I had a meeting planned for Monday in the youth office but I woke up not feeling all that well and really didn’t see myself getting into Lilongwe for a productive meeting…so I rescheduled for Tuesday which Abusa Juma said was fine. Then I got a text saying there was a training and could I be in town by 7 so we could leave and be in good time. As long as I was back in nkhoma for 630 because the women’s bible study was at my house (starting at 730 but still). So in with the school bus (leaves at 6) and picked up by Abusa at 7:15 to pick up two more ladies and off to Bowe (2 hours north of Lilongwe)…when we arrived I couldn’t get out of the car for all the kids crowded around staring at the azungu! We went a bit farther to the church and with teachers urging the kids back to class I was able to make it out…it was a follow-up meeting for the Behavior Change Program they did. So the people filled out a questionnaire about how they feel the program has impacted their communities and whether they have shared what they learned, etc. Then we took the girls aside and asked them what they thought they needed from the church—what we could do, what they saw as problems for girls, hoping for a starting place or some common ground that we can use—but it was all in Chichewa so I was still in the dark. After that we ate nsima with the abusa there and left around 330…there was no way I was back in time for BS…luckily I had the foresight to leave my key with someone. Back in Lilongwe to drop the 2 ladies around 615 and then Abusa Juma drove me to nkhoma and dropped me off at 725. I walked in just before most of the Bible study women…in time to make tea and welcome them…and all I wanted was a shower…
Friday I drove the kids to Lilongwe to school. Seems like everyone in nkhoma is sick…some flu is going around and taking out all of the families…one member at a time. I was free so was asked to drive the bus. I was a bit nervous—it is a pretty big vehicle but actually easy to drive…plus it came with country music cd which made the early morning as I could just turn it up to drown out the kids bickering in the back…Garth Brooks to the rescue. It was actually one of the most relaxed days in Lilongwe I’ve had as it was last minute that I was asked so I didn’t have time to come up with my endless list of things needed.
That evening Mirte had her farewell nsima party at the Guesthouse. Daniel came over to make the nsima and help with the relishes (greens, chicken, tomatos)…it was a good gathering—about 15 people and afterwards they broke out the musical instruments—drums of differing sizes, spoons and a banjo (that won’t really tune)…it was not well done but it was fun.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
gowo
the view from gowo prayerhouse. took at least 2 hours to go the 16km to ask questions about the youth and sunday school programs and to let abusa (rev) give some words of encouragement to the congregation.
wk 13
I got letters!! It does sometimes come through!! Thanks!
Went ot town on Sunday…visited the wood market “sister, sister, come see looking is free, come close, look here, sister sister” is the constant murmur…then had lunch and went to a Black Missionaries Concert. One of the most well known bands in Malawi—reggae music. It would be a nice afternoon concert as it was advertised to start at 130. We arrived around 230 and were the first ones to arrive! It was the strangest feeling to be an hour late and still be the only ones there…so we got drinks and sat down on the cricket field. We could see the speakers and instruments set up but no music as yet. Someone walked by and we asked what time things would be starting…well the music would probably start around 330 or 4…and they were right. They also said that there would be over 1000 people there which we also found hard to believe as yet there were maybe a handful…but in the end he was right on both counts (I think). We listened and danced and had a good time. We knew it was time to leave when guys were getting a little pushy and declaring their love for us due to their alcohol consumption.
I stayed in town that night with a woman who works for USAID who I met on the plane on the way here. Very nice house and food and guest room. I think I’ll have to take her up on it more often as the internet I had was very fast—too bad I was too tired to use it to advantage…at immigration the next morning I was able to put in my application for Temporary Employment and pay the processing fee and then I was told that I was still illegal…the TEP is supposed to be applied for while the applicant is out of the country and the employer is supposed to do it…so as my permit to be in the country has expired and I only have an application in…I could be arrested at anytime. The officer said he could arrest me now (but I could tell that he wasn’t planning on that one). he then offered to have me come live with him as I don’t have a husband…very nice offer I’m sure. Also said that I could be arrested as soon as I walk outside…but it isn’t written on my forehead so I don’t know how they would know…all they have to do is look at your passport (which I don’t normally carry)…so now I’m just waiting for what happens next…and keeping my receipt as that is what most of the doctors here have as very often the applications don’t get processed for ages or they get lost somewhere…
The epilepsy clinic was crazy busy on Tuesday. Well the whole clinic was. I think Dr. Morton saw easily 60 patients…30 of them epilepsy. It was very busy walking in and out with the patients. It is nice to see that some of them are doing very well at filling out their paperwork as to taking their medication and when they have seizures…it makes it much easier to see when or if they have seizures and what to do with their medicine doses.
I got a new flatmate. The new eye doctor moved in on Tuesday. Ute is from Germany and will be here until the end of next year. She is very nice though we don’t know each other yet. And then on Friday she went home for 3 weeks. So I’m on my own again for a little while.
On Thursday I went to the clinic at Mlonda with the NC Presbytery group. They have been working on the house for the doctor who will be at that clinic. It is a huge house and we spent the day painting and sanding and varnishing and scraping (all the paint spots off the concrete floors—anyone heard of dropcloths?). There is still some work to be done but it looks very good and I believe that the doctor is looking forward to going now as before there wasn’t going to be anyone since there was nowhere to live.
Went to the lake for the weekend. Very nice. Cooler than it has been as it is getting on to winter but still beautiful during the day for swims and naps. And the fish dinners are excellent.
Went ot town on Sunday…visited the wood market “sister, sister, come see looking is free, come close, look here, sister sister” is the constant murmur…then had lunch and went to a Black Missionaries Concert. One of the most well known bands in Malawi—reggae music. It would be a nice afternoon concert as it was advertised to start at 130. We arrived around 230 and were the first ones to arrive! It was the strangest feeling to be an hour late and still be the only ones there…so we got drinks and sat down on the cricket field. We could see the speakers and instruments set up but no music as yet. Someone walked by and we asked what time things would be starting…well the music would probably start around 330 or 4…and they were right. They also said that there would be over 1000 people there which we also found hard to believe as yet there were maybe a handful…but in the end he was right on both counts (I think). We listened and danced and had a good time. We knew it was time to leave when guys were getting a little pushy and declaring their love for us due to their alcohol consumption.
I stayed in town that night with a woman who works for USAID who I met on the plane on the way here. Very nice house and food and guest room. I think I’ll have to take her up on it more often as the internet I had was very fast—too bad I was too tired to use it to advantage…at immigration the next morning I was able to put in my application for Temporary Employment and pay the processing fee and then I was told that I was still illegal…the TEP is supposed to be applied for while the applicant is out of the country and the employer is supposed to do it…so as my permit to be in the country has expired and I only have an application in…I could be arrested at anytime. The officer said he could arrest me now (but I could tell that he wasn’t planning on that one). he then offered to have me come live with him as I don’t have a husband…very nice offer I’m sure. Also said that I could be arrested as soon as I walk outside…but it isn’t written on my forehead so I don’t know how they would know…all they have to do is look at your passport (which I don’t normally carry)…so now I’m just waiting for what happens next…and keeping my receipt as that is what most of the doctors here have as very often the applications don’t get processed for ages or they get lost somewhere…
The epilepsy clinic was crazy busy on Tuesday. Well the whole clinic was. I think Dr. Morton saw easily 60 patients…30 of them epilepsy. It was very busy walking in and out with the patients. It is nice to see that some of them are doing very well at filling out their paperwork as to taking their medication and when they have seizures…it makes it much easier to see when or if they have seizures and what to do with their medicine doses.
I got a new flatmate. The new eye doctor moved in on Tuesday. Ute is from Germany and will be here until the end of next year. She is very nice though we don’t know each other yet. And then on Friday she went home for 3 weeks. So I’m on my own again for a little while.
On Thursday I went to the clinic at Mlonda with the NC Presbytery group. They have been working on the house for the doctor who will be at that clinic. It is a huge house and we spent the day painting and sanding and varnishing and scraping (all the paint spots off the concrete floors—anyone heard of dropcloths?). There is still some work to be done but it looks very good and I believe that the doctor is looking forward to going now as before there wasn’t going to be anyone since there was nowhere to live.
Went to the lake for the weekend. Very nice. Cooler than it has been as it is getting on to winter but still beautiful during the day for swims and naps. And the fish dinners are excellent.
Friday, June 10, 2011
views of nkhoma-mar
from the top of the mountain
entry to nkhoma (the road is a loop--though bigger than it looks here)
from will's
entry to nkhoma (the road is a loop--though bigger than it looks here)
from will's
end of wk 12
So I got back Thursday night and the group from the Presbytery of Western NC was already installed in the Guesthouse and working at a clinic and the hostpital and the school…so that evening I went up to say hello—see the familiar faces and meet the new members of the team. (I also got the things my mom sent for me—pens, taco seasoning, music (from my sister), my diploma (important for immigration), chocolate chips and more)…
Then it was time for immigration again…and here we go…I went to the synod office to ask for a letter and they told me that the permit I needed to apply for was a temporary employment permit…um, ok, but I’m a volunteer…but whatever they say. So try to get that paperwork but don’t get it until the day I got dropped at malingunde for language training…turns out most of it is to be filled out by the employer so I sent it home with james but by the time I came back (9 days later) nothing had been done so Friday morning was in the synod office to get the signatures and stamps needed…then to a training for the morning and then into town where traffic was so bad that we would have made it to immigration just in time for lunch—not helpful for getting the paperwork in…so we picked the kids up from school and stopped back by but it was so busy and we had 8 kids waiting that we asked if I could come back on Monday (but my current permit expires Sunday)…ok but I’ll have problems (nothing new there).
Saturday was back at the training (Friday for teachers, Saturday for kids)…similar timetable…everyone together for a message and then breaking into discussion groups or smaller groups for more teaching—this one on leading through meekness. Having power but keeping it in control, being patient—it is not laidback or lazy but an active holding back. God showed this through David who deserved to be punished…think about how you use the power and influence that you have…is it with love and understanding? After that I went with the primary school kids (other classes were secondary and out of school)…there were 70 in our room! I didn’t really do anything but we talked (again but a different crowd) about drug and alcohol abuse and how it leads to bad behavior and hard consequences. The kids ranged in age from what looked like 6/7 to 16…after what felt like ages of me not understanding anything it was time for lunch…it is a great group of people who come together to help teach the young people…full of enthusiasm and very friendly and I see them at lots of these so it is nice to get to know them. Then it was time to give out sports balls to each of the schools that were represented as in august or September there will be a sports tournament…it was decided that I was to hand over the equipment and had to photographed each time…got to be a little much but what else could I do?
Then it was time for immigration again…and here we go…I went to the synod office to ask for a letter and they told me that the permit I needed to apply for was a temporary employment permit…um, ok, but I’m a volunteer…but whatever they say. So try to get that paperwork but don’t get it until the day I got dropped at malingunde for language training…turns out most of it is to be filled out by the employer so I sent it home with james but by the time I came back (9 days later) nothing had been done so Friday morning was in the synod office to get the signatures and stamps needed…then to a training for the morning and then into town where traffic was so bad that we would have made it to immigration just in time for lunch—not helpful for getting the paperwork in…so we picked the kids up from school and stopped back by but it was so busy and we had 8 kids waiting that we asked if I could come back on Monday (but my current permit expires Sunday)…ok but I’ll have problems (nothing new there).
Saturday was back at the training (Friday for teachers, Saturday for kids)…similar timetable…everyone together for a message and then breaking into discussion groups or smaller groups for more teaching—this one on leading through meekness. Having power but keeping it in control, being patient—it is not laidback or lazy but an active holding back. God showed this through David who deserved to be punished…think about how you use the power and influence that you have…is it with love and understanding? After that I went with the primary school kids (other classes were secondary and out of school)…there were 70 in our room! I didn’t really do anything but we talked (again but a different crowd) about drug and alcohol abuse and how it leads to bad behavior and hard consequences. The kids ranged in age from what looked like 6/7 to 16…after what felt like ages of me not understanding anything it was time for lunch…it is a great group of people who come together to help teach the young people…full of enthusiasm and very friendly and I see them at lots of these so it is nice to get to know them. Then it was time to give out sports balls to each of the schools that were represented as in august or September there will be a sports tournament…it was decided that I was to hand over the equipment and had to photographed each time…got to be a little much but what else could I do?
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