In Africa there is always room for one more

Something we notice very early on in our trip is that there is ALWAYS room for one more.  In Malawi there is always time for someone, there is always room for someone.  Mini-buses are actually like Volkswagen Vans, used as public transportation.  Designed to seat 7 or 8 comfortably, these vans are often packed with 12 or 15 people, their suitcases, brooms, firewood, chickens, etc....And they will gladly stop to pick up one more person.  We have not ventured into a mini-bus.  I wonder if Steve would even fit.  But you get the idea, there is always room for one more. 

We drive around in our van, all comfortably buckled in with ample wiggle room, even if the kids don't think so.  We've been asked for rides by police officers, nannies at the crisis nursery, and complete strangers.  We are pretty stingy with our "rides".  When the nannies ask for a ride we are happy to help out, but only as our space allows.  I am beginning to feel torn between safety and the idea "there is always room for one more." 

Yesterday as we left the nursery a nanny hollered from the window for a ride.  I said sure, not knowing where she was going or who was coming with her.  I had all the kids in the back seat double buckled so we would have plenty of room for "one more."  Steve told her we only had room for one.  So there she and Jen sat, just the two of them in the middle row.  Room for at least one more, but in Africa probably two or three.

Sunday worship in the camp is another example of "room for one more."  Benches and chairs are crammed together with just enough room to walk pass, but not really to have sit without your knees in someone else's back.  This week at St. Stephen's Catholic Church we were allowed to sit in the benches in the back.  This was a rare treat, and most appreciated.  All the other weeks we have been ushered right to the front, where everyone can watch us.

We sat down a couple of minutes before the service began.  Steve, Charlie and I in one bench; Jen, Casey and Jessie in the next; and Jack by himself in the next.  Every time there was break in the "action" more people would spill into the church from every door.  They would carefully look for any sliver of wood on a bench and then claim it as their seat.  By the end of the service Jessie was on my lap, Jen and Casey were sharing their bench with a mother and her two children, and Jack was swished between 3 ladies.  (These benches are maybe 4 feet long, and between 4 and 6 inches wide.)

I think we enjoyed this service more than the others for a couple of reasons.  The kids liked it because it wasn't as loud, and it was only 2 1/2 hours long instead of 4 hours.  I liked it because the people worshiped in pure joy.  Their faces shined with joy.  They danced and sang unto the Lord, not in a showy way like we have seen at other churches.  These brothers and sisters were worshiping the Lord.

Jen has been working with the youth pastor at St. Stephen's helping him with a letter exchange program.  The school aged children of the church work together to write letters in English, and send them to a school in the UK.  Sunday following the service we met with some of the students for a letter exchange activity.  We played Simon Says to practice simple English commands.  They also played their favorite game, Sword Drills. Three teams were formed, a passage was given, and a member from each team raced to see who could find it first and read it in English.  Our kids participated, and were even eager to help.  They have been shy and reluctant in past activities like this.  It was great to see them interacting with kids more comfortably.

Anyways....I am hoping when we return home we will take with us the idea that there is always time for conversation, and there is always room for one more.

Casey leading a round of Simon Says

       Jack, Casey and Charlie with Francis, the youth minister at St. Stephen's Catholic Church

ABC campus

African Bible College also has a Primary and Secondary School on their campus, as well as a very nice medical clinic.  While the kids played on the playground I took some pictures of their beautiful campus. The pictures below are of the primary school buildings.

Building update

Steve received word this morning that the villages have come to an agreement and that building will be able to resume.  We now need to wait for the District Commissioner to give an official document.  Hopefully we will have proper documentation in hand today or Monday, but we are planning for it to more likely be the end of next week.  Steve is really itching to get back to work.  It would be great to have things rolling again before Dad gets here next Saturday.

This week Steve was invited to play volleyball at African Bible College (ABC).   ABC has a prison ministry and they organized a game between students and youth inmates.  Steve played for an hour or so while the kids and I played on the playground.

Safari

Last Thursday we set out from Lilongwe with Kiboko Safari Company and headed to Zambia for a 3 night 4 day safari.  Thursday was a day of travel and getting familiar with the camp.  Our campsite was right on the Luangwa River.  We could see hippos and plenty of beautiful birds right out our front door.  Monkeys and Baboons ran freely through the camp as well.  Our accommodations were tents with cots.  Each tent slept two people, but Jake and Jen were each willing to bunk with one of the kids. 

Thank you Auntie Jen for sharing your tent with Jessie.

Thursday night, just after going to bed a huge bull elephant wandered right into our camp.  It choose to snack on the tree right behind Jen and Jessie's tent.  Even with all the noise Jessie slept right through the visit.  Jen on the other hand was a bit worried the elephant was going to sit on the tent as he kept backing up.  He was literally close enough for Jen to reach out and touch if she wanted to.  The elephants stopped in every night.  Wow!  And who knew how loud hippos were.  Every night they would "bark" and "howl"  all night long. (Camping at Cran Hill has nothing on this experience, sorry guys :)  hope you're having fun though)

Friday morning's wake up call came at 5 am.  Breakfast at 5:30 as the sun rose.  Our first game drive started at 6 am.  Right away, before we even make it to the park we were greeted with giraffes.  We saw so many beautiful animals.  Impalas, Kudo, Kuku, Bushbuck, Zebra, Crocodiles, a Leopard, Vultures on a giraffe kill, and a pair of Lions.  Our first game drive was a total success!

 

 

We had the afternoon to relax and gear up for our first evening game drive.  After tea and coffee at 3:30 we loaded up in the Land Rover and got ready to see more.  We enjoyed a beautiful sunset on the river.  While we stopped for a snack we watched a group of fishermen get ready for a night of fishing.  Gondwe, our guide, told us that the river is teeming with crocodiles and that if you fell in and lasted 10 minutes that would be quite something.  So Steve and I decided kayaking was probably out of the question.  We were really hoping that we would see more lions and spot our first hyena once the sun set, but our night drive was less fruitful than our morning.

Saturday morning was another early start.  More amazing and wonderful animals, but no lions.  We were hot on the trail of another leopard, but never got an eye on him.  The kids all enjoyed taking turns riding shotgun.

 

Our last game drive was probably the best.  We were able to see a huge Baobab tree.  These are my most favorite trees in the world, simply amazing.  If you look really closely you'll see Steve standing in the lower left hand corner.  We also saw two 3 leopards, hundreds of Cape Buffalo, and a couple of Hyenas. 

Seeing all of these animals so closely was beyond amazing.  Truly God is a creative, loving and awesome God!

 

But for me, the best part of the entire safari was the people.  We set our from Lilongwe with 7 other tourists.  Carolyn is from Maryland, and artist by trade and a fellow Christian.  Ella and Thomas were from Norway, and very kind.  The MacFarland family is from New Zeeland.  Mr. and Mrs. MacFarland are grandparents.  They have 2 adopted twin daughters who are married with children and living in the states.  The MacFarlands lived in Malawi for several years, and while they were here they adopted Moses and Miriam, now 6 years old, from the Crisis Nursery. 

 

The staff of Kiboko were also very special people.  They treated us like family, answered all of our questions and looked after the kids.  Geertje, a 27 year old art therapist from the Netherlands, is working at Kiboko as the camp manager.  She took the job in June, and is the only European working in the camp.  I really enjoyed talking with her. Her life has been difficult, but her attitude is positive.  She is  thoughtful and caring.  Friday afternoon she took the time to paint the kids faces.  Saturday afternoon Geertje and Carolyn were painting and drawing wildlife, but both women welcomed our watchful eyes.  They both shared their "real" supplies with the kids without hesitation.

 

Throughout our entire stay here in Malawi, meeting the people, sharing life stories; This has been my most favorite experience of all. 

3 Things That Wouldn't Happen In West Michigan

1.So the house has 4 door bell type buttons placed in various spots which are actually emergency buttons. There are pickup trucks driving around Lilongwe with SWAT team guys on the back that respond to pushed buttons. Saturday we attended a youth conference in the camp. By lunch the kids were ready to go home. April and the Torngas stayed, and I took them home. After we returned home I heard a knock on the gate. I didn't think much of it, because it is usually somebody looking for work. Then I heard the gate slide open and saw these emergency guys all coming on the property. The first thing I did was ask the kids if anyone had pushed one of those buttons. Jack said, "yah I did. What are those things there for anyway?" I told him to step outside and find out. I must admit my heart was beating a little faster than normal when I stepped outside, but the guys were very gracious and accepted my apologies. We all laughed a little bit and they were on there way.

2.On my way to the camp today there were police officers stationed very systematically along M1, the main road through Malawi. Police officers in Malawi don't have patrol cars. They just stand along the road, and when they want you to pull over, they step out in front of you and hold up their hand. Today there were a lot more than usual out. I was just on the outskirts of town when an officer motioned for me to pull over. When I did, he greeted me with a good morning and a smile and asked where I was going. I told him I was going to Dowa, the town just past the camp. He told me that was perfect because he needed a ride to the Dowa turn off. What was I supposed to do? I had the boys with me, but I didn't want to mess with an officer. I turns out that the president was traveling that route this morning, and he needed to man his post at the turn off but had no way of getting there. As we talked during our ride, I couldn't help but chuckle inside at what I was actually doing. When I dropped him off, he said he enjoyed our conversation and wanted my cell phone number so we could chat more later. I told him thanks, but I would just look for him along the road. He laughed, we shook hands, and he was on his way.

3.We arrived at the job site today, and I realized right away that we needed bags of cement which were stored in a room at the camp about a half mile away. The boys, some workers, and myself grabbed some wheelbarrows and went to grab some. On the way back we met some Malawian soldiers who were at a check point on the road. They were curious about the project, so I explained it to them. They wished us a good day, hopped on the back of a pickup already full of people with their road cones, and were off. On the way home, we went through the new check point they had set up. They of course recognized us, and before I knew it, we spent the next 5 minutes chatting about the project, our families, and where we lived. Again we shook hands and were on our way.

These were 3 abnormal meetings, but as I sit here and reflect on them, these are the things and the people we are here to see and interact with. It was a joy to have met all of these guys.

Youth Confrence

Saturday we were able to tag along with the youth from Capital City Baptist Church in Lilongwe as they spent the day with the youth in Dzaleka.  It was a full day of performances by youth from both Lilongwe and Dzaleka;  Singing, dancing, drama and games. 

Lunch was also provided - Mandazi (basically a deep fried dinner roll) and coke.  Mandazi has to be Steve's favorite Malawian snack.  He buys some every time he's in the camp.

Steve and the kids went home following lunch, and the rest of us stayed to participate in the teaching and group discussions. 

Jake taught a hard hitting lesson about being totally obedient to God in all areas of our lives.

During small group discussions may of the refugee youth expressed how difficult it is to be totally obedient because of their poverty.  They feel their deep, and often desperate physical needs sometimes compromise their obedience to God.  Many of the girls talked about prostitution as their only real option to support themselves.  How do you even begin to wrap your mind around that?  Especially as you see so many young girls in the camp.

I couldn't help but think how my wealth also gets in the way of my total obedience to God.  In my wealth I have become prideful, and self-reliant.  I always want more.  I am never satisfied with what I have once I see what someone else has.  Because of my wealth  there is nothing I need that I do not have.  I don't "need" God for anything. 

Perhaps that is why Jesus taught us to pray, "give us our daily bread".  Father forgive my pride and self-reliance, my half-hearted obedience. 

Building and Land update

On our way home from the CBO visit we stopped by the land to see what progress is being made on the new There is Hope building.  It was lunch time so it was a good time to snap a couple of pictures.  The trenches are being dug for the foundation and the beacons have been placed on the four corners of the property.  As I write, Steve is out at the site today helping to dig the foundation and the toilets.  This work is all being done by hand, no fancy cranes and backhoes here.  Steve was so excited to go to "work", he's had enough of the office and is ready to get back to being a builder.

                                                             There is Hope Beacon

                                            Pastor George and Jessie inspecting the trench

                                               One of the workers taking a lunch break

                                         Wheelbarrows make great lunchtime lounge chairs

CBO visit

Tuesday we loaded up the van and headed out pass Dzaleka Refugee Camp to one of the local Malawian villages.  This was the first of our many planned CBO (community based organization) visits.  The CBOs are early childhood centers for children ages 3-6 years of age.  It serves as a preschool and daycare center for the children.  Funding for these CBO is very difficult to get because the CBO must be certified by the government and certification means a 2 or 3 week training, everyday in a city very far from the villages and there is a fee per day to attend.  On top of the heavy cost to be certified the funding they could receive was severely cut this year.

There is Hope is stepping up to partner with 4 CBOs surrounding Dzaleka.  The CBO we visited Tuesday serves 5 surrounding villages.  I don't know just how many kids they have on a daily basis, but the small classroom they have isn't big enough to park an SUV inside.  It is made of mud and has a grass roof.  There is Hope has challenged the villages to make bricks and build a new classroom for the children.  When they have completed the building There is Hope is going to purchase the metal sheets for the roof.  This will be a huge improvement and a blessing to the village and the children.

While we were visiting we played Duck, Duck, Goose (Baca, Baca, Kanga) and taught them the English version of Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes (they already knew the song in Chichewa).  It was a good way for them to learn a little English. The kids already knew the word "head", now they know shoulders, knees, toes, eyes, ears, mouth and nose.  They also sang us a few songs and danced for us.  We would have loved to talk and interact with the kids more, but they were a bit shy and language was a big barrier.  I wish I could speak Chichewa and Swahili.  Pastor George was with us and he translated for us.  THANK YOU PASTOR GEORGE!  I wish we could have 10 Pastor Georges!

Driving into the CBO we noticed a woman getting water from a small watering hole surrounded by trash.  We also notice how far the water pump was from the preschool.  Pastor George talked with the teachers and told them we would bring them some of the bucket water filters that Jack's class purchased this spring.  They are very excited to get the filters for their school.  Thank you Ms. Uthe's class.  We'll post pictures when we are able to deliver the filters.

                                       The students of the CBO and some of their teachers.

                                  The current classroom is the small building on the far right.

                                              "Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes."

Villagers making bricks for the new classroom.

                                                 Mountains surrounding the village.

Malawi Independence Day

Monday was the Malawi Independence Day and we celebrated by heading to Lake Malawi.  It was beautiful and a bit breezy.  The kids really enjoyed jumping in the waves and playing in the sand.  Just like being at lake Michigan, only the view included mountains. We ate lunch at the beach as well and were able to watch monkeys play in the trees and look for leftovers around the tables.  Monkeys are a lot cuter than sea gulls! Here are a couple of pictures to give you an idea of how beautiful the lake is.