Jayne and Sam in Malawi

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Back in Malawi

2010-04-08T13:25:00.004+01:00

I have been back in Malawi for two weeks now and returning has been a bitter sweet experience. Am I glad to be back? Well, the answer to that question is a definite “yes” – it is certainly good to get back to The Lighthouse – it is good to pick up the reins again and to get ‘stuck in’ to our work here. There is so much to be done here; so many challenges that we still have to overcome. At times it is a little daunting, but it is also terribly exciting. It has also been lovely to catch up with my JTW colleagues and with our customers. BUT – and it is a very big ‘but’ – the last two weeks have also been extraordinarily difficult and tragedy has touched us all in a very personal way.

Obviously in a country like Malawi, there are vast cultural differences; I have often spoken about these and about how challenging it is to be in a place where everything is different and where there is virtually no common point of reference. You constantly have to change / readjust your ideas and thinking about things to accommodate the reality of day to day life; the following is a good example of this. In Malawi, most households have either a ‘house girl’ or ‘house boy’ – someone who helps to take care of the house. In our case, we have a young woman – she has been looking after Sam during the day and has been helping us with washing, cleaning etc. In the UK of course, this kind of live in ‘help’ is quite rare – the reserve of the very wealthy. However, here it is the norm and I must admit that it has taken me a long time to reach the point where I feel comfortable with this arrangement. But the lady in question is lovely and when she came to the house, she brought her baby daughter with her. Unfortunately this little girl has just died of Malaria – she was two years old. It is so desperately sad. I visited the hospital the morning after she died and arrived just in time to see the body being taken to the mortuary; it was an absolutely harrowing sight and one that I don’t think I will ever forget. It was the first time that I have visited Kasungu hospital and I must admit that I had no idea that things were so bad. There were so few beds to be seen and many patients were simply lying on the floor – with no mattresses and hardly any bedding. I was staggered by how many young children were there – most suffering from Malaria and/or diarrhoea. The stench in the hospital was dreadful; I thought I had seen everything that Malawi has in the way of poverty, but this just completely floored me. What has astonished me is the fact that several people have told me that the hospital has improved greatly over the last few years! Goodness only knows what it was like before; I certainly find it hard to imagine.

This lady has now returned to her village and is with her family. We have done everything we can to offer her support but it is hard to know what to say to someone who has just lost their entire world. She will not be coming back to Kasungu.

Amongst other things, the sudden death of this little girl is a reminder of just how fragile life is in Malawi - disease and death are never far away; in fact they are a regular part of life for most people here.

When I was in the UK, I had the opportunity to return to the secondary school that I used to work at to speak to pupils about JTW and about our work in Kasungu and Dzuwa village. More than anything, I wanted these young people to understand what life is like in a developing country like this one and to realise just how extraordinarily lucky they are. Ultimately though, there is only so much you can accomplish with words and with pictures/photos; I sincerely wish that every person in the developed world could come to Africa to experience the reality of life here. It certainly puts everything into perspective; you realise how trivial and also how repugnant so much of life in countries like the UK actually is. Why is it that so many nations have so much, when others have virtually nothing? It’s obscene and is something that everyone has a responsibility to not only think about, but to do something about. Even in difficult economic times and recessions, we in the west never face the kind of hardships and difficulties that so many people here face each and every day. I know that it is easy to ‘sound off’ - the frustration and sense of injustice are so overwhelming at times. Of course I also know that there are no easy answers; Africa’s problems are clearly enormous. The challenges facing the country of Malawi are certainly far ranging and complex, but there are a great many good people/organizations working here to try and turn this situation around. JTW is just one such organization. I do realise how fortunate I am to be here and to have the opportunity to make even a small contribution to the work it is doing.

If you would like more detailed information about the work that JTW is doing in Malawi - and how you might be able to help us - our website address is:

www.jtwministries.org

Any help you can give would be gratefully received; it really is the case that even small amounts of money can really make a difference here.

Before I close, can I just stress how wonderful it is to receive emails from home; over the last two weeks in particular, they have been a great help to me. Thank you to everyone who keeps in touch. Your news and/or messages of "hello" really do make such a difference; I am so thankful for all the good thoughts and prayers that come this way.

God Bless

Jayne

PS - Sam is his usual wonderful self and sends you all his love. He gave me the most fantastic welcome home - lots of licks and cuddles! He made the long and difficult journey back to Malawi completely worthwhile. I will give you some more 'Sam news' next time.

What a Difference Six Weeks Make

2010-02-13T09:47:00.009Z

Is it February all ready? I simply can’t believe how quickly the time is passing – I have been in Malawi for seven months now - it’s incredible. AND THE LIGHTHOUSE IS BUSY !!

Since January, things have taken off for us in a big way. So much so, that we are actually discussing the need for another member of staff here. Our customer numbers and our takings are now substantially higher and of course, this is wonderful news; if TLH is going to survive, we have to make this extra money. However, the flip side of this situation is that we are finding it difficult to offer the quality of service that is at the heart of our vision here. How we do things is very important to us and over the last few weeks, there have been times when we have been running around like crazy people. We have been delivering a conveyor belt approach to customer service – serving one person and then moving on to the next – it’s certainly not what we set out to do and yet we have had no choice. So the fine tuning of TLH continues; we have never been a regular business and making money has never been our first priority. We need the money – of course we do - but we certainly don’t want to lose the ‘personal touch’ that has become our business trademark. Perhaps the biggest casualty in all of this has been the work we do with local children. We get loads coming in to read our books and they really are a sorry sight – dirty, ragged and smelly. It is pretty heartbreaking, but it is wonderful to be able to give them the experience of enjoying books. Lately however, we have been turning these children away because we simply can’t supervise them – books have been stolen and damaged and obviously this is unacceptable. We have to find a better way of working – one that allows us to be a financially viable business, without compromising the quality of the work we do with our customers – adults and children. So we are moving forward with the determination to get a better balance here. Thus, the challenges continue and we are being kept firmly on our toes as a result!

As I said above, I am amazed at how quickly the time is passing by. In the seven months that I have been here, I have learnt so much – about Malawi and about its people. Entering another culture is a funny old business. The key difference between visiting a country as a tourist and actually living in a country long term, is that one gets to see below the surface veneer to understand how things really are. One is able to experience the culture in a far less superficial way. Malawi is universally known as ‘the warm heart of Africa’ and in many ways, I still believe this to be true. But there is certainly another side to the country and to its people and there is nothing warm about it. To put it bluntly, so many people here are ‘on the make’ and it is very, very draining to be on the receiving end of this every day. I have lost count of the number of times I have been taken advantage of; it is very upsetting – and expensive! People here have a habit of saying one thing and of doing another - it is therefore difficult to take people at face value and/or to trust them. It sometimes feels that truth and honesty are thin on the ground here and it is easy to get demoralized. Yet ultimately, it is a reminder of how badly many people here need the Christian faith and the values/morals that it embodies. People need to understand that there is a different way. That’s why the work of Joy to the World and TLH is so important.

Yet delivering charity in a country like Malawi is a complex and often difficult business. When you come to a country like Malawi and suddenly find yourself face to face with the kind of poverty that afflicts Africa, your first instinct is to give. However, what I have come to understand is that in many ways, this is actually one of the worst things that one can do. Seven months ago I would have found such a statement hard to believe – how on earth can giving to people in desperate need be a bad thing? The answer is actually quite simple – because it doesn’t help them to help themselves. Malawi has appalling poverty and the need here is all pervading – you can’t turn your head without seeing evidence of this need. People are circumstantially poor – of this there is no doubt. But the problems go far deeper than this; there is a spirit of poverty here that is hard to stomach at times. In other words, first and foremost, people see themselves as ‘poor’ and as a result, they expect to be given handouts. What they don’t want to do is work – work so that they can better themselves and their lives. If Malawi is ever going to move forward, this prevailing attitude needs to change. Joy to the World has a ‘no handouts’ policy and this is strictly adhered to. So giving money to people is a complete ‘no-no’. At first I found this extraordinarily hard, but now I know that it is the only way – it is a ‘tough love’ approach and absolutely necessary if people are going to understand their own responsibility within the situation that they find themselves in. So seven months in, I still regard Malawi as having a warm heart, but I am under no illusions that frequently, the warm heart on display is motivated by an ulterior motive. It’s sad, but true. I guess the key word in that sentence is frequently and it is important to acknowledge that I have met many wonderful, straightforward and honest people. I am currently preparing to return to the UK for a couple of weeks and I have been surprised at how sentimental I am feeling about the prospect of leaving – even for a short time. I have made many attachments here over the last seven months and I will miss these people while I am away. Being back in the UK is sure to feel weird and I am so curious about how I will respond. The thought of going into a shop like Tesco to buy food is something that is hard to imagine right now – it is just so hard to remember what it is like to have choice.

I arrive back in the UK on 6th March; in the mean time, thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers , which as always, are gratefully received. I look forward to seeing some of you soon. God Bless until I see you. Jayne xxx

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2010-01-02T09:52:00.007Z

Happy New Year from Malawi. It’s hard to believe it is 2010. The rainy season has definitely started here now and this is wonderful news – so many people in Malawi rely on the land for their food and their lives. The rain is something else though; I thought I knew all about rain, having lived on the West coast of Scotland for nine years. However, Malawi rain is quite different – particularly in the way in which it arrives. When it rains, it tends to be torrential and we have been having the most amazing downpours; these have been accompanied by very dramatic thunder and lightening. If you are inside, this is fabulous. However, if you happen to be out and about, it is clearly not so good. In fact a number of people have been killed by lightening over the last week and it is a bit scary. The other thing to say about the rainy season is that it has taken away a lot of the dust. This would be absolutely fantastic if it weren’t for the fact that the dust has been replaced by mud – LOTS of mud! Drainage here is quite poor, so the water tends to accumulate. I am therefore still struggling to stay clean! Sam has his raincoat on now when he goes out for a walk and the Malawians think this is absolutely hilarious – a dog with a coat on! I had a very good idea what the reaction was going to be before I took him out in it for the first time and I must admit that I thought twice about putting it on him. But it gives him protection and so for this reason I think it’s important that he wears it. It causes a lot of laughter when we are out and about though.

One very positive aspect of the rainy season is the drop in temperature; I am so, so thankful for this. The heat over the last few months has been torturous at times and I have struggled with dehydration and headaches. The current situation is much more manageable and I’m told that the temperature will continue to drop over the coming few months. Wonderful! There was actually one day last week when I got caught in the rain; I was absolutely drenched by the time I got home and to my astonishment, I realised that I was actually cold. I haven’t experienced this sensation for months and it was fantastic. I hurried inside and put on a lovely fleecy dress and a big pair of thick socks. Then I snuggled up with a good book – it was just fabulous.

Talking about the weather (do we Brits ever talk about anything else?) Christmas day was wonderfully wet and dreary. I was worried that it would be a hot and sunny day; very un-Christmas in other words. However, fortunately the sun stayed away and we had a lovely grey day! I’m aware that this probably sounds very strange, but it actually made a real difference. There was something wonderfully comforting and familiar about the weather that day and in many ways, it helped relieve the homesickness that I sometimes feel here. Being in a country like Malawi is so different from the UK – in every single way; the cultural differences are just so huge. More than anything else, it is these differences that lead to feelings of loneliness and isolation. Initially, I thought that it might just be me who feels this way about being in Malawi, but I have made friends with some other Brits who are here working and it is reassuring to know that they also experience these feelings at times. Things are getting much better though. I have previously described being in Malawi as a rollercoaster ride - full of enormous (and emotional) ups and downs - full of great highs and lows. I have been here about six months now and I am glad to report that things are calming down; more and more I am adjusting to this new life -more and more, I am building relationships and more and more, the local people are beginning to accept me as a member of the Kasungu community. I am not just an asungu (white person) tourist! Being here has reminded me of just how important the sense of ‘belonging’ actually is to one’s emotional wellbeing. I first became aware of this issue when I moved to Scotland from London in 2000. Being in a place where you feel ‘different’ is a big challenge. However, these feelings eventually vanished and I know that the same will happen here – it might take a little longer, but I know that I have turned an important corner.

This talk of ‘belonging’ brings me to the subject of Chichewa – the national language of Malawi. I am trying to learn this, but oh boy I am finding it hard. I have no natural ability when it comes to the learning of foreign languages and so this is proving to be very difficult. However, I am slowly progressing; I try to learn three new things/words a day. Learning Chichewa is so important; being able to speak it makes a big difference to how people respond to you here and even the most feeble attempts (my attempts in other words!) are really appreciated.

Changing the subject swiftly, the President of Joy to the World Ministries (Fletcher Matandika) is in Malawi at the moment and this is a great blessing to all of us here. Fletcher lives in Canada and our normal means of communication is by email; having the opportunity to sit down to discuss things face to face makes such a difference – it’s fair to say that there is a lot to discuss! At the moment, The Lighthouse is not a financially viable business and although our Christian library is working wonderfully well, our computers are not bringing in enough money to cover our monthly overheads. This is mainly due to the fact that there are simply not enough people in Kasungu who know how to use a computer; a fact that has taken us all by surprise. Our goal for 2010 is to bring The Lighthouse to the position where it can stand on its own two feet financially.

So these are my two challenges for 2010. A personal challenge – to learn Chichewa and a professional challenge – to get The Lighthouse making enough money to cover its bills. Easy-peesey lemon squeezey!

Sam and I wish you all well with your own challenges this year; we thank you for all your support, prayers and good wishes. Have a fantastic, happy and healthy 2010. God Bless.

Here Comes the Rain - Hopefully!

2009-12-22T10:52:00.010Z

The rainy season has begun here, but it certainly isn’t what I expected it to be. I had been told that the rainy season in Malawi begins at the end of November and lasts until the middle of March. Very definite, very neat and straightforward; when I heard this, I absolutely approved of this approach. As a librarian I like things to be organised and this seemed to me to be a wonderful way to organise the weather. No more uncertainty about what to wear each day – no more getting caught out by an unexpected downpour – no more sweating under a thick jumper when the sun suddenly decides to come out – fantastic! And things certainly ‘kicked off’ according to plan; on one day during the last week of November, we heard the distant rumbling of thunder and watched as dark and threatening looking clouds gathered overhead. Both steadily increased throughout the day and then suddenly at about 3pm the heavens opened and down came the rain. It was torrential; after weeks and weeks of relentless heat and dust, the rain and mud were here – or so we thought! Yet this proved not to be the case. After three days of solid rain, it stopped; it only began again a few days ago. Even now though, it is hot and dry – the rain remains in short supply in Kasungu. This has enormous implications for people of course. The majority of Malawians rely on their land to grow maize; they work solidly throughout the rainy season to grow enough food to sustain them throughout the entire year. An absence of rain puts this entire process at risk; it can mean starvation for people. It is a very worrying time at the moment.

UPDATE – As I sit and write this blog, it has started to rain – it is pouring down – it is a wonderful sight! I sincerely hope it lasts.

In my last blog, I promised to give you an update on how Sam is getting on. He is doing fine although he has a tendency to eat anything that he sees on the ground; there is certainly plenty for him to choose from here - frogs, cockroaches, large worms, spiders, snakes, lizards etc – believe me when I say that we really do live with nature here! The problem of course is that these things reek havoc with his tummy; on more than one occasion he has been very unwell as a result of eating something that he shouldn’t have. It has got to the point where I have to put a muzzle on him when he goes out into the garden to prevent him from picking things up. He hates it, but there really isn’t any choice. Unfortunately these creatures invariably make their way into the house as well and it is virtually impossible to keep Sam away from them totally. Overall though, Sam is having a grand old time – I just wish I could bring him to work as I miss him terribly throughout the day. Coming home to his wagging tail and ‘kisses’ is wonderful though. He’s a super friend and I would be lost without him; at the end of a long day working at The Lighthouse, I receive the most fantastic welcome home.

Talking of The Lighthouse – it continues to grow, although we are still not making enough money to be financially viable. Our library is very well used and is doing great things, but this is not the side of the business that brings in the money – it is our computers that generate revenue. Unfortunately, there are not enough people in Kasungu who know how to use a computer; the number is far, far lower than was originally anticipated. This represents our biggest challenge at the moment and we have spent a long time considering how we can tackle this – we have drawn up plans; these will be launched in the New Year. It is amazing to think that 2010 is just around the corner. The time has gone so quickly and I am really looking forward to Christmas. I am discovering that Christmas in Malawi is very different affair from Christmas in the UK. In the UK we start seeing festive stock appearing in the shops from about October onwards and we are bombarded with messages to ‘buy, buy, buy’. I think even Christians would acknowledge that at times it is easy to get distracted from the real reason for the season! Yet here in Kasungu, there is a wonderful absence of this depressing commercialism – in fact if one were simply looking at the shops, it would be easy to forget that Christmas is upon us. It really is refreshing. Yet there is a flip side to this. As I reported in my last blog, here in Malawi, approximately 80% of people attend Church each Sunday; relative to the UK, that is a staggering figure. I had assumed that as a result, Christmas would be a very spiritual occasion. However, this is not proving to be the case. Sadly, only a small number of the people who attend church are practicing Christians; for many Malawians, God and Jesus are only relevant to a) the Church building and b) Sundays. Here in Kasungu, virtually all the shops will be open on Christmas Day. There is little or no recognition that this is a special day – there is little or no desire to celebrate the most important birth in our history. In many ways this is very upsetting, yet it is a timely reminder to me of why The Lighthouse is so important in Kasungu. Apparently, the reason that most Malawians go to church each Sunday is because they want prayers to be said over them when they die. What they fail to understand is that these prayers will be completely meaningless to them if they are not genuine Christians – i.e. if they do not have a living, day to day relationship with God. In many ways of course, this is entirely the same as our own situation in the UK. I must admit that I have always found the business of Christian funeral services quite strange - strange when they are conducted for people who were clearly not Christians when they were alive. There doesn't seem to be any point to me - why not just have a service of thanksgiving for that person's life? I don't know. What I do know though is that the community of Kasungu desperately needs to know God and Jesus – not simply on a Sunday when they are sitting in Church – but EVERY day. This is the task that we have been set.

As you can see, we have a lot of work to do in 2010 – am I daunted by the prospect? If I’m honest, the answer to that question is “yes”. But I am also hugely excited by it as well. Through The Lighthouse and our Christian library we are uniquely placed to reach out, to help and to support people on their Christian journeys. Libraries are actually very new to Malawi; in fact there is nowhere in Malawi where one can go to train as a Librarian – the qualification/post just doesn’t appear to exist at the moment. As a result, I may well be the only Librarian in the country at the moment!

Sam and I thank you for all your support, prayers and good wishes; we would also like to wish you all a happy and peaceful Christmas and New Year. We look forward to writing to you and for you next year.

NEXT TIME - I promise to tell you all about my Chichewa lessons - I would tell you about them now but they're not going terribly well - I think I will feel much more positive about the whole business when 2010 arrives - you know, New Year, new start etc, etc! Oh I hope so!

Trying Times

2009-11-26T08:46:00.005Z

Apologies – I know it has been a long time since my last blog entry – things continue to be challenging here. I have been ill over the last few weeks; like a lot of things in Malawi, being ill can be a complicated business! In fact a recent trip to Lilongwe to see a doctor turned into a major exercise – a colleague of mine had driven to Kasungu to collect me and to take me to a clinic; unfortunately on his arrival, we discovered that that all the petrol stations were out of diesel. We found out that one particular station in town did actually have diesel, but only because its pump was broken and nobody could get access to it! The station was in a state of chaos – a technician had been sent for, but staff had no idea when he would actually arrive. In the mean time, vehicles descended upon the station to wait and dozens of customers (with jerry cans), crowded around the pump, jostling for position. In the scorching temperatures, tempers became increasingly frayed. The situation desperately needed the organisational skills of a strong manager, but unfortunately, she seemed unable to take control of things. The whole thing was grim – but then human nature is grim at times. Anyway, to cut a long story short, the technician finally arrived, the pump was fixed and we eventually got our diesel. I made it to the clinic, but it had taken hours and by the time I finally saw a doctor I was in a pretty sorry state.

It certainly wasn’t good, but experiences such as this one do make us stronger; something positive always emerges from them. I had been diagnosed with Malaria by a local clinic and treated accordingly. Malaria is potentially fatal and when a foreigner contracts it, there is always cause for concern. My condition had actually improved over a few days, but I then suffered an unexpected relapse – hence the trip to Lilongwe. In fact it turned out that I didn’t have Malaria at all; I had an intestinal infection - probably as a result of drinking bad water. This infection gave me all the symptoms of Malaria – in a funny sort of way, I experienced Malaria without actually having it! I now really understand how bad it is though and this in turn is a good thing. It makes me better equipped to help others; it’s absolutely true that you can’t really understand a person's problem unless you have experienced that same problem yourself. Plus this particular situation has made me realise (if I had any lingering doubts before), just how straightforward life in the UK actually is and just how easy it is to take certain things for granted. It’s the old cliché I guess – that we don’t really understand the value of something until it’s no longer there for us.

For me, the business of shopping is a particularly good example of this. In the UK you can walk into the nearest shop and find shelves and shelves packed with goods. There is variety – there is choice. Things are clean and tidy. There are strict processes and procedures in place to ensure that food is safe. There is money in the tills and staff can give you your correct change. If you have a problem with your purchase, you can return it and get a refund – you are protected by consumer laws. Not so in a developing country like Malawi. I actually laugh when I remember how I used to criticise the Tesco supermarket chain; what would I give to see a Tesco store now? The answer is “a lot!” Invariably, it is the basic, things (or lack of them) that tend to cause the greatest frustrations here; simple things that we never really think about in the UK, represent considerable challenges. As I have written before, electricity and water supplies in Malawi are horribly unreliable and unpredictable - they fail constantly; this makes essential things like cooking and washing very difficult at times. When I get home each day, all I want to do is to sit down to read; more often than not, that reading takes by candlelight because the electricity has failed – AGAIN! Before I came here, the idea of reading by candlelight seemed like a romantic proposition! I can assure you that it isn’t – what it is, is a pain in the neck – literally! Visits to places such as the bank or the Post Office also tend to be complicated; service is slow and it’s often hard to understand the reasons for the ways in which they work. Travelling is also is a major challenge here; public transport is chaotic and uncomfortable and the driving skills of many of the drivers have to be seen to be believed. Night travel on public transport is not only chaotic and uncomfortable, it is seriously scary as well – reserved for those who have no choice or for those who want to experience what it means to have a death wish! I remember reading my Malawi Guide Book before I came here. The section dealing with travel had the following advice for visitors who were planning to journey at night – the advice was as follows - “don’t do it!” I now know how sound that advice is. As you’ve seen from above, even travelling by car has its problems; as I write this, the town of Kasungu is now without both diesel and petrol – the only supply at the moment is to be found on the black market.

Now that I’ve got that all off my chest - thank you so much for baring with me - let me stress the positive; I am now fully recovered and back at work. It has taken time to fully regain my strength though and for a while I was very weak; I was craving certain things and was unable to get them – Tesco, all is forgiven!

Talking of shops and as I’ve said before, here in Malawi, there is always a plus to cancel out the negative things that happen. In Kasungu, there is a noticeable lack of commercialism and this really is wonderfully refreshing. It is strange to be at the end of November and to have virtually no evidence in the shops that Christmas is fast approaching – no cards, no tinsel, no trees etc. In fact the only sign of Christmas is a solitary plastic Santa outside one of the shops here; he looks very lonely! In Malawi, approximately 80% of the population goes to church – I think we met the other 20% at the petrol station – and I am really looking forward to experiencing Christmas here. I hope that it will be an overwhelmingly spiritual time.

On the subject of the spiritual, I received an email from someone who accused me of using my blog site to bully and to threaten people into becoming Christians with my talk of death, judgement and separation from God. They were referring of course to my previous entry and it did make me stop and think. I was reminded of a passage in the Bible which speaks of talking to people about one’s Christian faith with gentleness (see 1 Peter 3:16). Gentleness is a wonderful thing, but I am struggling to reconcile it with the subjects of salvation and of facing God’s judgement; they just don’t seem to leave much room for it. After all, if we’re not saved, we’re lost and I’m not sure how the reality of that message can be conveyed gently. What I have come to know is that the stakes are very high – in fact, I can’t see how they can get any higher. For many people, death is a very frightening prospect; they find it frightening because it represents something so final. Yet Christians know that this is not the case - there is eternal life awaiting them beyond the grave – eternal life that was won for us by the death of Jesus on the cross. It was Jesus who spoke of two eternal worlds – Heaven and Hell. He taught us that Heaven is the true home of all God’s people - a place of perfect love and happiness – of lasting peace and complete satisfaction. Hell by comparison, is where God has withdrawn His presence and His love – it is a place of darkness and torment. Yet God does not send anyone to Hell, rather people go there by their own choice; by ignoring and/or rejecting Jesus as their one true saviour. This knowledge is of the utmost importance – in fact it is fair to say that it is life saving knowledge; sharing it with others is the responsibility of every Christian. This said, there is a wonderful expression ‘softly, softly, catchee monkey’ and I do take the point that the gentle approach has much to offer; for this reason (if you are a non-Christians reading this), I gently urge you to get a bible and to take the time to have a read. It really is extraordinary and wonderful.

As always, we thank you for your support, news, good wishes and prayers. God Bless

NEXT TIME - Lighthouse update, Malawi libraries, Chichewa lessons and mud!

It All Starts With God!

2009-10-17T12:05:00.012+01:00

EMAIL REMINDER – Please do not email through this site. Please send your emails to powers.jayne@yahoo.co.uk Thank you.

Yesterday was the 16th October and I have been in Malawi exactly three months. I took the opportunity to read through my previous blog entries because I wanted to remind myself of all the things that I have told you about. As you know, the purpose of the blog is to keep you updated with all of our news and to hopefully paint an accurate picture of what life in Malawi is like. I really want to share this amazing experience with you and I hope that the site is fulfilling its aims. However, in looking back at my previous entries, I have been struck by something, namely, that so much of our ‘news’ seems to read like a great big pat on the back! It has left me feeling very uncomfortable because as a Christian, I know that daily living is about banishing the ‘self’ life (self obsession, self interest, self centeredness, self righteousness, self pity etc. etc) in favour of living for God. In other words, as Christians, we don’t go around preaching about ourselves, but about Jesus Christ. There is a gaping hole in my blog entries to date and it is important to rectify this; it is important to situate all of our news into its proper (Christian) context. So I’d like to take a step back and to start shovelling; I need to fill in the hole!

So firstly – why are we even here in Malawi? Well quite simply because I have been called to be here – called by God. I received a God given opportunity to come here to work with the Christian charity ‘Joy to the World Ministries’ and to begin a new ministry here, in the town of Kasungu – The Lighthouse. If you are reading this and are a Christian, you will have no difficulty in understanding such a statement about being ‘called’. We know that God leads his people; He calls them to do His work. If you are a non Christian however, you may find this truth very difficult to grasp. I guess then, that this particular blog entry is primarily for you. When I say that I feel blessed to be here, I truly mean it – I have been blessed by God and know that our ministry is equally blessed. Yet the last three months have been a rollercoaster ride (as I’ve previously described) – a combination of great highs and great lows - successes and failures. There have been many, many challenges, difficulties and setbacks along the way and this fact begs the following question: “If God has called me to be here in Malawi, why have things been so tough at times?” It is a pertinent question and one that strikes at the heart of a key Christian conundrum, namely, why do Christians suffer – why doesn’t God give us charmed, carefree, trouble free lives? Quite simply because suffering is good for us; it makes us stronger.

"We rejoice in our sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; character, hope." Romans 5:3-5

Suffering also equips us to help others; when others are troubled, needing our sympathy and encouragement, we are in a position where we can pass on to them the same help that we have received for God. This is something that should be at the heart of every Christian’s life. So far from being something to avoid then, suffering is actually to be cherished because if we use it properly, it helps us to grow spiritually. And of course, God never leaves us to suffer alone - He is with us always. Sometimes when the going gets tough it is easy to forget this, which is why we need discipline in our pain. We need to commit ourselves fully to God and if we do so, He will always give us the strength to endure. Christians have their struggles and their failures just like everyone else – we get knocked down just like everyone else, but crucially, we know that these things have a purpose – we know that God is there, training us to become stronger, wiser and more compassionate. We know that in God we have a Father who gives us everything we need; our theology determines our psychology, which is why we are not defeated. Rather, we have the inner strength to get back up again and to keep going.

And we have kept going. The Lighthouse is open – we are doing business and we are slowly and steadily building our customer base and our reputation in Kasungu. Each day brings new wonders as we reach out to our customers and serve them in so many different ways. Yet we know that in our daily dealings, we depend on the Lord for his help; we know that we cannot achieve anything without it. I work with a remarkable group of people – Christians who have felt God’s call to come and work for Joy to the World Ministries. JTW was formed in 2006 and over the last three years these people have achieved a staggering amount for other people; each one of them has their own special talents and gifts and together they make a formidable team. I know how fortunate I am to be working as a member of this team; it is a team that embodies honesty, integrity, selflessness, humility, commitment and great, great humour. I like to think that I have added my own qualities, talents and gifts to the mix; in doing so, I sincerely hope that I have made the team richer. I think I have. Yet for all this talk of ‘qualities’, ‘talents’ and ‘gifts’, we all know who we have to thank. When I look at The Lighthouse I am aware that we have achieved nothing; any success that we have is as a direct result of God’s grace to us. What we know absolutely is that He is using us to reach out to others to further His Kingdom. At The Lighthouse and in our daily lives, we are striving to be His ambassadors. We are His servants. God works though us to do His work. Living a Christ centred life isn’t always easy and yet it brings with it the most wonderful sense of purpose. It also prepares us for eternity.

“The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever”
1 John 2:17

Life is not all there is. It is not the end; our bodies are merely a temporary residence – our real home awaits us in Heaven. But not everyone will receive their keys! Our relationship to God on earth will ultimately determine our relationship to him in eternity. If you are a non Christian reading this, I would like to ask you a question - "Where would you like to spend your eternity?" You need to make a choice because death is heading your way! It may not arrive today, tomorrow or even next week – it may be years away – but it’s coming. As Rick Warren says in his thought provoking book ‘The Purpose Driven Life’, only a fool would go through life unprepared for what we all know will eventually happen. On that day, all of us will be required to stand before Christ to be judged; make no mistake, at that moment, our lives will be laid bare before us. The deeds of this life are the destiny of the next. If you suddenly found yourself standing face to face with Jesus – RIGHT NOW – what would he say to you? Would he say “well done”? At this point, you may be thinking that you are safe, but even if you are sticking to the Ten Commandments religiously each day, you will not be saved. You won’t. Being a good person simply isn’t enough; you need to be a Christian. Living a Christian style life is a great thing to do and the world would certainly be a better place if more people did it. However, on its own it doesn't offer people a meaningful relationship with God; only being a Christian does that. Only by putting your trust in Jesus Christ - by welcoming him into your life and by making a commitment to serving him, will you be reconciled to God. You will also start to experience an entirely new kind of living; things that you previously thought were important (earthly things), will suddenly seem trivial and petty – your whole value system will change and your priorities will be rearranged. You will know that your sins have been forgiven by the blood that was shed for you on the cross by Christ. It’s amazing and I would challenge you to stop and think about such a possibility and then to act. If you fail to do so – if you reject his love, forgiveness and salvation - you will spend eternity apart from Him – forever. But for those who live in Christ, there is the sure knowledge that death will be a gateway to Heaven and you will be home at last.

Does this all sound a bit extreme? A bit scary? A bit 'full on'? A bit melodramatic? Or maybe you think I've spent too much time in the Malawi sun and have gone a bit loopy! I promise you that I haven't and that all I've just said is the truth. It would therefore be wonderful if you could take the next step - to get a Bible and spend some time exploring these issues a bit futher. The following are key Christian beliefs:

1. We all need a Saviour. Read Romans 3:23 and Exekiel 18:20

2. We can’t save ourselves. Read 1 Timothy 2:5 and John 14:16

3. God wants to save the world. Read John 3:16-17

4. God sent his son Jesus to save us. Christ suffered on the cross so that our sins could be forgiven. All who believe in Him will be saved. Read Galatians 4:4-5 and 1 Peter 3:18

5. The Bible is our blueprint for successful living; it teaches us how to grow in the Christian life. Read John 10:10 and Peter 3:18

6. Each of us has the power to decide our eternal destiny. Read Luke 13: 1-5 and Matthew 10: 32-33

Once you have done this, seek out someone who can take you further on your exploration of the Christian faith - a Christian friend, a local Minister, a Christian website (and of course you are welcome to email me) - let them help you to reach a decision about this man called Jesus. Do you believe him to be the son of God or do you simply see him as a blasphemous lunatic? Some people take the easy option and don't think about it too greatly. Unfortunately, this approach is a bit of a luxury because the clock is ticking for all of us. Eventually we all have to make up ours minds about God and that decision will determine where we spend eternity.

There is a wonderful quote by CS Lewis that I would love to share with you;

"Christianity is a statement which, if false, is of no importance and if true, of infinite importance. The one thing it cannot be is moderately important"

And that’s it; here we are in Malawi and it isn’t always easy; in fact it is very hard at times. Yet in the last three months I have learnt so much about myself and also so much more about God and His purpose for me. I know that this is where He wants us to be right now and that’s good enough for me.

As always, we thank you for your support, news, good wishes and prayers. It makes such a difference. God Bless

Jayne

The Lighthouse – Ten Days On

2009-10-10T13:00:00.003+01:00

EMAIL REMINDER – Please do not email through this site. Please send your emails to powers.jayne@yahoo.co.uk

THANK YOU

Here we are, ten days on. So how are we doing? Well it’s been a tough ten days – a baptism by fire no less. Our computers and our printer have certainly given us our fair share of headaches – as has our Internet provider! The days are long and we are tired when we finally ‘clock off’, but it is a great feeling to be open, to finally be able to welcome people into The Lighthouse and to serve the people of Kasungu. Our customer numbers are fairly modest at the moment and the same is also true of our bank balance! But everyone who steps through our doors is struck by the warmth of the welcome they receive, by the quality of our services and by the level of our customer care. Every one of our customers has left feeling positive about The Lighthouse. We are slowly building a regular customer base here in Kasungu and what we now have do, is to increase the number of people who are actually giving us money!!! We know we are doing a really good job, but of course, there is an inescapable financial dimension to our situation as well. We know that spiritually, The Lighthouse is hitting its current target but that financially, we are well off the mark. Yet we have great faith that this will change and our spirits are high - when the technology works that is!!!

What has become crystal clear to us is that only a few people in Kasungu actually know how to use a computer and/or the Internet – it's approximately 3% - 4% of the population. It’s terrible; most people have simply never had the opportunity to access a PC; even the secondary schools don’t have computers - apart from the very expensive ones which cater for the very affluent. As a result, there is a desperate need for computer training here. I honestly don’t know why I am so surprised by this fact – this is a developing county after all! We are hoping to address this need though; each Wednesday we will open our doors to local people and sit down with them and give them some basic training on the ‘ins and outs’ of using a computer. We have decided not to charge a set fee for this service, but will simply ask people to pay what they can afford. On one hand we know that this is one day of the week when our ability to make money will be severely compromised, but on the other, we know absolutely that it is something that we need to do. We want The Lighthouse to be completely inclusive; it's not simply a place for people who have money. As Manager, I think that this represents is my biggest challenge – getting the balance right between the hard financial realities of running a business and the charitable, spiritual work that I want The Lighthouse to be undertaking. I am hoping that this will develop naturally over the coming weeks and months though. In terms of our offer to provide computer training, we are in no doubt that the demand will be high. We are currently trying to work out the practicalities of delivery, but by Wednesday we will be ready to go – if we don’t melt first! It is hot here – VERY hot; in between juggling general computer, Internet and financial concerns, I am also trying to get acclimatised to the scorching Malawi weather. The average daily temperature here is currently 37 degrees and believe me when I say that it makes the working day very difficult. I am struggling to keep hydrated throughout the day and have frequent headaches as a result; we desperately need fans at the business but simply cannot afford them at the moment. In fact fans are way down our list of priorities – after improved security and a desk where MacDonald (my Deputy Manager) and I can work. But we will get there.

As for Sam – he’s fine. Working full time means that I have to leave him at home during the day now; I miss him terribly. Unfortunately, dogs, computers and books don’t mix very well and so I don’t have any choice in the matter. I have a lovely Malawian girl who looks after him though, so he’s not on his own and he’s still getting his three good walks each day. As much as I love being at The Lighthouse, it’s a wonderful feeling to go home to him at the end of each day – he’s always the same – a scruffy mutt, tail wagging, bouncing up and down and ready to give me lots of wet kisses. He’s a great little dog – full of unconditional love. I would swap him for anything.

On the subject of animals, I have met two terrific people – and they’re BRITISH! Andrea and Keith have arrived in Malawi to work at Kasungu National Park; they are actually specialists in working with primates. I haven’t had the opportunity to visit the park yet because I have just been too busy, but I fully intend to visit as soon as The Lighthouse is solidly on its feet. It’s great to have some Brits to talk to though; that sense of the familiar is just so comforting.

A FINAL APOLOGY - Now that The Lighthouse is up and running, I had hoped that I would be able to upload photographs to the site. Unfortunately, my camera card broke last week and at the moment I can’t afford to buy another one. So at this moment in time the site will remain without photos and I’m afraid you’ll have to make do with my words only – I’m really sorry.

As always, we send you our love and our best wishes; you are in our thoughts and prayers. As always, we ask you to keep us all in yours. Thank you so much.

When the Going Gets Tough....

2009-10-01T14:01:00.005+01:00

It's twelve hours since my last blog and the going has been tough. I haven't slept for over 24 hours and I'm hoping that my tiredness is the reason I'm feeling a little fragile right now. We (my Deputy Manager and I) are sitting in the Lighthouse and so far today we have had about ten customers. I must admit that it's not how I thought things would go; I honestly thought we would be a lot busier. Ironically, our lack of business has been an absolute blessing though due to the fact that we have a bank of computers that refuse to behave and that seem to have minds of their own. Does anyone know a good ICT Technician? We are suddenly becoming aware of our own lack of expertise in this area and it doesn't feel good, given that the financial success of the business is largely down to the ICT side of things. The library side of The Lighthouse is solid - fortunately we are blessed with the services of a fantastic librarian!! Joking aside, it's scary. I currently have no access to vital software, the printer has just flashed up that it's about to run out of toner (and we can't find a supplier in Malawi), we have lost our Internet connection and I have an IT Help Desk that tells me it will call me back, but rarely does. To top it all, my camera card has just snapped and I have no means of uploading photos. All in all, things could be going better! Are we downhearted? Well, yes, I am a little. Suddenly, all the joy and euphoria of what we have acomplished over the last two months is under attack. But I know we have to pick ourselves up and sort things out; I guess this is the harsh reality of running this business. We now know that we are facing a huge learning curve; I am aware that the buck stops with me and it is a sobering thought right now. So at 5pm I will go home, give Sam a huge cuddle and a walk and then go to bed and get some sleep. I know that things will be brighter in the morning - they always are! I am very grateful for your thoughts, good wishes and prayers. Jayne

Please Keep Us In Your Thoughts and Prayers

2009-10-01T03:05:00.003+01:00

It is 3am in the morning on 1st October 2009; in a few hours time The Lighthouse will be open for business. It has been quite a journey and what has been accomplished here is quite remarkable. Two months ago, this business unit was a shabby, dirty, unloved shell of a place – but no longer. It has been transformed into something very special. It hasn’t been easy and there have been many, many challenges along the way; we’ve had our fair share of setbacks and there have been frustrating and demoralising days galore. Our limited finances have hindered our efforts still further and we have had to curtail some of our plans – for the time being at least. Yet despite all of this, here we are! Finally, we are on the verge of opening and it’s a glorious feeling! The Lighthouse is a wonderful example of what can be achieved through team work; each member of the JTW team has brought their own individual skills and talents to the project. In addition, there has been an array of workers on site and their gifts (painting, carpentry, electrical, building, IT etc) have breathed new life into this place. Believe me when I say that we have all slogged to get the business to this point - are we excited? You bet we are. I wish I could adequately explain to you just how unique The Lighthouse will be in Kasungu. Make no mistake, we have to make money; the business has to be financially viable. Equally important is the knowledge that the more money we make, the more we can accomplish. These are basic realities. But HOW we make that money is at the heart of both our Business Plan and our Mission Statement and this is where The Lighthouse will come into its own. Our standards – in terms of our business environment/facilities, our services and our level of customer care – will be very high. The Lighthouse derives its name from our desire to bear witness to the light of Christ; our aim is and has always been to create a place where the light of God’s love shines out to people. Yet I have come to understand that its name is appropriate for quite another reason - we want to dazzle Kasungu with what we are offering - we want to set an example for others to follow. If this sounds arrogant in any way then I apologise. It truly isn’t meant to. I’m just so inordinately proud of The Lighthouse and of the work that has taken place over the last two months. I have the privilege and the responsibility of being Project Manager and I know how much I have to thank other people for. It isn’t just my JTW colleagues, or the various people who have worked at the business. It is the many, many people back in the UK and the US who have been supporting us and who have been sending us their good wishes – it is the many, many people who have been keeping us in their thoughts and prayers. In other words, it is you! Thank you.

When we open our doors at 8am, we know that we will be opening a new chapter in the life of JTW and in the charitable work it undertakes in Malawi; as we enter the final hours of preparatory work, we need you today more than ever. Please keep us all in your thoughts and prayers. Jayne

Pepani Makolo

2009-09-22T12:02:00.006+01:00

Sorry folks! I need to begin with apologies. Firstly to everyone who has been emailing – thank you. It means a great deal to me to receive your good wishes and news. There are times when I feel a little lonely here and knowing that there are people back in the UK thinking about us and praying for us makes a big difference. I have been trying to answer your emails (I promise!), but my replies are being rejected - I don't know why exactly. However, for this reason, please use the following email address (rather than the site email facility) to contact me:

powers.jayne@yahoo.co.uk

It is fair to say that at the moment, it is very difficult to reply to any emails due to the lack of internet access. However, as you will hear below, this problem should soon be sorted.

Apology Number 2 – I am sorry that it has been such a long time since our last blog. Please be assured that we are well. Unfortunately it is only possible to update the site in Lilongwe at the moment due to the poor quality of Internet provision here in Kasungu. Getting to Lilongwe is quite difficult and is also quite expensive; I have only just managed to get here. However, from next week, this should no longer be a problem; The Lighthouse is (almost) up and running! As you know, I had hoped that we could open our new Internet Café on 1st September, but unfortunately this didn’t happen. Work on the business took a lot longer than I had anticipated (did I happen to mention that things happen VERY slowly in Malawi!!!) and we have had a few setbacks along the way. However, we have managed to complete stage one of the work and are just finishing off stage two; we will open on Thursday 1st October. It will be quite a moment and the excitement is building.

Our plan for The Lighthouse is to deliver a service in Kasungu that is fast, friendly and efficient; in doing so, we will be offering people something quite unique. In thinking about how things generally work in Kasungu, the words ‘chaotic’ and 'crazy' spring to mind; quite honestly, there are days here when it is like being in the middle of a situation comedy - so bizarre are the events that unfold! For example, one day the previous tenant of the business unit turned up as it was being painted and demanded that all work stop; he claimed that we were trespassing on his premises! So we had no choice but to stop work and it could only begin again once the dispute had been resolved. Other craziness includes being accosted in the street by a Witch Doctor! He was fascinated by Sam and couldn’t take his eyes off of him; his subsequent chanting (the Witch Doctor’s, not Sam’s!) sounded suspiciously like a curse to me! Actually, it’s very easy for me to be flippant about such things, but Witchcraft is quite widespread in Malawi – although it is rarely talked about publicly. In fact, prior to JTW’s involvement with Dzuwa, the village was run by a Witch Doctor; he ruled and controlled the villagers through fear and was a very powerful man. JTW drove him out of the village and things moved forward from that point onwards.

As you can probably see, there are times here when you honestly don’t know whether to laugh or to cry. Sam has also had his fair share of adventures; one particular day springs to mind. I needed to make an urgent phone call and a colleague of mine offered to take Sam; unfortunately, he wasn’t paying close attention to what he was doing. In fact, Sam took it upon himself to stick his head into a container that had been dumped nearby; when I retrieved him, his face was black. I had absolutely no idea what the substance was and although some of it came off, most of it remained. Memories of an ex-neighbour’s dog that had died as a result of eating something poisonous, immediately flooded my mind. I was sick with worry for the next few days but fortunately, Sam was fine. The black stain has worn off now, but it took quite a bit of time; he actually looked very, very comical. As soon as I knew he was ok, I was able to see the funny side of the situation; his new nickname for a time was Sam Smudge! Like I said, you simply don’t know whether to laugh or cry a lot of the time! In many ways, this dilemma sums up life here; days are full of strange happenings and are a mixture of extreme contrasts. I am coming to understand that life in Malawi is a bit like being on a rollercoaster – it is full of the most enormous highs and lows. There are times when you feel overwhelmed with what’s going on around you, when you are so overcome with dread and fear that you simply want to get off and return to the safety of your comfort zone. Yet equally, there are moments which are full of laughter and which take your breath away with sheer unadulterated joy. It’s certainly eventful and could never be called predictable or dull; as I said to you last time, you certainly know you’re alive here!

What I have also come to understand, is that since my arrival here, I have been exploring Malawi and Kasungu wearing rose tinted spectacles. As I get to know more about how things work, I realise that there is a very dark side to life here. This is one of the poorest places on the planet; unemployment is currently running at over 50% and there is no welfare system to support those who are out of work. There is undoubtedly money in Malawi as there is in Kasungu – otherwise there would be little point in opening up a business here – but the problem is that the money is in the hands of a very small percentage of the population. The gap dividing the ‘haves’ from the ‘have nots’ is gigantic here; as a result, life is extraordinarily hard for the majority of Malawians and the evidence of this fact is everywhere. It is the sheer scale of the problem and of the need that is so overwhelming, yet the people here have a remarkable spirit which somehow enables them to cope. This said though, the reality is that the desperate nature of some people’s lives, leads them into desperate behaviour. This was really brought home to me a few weeks ago when I was told that I need to have a watchman at my house. A watchman is the Malawian term for security guard; at first, I honestly thought I was having my leg pulled. However, it was made very clear to me that this is no laughing matter. To put it bluntly, my house’s location makes it a very attractive target – more so because I am the only one living here. The house is surrounded by a high wall and has formidable security bars on all the windows and the doors. Evidently though, these are not enough to deter some people; the constant power cuts just add to the problem. This knowledge certainly rattled me. There’s a great deal of truth to the expression ‘ignorance is bliss’ and I must admit that I was very jittery in the house following on from that conversation. However, Sam is a great burglar alarm and I now have a watchman in place; it is good to know that someone is outside – particularly at night time. Never in a million years did I expect to need a security guard though!

UPDATE - I am currently sitting in the Internet Cafe in Lilongwe so that I can post this 'blog' to the site. Twenty minutes ago I was robbed of my mobile phone! I was crossing the road and a man stepped in front of me to prevent me from moving - his partner grabbed my phone, but thankfully was unable to get my bag away from me. This is the second time I have been robbed and it is very, very upsetting. Desperate lives = desperate behaviour at times and the only consolation is that the phone was probably stolen to buy essential items such as food! I certainly hope so.

As work progresses at The Lighthouse – albeit very slowly – thoughts turn to the secondary school that we are aiming to build. The purpose of the business in Kasungu is to create a source of revenue that will support the work of Joy to the World; getting a school built for the youngsters in Dzuwa village is a priority. Since arriving in Malawi, I have been finding out a lot more about how the education system works and like most things here, the situation is grim. Primary education is free, but secondary education has to be paid for. Many families here are struggling to buy food and as a result, many children are unable to attend secondary school. The standard of provision differs widely and is often very low; I visited a school in Kasungu recently and was shocked at the accommodation and the resources available to staff and pupils. The classrooms were bare and there weren’t enough desks for all the pupils to sit. Text books were in short supply and were very tatty. It was all very depressing. Yet the young people here are desperate for an education, because it represents the chance of a better future. I met a group of youngsters whose school fees are currently being paid for by charitable donations; these youngsters walk 2 ½ hours each morning to get to school. They leave home at 5am (on an empty stomach – their families cannot afford to give them breakfast) to arrive at school for 7.30am – the time that school begins - when school finishes at 2pm, they face another 2 ½ hour walk back to their village. They have one meal in the day – that’s all. It is an extraordinary hardship that is difficult to imagine, but for these kids, education offers an opportunity to escape the poverty that currently blights their lives; without it they face a very bleak and uncertain future. It is something that is worth walking 5 hours a day for! When you hear stories like this (and believe me there are lots of them) it makes you feel very humble – it also makes you feel very angry and desperately, desperately sad. There are millions of children in Malawi who will never get the chance to go to secondary school – never get the chance to realise their potential or to better themselves. It’s a heartbreaking situation. Someone gave me some excellent advice recently though. He told me that the only way it is possible to work in Malawi is to keep focused on small goals; taking on board everything else that is going on around you simply doesn’t work – you just end up feeling totally overwhelmed and utterly demoralised by your inability to change things. Better to solve one small part of the problem – solve it and then move on to the next part! He was right of course. At the moment, our small part of the problem is Dzuwa village and I am trying to target all my energies towards turning The Lighthouse into a profitable business. Putting on the blinkers each day is extremely hard though.

Again, I am aware that this all sounds very negative! I want reiterate that for every negative thing that happens here, there are usually two positive ones to redress the balance and in this vein, here are a few of our ‘highs’

* Having my hair cut in a ramshackle hut (it honestly looked as if it was about to fall down) in the middle of Kasungu market. The lady at the salon had told me that she couldn’t cut my hair and had sent me to the barbers instead! To my relief, the barber (a very nice man called James) did a great job and charged me 65p! Brilliant!

* Coming across Know packet soup in one of the shops here in Kasungu; it has really helped my eating problems. It’s amazing how something so simple can come to mean so much! Plus, I have found some great biscuits in the supermarket for Sam. They are cheap and cheerful but Sam loves them; they are a treat for him when he as been a good boy!

* Discovering that there is a library in Kasungu – I only came across it a couple of days ago – it is a stone’s throw from The Lighthouse! It is very basic and like most things in Malawi, you have to pay to use the service; I am incredibly thankful that I am in a position where I can afford the fee. Despite its limitations, the knowledge that I have access to a library has given me a tremendous boost.

* Meeting happy, smiling children wherever we go. These kids are so poor - they have virtually nothing and their clothes are ragged and dirty - yet they are always laughing and when you look into their eyes, they shine with joy. The youngsters of Malawi are truly inspirational and help to put everything else into perspective.

* Finally managing to sort out my Visa and Work Permit situation! JTW applied for this documentation months ago and it has only just been issued! I can’t tell you what a relief it is to have this piece of paper; at one point the Immigration Department was telling me that I might have to leave the country!

As you can see, there is much to be grateful for; on the subject of positive experiences, I would like to share a story with you. This is something that happened a few weeks ago and it has stayed with me ever since - I think because it contextualises really well so much of what happens here in Malawi. It actually took place in Church; a neighbour of mine (a lovely man called Peter) was introduced in the middle of the service - he announced to us that he was going to sing a song – his way of praising and worshipping God. The church was absolutely packed and not unreasonably, I was expecting him to have a really good voice – after all, why on earth would you put yourself centre stage in front of 300+ people unless you can actually sing? To my complete horror, it turned out that his voice was terrible – he was totally tone deaf. Plus, there was nothing subtle about his performance – it was ‘energetic’ to say the least! I was absolutely mortified; suddenly it was like watching one of those excruciating auditions that you see on talent shows like the X Factor - the ones of the people who don’t make it though to the next round! You know how it goes. Scene one – Joe Public enters the audition room and announces to Simon Cowell and company that he is going to sing a song. Scene two – Joe Public begins his rendition and subsequently murders said song with his shockingly bad voice. Scene three – there is much eye rolling, sniggering and general contempt from the panel. Scene four – Joe Public is stopped in his tracks, is told that his voice is appalling and that he will never be a singer in a million years and then ordered out of the audition room. In other words, he isn’t good enough and has no right to be there.

As I sat in church, I had witnessed scenes one and two and was waiting for scene three to enact itself. To my astonishment (and huge, huge relief), it didn’t. As I looked around the church, everybody else was loving Peter’s singing; I couldn’t see a single person who showed any sign of displeasure. In fact, I’m quite sure that I was the only person in church who thought something was amiss. This wasn’t an example of people being polite. Rather, it was simply a case of people respecting and responding to Peter’s motivation and the sincerity of his performance; the quality of his voice wasn’t actually relevant. What mattered, was what was happening on the inside – not on the outside. And generally speaking, that’s how it is here. The superficial things – the clothes people wear, the bicycle someone rides (few Malawians in Kasungu can afford to drive a car), material possessions etc – these superficial things are not the things that count here. The measure of a person isn’t decided upon by such things. Rather, it is the person themselves that matters. In other words, it is exactly as it should be and it really does make the most wonderful difference - it is totally liberating! There are many, many times when I’m out and about in town and I look absolutely terrible – my clothes are scruffy and dirty because washing facilities are so limited and I myself am filthy as a result of the dust (the dust in Malawi is relentless and merciless – you get covered in it whenever you go out; when I shower at the end of each day, the water is black!) Yet my frequently shambolic appearance makes no difference to the way in which people treat me – they see past all of that. As I sat in church watching Peter, the penny dropped and I suddenly understood what was going on around me; that realisation swept over me and I actually found myself in tears - it really was a very moving thing.

When I next write, I hope that I will be able to report that business at The Lighthouse is going well. Here’s hoping!

Sam and I send you all our love and best wishes; you are in our thoughts and prayers – please, please keep us all in yours. Thank you.

I Spoke Too Soon!

2009-08-12T18:55:00.002+01:00

Has it really been over two weeks since our last entry – the time has gone so fast. It must be all the fun we are having! In fact, it has actually been a tedious and unbelievably frustrating time here in Malawi. When I last wrote, I reported that we had finally been granted access to the container that was shipped from the UK in May. We had already had a very difficult time with the Customs Department and with the agent who was supposed to be acting as a middle man in the process; the paperwork seemed to be taking the most ridiculous amount of time to deal with. You can imagine our relief and joy when we were finally told that it had been completed. Unfortunately I spoke too soon! The next day, Custom officials announced that they were unable to release the container, citing the need for additional paperwork as the reason. We subsequently battled with them (and with our agent) for a further ten days; during this time, duplicate documents had to be submitted and I lost count of the number of telephone calls we made to try and get things resolved. Finally, we were told that we could unload our goods – an event that took place last Thursday. The whole situation has not only been infuriating, it has also been very costly. In addition to storage charges, we have had to pay agency fees and a fee to Customs for the processing of this infamous ‘paperwork’; this in turn has had serious implications for us. JTW had previously set aside a certain amount of money to start the business in Kasungu. Having paid these bills, we are left with a lot less money than we thought we would have; it means that certain things will not get done prior to our opening ‘The Lighthouse’ on 1st September. For example, we may be able to serve our customers refreshments, but it is highly unlikely that they will have anywhere to sit down! It is deeply upsetting - being at the mercy of the Malawi Customs Department is a disconcerting situation to be. So what exactly was the problem – inefficiency, incompetence or deliberate delaying tactics? Obviously I don’t know for sure, although I strongly suspect that it was a combination of all three! People have told me that where corruption is concerned, things in Malawi have improved greatly under the leadership of President Mutharika - President since 2004; his government has been characterised by a vigorous drive to route out corruption. Yet there is little doubt that it remains endemic in the country. Fortunately we are now free of Malawi Customs and the shadow that has been hanging over us for several weeks, has now gone. It’s a wonderful, wonderful feeling.

So what have we actually accomplished in the last two weeks? Well, work has begun at ‘The Lighthouse’. The unit we are renting was left in a very poor state of repair by its previous tenants and as a result, a lot of work needs to be done. We are blessed by the fact that the unit is in a terrific location in town – one that should ensure we get a good flow of customers. Fortunately, we are away from the main chaos of Kasungu, yet remain easily accessible. We are situated directly opposite a secondary school and the main backdrop is Kasungu mountain – it is so beautiful and it will be a wonderful place to work. Another thing in our favour is the fact that there is currently only one other place in Kasungu where Internet access is available. However, this place is very expensive and it only has a couple of machines available; there are long waiting times to get on these PCs and the connection is apparently very slow. I have found the lack of access to email particularly frustrating; being out of touch with people has proved very difficult for me. I very much hope that this will change once we open for business; it should be so much easier to stay in touch.

In addition to all the work we are doing at ‘The Lighthouse’, Sam and I continue to make ourselves known about town; telling as many people as possible about what we are doing is very important. We continue to cause great hilarity, although I’m glad to report that things have calmed down quite a bit – the people of Kasungu appear to be getting used to this pink elephant and her strange ways! Sam is still the focus of attention wherever we go though; Malawians simply don’t understand the relationship that I have with him. Having a dog as a pet is not something that is part of the culture here; putting a dog on a lead and taking it for a walk is perceived as being a very, very strange thing to do. The fact that Sam lives in the house with me and actually has his own bed is another thing that causes astonishment. Although people do own dogs here, their main function is to guard property and as a result, they tend to be quite aggressive. These dogs roam freely and generally have to scavenge for their food; they certainly don’t get treated the way Sam is treated. This is something else that causes great amusement when we are out and about – this strange little dog who comes everywhere with his owner and who is loved and cherished like a child - bizarre! Having said this though, Sam is actually greatly admired in town and has become a bit of a celebrity here; more often than not, people say “hello” to him before they say “hello” to me! It’s very comical, but I can certainly understand the interest in him - he simply isn’t like the dogs that people are used to – not only does he look very different (he is much smaller, plus there are no other white dogs in Kasungu – how ironic is that!!) but his nature is totally different as well. Sam is so loving and friendly and I think people are slowly beginning to understand what I mean when I tell them that he is much more than a dog. He is a companion and a friend!

I guess the other thing to report is that I am finding that eating is becoming a real problem for me; there are a variety of reasons for this. Firstly, it is very hot; the temperature each day reaches 27 / 28 degrees and it does affect your appetite quite dramatically. Secondly, food here is incredibly boring. The choice of food available in the shops is virtually non existent and what there is, is completely uninspiring. Thirdly, there are problems with refrigeration in Kasungu – the electricity is constantly going off for long periods of time and none of the shops seem to have any kind of back up system for their fridges and freezers. I was warned about this when I first arrived in Kasungu and this, together with the fact that I was very ill when I was in Dzuwa village, has made me very, very cautious about what I eat. The final thing to say about eating is that there is a certain amount of guilt attached to the process. We are surrounded by so many people - and in particular, so many children - who are hungry. It is impossible not to feel bad about the fact that we have food and so many others don’t. Children rummaging through dustbins, is a common site here; I am in no doubt that Sam actually eats more food each day than many of the children who live in both Dzuwa and in Kasungu. I am finding this very difficult to get my head around; I just keep reminding myself that if we don’t eat we will become ill. Equally, I know that if I don’t eat, I will not be able to do the work that I have come all this way to do! It is fair to say though, that whereas eating was once an immensely enjoyable thing, it is now simply something that has to be done – a bit of a chore no less. As a result, I have already lost quite a lot of weight – with no effort whatsoever!

In my last blog I spoke about feelings of loneliness and isolation. Never before have I been so aware of the colour of my skin – it’s just not something I’ve ever really thought about before. Likewise, I have never experienced such a sense of being different before. It’s such a strange situation to be in. Well, it is always the case that life is full of surprises and today I had a terrific surprise. As I was walking into town, I spotted a woman walking towards me – a white woman! It was actually very, very funny, because the two of us couldn’t take our eyes off of one another! We immediately stopped to talk and to introduce ourselves. Melissa is American (well, beggars can’t be choosers!) and a member of staff with a charitable organisation; she has been in Malawi for three months and is due to be here for another year and a bit. Although she doesn’t live in Kasungu, she is based in a nearby village and comes into town about once a month. We hit it off straight away and it was great to have someone with the same points of reference, to talk to. Having a meaningful conversation with someone i.e. exchanging points of view and discussing common areas of interest, is vastly different to simply telling people about yourself, or answering a long list of questions. We have agreed to get together whenever we can and I am in no doubt that her friendship will make a substantial difference to me.

In ending this blog, it is fair to say that it has been a difficult couple of weeks – weeks which have been dominated by the vast cultural differences that exist between Britain and Malawi. As a result, I am aware that a lot of the content of this blog is quite negative; I apologise for this. Believe it or not, we are both actually incredibly happy! There is no doubt that working with JTW and just the simple fact of living in Malawi is very hard at times. At times it feels like every day is a test of one’s inner resources – and one’s patience! Yet this ensures that every day is hugely stimulating. I know that this is going to sound very, very cheesy but it is absolutely the case that you only find out what you are capable of when the chips are down. It is during times such as these that you find out what you are really made off – in other words, when faced with adversity, do you sink or do you swim? I’m certainly not going to claim that I’m gaily swimming my way through the days here. I’m not. In fact there have been many, many times when I have struggled with the situation I have found myself in. However, I am proud of the fact that I have only come close to sinking on one occasion - when Sam was very ill one evening and there was absolutely nobody I could call to help - that was undoubtedly the lowest point to date. Believe me when I say though, that there is never a dull moment here and it is something that makes for an exciting life; if nothing else, Africa is a place where you know you are alive! For all of the many difficulties, life here is rewarding in most wonderful (and often unexpected) ways. In particular, I find the people truly amazing and truly inspirational; in the face of the most extraordinary hardship, they have the most indomitable spirit. They also have their priorities in perfect order – I just wish they could do things a bit quicker and with a greater sense of urgency! I’m glad to report that Sam is also loving it here and that he has settled remarkably well. Much to my surprise, he loves the sun and the heat and spends a lot of time just enjoying these in our garden. Our house is actually built upon a couple of acres of land and this is just fantastic for Sam; it is something that he has never had before. His tail never stops wagging and he has never seemed happier! For all the many ups and downs then, I can honestly say that things are going really well.

As always, we send you our love and best wishes and ask you all to keep us in your thoughts and prayers.

NEXT TIME …… The X Factor Comes to Kasungu CCAP Church !!

Two Weeks in Malawi - Almost !!

2009-07-27T16:57:00.003+01:00

PLEASE FORGIVE ME - I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO ADD PHOTOS TO THIS BLOG, BUT THE CONNECTION IS TOO SLOW HERE TO ALLOW ME TO DO THIS - I WILL ADD PHOTOS WHEN I CAN GET PROPER ACCESS TO THE INTERNET. PLUS, PLEASE ALSO FORGIVE ANY ERRORS - PC ACCESS AND MY SUBSEQUENT TIME IS SO LIMITED. THANK YOU

Sam and I have been in Malawi for almost two weeks now and I have a huge amount of news to share with you. It is difficult to know how to do justice to everything we have seen, heard and experienced in this time though: it has been truly extraordinary.

We touched down at Lilongwe Airport at 2.15pm on Thursday 16th July. I was met by the President of ‘Joy to the World Ministries’ (JTW) - Fletcher Matandika. Our first task was to collect Sam from the Cargo Office; after a very long and gruelling journey, all I wanted to do was to get him and go. However, recovering Sam was actually much harder than I had anticipated; before we could take him, there was a mountain of paperwork to ‘sign off’. It took us over two hours and saw us going from office to office and from person to person (all within the same building) in order that we might obtain the necessary signatures and stamps. The process was painfully slow; it was also irritating and frustrating – not an experience I would ever care to repeat. Finally Customs agreed to release our ‘cargo’, but not before a sizable amount of money changed hands – something I had not been expecting. It was not the best of starts and left a bitter taste in the mouth with regard to Malawi officialdom! Being reunited with Sam was fantastic though; I had not seen him for three days and having my best pal back at my side was just wonderful – everyone should have a dog like Sam!

From Lilongwe we travelled north to Dzuwa village – an extremely poor area of Malawi. Dzuwa is the reason why Fletcher set up JTW in 2006; he desperately wanted to offer practical help to the people there. Sam and I spent a few days in Dzuwa; it was a remarkable, life changing experience.

Although things have improved in Dzuwa over the last three years, it continues to have very serious problems, particularly with regard to illness and health care. JTW has built a new medical clinic in the village and this should have opened in January. Unfortunately, government permission was withheld at that time and a number of conditions were subsequently laid down. JTW has struggled to meet these but hopes that the clinic will be open by the end of the year. An important part of the clinic’s work will be health education and this programme of disease prevention, should make a big difference within the community.

Spending time in Dzuwa is a humbling experience. More often than not, the children are clothed in rags and are filthy dirty.

Yet they are remarkably happy and seem totally content in their lives. I saw children playing with sticks and elastic bands as if they were the greatest toys on earth. These children never moaned or whined - they were a joy to be with and their energy, laughter and smiling faces would put the vast majority of western children to shame. The children adored Sam and we were followed around by dozens of them wherever we went. They just wanted to be with us and I found being the Pied Piper of Dzuwa absolutely enchanting. PHOTO

Yet there is no escaping the fact that this is a very hard life. The women of the village do an extraordinary amount of physical work and carry the most remarkable loads around – usually on their heads! By comparison, the men of the village don’t appear to do nearly as much and quite often they can be seen just sitting around chatting. To an outsider and onlooker, it seems a very unfair existence. Girls are expected to get married at the earliest opportunity and currently there is no alternative to this. The secondary school that JTW is planning to build for the young people of Dzuwa will hopefully provide this much needed alternative; through education comes opportunities and choice!

Living in a place where there is no safe water (by our western standards) and very primitive facilities proved to be the biggest challenge for me. I have always hated being dirty and yet in Dzuwa, it is virtually impossible to keep clean. It is a dust bowl! By my third day, I had succumbed to the germs and the bugs and was dreadfully ill. I will leave the precise details to your imaginations, but I can honestly say that I would not wish that experience on my worst enemy – it was truly, truly awful.

I was most fortunate that there was a team of twenty folk from the US visiting Dzuwa at the same time as myself. Amongst the team were two doctors and they were able to give me some very effective prescription medicine to treat my violent and explosive symptoms. It was great to work alongside this mission team, which had journey from the First Presbertarian Church, . I was thankful to them for their friendship and fellowship and for the support that they were able to give to the other project JTW is embarking upon – the setting up of a Christian business/ministry in the nearby town of Kasungu. I will be spearheading this project and it is tremendously exciting; the business will comprise of an Internet Café (offering high quality IT services), a coffee shop and a Christian book shop. It is my job to turn this idea into reality and to create a financially successful business; the money we make will be used to further support the work of JTW in Dzuwa and in particular, the building of the secondary school. On arriving in Kasungu, I received a tremendous surprise. My understanding was that the business would be located within the house that we are renting. The house is located in an area called Beloeloe; it is a beautiful house and absolutely huge. PHOTO

I have my own, self contained section of the house, but there are a further three bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen and a main lounge area. This is where I thought the business was going to be established. Not so. It turns out that a shop unit in town has become available; it is in a prime location and perfect for our needs. As a result, our new business will be established here. It will be called ‘The Joy to the World Lighthouse Christian Centre’. Currently, the unit needs some work doing to it – the ceiling is dodgy and there is a lot of cleaning, painting and general modernising to be done. Our plan is to be open by September; over the next few weeks, we intend to transform this empty space into a Christian focal point – somewhere where people can come to linger, learn and to latch onto the Christian message and to Christian principles. At The Lighthouse, we hope to create a space that people are slow to leave and in a hurry to return to! It will hopefully be a beacon in Kasungu and will draw people in!

If the stir that Sam and I have caused on arrival in town is anything to go by, then we will have no problem attracting customers to The Lighthouse! If you can imagine a pick elephant in a tutu dancing Swan Lake in the middle of your local High Street, then you might just get an idea of the kind of response we receive every time we step out of the house. It is quite something. People are absolutely fascinated by this strange white woman and her even stranger dog on his lead! Everywhere we go, people shout out at us. They want us to stop so that they can talk and ask us questions. It sounds like a very extreme reaction and it truly is. I had thought that we would stand out – of course I had – but I had not anticipated this level of interest. Yet for all the curiosity and for all the laughter that we generate as we go about town, there is never any malice in the people. They are just wonderfully warm and good natured. I hope that they will get used to us in time though; it will be nice to be able to walk down the street without being stared at!

In fact, Sam and I have been out and about a lot. I have been trying to talk to as many people as possible – not difficult under the circumstances – and to tell them all about why we are in Kasungu; I want to make sure that people know that I am not a tourist! Spreading the word about our new business venture and explaining how it is going to be used to help other Malawians is very important. The response has been overwhelmingly positive and I am confident that The Lighthouse will be a big success when it eventually opens. More often than not, local businesses in town are shabby in their appearance and chaotic in their approach to service. In one respect, this is actually quite quaint. However, our intention is to raise the standard considerably; we intend to offer something quite unique in Kasungu, namely a service that is fast and efficient!

I guess my last piece of major news concerns our first church service in Kasungu. I had hoped to have a lie in, but the English service here begins at 8am, so there was no chance of this. Once again, I found myself coming face to face with ‘the warm heart of Africa’; the people were so welcoming and I immediately felt at home. The service actually lasted for two hours and was a real eye opener. Worship in Malawi is loud, joyful, energetic and completely infectious. People sing with great passion and dancing in the pews is apparently the norm. Yesterday the church was packed – with old and young parishioners alike. The two choirs belted out some wonderful gospel songs and then it was the turn of the Pastor to entertain us. I use the word ’entertain’ quite deliberately – I have never experienced a sermon quite like that one. It was absolutely hilarious; I kid you not, it was like being ministered to by a stand up comic! The congregation was in fits – I was in fits – the church rang with the sound of laughter. Yet the theme of the sermon was a very serious one and for all the fun, the message was never lost upon us. Far from it, the words resonated with power, passion, sincerity and relevance. It was very impressive to watch this man at work – a lesson in the art of communication.

At the end of the service I had the opportunity to introduce myself to the congregation. This was fantastic; I was able to tell them all about myself (and Sam), our reasons for being in Malawi and our new business venture in Kasungu. Working in partnership with the church is going to be very important; it is my hope that we can support each other.

As you will see from the above, we have experienced a great many ‘highs’ so far – here are just a few more:

* Sam – he has been magnificent in adapting to life in Malawi – a real hero!

* Visiting the vet – a twenty minute consultation and enough liquid to protect Sam from fleas and ticks for a whole year cost £9.00

* My new colleagues from JTW – Elliot, Ron, Gloria and Ulemu – they have been wonderfully welcoming and helpful.

* The tea – it is absolutely fantastic!

* Lake Malawi – we went to visit it and it is truly spectacular.

* Meeting my neighbour Martin who is a senior Inspector for Primary Schools in the area – he is responsible for seventeen schools in total. Plus, making friends with Esther and George – two Police Officers who live with their own two children and four orphans. Esther has promised to teach me Chichewa!

* Finding a shop that sells really great socks – they are thin and cool and are perfect for wearing with my crocs! They protect my feet from the dust and cost 25p per pair - an absolute bargain!

For all the ‘highs’ though, we have experienced our fair share of lows – such as:

* Sam – he was very sick one evening and could not stop shaking. I just wrapped him in a blanket and cradled him in my arms until he fell asleep. He was fine the next day and the vet thought it was the sudden change in temperature that had cause the shaking. It was a horrible, horrible thing though.

* The dust – as I mentioned before, Malawi is a dust bowl and even in town, it is impossible to keep clean. Clothes become filthy and Sam is finding it very hard going – he keeps sneezing. I have loads of dirty clothes and at the moment, have no means of washing them.

* Driving – I spent some time driving in Lilongwe last week and it is basically every man (and woman) for themselves - what an experience!

* Electricity – power cuts are frequent.

* Shopping – there is very little choice in the shops.

* Mice on Sticks – A great many people eat mice in Malawi because they are unable to afford meat. Mice are sold on sticks (like kebabs) and this is a revolting site when you first see it.

* The Black Mamba snake that we came across and the three large, snarling wild dogs that appeared out of nowhere when we were out walking one day. Both were seriously scary!

There have been some other lows as well; the biggest frustration has been the process of trying to get the Malawi Customs to release the container that was shipped from the UK in May. Once again, it was the paperwork side of things that caused the most difficulty. The container has now been released, but dealing with this very inefficient and bureaucratic office was an absolute pain in the neck.

Inefficient is a word that frequently springs to mind in Malawi. Strangely, there seems to be very little joined up thinking here; actions occur in isolation and without much thought to what happens next. Things are disjointed and fragmented – something that I have been finding very difficult to accept. The pace of life here is also unbelievable slow – nothing, absolutely nothing happens quickly here. If you order a meal in a restaurant, it could take an hour and a half for the food to arrive! My level of patience has been struggling to cope and I know that I have a long way to go before I can fully accept this way of living.

I guess the other ‘low’ is a bit of a paradox; it is the business of being surrounded by lots of people and yet feeling lonely. Being the only British AND the only white person here is a strange situation to be in. I have been amazed at how much I am missing that most familiar and basic of things – small talk. I have come to understand just how important this actually is and what a big part it plays in our everyday lives; I am missing it terribly. I am spending a large amount of time talking to people, but it is a completely different kind of ‘talk’. I am hoping that as the weeks and months go by though, that this will change and this feeling of loneliness will disappear.

In signing off, I send you all my love and good wishes and promise to update the site with our news as often as I can.

Welcome to Malawi

2009-07-21T05:43:00.004+01:00

Hello and welcome to Malawi - we are finally here! Be assurred that we are safe and well. Today is our 6th day in the country and this is the first time I have been able to get access to a PC and to an Internet connection. It has been an amazing time - simply extraordinary. My intention is to give you a full account, but at the moment, this is not possible - my time on this particular machine is limited to a few minutes and so I will have to sign off shortly. I hope I have managed to wet your appetites for the news to come though; believe me, it is worth reading. I don't know when you will next hear from us. However, I would like you to know that you are all in our thoughts and that we are missing you greatly. Equally though, I know that our time in Malawi is going to be well spent and that the decision to come here to work with 'Joy to the World Ministries' was the right one. There is so much need here; it is utterly gut wrenching to see the level of poverty here. If I have learnt anything in the last 6 days though, it is that pity and tears are absolutely no good; what's needed is practical help and love. Our intention is to give both. We will see you soon - please keep us all in your thoughts and your prayers.

Here We Go!

2009-07-14T15:39:00.004+01:00

After months of hard work and preparation, the time has finally arrived. Today, Sam and I are beginning our long journey to Malawi. I have just dropped off Sam at Glasgow Airport; he flies out in two hours time on a KLM flight and will arrive in Amsterdam this evening. My own flight leaves tomorrow morning; we will meet up in Amsterdam and will then travel to Johannesburg, South Africa, together. The following day, we embark on the final leg of our journey; we are due to arrive in Lilongwe, Malawi on Thursday afternoon. On arrival, we will be met by our new colleagues from ‘Joy to the World Ministries’ and drive to the villiage of Dzuwa.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”
Nelson Mandela

In Dzuwa, there is a desperate need for a secondary school and JTW plans to build one! When’s it’s built, the young people of Dzuwa will be able to continue their education beyond an elementary level; the school will give them far greater opportunities and choices than they currently have. We have a large container full of quality books (donated by the people of Oban and Inverness) and are now in a position where we can realistically resource a secondary school. Now all we need is the building and the staff – no small task. However, we are working hard to put these in place and hope that the new school will be open for business next year.

But of course, the school isn't our only enterprise - we intend to open the best book shop, coffee shop and Internet Cafe that the nearby town of Kasungu has ever seen! I will tell you a bit more about this in our next blog - hopefully by then, I will have learnt to make a decent cup of coffee!

All in all, Sam and I have an amazing journey ahead of us and I very much hope that you will share it with us. Hopefully you have read our previous blogs; as you know, this site was created specifically so that we can keep people updated with all our news – the highs and the lows - the good and the bad – the successes and the disappointments. We know that we face many challenges but we also know that we are taking the love and the good wishes of our friends (yes, Sam has friends!) and family with us. So jump onboard and take a deep breath – it promises to be quite a ride!

One Week to Go!

2009-07-07T11:04:00.001+01:00

Can it really only be one week until we leave for Malawi - it seems absolutely incredible. Sam’s flights have finally been confirmed and most of his documents are now in place; the last piece of paper should be in my hands on Thursday. What a relief that will be!

I’m trying to learn a little bit of Chichewa – the national language of Malawi – before we leave. The official language of the country is actually English, but from everything I have read and from everyone I have spoken to, even the clumsiest attempt to speak the local language, goes a long way in Africa. Every conversation begins in the traditional way – “Moni, muli bwanji?” “Hello, how are you?” Reciprocation is essential; politeness, good manners, lots of smiles and plenty of laughter are the order of the day in Malawi. The country is universally known as the ‘heart of Africa’ because of the warm nature and the friendliness of its people. It is also renowned for it’s gentle pace; as my guide book puts it, “Malawi, may well be the most laid-back nation on earth ..... it has a low key charm that becomes thoroughly addictive”. All in all, it is a tantalising prospect.

Over the next seven days, we will tie up the last of our loose ends, sort out the last of our packing and say the last of our goodbyes. There are still a sobering number of things that need to be done, but we will get there – and then it’s off for the adventure of a lifetime.

The Clock is Ticking!

2009-07-01T12:21:00.001+01:00

Oh boy – the clock is really ticking now – there are only two weeks to go before Sam and I begin our journey to Malawi. Yet there’s still so much that we need to do – aaahhhh. Am I stressed? Just a little!

Poor Sam has been feeling a bit stressed himself lately; he has just had a large quantity of blood taken from his front leg so that various tests can be carried out. I’ve explained to him that this has to be done so that the vet can ‘sign off’ his travel permits, but he’s not impressed! Quite frankly, I can’t say I blame him – I have had ten pre-travel jags, so I know exactly how unpleasant needles can be. We’re all jagged out!

Anyway, on a positive note, this is an amazingly exciting time and in all fairness, it is only the paperwork side of things that is causing any real headaches for us. Never has the word ‘bureaucratic’ held such meaning for me. But I know we will get there.

Hopefully when you read our next blog, you will hear that all tests have been completed, that the results are back, that all our documents have arrived and are in place, that all our things are packed and that we are (finally) ready for the off. Here’s hoping!