Wildlife in Zimbabwe

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Onward to Zimbabwe

I went from dedicating wells to visit Nkhoma again for a few days. It was hot and I got to relax and greet friends before leaving for Zimbabwe.

In Zimbabwe I got to visit with Ute and her family. It's and I were in Nkhoma together. She is an eye surgeon and we went on a great road trip in 2011/12 through Mozambique and Zimbabwe. She now has 2 kids and works outside of Harare.

There is a park nearby called Cleveland where I got to see wildlife on a Sunday morning walk (and drive).

These pics are from the second weekend when we went to a sanctuary called Wild is Life. They rehabilitate elephants, let us feed giraffe, protect a pangolin (prehistoric ant eater). Such fun!

Clean water

One of our last well installations was 300 feet from the lake. (I was very tempted to go for a swim to cool off.) Lake Malawi is known as the calendar lake, 365 miles long and 52 miles across. That is a lot of water. With the rising heat and lower amounts of rain the level of the lake is lower than I remember it. Our first hotel used to have its own private beach just outside of the dining room and now it has sand outside of the dining room and a field of grass and then the lake.

The village was so excited to get their well installed. Clean safe water to drink. Having the lake so close, where everyone washed (bodies, clothes, dishes), where animals live (hippos and crocs), where diseases can be contracted (belharzia). Now there is clean water! Such a gift!

Thanks to donors and volunteers. Thanks to Marion Medical Mission and their staff. Thanks to the water committee and the villagers. Life giving clean water. Unkhanku kwaku chiuta! Uchindami kwa chiuta! Ulemu kwa mulungu! Glory to God!

Wells

Teams 1 and 2 helped to install and dedicate 2,717 new wells in Malawi, Tanzania, and Zambia! 3,093 wells have been constructed this year and will be finished up by Team 3 (the African staff)!

What an amazing feat! Well construction started Sept 1 and Team 2 finished Oct 26. That is a very busy 8 weeks (and they aren't quite finished)!

To all the donors and volunteers (from a village): you people are a ray of hope. We are receiving gifts that we never imagined possible. May God continue to guide you and continue to help you that you may keep helping our neighbors and those who still have these water problems.

Want to help? www.mmmwater.org
~Wells still need to be funded. ($450 or any part thereof)
~become a volunteer! We'd love to have you join the team
~invite a speaker to come and share what if going on.

Final week

This is Chisadziwa Kamsuli. He didn't make it down to the well but he is so excited to have clean water in his village. He came to the path that we took back to the truck and shook my hand with such a big smile.

Team 2 is ending. We've done 3 weeks of well installations and have been blessed so many times over! Mary and I helped to dedicate 130 wells in northern Malawi. We have sung and danced with many women (some men too)! Shaken hands with men women and children, scared many children and babies (inadvertently of course), and shared so many smiles and prayers.

The prayers have been beautiful. Thanks to God for the gift of water, clean water. For the donors in America, as well as us volunteers who represent them and have travelled so far. Prayers that God continue to guide us as we travel on to help those neighbors who still need that gift of clean water.

Thank you all for making this possible. Blessings and peace.

(I'm planning a few more updates as I rest up and continue to process this experience)

A typical day

At training in the first day, the powers that be try to keep people involved and keep from having only one person talking all day by breaking it into pieces. This year I was asked to talk about a typical day. with more experience (this is my 6th trip), I'm not sure there really is such a thing, but I agreed to try...(And thus far this year, I suppose this has been the typical day)

Up early (6 for me, though my partner gets up at 530)

Breakfast at 630 at the hotel restaurant: eggs, chips (potato wedges), white bread, and tea (or coffee)
*if you want to choose your dinner you should order it now, otherwise you eat what they have when you get back

Get your Field Officer or Installation Supervisor and go load the truck with pipes, pumps, and pieces for well installations

Stop at a shop to pick up lunch supplies (bread, peanut butter, biscuits (cookies), drinks)

Drive, drive, drive (we on Team 2 are known as the cleanup crew and often the wells are some distance apart)

Get to first well or first parking spot to start the hike to the first well (greet, install, dedicate, dance)

Drive, drive, Drive to second well (repeat throughout the day)

Stop for lunch under a tree so that you have shade and continue on

@4 start your way back toward where you stay so that you return before dark (6pm)

Shower, do the backups for the well info, plug things up to charge

Eat dinner

Prep for the next day (get water ready, climb under mosquito net)

SLEEP!!

At the well

Mary and I were based in Nkata Bay. On Thursday of week 2 we are moving down the lake to stay and work in Dwangwa. There are many different languages in Malawi, the main two are Chichewa and Chitimbuka. Of course the area we worked in speaks Chitonga. So I've learned yet another greeting that is similar and not to what I know. Of course when I get confused I revert back to Chichewa and that works too as it is the national language.

When we park the truck there are often many villagers (or at least children) around as we pull from the back the pieces needed to install the well. They help us carry the parts sometimes singing, sometimes chatting along the way. I nod and pretend to understand or song along. At the well we greet everyone. 'Mwe uli?' (Pronounced mway) (it is a phonetic language) responding 'te o mampa. Kwal imwe?' (how are you? I'm fine and you?) Lots of smiles and misunderstandings and me getting my words confused. The laughter is contagious and fabulous.

The greetings go on as the installation supervisors and builders work on measuring the depth of the well and assembling the parts. One of us volunteers puts information into an Android for office purposes and the other will lead the dedication.

The dedication is an official handing over of the well. It has belonged to the village the whole time but this reinforces the idea. we begin with a prayer often lead by a villager. (They pray for the water and the night of God. They pray for us the visitors who have come so far as well as those who support from America. They pray that God continues to guide us as We continue our work for their neighbors.) We emphasize our partnership between Christians in the US and Marion Medical Mission, the synod that we work with here, and the village and water committee. We explain the maintenance plan and who to call for repairs if the well breaks. There is a demonstration and we ask if there are comments. (They talk about the problem they had of unsafe water and how far they had to go to get water-pointing up and over and emphasizing way far away. How now they won't get sick, that God has provided them life now with this clean water.)

Then we head back to the truck where more handshakes and hugs are exchanged. Gifts are given and we take off for the next village.

When we left Nkhata Bay, we had helped dedicate 73 wells. We are still working for another full week and while I'm tired, I'm definitely not done!

Week 1

40 wells were dedicated by Mary and me. We are based on Nkhata Bay which is northern Malawi on the lake. We are staying in a hotel in town and right on the lake. It is a bit noisy but has a great view.

We've been out each day driving and dedicating new wells, shaking hands and sharing smiles, and hiking up and down some steep mountains and hills, changing lives. At the end of the dedication we give the opening for comments from the villagers. Over and over we hear that we need to send (bring) thanks back to those who have helped them, that now we are free because we have clean water and will not be sick. Thank you for coming, we had no idea that we could have this. Please continue to help our neighbors.

During one dedication, I watched an older man go to the old open well and get a drink of water as we were only 15 feet away. It was heart wrenching. And yet I knew that soon he would have clean water, safe to drink.

We have received gifts of bananas, cassava, beans, bananas, ground nuts, maize, more bananas, chickens, bananas, 3 bowls and 2 books. (There are many different types of bananas and we've gotten lots of them.) It is so humbling to receive when we know that we have all that we need and that they give from full hearts.

Stories from Team 1

I got to see Team 1 on their last night in Malawi. I showed up at the hotel and got lots of good hugs and got to catch up with friends and meet new ones and hear some of the adventures. Here are some that I gathered during worship when we were asked to share where we saw love and God:

Team 1 installed 1,324 wells! (That's up from last year of 1,203.) And that is in the midst of some rain that stopped work and some demonstrations around Malawi in protest of this year's elections. This year's goal is 3,000 so that leaves us on Team 2 1,676...let's get to work!!

Translated from the villagers prayers at the dedication is the certainty that God has brought us all together.

Two of the partner teams agreed that here in Malawi we don't have AAA but we do have MMM. They called in truck issues (one was broken down in a field)...got to their hotels for the night and by the next morning they either had a different truck or the mechanic had come and the truck was ready for more installations!

Comments of how we are saving our children with this clean water at the dedications. That we are bringing dignity. That we share Christ's love by giving the human dignity of clean water.

A young man at the airport ran after one of the Malawian staff and said that many years ago, MMM had put a well in his village. He said life changed and now he was working at the airport! Glory to God!

Blessed are the hands that give, for they are the hands of God.

Ending and beginning

Sunday was Team 1's departure day. Steve led worship.

He talked about the beginning of McDonalds. That it's mission was to provide predictable, affordable fast food. And it was a meteoric success. Then they branched off marketing to children and stock prices fell. It is called mission drift. (If you notice none of the new McD's have play areas or Ronald hanging around, they look like Starbucks-and prices for again.)

Marion Medical Mission's mission is not about water. It is not about digging. MMM is about sharing the love of Christ by providing clean water. MMM is about love. The wells are just the vehicle.

And at the wells, I see the love. I see the joy. And I see the clean water. It is a sight to behold.

Then we went around the circle sharing moments or thoughts or feelings from the last 3 weeks.

I talked about feeling like I've been running late. I wanted to be in both teams but couldn't make the work. Got here two weeks earlier but a week late for Team 1. I was ready to jump in but that wasn't what happened, I wasn't called into service. And then I realized that I was right where I needed to be. Catching up with friends, being at and with Ebenezer school around the accident, and holding Thamar (adorable baby). And then meeting up on Saturday. To a beautiful reception- such welcome and excitement even with the exhaustion and closing.

I was asked by some if I was ready for wells, for Team 2. And my answer had been: No, I'm not, but I will be and I'm getting there. Getting to hear their moments and experiences - bringing back the reminders of what we do - not that you ever really forget - I'm excited!

Cultural differences

Similarities in joy of birth and grief at death. Joy of clean water and sorrow at loss. Love and celebration. Sorrow and hunger. Family and community.

Some differences:
Americans go go go and we live by a clock but we need to remember that we are guests and we need to be humble. We are not in charge!!

Greet everyone! Greet first. Shake hands, learn the words. (Yewo, zikomo, nzuri)

Here is people centered. Not time centered. All about relationships, greeting and chatting.

Keep your knees covered. Villages are formal. ('pants' are British for underwear- use the word trousers)

Women hug. Men shake hands with both hands (arms in a four) as a sign of respect. If hands are dirty they will bump forearms. Not much other touching between sexes, lots of hand holding between same sex.

Men and women sit separately. At the wells and at church. (often)

No negative comments- watch your words. The words stupid, silly, foolish will be taken out of context and be insulting.

Before and after meals hands are washed. Food is often eaten with hands though you might be offered utensils. You don't have to finish-someone will eat the leftovers.

Don't make promises that you can't keep. There have been too many broken promises. Even 'I'll think about it' is a promise to help.

Next adventure (from Nkhoma to MMM)

On Saturday, Isabelle and Sigrid and I headed into Lilongwe. First stop: immigration office. Traffic was crazy on the way in (and for the rest of the day in town), but there was no line at immigration! It was so easy to get my visa extended--I wasn't expecting that (in 2010, it was always a very long wait to get visas). Next some shopping and money exchange. 

Isabelle's favorite restaurant now in Lilongwe is Lark. We went for lunch and I totally understand it. Very good food and a nice garden setting. Then they drove me up to Mponela (another 40 minutes North of Lilongwe) where Team 1 from Marion Medical Mission was spending their last night. What a reception! Many of them didn't know that I was coming plus they were gathering from the far flung areas they'd been working for the last 3 weeks. Stories to come...

Nkhoma

I had another week in Nkhoma as Marion Medical didn't call me in for the last week of Team 2. I was able to visit with friends and see Ebenezer school (where I taught in 2010-2012).

On Monday I substituted for one of the Grade 2 classes. I think I did alright but was no real replacement for their teacher.

Tuesday, Lizzy and I conquered the mountain again. It was a hot day but there was a pretty good breeze for most of the climb. (I'm trying to stay active and ready for the hikes to wells)

Wednesday, I had a nice visit with Maralise. She was a surgical nurse when I was here in 2010 and now she is doing many diverse things like running the synod guest house, prison visits, and teaching classes with the pastors' wives.

Thursday, I got to see the computer class in action with laptops. usually David used a projector to teach but there was no power and so there was a bit more chaos than usual.

Friday, I helped with some computer input at Ebenezer having to do with scholarships and sponsors. (If you'd like to become a sponsor, check out www.ebenezernkhoma.com )

And then got ready to meet up with Marion Medical Mission.

The mountain

On Thursday it was cool enough to hike the mountain. Usually I make a very early start but I didn't get out of bed in time for that. I thought of waiting for another day but the weather stayed cool and I decided to do it.

Lizzy (9 year old who is staying with Isabelle -with her mom) asked if she could come with me. I said yes and in my head rearranged my expectations of my hike. I figured we would go as far as she likes and I could do the top another time. We packed water and some snacks and started off. After two false starts (Lizzy's socks kept crawling down into her shoes before we even left the yard) she changed socks and off we went.

She is a mountain goat! Sure of her feet and ready to go! We made it to picture rock, then to the mountain hut where we took a little break. I asked how she was doing and if we'd gone far enough. She asked how far I usually go and when I said the top she said let's go! And so we did.

It gets steeper from the hut to the top and we took our time but we made it and really enjoyed the view!

By the time we made it down our legs were shaky and now 2 days later I can still feel it! But Lizzy is so excited that she did it, she's ready to go again! So maybe on Tuesday...we'll see.

Prayers

Soon after my arrival and on the way to the lake we were informed that there had been an accident that involved a minibus that transported Ebenezer students from Nkhoma. It was a head-on collision with a truck that carried bags of cement. 5 students were killed, 4 adults. 1 child is still in critical condition at the hospital.

We passed the site on our way back to Nkhoma on Sunday and my stomach dropped.

School has only been in session for 2 weeks. This week there has been a prayer memorial service Wednesday and school will resume on Thursday.

Prayers for the families, the school, and the community are appreciated.

The Lord who created the mountains is always with us. He does not promise that things will be easy, but He does promise to be there, even when they are not.

Arrival

I left home Wednesday. Kelley drove me to Charlotte where we said hi to her sister and kids and then were taken to Paco's Tacos by her parents. (loud, busy restaurant with some very tasty tacos) 

Then we were up at 345 to get to the airport for my 610 flight. While checking in at the kiosk, it wanted to charge me for my luggage. (On an international flight!?! Never!) The desk clerk helped me to link my flights (which should have been done as I bought them as one) and got my free bag. I was impressed and grateful. 

Plane number 1, leg 1 (clt->iad): before takeoff they had to turn it all off to reset some error message they were getting. Didn't take too long and we were on our way!

#2, 2(iad->add): 15 hours, 3 movies and one book down along with a few naps and not nearly enough time moving around the cabin.

#3, 3 (add->fbm): stop added after I bought the ticket and added 2+ hours the trip, Delayed take off because of something wrong with fuel getting to one of the wing engines. Another movie and nap. 

#3, 4 (stop for an hour but can't get off) (fbm->llw): an hour on the ground, some new passengers, a little more sleep. Then through the grinding gridlock of customs and visa requirements. To pick up my bag and meet Isabelle! 

3+ hours later than expected but I'm back in Malawi! Spending my first weekend at the lake with Isabelle, to relax and fight that jetlag. (6 hour difference!)

We are ALL Needed

For just as the body is one and has many members,

and all the members of the body, though many,

are one body, so it is with Christ.

~1 Corinthians 12:12

We are all different. We all have different things that we are good at, that we need help with, that we can help with. We can't do it alone. If we were all the same, how would we get things done? We would have the same ideas, the same talents.

This week at camp, or 2 weeks at camp, would have been different if any one person had not shown up. Each and every person is needed and loved by the Creator, and hopefully each and every one of you felt that love at camp. Many find such friendships at camp that people become like family. But not everyone. My prayer for all is that you have a place where you know you are loved, that you know deep down in your heart that you are loved for who you are. May you find a place to share yourself and be yourself and rejoice in being you!

We could GO SOLO, but it is BETTER TOGETHER!

Call in the Reinforcements

You’re going to wear yourself out--and the people, too.

This job is too much for one person. You can’t do it alone. ~Exodus 18:18

This comes from Exodus 18. Moses had led the Israelites out of Egypt and back toward Midian. He had witnessed so many of God's miracles. He let his father-in-law, Jethro know about them. Jethro watched Moses as he judged and arbitrated between the people. Jethro watched and offered advice to Moses about getting help. About training others and delegating responsibility. He said that the tough questions can still be brought to Moses but as for the rest, others can fill that role.

Sometimes we feel that to get it done right, we have to do it ourselves. Jethro tells us to train others, impart responsibility and knowledge on others. Sometimes it takes that outside perspective to show us how and where help can be used. Moses was in the middle of it, couldn't figure out a way to not be the go-to person. Jethro helped Moses see that delegating would save time and energy to be used for the good of the people.

At camp we have about 5 directors. If we ran camp ourselves, we would wear out quickly, camp would be smaller, and it just wouldn't work as well.  So we hire summer staff: counselors, lifeguards, specialty help and spend 2 weeks training before campers arrive. We try to impart so much knowledge and ability that they can take care of most of the day to day, most of the leading. We are still there, to help with the bigger things, to give more specific help or to facilitate the camp spirit and experience but this way we can reach more campers, have more programs, and watch with joy as relationships form and grow.

Teamwork

Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd,
they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging
through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on.

~Mark 2:4

We get farther when we work together. If it had been me alone trying to get myself or a friend in through such a crowd of people...it probably wouldn't have happened. We come up with more ideas, have more strength, have more faith when there are more brains and bodies. I've seen studies of brainstorming sessions that go better with more people to bounce ideas off of. The creativity is higher and even better with more diversity in the group. People can come up with solutions where it looked like there was no way. We are meant for community and working together! Going solo? Better together!

This story ends with Jesus saying that he saw THEIR faith (the friends') and then he healed the man. YOUR faith can be what helps another through a tough time. When we pray for others, God hears us.

I have to do this

Esther responded to Mordecai: “Go and get all the Jews in Susa to fast for me. Don’t eat or drink for 3 days. I and my attendants will fast with you. If you do this, I’ll go to the king, even though it is against the law.”

~Esther 4:15-16

Sometimes we have to do things on our own. Queen Esther was the only one who could possibly approach the king to try to save her people. She was scared. She tried to turn down Mordecai saying that she could die if she approached without being summoned. Mordecai told her that this could be why she was in the palace and that living in the palace would not save her if the Jews were to be killed. She plucked up her courage, asked her community for support and acted. She had to do the actual action alone, but she was supported in prayer and fasting.

There are things we do on our own. There are things that are scary or uncomfortable that we wish we didn't have to do, or that someone else could do. Our inner voice tells us to step up, to speak out, to stand up to the bully even if we would rather not. We have to find our community who supports us even if they aren't physically there with us. Our parents, our friends, our church...

When I went to Malawi for the first time to teach (kindgergarten!), I knew no one there. It wasn't a problem until I got on the flight and then I worried. But it was an adventure. Then came the first day of class...and I realized that I had no idea what I was doing. I couldn't do this! They didn't speak English and I didn't speak Chichewa. I knew next to nothing about teaching kindergarten or any early childhood education. I went to the principal after that first day and tried to resign. I can't do this! I don't know what I'm doing! It was chaos!  

She sent me back to my house with the directions to journal, pray and remember that I had support in prayers from people at home, strangers who pray for the school and teachers, parents of the students and so many more.  So I did. And I went back the next day. Class was better (ish), still chaotic, and I still felt like I didn't know what I was doing, but I got to love on some students and do my best and help them to move forward.

Support comes from all around. From friends and family and complete strangers. Be the support of others. Feel your support!

I can't do it alone.

When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been there for a long time, he asked him, "Do you want to get well?"

The sick man said, "Sir, there is no one to put me in the pool when the water is stirred up. By the time I get there, someone else has gotten in."

~John 5:6-7

The sick man was there waiting for the angels to come down and stir up the waters. He believed that if he could get in first he would be healed, but also knew that he wouldn't be first. Jesus reaches out, asks him if he wants to be well. Jesus could have come in and healed him without asking. Who wouldn't want to be well. But that isn't what happens.

My first summer, I used the same lesson each week. This summer, I was out quite a bit camping and left the message to be given by others. Sometimes I got to hear it, sometimes not. I also found that even my message changed some week to week.

I talked of how Jesus reached out to those who others would have ignored. It was believed that the sick were being punished for some transgression and therefore unclean. It teaches us to reach out to others who are on the fringes, whom others overlook. We can offer help.

I spoke of community and how we may not know or like everyone in our community. That we can help some but probably not all of them. The Bible has directions about loving your neighbor as yourself, and who your neighbor is. It doesn't say that you have to like them, but treating others as we would want to be treated would mean that we are nice, polite, helpful to others.

Others spoke of asking for help. The sick man reached out and said that he can't do it alone. There is no way that he would be able to get to the water to be healed without help.

From my life, I remember a time when I had a flat tire. Before cell phones. But that is ok because I knew how to change a flat...so I got the tools out and began. But I didn't get far. I couldn't loosen the lug nuts. I pushed, pulled, I even stood on the wrench holding on to the top of the car, I jumped. Nothing doing. So I had to cross the highway to the rest area and call highway patrol. When he arrived, he had no problem loosening the lug nuts and changing the tire. I just had to reach out...

Community is key. We do better when we work together. Communication is necessary. It is something we should all keep working on. Reaching out offering help and asking for help.

Going Solo? Better Together

It’s better to have a partner than go it alone.

Share the work, share the wealth.

And if one falls down, the other helps,

But if there’s no one to help, tough!

If two sit together, they can keep warm.

But how can one keep warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered,

two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

~Ecclesiastes 4 9-12

I often use stories and act them out with campers. On Sunday night, welcoming them to camp I read this passage to introduce the theme. Before the gathering I would get some sticks from the surrounding woods and ask for volunteers to try to break 3 at a time using only their hands. Some weeks this illustration worked and some weeks it didn't. It depended on the kids and on the sticks, but I think that the point was made. Breaking one stick is often easy but 2 or 3 is harder (though not impossible).

Some weeks I brought up the movie Solo (Star Wars) as this was the inspiration for the theme and the fact that Han Solo often wanted to do things on his own but had much more success when he worked with others.

I am reminded of many of the children I babysit for and how they want to "Do it myself" even when it takes longer or is less successful without help. How we are all looking to be independent and feel that it might be weakness to need or ask for help. But to be reminded that we are made to be in community. That we need help just as others need help. That we both give and receive help in order to thrive. 

Camp is a place where we see that we need help and can ask for it. We are trying new things, challenging ourselves and campers. Maybe we can get to a place where we don't need help, but then there will be the next challenge.  Help and community, we can help each other up. We are stronger together!

Summertime

I was back to full time at Camp Grier for my fourth summer.  A summer full of fun and kids, outdoors and bugs.  I got to go down the Tuckaseegee many times. Out rock climbing in NC and KY. Hiking on the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Mountains to Sea Trail to vistas and waterfalls.

8 weeks of camp, 2 weeks of staff training. about 30 staff and maybe 600 campers. What fun!

The theme for this summer was Going Solo, Better Together.

the opening page of the journal put it this way:

We humans are independent creatures. We often want to do it all on our own. We get frustrated when we can't. This week we will look at some people who wanted to do it on their own, but could only do it with the help of others, and some people who were all alone and knew they needed help. We will try to recognize that together we are stronger and can do so much more.

Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.

~Helen Keller