Day 20: Monday, Dec. 19th. THE END OF THE MALAWI TRIP 2011 BLOG.

Plans for Day 20 are chapel service, a visit to ABC clinic on behalf of two friends, Shema and Albino, a visit to Antonio Manda's house to meet his new daughters, meetings with several people on campus, discussions with the faculty, and then finishing our packing. We may or may not have enough fuel to do all of that. We may or may not have electricity to write again before we leave. So...I'll make this the end of the MALAWI TRIP TRAVEL BLOG. I still may be able to add some photos tonight. I will try.

Jon and I realize that we are quite privileged to visit Malawi again, to work beside the good people here with other good people from Puyallup Nazarene. Jon and I think that we are “most blessed” (like Mary was) among couples, to be led by God, used by God and day-by-day changed by God to the glory of Jesus.

THANK YOU, READERS, FOR YOUR COMPANY! MAY YOU HAVE A BLESSED SEASON OF CELEBRATING THE SAVIOR'S BIRTH.

Day 19: Sunday. December 18, 2011. TRAVEL, WORSHIP AND REST.

The Lord's day was wonderfully well spent, beginning with breakfast -- Osage Indian Fried Bread then off to the school where the newly-organized French congregation meets. What a joy to share the experience of visiting this congregation with our dear friend and colleague from Mozambique, Albino Banda. What concern to see him suffering so much from the back injury which affects his walking. The service was led by another “son” of ours, Emmanuel Manirakiza, who is energetic pastor. With French & English songs, Bible readings, testimonies, Jon's preaching and then a time of social fellowship with sodas and fluffy white rolls. I'm so glad we got to go and to share it with Banda, too. It was a blessed time.

We have been conscious of the traveling team members all day – as they were in flight from Nairobi to Amsterdam to Seattle.

SOMETHINGS OLD:

• Enjoyed a “galao”, steamed milk with coffee & sugar, an old-favorite drink from Portugal
• Taking a “Nazy Nap”, a great old practice of ours.
• The list of sightings from our three days of travel, tents and touring is a week “old” but finally typed here: wart hogs galore, impala a.k.a. “some-mores” or “lion lunch”, greater kudo, many water buck (toilet seat mark on rump), one little bush buck, hippos galore, a civet, a genat, nightjars, habada ibis, osprey, open-billed storks (black) spur-winged geese, cattle egrets, lesser-masked weavers, african jacanas, Egyptian geese, dung beetles, lilac-breasted rollers, baboons galore, tree squirrels, mongeese, then on the River Safari: green bee-eaters, red-headed weavers, brown breasted weavers, white-browed weavers, malachite kingfishers, pied kingfishers, giant kingfishers, lot and lots of elephants (3 families at once), lots of hippos & crocs, monitor lizards, saddle-billed storks, goliath herons, great white herons, woodland kingfisher, black-eyed bulbuls, water dikops, green-backed herons, blue swallowtail butterflies, red dragon flies, white-breasted cormorants, lots of vervet monkeys, brown mongeese, yellow-spotted monitors, African snake eagles, tarantula hawk, black & white wagtails, and a blue heron outside the gates.

SOMETHINGS NEW:

• Marquita's fried bread was new & delicious.
• Worshipping in a school simultaneously with six other congregations in other rooms of the school complex was definitely unique. I'd rather hear one song at a time; the audio overlay was sometimes jarring but the experience was definitely creative.

SOMETHINGS BORROWED:  watching the Christmas film “Borrowed Hearts” with Dave & Marquita, the first show we've seen in 3 weeks. Wonder how many movies are folks on the planes are seeing.

SOMETHING BLUE: the five small blue velveteen pillows on the bed we're sleeping on have been on our bed for 20-some years.

AND A PENNY FOR YOUR SHOE: (a scriptural thought to put underfoot): The Day of the Lord is Coming (2 Peter 3:10-12)...the day of the Lord will come as unexpectedly as a thief...[so] what holy and godly lives you shouls live, looking forward to the day of God and hurrying it along.”

Day 18: Saturday. December 17, 2011. PUYALLUP TEAM TAKES LEAVE.

Today was the day of the team's departure. Jon picked up Dr. John & Bruce and their luggage from Obotte's house before breakfast at Moshers with eight of us around the table this time – the 3 from PNC, both Moshers, Scotts and Rev. Albino Banda who stayed resting while the rest of us made our way in two vans to campus. Dave was properly impressed with the “solar light bulb” in the computer lab. We were all impressed to find Mrs. Chantal Banza with a trowel in her hand, repairing the cement work on her front step! Go girl! She said it was her Christmas present to herself!

At the rather small airport in Lilongwe, there was time to get the bags inspected, then wrapped into cellophane cocoon-like bundless to discourage breaking into them during lay-over times at the airports. We had time for one more photo op around tables with coffee and cokes before we huddles for one more prayer together. Then the three from PNC  climbed the stairs to passport control and on to wait for the plane to Nairobi and beyond. 

Obottes were due in on the plane from Nairobi that our PNC team was boarding so Dave & Marquita waited for them while Jon & Margaret went to lunch at the neat little house of newlyweds, Dickson & Stella Bota. What fun to see this happy couple and the pictures from their lovely wedding. Joy!

Back at Moshers', the four of kinda rattled around, missing the other three, but we having great visits with Gift Magoli, an NTCCA grad finishing a teaching certificate at Emmanuel Teacher Training College and Albino Banda. Dave Mosher was still on some other time-clock so stayed up to talk about future options for bachelor's levels coursework on this campus.

SOMETHINGS OLD:

• Saying “good-bye” to loved ones is a much-repeated, too often?-repeated activity among us.
• Hearing Dickson Bota continue to describe the educational goal he has had for several years – PhD in Curriculum Design & Instruction. Hmmm, wonder who influenced him...
• Getting news from old friends in Mozambique was good to receive but also of concern because there are several young people ill.

SOMETHINGS NEW:

• Bruce bought one more thing as he left – a pretty cool t-shirt with a little Malawian map on the hip and “muzungu” (white man) across the chest! I think it was navy blue...
• A freshly cleaned chicken from Mungure's chicken coop – to make chicken cachetori (sp?) for supper.

SOMETHINGS BORROWED:

• We “borrowed” a bag allotment of Moma's in order to send one of big suitcases back with the team to Seattle instead of taking it to Boston, then cross-country.

SOMETHINGS BLUE: It seemed the three leaving were dressed in blue – Moma's royal blue pantsuit, Dr. John's light blue plaid shirt and blue jeans, carrying the giraffes wrapped in a blue shirt. Maybe Bruce didn't wear blue, but those of us who were saying good-bye were also “blue” because they were leaving us. Godspeed, good people.

AND A PENNY FOR YOUR SHOE: (a scriptural thought to put underfoot): Luke 1:67-70 “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and redeemed His people. He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of His servant David, just as He promised through His holy prophets long ago.”

Day 17. Friday. December 16, 2011. MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE. A DAY OF CLOSURE.

In the morning, Marquita took Bruce and Margaret to the campus for the student final presentations of the computer course and found a chapel service going on, and Jon took Dr. John to a service at Four Seasons nursery with fantasic music, powerful preaching by Eugene Chununga in which about a quarter of the workers present accepted the Lord. Then Jon and Dr. John met Charles Mungure at the Ministry of Agriculture, first listening to them present their projects, went to them to lunch at city center, then they went to the Office of Game Management to find out about the exportation of the giant beetles.

At mid-day Marquita went to pick up Dave, and Jo and Margaret stayed at the house to pack and prepare for supper for everyone. So...the supper hour was the only occasion that Dave was with the visitors of Puyallup Team. Then the evening fellowship (around candles as the electricity was off from 3:00-10:00 p.m.) was magnified by the arrival of Rev. Albino Banda, one of the very first co-laborers we met in Mozambique when we arrived at the Bible College there – May 2000. He is quite strickened with what probably is a pinched sciatic nerve yet he spent the whole day in painful public transit to get to us before Moma left. What love & dedication. Others for whom he has a special place are John & Carol Fillmore and Arla Jeanne & Jim Buchanan. We hope to connect him with proper treatment here.

Later at Obottes' house, Dr. John received an e-mail that "blessed his socks off". The pastor of the church in the refugee camp, was able to install a "solar light bulb" in his grass-roofed house and the neighbors loved it and want him to install for them. Such an appropriate Christmas mission -- light into darkness. Halleluja! What a day for us!

SOMETHINGS OLD:

• The preaching of a third year student who we knew as a first year – the old, old story – that Christ died in our place.
• Found the two envelopes with money that went missing two weeks ago – hurray! The two weeks seemed quite long so it was an “old” situation
• The brother/son/coleague relationship we have with Rev. Albino Banda from Tete. Had we been able to get to the place of our first missionary assignment in 1974, we would have met him as a child, yet we met him as a recent graduate and have been close to him ever since.

SOMETHINGS NEW:

• New Christians born today at Four Seasons!
• New contacts started at the Ministry of Agriculture.

SOMETHINGS BORROWED: Energy from candles rather than electric lights – for many hours.

SOMETHINGS BLUE: The navy blue skirts on school girls walking to school down Ufulu Road.

AND A PENNY FOR YOUR SHOE: (a scriptural thought to put underfoot): Based on the life of Joseph (OT), God is looking for people to lift up and use mightily. We don't serve our bosses, we serve God and live to please Him.

Day 16: Thursday. December 15, 2011. ADVENT SCRIPTURE & CHRISTMAS GIFTS.

Our community chapel service was sweet -- composed of Advent readings, and hymns, remarks by Bruce, Dr. John and Marquita. We then focused on each faculty family for pictures and Christmas presents . Bruce proctored two sessions of the computer final and then all six of us went to the Lilemas' house for a tasty lunch. He is the Academic Dean who lives in the house on campus where Jon & Margaret lived for 3.5 years and Marquita and Dave for 7 months. It was a pleasure to be there.

We had leftovers for supper. They also were tasty!

SOMETHINGS OLD:

• Singing centuries old Advent and Christmas hymns
• A huge carton of video cassettes of some classic films – to Marquita's office

SOMETHINGS NEW:

• The ladies went to the artisians by Burko to go giraffe shopping, and ended up buying nine new, cute, small carved animals.
• New credit voucher purchased to top up the internet service in the Mosher house.
• My second phone interview with an NGO I respect.

SOMETHINGS BORROWED: We “borrowed” tape, foam and cardboard from Marquita to wrap Jo's chief chair for traveling.

SOMETHING BLUE: A hugh blue truck cab turning into onto the road at Kanengo Junction came so close to where we were waiting to turn onto the highway that we kept watching it. Good thing – that kept us from the intersection when another car ran a red light. We would have been broad-sided.

AND A PENNY FOR YOUR SHOE: (a scriptural thought to put underfoot): “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!...For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me, He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear Him” (Luke 1:47-50)

Day 15: Wednesday. December 14, 2011. ELEPHANTS AND ELEGANCE.

Such a special day. It started by picking up Bruce & Dr. John a bit earlier to set up before chapel hour the fancy data projector he has been using in the computer lab for me to share about our amazing trip to China in June. I shared about “elephants”, the African fable about the gentle elephant in the village of the blind, (have you heard that?) and the “elephant in the room” in all the world – China. I shared how the Church in China intends to reach Mecca with the Gospel.

The big challenge of the day was acquiring diesel for our van. It didn't happen. Maybe tomorrow. The three men of our team left college early to go to the men's Bible study at John Sprowson's which all three love. Fourteen professionals gathered to share a meal and Scripture study. Then Bruce and Dr. John figured out how to pack all their sculptures (and more). At suppertime the six of us went back to John and Les Sprowson's house for a Christmas social with women from the Bible study group which was so important to Margaret. The ladies had prayed her through a whole series of illnesses and injuries during the 2+ years of meeting weekly and were happy to hear that this year was not fraught with these maladies. Sprowsons are remarkable friends and hosts. We had an ELEGANT and delightful evening while munching on “savories” and “sweeties” that ladies had taken. What a fellowship! What a joy divine!

SOMETHINGS OLD:

• Dear friends at the Christmas social
• China – ancient and modern at the same time – shown in the slides in the chapel service.

SOMETHINGS NEW:

• Having our mom get to spend times with most of our best friends here – those in the Bible study groups.
• Having a phone interview from the States for a job I'd like to have.

SOMETHINGS BORROWED:

• The solar light bulb smiling sunshine from the zinc-roof into the computer lab. = ) It borrows sunlight from above and diffuses within the room.

SOMETHINGS BLUE: I do like birds that are blue but none is more beautiful than the lilac-breasted rollers who sit on the power lines on Ufulu Road and the N1 out to school showing off their colors – turquoise head and belly with lilac and other pastel bands – they look like God hand-painted each one of them. We saw several today.

AND A PENNY FOR YOUR SHOE: (a scriptural thought to put underfoot): “...how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?” Romans 10:14.

Day 14: Tuesday. December 13, 2011. FULL DAY ON CAMPUS.

Marquita stayed to work at home, while the other five of us spent the day on campus, Bruce and Dr. John teaching and demonstrating to students, Jon organizing finances and fuel, & Margaret meeting with Academic Council about issues for the degree completion programs from Kenya and South Africa. The highlight was table fellowship at the yummy lunch of very fresh chicken – from their lot – at Charles and Moline Mungure's house, hearing them share about God's provision and leading, especially relating to their daughter, Praise. She is in Kenya at Africa Nazarene University studying to be a lawyer and was helped through a crisis through Oak Harbor Church of the Nazarene on our home district. Another highlight was installing of the “solar light bulb” (2-liter plastic bottle filled with water and disinfectant) secured in a hole cut in the tin roofs to brighten them in the daylight hours.

Back at Marquita's for supper we had a spaghetti, wacky cake, mangos then a packing party!

SOMETHINGS OLD:

• Sigh, a medium sized box of slides awaits sorting. It is a box packed in Romania and never opened in Africa (11 years). Yet the slides near the top are from Coimbra where we opened the work of the Church of the Nazarene there in 1975...wonder what treasures might be seen there.
• It was “like old times” meeting with the Academic Council, discussing options, and planning the next steps. I really appreciate the faculty that was present -- Joe Lilema, Charles Mungure, Pierre Banza and Chinsinsi Phiri -- as well as the faculty who were not there -- Dave & Marquita Mosher and Wellington Obotte. Very dedicated people.

SOMETHINGS NEW:

• The new cement bridge into the prayer garden is almost completed. Thanks, Pastor Wantua, for your work.
• Marquita's receipt for spaghetti sauce is new to us. She puts marjoram, thyme, rosemary & sweet basil, a lot of garlic in it which makes it very unique and delicious.
• Wow, I was surprised by a request for a phone interview at a place I'd like to work. They'll call me tomorrow. =)

SOMETHING BORROWED:  The solar light bulb “borrows” sunlight from above and difuses it within the room, smiling sunshine from the zinc-roof into the computer lab. = )

SOMETHING BLUE: The funny little sky-blue bellied waxwings "birdlets" make me laugh. They play together in puddles and chitter-chatter as if they were really “talking” up a storm.

 

AND A PENNY FOR YOUR SHOE: (a scriptural thought to put underfoot) Pastor Wantua Kaponda's text: Rev. 3:7b-8. “This is the message from the one who is holy and true; the one who has the key of David. What he opens, no one can close; and what he closes, no one can open. I know all the things you do, and I have opened a door for you that no one can close. You have little strength, yet you obeyed my Word and did not deny me.”

Day 13: Monday. December 12, 2011. CAMPUS TEAM / HOME TEAM.

Back in Lilongwe since last night, we organized our time quite differently than usual – we split into two groups for the whole day. The men went to the NTCCA campus, to chapel, classes, trouble-shooting and projects. Bruce, in fact, taught morning and afternoon sessions, then did an evening tutoring session with two young people who couldn't attend day sessions. The ladies stayed all day at Marquita's to catch up on housework and cooking. She received word from her husband that he was denied boarding to his flight from Atlanta to South Africa because he didn't have a whole page left in his passport (onto which to stamp the visa from SA). He has to get a new passport – expedited.

SOMETHINGS OLD:

• Foods from “old” eating habits. Haddock fish fillets, like we had for lunch, are a favorite thing for many years – since our time in Portugal – and peanut butter sandwiches for supper.
• Doing laundry, working around power outages.

SOMETHINGS NEW:

• Green salad with oil and lemon juice instead of vinegar in the dressing. A new twist.
• Ladies – spending a whole day around the house. We didn't go out once.

SOMETHINGS BORROWED:

• I am going to borrow a blue object from Saturday that Bruce helped me recall – blue swallowtail butterflies on the bank of the Shire River. Dr. John says our American swallowtails are yellow or white (with black).

SOMETHINGS BLUE:

• “Blue Monday” – isn't that a saying? Monday seemed rather blue today. Marquita wasn't feeling well.

AND A PENNY FOR YOUR SHOE: (a scriptural thought to put underfoot) “At the sound of Mary's greeting, Elizabeth's child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, 'God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored that the mother of my Lord should visit me?” Luke 1:41-42.

Day 12: SAFARI! Sunday. December 11, 2011

MUFASA. Lapping water of the Monkey Bay of Lake Malawi provided a soft-spoken awakening at the back-packing camp -- very early for some of us, later for others. Mangos, apples and peanut butter sandwiches made up our breakfast – a kind of tail-gate experience as we stood around the van to eat. With three elders among the six of us (!) we conducted our own worship service of favorite Bible readings, songs of praise and prayer in an outdoor shelter where the Creator's handiwork was the chief décor.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN...we arrived early back to the wood-carvers near the cutoff for the old road to Monkey Bay, but one had stayed up almost all night to produce two stylish 3-ft high giraffes that we ordered the day before. Nice work. He also had fashioned a sculpture with a little Adam & Eve, animals two-by-two, two coins – all within a large open hand. He told us that all of that God controls, hence, the name, “Hand of God”. The “order” Dr. John put in for giant beetles, didn't, however, work out so well. “Big” or “giant” is relative, I guess. The ones they found were about 1/3 the size of those he's seeking. So we left contact information and a hope that the big ones would be found when it rained.

The Mua mission shoppes were closed on Sunday BUT the steward opened them for us to buy things and we bought several very unique items, different carvings from the ones we usually see in Lilongwe. Of course, all that we bought may not fit into our suitcases now...

The day ended with a quick visit to Livingstonia Beach, with a quick dip by Jon, and ice-filled glasses of Sprite (focus on ice), then a visit to Pastor Wantua's wife at Salima Church of the Nazarene and the two-hour trip into the dusk then dark to Lilongwe. Our Sunday supper was french-toast with syrup made from the fresh mangoes we bought near the mission. A special treat had been the joy on the boy's face when we gave him a fairly new 100 Kwacha note (about 50 cents). He showed happily to his friends. We're not sure he had seen one before. The bills in the village tend to be old, worn and dirty.

SOMETHINGS OLD:

• One of our first sightings today was the centuries' old task of drawing water. Young men drew it from the lake then lifted it high to pour it into the tanks for the gravity to pull it through the water system for the “ablution blocks” (restrooms) which were decorated with tiled mosaic animals (also an old thing).
• We redid the “old” half-day trip that Scotts would make every couple of months: Sunday a.m. church, drive to Ice Cream Den in Salima for quarter chicken & chips, and an ice cream sundae.
• “Hawking” (the peddling of wares) is an old scheme for selling – to tourists who sit at restaurants. The “hawks” didn't miss us. We all ended up with new baskets from the old trade!

SOMETHINGS NEW:

• The wonderfully creative wood carvings that we acquired.
• Sipping Sprite from ice-filled tumblers on Livingstonia beach.
• Looking for a new hat from Jon as he, unfortunately, left his other one in the changing room at the beach.
• I think all of us except Jon, the driver, ended up carrying new acquisitions on our laps.

SOMETHINGS BORROWED:

• We borrowed the semi-circular area under the reed shelter where backpackers slept in sleeping bags to make it our temporary sanctuary for morning worship.

SOMETHINGS BLUE:

• The bright turquoise tail of the lizard on the walk at the mission station.
• The royal blue choir robes on the many singers walking from the church along the road.

AND A PENNY FOR YOUR SHOE: (a scriptural thought to put underfoot) “All heaven declares the glory of the Risen Lord. Who can compare, with the beauty of the Lord. Forever He will be, the Lamb upon the throne. I gladly bow the knee and worship Him alone!”

Day 11: December 10, 2011. SAFARI! From Mvuu Camp to Mafusa Camp at Monkey Bay

At Mvuu Camp in Liwondi National Park, Bruce & Dr. John started the day at 5:30 a.m. with walking tour at the part of the camp across the river from our chalets. They hoped to spot a couple of giant beetles but they “only” ended up seeing lots of elephants. They joined us for a healthy breakfast, then we spent two hours on a “boat safari”. With our guide named Jimmy, we had many great sightings. (See my list below.) There were no other guests to come into our chalets so we got to rest and shower before lunch, and that break gave Bruce and Dr. John a chance to talk with the General Manager of all the Mvuu facilities and the Maintenance Director about pertinent subjects for planning future visits and gave us ladies time to check out the items in the gift shop (that included handcrafts from Dzeleka Refugee Camp that we visited Sunday!

SOMETHINGS OLD:

• “Mvuu” means “hippo” & there are MANY to see. This is not new but also it never gets old to hear them and see them. They are remarkable animals, great mothers to their young.
• Seeing lots of bright yellow weaver birds chatting noisely in and around their colonies of spherical nets that the males build and the females may approve of and move in or tear them apart!
• Playing “Yahzee” while we waited for supper to be prepared.

SOMETHINGS NEW:

• Watching the antics of 7-10 vervet monkeys playing up, down & around the marrula and palm trees and on the roofs of our tent chalets. How we laughed! They showed us what “monkeying around” means!
• Meeting with the Field Director of “Help Malawi”, hearing about the sustainable projects of this NGO headquartered in Chagrin Falls, OH, hometown of our daughter-in-law, Kate!
• Being able to purchase diesel fuel for our return trip from Mvuu Lodge. Wonderful. Kept us from the long, long time-consuming”queues” (lines) of vehicles everywhere.
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• Eating cleaver-chapped chicken in stew at Mafusa backpacker camp where we stayed.
• Passing by many newly constructed mosques south of Mangoche, then visiting “old friends” (NTCCA graduates) at the oldest Church of the Nazarene in Malawi (Mangoche) and hearing that they are planting five churches from the mother church. Praise God! (see photo below)



First Church (building) of the Church of the Nazarene in Malawi -- Mangoche -- pastored by Dennis & Mary Kalua.

SOMETHINGS BORROWED:

• Marquita and Margaret tried to “borrow” any extra space possible as they were stationed in the third seat of the van, one which definitely qualifies as a “rumple seat”. =)

SOMETHINGS BLUE:

• Watching the navy blue seat covers and light blue shirts of Bruce and Jon in the front seats of the van – a sight viewed for MANY kilometers.
• The bright blue wrap-around skirts of the Presbyterian church ladies filing homeward down the rural highway from their church after their ladies meetings.

AND A PENNY FOR YOUR SHOE: (a scriptural thought to put underfoot) Psalms 121: I look up to the mountains – does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”

LIST OF SIGHTINGS -- to be added! See Day 19.

Day 10: Friday, Dec. 9, 2011. SAFARI! From Lilongwe to Liwonde National Park

The six of us packed into backpacks for our safari by van from Lilongwe, through Salima, stopping at roadsides and Monkey Bay to the Mvuu Camp northern boat entrance where we did the 5-minute cross-over the Shire River which slices through Liwonde National Park. High on our pirioties were 1) meeting along the way with Malawians who could capture live Goliath beetles, 2) finding and observing Malawian craftsmen, 3) checking out accomodations for Saturday night, and 4) getting safely to the Mvuu Lodge in time for the 4:00-7:00 p.m. night drive. We accomplished all 4 points of the day's mission. But the team of staff and students we left on campus was inhibited by the truck which wouldn't start so we think that the bricks and cement needed for the projects on campus may not have been acquired. We were sorry for the frustration of our friends, there on campus, but glad for the success of the night drive. The highlight was undoubtedly the confrontation between a small herd of impala and a civet, (a small, striped wild cat) crouching in a gully. We had never heard impalas nervously click warnings to each other. The wart hogs high tailed it from the scene as soon as they caught wind of the civet but the curious impalas advanced undaunted. The civet slunk away. End of the 15 minute conflict. Too cool! 

The slinking civet

I'm stuck on the bridal chant, "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a penny for my shoe".... here goes again.

SOMETHINGS OLD:

-- Going to the ATM near Marquita's to get more cash before we left town
-- Stopping for ice cream at the Ice Cream Den in Salima and finding none yet ready. Too bad.
-- Being scrunched up in a van -- our van with 6 of us + backpacks, plenty of filtered water & insect nets.
-- Having the guide named Jimmy for our safari. We liked him so much last year with Eugne 1st team.

-- Falling into the comfortable beds in the eco-friendly tents after showers in the solar-heated water system, extremely fatigued but extremely grateful for the blessing of being there.

SOMETHINGS  NEW:

-- Meeting skilled, enthusiastic wood carvers and optomistic beetle hunters at the cut-off for the old road to Monkey Bay
-- Checking out the back-packers camp on an inlet of Monkey Bay, eating cheese, onion & tomato sandwiches there & deciding to return to stay on Saturday night. Mafusa Lodge.
-- Using a red laser spotlight on the night drive instead of white or yellow, but spotting little after dark except for the civet and a few nightjars.


Our guide, Jimmy -- excellent knowledge and spirit.



-- NOT hearing the noisey, honking, snorting hippos all night from the river.




SOMETHINGS  BORROWED:

-- Faces sweaty from the heat of the trip, Moma and I borrowed wash cloths from the lodge to clean up  before supper. (Like MANY European & African accomodations, there are no wash cloths in the bedrooms.)

SOMETHINGS  BLUE:

-- The blue waters of Lake Malawi at Monkey Bay and of the smaller Lake Malombe.
-- The lovely deep blue flowers of an unknown variety on the climbing vines at Mufasa.
-- The grey-blue shadow at sundown of the mountains across the Shire.

AND A PENNY FOR YOUR SHOE: (a scriptural thought to put under your foot!)
-- "This is my Father's world, and to my listening ears, all nature sings and 'round me rings,
     the music of the spheres."

Day 9: December 8. 2011. Thursday. All around campus at NTCCA.

Our morning routine is for Marquita, Jo, Jon and I to eat breakfast rather independently, then leave the house at 7:05 a.m., drive 5 minutes to the Obottes to pick up Bruce and John, then drive north to the NTCCA campus for chapel at 7:30. We pack up filtered water for the whole day, give thanks that we are going out of town instead of into town because long lines of vehicles are coming towards us.

Jon's chapel message had multiple verses from Isaiah 40, “Comfort, comfort my people, speak tenderly to Jerusalem Tell her that her sad days are gone...Listen It's the voice of someone shouting, 'Clear the way...[remove obstacles] for the Lord...to visit His people”. Jesus came. He is coming again!

Two important e-mails influenced our mission today – Dave Mosher's approval of some small projects the guys want to undertake, and Dr. Rodney Reed's blessing on the computer course being taught for credit in South Africa. What a jam-packed day!

SOMETHINGS OLD.

• A pleasant return to a routine of working alongside students and gardeners for development of small projects.
• Almost finishing to sorting of things-still-left, including folders of scrapbook items from the Mostellers (1975), opening of the work in Coimbra, others about Romania & Mozambique. Quite a stroll down memory lane. We'll have to bring those things home with us.
• Tossing 7/8 of the old stuff saved!

• SOMETHINGS NEW.

• Taking Moma to visit to the eight primary classrooms, the nursery and the pre-school. Snapping pix of each rambuctious class of students calling “Cheese” to my camera.
• All three of us Scotts visiting the home of Emmanuel Manirakiza and Shema for a precious time of fellowship with them and their young sons, Gabrielle and Michael (angels!).

SOMETHINGS BORROWED.

• I asked students from Dr. John's class to loan me their mosquito nets for them to use them to hunt beetles. I returned new ones to them at the end of the day.

SOMETHING BLUE.

• The little blue generator producing enough electricity to power the projector for Bruce's class and the modem for internet on campus. Go Little Blue!

AND A PENNY FOR YOUR SHOE.

• This “penny” is a scriptural thought to put underfoot today: Jon's closing selection, Isaiah 61:1, 2 which Jesus quotes: “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me for the Lord has anoited me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed...the time of the Lord's favor has come”.

Day 8: December 7. 2011. Wednesday.

It's a great blessing to be in chapel every morning at the college, and to have Jon preaching Jesus so powerfully from Old Testament passages, Isaiah 8 & 9, today. I intended to walk Moma through the private school classrooms but I felt sick – head & neck – so we laid low in the morning. The three men dropped us off at Marquita's where we made lunch, supper and took naps. The men thoroughly enjoyed the Bible study at our friend, John Sprowson's house. They made reservations for safari, then we all went to Old Town Mall to admire the beautifully crafted Malawian sculptures and other handicrafts.

SOMETHINGS OLD.

• Memories of Jon's second stroke at the Old Town Mall – when our friends, the Goods, jumped up and surrounded him in prayer straightaway and Dr. Corey from the men's Bible study drove to check him out. That was April 2008.
• Shopping for hardware at Shop Rite (a South African supermarket chain).
  SOMETHINGS NEW.

• Marquita fixed sauted rape greens with onions & tomato. Yummy.
• It's new for our visitors to have to pay for everything in cash.

SOMETHINGS BORROWED.

• Maybe we didn't borrow today. I can't think of anything!

SOMETHING BLUE.  I sat under a shade tree by the Admin building and enjoyed watching the campus gardeners in their blue overalls, trimming scrubs and hauling trash. They're my friends. They watch out for me. One of them killed the little rabid dog that bit me a couple of years ago. If he hadn't have done that, I'm not sure I would have gone to the doctor to get the shots. I'm forever grateful!

AND A PENNY FOR YOUR SHOE. This “penny” is a scriptural thought to put underfoot today: “For unto us a Child is born, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders [so be it].” Isaiah 9:6.

Day 7: December 6. 2011. Tuesday. Campus all day.

Today started with Jon's sermon in chapel on Isaiah 6 & 7, the promise of Jesus first and second comings, our need to be found pure by His touch. The team led the chapel crowd in singing “O Come, O Come Emmanual”. The day was composed of classes morning and afternoon, lunch with Chantall & Pierre Banza, borvorst & vegetarian pizzas supper at Pizza Inn, and food shopping.

SOMETHINGS OLD.

• Boxes of old personal stuff left by Scotts a year ago, dusty and mostly unwanted. Fooey! I thought we only had stuff like this Stateside now.
• Persistent power outages at the college made us run the generator all day long. That gets old very quickly.
• Scotts' set of Corellware on the table at Banzas'. Fun!

SOMETHINGS NEW.

• A visit to the Banzas' home on campus for precious fellowship at lunch: Pierre, Chantal, and their four daughters Gloria (12), Emilia (10), Joy Grace (5) and Olivia. They shared their testimonies of God's calling, His leading, the challenges and the blessings. Praise God!
• New ideas galore from Bruce and Dr. John.

SOMETHINGS BORROWED.

• Dr. John borrowed the little Acer netbook we brought to show his students a Power Point presentation on the Goliath beetles of Africa which may become a new type of farming!

SOMETHING BLUE.

• The blue recliner in Banzas' living room that Jon and I bought during the first furlough in Quincy (1990-1992) which we through on the container going to Romania, then it shipped to Mozambique, then to our house on campus in Malawi to their house!

AND A PENNY FOR YOUR SHOE.

• This “penny” is a scriptural thought to put underfoot today: Pierre & Chantal's attitude: “Nevertheless not as I will, but as You will.” (Matt. 26:39)

Day 6. December 5. 2011. Monday. First Day of Classes.

Excitement was high! Chaplain Chinsinsi preached on the daughters who challenged the mosaic law by asking for their father's inheritance. Their request changed the laws of inheiritance! We sometimes may be led to challenge the system, the status quo, to do something outside of our experience, to think in new ways as new classes begin.

Bruce had 11 students ready to be taught by him! Dr. John had 6 diploma level students to lead in adventure learning! Jo found dozens of good books to read at the library. Jon sat in on computer class to trouble shoot. Supper fellowship around South African borworst was joyful and prayerful as we remembered the Mosher family in Kansas saying their earthly good-byes to Mother Mosher.

SOMETHINGS OLD.

• The lively African choruses are an old familiar treat to start the day.
• The rose and purple African skies of sunrise and sunset have been famous for a long time.

SOMETHINGS NEW.

• The classes!
• South African sausage (borworst) was new to the team of three and appreciated.

SOMETHING BORROWED.

• We actually borrow many things a day from Moshers as we have few personal items here.

SOMETHING BLUE.

• The windows of the chapel on campus are blue verigated glass.

AND A PENNY FOR YOUR SHOE.

• This “penny” is a scriptural thought to put underfoot today on this day of mourning with the Moshers: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears.” II Kings 26:5