Ok, so I am not leaving for Mzimba quite yet, but in a couple of hours. So I have more time on the internet...what? I am pathetically attached to the internet you say? Yes, I might agree with that. Instead of helping me to get over my pathetic attachment I am afraid this trip might make me more pathetically attached when I get home, which may be impossible...but there is still time to get over this. Besides it is approximately 5am in the States so no one is really up...
So church yesterday... I went with my host family, the Lumunga's (I finally found out their last name) to their church which is an Assembly of God church. I have never been to this kind of church so it was a different experience for me altogether. There were two sermons or messages, separated by music, some of which I could understand, most of not. The messages were done in both Engish and Chichewa. The translator served I would say as a second pastor, and though he was speaking in Chichewa, I got the sense that he was adding to what the other pastor was saying and that is was more of a partnership than just a repetition of what the other was saying, which I thought was neat. The first message was about the journey of Paul as he was teaching in one of the cities and then stoned to death by some of his opposition (Acts 14:19). Instead of leaving that city after he was healed, Paul returned to the same city. Ok, if people stoned you and left you for dead, would you return to that city and try and talk to them some more? Or if people said hateful things towards you, physically fought you almost to death, would you go back and try and help them to be saved? umm...probably not, that wouldn't be smart, right? But, to extend this a bit further, are you (me) going to stay in your comfort zone and do what is easy? Or would you step out, challenge yourself, and do God's work for those who really need it, where you can make the most difference, even if it is the most challenging work ever? That is what I am asking myself, should I stay in my comfort zone, which I would rather do, or maybe pursue something that would be completely out of my comfort zone. I am talking mostly about after graduation, which is scarily close...
The second message was titled "From Zero to Hero" and was about living in default or by design and the power of prayer. It was based on this man in the bible who was named as someone who lived or was born into sorrow, he prayed and was relieved of his sorrow by God. In short, we can change our lives and decide not to live life by default, going along mindlessly, but to live by design, making powerful decisions and praying for God to be active in our lives... no one has to be a zero, everyone can be a hero, it is a choice.
Ok, now for the part of the service that was a bit out of my comfort zone...speaking of those. I don't know if this is a part of all Assembly of God churches and I don't mean to offend anyone, but the part of the service where people go up and pray and the elders lay their hands on them, and then some people fall over and lay on the floor in prayer...is hard for me to take, and makes me a little uncomfortable. It's just not in my faith practice and I tend to look for an escape route whenever I see this on tv or elsewhere. It was difficult for me to see it up close and I think this is one of the questions I face when thinking about my own faith and I don't really have defined position on it. There wasn't really a purpose to this paragraph, besides just to put it out there...
After the service, I enjoyed meeting everyone (not every one - that would be 300 people) and then going home and relaxing for the rest of the day.
I posted pictures on facebook, for some reason they wouldn't load on here because of the connection. :(
Monday, May 25, 2009
The Market and Blackouts
Today (Saturday, May 23, 2009) my supervisor took me into Lilongwe to the old section of town. There I bought some cloth and walked around a little. The market was fun, very crammed with people and shops selling various items, from cloth, to accessories, to house wares. There was hardly any room for two people to pass in the alley ways and the smell in the air was a mix of a fish market and a wet dog, if you would like to imagine that, except for the fruit section which didn’t smell that bad. Picture a bunch of small shacks lined up side by side with wall-to-wall items for sale. A lot of thieves and beggars are in the city, some with an illness and some who look no different than anybody else. But it was good for me to see, and I don’t think I’ve seen anything quite parallel in the US, or at least up close.
Later in the evening when I got back, there was a blackout, meaning all the electricity went out in the city. Blackouts are common in Malawi and usually last for a couple hours, though the last few we’ve had here haven’t been that long. But it’s not that bad, I have a flashlight that has come in handy, and it just reminds me of when the power goes out at my house during a storm.
We have nzima a lot, I think it is getting harder for me to eat because we have it one or two times everyday for lunch and dinner. In Mzimba I will be staying at a guest house that serves as a retreat house and missions house, so I am looking forward to the new environment and maybe having a bit more independence. I have loved staying with my host family, but there is something to be said for having your own room. They are used to having people from all over coming to stay at the guest house, so maybe the menu will be a bit more varied. Also hoping to be able to do laundry, as I haven’t done any yet...
Later in the evening when I got back, there was a blackout, meaning all the electricity went out in the city. Blackouts are common in Malawi and usually last for a couple hours, though the last few we’ve had here haven’t been that long. But it’s not that bad, I have a flashlight that has come in handy, and it just reminds me of when the power goes out at my house during a storm.
We have nzima a lot, I think it is getting harder for me to eat because we have it one or two times everyday for lunch and dinner. In Mzimba I will be staying at a guest house that serves as a retreat house and missions house, so I am looking forward to the new environment and maybe having a bit more independence. I have loved staying with my host family, but there is something to be said for having your own room. They are used to having people from all over coming to stay at the guest house, so maybe the menu will be a bit more varied. Also hoping to be able to do laundry, as I haven’t done any yet...
Friday, May 22, 2009
Malawi Presidential Inauguration!!
Today the Malawi president was sworn in!! It is a day that has been long awaited with much anticipation by the Malawi people. The swearing in ceremony took place right before lunch so every one was coming in and watching, commenting on the what was going on. Lunch was very lively, needless to say, everyone was discussing and reacting to the president's speech and what he said or promised. This is the president's (Bingu) second term, each term in Malawi is 5 years. So the first part of his speech was about what had been accomplished in his last term. He said that Malawi was not a poor country because of its increasing economic growth, that it has been making fast progress. Bingu praised Malawi for its practice of democracy and said that it should continue to be a symbol of the country. He mentioned the treatment of HIV/AIDS, the importance of education in socioeconomic development, and emphasized the need for food security and self sufficiency. and all that interesting stuff that i am sure you all want to know about... The remarks were met with both enthusiasm and some skepticism but it was fun to hear everyone debate and have good conversation. : )
My last day with full internet access for a while!! I am leaving for Embangweni, Mzimba on Monday and they don't really have internet, or it doesn't work, rather. So today besides watching the inauguration I have basically just been on the computer soaking up what I can of life with internet. I supposed I could be doing something productive like school work that I need to do for the fall....but noooo, who in their right mind would choose that over doing nothing? Later. When I am realllly bored and have no internet.
Random: the currency here is called kwacha, right now the exchange rate is $1 = 178 kwacha
To greet people here you say "muli bwanji" which is how are you? and respond "ndili bwino" meaning I am fine. I remember the response because it sounds like the Spanish word for good, bueno, I think. And then you say "kaya inu" which is basically asking how are you back to the person who first did the asking. So practice, ready?
Me: Muli bwanji
You: Ndili bwino, kaya inu?
Me: Bwino, thank you
People speak a mix of Chichewa and English here as English is the business language and Chichewa is the conversational and national language. But in Mzimba they speak a completely different language called Tumbuka (I think). I don't know any words in Tumbuka at all...sooo maybe I'll learn! Later friends!
My last day with full internet access for a while!! I am leaving for Embangweni, Mzimba on Monday and they don't really have internet, or it doesn't work, rather. So today besides watching the inauguration I have basically just been on the computer soaking up what I can of life with internet. I supposed I could be doing something productive like school work that I need to do for the fall....but noooo, who in their right mind would choose that over doing nothing? Later. When I am realllly bored and have no internet.
Random: the currency here is called kwacha, right now the exchange rate is $1 = 178 kwacha
To greet people here you say "muli bwanji" which is how are you? and respond "ndili bwino" meaning I am fine. I remember the response because it sounds like the Spanish word for good, bueno, I think. And then you say "kaya inu" which is basically asking how are you back to the person who first did the asking. So practice, ready?
Me: Muli bwanji
You: Ndili bwino, kaya inu?
Me: Bwino, thank you
People speak a mix of Chichewa and English here as English is the business language and Chichewa is the conversational and national language. But in Mzimba they speak a completely different language called Tumbuka (I think). I don't know any words in Tumbuka at all...sooo maybe I'll learn! Later friends!
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Wednesday, May 20th
Yesterday was voting day in Malawi. Everyone was off work and school, so while the adults went to vote, I was at home with Freda, Jeremy, and Michael, just hanging out and relaxing. The anticipation and excitement about voting and the election in Malawi is great. Everyone was very excited to vote and sees it as very important in the future of their country. They are also very proud to vote. The prayer is that as the results are released there is no violence, that the winners can accept the results with humility, and that the losers can accept the results with tolerance and grace. The prayer is to avoid the violence that has been in seen in Kenya and other African countries, that Malawi will remain a peaceful country. So if you pray, pray for peace in Malawi during this time, and that the leader elected will do well for the Malawi people :)
In the afternoon, we took a walk around the area, through a couple of neighborhoods. The area I am staying in Lilongwe seems pretty nice, though I would not want to be out after dark, because as in any city, it is not the most safe. All houses here are surrounded by a wall, and all of the gardens look very well maintained, lots of flowers and bushes, as one would see in any nice US neighborhood. While we (Freda and I) walked, two women approached and shook hands. They apparently asked (they asked in Chichewa) if I was married or looking for a husband... not married yet, and probably not while I am in Malawi...
Last night for dinner we had spaghetti :) They asked my favorite food and prepared spaghetti after I listed it, which was extremely nice of them. My host family has been so kind, going out of their way to be hospitable, for which I am very thankful.
This morning (Wednesday) to start off at WR, we had bible study. After singing, they went around the circle of staff and shared about voting yesterday. It was fun hearing the different stories. Some people got up at 4am to get to the que (sp?) before the crowd came. Some people waited as long as 3 hours in line to vote, others it took only 15 minutes, depending on when and what voting station you went to. They vote by dipping their fingers in ink and then choose their presidential candidate as well as a member for parliament, so today many people have slightly stained fingers. They said that they were happy that so many people voted, the huge turnout was a surprise, and for many it was their first time voting, even if they had been able to before. The atmosphere here during the election time feels a lot like it did in the US last fall, with people voting who had never voted before and being excited about the future of their country. The choices are between the incumbent president and the opposition, which as seven candidates. The term for presidency is 5 years in Malawi, and I think the general feeling is that the incumbent president will win, but there is no way of knowing until the results come out in a couple of days.
Still no internet in the office; my wireless connection isn’t working for some reason. If you have noticed, I am writing most of these posts at an earlier date, and then posting them as soon as I have access. Right now, I am using my supervisor's ethernet cord, meaning she has no internet while I am using it :(
I am excited to get started in Mzimba. At times I am not sure whether I have the experience or the ability to work successfully and do well for World Relief, but now I feel equipped and ready to work, even if I may not be as prepared as if I was an education major. Nothing has changed except for my outlook. My hesitation has left, which is not to say it won’t come back, but that attitude and one’s perspective about any activity or objective plays a major role in one’s future success and ability to accomplish any action.
In the afternoon, we took a walk around the area, through a couple of neighborhoods. The area I am staying in Lilongwe seems pretty nice, though I would not want to be out after dark, because as in any city, it is not the most safe. All houses here are surrounded by a wall, and all of the gardens look very well maintained, lots of flowers and bushes, as one would see in any nice US neighborhood. While we (Freda and I) walked, two women approached and shook hands. They apparently asked (they asked in Chichewa) if I was married or looking for a husband... not married yet, and probably not while I am in Malawi...
Last night for dinner we had spaghetti :) They asked my favorite food and prepared spaghetti after I listed it, which was extremely nice of them. My host family has been so kind, going out of their way to be hospitable, for which I am very thankful.
This morning (Wednesday) to start off at WR, we had bible study. After singing, they went around the circle of staff and shared about voting yesterday. It was fun hearing the different stories. Some people got up at 4am to get to the que (sp?) before the crowd came. Some people waited as long as 3 hours in line to vote, others it took only 15 minutes, depending on when and what voting station you went to. They vote by dipping their fingers in ink and then choose their presidential candidate as well as a member for parliament, so today many people have slightly stained fingers. They said that they were happy that so many people voted, the huge turnout was a surprise, and for many it was their first time voting, even if they had been able to before. The atmosphere here during the election time feels a lot like it did in the US last fall, with people voting who had never voted before and being excited about the future of their country. The choices are between the incumbent president and the opposition, which as seven candidates. The term for presidency is 5 years in Malawi, and I think the general feeling is that the incumbent president will win, but there is no way of knowing until the results come out in a couple of days.
Still no internet in the office; my wireless connection isn’t working for some reason. If you have noticed, I am writing most of these posts at an earlier date, and then posting them as soon as I have access. Right now, I am using my supervisor's ethernet cord, meaning she has no internet while I am using it :(
I am excited to get started in Mzimba. At times I am not sure whether I have the experience or the ability to work successfully and do well for World Relief, but now I feel equipped and ready to work, even if I may not be as prepared as if I was an education major. Nothing has changed except for my outlook. My hesitation has left, which is not to say it won’t come back, but that attitude and one’s perspective about any activity or objective plays a major role in one’s future success and ability to accomplish any action.
Tuesday, May 19th
Host Family
While I am in Lilongwe, I am staying with a host family. There are 3 children – Freda, Jeremy, and Michael. Freda is 18 and we share a room. We get along well The younger two are 11 and 7 and are very nice, they like to play video games a lot. One of the games is Harry Potter, which I don’t think I’m all that bad at actually. It has been good so far. Everyone is really nice and they have gone out of their way to make my stay comfortable. For dinner last night, we had nzima, the staple food of Malawi. It is a mixture of corn flour, and is sort of like a thick kind of grits, but in a consistency that you can pick it up with your hands. It’s not bad, a little dry by itself, but ok when eaten with a sauce or other foods. Last night it was chicken. So far so good on the food front, haven’t gotten a stomachache, and I am hoping that I haven’t eaten or drank anything so far that will make me sick. We drink a lot of tea here which makes me happy The view out the back yard is wonderful, it’s a field with a lot of grasses and corn stalks. Jane, who works at WR, does a lot of gardening, so the landscaping here is beautiful.
Before going to bed, the family has a bible study in their living room led by the dad. The passage that we studied last night was Acts 11, followed by Acts 12. The chapters were about the apostle Peter and his visit to people who were unclean. When his actions were questioned by other believers, he answered that God had told him that he was not to call anything impure that God had made clean (Acts 11:9), meaning who are we to question or judge God’s creation or our fellow human beings? If God has given others the same gift that He has given us, how could we oppose Him and treat them differently? It speaks to me in that I know I need a constant reminder not to judge others, no matter how easy it might be to do so, and that we are all the children of God, no matter where we are in our lives, and what we do. It is only our job to love one another with a full heart and let God judge who has been good and bad. Acts chapter 3 tells of Peter’s arrest and then his rescue from prison by an angel of the Lord. As the dad described, God will always be with us, no matter where we are, and He will provide. In order to live, we need to depend on Him and live through Him, or else we will not have what we need to help others and be fulfilled in our lives. When Peter was in prison, he was being guarded by two soldiers and was chained to the wall. The angel woke him, his chains were broken, and the angel led him out of prison. It also said that Peter really had no idea what the angel was doing was actually happening to him, that the angel was actually freeing him from prison; he thought it was a dream. I think that many times, we do not know what the Lord is doing in our lives. We cannot see that what He is doing is real, that He is leading us through life in His way. For me, I think that going to Africa and working with WR has been a kind of a dream. When first thinking about going to Africa, I did not see it is as a reality or as a place where God was leading me. Though I do not know how God will use my trip to Malawi in the future, I know that He has led me here now. So that is where I am. Here, in Malawi, Africa.
While I am in Lilongwe, I am staying with a host family. There are 3 children – Freda, Jeremy, and Michael. Freda is 18 and we share a room. We get along well The younger two are 11 and 7 and are very nice, they like to play video games a lot. One of the games is Harry Potter, which I don’t think I’m all that bad at actually. It has been good so far. Everyone is really nice and they have gone out of their way to make my stay comfortable. For dinner last night, we had nzima, the staple food of Malawi. It is a mixture of corn flour, and is sort of like a thick kind of grits, but in a consistency that you can pick it up with your hands. It’s not bad, a little dry by itself, but ok when eaten with a sauce or other foods. Last night it was chicken. So far so good on the food front, haven’t gotten a stomachache, and I am hoping that I haven’t eaten or drank anything so far that will make me sick. We drink a lot of tea here which makes me happy The view out the back yard is wonderful, it’s a field with a lot of grasses and corn stalks. Jane, who works at WR, does a lot of gardening, so the landscaping here is beautiful.
Before going to bed, the family has a bible study in their living room led by the dad. The passage that we studied last night was Acts 11, followed by Acts 12. The chapters were about the apostle Peter and his visit to people who were unclean. When his actions were questioned by other believers, he answered that God had told him that he was not to call anything impure that God had made clean (Acts 11:9), meaning who are we to question or judge God’s creation or our fellow human beings? If God has given others the same gift that He has given us, how could we oppose Him and treat them differently? It speaks to me in that I know I need a constant reminder not to judge others, no matter how easy it might be to do so, and that we are all the children of God, no matter where we are in our lives, and what we do. It is only our job to love one another with a full heart and let God judge who has been good and bad. Acts chapter 3 tells of Peter’s arrest and then his rescue from prison by an angel of the Lord. As the dad described, God will always be with us, no matter where we are, and He will provide. In order to live, we need to depend on Him and live through Him, or else we will not have what we need to help others and be fulfilled in our lives. When Peter was in prison, he was being guarded by two soldiers and was chained to the wall. The angel woke him, his chains were broken, and the angel led him out of prison. It also said that Peter really had no idea what the angel was doing was actually happening to him, that the angel was actually freeing him from prison; he thought it was a dream. I think that many times, we do not know what the Lord is doing in our lives. We cannot see that what He is doing is real, that He is leading us through life in His way. For me, I think that going to Africa and working with WR has been a kind of a dream. When first thinking about going to Africa, I did not see it is as a reality or as a place where God was leading me. Though I do not know how God will use my trip to Malawi in the future, I know that He has led me here now. So that is where I am. Here, in Malawi, Africa.
Monday, May 18th
Yay, I made it to Malawi! No more falling off buses or anything like that. I am at the World Relief offices in Lilongwe, hanging out and doing my best without the internet (I wrote this blog ahead of time on 5/18). My suitcase is heavier than I thought it would it be; which I found out when my supervisor was trying to carry it for me. Note #1 – pack lighter suitcases in case someone offers to carry it for you. I can see it being a pain in the next couple weeks, but oh well. Everyone at the office seems pretty nice and friendly, though the language barrier makes it a bit harder to fit right in. But hopefully as I get to know more people at the office and am around more often, it will be easier.
On another note – this week is election week in Malawi, tomorrow is voting day! I will probably be in Lilongwe for the next week so I will be around to find out the results and such. It will be interesting to see how the city reacts. Deborah (my supervisor) says it is much different than the US in that the celebration is louder, or at least no matter where you are, you will be able to hear it. She compared it to when Malawi wins a soccer match against an opponent, and that really made me want to go watch a soccer game...sigh.
But so far, so good! I need to work on taking pictures and stop caring about looking like a tourist, which is probably unavoidable since I am obviously not from Malawi. I have two more months, so I am hoping that is enough time to stock up and use up all the memory on my camera and my computer
On another note – this week is election week in Malawi, tomorrow is voting day! I will probably be in Lilongwe for the next week so I will be around to find out the results and such. It will be interesting to see how the city reacts. Deborah (my supervisor) says it is much different than the US in that the celebration is louder, or at least no matter where you are, you will be able to hear it. She compared it to when Malawi wins a soccer match against an opponent, and that really made me want to go watch a soccer game...sigh.
But so far, so good! I need to work on taking pictures and stop caring about looking like a tourist, which is probably unavoidable since I am obviously not from Malawi. I have two more months, so I am hoping that is enough time to stock up and use up all the memory on my camera and my computer
Sunday, May 17th
So, the first thing I did in Ethiopia? Besides getting off the plane, walking through the airport, yadda yadda....
I fell off a bus.
Yes, I fell flat on my face while I was stepping off the bus to go to the hotel where I am staying the night.
The good news? I am at the hotel and safe.
The bad news? Just about the whole staff and all my fellow travelers saw me trip over myself, and I don't think I had a very graceful recovery...but oh well. Embarrassing moment #1 in a foreign country over with. But the plane went fine, no problemo. Tomorrow morning I will leave for Malawi and it will be a much shorter flight, about 3 hours versus the 15 of today.
Driving through the city tonight was interesting, maybe a little spooky. It was pretty late, about 10pm, so it was almost completely dark except for the lights in the shops or street stands that were still on. Looking into the shops was almost like looking into a still-life scene as we drove by, with a few people still out and about. I'll see it again tomorrow in the daylight driving to the airport, but it's different driving through than it would be to actually walk around. I'm looking forward to spending more time in Malawi and getting to know some of the people there and more of the area. :)
Sleep tonight and Malawi tomorrow! Later friends!
I fell off a bus.
Yes, I fell flat on my face while I was stepping off the bus to go to the hotel where I am staying the night.
The good news? I am at the hotel and safe.
The bad news? Just about the whole staff and all my fellow travelers saw me trip over myself, and I don't think I had a very graceful recovery...but oh well. Embarrassing moment #1 in a foreign country over with. But the plane went fine, no problemo. Tomorrow morning I will leave for Malawi and it will be a much shorter flight, about 3 hours versus the 15 of today.
Driving through the city tonight was interesting, maybe a little spooky. It was pretty late, about 10pm, so it was almost completely dark except for the lights in the shops or street stands that were still on. Looking into the shops was almost like looking into a still-life scene as we drove by, with a few people still out and about. I'll see it again tomorrow in the daylight driving to the airport, but it's different driving through than it would be to actually walk around. I'm looking forward to spending more time in Malawi and getting to know some of the people there and more of the area. :)
Sleep tonight and Malawi tomorrow! Later friends!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Itinerary, etc.
So here it is...
I'll be leaving on Saturday (May 16th) from Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C. From Dulles I will be going to Ethiopa. I've never been there before! Or to any country in Africa for that matter.... I've never traveled outside of the country independently, so prayers that it all goes smoothly!
Back to the itinerary...I think there is a pit-stop in Rome...but I don't think I will get to experience much there...maybe just the airport.
The flight from Dulles to Ethiopia is about 15 hours all in all (wow!) Departure from Dulles is at 8pm so I am hoping to sleep for most of it... And then the next day, once I land in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, I will have an overnight lay-over on Sunday night, and then depart for Malawi on Monday morning, arriving in Lilongwe Monday early afternoon. So yes, I will be spending a night in Ethiopia, but a hotel is paid for and included in my fare, which makes my mind go a little easier. No worries, I will be safe, promise.
On another note...this is my first time really doing a blog, so hang in there if I don't get to it often or if it's not very exciting. I know the internet access in Malawi will be very limited, but I will try and keep you all updated as much as possible and post pictures, etc. :)
So, am I excited to be going? YES! So excited! I can't wait to get there and meet everyone and spend another summer working with World Relief. More on that later...now to finish packing...or start.
I'll be leaving on Saturday (May 16th) from Dulles Airport in Washington, D.C. From Dulles I will be going to Ethiopa. I've never been there before! Or to any country in Africa for that matter.... I've never traveled outside of the country independently, so prayers that it all goes smoothly!
Back to the itinerary...I think there is a pit-stop in Rome...but I don't think I will get to experience much there...maybe just the airport.
The flight from Dulles to Ethiopia is about 15 hours all in all (wow!) Departure from Dulles is at 8pm so I am hoping to sleep for most of it... And then the next day, once I land in Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia, I will have an overnight lay-over on Sunday night, and then depart for Malawi on Monday morning, arriving in Lilongwe Monday early afternoon. So yes, I will be spending a night in Ethiopia, but a hotel is paid for and included in my fare, which makes my mind go a little easier. No worries, I will be safe, promise.
On another note...this is my first time really doing a blog, so hang in there if I don't get to it often or if it's not very exciting. I know the internet access in Malawi will be very limited, but I will try and keep you all updated as much as possible and post pictures, etc. :)
So, am I excited to be going? YES! So excited! I can't wait to get there and meet everyone and spend another summer working with World Relief. More on that later...now to finish packing...or start.
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