Pam's Time in Africa

Home Again!

2011-08-03T12:30:00.000-07:00

I am happy to say that Cindy and I made it home safe and sound. We had a VERY close call in DC, however, and were almost delayed another 5 hours. We were all loaded on our plane and ready to fly to LA when they decided that they didn't like what the AC was doing. After an hour sitting at the gate, we were finally on our way but deeply concerned that our connecting flight to Sacramento would be missed. We did a lot of praying and, thankfully, our plane was still at the gate when we got to LA. We literally sprinted to the gate and got on the plane. Turns out, there were a couple planes that were delayed so it was late to depart. PHEW! After 2 days of flying, we were ready to be HOME! So happy we made it!

Being home and able to reflect on the trip, I can say it was truly amazing. We met some great people and had a wonderful time with a whole bunch of kids. I think that is what I enjoyed the most: time with those sweet kids. Hopefully we were able to give them just a little bit of hope and joy and a full tummy as well. May they always remember that they are loved and cared for. And may they cling to organizations such as CPC and STEKA House in Blantyre, as well as COTN in Lilongwe. May God continue to give these organizations resources to do more for even more kids.

My prayer is that you would also be blessed. A great work was done in Malawi in a short period of time and it was only possible because of your help. Thank you for your contributions of garage sale items, your giving of supplies for the widows and orphans, your prayers, and your monetary donations. Cindy did the math when we got home and -- because of you -- we were able to leave over $1,000 with our partners in Malawi. WOW! The causes you supported will continue long after we are home and that is simply incredible to me. Thank you so very much and may God bless you abundantly!! If you are interested so see how things are progressing with the ministries we support, just visit some of the blogs that are listed at the top of my blog here. The mission continues in Malawi!

Thank you again for everything.

Lots of love,

~ Pam

Time to Say Tionana!

2011-07-29T00:00:00.000-07:00

It is very hard to believe that our time in Malawi has come to an end. So much has happened in the past few days that I feel like I could write a novel about it! As I type this, however, we are on our bus ride back to Lilongwe from Blantyre. The bus rides are always interesting, to say the least, but this time we did half of it at night. That wasn't so fun for us. The are no street lights and you are hauling along at about 75 mph on a 1-1/2 lane road with people and livestock walking on both shoulders. And there are bicycles on the road as well. The bus has to honk at the bicyclists to get on to the dirt shoulder because there is no way that 2 cars and a bike can share the thin slice of pavement. You see evidence of trucks that have lost their loads, as well as some animals on the side that didn't cross fast enough. When you hit a big bump, you are never quite sure if it was a pothole or a goat. Ahhh, all part of the African experience and one that continues to build our faith! At least we had Don Williams and Michael Bolton playing on the stereo to keep us company. Can't you just hear Michael Bolton now? "When a man loves a woman..." There, now you can have the song stuck in your head too. You are most welcome. ;o)

Back to the last few days -- we were part of some INCREDIBLE things! My favorite, of course, was putting on the VBS for the street kids here. These little kids just grieve my spirit, let me tell you. I shared already that they literally sleep in the dirt at night. I would like to share with you a little bit about their appearance. Their clothes are literally in tatters. Sometimes their pants are held together with a pin or a piece of string. No shoes. There are holes all over their clothes and everything is crusted in dirt: their feet, their hands, their faces, their heads. They would even come in with pieces of grass stuck in their hair. Do you remember the character "Pigpen" from the Snoopy comic? He was clean compared to these kids. Unlike our kids who get baths every day, I can't imagine the last time these kids were squeaky clean. And the smell? Well, let's just say that I haven't quite smelled anything like it before. But what are we to do? Not talk to them? Not reach out to them because they are too dirty and smelly to be close to? Certainly not. In fact, I believe that's exactly what the Bible means when it says we are supposed to minister to "the least of these." These poor kids can't help it if they were abandoned by their families. They can't help it if they are reduced to begging in the streets every day so that they can buy a roll or a pack of ground nuts. These kids just want to be loved and cared for like every other child in the world.

So that's what we did for a few days. We met at City Pentecostal Church where we gave the kids a hope-filled message from the Bible (Joseph and his coat of many colors, Noah's Ark, and the Fruit of the Spirit), had some amazing praise and worship sessions (the kids grabbed the drums and tamborines from the church and sang their hearts out!), we did lots of crafts, and then provided them with a nice lunch at the end -- half of which they put in their torn pockets for later. We saw them come in the first day downtrodden but leave the last day with hope and enormous smiles on their faces. They learned that the Creator of the universe loves them, knows their name, and has a plan for their lives. Our hope and prayer is that they get a little bit of peace in their hearts and keep coming back to CPC on Sundays to get ministered to. You should have seen the joy they took in doing their color sheets and how grateful they we're for the string bracelets and bead necklaces. I can't wait to post pictures! Thank you to each one of you who contributed in one way or another to bring a little bit of joy to the lives of these extremely vulnerable kids!

The coup de grace, however, was definitely the Lakeside Blitz tee shirts the kids all received. Thank you so very much, Lynette and Lakeside, for allowing us to take some leftover shirts to Malawi. Oh my goodness, when they found out they were getting new shirts, they screamed, clapped and cheered like you wouldn't believe! They immediately took their old, grungy shirts off and put their new shirts on with great pride. They went from kids embarrassed to take photos to jumping in front of the camera and standing tall with their nice clean shirts. Their whole persona changed and it was an incredible blessing to be a part of. They were so thankful and were just blown away by the days they had with us. As we were driving off in the bus today, we got a call from Kelsey who told us that four of the boys just ran up to greet her in town, wearing their bright orange Blitz shirts! They will remember those days for a long time to come...

One of the gentlemen who was with us all three days is Godknows. Godknows is the one who runs STEKA House with his wife, Helen. He knew some of the kids because he had offered them a place to stay before. One of the boys in his home right now was best friends with another boy who is still living on the streets. We had one little girl come to VBS, whose name was Ndaziona. This little girl was so sweet but quiet, would hardly look at anyone, obviously afraid and alone. Her story was sad because she does have parents but they don't take good care of her. In fact, they make her go to the streets to beg for money and then bring the money home to them. If she wasn't already, it was just a matter of time until she kept the money for herself and just didn't go home. Godknows knew she was not safe on the streets. So, on Wednesday, he told her she could come stay at his home with 32 other brothers and sisters and she accepted. Godknows does good things in the community and is known by many. The police are usually the ones who bring kids to his door when they don't know what else to do with them. So Godknows told the police that Ndaziona was at his house and, if the parents called, to let him know. We went by STEKA on our way to the airport today and saw Ndaziona (sadly, her parents had not reported her missing yet). She was clean, had gotten a haircut, greeted us with a big smile and a hug, and was obviously much more comfortable and at ease. She now has a safe place to stay and was eating a nice bowl of nsima and beans. Now THAT is what it is about. The needs are so many but it really starts with just one. Just one...

So thank you for your support and prayers. We had an AMAZING team that we worked with these past 10 days. We even met some new friends who showed up to help from Scotland and England (crazy how that came about!). They have teams that come every year and are now interested in helping each year, should we do a similar program in the future. WOW! How great is that?

Please continue to pray for the street kids, for Ndaziona, for Godknows, Helen, and STEKA house. They are looking to get another house so that they can serve more kids. And please pray for CPC that is ministering to the street kids, as well as Kelsey and Maribeth who have their boots on the ground here and are striving to make a difference here each day. May God continue the good work that He is doing here. He is on the move and it is easy to see. Oh, and a couple prayers that Cindy and I get home quickly and safely. The two days of flying starts tomorrow...

Signing off with a heart overflowing with gratefulness,

Pam

King's Kids

2011-07-24T08:53:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Malawi!

Today was another fantastic day. We went to Kelsey's church here in Malawi for an early morning "King's Kids" program. This program is for the street kids who live near the church. There were about 30 kids total who came today. These kids literally sleep in the dirt in the village of Ndirande. Maybe they get a cardboard box for a cover. It has been cold here at night as well. I can't imagine how cold they get at night; they are so exposed. Of course, they are also in great danger and there are many who would take advantage of these vulnerable ones. That is why Kelsey's church is starting to get more involved with them and STEKA house is as well (see previous post for more on STEKA).

Today, there were 11 kids in our room who were approximately ages 8-12 (the other kids are 12 and older.) Kelsey has been doing stories with them over the past several weeks so today was a review session and then we did a craft with all of them. We got to make little medallions to put around their necks that were made out of paper plates and yarn that said, "Jesus loves _______." Then we filled in their names and let them color them and put stickers all over them. How the kids love to do crafts here! They take their time to fill in all sorts of detail and use many different colors. It is really cute the pride they take in their crafts and the joy the receive from a little recognition. Then we prayed and had a snack together.

After that, we had CHURCH! Church in Malawi is so fantastic and is more like an aerobic workout during worship. Everyone sings, claps and dances and the room is filled with smiles, joy and praise. It is so great! I just love church here.

Then we took a nice trip to the outside market which is pretty amazing too. There is booth after booth of fresh vegetables, beans and other goodies. We got some fixings for some great salads, along with Malawian beans and relish. Hooray! Can't wait for beans and relish! I think that will be tomorrow night.

Okay, I am off. We are going to have a quick dinner of leftovers and then it's to bed early. The rest of our days start very early and last pretty long. Please pray for us; it's hard to believe we only have a few days left! Tomorrow we will go back to Kelsey's church for Vacation Bible School with the King's Kids. More crafts and then lunch consisting of peanut butter sandwiches, bananas, chips, and Sobo (orange drink). Probably the best meal they've had in days...

Much love to you all,

Pam

STEKA Day!

2011-07-21T23:47:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day! We did have to change our itinerary a little bit because we were advised to stay close to the house but it was all for good (please continue to pray about the unrest here).

First, we went to the Feed the Children site where the disability center is located. We visited this site in 2007 and it was great to see how it looks now. They have received some nice equipment to assist with their physical therapy program like wheelchairs, large swings, standing frames, etc. These items go a long way in helping the kids grow stronger and move towards mobility. There were several kids there with their mothers doing their physical therapy and it was neat to see these folks get the help that they so desperately need.

This afternoon, we went to STEKA house. This is a home that serves abused and abandoned children. Currently, there are 33 children living in the home. They are cared for by Godknows (yes, that is his name) and his wife, Helen. The children are fed and cared for, given a safe place to sleep, and taught skills as they get older so they can get a job when they leave. Some of the stories of how the kids got there would break your heart. One child was left in a dust pile to die. Another child was taken from his parents because the mom was literally going to kill him. Still another was left in a drainage canal during heavy rains and was found when someone heard her crying. The stories are all tragic and we are so thankful for safe places in the world like STEKA house.

While we were at STEKA, we taught the children the story of Joseph and his coat of many colors. The key message was that while sometimes people do things deliberately to harm us, God can use it for good. Then we did some Joseph color pages and also made bracelets using colors to symbolize things Joseph went through in his life. Thank you, Melissa for the colorful embroidery floss; the kids loved making the bracelets with it. :o) We all had a great time hanging out together, getting into the Word, doing crafts, singing, dancing, and praying. It was encouraging for us all.

The day was filled with joy as we visited places that provide a great service in Malawi. We walk most places here, and that is nice too since it is so lovely here. As I sit here writing this, I remember one more thing that I love about Malawi: the QUIET. My goodness, it is fabulous! At night, the silence just wraps around you like a warm blanket. My sleep is never better than it is in Malawi. There are no cars driving by, no horns or sirens, and no helicopters or airplanes. The mornings are filled with birds singing and an occasional rooster crowing or chicken clucking. No lawn mowers, weed whackers or trash trucks driving through the neighborhood. Just blessed peace and quiet. I could sure get used to having that every night!

Well, there is one little thing that has been disrupting my sleep here in Blantyre. Kelsey and Maribeth have adopted this orange tabby cat that they have named Sylvester. When Kelsey came to meet us in Lilongwe, she accidentally locked poor Sylvester in the living room without food or water. She put out lots of food, water and a cat litter box in the kitchen but closed the door between the two rooms and Sylvester was stuck for 3 days. When we got home, Sylvester went straight for the water when the door was opened. He was none the worse for wear but, mysteriously, we couldn't find any kitty land mines lying around anywhere. As we all know, kitties can't go 3 days without waste elimination, so we came to the conclusion that the poor cat ATE them because he was so hungry. I know. Sad. And gross!

Needless to say, Sylvester was a little miffed with Kelsey and he wanted a new friend. As most of you know, I am a dog person to the core but a basic animal lover in general. So I was talking to poor Sylvester all afternoon when we got home, telling him how sorry I was for his being deserted for 3 days. At first, he wouldn't give me the time of day (you know how CATS are), but at the end of the day, he gave me a big, loud meow which, I guess, signified that I was his new BFF. He proceeded to take up residence on my bed and has been my companion each night since. Yes, I got stuck with the cat who eats poop. And, like most cats, he bugs. He gets restless early in the morning and wants to get down. Then come back up. Then go outside. Then he meows outside to come back inside. Like I said, he bugs. But I feel bad because Kelsey tried to kill him, so I let him stay. We'll see how long it lasts since he is interrupting my beautiful Malawian sleep! ;o)

Okay, I better sign off. We have another busy day on the horizon! Today is the staff party where we get to meet Maribeth and Kelsey's team. Should be a good time of fellowship!

I hope you are doing well also.

Love, Pam

"From the place of His dwelling He looks upon the inhabitants of the earth." Psalm 33:14

Nice Drive...

2011-07-20T22:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we woke up early(!) for our bus ride to Blantyre. Those long rides always get me to thinking about why I love Malawi so much. So, for those of you who are journeying to Malawi with me for the first time, let me just share with you a few of the things that I adore about this wonderful place:

1. First and foremost, the people. Malawians are a wonderful people full of joy, love, peace, and grace. We are always greeted with big smiles and feel "Most welcome" wherever we go. Perfect strangers will walk up to you and say hi. You think they want something but they will just walk up and, with a big smile, say hi and ask how you are doing today. Then they will go on their way. Malawi truly is, "the warm heart of Africa." Malawians love to try new things and are not afraid to roll up their sleeves and get in to try something. Unlike many of us in the U.S. (okay, maybe it's just me), it doesn't seem like they are "afraid" to fail.

2. The countryside. Malawi is a beautiful country with it's red dirt, rolling hills, and trees, such as banana, mango and eucalyptus. Since Malawi is more tropical than desert, there are rivers that wind through the hills. You often see people washing clothes or bathing in them. Where there aren't trees or crops, the ground is covered in scrub brush. The landscape here actually reminds me a lot of Southern California, before the hills were flattened and paved over with buildings and freeways.

3. Village life. It is easy to see from the road how people live here in their thatched huts. The women carry their kids on their backs while they sweep the dirt or pump water from a well. There are always people in the fields, working hard to grow their crops. Their livestock is visible and roam around freely. Many have chickens and goats, a few lucky ones even have cows. Then there are the children. The smiles on these little ones are so precious! They are often running around playing with their friends, maybe some "futball" or "netball." Their balls are usually interesting. It is rare to see an actual soccer ball or basketball. They usually play with whatever sort of ball they can find but have no shortage of smiles.

4. The markets. Malawians are a hard-working people, of that there can be no doubt. I so appreciate that about them. The markets are filled with baskets, buckets, tomatoes, potatoes, oil, ground nuts, eggs, and, of course, meat products. Yes, it can be a little disconcerting to see whole goats strung up between two wood posts on the side of the road, but it's not like there are grocery stores on every corner with refrigerated butcher cases.

5. The food. Malawi has some amazing fresh produce. These are a people who know how to farm! The tomatoes here are just incredible, as are the avocados, cabbage, beans, onions and so many other items. Malawian "relish" is one of my favorite things to eat, which is cabbage with onion, tomatoes and a yummy spice they put in it. Malawian beans are delicious too. I know it sounds weird to like beans so much but, if you tried them, you'd know what I mean. I want to get the recipe this time so I can make it at home. Then there is the Peri Peri chicken. Oh my spicy! That stuff is delicious and I already have a bottle of it in my suitcase to take home. Okay, TWO. ;o)

Those are some of the many things I love about Malawi. That is also why it makes me sad to see some of the unrest going on here right now. The people are struggling more then ever, there are lines to get gas that seriously seem a mile long, the tax rates have increased along with prices for everything. Because of this, there were protests yesterday which turned violent in some places. Thankfully, nothing like California or other countries in Africa, but it is a big deal for Malawi. Don't worry, we are very safe at our house outside of town, but we do ask that you pray for Malawi and her people. The President here has not been making good choices for his people and we pray that his heart softens and he starts to do the right thing.

Okay, we are off to start our day. I will keep you posted as to how the week progresses!

Thanks for your prayers,

~ Pam

Having a Great Time Already!

2011-07-20T02:06:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the Warm Heart of Africa!

Our flights over were pretty much uneventful. We had a bit of a delay on our final flight into Lilongwe but, praise God, everything else was smooth sailing.

Our wonderful friend, Henry, who we met through Children of the Nations, picked us up at the airport. He had already picked up our dear sister, Kelsey, from the bus depot. It was a sweet reunion and so great to be back in Malawi. We spent the afternoon at Henry and Jocelyn's home, resting and enjoying their lovely place in Lilongwe.

The next day, we were able to spend the morning with the widows. That is such a treat for us because those women are very near and dear to our hearts. They greeted us with smiles, singing and dancing, and we were whisked into their building. Malawians treasure relationships (as does our Lord), so this part is especially meaningful for them and for us.

After getting reacquainted with each other, we presented them with the supplies we brought over with us. If you donated supplies to the widows this year (Susan, Sarah, Melissa & others), THANK YOU! The women were incredibly blessed by everything and wanted us to express their gratitude for all you have done for them. They prayed that you would be blessed in return. The loads of material, yarn, thread, knitting needles, crochet hooks, buttons, and other accessories were met with more singing and dancing, along with shouts of joy and praise.

Boy, has the Widow's Program grown! It sounds like there are nearly 150 women who have graduated from the program so far. Their product line is quite extensive now and includes bracelets and necklaces, shirts for kids, along with the aprons, place mats, and other great products they were selling before. Each of the women are taught about finances, how to manage their money, and all have a bank acount where they deposit their earnings. Some of the profit also goes back to the Widow's Program itself, where they can then invest in other women or even take out loans. It has changed the lives of many women in Malawi and has really made a difference in the entire village of Mtsiliza. Monica, a special acknowledgement was given to you from the widows. They remember you clearly and are thankful for you to this day because of how you helped start the widow's program several years ago. Your work continues and many have been blessed by it. :o)

After our joyful time with the widows, we were able to meet up with our COTN sponsored kids and take them to lunch. What a huge blessing for all of us! We were shocked to see how much "our" kids had grown in the past two years but know that is just a sign of how well-cared for they are at COTN. We were able to give them some goodies like clothing, school supplies, and some toys and candy, and I brought a special hand-made teddy bear for Violet that she just adored. Shannon, Edwin got to come with us as well and loved his backpack filled with goodies. We had a wonderful time with the kids but it sure went fast! Much too fast...

Last night, the team got to go to dinner with Henry and his family. We had a great time of fellowship and some delicious food. I love Malawi chicken and their produce here is so fresh and delicious, you just wouldn't believe it! I could surely live on the food they prepare regularly. As we speak, I am snacking on some fresh roasted and salted ground nuts (peanuts) which are better than any you can get in the States.

Early this morning (very early), we were up for a nice bus ride down to Blantyre. Michael, you will be happy to know there were no goats or chickens! The restroom was interesting but there will be more on that tomorrow.

Thanks so much for your prayers! There are some interesting political things going on here so please pray with us about that. We love this country and her people but things have changed since the lat time we were here. More on that later too.

Sending lots of love and blessings your way,

Pam

Ready to Roll!

2011-07-16T07:02:00.000-07:00

Well, today is the big day! Cindy and I packed all our big suitcases last weekend. Thankfully, we received enough funds so we can take lots of extra fabric and supplies for the widows and kids. My dentist graciously donated FIVE CASES of toothpaste so we will be helping many Malawians keep their teeth clean. Today is just for putting my personal items in a suitcase and spending some time with the fam before heading to the airport at 4:30pm. We are very excited!

Thursday, Cindy and I were fortunate enough to get to have lunch with our friend and term partner in Malawi, Maribeth Leineke (see MB's blog linked to mine). She is home for a brief summer visit before going back to Malawi. She gave us some of the inside scoop of what we will see, new team members that we will meet, places we will go, etc. Needless to say, it got me even more fired up to go on this trip! God is on the move in Malawi and it is such a privilege to be a part of it. These past several years have been orchestrated beautifully and countless people have been helped because of the support of people like you. Cindy and I get to physically go and see what is going on first-hand, but we could never do it without your support. So let me take this opportunity to assure you that you are part of something much BIGGER than supporting little 'ole me to go to Africa. You are changing lives. Some day, I pray that you will get to see it for yourself or meet someone whose life has been changed for the better because of the support you have given. It really does make a difference in the world.

Some of you have asked about a schedule while we are gone so here is a brief schedule of our time in Malawi:

* Saturday, July 16, 2011 -- Depart from Sacramento at 7:30 pm
* Sunday, July 17, 2011 -- Travel Day
* Monday, July 18, 2011 -- Arrive in Lilongwe, visit kids
* Tuesday, July 19, 2011 -- Visit kids & widows
* Wednesday, July 20, 2011 -- 1/2 day travel to Blantyre via bus
* Thursday, July 21, 2011 thru Wednesday, July 27, 2011 -- Visit the Montessori school, the Chikondi disability center, the pediatric wards at Queen's hospital, and put on VBS for street kids and for the STEKA children's home
* Thursday, July 28, 2011 -- 1/2 day travel to Lilongwe via bus
* Friday, July 29, 2011 -- Depart Malawi
* Saturday, July 30, 2011 -- Arrive home in Sacramento at 4:45pm

Like usual, the days are quite packed but it's all with good stuff! We would appreciate any prayers you can say for us, especially on those travel days. As most of you know by now, travel in Africa is... how do I say it... rough(!). The roads aren't great, the vehicles can be questionable, and you just never know what you might run into. Literally. So we would appreciate any extra prayers on those days.

We are hoping to have Internet access upon occasion while we are traveling, so keep an eye on my blog for updates. I am anticipating updating a few times for you so you know that we are alive and well and maybe post a story or two.

Thank you again for everything! I look forward to being with you again soon and sharing pictures.

Much love,

~ Pam

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27

Amazed

2011-06-29T05:12:00.001-07:00

I find it hard to believe that just two short months ago, our preparation for this trip began. I honestly believed that I wasn't going to go back to Malawi for several years. Then, when this opportunity came up, there were a lot of barriers. Of course, there were the issues with the trip cost. That was inhibitive in itself! But there were also a lot of process changes at the church that sincerely made me wonder if we were going to be able to go. But I am continuously amazed at how God breaks through barriers. When He desires something to be done, it just can't be stopped! There is no doubt in my mind that Cindy and I are supposed to go on this trip. It is obvious because only He could have broken down those barriers and made the trip possible.

Here are a couple of other things that are amazing:

* Cindy and I had our garage sale on Saturday, June 18th and raised $952!!! That sincerely blows me away becausewe didn't have any "big ticket" items. We had lots of smaller items, clothes, books, CDs/DVDs, and knick-knacks. Many thanks to those of you who donated to our garage sale. We had a steady stream of people ALL day long, we had some GREAT helpers (Elisa, Francine, Dave & Ron), and we sold a TON of stuff. We were blessed by the outcome.

* What really bakes my noodle is that we are 100% funded for our trip!!!!! WOW!!! We are two weeks out and are 100% funded! Agin, that just blows my mind. I am so grateful for all of the financial support received for this trip. We should even have enough to get an additional couple suitcases to Malawi. What an amazing gift!

I don't know why I doubt sometimes. I guess that's part of our human nature but I sure wish I could be more faith-filled. I know that God doesn't have to give me every little thing I want. I am not like a child who can ask for any toy or trinket and expect God to fulfill my desires like a genie in a bottle. But He is so faithful to give us what we need. Philippians 4:19 tells us that "My God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." That is so very true.

This trip to Malawi is about shining light into dark places, bringing hope to many who are hopeless, and giving love to many who feel unloved and alone. That is what Jesus is all about and I am amazed to get to go back to Malawi to participate in that mission. And you all will be there with me. Through your garage sale donations, financial donations, prayers, and support, we will all be on mission in Malawi together. Thank you for your generosity. You truly amaze and inspire me.

All my love,

~ Pam

Time is Flying!

2011-06-01T19:54:00.000-07:00

Hi, friends!

As we get closer to our departure date (just over six weeks away), I find myself getting even more excited about going back to Malawi. The below report from Maribeth is one of the reasons why.

Maribeth is one of our partners in Malawi. She and Kelsey room together and serve together. The following account seriously gave me goosebumps and reminded me of why I go to Malawi. Bringing light into these dark places is SOOO important. There are so many hurting little ones out there who need to know that they are loved and matter to the Creator of the universe; that He knew them and loved them before they were even born; that He thinks about them more often than there are grains of sand (Psalm 139).

Reported by Maribeth on May 22, 2011:

"At our church in Blantyre we have a Sunday program for the children who are living and sleeping on the streets of Blantyre. They live on the streets, begging and stealing because their their parents are dead, addicted, crazy or abusive. The streets are very dangerous at night especially. About 20 of them ages 6 to 18 years show up each Sunday and we teach them about God's love and give them Malawian donuts...

"We discovered that one of these little boys was being beaten by older kids, but with a beautiful team effort yesterday, he spent his first night in a lovely home for children, run by a committed Malawian couple. Though they have no real resources themselves, they have 28 children they are raising. 28 children. With all the things I am doing here, nothing was more important then yesterday. Our friend, David saw him being beaten and took him. Once Henry stopped crying, Kelsey gave him a banana. Then our pastor put us all in his car and drove us past the market. I ran and bought clothes and shoes in about 5 minutes, praying for the right sizes. Thanks God, everything a perfect fit.

"We drove to STEKA, which is the Children's Home. He was really scared and distrustful, having been abused like he had. I bathed him, singing to him in Chichewa about Jesus. His body was covered with bug bites, large scars, denoting serious past injuries. We put on his new clothes and sat him in front of the homes TV with the other kids. He watched Jesus children's dance videos (smile) for about an hour and then began playing with the kids outside in the yard. We stayed until the sun was going down and promised him in Chichewa that we would be back today. STEKA is in our neighborhood where we live, a 10 minute walk. We will see Henry today. Most likely he will come to our Malawi Montessori Christian School. Two of the children in this home already do. STEKA is one of the centers we work with through our Africa ABC project. Today, I can't think of another reason I am alive. Really, can't think of another reason to live. Can't think of another thing to give my life to."

THESE are the types of stories that makes my heart pump! Like Maribeth said, I can't think of another thing to give my life to. And I am so thankful to have you all with me on this journey. I couldn't do it without your support.

Sincerely,

~ Pam

Back to Malawi!

2011-04-28T18:48:00.000-07:00

Muli bwanji, Friends and Family!

Many of you have supported me in past trips to Malawi and I am extremely grateful. Malawi has turned into one of my favorite places in the whole wide world. I am delighted to tell you that I get to go back this July – WOOHOO!!

Our first stop will be in Lilongwe for a couple of days. Lilongwe is where Children of the Nations takes care of our sponsored kids and we will get to visit with them. COTN also has a widow’s program where they help widows in a squatter’s village to create and sell items in the marketplace. These women are filled with unspeakable joy in the midst of great trial and they are an inspiration to us. We will bring them much-needed material and sewing supplies, which will help them to create products and earn money. Please visit www.cotni.org for additional info. about this great organization.

The main purpose for our visit, however, is to spend time with our good friend and Lakeside Term Partner in Malawi, Kelsey Zeigler. Kelsey has been living in Blantyre serving many children in the village of Ndirande, as well as encouraging some of the hurting people in nearby Queen’s Hospital. We will be with Kelsey for ten days. We will bring over additional supplies and will also put on a week long Vacation Bible School for the kids. I must confess, I think the VBS is what has my heart the most excited! It’s so much fun to be surrounded by all those sweet kids, act out some Bible stories, lead the kids in songs and crafts, and just bring light into their often very dark world. These little ones don’t have much luxury at all in their lives and yet they smile so easily with the small things we do for them.

We will be leaving on July 16 and returning on July 30, 2011. Once again, I am seeking your support for this trip. There are four different ways you can help this time:

1. As in previous years, we will be having a garage sale. These are a great way for us to raise money for the trip and are just a lot of fun! The date is Saturday, June 18, 2011 (8am to noon). You can donate items for us to sell or sign up for a two hour timeslot the day of the sale to help us with staffing.

2. You can help provide some of the supplies that we will be taking over with us to Malawi. These include things such as crayons and basic school supplies for the kids (pencils, pens & paper), as well as sewing supplies for the widows (material, yarn, thread, etc.)

3. You can also provide much-needed funds for my trip to Africa. Due to increased travel costs, this is our most expensive trip yet -- airfare alone is over $2,000! Plus, we will be taking over a ton of supplies, which means we will be paying to bring additional suitcases with us. Unfortunately, Southwest doesn’t fly to Africa and they are the only airline where, “Bags fly free”! Fortunately, all donations are tax-deductible and go through Lakeside Church.

4. Most importantly, we would love to have your prayers. I am looking for at least ten people who will commit to pray for me and the team while we are in Malawi.

If you would like to support us with Option 1 or 2, feel free to contact me for more details.
If you would like to support us through Option 3 or 4, you can contact me or use the link here: Click to Donate
We would like to have all commitments in by June 10, 2011.

As you can imagine, I am very excited for our trip to get here! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions about our journey or ways to support it. I will keep you updated on our adventures through emails or you can also check out my blog at http://paminafrica.blogspot.com.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and considering supporting me.

May you be richly blessed,

~ Pam

“Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy.” Psalm 82:3

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 and I will miss the Warm Heart of Africa very much.

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!