Saturday, June 23, 2012
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Friday, June 15, 2012
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Soon Home!
Karen here:
Hi Everyone,
In a matter of hours, the team will be home. It was really hard saying goodbye to our MCM kids and for me, to our team as we parted ways and they flew home. Right now I'm in Cape Town enjoying two days with my parents.
It was a fabulous trip all around and many memories have been made both for our team and our friends in Malawi. Thank you for all your support and for making this possible.
Love and blessings,
Karen
Monday, April 5, 2010
Monday Afternoon...really!
Karen here:
It's Monday afternoon and we have an hour's break between MCM and our last hospital visit. Yesterday morning was a great celebration of the resurrection at Blantyre Baptist followed by a pizza and ice cream lunch. We then joined Ken's youth group for a short meeting and then headed off to the hospital. We visited the Baby Ward, Children's Ward for trauma (lots of brain injured kids) and then the Malnutrition Ward. The last was the hardest as it was overflowing - probably 50-60 little kids, largely babies, severely malnourished and weak. It was tough on our kids as they saw a sea of faces and were powerless to do very much. We ran out of supplies toward the end and felt frustrated that we couldn't give to everyone. It's hard realizing that one can touch a few, but tomorrow there will be several hundred more in need. Poverty is rife and it's easy to feel disheartened. On the other hand we are seeing the benefit of love, care and nutrition for the 150 MCM kids who are thriving as they receive a few meals a week and some TLC!
On another note, there are moments on these trips that are definitely unforgettable. Last night presented another of those moments. As I was getting ready for bed just after 9:30pm, there was a huge tropical rainstorm. The water was gushing, it started to thunder and then lightning struck. I was a little startled by the sound, but decided the next best thing was to put my head under my pillow and go to sleep. Before I could do that, there was a knock at the door and Ana and Lisa ran into my room and dove onto my bed terrified. We shut the door for about 20 seconds before Melissa and Sarah burst in and also dove on to my bed...and that was followed 2 minutes later by Hannah and Sidney along with Miss Doyle (who had been reading in their room) who all jumped onto my bed as well...Yes, there were 8 of us on the bed...all the girls looking very sweet in their PJ's and retainers. The lights went out and with that another rap at the door and the remaining 4 girls arrived screaming that they were in the dark and had lost their power. I think had they had sleeping bags all of them would have been on my floor for the night, but things settled outside and they returned to their rooms within a half hour or so. I guess a mommy's work is never done - but it was a fun moment of girl bonding!
It's Monday afternoon and we have an hour's break between MCM and our last hospital visit. Yesterday morning was a great celebration of the resurrection at Blantyre Baptist followed by a pizza and ice cream lunch. We then joined Ken's youth group for a short meeting and then headed off to the hospital. We visited the Baby Ward, Children's Ward for trauma (lots of brain injured kids) and then the Malnutrition Ward. The last was the hardest as it was overflowing - probably 50-60 little kids, largely babies, severely malnourished and weak. It was tough on our kids as they saw a sea of faces and were powerless to do very much. We ran out of supplies toward the end and felt frustrated that we couldn't give to everyone. It's hard realizing that one can touch a few, but tomorrow there will be several hundred more in need. Poverty is rife and it's easy to feel disheartened. On the other hand we are seeing the benefit of love, care and nutrition for the 150 MCM kids who are thriving as they receive a few meals a week and some TLC!
On another note, there are moments on these trips that are definitely unforgettable. Last night presented another of those moments. As I was getting ready for bed just after 9:30pm, there was a huge tropical rainstorm. The water was gushing, it started to thunder and then lightning struck. I was a little startled by the sound, but decided the next best thing was to put my head under my pillow and go to sleep. Before I could do that, there was a knock at the door and Ana and Lisa ran into my room and dove onto my bed terrified. We shut the door for about 20 seconds before Melissa and Sarah burst in and also dove on to my bed...and that was followed 2 minutes later by Hannah and Sidney along with Miss Doyle (who had been reading in their room) who all jumped onto my bed as well...Yes, there were 8 of us on the bed...all the girls looking very sweet in their PJ's and retainers. The lights went out and with that another rap at the door and the remaining 4 girls arrived screaming that they were in the dark and had lost their power. I think had they had sleeping bags all of them would have been on my floor for the night, but things settled outside and they returned to their rooms within a half hour or so. I guess a mommy's work is never done - but it was a fun moment of girl bonding!
Sunday afternoon update...posted on Monday afternoon...because we're in Africa...
CBSD (Cool Big Sister Doyle; aka Miss Doyle; aka Kari):
We have had some great times lately, and with great times come great photos! I have had a wonderful time acting as "official photographer" for the group, and I hope you enjoy these photos!
(P.S. We discovered recently that the photos upload in a random order, but we have faith that you are all smart enough to figure out which picture is which from the descriptions. If there's one thing we've learned in Africa, it's to be flexible!)
In these photos you will find...
... our group of kids shopping at the outdoor market.
... some of our kids leading the kids at MCM in a round of "Father Abraham," which they greatly enjoyed.
... a rousing game of Duck, Duck, Goose at MCM.
... one of the favorite activities at MCM: doing the American girls' hair!
... a charging elephant. (Yes, he was in the process of CHARGING OUR BUS at the time this picture was taken.)
... the entire group (minus official photographer) before Easter service at Blantyre Baptist Church.
Hope you enjoy! Thanks again for all of your prayers - we miss and love you all! :)
- CBSD
We have had some great times lately, and with great times come great photos! I have had a wonderful time acting as "official photographer" for the group, and I hope you enjoy these photos!
(P.S. We discovered recently that the photos upload in a random order, but we have faith that you are all smart enough to figure out which picture is which from the descriptions. If there's one thing we've learned in Africa, it's to be flexible!)
In these photos you will find...
... our group of kids shopping at the outdoor market.
... some of our kids leading the kids at MCM in a round of "Father Abraham," which they greatly enjoyed.
... a rousing game of Duck, Duck, Goose at MCM.
... one of the favorite activities at MCM: doing the American girls' hair!
... a charging elephant. (Yes, he was in the process of CHARGING OUR BUS at the time this picture was taken.)
... the entire group (minus official photographer) before Easter service at Blantyre Baptist Church.
Hope you enjoy! Thanks again for all of your prayers - we miss and love you all! :)
- CBSD
Saturday, April 3, 2010
One Week In...
Karen and Aymie:
Right now we are sitting on the steps of our lodge witnessing our students sing and dance to Hakuna Matada from the Lion King in the midst of a tropical rain storm. Songs are also ranging from those recently sung in Fiddler to Kakua's "Rain Down". It truly is a sight and sound to behold - bringing much amusement and many smiles to our hosts. It's been a great day - we started with a tropical rain storm when we woke up super early to go on our safari. Fortunately, it cleared and we were awarded breathtaking views of the escarpment and lush green valleys. Before we had even arrived at the safari lodge, we encountered a troop of elephant. The bull was closest to the road and not sure about this gaggle of azungus and proceeded to charge the bus trumpeting with his ears flapping. Wow! We were safe...we promise, but it was fantastic to see what we normally only see on National Geographic in real life. We then ended up driving in a land cruiser and a safari vehicle through the park. (It's really hard typing this right now as we are laughing and watching the kids sing YMCA). Back to the safari, we were able to see waterbuck, 2-3 buffalo, hippos (about 10 of them), sable and gemsbok and some warthogs as well. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous, and although the drive was long, windy and bumpy...we think it was worth it. We arrived back in Blantyre starving at 2 and our BBQ wasn't until 4, so we ended up buying fresh bread and hot cross buns and eating soft serve...an immediate sugar high. This was followed by a delicious meal at our hosts with lots of homemade brownies, steak, chicken, potato and pasta salads and lots of cake...with soda...so we are SUGARED UP. Hence the dance party...and absolutely no sign of these students ever wanting to go to bed tonight. In fact, after pronouncing themselves stuffed, I (Karen) found 6 of the girls devouring the leftover cake and the frosting in one of the rooms as soon as we arrived back this evening. The kids had a great time this afternoon swimming, watching TV for the first time in 10 days, singing...we have done lots of that and definitely decided that Sarah Black HAS to audition for American Idol.
Tomorrow is Easter and we're looking forward to a long special church service followed by pizza for lunch and then a gathering with the Blantyre Baptist Youth Group.
Blessings to you all,
Karen and Aymie
Right now we are sitting on the steps of our lodge witnessing our students sing and dance to Hakuna Matada from the Lion King in the midst of a tropical rain storm. Songs are also ranging from those recently sung in Fiddler to Kakua's "Rain Down". It truly is a sight and sound to behold - bringing much amusement and many smiles to our hosts. It's been a great day - we started with a tropical rain storm when we woke up super early to go on our safari. Fortunately, it cleared and we were awarded breathtaking views of the escarpment and lush green valleys. Before we had even arrived at the safari lodge, we encountered a troop of elephant. The bull was closest to the road and not sure about this gaggle of azungus and proceeded to charge the bus trumpeting with his ears flapping. Wow! We were safe...we promise, but it was fantastic to see what we normally only see on National Geographic in real life. We then ended up driving in a land cruiser and a safari vehicle through the park. (It's really hard typing this right now as we are laughing and watching the kids sing YMCA). Back to the safari, we were able to see waterbuck, 2-3 buffalo, hippos (about 10 of them), sable and gemsbok and some warthogs as well. The scenery was absolutely gorgeous, and although the drive was long, windy and bumpy...we think it was worth it. We arrived back in Blantyre starving at 2 and our BBQ wasn't until 4, so we ended up buying fresh bread and hot cross buns and eating soft serve...an immediate sugar high. This was followed by a delicious meal at our hosts with lots of homemade brownies, steak, chicken, potato and pasta salads and lots of cake...with soda...so we are SUGARED UP. Hence the dance party...and absolutely no sign of these students ever wanting to go to bed tonight. In fact, after pronouncing themselves stuffed, I (Karen) found 6 of the girls devouring the leftover cake and the frosting in one of the rooms as soon as we arrived back this evening. The kids had a great time this afternoon swimming, watching TV for the first time in 10 days, singing...we have done lots of that and definitely decided that Sarah Black HAS to audition for American Idol.
Tomorrow is Easter and we're looking forward to a long special church service followed by pizza for lunch and then a gathering with the Blantyre Baptist Youth Group.
Blessings to you all,
Karen and Aymie
Friday, April 2, 2010
Swing Dance Lesson Pics...
Hi folks!
Aymie here...we've received some requests for photos of the Swing Dance lesson while we were on the side of the road. It took some creativity to get them from my camera to Karen's computer, since we didn't have the proper cords or a card reader that would read my camera's card; but the kids call me MacGyver, so I figured it out (extra bonus points to all of you who caught the reference to the classic '80s show). Here you go! Enjoy the pics!!
Aymie here...we've received some requests for photos of the Swing Dance lesson while we were on the side of the road. It took some creativity to get them from my camera to Karen's computer, since we didn't have the proper cords or a card reader that would read my camera's card; but the kids call me MacGyver, so I figured it out (extra bonus points to all of you who caught the reference to the classic '80s show). Here you go! Enjoy the pics!!
Friday Afternoon update...
Well, it's been a very busy week, and we are all taking the afternoon to relax. We were supposed to go to the hospital today, but our host has a medical emergency and was unable to take us...and the students are enjoying their first real afternoon of free time, swimming, chatting and relaxing. We spent the morning at MCM having traveled there and back in 2 minibus taxis as our bus had broken down. Our morning ended up being longer than usual as we were due to be picked up from the center at 1:00 pm...which translated into 1:50pm! Everything here happens slowly and there is no fixed schedule. We are learning to go with the flow, .... goodness knows what will happen when we go back to school as we are beginning to enjoy the relaxed pace!
Three of my girls Flora, Annie and Gertrude all told me today that they were very sad. When I asked them why, they said it was because of Tuesday next week. Prodding further, they then said they didn't want to say goodbye to us....we know that saying farewell is going to hurt. We have all grown very attached to these kids who are lapping up the hugs, rides, chats, games and personal interaction. I asked these three girls what they would do when they went home today...they each said they would wash, clean, cook and walk to the borehole to draw water. How different life is for our thirteen year olds back home.
I continue to marvel at God's goodness to us with our amazing team. They are completely immersed in this experience and are all well, having fun and dreading the thought of schoolwork to come. Until next time, love from us all...
Karen
Three of my girls Flora, Annie and Gertrude all told me today that they were very sad. When I asked them why, they said it was because of Tuesday next week. Prodding further, they then said they didn't want to say goodbye to us....we know that saying farewell is going to hurt. We have all grown very attached to these kids who are lapping up the hugs, rides, chats, games and personal interaction. I asked these three girls what they would do when they went home today...they each said they would wash, clean, cook and walk to the borehole to draw water. How different life is for our thirteen year olds back home.
I continue to marvel at God's goodness to us with our amazing team. They are completely immersed in this experience and are all well, having fun and dreading the thought of schoolwork to come. Until next time, love from us all...
Karen
Thursday, April 1, 2010
In Her Own Words...
From Hannah Bucko:
She turned around and gave me a rascally little grin. I ran up from behind, scooped her up, spun her around, and settled her on my hip. Her eyes were big and bright, her smile from ear to ear. She and I ran around a bit, played tickle monster with a few of the other kids, and eventually, I set her down. I didn't think much of the brief interaction with little Bridget.
A little while later I was approached by Phoebe, one of the primary MCM caretakers, with Bridget clinging to her side. "Excuse me?" Phoebe asked. "I wanted you to know...Bridget just came to me to say 'A white woman held me!' I asked her who, and she pointed to you as she said 'She has made me very, very, very happy!' "
I realized later that unlike American kids, who more often than not are very accustomed to attention in the form of hugs, kisses, high-fives, piggy-backs and the like, kids here in Malawi do not often experience such affectionate attention. They do not often get the chance to just play, to just be cared for, to just be loved.
It is remarkable to me that such a seemingly insignificant act could bring such joy. It is amazing to me that God will use such a brief and simple interaction to encourage a child. It is exciting to me that I had the privilege of being a part of that encouragement, that God was able to use the little I have to offer. I got to love this little girl, and God got to love me in return.
She turned around and gave me a rascally little grin. I ran up from behind, scooped her up, spun her around, and settled her on my hip. Her eyes were big and bright, her smile from ear to ear. She and I ran around a bit, played tickle monster with a few of the other kids, and eventually, I set her down. I didn't think much of the brief interaction with little Bridget.
A little while later I was approached by Phoebe, one of the primary MCM caretakers, with Bridget clinging to her side. "Excuse me?" Phoebe asked. "I wanted you to know...Bridget just came to me to say 'A white woman held me!' I asked her who, and she pointed to you as she said 'She has made me very, very, very happy!' "
I realized later that unlike American kids, who more often than not are very accustomed to attention in the form of hugs, kisses, high-fives, piggy-backs and the like, kids here in Malawi do not often experience such affectionate attention. They do not often get the chance to just play, to just be cared for, to just be loved.
It is remarkable to me that such a seemingly insignificant act could bring such joy. It is amazing to me that God will use such a brief and simple interaction to encourage a child. It is exciting to me that I had the privilege of being a part of that encouragement, that God was able to use the little I have to offer. I got to love this little girl, and God got to love me in return.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Photo Update
Stories to come!
In the photos:
Nine of our kids with the villagers during our village visit - find them!
People lined up to get school supplies from Sarah B. and Ana A.
Hannah B. pinning a button on a kid at MCM.
All of our kids (and Papa Rick!) singing "This Little Light of Mine" at MCM.
An acting-out of the Last Supper - Papa Rick is Jesus and Mark B. is Judas (Boo!).
And Heather S. playing with two favorite kids from last year - Clement in her lap and Yanko drinking from her water bottle.
Love to you all!
In the photos:
Nine of our kids with the villagers during our village visit - find them!
People lined up to get school supplies from Sarah B. and Ana A.
Hannah B. pinning a button on a kid at MCM.
All of our kids (and Papa Rick!) singing "This Little Light of Mine" at MCM.
An acting-out of the Last Supper - Papa Rick is Jesus and Mark B. is Judas (Boo!).
And Heather S. playing with two favorite kids from last year - Clement in her lap and Yanko drinking from her water bottle.
Love to you all!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Day #3 Update (evening)
What a full day we've enjoyed! You would never believe that if you were driving through rural Africa you would find 12 Azungus (white people) having a swing dancing lesson on the side of the road...well yes, that's exactly what you would have seen today! What else does one do to escape a hot broken-down bus! Believe you me, we had quite an audience - photos to follow! We visited a rural village as we did last year...it's really hard to put this experience into words. Think...the story of the Pied Piper of Hamelin...literally kids crawling out from any which way running and shouting with absolute glee when they saw our bus. We were able to give every child a tiny amount of school stationery and present the men of the village with bags of sugar, and the women with bars of soap. The chiefs welcomed us and told us that this was a hard year as their primary crop, maize, has not fared well as their area has not received much rain. No rain = no crops = which here, means no food, a greater vulnerability to disease and of course, malnourished kids. We were taken on a brief tour of the village and were able to visit a compound of 2-3 houses made of mud and straw...with an outdoor kitchen which is literally a cooking area with 2-3 pots. Overall, the experience was amazing..an eye opener for our team and very humbling. I wonder how we as Americans would react to a group of strangers descending on us wanting to take photos of our homes. Hospitality and graciousness clearly are part of the fabric of Malawian culture.
Then it was off to MCM once again to see the kids. We sang, did our Bible story and skit, carried babies until they fell asleep in our arms, played some wild games which created oodles of laughter, and then enjoyed "free play" = netball, soccer, tag and of course we had several little girls brushing and smoothing out Kari Doyle and Heather's hair!
Driving home from MCM I was struck how noisy our bus is wherever we go...and with that realized how bonded our team is. What a fantastic group and they are all pulling their weight and serving with big and joyful hearts. Parents, you have done a great job in raising your kids. We'll try and post more photos tomorrow...until next time, we love you all.
Then it was off to MCM once again to see the kids. We sang, did our Bible story and skit, carried babies until they fell asleep in our arms, played some wild games which created oodles of laughter, and then enjoyed "free play" = netball, soccer, tag and of course we had several little girls brushing and smoothing out Kari Doyle and Heather's hair!
Driving home from MCM I was struck how noisy our bus is wherever we go...and with that realized how bonded our team is. What a fantastic group and they are all pulling their weight and serving with big and joyful hearts. Parents, you have done a great job in raising your kids. We'll try and post more photos tomorrow...until next time, we love you all.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Third Day Update (morning)
Aymie here...
Our first official day of ministry was fantastic! We spent the morning visiting with our friends who are part of the Wings of Hope Club at HHI, a Christian high school in Blantyre. We played games with each other, sang songs (admittedly, they were beyond good; we were...we were okay), and shared our lives with each other. We'll have an opportunity to spend more time with them on Wednesday, but it was fun to meet the new members of the club and to reconnect with our friends that we met last year! The school was on holiday on Monday, so every student walked in to see us. They truly honored us with their presence.
After our fun time at HHI, we boarded the bus to head out to Malawi Children's Mission. Lunch on the bus is always an adventure; sandwiches flying through the air, Papa Rick and I making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the picky eaters...it's a blast!
When we pulled in to MCM they had created a welcome committee for us; children were lined up, holding signs that spelled out, "We, MCM, welcome you, King's Academy." Such a heart-warming sight! So was the sight of so many of our young friends and how they've changed over the past year. Clement has grown and filled out, Beauty is still full of smiles and hugs, and Gift made sure that we knew he remembered us. It was an incredible time of reconnection (for those of us who have come before) and introduction (for the newbies). It didn't seem to matter if members of our team were new or old, the children at MCM were excited about these "azungus" and determined to make friends and have fun. Our students rose to the occasion, and I witnessed many grabbing groups of kids and playing silly hand-clap games, taking pictures, or just giving piggy-back rides or hugs. I love the way our team fearlessly jumped in to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the children's lives; many of these kids do not receive hugs or affection, but they are receiving it in abundance this week!
We were greeted in a formal way by many members of the surrounding villages, who made sure we knew how grateful they were to us and MCM for the work being done for the children. The children also put on a performance of traditional dancing for us, which was amazing! I only wish I could dance like that! We did crafts together, struggled through pronouncing their Chichewa names, got a lot of laughs because of said pronunciations, and spent a good time just connecting in whatever way we could. We can't wait to go back later today.
Our first official day of ministry was fantastic! We spent the morning visiting with our friends who are part of the Wings of Hope Club at HHI, a Christian high school in Blantyre. We played games with each other, sang songs (admittedly, they were beyond good; we were...we were okay), and shared our lives with each other. We'll have an opportunity to spend more time with them on Wednesday, but it was fun to meet the new members of the club and to reconnect with our friends that we met last year! The school was on holiday on Monday, so every student walked in to see us. They truly honored us with their presence.
After our fun time at HHI, we boarded the bus to head out to Malawi Children's Mission. Lunch on the bus is always an adventure; sandwiches flying through the air, Papa Rick and I making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the picky eaters...it's a blast!
When we pulled in to MCM they had created a welcome committee for us; children were lined up, holding signs that spelled out, "We, MCM, welcome you, King's Academy." Such a heart-warming sight! So was the sight of so many of our young friends and how they've changed over the past year. Clement has grown and filled out, Beauty is still full of smiles and hugs, and Gift made sure that we knew he remembered us. It was an incredible time of reconnection (for those of us who have come before) and introduction (for the newbies). It didn't seem to matter if members of our team were new or old, the children at MCM were excited about these "azungus" and determined to make friends and have fun. Our students rose to the occasion, and I witnessed many grabbing groups of kids and playing silly hand-clap games, taking pictures, or just giving piggy-back rides or hugs. I love the way our team fearlessly jumped in to be the hands and feet of Jesus in the children's lives; many of these kids do not receive hugs or affection, but they are receiving it in abundance this week!
We were greeted in a formal way by many members of the surrounding villages, who made sure we knew how grateful they were to us and MCM for the work being done for the children. The children also put on a performance of traditional dancing for us, which was amazing! I only wish I could dance like that! We did crafts together, struggled through pronouncing their Chichewa names, got a lot of laughs because of said pronunciations, and spent a good time just connecting in whatever way we could. We can't wait to go back later today.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
First Weekend Over!
It's hard to believe that we are here - intact - with 32 pieces of luggage accounted for!
What a joy and delight for those of us repeat visitors to be back, and equally exciting for the newbies. Blantyre, unlike last June, is a luscious green. The rainy season is just ending and so the grasses are high and the scenery is almost jungle-like. We were rewarded with a magnificent African sunset last night. First impressions ... our accommodations are very simple, but comfortable, and we are thrilled to have the use of a pool with some lovely gardens. It's very warm and somewhat humid - we anticipate long, hot days. We visited MCM the afternoon we arrived, and gave our team an idea of where we will be and what we will be doing. Some of our familiar friends from last year rushed up, clearly glad to see us, but still bashful. It was precious watching our team connect with the kids straight away. Smiles and laughter are a wonderful means of "global communication". We literally came back, headed for dinner and collapsed into bed by 8:30pm. This morning we visited Blantyre Baptist Church and enjoyed a warm welcome and some great Chichewe worship. After church (over 2 hours), we went to a take-out place for lunch, came back and prepared for our visit to the hospital and while waiting for our ride, experienced a true African thunderstorm with quite a downpour. Our team headed off to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for an hour's visit to the Pediatric Bay with about 70 kids and then the two surgical wards. We probably saw another 60 or so kids ranging in age from 2 weeks to about 15 years. It was hard to know what exactly was wrong with them - clearly some had had some major surgeries, others were bright-eyed and alert, others were very lethargic and listless and there were several children with hydrocephalis. The conditions in the hospital are pretty devastating - we only saw one or two nurses (bearing in mind there are about 30 kids or more in one room with no air conditioning and temperatures in the low 80's). We were able to sing, give the kids beanie babies and their mothers washcloths with soap - it's amazing how grateful people are for things we take for granted all the time.
Right now, we are unwinding and relaxing before dinner and that will be followed by a short meeting and yet another early night. We are very excited about our first day at MCM with the kids tomorrow which will be preceded by a visit with a high school group. Good Times. God is good; all the time God is good!
What a joy and delight for those of us repeat visitors to be back, and equally exciting for the newbies. Blantyre, unlike last June, is a luscious green. The rainy season is just ending and so the grasses are high and the scenery is almost jungle-like. We were rewarded with a magnificent African sunset last night. First impressions ... our accommodations are very simple, but comfortable, and we are thrilled to have the use of a pool with some lovely gardens. It's very warm and somewhat humid - we anticipate long, hot days. We visited MCM the afternoon we arrived, and gave our team an idea of where we will be and what we will be doing. Some of our familiar friends from last year rushed up, clearly glad to see us, but still bashful. It was precious watching our team connect with the kids straight away. Smiles and laughter are a wonderful means of "global communication". We literally came back, headed for dinner and collapsed into bed by 8:30pm. This morning we visited Blantyre Baptist Church and enjoyed a warm welcome and some great Chichewe worship. After church (over 2 hours), we went to a take-out place for lunch, came back and prepared for our visit to the hospital and while waiting for our ride, experienced a true African thunderstorm with quite a downpour. Our team headed off to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for an hour's visit to the Pediatric Bay with about 70 kids and then the two surgical wards. We probably saw another 60 or so kids ranging in age from 2 weeks to about 15 years. It was hard to know what exactly was wrong with them - clearly some had had some major surgeries, others were bright-eyed and alert, others were very lethargic and listless and there were several children with hydrocephalis. The conditions in the hospital are pretty devastating - we only saw one or two nurses (bearing in mind there are about 30 kids or more in one room with no air conditioning and temperatures in the low 80's). We were able to sing, give the kids beanie babies and their mothers washcloths with soap - it's amazing how grateful people are for things we take for granted all the time.
Right now, we are unwinding and relaxing before dinner and that will be followed by a short meeting and yet another early night. We are very excited about our first day at MCM with the kids tomorrow which will be preceded by a visit with a high school group. Good Times. God is good; all the time God is good!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Safe, Exhausted, Bonded & Excited!
Family and Friends
I spoke with Karen and the Team are all safely in Malawi and at their accommodation ... PRAISE GOD!
They will shortly be heading out to the Malawi Children's Mission center for a first visit ...
All 32 pieces of luggage made it all the way via New York and Johannesburg to Blantyre :)
~Kevin
I spoke with Karen and the Team are all safely in Malawi and at their accommodation ... PRAISE GOD!
They will shortly be heading out to the Malawi Children's Mission center for a first visit ...
All 32 pieces of luggage made it all the way via New York and Johannesburg to Blantyre :)
~Kevin
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Final Meeting
Wow! What a great afternoon and evening. Many goods were distributed...now we are praying we will stay within our baggage allowance! We are prepped and ready to go...4 more sleeps in our own beds!
Thanks to all the parents who came in support of our team tonight. As promised, cell number for Kevin is (650) 799-6736.
Also, the cell number for us all in Malawi is 011-265-991555167. Remember there is a time difference of 9 hours (we are ahead). You can call between 6-8pm (Malawi time) on the Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Sunday evenings.
Praying for rest and health for our team over the next four days.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Sonoma Chicken Coop Team Dinner!
Some of us enjoyed dinner together this evening at the Chicken Coop. Great food...delicious desserts and plenty of laughter. Lots to look forward to!!!
Karen de Smidt
Karen de Smidt
11 sleeps till we leave!
It's hard to believe that our trip is almost upon us. We meet this evening for a pre-trip team dinner at Sonoma Chicken Coop and then our final meeting is next Sunday, March 21. We will be going over final travel details, distributing the crafts that have been ordered (as well as the many donated items) and then praying together with our wonderful supportive parents. Watch this space for updates on our team's adventure!
Karen de Smidt
Karen de Smidt
Saturday, February 20, 2010
5 weeks to go!
Sunday Feb 21, second to last meeting before we depart for Africa....Great excitement among the crew.
Karen
Karen
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