Pam's Time in Africa

Home Sweet Home

2009-05-11T07:20:00.000-07:00

Good morning, all!

We have arrived home safe and sound. We got on the freeway at close to 4:00pm yesterday in San Francisco and it took us a couple hours to get home. There was some serious traffic in the Bay Area, maybe due to Mother's Day? Lots of people were traveling, that's for sure. Chuck made me an awesome dinner of filet mignon, fresh broccoli and a salt-crusted baked potato. Can you say YUMMY? We had eaten a lot of traditional Malawian food-which is delicious-but it was so nice to have a change. I think we ate scrambled eggs with tomatoes every morning, along with a tomato/onion relish (almost like a pico de gallo), and some toast. For dinner, we ate nsima and/or rice, sometimes some beans, Chinese cabbage sauteed with tomatoes and onions, and lots of chicken. We didn't find out until the last day that the chickens were alive when they arrived on-site and were killed, plucked, cleaned and cut up right there. YIKES! I couldn't work up the courage to pluck feathers from the chicken, but Cindy and Kelsey gave it a shot. My stomach was flip-flopping just from the thought of what they were doing (and still does now). I don't think I will be eating chicken for a little while...

There was a funny thing about the morning toast too, actually. The first night we were in Blantyre, we prepared dinner for the team and the staff there at Acts III. We made a big pot of spaghetti and some garlic bread. There's not an actual kitchen on-site, so Maribeth has a small plug-in dual electric burner we can cook on. For the garlic bread, we toasted the bread, then topped it with garlic and butter that we sauteed in a frying pan. As my dad taught me, "Necessity breeds invention" and it worked! So we shared an American meal of spaghetti and garlic bread with the Malawians. Well, they apparently thought we really liked our toast with a topping on it because every morning, our toast was topped with butter and chopped onion (I guess they didn't know that it was actually garlic). They were so sweet to want to make us feel at home though, that we didn't have the heart to tell them any different. I can say that toast with onion and strawberry jelly is a new delicacy for me.

Our trip overall was really amazing. Some highlights are as follows:

• In Lilongwe, we served the widows at Children of the Nations by bringing over 140 POUNDS of fabric for them. This fabric allows them to create products at a 100% profit (not including labor, of course) so the proceeds go directly to the women.
• We also went to some of the homes of the widows where we helped them do things like clean the dishes, sweep the area near their house, took corn from the cob, sifted it in the basket to remove the hulls, then crushed the corn to break it down enough to go to the mill to be turned into flour. Life as a Malawian is VERY manual, that’s for sure.
• We did some shopping for the widows in the local market where we purchased some items for them like large buckets to store water in, metal pails to haul water from the wells, some fresh fruit and vegetables, etc. The markets are always an interesting experience!
• In turn, they blessed us with many songs and dances, gifts of chitenges (skirts) for the women and a shirt for Mark, some bracelets, and I even received a homemade skirt and shirt from the mother of the little girl Chuck and I sponsor. It was incredible!
• We got to have lunch with our sponsored children, which was such a blessing. We gave them their gifts that we brought like backpacks, school supplies, some clothes, toiletry items, toys, etc. The smiles all around were just fabulous!
• We went up to the village of Chiwengo, where we re-screened windows on three of the children’s homes. Malaria has been a big problem this year, so the screens were MUCH needed. We used good aluminum screening material too, so the job should last for a long time.
• We had three older laptops donated by people and we left them with the houseparents in Chiwengo. We also led computer training courses for the leaders in the homes, as well as many of the older children. I think close to 40 children went through the training over a 2-day time period. They were blown away that we would bring these “luxury” items to them and teach them how to use Microsoft Word, and learn some basic typing skills. Some of the kids are getting ready to go off to college, however, and the ability to type before leaving will give them a huge advantage when they get to school.
• When we got to Blantyre, we went to one of the local hospitals called Queen's that is known for being a place where people get admitted to but don't come out. This hospital was a sight, for sure. There was one nurse for 65 patients. Yes, 65. The rooms are literally wide open and have between 30-50 people in beds side-by-side with no curtains between them. There is no privacy at all. There, an encouraging message was presented to the patients, we sang songs to them, we prayed with them, and hopefully encouraged them. I watched some of the faces that were wracked with pain and grief turn to joy and peace as the entire hospital sang and clapped to the songs that were sung. Malawians LOVE music and we just hoped our presence lifted their spirits some.
• We visited four orphan care centers that Acts III partners with. Most of the teachers don't get paid and are just called to serve the children. We painted the alphabet and some matching pictures on a total of four classrooms in the centers. We used stencils and the pictures that went with the letters were things like “A” for “apple,” “B” for “ball,” “Z” for “zebra,” etc. They turned out great and the teachers were using the letters to teach the very next day.
• We helped out in the classrooms at the Malawi Montessori School at Acts III. Now THAT was awesome! I was completely blown away to see three-year-olds able to write their names, recite the alphabet, fill in letters on words, etc. Their quick learning was an inspiration. They showed up early for school every day, anxious to get inside and set up the classrooms. These little ones were respectful and responsible in the classroom, not taking their education lightly. Right now, this is a free education for them and it is an incredible blessing. Maribeth is working to train teachers at the nearby orphan care centers so that this great education gets out to the masses. It is growing exponentially and children in Blantyre are learning by leaps and bounds. God is doing really great things through the project and school and that was really cool to see!
• Our faith was increased every time we got into the mini-van that we used to get around town. The driver is a friend of Maribeth's and, in fact, his wife is a teacher at the school. Vincent was such a nice guy, always had a smile on his face, and took great care of us. But his mini-van was a bona-fide hazard. He would jump-start it if he was on a slope or touch the two ignition wires together if he was on flat ground. The seats had no cushion left in them and we more or less sat on bars with some vinyl stretched between them. There was no material or carpet on the ceiling or floors aside from the metal of the car and, in fact, we could see the ground pass by underneath us. Multiple windows were missing and the exhaust came right up through the floor. Vincent would bring along a friend with him to close the door for us since it was so difficult, and this friend was also responsible for making sure there was gas in the tank. He did this by pouring gasoline from a can and used a cut-off water bottle as a funnel to get the gas into the tank. Of course, he did all this while the car was running and sometimes while it was moving. We had many laughs on our mini-van adventures, let me tell you! I will be praying that Vincent has a new van the next time we go to Malawi. :)
• We spent one night at a nearby wilderness park for a mini-safari. We saw lots of antelope (impalas, kudu, water bucks, etc.), as well as hippos, crocodiles, wart hogs, and two elephants. One of the elephants was really close and we got some ear flaps, trunk raises, mock charges, etc. It was great! And it was nice to have a little break.

There are so many more things we did and experiences that we had, but it would take me days to write them all down. We had an incredible trip, despite lacking some modern conveniences the last week (i.e., six women sharing a tiny bathroom with one toilet, one sink and a little square shower which also acted as the kitchen sink and laundry room). But we all survived, we got along great (praise God!), and grew closer to each other, as well as to the people of Malawi. It was wonderful.

I will try to post some pictures as soon as I can, so check back shortly for that. Thank you again for all of your support and prayers. You are a huge blessing to me.

Much love and Mulungu amakukonda (God bless you),

~ Pam

Time to Go Home

2009-05-09T10:58:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a week! This past week we were in Blantyre at the Acts III Children's Home and Malawi Montessori School. Our sister, Maribeth, was very happy to have her Lakeside family come visit and we were thrilled to get to spend time with her as well. She looks great and we really had an awesome week - too many things to write down this moment as it was non-stop! But I can tell you there are some incredible things happening in Ndirande, which is the town the Acts III building backs up against. The people on staff and in the orphan care centers nearby are really special and ready to do big things. I am excited to see what God has in store for the project, as well as the people in Ndirande.

Right now, we are sitting in the Nairobi, Kenya airport and waiting for our flight to London. We had a 7-hour layover here and were very thankful to get out and about in Kenya for a little while. Cindy's daughter, Laura, met us here and took us to a great restaurant nearby. We've been eating a lot of traditional Malawian meals, so it was a real treat to get such a delicious variety. In another three hours, we will (hopefully) be airborne again and on the third leg of our four legs total. The trip home always seems to be longer...

I will post again when I get home and can fill in some of the details from the trip, as well as some photos. Internet access has been difficult this trip - and expensive!

Much love to you all and thank you for your prayers! We have needed them!

~ Pam

Farewell to Lilongwe

2009-05-01T09:03:00.000-07:00

Tonight is our last night in Lilongwe. We have had a wonderful week! We spent lots of time with the widows and children in Mtsiliza and were very blessed. Then we went up to Chiwengo for two nights where we taught some lessons to the kids and put screens on the windows of three of the group homes. Malaria has been a big problem in some of the homes, so we screened the homes that were the most affected (about 20 large windows). We also had 3 laptops donated, which we presented to the house parents and then gave computer lessons yesterday and this morning. They were blown away and so blessed because NOT ONE of them has a computer or even knows how to type, but they sure were learning fast.

Tomorrow, we are off for Blantyre to visit Maribeth at the Acts III Children's Home. We will be taking a bus and the trip should take 4-5 hours. Please pray for us on the journey, as it will be long and the roads are not very good. It is always interesting driving on the roads in Africa! They also drive on the left side of the road here. It's a little hairy... :o)

Okay, I'm going to drop off so someone else can update their blog too. We are having an amazing trip and have been blessed beyond belief. One of my favorites was meeting a boy named Edwin who sang us a song and played his guitar that he made out of a gas can, some wood scraps, and some wire for strings. The crazy thing is that it was really BEAUTIFUL!!! They are so joyful with so little and love their music like you can't believe. There is singing and dancing all over the place - just for the fun of it!

Lots of love to you and thank you for all your prayers!

~ Pam

Made it to London!

2009-04-25T09:13:00.000-07:00

Hey, everyone!

Just wanted to let you know we made it to London! The flight over was uneventful and we even had a little bit of a tailwind, so we got in early. That was a good thing since we wanted to get out of the airport for a while.

We got on the London Express to Paddington Station, then hopped on the Tube (Circle Line) and got off at the Tower Hill stop.

From there, we walked to the Tower of London, toured around that (saw the crown jewels, etc.),

saw the Tower Bridge,

got some fish-n-chips for lunch,

and made it back to the airport with plenty of time to spare.

We are now waiting for our flight to Nairobi, Kenya. We have a 2-hour layover there and then we'll fly down to Lilongwe (after a quick stop in Lusaka, Zambia). We will surely be glad to reach Lilongwe and not be on a plane or in an airport for the next 10 days! It was really nice to break up the trip by getting out and about in London though. That allowed us to get our blood flowing, rather than sit in the airport for 10 hours--that could be expensive! ;o)

Okay, well there's the first update. Will update more as soon as we have another chance.

Love, Pam

Today's the Day!

2009-04-24T08:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I can't believe that departure day is upon us but here it is! My bags are finally packed after making some difficult decisions about what I could and couldn't take. Unfortunately, I have 15 pounds of material left over that I am hoping the rest of the team can fit into their suitcases. We shall see...

I am very excited about going back to Malawi! Just a few of the things I am most excited about are:

1. Seeing Violet, who is the child that Chuck and I sponsor. She will be eight years old in July and I am excited to see how much she has grown during the last year.
2. Seeing how the Widow's Program has progressed. The first year, there were 20 women in the program and, last year, there were over 40. I can't wait to see how many women are in the program this year and earning an income from items they create themselves. They are who all the material, yarn and sewing supplies are for, so I am sincerely hoping we can get everything over to them. It is life-changing for them.
3. Seeing Maribeth! When we get to Blantyre, you may all be able to hear us shouting with joy at seeing our sweet sister! It's been almost a year that she has been in Blantyre doing great things. I can't wait to see her, see the classrooms, help paint walls, put up chalkboards and just fellowship with this dear girl (see http://www.acts3.org/blog/montessori.php for more info on what she is doing there).

Our schedule for the next two weeks will be something like the following:

* Depart from San Francisco April 24
* Arrive in London the morning of April 25 (10 hour layover)
* Arrive in Kenya the morning of April 26
* Arrive in Lilongwe, Malawi the afternoon of April 26
* Drive down to Blantyre, Malawi on May 2
* "Cultural Excursion" at a nearby park May 6-7
* Depart from Blantyre the morning of May 9
* Arrive back in San Francisco the afternoon of May 10

As you can see, it takes a long time to get to Malawi! That's why we go for two weeks... :o)

I will be updating my blog as often as we get a chance, which will likely be when we have layovers in airports. Thank you for all your support and prayers!

Lots of love,

~ Pam

What a Weekend!

2009-04-20T06:42:00.000-07:00

It was an incredible weekend. We had the big World Vision Caregiver Kit Build at Lakeside, our Malawi team was commissioned on Saturday, we had sign-ups to sponsor kids through World Vision all weekend, my Sweetie came home from the Philippines, and I was still trying to check things off my list of things to do before I left for Africa. There was a lot to do but it went great! The kit build went smoothly and we built 750 caregiver kits Saturday morning - what a blessing!! Our team was prayed over Saturday evening, so we now all feel fortified before going out into the "battlefield." Marilee Pierce-Dunker from World Vision told some amazing stories all weekend and over 150 new children are being sponsored through Lakeside! WOW! And my Sweetie and I got to have some nice dinners together and catch up a little bit. I know this week is going to fly by, so I am grateful for every minute with him before I leave. I do still have quite a few things on my to-do list but, God-willing, I'll get them all done before I go.

I just love being involved in projects like what we did with World Vision. We are called to care for widows and orphans over and over in Scripture and my heart just fills to the brim when I get to do some little thing to help them. I see pictures of those cute little kiddo faces, or the women who work so hard and have so little, and my heart swells. I wish I could help every one of them but I do what I can. My little bit of time or monthly sponsorship for some kids changes LIVES and that's what it's about. Thank you so much for helping me to help many by helping me go to Africa. That's a tongue-twister! But it's true - I couldn't go on this trip without the support of my friends and family here at home, so thank you. Together, we will help many.

Much love,
~ Pam

Garage Sale Extravaganza

2009-03-22T08:20:00.000-07:00

I know there are reports of the economy being bad off but I think it may have helped our garage sale yesterday. There were a TON of people that came out! The six of us had a garage sale to raise money for our trip to Malawi. The team was awesome and everyone worked so hard to make the day successful. We all collected items to sell from friends and family, everyone was there early with smiles on their faces, and we were all there late into the day getting everything cleaned up. The neighbors must trip out when they come out of their houses in the morning and see literally TONS of stuff in front of the house, only to see every shred of evidence gone by 3:00 in the afternoon. It was a great day.

And the total raised for the team? The grand total came to $1,276. WOW!! That's a lot of money from a garage sale!! A big thank you to everyone who donated items for the sale. There's no way we could have raised a fraction of the money without you.

Back to Malawi We Go!

2009-02-23T19:09:00.000-08:00

Wow! I am still surprised by the fact that I have another opportunity to return to Malawi. What a blessing! We will depart on April 24 and return on May 10, 2009. This time, we will be a team of 6:

Cindy Dickson - Our Fearless Leader and 2008 Team Member
Pegi Scarlett - Team Member from 2008
Mark Holt - Faithful Garage Sale Supporter for Maribeth
Kelsey Ziegler - In Bible Study with Pam and Cindy and huge heart to serve in Africa
Debbie Spear - BFF of Pam and first-time Africa traveler
Pam Loomis - Returning for the 3rd time. Woohoo!

We are all very excited to get to go on this trip to Malawi. We have a team who is ready to serve wherever we can do the most good. Whether it is helping to serve food to kids in the feeding program, helping a widow for the day at her home, teaching in classrooms, or painting the alphabet on the walls of a classroom, we are ready!

We appreciate every prayer you send up for us, as well as your help with the garage sale (March 21), and any practical or financial support you are giving to us. We are extremely grateful for your support and this opportunity.

Much love,

~ Pam

Welcome Home

2008-05-18T07:25:00.000-07:00

I must confess, it was good to get back home. It was a very long two-day journey back. We almost didn't make it out of London due to some mechanical difficulties with our plane. But, we prayed a lot and made it just in time to catch our connecting flight in San Francisco. That was a close one too because they overbooked the flight and needed someone to stay behind. No one was stepping up, so they almost selected someone at random. That would have been painful!! But, by the grace of God, we did make it back to Sacramento at a reasonable hour. It was a joy for Cindy, Pegi and I to see all three of our hubbies standing in the airport waiting for us! What a blessing! We surely looked pretty shabby after 2 days of travel, but they did say, "for better OR for worse!" ;o)

Recounting our adventures to Chuck while we were in Malawi, I really got to reflect on how wonderful our trip was. It is hard

to pick a favorite activity because we were blessed with so many incredible days. Hanging out with the women was awesome. It was so great to see the widow's ministry almost double in size. It was also really neat to see their outreach grow. Not only do they support women by teaching sewing and crocheting skills, but they have started supporting women in some of their God-given skills.

We spent some time with a woman who makes a huge batch of nsima (sort of like corn flour dumplings), beans, and a cabbage/tomato relish. She makes enough for dozens of meals, loads all the food into a large bucket, puts the bucket on her head and takes it all into town to sell. The Widow's Program invested in her to get her business started and then she gives a small percentage back to the program. Their goal is to help more and more women become self-sufficient. It is wonderful.

Regarding the women, I can tell you that many of them told us about how their life has changed because of this program. Some of the women care for as many as 15 children. Some children are their own, but often they support children of a relative. This program has taken them from having nothing to being able to provide for their families. Over and over again, they thanked us for helping to provide materials, and thanked COTN for helping to change their lives. What a gift! I also received requests from many women to pray for them. Their lives are difficult and the conditions tough. They live without power, with water that comes from a well, cooking that occurs in an outdoor kitchen over a wood fire, and mosquitos that are literally trying to kill them. In fact, while we were there, there was a funeral for a child that died from malaria within 24 hours of not feeling well. That was difficult to see. They appreciate every prayer we send up for them, every item we send to them, and every minute we spend with them. God bless you for your support of these people.

As for the children, the time spent with them was always filled with joy. The kids love to sing and laugh, and we have many fond memories of welcoming programs, songs filled with hope and praise, and children who just want to be close to you, smile at you, and hold your hands. Driving through the villages was such a treat because these children would be back from the road playing together but, when they heard our van, they would jump up, come running towards us with huge smiles, waving hands, and yell, "Azungu, azungu!" They were very happy to have azungus or white people come to their village. It warmed my heart and put a smile on my face.

Many times we don't get to see if our efforts make a difference in the world but I can tell you that IT DOES. It makes a difference when we sponsor children through COTN or World Vision. It directly impacts the life of a child (and their families) when we support a child. In fact, I was told that when our sponsored child, Violet, receives letters from Chuck and I, she sings and dances around and treasures every letter that she has received. Violet's mom, Wezzie, asked me how Jake and Sophie were doing, and how my sisters, Kerri and Michelle were doing. I was amazed that Violet's family remembers my family and prays for them! It is a clear picture of how God's love crosses borders and literally reaches to the other side of the globe. I think that is so cool!

I can also tell you that the children were incredibly blessed by everything that was sent over with us. We did multiple crafts with them and left behind many supplies. Their teachers were ecstatic to have materials to teach with, and COTN was thrilled to be able to care for many families. Every toothbrush, tube of toothpaste, bar of soap, bottle of shampoo, stuffed animal, piece of paper, pencil, and crayon will be utilized to its fullest extent. COTN has developed a process to get the items out to the most needy families. There is no question that many people will be blessed because of all the items that were sent over with us. THANK YOU for your generosity! And thank you for your prayers and support! May God bless you for all you have done for us and for others. I pray that someday you will be able to see first-hand how you have helped change the life of someone in Malawi.

Lots of love to you,

~ Pam

Tionana, Malawi!

2008-05-15T08:52:00.000-07:00

Wow! It is so hard to believe that our time in Malawi has come to an end. We have had very limited access to the Internet while on our trip, so this will need to be brief. All we can say is that the trip was amazing! We spent a lot of time with the women and children in Malawi. We went to several villages that COTN supports and had some incredible experiences. Some of the things we did were:

We each prepared an authentic Malawian meal with some of the widows in COTN's Widow Program (this includes cooking on a wood fire outside)

We shopped at an outdoor market for food and items for the widows (this was quite the experience and something you would see in a movie. Let's just say the quarters were TIGHT!)
We participated in the feeding program with the kids. Monica and I washed hands and Cindy and Pegi served the food.

We served at the crisis nursery two different days. There were so many children there and we were double- and triple-loaded with babies!
We taught a class in school one afternoon for about 50 children.

We led the kids at Chitipi in a craft day making bracelets and key chains.

We got to go on safari in Zambia for two days. It was absolutely incredible to get to see God's creation in such a way! And the six-hour drive to Zambia was a bit like "Mr. Toad's Wild Ride." More on that one later...

All in all, we were completely blessed by this visit to the Warm Heart of Africa. We have been blown away by the beauty and generosity of the people we met and are already planning our next trip.

We are looking forward to seeing you all again soon! Thanks so much for all the prayers.

Much love,

Pam, Cindy, Monica and Pegi.

Happy Birthday, Tawina!

2008-05-10T00:47:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was Monica's birthday and, boy, did we pull one over on her! We arranged to have about 50 of her friends and family from Malawi come over to our village and we had a party! There was a beautiful homemade birthday cake, ice cream, music and lots of speeches. It was a blast and Monica sure was surprised! Her new Malawian name is "Tawina." It was such a blessing for all of us!

We went to Chitipi, which is a farm and group home that COTN supports. It was wonderful to get to hang out with the kids there. They sang us some songs too, which was a huge blessing to us. After that, we did crafts of bracelets and keychains (thanks, Raim!). They had a lot of fun, and we did too. :o)

Today, we are going up to Chiwengo. That is a village a couple hours away from here, which has several group homes that COTN supports. It is so beautiful and peaceful there, and we are ready for another amazing day.

We got to have tea with Mr. Yobbe Lungu yesterday. He is the Country Director for COTN. He had us to his beautiful house for tea and lots of great snacks. What a blessing to get to hang out with him and meet his family.

We have been to the crisis nursery twice now, and have gotten to hold and pray for lots of babies. Some are just a couple weeks old. The time with them flew way too quickly though!

Probably the most interesting thing we have done is prepare a meal with some of the widows. We got split up and went to one of their homes. There, we swept (dirt) floors, carried water from the wells, prepared vegetables, made a fire and cooked nsima over the fire. It was hard work - and smoky - but we all made it through! Then we got to go shopping for them at the open market, which was really cool! Lots of goodies out to choose from. Very exciting and lots of people at the market.

Overall, we are having an amazing time. It is crazy how quickly the days are passing! And there are so many more adventures we have been through, we just don't have time to put them all here.

Know that we think of you all daily and are so thankful for your support and your prayers.

Lots of love,

~ Pam, Cindy, Pegi and Tawina :o)

Muli Bwanji Nonse!

2008-05-07T04:43:00.001-07:00

We made it to Malawi! It is great to be here. Monica and Pam are so happy to be back with old friends. We have been made to feel so special and welcome, it is truly beautiful.

Pam's favorite part so far is getting to see Violet again (who is the child she and Chuck sponsor in Malawi).

Cindy's favorite part is just seeing the strength and determination these people have to survive - and the little ones waving like maniacs when we drive by. We're treated like movie stars!

Pegi's favorite part so far has been all the kids. Their smiles and waves and love that they show to us are a huge blessing.

Monica's favorite part so far has been seeing old friends and family here in Malawi and hearing the women sing.

Yesterday, we spent time with the kids. We washed hands and served food for the feeding program - COTN supports so many children! It is fantastic! We were able to deliver many of the items that were sent along with us. Thank you SO MUCH to everyone who sent supplies along with us. The suitcases were stuffed full and COTN is very appreciative of everything.

This morning, we got to spend some time with the widows. We were able to give them the gifts of yarn, thread, buttons and more. Thanks so much for the donations - they will be used to their fullest. One of them made us some homemade nsima, rice and beans, and pumpkin leaves. It tastes like spinach! This afternoon, we will go back to hang out with the women. They are such a blessing!

Tomorrow, we will spend time at the crisis nursery and are really looking forward to that.

We Made it to London!

2008-05-04T10:18:00.000-07:00

Hello, everyone!

We have made it to London and are just waiting for our next flight to Kenya. We wanted to go into the City and maybe see Buckingham Palace but, by the time we checked in for our next leg and got our seat assignments, the time was short. We decided it was a little too close for comfort and settled for fish-n-chips in the airport. However, both Monica and myself agreed they might well be the best fish-n-chips we've had!

We're off to Kenya in a little over an hour, then our final leg to Lilongwe. We already feel as though we have been traveling for days!

We will make further updates as time (and technology) permits.

Love, Pam (and Cindy, Monica & Pegi)

The Adventure Begins!

2008-05-03T08:03:00.000-07:00

Today is the big day! We are so excited to get to Malawi, it's not even funny! It seems like the time flew so quickly, but then it really slowed down there at the end. We are heading to the Sacramento airport today at 2:30p.m. From Sacramento, we will fly to San Francisco. From San Francisco, we will fly to London, then London to Kenya, then Kenya to Lilongwe, Malawi (after a quick stop in Lusaka, Zambia). We will arrive in Malawi Monday afternoon. Phew! That is a LOT of flying! Hopefully everything will go smoothly and we'll sleep a lot of the way -- or watch some movies!

This is a great team and I think each of us is going to Africa with a "blank slate" of expectations. We are just really excited to see what God has in store for us. We know we are going to meet many women and children and hope to make a positive impact on a lot of people while we are there.

Stay tuned for more posts over the next couple weeks! We will get to the computer as often as possible between now and when we return on May 16th.

God bless you and thank you for all your prayers and support.

Love,

Pam, Cindy, Pegi, and Monica

Only Two Weeks to Go!

2008-04-19T12:00:00.001-07:00

Wow! I can't believe today is officially two weeks from our May 3rd departure. Where does the time go? I still have so much to do! But I am sure it will all get finished in time. :)

We received our schedule last week and it looks amazing! We will get to spend time with the widows in the Widows Program, we will get to spend some time with lots of children teaching and sharing, we will get to participate in feeding the more than 600 children that Children of the Nations supports in Malawi, and we will get to spend a couple afternoons at the Crisis Nursery, holding the little ones and helping out there any way we can. The four of us are extremely excited and just can't wait for our adventure to start!

Today is the day that our team gets commissioned at our church. We are so blessed by our church family at Lakeside. Everyone has been incredibly supportive and encouraging of our trip. It is awesome to have so much prayer support behind us as we go out to serve in Malawi.

I certainly hope to have opportunities to update my blog while we are in Malawi. We will send updates whenever we can. Definitely in the airport, as we will have some long layovers on the way over and back.

Thank you for all your support! I can't wait to bring love and joy to the people in Malawi!

Lots of love,

~ Pam

It's Official!

2008-03-16T07:48:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official and I am returning to Malawi! In fact, we purchased airline tickets last week. I am thrilled to get to go back, but am also a little nervous. The nerves are because I will be LEADING a team this year! For those of you who know me well, being "up front" is an uncomfortable place for me to be. I would appreciate your prayers for me as a leader, and for the team as a whole. Right now, the team consists of Monica Marek, Cindy Dickson, Pegi Scarlett, and myself.

Some of you may recall that Monica Marek was living in Malawi last year when we went in June. In fact, she was one of the main reasons we went to Malawi because we wanted to support our Lakeside member far away. I feel so blessed to go back to Malawi with her. She has such a sweet spirit and true heart for God's people.

Another person on the team is one of my best friends. Cindy Dickson and I met in a small group several years ago and have been attached ever since. Cindy is full of God's grace and love and I feel blessed every time I get to be with her.

If you would, please keep us all in your prayers as we prepare for the trip. The dates changed to two weeks earlier (May 3 - May 16), so there is much to do before we go. I hope to keep this blog as updated as I can along the way.

Thank you and I look forward to seeing you soon!

Love, Pam

Getting Ready Again!

2008-02-05T20:43:00.001-08:00

Hello, everyone!

Time flies when you're having fun, I guess. I can't believe that it has almost been eight months since I left Malawi! I am very thankful that God is opening doors so that I can go back again this year. Our dates are currently scheduled for May 30 - June 13, 2008. My application is in to Children of the Nations and I am just waiting to get official confirmation back.

If you would, please keep me in your prayers as plans firm up and the team assembles. I am hoping for a very strong team to go back to Malawi so we can do some great things there.

Lots of love,
~ Pam

One More Thing...

2007-06-07T08:13:00.000-07:00

So, here I am in the Kenya airport awaiting my flight to London. I have 7-1/2 hours to kill, so figured I'd sit in the Internet Cafe for a bit. :)

I forgot to include that we went to Lake Malawi the day before yesterday, which was really neat. It is very large, I'd say bigger than Lake Tahoe, but not quite as picturesque. I guess there are hippos in the lake, but usually much farther up from where we were. Monica and friends have been to the lake swimming many times, without ever worrying about the hippos. Well, guess what decided to cruise right up the shoreline that day? Yep, a big 'ole hippo cruised right in front of us. I haven't seen men in fishing boats try to get out of the water faster! They fear hippos more than we fear sharks, I think! I got a picture of Mr. Hippo, but didn't have my zoom lens on, so he's kinda fuzzy. I thought he was pretty cute though.

And we had an awesome night last night. We went back to Mtsiliza (m-SLEEZ-a), which is where we spent a lot of our time with the kids. Wednesday night is "Get together" night, where the villagers bring something for potluck, and they have some singing, and a little encouraging message from the pastor of the church. It was all by candlelight, since the village has no electricity, so it was quite an experience. The building has a concrete floor, with open windows and a high beamed roof, so the sound was just incredible. I couldn't have had a better final night!

I was very sad to leave Malawi this morning though. What an amazing time I have had! Every day was wonderful and I feel incredibly blessed to have been able to go and experience everything that I did. Every day was packed from start to finish. I am actually pretty excited about my 9-hour flight to London so I can catch up on some sleep!

It sounds like Monica will be going back to Malawi with COTN in June of 2008 (when school lets out), so I am really hoping that I can join her for that. I would love to go back and see everyone, and see how Violet is doing. Violet is the little girl we are now sponsoring in Mtsiliza, and I got to meet her. She's got SIX brothers, none of whom are sponsored, and her dad passed away, so it is surprising that I didn't sign up to sponsor all of them! ;o)

I look forward to seeing each of you soon. In fact, I brought home some goodies to prepare an authentic Malawian meal for you! We'll have to have a picture party and you can try nsima and some other African treats. No, I didn't bring home any of the mice on a stick, but I may make you eat with your hands like the Malawians do... LOL

Lots of love to you all!
~ Pam

Time to go Home Already...

2007-06-06T07:58:00.000-07:00

Wow... I can hardly believe that it has already been nearly two weeks since I left home. What an amazing trip this has been! Every day I say to myself, "THIS was the best day of my trip." I think I will have to let all these experiences soak into all the nooks and crannies and see which ones really permeate deep. They have all been wonderful.

In a nutshell, here is what I have done since I left home:

1. We had a long layover in London on the way here, so we took the "tube" to Parliament Square, where we saw Westminster Abby, Big Ben, the London Eye and the London Bridge. We had fish and chips in a pub, then headed back to the airport.
2. At the Feed the Children organization, we helped with repairs and restoration of a couple of their buildings (sanding, painting, etc.).
3. We worked with the kids doing physical therapy, and arranged for some "fun time" for the moms where they got to create beautiful watercolor paintings, necklaces and bracelets from beads and twine.
4. We spent time with a friend who is building an orphanage outside of Blantyre with his church, Acts III Global Ministries. That was interesting to see the site and how construction is done, i.e., concrete is made on-site and wheel-barrowed one load at a time for the foundation. The leveling is done by hand and with a big board that they pound the concrete until it is level.
5. Visiting a Feed the Children orphanage where they support 87 kids with food & housing. The adults and the kids were singing African songs as we entered and their songs just shake your insides because they are so awesome. I didn't know I was such a big fan...
6. We visited Naming'Omba Tea Plantation one day and I got to see how tea was harvested, dried, processed, and packaged. That was pretty neat - we even got to do some tea tasting! (Not as fun as wine-tasting, but still pretty cool. ;o)
7. We had lunch at the base of Mount Mulanje, the top of which is the highest point in Malawi. That was absolutely breath-taking scenery - almost like being in Hawaii with all the trees and foliage.
8. Our mock village in Salima is awesome to stay at. Each one has its own little sink, but the restrooms and showers are public (3 each for men and women). I think I have gained weight since I have come here though, because we have been fed VERY well!
9. I got to help distribute food at one of the COTN (Children of the Nations) feeding centers. THAT was tough. About 400 kids come through twice a day with their bare feet and dirty plastic bowls -- some even with plastic baggies. They would kneel down by the big bowls, get a scoop of rice and a half of an egg with a little sauce, always saying "Zikomo" or thank you before getting up to leave. The kids that get fed are the ones who have "sponsors" through COTN, so most of them take their food back to share with their whole families. Not much at all...
10. Getting to meet Violet, which is the little girl I signed up to sponsor through COTN. What a special moment to meet this little girl, shake her hand, look in her beautiful eyes, and know that you are helping her to LIVE. Probably her family too, since she will be sharing her food with them. Pretty incredible. (Check out www.cotni.org to see how you can sponsor a child - you can come with me to meet them when I go back to Malawsi in 2008! :o)

Some images that will stick in my mind after I return home:
1. The kids that wave to you when we drove through the villages. They would smile big, wave hello and yell out, "Azungu! Azungu!" which means white person, but is a term of endearment.
2. The kids who would chase behind the car waving and yelling after we would drive past. They would follow the car smiling, waving and yelling -- so cute!
3. All the "shops" on the side of the road. The people here try to sell anything they can to earn an income. You'd see everything from fruit stands to furniture stands, bicycle repair shops to coffin shops (LOTS of coffin shops since death is so prevalent here), and then some of the gross ones like skinned goats hanging to dry or the guy selling mice on a stick (yes, I am serious).
4. How the kids LOVE to look at pictures of themselves on the camera display screen! They are all such little hams and would absolutely pile on top of you to see the picture you just took of them. Then they would laugh hysterically at themselves and their friends for all the funny faces and poses.
5. All the livestock running free in Lilongwe. It blew my mind to see all the chickens, goats, donkeys, and cows that just hung out on the side of the road. I guess they are all actually owned by the people in the villages, but it was just amusing to me that they weren't tied up or penned up and just hung around.
6. The Welcome Programs that families put on. When they invite you into their homes for meals or tea, they get the kids together and sing some songs. What a blessing to listen to those kids singing together - and someone usually plays drums too! It is the coolest!
7. Us girls doing the story of Noah's Ark for one of the classrooms during Sunday School. We hand-painted the ark and made animal stick puppets and did funny voices and had a great old time! I don't know if the kids laughed harder at the Americans being silly or if they really enjoyed the story, but we all had a lot of fun. We water-colored rainbows at the end and the kids loved it!
8. The family trees painted on the walls in some of the COTN (Children of the Nations) homes. The trees would take up an entire wall and the leaves would have all the kids' names (as many as 30!), while the trunk had the parents and aunties' names. I think it is a great idea.
9. Church on Sunday. It was SO AWESOME! They do so much singing and dancing and it is really a fun way to start the day! It was really encouraging, refreshing and uplifting. :)
10. The farms at the various homes that COTN supports. Each home has at least a little land that they farm to provide food for the household. One of the farms had livestock, a fish pond, a chicken house, and was extremely impressive.

The above is just a glimpse of what I have experienced here in Malawi. I think I would have to write a novel to get it all down on paper. It has been amazing and I will be sure to share pictures when I return.

Look forward to seeing you all again very soon.

Lots of love,
~ Pam

Even Better Than I Thought!

2007-05-31T11:32:00.000-07:00

All I can say is, "WOW!" The trip is definitely more than I hoped for... ALREADY!

Let me just start by telling you that our first hotel is great. We have a real room, with a toilet, a shower, and a sink, there is a little restaurant where we get real food (i.e., eggs in the morning & chicken at night), and it is quite comfy here. Something funny though is that the power has gone out almost every night (usually at shower-time), and the water has gone off as well (also at shower time). But we are in Africa, so I wasn't expecting perfection!

Our time with Feed the Children has been amazing! What a great organization they have! The center currently houses children who have severe disabilities, usually caused by malaria. We have been helping with physical therapy, and other things where we can. We have even been doing crafts with the moms. It is amazing to see them paint with water colors and how their eyes light up at getting to create something beautiful! We have also been busy stripping and painting rod iron on the windows of the buildings of the center, painting the little playground, doing some weeding, and other basic clean-up. Pretty tiring days!

Yesterday was probably the most incredible day of my life. We went to an orphanage that Feed the Children provides food to. As we were coming up the walkway, we heard this beautiful African singing! It was all the teachers and helpers who greeted us with song and dance! As we got closer to the classroom, the kids were sitting on the concrete floor and singing very loudly as well! We walked in that room and I was blown away and completely lost it. What a joy. We got the tour of their small and sparse facility, but I was so glad to see that they support such a great place.

Tomorrow, we are already on our way to Lilongwe. Our time in Blantyre is already over and I can't believe how quickly it has gone. Before I close, let me tell you the three things that stick out the most for me about Africa so far:

1. People walk everywhere -- and very far! It has been so surprising for me to see the number of people that walk on the roads here. Often barefoot, they carry things on their backs or, yes, on their heads, to get things where they need to go. Mostly, the roads are very good for getting from city to city, unless you are going to the smaller villages, where the roads are dirt.

2. Malawi is BEAUTIFUL! I thought Africa would be flat and dry, but that is not the case here. It is actually almost tropical in places and there are rivers and lots of trees and bushes. The land is immaculate and the people take good care of it.

3. I don't think poverty in America can compete with Africa. Those lean-tos, dirt floors, death rate, pit toilets, no electricity, no running water, etc. There are rivers in Malawi, and there are always people doing their laundry or cleaning other things in them. The evidence is everywhere, and I almost feel guilty for sleeping in a bed each night.

Okay, I better run - Internet access is expensive here too! But you all will be very glad to know that I am doing great, can't wait to tell you all the stories, and am looking forward to my next week in Lilongwe with Monica and Children of the Nations! Thanks for all your prayers - they are helping immensely!

Lots of love to all,
~ Pam

What an adventure!

2007-05-19T11:50:00.000-07:00

Hello, everyone!

This is my first time setting up a "blog" and I cannot think of a better reason to do so. This "blogspot" will be my primary source of communication with you all - my share partners in this adventure to Africa. I am so excited to see what God will reveal to me on this trip, I can't even begin to tell you! Going to Africa is something that I have longed to do for many years. The coolest part is that I get to actually DO something when I am there -- I get to GIVE BACK a little bit -- and I couldn't be more happy about that.

We will depart from San Francisco on Friday, May 25, 2007. It will be a very long flight with many stops.

We will arrive in Blantyre, Malawi, Africa on May 27, 2007. We will be traveling with the Feed the Children organization (http://www.feedthechildren.org). Feed the Children runs an orphanage in Blantyre that we will be visiting and helping at. There is an orphanage, a large kitchen and feeding area where many people are fed each day, and there is also a hospital on-site.

On June 1, 2007, we will travel to Lilongwe, Malawi, Africa. We will be visiting an orphanage that is run by Children of the Nations (http://www.cotni.org/). I am especially excited about the time here because I am friends with a gal named Monica who lived there for six months last year. She came home for a few months over the holidays and has recently gone back to Malawi. I can't wait to see many of the sights she has seen and meet the children (and grown-ups!) that she has already impressed upon my heart. This organization also has a widow ministry. Due to AIDS, there are many widows in Africa. This ministry provides them with knitting needles, yarn, and the skills necessary to create things like clothes or table linens that they can then sell for money. This provides the widows with a much-needed income that they would not have had previously.

I will depart from Lilongwe on June 7 and return to the States on June 8, 2007. I have no doubt that I will have seen many incredible things and know that my heart will be changed. It will be an interesting and introspective drive from the airport on San Francisco back to my home in Folsom...

Be sure to check-in with this blogspot on a regular basis! I don't think I will have much time to write individual emails to everyone when I am there, so this will be my one depository of information. While I would love to update it daily, I don't know that my schedule will allow me to do so. I will certainly update it as often as possible.

Thank you so much for your support during this trip. What a blessing to have you go along with me on this amazing, life-changing journey. I cannot WAIT for it to begin!