare nearby.
Ladies’ Class
We wave and head to the bakery for our class. The ladies are excited to see me and Esther and to be together for another Bible study. Today I give them a coloring sheet with a Bible verse on it and hand out the markers as we wait for everyone to arrive. Everyone loves to color! We have our class on Proverbs. I am taking lessons from a book we studied in ladies’ class at home. Life Me Up by Alice Cravens Moore. We finish class and head home as the baking ladies start their baking.
Life Group
We rush home for lunch and wash the dishes just in time to go to a life group. This one was rescheduled from yesterday. Today’s life group is hosted by Samuel Nyirenda one of the elders at the Tombolombo Church. Lawrence gives the devotional talk on Romans 6.
Aaron is at the life group today (you may remember he suffers seizures). He really looks good today. Aaron sees Lawrence’s water bottle with the red lid and says Coke. I am so glad to see Aaron is walking today and saying a few words.
After life group, we go to Manyamula for some shopping. Bags for school supplies, 200 notebooks, 200 suckers, water, tissue, and Coke.
We head home for dinner and bed.
Day 25 – Stay Home Day
We get our bath, breakfast, and dishes all done before we get ready for the day’s work.
Baby Bags
Today I have a lot of preparation to do. First I make cards to go in our baby bags for the clinic and then Esther, Wanangwa and I assemble 30+ baby bags. We are ready for tomorrow!
Wanangwa goes to the shop to work this afternoon.
School Supplies
Next, we start on the school supplies. We are making 200 bags. We have 178 primary-age kids in our church and satellite churches. With the help of some young people, we get all of the bags assembled. They seem to enjoy helping and it sure made the process easier. I rewarded them with suckers.
Maureen came by. She works at the clinic in town and has asked me to come to work with her. They need me she tells me! She will come back later since we are working.
The tailor brought the dresses for the little girls and a skirt for Talumba. They are so excited to see them. I take the girls to their moms to try the dresses on. I think their moms are as excited as they are. Katie is a bit shy but I finally snap a photo of these cuties.
One of our students came by for his results on his WBS lesson. I have to tell him he must repeat this lesson. The students must make 76% for a passing grade.
Wanangwa and Mbwenu get back home and we have dinner. I try unsuccessfully to order flowers for my mom’s birthday!
Day 26 Maternity Clinic and Baby Bags
This morning we got the news that Wanangwa’s 27-year-old cousin has passed away by suicide. He is working in South Africa. This is heartbreaking, to say the least.
They decide we will go ahead with our plans to visit the local maternity clinic. A midwife greets us at the car and walks with us to the clinic. There are actually two parts to the clinic. One is for maternity and deliveries. The other is a family clinic for all ages. People are lined up to be seen. I see the line and think oh no we don’t have enough. Then they lead me around back to where the moms and dads are waiting to be seen.
Introductions and Greetings
They bring a chair and have us sit. They love to have formal meetings and greetings. The head midwife comes out and introduces herself and she chats with our group in Tumbuka. They have me stand and say something. I was not prepared so I told them I was a mom to 11 children and they all looked shocked and clapped. Take good care of yourself and your babies I encouraged them. I would have been happy just to greet each one individually and give them their gift. When you are in Malawi you do as the Malawians and that includes gratitude and ceremony.
Next, they had the moms to number off. The ladies gave each mom a baby bag with a blanket and a hat. I explained that my mom had made each blanket and some other ladies had made the hats. The young moms were very excited to get the bags and one was chosen to formally thank us. 5 moms were not there yet so we left bags for each of them.
Tour of the Clinic
As my group headed to the car one of the midwives gave me a tour of the delivery room and maternity ward. They are in the process of getting the building next door ready for moms. They have about 30 births a month at this facility.
We stopped in Manyamula and I bought sodas for the ladies who came with me. Then we went to visit Emmanuel (13 years old) who has malaria. He looks very sick. He is already on medication so should be feeling better soon. We prayed for him and left.
As we were driving home I saw a sign. Lovemore Nursery School. This is the new location for Glory’s school. I was so surprised. They stopped the car for me to greet her. I happened to have just enough tiny suckers to give each child so I handed them out the window to her.
After this, we continued on home for lunch.
At 3:00 the church is going to comfort the family. This is one of the most heart-wrenching things I have ever participated in doing. The women went inside with the other women and sat on the floor. I was silent except for the tears I was shedding with and for this family. Outside the door, the men read scriptures and sang songs of comfort as we sang along. We were there for about an hour.
We were all drained with grief when we got home. I made fried egg sandwiches for supper with tomato slices. I was impressed the kids would try something new.
I slept until 7 am today! First I took my bath and washed my laundry. I am hoping it will not rain. The process of doing laundry is to collect two tubs of water. I brought a small bottle of laundry detergent which I do not usually do but I learned from Eddie Schott who came last year. It makes it a lot easier than the bar soap I have used. I scrub the whites, then colors, and then dark all in the same water. Wring them out the best I can and then rinse them multiple times and then wring out again and then line dry. My arms are getting stronger. I am thankful that Esther insists on doing her own laundry!
Breakfast
Breakfast today consists of tea with fresh milk, boiled eggs, chips (fried potatoes), and tomato and onion slices. Raphael is the best chip fryer! He usually makes our chips on the days we eat them. I wash the breakfast dishes.
Mbwenu left early this morning to take his oldest son Tonny to catch the transport back to school. He was supposed to be back by 10 but has not shown up.
I write in my journal and update those who contributed to the songbooks. I am so thankful for the generosity of my brothers and sisters in Christ. These churches are being blessed because of it. Heavy rain starts and I run to retrieve my laundry and hang it about the house.
Songbooks
Coloring Sheets
I trace some pictures for the kids to color, they have a great time with this. Today I traced some parrots and flowers. Everyone loves to color from the young to the old.
Kwema loves to colorHomemade toys are the best! These kids are so creative!Two cutiesMtende playing with Jenga blocks I brought as a gift to the family.
Roasted Peanuts
Wanangwa roasts some peanuts and they are delicious. She has a trick for getting the salt to stick on the peanuts. She mixes a little water with salt while the peanuts roast. When they are ready dumps the peanuts in a bowl and adds the salt mixture and stirs really quickly while they steam. It works great.
Visitors
We have visitors. Christina Banda and her daughter come to visit. They bring us corn. Christina is sick and thinks she may have the flu or malaria and is going to the clinic tomorrow. I give her some ibuprofen and instructions. I didn’t find out until after she left that she is the mother to Aaron who has the seizures. She also has another child who is bedridden from childhood. This is so sad.
We were supposed to go to life group at 2 but Mbwenu has not returned he is delayed with car repair. There has been a series of car issues. He arrives home after 5 pm and has not eaten all day. We all go to Manyamula where I buy some more fabric. I buy a coke and coffee. Lawrence and Esther get cold water.
When we get home Wanangwa lets me and Esther help prepare dinner. Our menu tonight is cabbage, soup, rice, sima, goat livers, and fresh pineapple.
