week 6

Sunday Mirte and I walked out to the Lintipe River. It was a nice walk—hot and sunny (even with sun block I got too much sun). Not too much extra staring or heckling (no one asked for money!!) when we got to the bridge we sat down and suddenly were surrounded by a group of kids. They kept their distance for a while but then kept getting closer and closer…they didn’t talk to us, just stood around. After a bit we got a little worried that they were going to continue getting closer until they pushed us off the bridge but of course they didn’t. It was good to get out and walk.
Jan and Trudi have been here for 4 years. Jan has been working on the renovations of the hospital and helping with the construction of Ebenezer. Trudi has been working with the long term patients—teaching them to embroider and making bags for them to sell as fundraising. Sunday afternoon was their farewell party. Lots of people invited and lots of people came. They got a band to play and had people bring different things to eat and drink. Cake, salad (potato, pasta), fruit, custard (james and I were asked for 4 liters of custard (pudding)! We made 3.), meat (beef, chicken, pork) coke and fanta, juice. It was a great party but sad too.
Went to 2 Sunday school teachers trainings this week. The first was between here and Lilongwe (not quite sure where). We arrived about 30 minutes early. Met with Rev Jim Young from New Zealand and his team—Verigita and Rita. They spoke again of Jesus inviting the children to him when the disciples were trying to keep them away. And His teaching that we have to be like children to get into heaven. One of the traits of children is that they are teachable. And as we grow older we become less teachable because we learn to think for ourselves—but we don’t do it enough and when we do we often come to the wrong conclusions. We find it very hard to learn from others because we are convinced that we are unique and different and have nothing to learn from others. (not like children). They also tell the teachers how important they are—most Christians are made as children—it is much harder to get older people who didn’t grow up with it. And yet we lose them as well because we are not the good examples that we should be—adults are the biggest impediment for children coming to Jesus (as shown by the disciples trying to keep the kids away). As many here are farmers they use the metaphor of children being crops…you don’t start with already grown trees or maize…you have to start with seeds or seedlings—it will sprout easily but to grow well you must fertilize it and we as good examples are the fertilizer for the children…then they do the examples and teaching part of the workshop—songs, games and ways to teach Sunday school.
The second was in Nkhoma at the seminary for the final semester students who will be Abusa in a few months. They don’t usually teach Sunday school but it will be good for them to have an understanding of what their teachers will hopefully be doing. I get something different out of the presentation each time (good thing as this was the third time)…this one was about being born again—that is a pretty prevalent question—when were you saved? Or born again? And Jim said that he was raised a Christian and so doesn’t have a specific point of being born-again…he was raised and always pointed in the Right direction and that is what we are trying to do here with the children’s ministry. I really liked how he put it…he said that maybe you didn’t have a point when you specifically said yes to Jesus because he was always there…but then have you ever said no to Jesus…
I got a new mosquito net this week. For those who have never had to sleep under one you might not get the joy this gives…there are different types and the one I’d had was blue and had a round top…which works and is fine but I had trouble keeping it around the bed and off my head at the same time as it is centered on the bed. My new one (bought at Shoprite in Lilongwe and in the closet waiting for me to get around to put it up) is white and square. So I needed a frame for it and different hooks (4 corners instead of the middle). And that would take some time for me to get around to…the day before I got my new flatmates I gave the key to reinette and james to get their room ready and I came home to find a new frame and net up! It was a wonderful surprise…and the white gives a much lighter spacier feeling…I slept well that night!
Friday night was the beginning of a youth retreat—CCAPSO (Church of Central Africa Presbyterian Student Organization) in Salima. We went for the opening night—James, Albert, Klaasje and I. through Lilongwe and we stopped just before the salima turnoff—there were 5 buses that were stopped on the side of the road…packed to overfull with youth going to the retreat! Too many so we ended up with quite a few students in the back of the truck and one of the advisors up front. Arrival at the lake at 6 (dark) to chaos…we were told we could go sit at the lake for a while so we went—the wind was up and it sounded just like we were at the ocean with the waves crashing…too bad there are crocs and hippos and you don’t swim after dark because it was perfect weather for it. After a while we noticed everyone gathered in a group of lights so we went over and found that different choirs were singing one after another…nothing planned I don’t think but everyone was around and having a good time. They got the sound system running and the band started playing. It was very reminiscent of youth retreats at home…praise songs and dancing that at times reminded me of energizers. We were of course introduced and said a few words…Abusa gave a homily on Doing the Will of God (theme for CCAPSO this year)…more announcements and songs and then they got dismissed. I couldn’t tell quite for what but I think it was for where they would be sleeping and then they came for dinner (that was after 9pm) I didn’t hear any complaining or questioning—thought that could be that I don’t understand it in Chichewa yet. We jumped back in the truck to head home. I was wishing I could have stayed all weekend but hadn’t gotten any warning so maybe next time. (got to drive part way—first time this year…good stuff)

differences

Living alone took some getting used to…I’ve done it before but here I was used to having others around. It was hard to know what to do in the evenings and cooking for myself has always been a challenge—here I just have leftovers because I think that is easier than cooking each time. Not so many trips to the market but enough to have fresh foods. After about 3 weeks I’d gotten used to the quiet (not that I let it be quiet often—most of the time I had music playing). A malawian nurse moved in below me—this is her first job out of school (I think) and she seems very nice. I wonder if I’ll still get to use her porch when I host a cake party…
Two weeks ago I got two new flat mates. Klaasje and Marieke are from the Netherlands and are staying for 7 weeks. They are having to share the big room because the third bedroom has been taken over by bees and I haven’t figured out how to get rid of them yet as I think they are coming in through the roof and have made a hole in the ceiling to get into the room…they are very nice. Marieke is a nurse and is working on the pediatric ward at the hospital. Klaasje is working with James as well—more on a financial part I think or at least numbers of some sort of bookkeeping, but also interested in the youth work and coming to the trainings and seeing all that is going on. It has been strange having new people in “my” house but good too.
I’m not up at the Guesthouse as often as I was last year…the volunteers and medical students there are more short term and they aren’t all cooking and eating together. I’ve been up for group dinners and that is always fun and I’ve been up to eat with some of them (also fun, but strange to have others just sitting around us not eating). I’ve had them to the cottage for dinner as well. So still hanging out with them just not the same as last year (when I was there almost every night).
Language training—I can’t remember if I’ve said anything about this yet but I’ve been working out of a book called Intensive Chichewa with Beria—Barbara Nagy’s housekeeper…I think I’m slow but I also think some of it is sinking in…and the first 2 weeks of May I will be staying at Malingunde (where the training I went to last year was) with a South African woman who came here 40 years ago and has really become a part of Malawi. She has agreed to have me and to help me to learn as much as I can—intensive language and culture course. I’m really looking forward to it!

week 5

I can’t believe that it has been a month already! (well now almost 2 but I’m getting there)…I woke up Monday morning and thought I think my 30 days is almost up…but it was too late to really thing about going to town…lucky me my 30 days was up on Tuesday. So in with the school bus because though very early it is the easiest way to get in. ran a few errands and then went to immigration at 9…I thought that is when they open but now I think it might be 830…but the guys who take my passport and give me the paperwork I needed were in good moods and we had nice chats and jokes…almost thought I would get the whole year for a joke (but alas). And then I went to the next office over to pay the fee and that was crowded! So many people and no one moving—I found out that the network was down but should be fixed soon…right. So standing and standing and standing…3 hours later I finally made it to the front of the line and got to pay my money…but it was 12 and the person who gives the final receipt had gone to lunch. Of course. She came back after I waited only about 10 minutes (lucky me). But then I had to figure that the guys who were holding my passport were at lunch—but they weren’t though they did tell me it was lunch time and took a while to give me my passport—and then the stamp (I had to ask for it specifically) but that went smoothly after the line to pay! Good for 60 days!
Next renovation job was putting panes back into the windows of 8 frames…each had 5 panes…putty around the edges and then making it look nice. A time consuming job but not too difficult. Two days later when it had dried james and I put them up…he’d been so smart at marking the frames with numbers (1-4) and whether it was the left or right side of the window…but then I think he got his left and his right backwards…so it was a little bit of a puzzle to get them back in the right window so that the screws fit the frames again—but we were successful in the end.
Another training this time of youth leaders back at Ndzobwe (where the chilangizo was). This was for youth who are leaders in their congregations (I think). James talked of the church and its structure and its responsibilities to each level of the structure. How we must let other levels know what we are doing and keep everyone involved otherwise we may go astray or double up on responsibilities. Then we talked about the programs that were going on in the different congregations—what was for all youth and what was for either guys or girls…girls are pretty quiet in these meetings even when asked direct questions though of course there are exceptions. At the end I gave some closing remarks which mostly was thanking them for their enthusiasm, energy and dedication to following the Lord and being leaders. Then James said some words, Abusa said some words and then abusa asked us to say closing words—I thought that was what I had just done!! I think I looked a bit foolish but I didn’t have any more to say…
Went to Ebenezer on Friday for the final day of the term. Parents had been invited to come and observe the classes so I also went from class to class to see what was going on. Still feel that I’m a bit of an interruption as many of the kids stop whatever they are doing to stare at me but then they most likely do that for everyone. It was nice to see what they were doing in class—feels like they are moving forward and the kids seem to be picking up on the English!

my plan is to take a similar picture each month to follow the fading of the rainy season green...we'll see what happens...this was march 23

a view of nkhoma village surroundings

week 4

After such a great weekend I was ready to go and get more Chichewa and just not stop. Then came Monday night and the Youth meeting with the abusa’s from the different presbyteries who were the Youth Delegates…it didn’t start until 6 pm in Lilongwe and often James said he didn’t get back until 2am. most of the abusas stay overnight but we would go home which was preferable…but really a meeting that lasts from 6 to 1 is not something I’m going to look forward to…this one lasted only until 11 but still—that’s 5 hours of meeting…sitting on pew benches (no back). The meeting started in english for about the first 2 hours and some of it was interesting—there will be a synod youth meeting in august (that they were trying to make a budget for—not practical for 15 people to sit and discuss/argue about making a budget which is where we finally got to—there needs to be a proposed budget that they can then make suggestions or accept). They talked about the girls ministry and I was introduced but that was the extent of my needing to be there…it was seen as a great thing that we would be looking into the activities of the girls and how to improve and strengthen the program but no more ideas as to how to go about it. Then the meeting moved into mostly Chichewa and it seemed like everyone was saying and resaying the same things over and over (though I didn’t know what they were saying)…finally at 11ish they closed with a prayer…I was ready to fall over. I climbed into the truck and dozed all the way back…
I turned 30 this year and didn’t have the big cake party this year unlike last year. But it was a great day. I took it easy—did some Chichewa study and then went for a walk…I decided to get the picture that rhona and I talked so much about last year from the top of the hill at the nkhoma turnoff. Followed by a group of kids who were fascinated and scared of me and the camera was pretty entertaining. And then I climbed another hill for a great lookout over nkhoma and the surroundings. Dinner at the Veitch house was set up restaurant style with breadsticks and pita pieces with marinara sauce and then heaping bowls of pasta and then banoffee pie. Beautiful. And then on Sunday I had a joint birthday cake party with Happy Nagy though not many knew it was also for me until Barbara brought out a cake with my name on it and we both blew out candles…
I helped more with ceiling installation—this time up at the guesthouse. The room has 12 foot ceilings so we were climbing around on wardrobes so that we could reach. I was warned that I would have to wear pants as we would be climbing on furniture…I think james was a bit surprised that I’d shown up last week in a skirt…but then it had not been such a tall ceiling. No problem…only thing was he’d only brought one hammer—not really bad…I just held the boards up and he did all the hammering.
Friday there was a Primary school teachers mtg. it was a follow-up for a previous meeting so this one was for feedback and a little more sharing of ideas. We started with a reading from 1 Samuel 2&3 about the boy (Samuel) being the Lord’s helper by helping Eli the priest even when Samuel didn’t yet know the Lord. We can help even when we don’t know it yet…15 schools represented and each gave a report as to their assemblies and how they were going with prayers and messages and whether or not they were using the resources that had been given to them or if they think they need more or different sources. Then there was a talk about how to keep the programs they have at their school self-sustaining because while they have sponsor help now they can’t rely on that because there is no telling when donors will pull out. This is the first time I’ve heard of this coming from a Malawian. They had some good ideas as well—teaching the kids pottery, growing gardens for selling vegetables (though space is a problem). They also talked about sports competition that will be put together for Aug or Sept and how to put it together. It was a pretty good meeting and of course there was nsima afterwards!

chilangizo

First thing after I got dropped off was to pick Amai up from a funeral. So we got in the truck and started driving on these dirt roads in maize fields…and then we stopped and Abusa conferred with the guy in the back of the truck and then tells me that we’re lost. We think we missed the turnoff. This brought up memories from last year in which I contemplated and once wanted to get myself lost in a corn field—on foot but this was just as good. We asked a woman on the side of one small field of tobacco and she pointed ahead then right…so we went on and found a stand of huts but not the ones we were looking for…so we turned around and tried again and made it with no problem.
The training didn’t start until after dinner (interesting as there was no electricity so we worked by standing lamps—very bright). My translator was Esther a teacher from a little ways down the road. Very helpful. I was given the option of presenting from 3 topics—salvation, STDs, and relationships between boys and girls. I picked salvation (which meant I started the whole thing tho I didn’t know that at the time). Esther took the Chilangizo booklet (in chichewa) and translated the part it had on Salvation. I added some and in we went to the church and the girls. I spoke in English and Esther re-translated it into Chichewa. It went pretty well (I think).
The next morning I was given the topic of STDs and so the same thing happened with the AIDS section. Esther translated into English, I added some, and she retranslated after me to the girls. Amai then took over and did the rest of the subjects. One of which was appropriate dress—and I was used as an example of what not to wear!! I had a tank top and teeshirt but you could see the tank top straps and evidently that is too provocative. Oops! (good to know for the future trainings)
I was relieved to get the topics I did because they aren’t culture specific. I don’t know if I could have done relationships because that is so culturally based. And in this culture it pretty much isn’t allowed to have relationships with boys…I think this is changing but then again it seemed like all the translation I was getting was that after puberty you have to stop playing and talking with boys because it would end in sex—pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, and death. Before the lunch break we all went outside to dance…circle up, lots of clapping and singing (no music) and then small groups at a time or in a line would go into the middle and dance. Of course being a part of the group I had to join in but I didn’t notice too much extra laughter at the azungu.
After lunch I was told to go to my room to rest. So I did and when I came out I was told that Amai was with the advisors and they would come to get me when they were ready…but then they didn’t…I think I’m getting pretty good at waiting…the program was almost over (or already over) but Abusa thought I should give them some closing words so in we went again and I thanked the girls for coming to listen and learn and follow God, thanked the advisors for their roles in showing the girls good examples and being involved, and thanked Amai and Abusa for having me and for doing all that they do for the community.
That night Abusa went to bed before dinner feeling a bit like he had malaria (he was up and going the next day). After dinner Amai said she was tired and ready for bed—so 8 pm and we were all in our respective beds—as there was no power there wasn’t much for me to stay up for either.
Sunday was church and then waiting for Abusa to return from one of the prayer houses so that they could send me off. (more waiting) At three they put me on a minibus for lilongwe with a bag of maize, pumpkin and cucumber. It was a good weekend. And I arrived at home about 6…

week 3

When we got back from the lake I had no hot water in the cottage…Monday I had no water. James came over after painting all day and took the cover down from my hot water heater (no longer the problem if it ever was) then listened to me when I said I had NO water. He then blamed me for letting him take the cover off when that wasn’t the problem. It was back on Tuesday so I don’t know what happened or how it got fixed.
Started Chichewa lessons…my intensive training will be for the first two weeks of may but I figured that I could get started and then maybe I’d pick up even more in my two weeks. So I headed to Dr Barbara Nagy’s house to use her book and to talk with her housekeeper, Beria. I’ve started copying the book (as it is out of print) which is also a learning tool for me. Barbara keeps telling me that it isn’t expensive to get copied in town but I’m afraid I’ll copy it and then not open it. Now I have to write it, read it and study it…because I go back to talk with beria every day that I’m in nkhoma for the morning…the first two lessons were easy breezy all about hoes and bows which really isn’t going to be too useful but I’m getting some of the grammar and the verbs are good—take, leave, go, cut. So now I can tell you to take the basket over there (tengani dengu uko) or leave the bow outside (seyani uta pa khomo). I haven’t yet put those phrases into conversation but I’m sure that it’s coming.
In some of my free time (between being overloaded in Chichewa and typing and helping with youth work) I’ve taken to help with renovations…I’ve helped put up some ceilings boards in the eye dr’s house and done some painting at the Guest house. I do find it quite rewarding as there is the definite end product when you’re done.
Friday I went to a Chilangizo (advice in Chichewa). I stayed with Abusa (Rev) and Amai (Mrs.) Thuya in Ndzobwe which is between Lilongwe and Mchinji (north of Lilongwe toward the border of Zambia). The chilangizo meetings are kind of the rite of passage—teaching how to be a woman and things you should know…

week 2

Started with a meeting in town…long day for a short meeting—but about some of my work here. I’ll meet with the women’s group (at some point) to see what they are doing and how we can integrate into that because they are a strong group, I’m supposed to come into the office at least once a week to get questions answered and find out what is going on. I’ve typed up some bible verses in Chichewa…harder than one would suppose as the words are repetitive and long and look quite wrong on the computer screen. But I am able to recognize most of the books of the Bible.
I went to say hello at Ebenezer. They were on midterm break last week so this was my first chance. I stuck my head in the first door but didn’t know that teacher…then I hear from across the playground “teacher jess, how are YOU?” and then “teacher jess, teacher jess” from all the kids. Very cute. I met two of the new teachers and said hello to the ones that I know. We’re all very excited that I’m back for the year—even if I’m not teaching I got a big hug from a student who wasn’t ever in my class but was the first one to hug me. Then I played on the playground with them for their break time…exhausting when they all want your attention! But fun of course.
Went to one of the youth dept meeting/follow-ups in Ntchisi…into town with the school bus (leaves at 6) to be at the office at 8 where we didn’t leave until 10 to run errands along the way and finally arrive at 1230…I imagine the people there had been waiting for quite a while. It was a followup from a previous meeting on how to meet with youth and teach them and to get feedback on the challenges they have faced and hopefully get some suggestions on how to overcome and do the programs better. Again, mostly in Chichewa but I gave a few words of encouragement before leaving because it is great to see their enthusiasm (even when I don’t understand what’s going on). It was a long day as I got home about 7 that night.
Went to the lake for the weekend—the water was beautiful and relaxing. Talked with the owner of the hostel about the local culture—much more traditional there it sounds like but possibly some things I’m going to have to deal with too. The rites of girls to women—how they learn to be good wives (often taught by an elder how to please their husband), the fact that when something new happens and the ancestors need to be told that someone is “sent” to tell them. (ex—new fishing nets, so the ancestors will fill them). The role of the traditional dancers…it was a very short explanation that went quickly and there is so much more behind it that I’m probably going to have to get more in depth on. We’ll see.

crash and contact

Well as it turns out…I’m even more behind because my computer crashed last week. I had week 2 all written up and ready to go…working on week 3 when I tried to turn it on and nothing happened…well the lights came on but the screen was blank. I took it into the hospital IT dept and they worked on it…when I went to pick it up I was very excited because it turned on and booted up. That was the problem they told me—it couldn’t boot anymore) then I got it home and started it…everything was gone…so I’m back at square one…no pictures, documents, etc…so now we’ll start again.


phone number--011 (to get out of the country) 265 (to get in the country) 991105720

so 011.265.991105720

address--

Jessi Stitt
C/O Veitch
POBox 50
Nkhoma
Malawi
Africa