The Warm Heart of Africa Is In My Heart

Tomorrow morning we will board the bus early and head for Cape Maclear for a day of resort-like rest. We'll be on Lake Malawi and plan to take a boat out to see all the beautiful fish found only in Lake Malawi. We will enjoy cultural dancing as we eat dinner. From there, we travel to Lilongwe where we will visit a private school on Monday and then we will fly out on Tuesday, arriving back in the USA on Wednesday. There is never enough time here in Malawi. I always leave a piece of my heart here, as I will this year. Malawi is always with me in my heart. I am uncertain about my access to the Internet from this point on in my travels, so I close this blog with a favorite quote from the book The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind by William Kamkwamba... "...And I went to sleep dreaming of Malawi, and all the things made possible when your dreams are powered by your heart."

Farewell, Little Ones, Farewell

This morning the air was crisp and the sun was bright in the African sky. The bus was quiet this morning; we were soaking it all in. I savored the picturesque view of Zomba Mountain in all its majesty as we drove to school. It was our last day. As we drove into Malemia Village, children happily awaited us along the small dirt road, smiling and chanting all the way. They prepared a goodbye ceremony for us. They read speeches, did mini-skits and performed drumming and dancing -- all to say 'thank you.' They wanted to express their gratitude for our time with them over the last few weeks. At the end of the ceremony, the teachers presented us each with a beautiful red, black and white chitenge (a wrap-around skirt like the ones they wear). We presented the teachers and children with classroom sets of balls and game supplies to go with them -- one for each classroom. We also gave the teachers RU t-shirts as a token of our thanks. After all the festivities, we took many photos with the teachers and children and then slowly made our way to the bus. The moment we had been dreading was there. It was time to leave. We waved farewell to our little friends with such big hearts. They waved and followed alongside the bus in their little bare feet and bright, big smiles all the way to the main road, pretending to be on airplanes with us. They moved their arms as if they were flying. I will always cherish our time with the children and remember it fondly with tears in my eyes. Those little children have no idea how much they mean to us and how very much we have learned from them, for they know what life is really all about. We have learned what it is to be truly joyful. We have learned about gratitude and generosity of spirit. We have learned that love has no language, and warm hearts break all barriers of culture, language and understanding. Their their love has touched our lives forever. It is my prayer that God will bless them and keep them in His care all the days of their lives. ~Farewell, our sweet and precious little friends, farewell.~

Rooster Alert and Crocodile Caution

This morning, the RU/VT students set out to paint all of the chalkboards at Malemia Primary School as a gift to the teachers for their hospitality. The group painted at action-speed, and finished before 1pm. The chalkboards looked shiny and new! With two other students, I walked behind the school to a couple's house who have been friends for a long time. They are even pen pals with my parents. Those of you who know me well know that I have a fear of chickens...yes, chickens (especially roosters). I can deal with spiders; don't like snakes but am ok with them; birds that hop I'm fine with, but birds that walk like people....now that's a different story! I don't like the way they strut and bobble their heads -- very unpredictable; hence, my fear. The sunshine was dim coming through the windows of the little house; I went inside and started to sit down on the couch. And there, right beside me was a rooster!!!! (~a live one!)! It was black with a big red comb and huge feet. It startled me so, that I jumped up and screamed. I ran out of the house, and it cackled and fluttered out behind me. After I caught my breath, we all got a big laugh out of it, and I'm certain they think I'm crazy. We had a nice visit, and I shared photos on my phone of various members of my family. They laughed when I referred to my dogs as my 'babies'. After school, we went to buy water, shop and purchase a cake which we plan to take to the ceremony at the school tomorrow. We decided to try something different for dinner. We took the bus and went up on the mountain to a lovely place called the Casa Rossa. We had a wonderful Italian meal, followed by crepes and ice cream. It was a real treat, and I nice "celebration" for all that has been accomplished here. On the way home, someone commented on how dark it was and that rarely anything goes on in Zomba after dark (mainly because everyone is sleeping). About that moment, we drove by the police station, and there was a huge dead crocodile on the side of the road. It looked like a dinosaur. They were butchering it. We asked the driver to stop the bus. We got out and watched. What a scene! The crocodile had been killed at a nearby lake, and it was a big one -- almost 9 feet long and heavy! A nearby restaurant stopped to purchase its tail and they were hacking on its limbs for the meat. We squealed a bit, and one of the girls commented that it was disturbing and exciting all at the same time. ~Crocodile butcher shop in the middle of the road -- definitely a first for me in Malawi!

Monkeys in the Morning

Every morning I wake up to the sound of monkeys on the rooftop. The roof here is tin, and they run across it when the sun comes up. They're really baboons, and they are plentiful! Some have babies, which I find to be just as cute as anything! They hang around the steps I walk down to go to breakfast every morning. Going down to breakfast is not an issue, but coming back up the steps to my room requires strategic planning. They're like 'highway bandits', just waiting to grab our bread, our bananas or our tangerines as we walk back to our rooms. They wait in the bushes and jump out on us as we walk up the sidewalk to our rooms. We have started to hide our 'goods' underneath our shirts and jackets, just to be safe. Many girls have lost their bananas to the monkeys this year. I told them, who else can say they've ever been 'mugged by a monkey'?!? This morning, a monkey jumped in the window of the breakfast room of our lodge restaurant and tried to swipe two tangerines left in someone's bag. I hissed at it and it bounced away, but he gave the effort two more tries before giving it up! As much of a bother as they are, we don't get tired of seeing them and 'playing their game.' (Post from 15 JUNE 2016 -- internet wasn't working last night)

Colorful Alphabet

Post from 15 JUNE 2016 (Internet wasn't working last night) Imagine teaching in a classroom with no electricity, one chalkboard, 60 - 100 students and minimal books, and you have pictured our school. Today, we began work on painting the classrooms at Malemia Primary School. The RU/VT students painted the alphabet and the numbers 0 - 9 above the chalkboards, as requested by the teachers. We used the primary colors to do the painting, and it brightened up the rooms so very much. It is amazing what color can do for a room! Of course, we had a whole group of little "fans" watching in the background the entire time. They like to ask us about our names and our age, and they like to dance with us. The children just love to interact with us, which is great. Spending time with the children in these informal settings helps build goodwill, builds conversational English, and just makes everything better. Tomorrow, we will paint the chalkboards in each room as well. We appreciate the opportunity to do something nice for the teachers who have opened their classrooms to us each day during our visit here.

Petal Pads for the Girls

Last night, it was extremely cold here in Zomba, and we experienced a huge downpour of rain. It sounded like thunder on the tin roof of my room. I snuggled under my warm blanket in the room and enjoyed it from inside. I thought about how blessed I was to have good shelter and blankets for warmth, while most people in Malawi were likely cold and finding it difficult for sufficient shelter from the rain. I thought about the children from our village and how they would be cold in school today. Today, we did our usual school day, and the kids were there with blankets if they had them. We then walked over to the Domasi Government School to work with 50 girls on a sewing project. Girls in Malawi often drop out of school when they reach puberty. The bathroom facilities make it difficult to manage, so they miss school during their menstrual cycles. When they miss school, they get behind, and it creates a cycle of struggle to catch up, which often leads to dropping out of school. We worked with the 50 girls to sew what we're calling "Petal Pads". These are hand sewn pads for them to use during their cycles, which can be stuffed with lining and then washed and reused. Each girl is being given enough material to make three petal pads, which should get them through their cycles each month. Two of the travelers with us had already cut the material by a pattern, had the needles and thread ready, as well as safety pins all in ziplock bags for each girl. The Radford and VT students did a fabulous job leading their groups of girls, modeling for them, and guiding them along the way. The school girls were giggly, just as our girls are at home over such things, but they enjoyed the time to talk and interact as they did their sewing. We know that having these pads will make a huge difference in their ability to access to education on a regular basis and hopefully alleviate some drop-outs along the way.

Two Worlds in One

Today, our group participated as "guests of honor" at a fundraiser for the Zomba police. Nine police officers have lost their lives in traffic accidents this year, leaving behind widows and orphans. The children are hungry. They have no clothes, and they have no fees for school. They are struggling. The fundraiser was organized to help these widows and orphans. Television cameras, newspapers, and many dignitaries were there to support the cause. The theme of the fundraiser was a most creative one. They did a mock traditional wedding. There was a bride and groom, and wedding attendants. In Malawi, the people throw money up in the air for the bride and groom. At this event, people tossed money in the air in order to dance to songs, which played the entire time. There were special dances at times, and speeches as well. At one point, one of the dancers selected me, from my chair, to come up and dance. I didn't see that coming, but went with it. That dance raised a lot of money for the orphans, and I'm sure gave the locals a good laugh as well! Our RU and VT students were, once again, amazing today! They taught the children there how to do the Hokie Pokey and they danced for literally over an hour (maybe two) until the official festivities began. This group is flexible, and they cease every opportunity to experience Malawian culture. It has been a joy to be with them. One part of the afternoon was heart wrenching. The girls and I were asked to give small bits of apples, bananas and bread to the children who were there. There clearly wasn't enough food for all of them -- there were SO many. I thought about how stressed Jesus' disciples must have felt with the loaves and fish, and I silently prayed for a miracle. When we started handing out the food, the children rushed toward us, pushing one another. All of their hands were up in the air, begging to receive some of the food. It tore our hearts apart to see such desperation. Children were crying because they didn't receive any. There just wasn't enough. It broke our hearts. The girls and I talked and debriefed at dinner this evening, and we discussed that the scene with the children and the food illustrated the harsh reality of the hardship and struggle people have here. We also discussed this evening that all at the same time, we were experiencing two worlds in one setting -- the needy and the wealthy of Malawi in one space -- and it was difficult to process. The wealthy were doing a good thing to raise awareness and support, and the folks in attendance were clearly dedicated to helping the widows and children of fallen officers. The Commissioner of the Police was very pleased that we took time out of our schedule to help with the event. We hope that our being there helped in some small way.

Reunion Day

This morning, our group visited an interesting organization and community called Chifundo Chathu. This is a village which takes in orphans. Sadly, orphans are plentiful in Malawi due to both malaria and HIV/AIDS. The organization helps to supplement the additional funds to clothe and feed the children, as well as to provide quality education and HIV/AIDS awareness in the community. Our students donated maize to be distributed to the homes who support the orphans that will last for many months. The harvest has not been good in Malawi this year, and hunger during the rainy months is expected. There is a lot of concern about it already. They were very grateful to receive our donation. The community prepared a lovely program for us as well. There was singing and dancing around two boys drumming and they performed two skits for us. There were also speeches. Then, the students got to enjoy playing with the children. I couldn't find one of my girls, and then I found her -- in the middle of the mothers holding a baby with a toddler beside her as well. The smile on her face was something I'll always treasure. Every face in that scene was focused on the baby and full of love. The bus dropped three students and me downtown where we did some shopping and stopped for ice cream (a REAL treat) at my favorite restaurant, Tasty Bites. I was so happy to reunite with several of my old friends today. This morning at 6:30am, Tennyson, one of the workers here at Annie's Lodge knocked on my door. He is a dear gentleman -- full of poise and integrity. He brought me an avocado, because he knows I love them. (The avocados here in Malawi are so creamy and delicious!). It was a treat to see him. At breakfast, another worker named Benito came to visit with me. His sister-in-law had a baby last night. The baby is fine, but the mother died. Benito was very sad but wanted me to know so I could pray for the family. Downtown, I got to see Alex, my artisan friend who carves the most beautiful things. He is "cool" and I just love his relaxed spirit. Finally, at Tasty Bites I saw Max and Fatima -- dear, dear friends, as well as their two beautiful children, Medina and Mohammad. It was a minute-by-minute reunion today! Tomorrow, we have been asked to be the guests of honor at a fundraiser for the widows and orphans of police officers who have been killed in the line of duty. Several officers have lost their lives this year, and their children are struggling to have proper clothes, healthy food, and school fees. Life is difficult here in Malawi. I have been asked to give a speech, and the students will be honored as well. There will be dancing, of course! I don't really know what to expect, but it will be another new adventure for sure!

Joy

What is joy? Joy was threaded throughout our entire day today in various forms and ways. What a wonderful day it has been -- and a long one, too! We started out by going to school this morning. It was a bright beautiful day; the sun was warm and comforting in the midst of the cool morning breeze as we started out. There truly isn't anything better than driving into the school yard with hundreds of smiling faces and waving hands greeting you with great joy. They make us feel like celebrities! :) The RU students brought a parachute to play the "parachute" game with each class, and the kids LOVED it! It was an action-packed morning with parachute activities. The RU students are an amazing group; they will be wonderful teachers. I was so proud of them today. At mid-day, we left school and walked down the rocky, village dirt road with little children holding each of our hands all the way. That village walk with the children is always my favorite part of each day here. Words cannot adequately express the feeling it brings. We don't speak the same language, but yet in many ways we do. We connect during the walk each day, and it is a special time. It was during that time today that I realized my cheeks were hurting, because I had been smiling so much. At noon, we walked two miles to Malika Church (We had already walked 1 mile to get to the starting point for the venture to the church). Malika Church is a Catholic Church, and it has permitted the people there to integrate some of their traditional songs and dances into the worship service. It is quite unique and beautiful. The church is simple but has a painting of Paul and his conversion experience on the wall, with scripture written under it. They have decorated the church with strings strung from side to side that have fabric strips hung on them. The alter is similar to what we have in modest churches in the USA. The choir was comprised of young men and women, along with a choir director. They had uniforms on and had synchronized movements to each song. Their singing is like that of angels; it brought me to tears a couple of times. They sang songs praising God for His creation and for His blessings upon them. They sang about the angels who first announced Jesus' birth, and they sang that there is no other name like the name Jesus. The music was filled with such joy and praise; the Spirit was alive and well there. Several of the women started dancing, and somehow I got "selected" to dance with them. I danced with them through the entire performance (and eventually several students joined in). At the end of the performance, they sang a song asking God to look after us until we meet again some day in heaven. It warmed my heart. When we got back "home," we were informed that the lodge staff were planning a party for us. So, we changed clothes and walked to the party where more dancing commenced. We were there from 6:30pm - 11:30pm....mostly dancing the whole time by the students; I joined in some, but gave them their space. It was a fun way to end a most joyous and meaningful day. Joy is in the Spirit of Malawi. It connects people and it energies the soul. Joy is familiar in every culture and language. I am so grateful for this opportunity to be here.

The Rest of the Safari Story...

The "other" story, behind the majesty of all we experienced out in the wild, we also experienced quite a surprise when we returned from our evening game drive that first night. After eating a truly scrumptious meal, the girls went to their dormitory for a nice night's sleep. In the distance, Patti and I heard squealing and screaming. We quickly learned that the entire dormitory was full of spiders -- in the beds, on the pillows, on the walls. They weren't small, either. The spiders were yellow and furry with white "rings" on the legs. THe workers told us they were harmless and to view them as "friends." Needless to say, the girls weren't interested in making new friends that night! We sprayed enough Deet to kill a whole village of spiders and killed the ones we could get to with our feet. Once we felt certain we had gotten them all, Patti and I literally tucked the girls into their beds, one by one, with the mosquito nets, which we sprayed with one more coat of Deet to be safe. As we were leaving them, one girl discovered a spider on her pillow and she was out of there! Patti stayed in the dorm with the rest of the girls, and I shared the tent with my student. The second day, the camp managers had the dorm fumigated, which seemed to work. So, lots of "spider drama" on night one, which I told the girls we'll laugh about for years to come! The student who stayed in our tent for two nights said something that I thought summed up the entire thing, "I like nature; I just don't want it to touch me!"

Elephants, Elephants Everywhere!

Our two-day safari to Liwonde National Park was beyond words! The camp was humble. Patti and I had a tent that was on a stand up in a tree, and the students slept in a dormitory that looked like a large hut. We settled our things into our sleeping spaces and quickly jumped in the jeep for an afternoon game drive. The air was crisp and the bright sun was only beginning to fade. Within minutes, we spotted twenty-six elephants in one setting! We did a second game drive the next day and saw even more -- and up close! Elephants are such majestic creatures. I could watch them all day. Several of them had little ones who were nursing, and it was just precious. They were very protective of their babies, and quickly put them all in the middle of a circle they made around the little ones. We also saw multitudes of slim and sleek impalas, furry water bucks with white ring markings on their behinds, and kudu. We also did a boat safari, where we saw hippos all along the river. They look like large pigs and sound like them too, but with deeper squeals. We saw two crocodiles and MORE elephants! In all my trips to Malawi, this was the best year yet for elephants! On the day we left, we went on a morning walk at 6am to watch the sunrise and learn about the plants, trees and insects in Malawi. We saw termite mounds taller than us, trees that have various medicinal features and colorful flowers. The entire experience was breathtaking. The last night we were there, we climbed up in a tree stand and looked up into the black night sky, which was illuminated by millions of bright, twinkling stars. We could even see the Milky Way. All this, in perfect silence, with only the night sounds of nature filling the background; hippos grunting, crickets chirping, and birds cooing. It was truly what I imagine heaven to be like and feel like. Being in the wilderness of Malawi always makes me think of the verse in Genesis, "God saw all He had made, and it was good."

Gracious....He's 3!

As I was sitting at dinner this evening eating a lovely cheese omelet when the gentleman who works the desk came to tell me I had a phone call. I couldn't imagine who it would be. It was a woman who, 3 years ago, worked at Annie's Lodge. She was so kind to me during my stay here three years ago, and I considered her to be a friend. She was experiencing some struggles with her baby's health, and we spent much time talking about how much she loved her child. She was working hard for his well-being. He was just a little baby, and his name was Gracious. She brought him to the lodge to visit one day, and I enjoyed holding him and playing with him. My friends and I gave her several clothes items before we left in the hopes she could use them or sell them, and we tried to get her connected to a hospital for his care while we were here. I have always wondered what happened to her and to baby Gracious. Word travels fast here! She heard I was in town and called to talk with me. It was so nice to hear her joyous voice. Then, she put baby Gracious on the phone! He is a healthy three year old now and even said his name to me over the phone. It brought tears to my eyes that this precious mother remembered me from so many years ago and that she reached out to re-connect. What wonderful news that Gracious is healthy and well and 3 years old! ~This is the Warm Heart of Africa, indeed!

Long Way to Lilongwe

Wow....It's a long way to Lilongwe! Both flights were smooth and easy getting here. I was able to sleep quite a bit. I highly recommend Ethiopian Airlines. The service is great. Currently, I am at Annie's Lodge Area 10 for the evening, a very familiar setting for me. There is a beautifully landscaped lawn and an open setting at check-in and for dining. It was so nice to see familiar faces of the workers here who were outside to greet me when I arrived. My room is lovely -- quite roomy and very clean. I even have a patio! Tomorrow morning James (my driver) and I will head to Liwonde National Park for a 2-day Safari where I will join the rest of the RU group. I look forward to seeing everyone, hearing about their experiences to date, and enjoying the sights and sounds of nature which bring great peace to me. The safari is thrilling (one can never tire of seeing elephants in the wild), and at the same time calms the soul by gently forcing me to slow down and just "listen."

Malawi, Here I Come!

On Sunday, I will board Ethiopian Airlines for a long flight to my beloved Malawi, Africa. I'll be stopping in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia for a layover, and then on to Malawi! Malawi is often called the Warm Heart of Africa, because the people are so kind and loving toward visitors. To me, they are my friends -- my extended family. I look forward to seeing everyone again and meeting new friends as well. I also look forward to seeing our RU students learn and grow as educators, but also as people. I look forward to returning to this most special little corner of the world that means so much to me. Spending time in Malawi brings a fresh, new perspective on life and on the world. I always leave Malawi reminded of the things that really matter in life. I look forward to the new adventures in Malawi this year! Thanks for 'e-traveling' with me along the way!