Jonathon at Work...

I am in London, Ky this week hanging out at the hotel while Jonathon is at work each day. It's really nice to be away from any kind of work for me. I am working out in the hotel or at the local aerobics gym, watching TV, wasting time on the Internet, reading, and my favorite...taking naps!
It's awesome for me but Jonathon is busy at work each day. I got a message ten minutes before he arrived back at the base yesterday and I drove straight there to catch him landing. I've only seen him fly once before. Below you will see pictures of his approach. The last picture is what helps me sleep at night. After every single flight a team of mechanics inspects the helicopter inside and out. That mixed with knowing he is a great pilot helps me know that he is safe in the air each day.

Kiawah Island, Here We Come..

Jonathon and I are officially registered for the Kiawah Island Marathon in December. Originally we wanted to run the Chicago in October but we didn't register in time. I went on a search to find another marathon to be my first. I found the Kiawah Island Marathon.... http://www.kiawahresort.com/recreation/marathon/ I'm thinking the weather will be perfect that time of year in South Carolina.

The training calendar doesn't begin until the end of August so now I have a few weeks to get my body ready to train. For the past two years I just haven't had the motivation to get going but I am pumped and ready to go now. I spent an hour on the treadmill this morning running/walking. I'm so excited to be committed to it!

Happy to Be Home

It has been a wonderful week being back home. I spent most of the week catching up on appointments. If you know me well you know that I'm always going somewhere....dentist, orthodontist, chiropractor, etc. I'm a bit of a hypochondriac...but most of the time there is a real reason to go so I'm not crazy. :)

I did a really stupid thing while in Africa. I dropped my retainer in hot, boiling water and it shrank so I had to go get that fixed. My teeth are so mobile and they had already started shifting around. They are trying to salvage the old retainer so I don't have to buy a new one but I have to go back in a month to see if it worked.

I also switched dentists this week. I'm now going to my friend Lindsey's office. No, she's not the dentist. She's the hygienist and she did a great job. At first I thought I would feel weird having a friend clean my teeth....in case she thought I was super dirty or something....but it was actually comforting. I'm slightly cholosterphobic so having a friend all up in my mouth put me more at ease.

I got a new haircut this week and I love it. It doesn't look much different but she layered it a little differently...small, subtle change...but I like it.

I got to stop by Megan's in between appointments one day this week and got to see little Lincoln. He is a skinny little thing. I'm used to chubby babies in my family. :) He was just as cute as the pictures on their blog.

My church was having VBS this week and I'm usually involved somehow but this year I was out of town the whole time they were planning and putting things together so I didn't have a role. I volunteered to babysit my nephew, Connor, while Kristen took the girls each night. I loved this! He's the cutest little thing and we had so much fun each night. He's such a good baby. We visited with Jami and Cooper and went walking with Heather and Alex one night. It was fun to catch up with everyone while watching Connor.

Jonathon and I did share our date night with Jesse and BD to see a movie. We ran into the Kaelins at Qdoba so it was nice to catch up.

The rest of the week I did a whole lot of nothing.....which was really nice! Jonathon and I are headed out of town to London, KY. He's working there this summer and I don't want to be away from him for another week. I'll be hanging out at the hotel during the day while he's working then we'll get to hang out at night. I'm looking forward to it.

Doing What I'm Supposed to Do...

I have been touched and honored by comments made here on this blog as well as on my Facebook page but I have a sense of guilt about them. I want to share the experiences I had in Malawi to help others see what life is like there and because I had a wonderfully perspective altering time there. I give all praise to God for making it possible for my church to send another team there this year. I only went because I truly felt like that's what I'm supposed to do. Not everyone will get that tug on their heart but they'll get a tug to do something else. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it was easy for me to go. I don't feel a sense of sacrifice at all. It would have been hard NOT to go because it would have felt wrong. So it humbles me to receive such wonderful comments but please praise God, not me. :) Sometimes He gives us a task to do...I just said yes to it. That's all. Honor Him instead of me by saying yes to whatever it is you get the tug to do. :)

Malawi School Pics

I have tons of school pictures but it takes so much time to upload them!! Below are some highlights. You can see the conditions of the classrooms. The resources are so scarce. Usually there's just a chalkboard and some chalk. They did have more books this time but not close to having one book per student, per subject. They have had some books sent from the US and one of things we did was help organize them and make sense of them for the other school teachers. In a couple of the pictures below you'll see where we took the kids outside and let them have free reading time with some of the US books. They LOVED it!!

Medicine Clinic Pictures...

The most moving experiences in Malawi were during the medicine clinics. I have to tell you that not a single one of us was a doctor but we did have a nurse with us for the last session. We didn't give out powerful medicines...mostly mild antibiotics and cold/flu/cough stuff along with arthritis, open wounds, stomach acid issues and some eye infections as well. The patients would be sitting around when we would pull up to the building. The most we served in one day was about 500. These people wouldn't otherwise have been treated for their illnesses and it seemed good and right to be helping out with such an overwhelming task.

The times of the days were when you could visibly see a tumor or when they would complain of symptoms you knew were super serious. We would just tell them they must find a way to the hospital to seek attention. There are several government hospitals available for free but the care is not what you would expect here in the states.

If you are wondering what we are wearing....the ministry there is called Good Samaritan so they had skirt wraps and shirts made with green material with the Good Samaritan verse on it. We wore skirts and wraps most of the time while we were there. The Malawian culture is just beginning to open itself to women wearing pants. For a long time it has been promoted even by the government that pants for women was kind of scandalous. We saw a lot more women in the cities wearing pants this time than we saw two years ago. In the villages you see skirts and wraps though.

Back home again in Indiana...

I am home safe and sound. Jonathon picked me up at the airport this afternoon and I've never been happier to see his face. I love my hubby!

I'm going to post some pictures of the next week but I have to muddle through TONS of them. I may pick a different topic each day for the next few days and post similiar ones... Right now I'm exhausted and ready for bed.

Stay tuned...

:)

Almost home...

Hello Friends and Family! We are at the FUllford's this evening so that means access to the Internet. Our phone access home was short lived. The phone worked for a day and then nothing. Here's the update....

Last Saturday we had a lazy morning. It was nice to rest up! We took the afternoon to go to another orphanage nearby. Mr. and Mrs. Gentry are friends with the founder since they have worked in the same area for nearly ten years. The founder is an amazingly strong woman from South Africa and she is about to write a book about her life. I'm definitely going to put that book on my "to read" list. This orphanage was amazing. They get the orphans from babies and raise them. The facilities were outstanding and the school was just as colorful and friendly to walk through. They get funding from all over the world. It made me long for more support for the orphanage were we work. They do the best they can but resources just aren't not as readily available. The orphanage is Kondanani and there's supposed to be info about it on the web...but I'm waiting to get home to check it out.

On Sunday we took public transportation for the first time. We seriously see thirty people in those vans sometimes so we were a little nervous. It was actually a great experience. The music was playing and it was neat. The windshield had three stickers on it: "I love Allah," " I love God," and "I love Toyota." I found that pretty funny. :) We took the transportation because we wanted to visit a different church than where Mr. Gentry was going. This church was started by Wilson, the night guard at our house. It seemed like it would mean a lot for us to come so we wanted to make it happen. The service was so good and afterwards Wilson had lunch for us. There were bowls of nsima (the main food here...imagine hot cornmeal), boiled eggs, and relish. We tasted the nsima for the first time. We decided it was kind of like grits...no taste though. They eat a lot of it here because it fills them up very fast...but it has little to no nutritional value. It was a fun experience. When we headed home there was no transportation available so we walked the two and a half hours home. I was actually glad to get the excercise. We walked through many villages and got to see more of the life up close. Several babies and kids would wave at us and yell "Nzungu!!" That's "white person" in chichewa. It's a funny feeling to stand out so much here.

On Monday we had our last medicine clinic experience. We served around 500 people this time. It's amazing to see so many people in line to get help. Again there were several cases we had to tell to go to the hospital because there was nothing we could help with. These medical experiences are always tug on the heart.

On Tuesday we went to Mount Mulunje to climb to a waterfall. We did this two years ago when we were here and wanted to do it again. Mel wasn't feeling well and ended up staying home...even making a trip to the hospital. She was okay though. We missed her!! On the way to Mulunje we drove to the Mozambique border. We walked across the border and visited for ten minutes. We were excited to add another country to our passport but they wouldn't stamp it. I have pictures to prove I was there though! On the way to the mountain our truck broke down so we had to get a tow from a minibus. We called one of the Good Samaritan staff to come tow us home...but we still got to climb the mountain while we were waiting. It was a great day...even with the truck breaking down. We took Thandie (the director of the children's home) with us. She is by far one of the most amazing people in the world. She dedicates her life to being a mother to the 80 children at the home. We love her and we were so glad to have this day with her.

Wednesday was pretty emotional. It was our last church service here and we cried a lot with the realization that we were heading home soon. A couple of the kids gave testimonies thanking God for bringing us together. We cried a lot...did I already say that?

Thursday was our last day at the school. We said our good byes and had one last soccer game with the kids.

Today has been about spending time with all the missionaries here having a good time together on our last night and evening. We were hoping to take Norman to get his hand bike but we found out that it will not be ready until next week. Rackson assures us he will make sure it happens. He is even going to take a picture and send it back to us. :)

This has been another amazing experience and my life will not be the same. Thanks for all the supportive messages. I will be home Sunday afternoon. Please pray for safe flights. I will probably take a couple days to rest up and settle in at home before I surface but I'm so excited to see everyone again.

Week 5 Update

It may seem early for an update but I'm so excited because we now have Internet at the house where we are staying!! The phone lines here were stolen and now that the Gentry family has returned to Malawi they had the lines fixed. We just figured out tonight that the Internet connection would work. Yay! It's EXTREMELY slow though. By the way I just reread my last update and please forgive any and all typos on these updates. The connection is so slow that it's just not worth the time to edit. :) So anyway.....

We had so much fun this week! We just finished a full week of teaching at the school during the day and playing football/soccer with the kids every afternoon. The first day we played with them we noticed they started calling themselves "Team Malawi" because it was about twelve little girls around the ages of 7-13 against the three teachers from USA. They stomped us each and every time. Let me tell you that they can play rough...without shoes...VERY rough. We have even recruited about four of the girls to play on our team and we still can't beat them. The boys and girls play separately here....not a lot of mingling on the playground....so we haven't attempted playing them in a game. Today we did pass the ball around with some of the boys though. After all of our testing sessions we took the classes out for a "PE" class until their time was up. So fun!

We were able to take Rackson, one of the pastor's and our driver, along with his family out to dinner on Thursday night as a thank you to them for helping us out so much. It was so sweet for them to tell us the story of how they met. He tried to woo her for nearly two years before she would agree to "go out" with him. (That's in American terms.) During the time, he spent the last six months writing a letter to her each and every day trying to persuade her. She finally said yes! Then it took another six months for him to impress her mom enough to approve. Talk about determination. You don't find that with the culture here very often. A lot of marriages are arranged or done for survival purposes. It was sweet to hear a story about a Malawian man trying to impress the woman of his affection. It made us love him even more! He is a very wonderful person and we have been blessed by our time with him.

We were able to go to the hospital today to visit the little girl who was burned. Rose is in a government hospital that is free. The hospital rooms remind me of scenes from old war movies where you have rows and rows of hospital beds sitting two feet apart. There were several children there. The hospital doesn't provide bedding or food so the families have to bring meals and and items for comfort to the patients. Rose is an orphan but her uncle happens to be on staff at the orphanage so her aunt is with her. It was hard to see her today but it's comforting to know that she is getting some pain relievers and she has an aunt to sit with her. Please keep her in your prayers.

I will be leaving a week from tomorrow to come back home. Our last week is full of many activities so I'm sure it will fly by. I've missed so much of what is going on back home and can't wait to catch up with everyone. I would like to congratulate my friends Todd and Lisa on the birth of their baby girl, Claire. She is beautiful!!

I would also like to brag on my husband a little. He earned is "PC" status this past week which means he has enough flight hours and knowledge to fly the helicopter alone without anyone else as a copilot. He has been flying solo all week long. I'm so proud of him!

Week Four Update...

I have the same feeling on this trip that I did on the last one. I thought God sent me here to do some good work, but in the end I really thing he sends me here to renew my faith and grow as a person. Having said that, here's what's been going on....

Last Monday-We took a man named Norman to get measured for a hand bike and hand/knee pads. He had polio when he was a child and lost the use of his legs. Every time we stop of the market he is sitting outside along with many other beggars asking for food. There has always been something different about him. Jill remembered him from out trip two years ago. He has a joy-filled face and is always so happy despite his life circumstances. Jill's idea was to find out if we can get him and hand bike to help him travel and we were right on board. You see many handicapped people here getting around by the use of their hands only. They wear flip flops on their hands and their knees are extremely callused due to dragging their legs along as they walk down the streets. It would truly break your heart. We hope to get to see the completed project. The bike is supposed to be ready for pick-up on Friday, July 17... the day before we leave.

Tuesday-Thursday- We taught at the school. Our typical day includes teaching 40-80 minute English lessons to six levels of learners. Just to give you and idea. I'm using LOTS of my Reading Recovery skills here along with Jill and Melanie to help students learn their letters and begin to read. We are hoping to pass along some of our strategies to the English teacher here. We think we are really helping them make a jump in their knowledge. ON Thursday we were late to school because one of the little girls was hurt badly. Here is my prayer request for this update: It has been unseasonably cold here. Remember that it is winter here but the average winter temp is usually still in the 60's. It has been in the 40's and 50's here and the native Malawians really even don't know how to stay warm. A little girl named Rose was trying to warm herself near a fire on the orphanage grounds. She decided to straddle it to warm her legs and her dress caught on fire. She has suffered third degree burns all over her legs. Please pray that she has a speedy recovery and for no infections. Health care here is not what it is in the states.

On Wednesday the founder of the mission here, Gardiner Gentry, arrived and he and his wife and nurse are now staying with us at our house. We are so happy to have them here. Not only do we feel safe and more secure but they are awesome company as well. they are truly an inspiration to leading this mission!

Friday-Saturday- We took a little vacation. We went to the Mvuu Camp about two hours away for a safari. It was AWESOME. We saw hippos, all kinds of different antelopes, wart hogs, baboons, all kinds of birds, elephants, and crocodiles. We were SO CLOSE to the crocks and elephants. Wow...can't wait to share pics when I get home. It was a nice break.

Sunday-A day full of church. Jill played the guitar while Mel sang O Holy Night for the morning service. It was beautiful! I wish I could have participated but people just don't really want to hear the IU Fight Song played on the clarinet here and that's really all I have to offer...

Monday- It was a holiday at the school. Malawi's Independence Day.....so we have spent the day at The Fullfords helping them with projects. I had a hot shower (GREAT) and now I'm checking me email. This weekly shower/email trip to their house is really a treat.

Okay, that's all for now. We are coming home in a little under two weeks and I'm happy/sad. I could stay here forever and help out if only my friends and family were here with me.

Love,
Karen