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
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