Parting Ponderings.... and HOMECOMING!

How is it possible that three months has passed by so quickly? It probably sounds odd to you, but I feel as if I have been here in Africa for “forever” and the “blink of an eye” all at the same time! I feel so at home here, almost as if my work in Malawi is just beginning. Yet at the same time, I know that God has lots in store for me back home across the globe. For instance, I have the honour of standing up for one of my beautiful friends who is about to be married this coming May. I also have a school year to prepare for... my future second-graders deserve all the energy and creativity I can give them! And the excitement doesn't end there... Another special friend's wedding awaits me in July... and I have the honour of being the Master of Ceremonies. Yes, these spring and summer seasons promise to be busy ones!

And so it is that I find myself boarding the airplane, (no, make that FOUR airplanes) for my trip home. The funny thing is, though the Bulkley Valley will always be the “forever home” in my heart, God is teaching me the secret of learning to be at home in many places... and Malawi is just one of those special places! I leave behind friends and two very special families here, and I pray that the friendships I have made will not end in good-bye. I am leaving babies whose cries I know as well as their names, nannies who laugh with me and share their wisdom, and kids whose faces and voices will stay embedded in my heart for a very long time...

Can you tell that my heart is a little bit torn? Just a little bit of my heart wishes that three months had not flown by so fast, but another huge part is excited for home... How I miss my Mom's hugs and her homemade raspberry jam, my Dad's prayers, the sight of my sister Kim's car headlights heading up the driveway as she comes to visit, and of course, Marissa's dramatic stories and last minute editing requests! I miss fresh flowers in a vase on the kitchen table, freshly brewed coffee shared with my parents in the morning... especially when I get to enjoy it served in my pottery mug in my pyjamas! I miss my kitchen... the smell of something chocolately baking in the oven, or freshly made "from scratch" pancakes with honey and peanut butter... but now I am starting to get hungry... how about you? :) If you are in the area, pop in for a visit when I get home... I would love to brew you some coffee (or tea, now that I am truly Malawian!) and serve you a piece of whatever is coming out of the oven. Hundreds of pictures are waiting to be seen, and I can't wait to share a few stories! So, for the final time, blessings and greetings from Africa... though a little bit of Africa is coming home with me... I hope that my family recognizes the "African me" at the airport.... !! Blessings, and thanks to all of you, 

Laura

Painfully and Beautifully Broken

My heart has been painfully and beautifully broken. Of the 2 million orphans that live in Malawi, I got to play with, sing with, laugh with, and hold only a handful of them. Of all the children suffering from hunger and hopelessness, I got to serve a simple meal to only a few of them. Of all the people suffering from pain, illness, disease, and sorrow, I got to meet merely a few, greet a few of them with a smile and my broken Chichewa, and speak a few words of hope. That's all. That's it. That's the whole of it. And that is why I say that my soft heart has been painfully broken...

But in the midst of a time like this, as I think about packing my suitcases, and ponder my time spent here in Malawi, I was reminded of a story that I was told early on in my time here. It's a common story, and many of you may have heard it before. But humour me, because I need to tell it! The story is told of a young man walking along a beautiful sandy beach, leaving footprints in his wake behind him. As he walked along, he was grieved and broken-hearted by the sight of millions of brightly coloured starfish that were scattered along the shoreline. Leaning down on one knee and taking the time to look more closely, he realized that as the tide was going out, and the water receding back to the ocean, the starfish left behind on the shore were dying. With passion and an admirable frenzy, be began picking them up one-by-one and tossing them back into the salty water, and while doing so praying life back into them. With a thoughtful and curious gaze, an old man approached this hardworking soul, and touched him on the arm, saying, “Son, what are you doing? Why are you wasting your energy on these starfish? Surely you can't save them all! You can't really think that this is making a difference!?!” Grinning, with sweat dripping down his face but a twinkle in his eye, the young man looked closely at this old man and tossing one more starfish in the ocean said, “But it made a difference to that one!” 

And so I tell you again that my heart has been painfully but beautifully broken. Because even though I have lived in a country with hundreds of thousands of orphans, even though I have seen what it means for people in a village to be hungry, for people to wonder where God resides in such hardship, I have also seen the difference that HOPE can make. I have seen the difference that an organization can make for that one child, that one parent, that one family. Take for example the story of Thokozani. Thoko (as he was nicknamed for ease), came to the Ministry of Hope Crisis Nursery in Lilongwe from a local hospital with his mother who was suffering from mental illness. By the time Thoko arrived, he was very sick, wasting away from severe diarrhea and lack of a nutritious diet.

Admitted at ten months old weighing less than 4 kilograms, the staff at Ministry of Hope worked and prayed day and night to save his life, and God answered their prayers in phenomenal ways. He is now is a healthy and energetic boy who can often be found with a twinkle in his eye... as he is usually up to some kind of mischief! Believe me, it is amazing how within such a small period of time, a small child like this wormed his way into my heart, and me into his! It is all too fitting that his name, "Thokozani," means "Give Thanks," because that is what I have done each and every time I hold him in my arms...

And so I suppose you still might ask if any of this work makes a difference... By God's grace, Ministry of Hope has helped to save dozens of children like Thokozani... but there are hundreds of thousands more who will never receive their compassionate care. I have observed Feeding Programs where over 500 children are fed nsima and beans in a day... but there are millions more who go to sleep each night with bellies that ache with hunger. I have seen the marvelous work of Mobile Medical Clinics, of caring people who bring medicine and assistance to hundreds of people in a single day... but there are thousands more who will never see the healing hand of a doctor, nurse, or volunteer. But at the end of the day, I can tell you only one thing for sure... and that is the truth that HOPE has made a difference for the 500 children who did get to eat, for the hundreds of people who were treated with God's grace and good medical care, and of course, I can tell you for certain, beyond a shadow of doubt, that a big dose of love has made all the difference in the world...
                    ...for this precious child, Thokozani...
 

 Blessings to you all the way from Africa, and from Heaven above this Easter weekend... may you be filled with HOPE, and may you be blessed to be a blessing!

Serving Food, Sharing Love, Spreading Joy: A Small Part in a BIG miracle!

Have you ever wondered just how much food it takes to feed over five hundred little people? I lost count of the number of plates that we dished up yesterday, but it was certainly an extraordinary number! Yesterday I had the privilege of travelling to Ministry of Hope's Feeding Centre in Mponela with a group of nine US nursing students. What we saw there would overwhelm the very bravest of us... there are few words to describe the exuberant welcome that awaited us when more than 500 children raised their voices in excitement!

And it is no wonder that the kids were excited... the Director of the Feeding Centre explained to us that some of the children walk 12-15 KILOMETRES to get to the feeding centre! I don't know about you, but I can't remember how long it has been since I have walked 12-15 kilometres to get to anywhere, let alone doing so every day simply to eat a meal! 

But for a lot of these children, there is nothing “simple” about this meal... the nsima and beans may be the only meal they eat that day. They walk all the way to school, and then walk over to the feeding centre for lunch, after which they make their long journey home. Many are orphans, and others come from incredibly poor and starving families. However, there is nothing impoverished about these children when it comes to their JOY! 

Before serving their meal, we had a chance to teach them a Bible story, sing them some songs, and introduce ourselves (see if you can spot me at the front of the room... not so easy!!) ... In case you are wondering, I have taken on a new identity... After having people stutter over the name “Laura” over and over again, and finally get excited and say, “Oh, yes, you must mean Flora!” I have realized that a name change might be in order. So, Flora it is! Such a small step of grace (one little letter of the alphabet) that goes a long ways in making me (and those introducing me) feel at home! However, remind me to respond when the Customs Officer calls me Laura when looking at my passport on my trip home!! :) 

But that was a long tangent from my original question... SO... just how much food does it take to perform what I would call the “small miracle” of feeding this many Malawian children? Let me show you the pots of nsima and the pot of beans, and then the smiles of the children who got to enjoy them. It was such a blessing, to be a part of such a blessing in Jesus' Name!

The Wild, the Wacky, and the Wonderful! There is a first time for everything....

Hello, hello, hello, dear friends and family! I hope that I haven't kept you waiting too long for this new post... all I can say is that I have been keeping VERY busy learning and experiencing lots of new things. Allow me to share just a few of my favourite "firsts" here in the last couple of weeks... 

I got to try sugar cane for the very first time... tasty, definitely a treat for the sweet tooth in me, but would I choose it over chocolate? Probably not!

I caught a crab! Well, it was more like a joined effort, but still very exciting! This little friend was crawling just below my ankles... which goes a long way in explaining the sheer shock on my face! 

 

 

 

I got to "officially" teach here in Malawi! This is a Standard 2 class (equivalent to Grade 2 in Canada) at an International School here in Lilongwe. It was so cool to hear where all of these students came from... Zimbabwe, Zambia, America, Botswana, Scotland, the UK, and all over the world! After being put on the spot to teach, I got asked almost every question you could imagine... Have you been to a Justin Bieber concert? Are you married? Do you have laws about throwing snow at people? And my favourite: Could I please maybe touch your hair?

I rode a Coach bus in Malawi all by myself for the very first time! As you can tell by the photo, no bus in Malawi is ever full... there is always room for more people! Or room for a chicken, as I found out when a lady bought a LIVING chicken on the trip and placed it in her lap for the ride. Could things have gotten any more exciting? Yep! When the chicken escaped from her lap!!...

I went snorkelling for the very first time in my life here in Lake Malawi! (For those of you who know about my swimming abilities, you will definitely realize how close this borders on the miraculous!) After several unsuccessful attempts that resulted in pools of water in my goggles, near panic attacks under water, and slippery sliding on the rocks in the water, I turned out to be pretty okay at this! And the result was definitely worth the effort... All sorts of PHENOMENAL fish of many colours awaited me beneath the surface! WOW!

Of course, for those of you who know me very well, this should require NO explanation at all... Laura eating a banana, really?!? Definitely close to the miraculous!!

And of course, another "first" in the food department... since you all know how much I LOVE food! On my recent weekend trip, I got to try something new for the very first time... TERMITES! Actually, I don't quite remember if they are officially called "flying ants" or "termites," but you get the picture! Since I have vowed to eat anything offered to me here in Malawi, I gave this delicacy a try... let's call them interesting! My host declared me the bravest mzungu (white person) that he has ever met! I will certainly take that as a compliment!

My last "first" to share happened during my time spent shadowing a Clinical Officer at the Daeyang Luke Hospital here in Lilongwe, where I got to watch a baby be born by emergency C-section... I can now tell you from personal experience that there is nothing else in the world like that first cry to bring tears to a person's eyes! I think it is appropriate to say that that tiny baby's first cry is my favourite first of all!

 

Where There is No Hospital...

Yesterday I had the phenomenal opportunity to be a part of one of Ministry of Hope's Mobile Medical Clinics. What this means is that a team of volunteers and medical practitioners (Clinicians, lab technicians, and doctors from Lilongwe) take a big bus to a rural community that would otherwise have no access to a hospital, dentist, doctor, or medical care. On this particular trip, we departed early in the morning on a big bus and drove until we reached Khwamba, a village where we were able to see 604 patients during the course of the day! These people were treated for all sorts of medical issues including malaria, muscle skeletal pains, infections, sepsis, worms, and more.

What I found out is that where there is no hospital... 

...pastors, teachers, students, and anyone can become a pharmacist for the day...

...people will walk for hours to receive FREE care and medication...

...ordinary people make an extraordinary TEAM...

...but for the kids, perhaps the most fun and exciting part of all may not have been the medication, but the STICKERS!!!

Until next time, blessings to you all from my heart to yours!

Beyond Blessed...

Have you ever come to that point in your life when you realize that you are BEYOND blessed? This is more than just feeling happy or satisfied or content; it is joy that overflows in your very heart. I have been feeling this way for awhile, but just now can put my finger on a couple of reasons that I am feeling this way.

I have been blessed with a wonderful Malawian family whose members are patiently teaching me Chichewa (just a few words and syllables at a time... Despite being a teacher, I have discovered that I am a very slow language learner!) My family is fantastic! I share tea time with them, meals, jokes, laughter, and a home.

I have also been embraced by an American family living here in Malawi for the next couple of years. Mark and Melanie and their amazing kids have taken me under my wing... and may have even spoiled me with pizza and ice cream! This past weekend, they (and their two wonderful friends Beth and Katherine visiting from the United States) took me along on their family's safari! There, I was overwhelmed by the creativity of God, who made a plethora of phenomenal animals... monkeys, impalas, warthogs, hippos by the dozens, beautiful birds, crocodiles, and more! And even though we had been informed at the safari's beginning that we may not see any elephants, we ended up seeing a huge herd, and even an elephant stomping his feet only 15 feet away! Wow!

 

 

 

I have been blessed in so many ways... meeting new people and making new friends, a visit from a Canadian friend this weekend for a welcome touch of home, trying new foods, and gaining new insights and wisdom from those God has put in my path. Truly I can say that "my cup runneth over!" May you find reasons today to say and to feel that you are "beyond blessed!" 

This is a place...

Greetings dear friends and family! I can hardly believe that it has been over three weeks since I said good-bye to all of you in Canada and was welcomed to Malawi! It seems that during each week here I have lived what feels like a lifetime. The colours, sounds, smells, tastes and experiences of Africa are hard to put into simple words... perhaps that is why a very wise person noted that a picture is worth a thousand words! With this wisdom in mind, allow me to share just a small taste of my everyday life here in the warm heart of Africa...
    Obviously, this is not everything there is to the beautiful continent of Africa... it is simply a glimpse of the Africa that I have so far experienced...

    This is a place that is filled with the sounds of people, strong smells, bright colours, and busyness! It is a place where at the market, bartering is the norm, and sellers compete to have you purchase their produce...

  This is a place where transportation is a game of discovering just how many people can get from one place to another in the smallest amount of space... (Note that all of the safety transportation precautions we cling to so dearly in Canada are far from heeded here!!)

 This is a place where your food may or may not be staring at you as you eat it...

 This is a place where in rural areas, children run after the car and scream “azungu” (white person) as you drive by... though whether it is from excitement or sheer terror I may never know... Sorry for the fuzzy picture; I just couldn't resist sharing it!

This is a place where children are resourceful at having so much fun with so little stuff!

This is a place where in the midst of poverty... at a time when the harvest is not yet ready, and resources and food are in short supply, a community prepares a feast to honour us as their guests. I am told that when a community kills a chicken to prepare for your arrival, you are welcomed indeed! (Just in case you were wondering, this is a place where we eat food like this with our hands!)

    This is a place where I have been welcomed in extraordinary ways... This is a place that even in the midst of great poverty there is profound hope. This is a place where joy abounds. And yes, this is a place that I have come to love!