Do you know how hard it is to become friends with someone who doesn't speak the same language as you? Trust me, it's difficult! Now I'm not saying I don't have any malawian friends, because I do: there's Tina, Enala, Liaka, Gofiyas. They may all be in 1st grade but they still count as friends...right? I'd say they do, but how about some my own age?

Do they count as friends?

Lately, I've been praying to God that he would give me confidence to talk to the teens in our village. I actually do talk to them, just not how I talk to my azungu (white) friends. When we are passing, I will say "Wawa!" or "Muli bwanji!" If they have a question I will answer. If I like something that they did, I will tell them. But then nothing happens after that. We just smile at each other, and walk away. 

However, I have suddenly been feeling random bursts of boldness when I am around the teens. I admit I don't always grasp the opportunities that God gives me, but I am really trying. Which is why I am so thrilled that I have become "friends" with a group of teenagers all from the same family. I will write about them in in my next blog.

My more mature friends

From Chickens to Jesus!?!?

     As Joel, Abby, Chloe, and I were making our way back home from a walk through the village, we noticed how incredibly beautiful the clouds were. It was about 5 o'clock, and the glorious orange sun was shining through the clouds, making the sky look like heaven. Joel and Abby observed how the clouds were perfectly placed, like someone had cut them out and hung them there. Then they realized, "Hey! It's God who put them there!"

     As we were meandering down the path, we noticed that one of the clouds looked just like a chicken. We all laughed because, really, how many clouds look like chickens? Just as we looked away, Joel yells, "It's Jesus!" This grabbed our attention. I quickly looked up, expecting to see Jesus advancing towards us on the path. He wasn't there, but as I looked up, I saw him! Jesus was in the clouds! It was a detailed image, like a Michelangelo painting come to life. The sun was a spotlight illuminating his glory.The glow of it brought me peace. Looking back on it now, it's completely crazy that we first saw a chicken, and then Jesus. That's the way it is here in Africa; everything's a surprise.

Sadly, we did not have a camera with us, but here is an example of how beautiful the clouds are in Malawi. 

5 Hours for 15 Minutes

     As we've had Baby Mada now for six months, we sometimes wonder if his family has lost interest in him. Does his Aunt Mary ever miss this once-starving child, or is it such a relief to have one less mouth to feed? Has his sister Matale wondered how he's doing, or is Mada one less sibling to worry about? In the beginning, these questions would pop into our minds constantly. But as time went on, Mom, Dad, and I were always reassured that the Saizi family would never forget this little blessing. At least once a month, Aunt Mary and Abambo Saizi could always be spotted trudging up the long dirt road, carrying at least one or two children. Some may have only come out of guilt to check on a child, to make the people think that they still care about their kid. But honestly, I don't believe that a single family in Malawi would walk five hours on a dirt road, up hill, all the way from Chapananga Village to Hope Village just for a fifteen minute visit. These visits are not urged by guilt, but by love.

Cousin Gracie 

 Twin brother Jospeh

 Sister Matale holding Mada and Cousin Gracie 

Matale giving cuddles to Mada

 We had the kids over for a weekend at our house :) (Gracie on the left, Matale on the right)

 Dad playing with Baby Mada

 Gracie and Matale love to smile!

 Mada feeding himself :)

 Matale trying my dads glasses :P

 Mada eating a cookie

 Brother Thomas, 3 years old

 Brother Chamamza, 7 years old

 Brothers sitting next to each other...a big difference!

 Me and the boys <3

 Giving cuddles to Thomas

 The kids doing a dance for us :)

 Family picture!

Mada and Chamanza

Chikhwawa District Hospital

Every Wednesday night, we tag along with Abusa (Pastor) Ganizani to his ministry at Chickhwawa District Hospital. I really enjoy this weekly ministry because it’s one time a week I know I am making a difference. For two short hours, we get to show God’s love, bring smiles to faces, make the sick dance, and make a light a little brighter where it’s been oh-so-dark. Just how dark is Chikhwawa Hospital? Let me describe it for you.

When you first walk in the main entrance, you see the central nurse and doctors station.  This is just a cement counter with piles of cluttered papers here and there threatening to bury the staff under its weight. One of the many problems at Chikhwawa Hospital is a lack of help. There are only two nurses and one doctor on duty. How are they able to take care of the 100+ patients, you ask?  Well, every patient must bring a companion (wife, husband, grandparent, friend, sister, brother, etc) whose role it is to take care of them. They must cook for them, bathe them, make them comfortable, and tend to their every need.

The hospital is divided into seven wards: Men’s Ward, Men’s Surgical, Women’s Ward, Pregnant Ladies, Nursery, Children and Tuberculosis Ward. Come along with, and I’ll show you a few of the wards first-hand. Of course I don’t have any pictures, so I will try to paint them with my words.

Men’s Surgical Ward

When I first visited the Men’s Surgical Ward, I was really scared to enter  because, honestly, I didn’t know what to expect. Maybe huge wounds and cut-off limbs? Men just out of surgery? Blood? But there isn’t any of that. The worst I’ve seen are metal bars through legs. They attach a weight to the leg to make sure the bones grow properly. One time while we were there, there was this old, skinny man lying in his bed who caught my eye. While we were singing worship songs, he kept moving towards the edge of his bed.  He couldn’t sit up, but I just felt like he wanted to stand and praise the Lord. And just as the song was getting to the most joyful part, he stood up! He was weak and wobbly, and all of us feared he would fall with every step he took. His struggling steps turned into a joyful dance while Abusa Ganizani played his guitar. As we left that ward, the man’s wife pushed her way through the crowded corridor and tugged at Ganizani’s arm. “My husband hasn’t walked in weeks!” What a miracle! God is truly amazing.

Pregnant Women’s Ward

My favorite part of the night is the Pregnant Women’s Ward. We visit them in a little dark courtyard where they spend most of their labor time. From afar, I see them relaxed and lounging on the ground (well, I’m not sure how relaxed they are in labor, but they seem calm enough). But once they spot us with Ganizani and his guitar, they come alive and pop up like a whack-a-mole. They are ready to dance! Ganizani strums a special song just for them that gets them clapping, spinning, and best of all…bouncing up and down! These ladies are nine months pregnant and they are jumping, singing, clapping, and dancing! Nothing can stop them from praising the Lord…and hopefully giving birth soon.

Children’s Ward

Last but not least, we wind our way through a maze of pathways outside until we end up at the Children’s Ward. This room is bigger than any of the other wards, but definitely NOT big enough to sleep 100 children. Sometimes when there is an overload, they are forced to sleep on the ground. The ages in here range anywhere from newborn to 12 years old. I love going into this ward because no matter what condition the child is in, it’s easy and fun to get them to smile. Recently, I stood next to a newborn baby hooked up to oxygen. He was just lying on the bed, lifeless. I wanted to cuddle the baby so he could feel God’s love and know that everything was going to be O.K. That was a picture I will never forget. That same night, a small child, maybe 2 or 3 years old, was lying on his back. Both feet were wrapped and lifted up to a metal bar where his legs just hung straight up and down. I didn’t understand it. My dad explained that this style of treatment was  something you would see in the 1950's or earlier. Possibly even Civil War era.

Some people think our weekly visit is a blessing for the patients at Chikhwawa District Hospital. But for me, it’s just the opposite. When I am there, I feel God’s presence. When I get home, I realize the blessing was a gift for me. Something about the patients and their families impact me. In every ward, they are dealing with AIDS, malaria, T.B., burns, broken bodies, and always death. Really, they have no reason for joy. But when I see them light up to sing, dance, pray, and smile, I am forever changed. Their joyfulness and hopefulness are lessons that I carry with me every day. 

Blog #8: The van der Hams

This past week, my new close friends--the 4 van der Ham girls--stayed with me from Sunday to Sunday. It was like a sleepover for a whole week. Their father, who runs the local Crown Ministry project, was out of town and their mom had not been feeling well for a few weeks. So to help out, we said “come on over!”  So, she and the girls piled into their car with overnight bags and schoolbooks and drove the “long” 10 minutes to our house. They exploded joy and excitement into the house as they bounced in!  If you can’t tell, I enjoyed their company very much!

First of all, I don’t think I have properly introduced these friends. They are a South African family of six and luckily live just 1 or 2 kilometers down the road from us. The parents are Johann and Retha, and their four children: Suzaan-16, Annelee-13, Limbi-11, Amy-8. They are a loving family, always singing worship songs, dancing, playing games, and are just so much fun to be around.

All of the girls slept in the “bunk room” (a spare bedroom with bunk beds) and I joined them to sleep with them one night J. Their mother was in the room across from them. While they were here, I got Retha sucked into The Hunger Games!  She finished all three books in a week. That’s totally understandable, because how are you supposed to set them down?

The girls and I had fun doing home school together each morning and playing LOTS of card games at night. They taught me new games, like “speed”, “smack the jack”, and “blowfish”. They also showed me how to play games that the Malawians play, such as “champion”, “netball” and more!  Best of all, the girls all know how to speak Chichewa, so we could venture outside the property walls and get to know the Malawian children who live in the neighborhood.

I loved being with the van der Hams for such a long time because it gave us quality time to teach each other new things. It’s fun to be with people from different parts of the world so you can learn how others live, not just how we do.

Amy on her B-day

Chomping on sugar cane

Momma and daughter (Retha and Amy)

Me and Suzaan enjoying our ice creams!

Enjoying the view on out property wall

Being...us

Friends <3

Blog #7: Up, Up, and Away

After the Thoylo hike, we headed back to the Huntingdon House to set up mist nets for the birding experience. A mist net catches birds so you can “investigate” them. Once it was set up, we caught about 3 birds right away! And guess what?! I got to hold one of them! Holding a wild bird was like cradling a fragile piece of glass so it wouldn’t shatter. I held a sun bird which looked like a hummingbird. But sadly, I quickly lost my grip on it and it flew away …up, up and away!

Last but not least, we went on a mid-afternoon hike through the coffee fields!  Since we had Farmhouse Coffee in Fallbrook, I’ve always been curious about coffee beans, and how they grow.  I was excited to snap a green berry from the bush and pop it in my mouth. It didn’t taste like coffee yet because it wasn’t ripe. Personally, I didn’t like it too much, but my Dad thought they tasted like green peppers…? Well, everyone has his or her opinion 

I think my favorite part about today was getting to hold the bird and…oh ya! I forgot to mention that we saw monkeys in the trees during our hike! That was also my fave part J … once again, getting up close and personal to Gods creation! 

Getting to help set up the nets

I was so happy!

A stunning little guy

Coffee fields!

Getting ready to try one

Blog #6: Tea, Coffee, Bananas and Biting Ants

We just got home from “Birding” at Satemwa Tea Estates on Thoylo Mountain. The view was absolutely breathtaking as we looked down into the valley that bordered Mozambique! But before I jump in the middle of the day, I will start from the VERY beginning.

My mom, dad, Sally and I woke up at 5:00am to catch a mini bus (a taxi that is a van, with 3 rows of bench seats that can probably sit 9 people behind the driver, but they squeeze in about 15). To tell you the truth, we didn’t know for sure if there would be a bus at this time in the morning, but needed to take the chance. We had reservations for this event at Setemwa Tea Estate that was a 45-minute drive from our home, but we had no gas in the car! The entire country has had another fuel shortage, and once again, we were stranded with an empty gas tank. But thankfully, God provided … in the way of a mini bus.

As the bus pulled up, there was obviously no room for us, so we told the driver to go on and we’d wait for the next one. But a Malawian being a Malawian, couldn’t give up the chance of having 4 Azungus (white people) in their taxi. And you know what he did? He kicked 2 other Malawians off the bus!!!!!! Just for us! I wish I could have painted my skin right then and there so we wouldn’t have been treated differently.

I digress! Anyways, the mini bus dropped us at the bottom of the road to Satemwa. Our only problem was, it was about a 4-mile walk to the Huntingdon House! As we started to make our way up the long dirt road, a truck turned onto the road and was coming our way.  My Dad waved them down, and they gladly gave us a ride up to Satemwa, because they were going there tooJ. And I am so glad they did, because it would have taken us many hours to get up there!

Once we arrive, they served us a “da-lish” breakfast – tea sandwiches on homemade bread, sweet fresh juicy fruit, steamy oatmeal, and coffee and tea that came right from their estate.  Before long, it was time for us to leave for a hike up Thoylo Mountain. I only wish they could have told us we would be hiking and not “strolling” as we thought,  because none of us had on the right clothes. The funniest part of the hike was getting ants into our socks, up our legs and then… in our pants! Literally!  And they weren’t just crawling up there either, but biting! OUCHIE!

On our way to the top of Thoylo, we trampled through a thick grove of banana plants! It was interesting to see how they grow and the structure of the fruit and plant. Did you know there are banana male and female parts?

The tea fields that lined the mountain looked like a shag carpet neatly vacuumed! They were manicured rows of neon green blinding me with their beauty. It was definitely the most beautiful sight.

Our long journey up to Satemwa

The delicious lunch Huntingdon served us :)

Making our way through the banana fields

Male...and female

It went on forever and ever

A sea of tea leaves