Time to Say Tionana!

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

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!

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...

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!

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!

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