Ha Ha! Anytime I said I was going to Malawi it seems like most people had heard of it because of Madonna. We found out tonight that we are just a short drive away from the orphanage where she is adopting her baby girl. Huh...small world.....
So anyway......
This week has been full of excitement:
Saturday: We took Lana to the airport and sent her on her way with hugs. Then we spent the afternoon taking care of business. We shopped for some teaching things, went to the Internet cafe, grocery shopped, and treated our driver, Rackson, and the head of the school, Ms. Goodman to lunch. It was a really fun afternoon and we think Ms. Goodman enjoyed getting away for the day. She NEVER gets a day off.
Sunday: Church in a the Bwaila Village. We taught Sunday school with the help of an interpreter. Wow is it hard to teach through a different language. Mel wrote a song and taught it to them. It was a lot of fun. We later attended evening church at the orphanage. Jill and I sat in on the youngest junior church class. They are so stinkin' cute!
Monday: Medicine in the village again. I'm proud to say that we were able to treat even more people this time in about an hour and a half less time. I think having some experience under our belt really helped us move along. There are again a great number of sad stories I could tell from this day. It's amazing the illnesses that can be treated so easily in America that go untreated here and result in death. It feels right to be helping out. I learned how to say "cough" in Chichewa. It's cold and flu season here so it seems like everyone had "the cough." There are many situations that are just to sad to describe here. Just know that your prayers should be with these people.
On the way out of the area we got stopped by the Malawian police. They made Rackson get out of the car and they spoke to Jill in Chichewa. They were mad because she didn't speak in Chichewa back to them. Then one of them kept asking me questions...What are you doing here? Is this a hired car? Where are you residing? I have to admit I was a little nervous. They can arrest you here for any reason at all and then you have the burden of proving your innocence. Rackson got back in the car and said they were just fishing for a reason to write a ticket. Praise God for protecting us in that situation.
Tuesday-Friday: We taught at the school and got more time with the kids. It was hard at times this week because they have been going through the rooms and desks looking for stolen items. The kids are pretty defensive and not in good moods about the staff. Luckily they have responded well to our teaching activities and the new books we are introducing. We have been having some self-selected reading time with books and you would not believe the way even the 12-14 year olds are reacting over reading first grade English books. They are just so happy to have a book to hold in their own hands. They are loving it!!
Friday evening: Right now we are at the Fullford's house having a slumber party. It's Jill's birthday so we are staying at their house where they have water AND electricity. What a treat!!! We are actually going to take hot showers tonight and that is most exciting. I will never ever take for granted the access to clean, hot water at my home again. :) They are the best hosts and they work so hard for the kids and people here in Malawi.
Thanks to those sending text messages and emails. I can't always reply but they really help with the homesickness.
Karen
Friday, June 26, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Week Two Update
Hello Friends and Family! There are so many things to talk about. Here are the highlights...
Last Friday-We went into a village and had a mini-worship concert and showed "The Jesus Film." It's bascially a story about the life and miracles of Jesus. Then they do an invitation at the end of the movie. It was so neat to see about 1,000 villagers gather for it. One of our team members, Melanie lead the worship music before a couple of their staff workers took over. It was so much fun! I had a funny moment when a man came up to me and asked me if I understood the movie. I told him that I did and he started grinning and said..."English, Chichewa, English, Chichewa!" He thought I heard the movie in English and he heard the movie in Chichewa. I couldn't get the point across to him that I understood the movie because I knew the stories from the bible. I feel kind of bad that he thinks a miracle occured and really it was just a language barrier. Mr. Fullford later told me that the guy had been drinking...that makes more sense. :)
Last Saturday-We woke up early and went to a village to go "soul winning." I didn't quite know what this was and was a little nervous. When people in the states walk around trying to get you to listen to them tell about Jesus people tend to run from them. We just walked around the village and Mr. Fullford would stop every now and then and give mini-sermons. We helped passed out little bibles with the books of John and Romans. It was a great experience.
Sunday- Church at Njuli village then church in the evening back at the orphanage.
Monday- This has been the highlight of my trip so far. We went up to a village about two hours away and set up a make-shift medical clinic. We had a couple tables and boxes of medicine. Here in Malawi you don't have to have a prescription to purchase medicine...just the money. We treated wounds, colds, infections, worms, snails, malaria, stomach pains, headaches, and other illnesses. It was heartbreaking to see some of the things we saw. One person brought their son to Melanie wanting to know if she could do anything to help him. As best we could tell he was born with a mental condition. They said they had been to several doctors. The whole day just broke our hearts, but it felt wonderful to be able to be giving them something they needed. Many people we had to suggest to get to a hospital because their issue was too big for what we had available. There are many stories I could tell about this day....
Tuesday-Friday- We organized and taught at the orphanage and school. We are trying to get books and clothing that have been donated organized in a way that makes sense for the workers. At night we have been working on aligning the Malawi English curriculum with all the materials sent over from the STates. I am very proud to say that I have come across names like "Welle" and "Kaelin" written on books. Our JJ books arrived from two years ago...but they are just now getting to use them. That should make my JJ friends happy to hear!
Okay, time is so limited for the INternet. I love and miss everyone so much!
:) Karen
Last Friday-We went into a village and had a mini-worship concert and showed "The Jesus Film." It's bascially a story about the life and miracles of Jesus. Then they do an invitation at the end of the movie. It was so neat to see about 1,000 villagers gather for it. One of our team members, Melanie lead the worship music before a couple of their staff workers took over. It was so much fun! I had a funny moment when a man came up to me and asked me if I understood the movie. I told him that I did and he started grinning and said..."English, Chichewa, English, Chichewa!" He thought I heard the movie in English and he heard the movie in Chichewa. I couldn't get the point across to him that I understood the movie because I knew the stories from the bible. I feel kind of bad that he thinks a miracle occured and really it was just a language barrier. Mr. Fullford later told me that the guy had been drinking...that makes more sense. :)
Last Saturday-We woke up early and went to a village to go "soul winning." I didn't quite know what this was and was a little nervous. When people in the states walk around trying to get you to listen to them tell about Jesus people tend to run from them. We just walked around the village and Mr. Fullford would stop every now and then and give mini-sermons. We helped passed out little bibles with the books of John and Romans. It was a great experience.
Sunday- Church at Njuli village then church in the evening back at the orphanage.
Monday- This has been the highlight of my trip so far. We went up to a village about two hours away and set up a make-shift medical clinic. We had a couple tables and boxes of medicine. Here in Malawi you don't have to have a prescription to purchase medicine...just the money. We treated wounds, colds, infections, worms, snails, malaria, stomach pains, headaches, and other illnesses. It was heartbreaking to see some of the things we saw. One person brought their son to Melanie wanting to know if she could do anything to help him. As best we could tell he was born with a mental condition. They said they had been to several doctors. The whole day just broke our hearts, but it felt wonderful to be able to be giving them something they needed. Many people we had to suggest to get to a hospital because their issue was too big for what we had available. There are many stories I could tell about this day....
Tuesday-Friday- We organized and taught at the orphanage and school. We are trying to get books and clothing that have been donated organized in a way that makes sense for the workers. At night we have been working on aligning the Malawi English curriculum with all the materials sent over from the STates. I am very proud to say that I have come across names like "Welle" and "Kaelin" written on books. Our JJ books arrived from two years ago...but they are just now getting to use them. That should make my JJ friends happy to hear!
Okay, time is so limited for the INternet. I love and miss everyone so much!
:) Karen
Thursday, June 11, 2009
We're Here...
Friends and Family,
We arrived safely to Malawi on Wednesday afternoon. Our travel was WONDERFUL. Everything ran on time and the leg room on the plane was great compared to last time we made these flights. We spent the night in Johannesburg, South Africa and I could not believe the difference between that town and the Africa we see in Malawi. It looked like any major city in America with it's fancy hotels and billboard signs.
When we landed in Blantyre and I saw the familiar airport signs I was tearing up with joy. I had been a little anxious preparing for this trip and feeling slightly different than last time. As soon as I saw the place, I was reassured that this was the right thing to be doing. Thandie (the woman who runs the orphanage) and Mr. Fullford (the man who is overseeing the entire ministry here) met us at the airport. I had never met Mr. Fullford and instantly he and his wife were big hits with us. They have the best personalities! It was so great to see Thandie again too. She greeted us with big hugs.
So far we've only had time to settle in and get ourselves organized. We attended church Wednesday night at the orphanage and heard the most beautiful music. Today, we went to a bible study in one of the villages. It's so fun to see them soak everything in. Tomorrow we report to the school director to talk about curriculum and our other jobs while we are here.
Our plan for Saturday is to go "soul winning." I am most nervous and excited about this....expect an update about that!
So anyway, we are here. We are safe. We are absolutely in the middle of God's plan for us.
Thanks for the prayers and I'll update again when we get the chance!
We arrived safely to Malawi on Wednesday afternoon. Our travel was WONDERFUL. Everything ran on time and the leg room on the plane was great compared to last time we made these flights. We spent the night in Johannesburg, South Africa and I could not believe the difference between that town and the Africa we see in Malawi. It looked like any major city in America with it's fancy hotels and billboard signs.
When we landed in Blantyre and I saw the familiar airport signs I was tearing up with joy. I had been a little anxious preparing for this trip and feeling slightly different than last time. As soon as I saw the place, I was reassured that this was the right thing to be doing. Thandie (the woman who runs the orphanage) and Mr. Fullford (the man who is overseeing the entire ministry here) met us at the airport. I had never met Mr. Fullford and instantly he and his wife were big hits with us. They have the best personalities! It was so great to see Thandie again too. She greeted us with big hugs.
So far we've only had time to settle in and get ourselves organized. We attended church Wednesday night at the orphanage and heard the most beautiful music. Today, we went to a bible study in one of the villages. It's so fun to see them soak everything in. Tomorrow we report to the school director to talk about curriculum and our other jobs while we are here.
Our plan for Saturday is to go "soul winning." I am most nervous and excited about this....expect an update about that!
So anyway, we are here. We are safe. We are absolutely in the middle of God's plan for us.
Thanks for the prayers and I'll update again when we get the chance!
Monday, June 8, 2009
I'm Leaving on a Jet Plane....
...I do know when I'll be back again: July 19. My bags are packed....each weighing in at 49.8lbs...perfect! I just need to get dressed and out the door. I will be sending a weekly email out to some people to give updates. I'm going to try to blog too...we'll see. Have a great six weeks everyone!
More to come...
More to come...
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Saying Good-bye....
Well, I've been through all the rounds of trying to say good-bye to everyone before I take off. Jonathon and I had lunch with Kristen and my step-mom this afternoon along will Jill who is going with me. We came home and spent the afternoon taking care of all the business items that needed attention before we both leave. Jami stopped by, my aunts Jessie and aunt Evonia have both called, and JOnathon and I walked over to chat with Heather and Craig before he had to hit the road.
Now he is gone for the week. We've been separated for seven weeks twice before since we've been together but for some reason today was harder to say good-bye. I know I'm traveling farther away but people do it all the time....everyday. I'm not sure why but I'm so much more emotional this time.
I miss him already....
I'm going to spend the rest of the evening trying to get everything I need into my two suitcases...I'm just two pounds over now and I have to make decisions about what I really need vs. what I just really want to take. Jami has a dessert waiting for me so I'll pop over and have a bite. Then it will be time to go to bed and get ready for the take off tomorrow. I would appreciate any prayers for safety tomorrow if you have the time.
Now he is gone for the week. We've been separated for seven weeks twice before since we've been together but for some reason today was harder to say good-bye. I know I'm traveling farther away but people do it all the time....everyday. I'm not sure why but I'm so much more emotional this time.
I miss him already....
I'm going to spend the rest of the evening trying to get everything I need into my two suitcases...I'm just two pounds over now and I have to make decisions about what I really need vs. what I just really want to take. Jami has a dessert waiting for me so I'll pop over and have a bite. Then it will be time to go to bed and get ready for the take off tomorrow. I would appreciate any prayers for safety tomorrow if you have the time.
Productive Saturday...
Jonathon had Guard duties yesterday so he woke me up around six to say goodbye. I rolled over slept in until eight. That may not sound like a huge deal but it felt awesome! My friend Jesse came to take me to breakfast with Aimee and Amy. They were all getting together last night for a trip to the drive-in but I had decided not to make any plans since Jonathon wouldn't be home until late and I still needed to pack. The breakfast at IHOP was so yummy!! I had a great time.
I spent the entire day packing a little then running to either Meijer or Walmart to pick up things I thought I had or forgot about. The trick here is to get everything I'm taking to donate and all of my personal items for six weeks in two 50lb. suitcases. At one point last night one suitcase was 10lbs. over and one was 2lbs. over. I had to decide what really didn't need to go....that was hard! I have medicine cups, syringes (without needles), backpacks, school supplies, socks, underwear, eyeglasses, rubber gloves, kitchen towels, and some other things. Our church collects items to send but the things I listed were specifically mentioned as needs for right now. Oh..I wanted to mention that I didn't pay for all that stuff myself I have had financial support from friends and church members to buy supplies so thanks to all of you who have contributed to this project!! Our goal is to get as much as we can in the states because everything is more expensive there. I'll be taking more of the contributed funds with me to purchase items needed over there as well.
I did take a break from the packing madness to attend a graduation party and catch up with my friend, Jen. It was a nice visit and a chance for us to catch up.
Jonathon got home around 7:30 and we spent the evening hanging out and laughing. I love him so much. He makes me laugh with all of his witty comments. We had dinner at Outback...thanks to Hannah and Kari James for my teacher gift card!! It was delicious. I don't eat there very often and I was reminded that we need to go back again and again.
It was a wonderful day to get things done and an even better evening with my hubby. Things are coming together and I'm feeling almost no stress now. Praise God!
I spent the entire day packing a little then running to either Meijer or Walmart to pick up things I thought I had or forgot about. The trick here is to get everything I'm taking to donate and all of my personal items for six weeks in two 50lb. suitcases. At one point last night one suitcase was 10lbs. over and one was 2lbs. over. I had to decide what really didn't need to go....that was hard! I have medicine cups, syringes (without needles), backpacks, school supplies, socks, underwear, eyeglasses, rubber gloves, kitchen towels, and some other things. Our church collects items to send but the things I listed were specifically mentioned as needs for right now. Oh..I wanted to mention that I didn't pay for all that stuff myself I have had financial support from friends and church members to buy supplies so thanks to all of you who have contributed to this project!! Our goal is to get as much as we can in the states because everything is more expensive there. I'll be taking more of the contributed funds with me to purchase items needed over there as well.
I did take a break from the packing madness to attend a graduation party and catch up with my friend, Jen. It was a nice visit and a chance for us to catch up.
Jonathon got home around 7:30 and we spent the evening hanging out and laughing. I love him so much. He makes me laugh with all of his witty comments. We had dinner at Outback...thanks to Hannah and Kari James for my teacher gift card!! It was delicious. I don't eat there very often and I was reminded that we need to go back again and again.
It was a wonderful day to get things done and an even better evening with my hubby. Things are coming together and I'm feeling almost no stress now. Praise God!
Friday, June 5, 2009
I Made It Through...
The insanity of the past two weeks hasn't left much time for blogging. Know this....it was crazy out there and I pulled through it! The school year is sealed...lots of mixed emotions because my class was AWESOME this year and I will miss them so much...Now it's on to getting myself ready to fly out on Monday morning.
I spent the day gathering my cash for the trip and purchasing needed items for the orphanage. Today I packed a suitcase full of medicine cups, needleless syringes, kids' underwear/socks, school supplies, and eye glasses. The only problem now is that my suitcase is 10lbs over the limit. I have another suitcase to pack with my clothes and personal items so I'll have to do some shifting of stuff to get both bags in under the weight limit. It's hard to pack for 6 weeks!
Jonathon surprised me by coming on Wednesday night. His boss let him work from home on Thursday so we could add an extra evening together before I leave. I just love spending time with him and we have had so much fun the last couple nights just hanging out. I think we are soaking in every minute of it since we know we'll be separated for a while.
I do have an added prayer request this week...Kristen was diagnosed with diabetes this week. We knew it was coming....It's a genetic curse the doctors warned her about years ago. There are tons of medical milestones they've made in the past decade but it's still weighs on our hearts knowing that mom's health problems revolved around her diabetes. Please say some prayers that she will be able to combine meds and a healthier lifestyle to keep it balanced. She needs the support. It's so hard!
Okay, I have to get back to packing...I'm so last minute.....
I spent the day gathering my cash for the trip and purchasing needed items for the orphanage. Today I packed a suitcase full of medicine cups, needleless syringes, kids' underwear/socks, school supplies, and eye glasses. The only problem now is that my suitcase is 10lbs over the limit. I have another suitcase to pack with my clothes and personal items so I'll have to do some shifting of stuff to get both bags in under the weight limit. It's hard to pack for 6 weeks!
Jonathon surprised me by coming on Wednesday night. His boss let him work from home on Thursday so we could add an extra evening together before I leave. I just love spending time with him and we have had so much fun the last couple nights just hanging out. I think we are soaking in every minute of it since we know we'll be separated for a while.
I do have an added prayer request this week...Kristen was diagnosed with diabetes this week. We knew it was coming....It's a genetic curse the doctors warned her about years ago. There are tons of medical milestones they've made in the past decade but it's still weighs on our hearts knowing that mom's health problems revolved around her diabetes. Please say some prayers that she will be able to combine meds and a healthier lifestyle to keep it balanced. She needs the support. It's so hard!
Okay, I have to get back to packing...I'm so last minute.....
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