Indiegogo Campaign - Raising Money for Malawi!

Our family is starting to get familiar with these online funding websites!  What a cool way to raise money right?  

As many of you know, my husband, Peter, works for an organization called Children of the Nations (COTN).  Peter has been working so hard on setting up a fundraising campaign to raise money to start Community Health Clubs in Malawi for COTN.  The individuals in these clubs will be given training on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene so that they can then go out and train others.

They have started these clubs in the Dominican Republic, and they have been extremely successful, and they would love to start these clubs in other countries.

But we need YOUR help!

This is the SECOND day of the Campaign!  And we have raised $308 to date!

The goals of the project.  

• Increase local knowledge of water, sanitation, and hygiene. Educating members that many illnesses can be eliminated through simple means, such as hand washing or covering food. By the end of the first year our goal is to cut diarrhea incidence in a THIRD. In Chilombo village, Malawi, less than 3% of the population know how to treat diarrhea properly. Yet it is frequent, and even deadly.

• Encourage behavior change in the homes of members, reducing the incidence of illness and especially water borne disease through implementation of learning due to increased knowledge. By the end of the first year, our goal is that over 50% will be using soap after going to the toilet. In Mgwayi village, Malawi, 89% reported not using a hand washing station after going to the toilet.  Changing this behavior alone would radically improve health, school attendance, and decrease infant mortality.  

• Transform the surrounding community because of increased knowledge and behavior change of Community Health Club members. By the end of the first year, our goal is that 50% of the community will know how to make an oral rehydration solution for diarrhea treatment. Community Health Club members will become advocates in their families, and villages. They will share their knowledge and demonstrate their behavior change.

Just how can I help you ask...

• VISIT the Indiegogo campaign page - Community Health Clubs
• Like us on Facebook - here is the Facebook Page link
• Follow Peter's blog, make comments, and post a link to the campaign page and Facebook Page on your blog if you have one. His blog is located HERE.
• Follow our Tweets on Twitter. Re-tweet us also. Twitter Page
• Send the link to the website campaign to your friends, family, and co-workers.
• If you can, make a donation HERE
• Word of mouth referrals. 
• Like our picture updates on Instagram. Follow us HERE. 

What are you waiting for?? 

You have some action steps to take!  Check out the campaign page and like us on Facebook!  

We need your help to spread the word!  

Let's get started on some fundraising for a great cause!  Let's change some lives!

Thank you so much in advance!

xoxo,

Malia

Malawi Prayers.

Peter is on his way home right now!  Praise the Lord - I am so excited to hug that man, and I have been tracking his flights all day.  Such a long journey he has ahead of him, but I suppose the big bulk of it has already been completed.

I just wanted to share some of the emails he sent before he left and the emails he sent while he was there!  Enjoy the little glimpse into his Malawi adventures, and take the time to check out the organization he works for - Children of the Nations.  And if you are interested in financially supporting Peter's work in Malawi - then please take the time to check out his page!

9/13/2012

Hello,

I hope you are well. You are receiving this email because you are a friend and supporter of ours. 

This evening I am leaving for Malawi, but alas I will be traveling without my best friend and travel buddy, Malia - she is staying home with LB (baby's nickname). I will be returning on October 1st - I am really excited about this trip but also sad to leave Malia behind. It is always tough, and I am sure tears will be shed from both of us. 

Anyway, please pray for my trip - for travel mercies, bags, flight safety, hassle free immigration...for health and safety in Malawi and also that this trip is a successful and encouraging one.  Also, please pray for Malia and LB, that they would be safe and well cared for while I am gone - they are my world. If you feel like it, give her a call or two, invite her for dinner or even to stay the night...she will be sad that she is not there with me as she loved Malawi the last time and any love you can give her would be fantastic.

Thank you and I look forward to sharing with you all, when I return! I will try to post some updates on my blog while I am there...

9/16/2012

Hello? Muli bwanji? (How are you?)

I have arrived in Malawi, well I arrived yesterday in the afternoon, after one 6 hour flight, one 13 hour flight and one 6 hour flight with layovers in between! It is good to be here, and good to see some of of the children already...

Last night under the huge Malawi stars I met Sandram, who is 14 years old. He came with his sister, Zione (meaning Precious) to COTN when he was very young. His parents had died when he was 3 years old, and had moved in with his Uncle who made him work with the cows on his farm, where he had a penchant for beating him and his sister.  COTN was referred to them, and took them both into our care nearly 10 years ago. Now they are both in school and dreaming of the future, Sandram can be best described as very curious about all things...!

He says his first goal is to love God and his second is to work hard in school! His sister and him are miracles, coming from being orphans, dressed in rags, watching cows and being beaten to dreaming of going to University and fulfilling their potential.

Thank you for your support of us and COTN in ensuring children like Sandram are no longer throw away orphans but are future engineers, doctors, entrepreneurs, lawyers and teachers!

Malungu a bwino (God is Good)..

9/16/2012

Hello,

As I write this I sit in the dark with a head lamp, I hear the teenagers laughing, as they study for the first day of class tomorrow. They have been busy most of the day doing chores like laundry, cooking, cleaning and now they study to the sound of crickets. Today I was at Chitipi home, where I was greeted by children holding my hand and singing me songs.  They come from backgrounds we can not relate to yet COTN has brought them into such a loving environment that they can think about becoming a pilot, teacher, doctor rather than when will they get fed or will they be beaten today or will they have somewhere to sleep tonight..

Your support of us is not make believe and nice stories -  it is changing lives, in a tangible and real way. Anness Banda, has graduated from college and is pursuing a career in social work but has spent a year teaching and serving with cotn after she completed college, Rebecca Chinseu, is now at college studying to be a teacher, Innocent is studying to be Doctor, and Irene Banda is in her GAP year before going to college next year. Stephan, Tika, Patricia, Brian, Caleb are living joy filled, and happy childhoods with big dream. Their lives were forever changed when YOU joined the mission to raise children who transform nations. 

9/18/2012

At the center the children are fed, a soy, corn porridge mix.  As the children gobble it down, mixed in with calls for WAN MORE PITCHA, it is impossible to not be reminded that THIS here, these children are why you support us, these children are why I work late at night calling Malawi, these children are why I harass all my friends into giving…is it worth it? You bet it is.

On my walk I met Davie, who is waiting to go to college to study communication, his parents died when he was two years old and now he lives with his sister. She is also a widow, and manages our Khamalathu  program in Mgwayi village, which is a cooperative of women who are rearing pigs ( a program I was involved with creating)   .  She  is also an HIV awareness advocate in her village. Dave and his sister, Salumi have all too familiar story of death and struggle in Malawi, what is not normal is that they are now on their way to being exceptional.  Thank you COTN.  Is it worth all the work to empower people like Dave and his sister, I will leave that to you to decide. 

9/20/2012

Today I was blessed by the Madilitso Widows program, of Mtslitza. They danced for me, sang for me, made me dance, and even gave me gifts.  These ladies are thriving, even using some profits to make and buy blankets for children in the community.  They support one another and enjoy one another, and this month they have begun to open their own bank accounts through a micro finance program. How amazing that they now have bank accounts of their own!  You can now buy some of their items on the Market Colors website…

On my way home this evening from the office, after a difficult attempt at skyping with Malia, I was escorted by Jonathon who is studying for his Form 4 exams in 2013 called MSCE, which is the last step before college. The exam is difficult and stressful for our children as so much rides on it…to go college you must pass. Well, on an average day, he starts school around 8am, finishes at 3, plays football for two hours, eats dinner and then studies until around 10pm…he then gets up at 3am and studies for another two hours sometimes  till breakfast at 8! WOW.  He is not messing around and is really putting in the hard yards to fulfill his ambitions! These are the kind of kids COTN staff in Malawi are raising – men and women of real caliber.

9/21/2012

Today I visited Chilombo village, which is about one hour from Lilongwe.  Through crowded markets and dirt roads. The last time I was there, they had no school, and now they do…they used to study under trees or not at all if it was raining. Now UNICEF has built a school with fruit trees! How wonderful this is.  But I spent a few minutes with a young lady, whose son, Innocent was just  brought into COTN Village Partnership Program.  I chatted with her on her door step, for a few brief moments of immense impact.  She lives in a mud brick hut, with a straw roof that has gaping holes, that is smaller than my garage, she has no furniture, no bed, no light. She sleeps on the floor with her two children, luckily under a mosquito net. When she needs money she goes out and turns the dirt in the fields before planting – using a hoe and carrying her baby on her back. This work is exhausting, and for one acre she is paid $10. The catch is it takes 10 days to complete on acre…So $1 a day she uses immense amounts of energy, whilst still having to carry water, make dinner and care for her children. In Chilombo, if you do not live near the well you must walk 3 miles for water, then carry it back on your head. If you are child this means you may miss school and you may not even have had any food for breakfast! Do we need more wells in Chilombo, YES…and we will over the next few months…In the meantime we are providing soap, blankets, nets, meal supplements, hygiene supplies and medical care…This next year we will drill a well, maybe two, and build a community center. The people are going to help us build the center, and will take responsibility for it as this is a joint effort at community partnership.

Later on I spent some time with Flora, helping her with her English homework after I was done with meetings. These kids, they are so full of laughter and vitality, it is truly amazing. As I keep saying that a kid can come from Chilombo and graduate from college is simply amazing.  It seems like a dead end community, but it is not because of people like you and your heart and desire to empower these people little by little. Thank you.

9/26/2012

Lying on my bed with sweat pouring off me, in the pure dark of a Malawi black out and in the distance I can hear singing – every time the power goes out at night the girls gather together to sing and dance. Their songs are broken up by raucous laughter…the Malawi singing voice is quite something…it is thick, creamy and buttery smooth…strange adjectives I know but I cant think of any other better ones. If you have heard it, you will know what I mean.  In any case it is something I will miss, when I sit in the dark at home I will miss the noise of the girls songs…I will also miss the verve for life. Tonight we watched Secretariot, I am sure for most of the movie the kids were like what the heck is this? But when the racing scenes come, the kids were cheering, screaming and clapping, as if they had bet their house on this horse!  It was incredible, and I will miss this kind of out pouring of joy. 

9/29/2012

Hello everyone, 

It is my last night, and where did the time go?! I spent my last day doing some last minute shopping, sleeping and packing as well as eating a MOUNTAIN of food – I think Jeremiah thinks I need to carbo load for the journey! I am excited to go home and see Malia and how our baby is adding to her beauty…but also dreading my 36 hour sojourn of 10,000 miles! Flying has lost its luster for me, and especially when there is more than one layover…but I will also miss the staff, and the children and just have to live and hope it will not be two years this time until I am back.  Thanks for praying for me this far but please add a few extra in the next day or two as I get on this plane and come home, pray for travel mercies, safety, easy transit through the various immigration and customs checks…and maybe that the movies are good! I am sure the good byes will be hard, and that I will leave with a slightly heavy heart, but I am also looking forward to being in the cooler air of home!

As they say here …

God is Good,

All the time,

All the time God is Good

Wow!

Life and Death.

How many of you reading this have been to a funeral in the last year? In the last month? In the last week? How many of you have been to more than ONE funeral in the last year? In the last month? In the last week?

I am stating it here for all of you to read – I am 27 years old and I have never been to a funeral, well maybe just one when I was too little to even remember such events.

Although I have never been to a funeral, I understand fully that death is inevitable and a reality for us all. I hear about people dying here and there from old age or an illness. And don’t get me wrong it does impact me and demonstrates the reality of death. But DEATH has never felt so real to me as it did when we were in Africa.

Death is so common in Africa, it is nearly tangible. It can be felt around every corner and every bend. Just over the course of ONE month many COTN staff members were impacted by the death of a loved one. Some mourned the loss of a father, a daughter, or even a fellow coworker. It seemed as if people were always attending funerals. People frequent funerals as often as they may frequent a friend’s house.

Many of these people are dying due to malaria or HIV/AIDS. Malaria is as common in Africa as the common cold is in the states. During our time there many of COTN’s own children and staff members were admitted to the clinic to be treated for malaria.

These next few bits were taken from Peter’s entry on Upsidedownmotive.net. I want to make sure I give him credit for these beautiful words… “In Malawi, not only do many die giving birth or from HIV or from hunger but many are crippled by the scourge that is Malaria. Malaria in Malawi is so common that if you are sick you can nearly always presume it is malaria. Take one of the girls in the teen home in Chiwengo who has battled malaria 10 times, or the 6 month old child of a mutual friend who just lost their battle with malaria, or the girl from Chilombo who we drove to the ABC clinic. We met a COTN nurse who told us she sees a malaria sickened child at least one or 2 times a week. Death from malaria is one of the most tragic ways to die in Africa as it is avoidable at a very low cost. What would it take to cut deaths dramatically and in a matter of months? Nothing but nets- A simple mosquito net costing $10. Quinine, the drug used to battle malaria, costs $15 each time you have an outbreak. Do the Math yourself, nets are cheaper, nets are better, and nets are simple. COTN at Chiwengo is lacking nets. Some have nets, some do not, and some just don’t like them! Until we can have greater access to nets, Malawi will continue to struggle against malaria.”

Everyone in Malawi knows someone who has been touched by malaria in some way. It all kind of reminded me of a common disease we have in the states, a disease we like to call cancer. Everyone in the States knows someone who has been touched by cancer. Malaria or even HIV/AIDS is their cancer. And then it made me think why is cancer unheard of in Africa? Don’t get me wrong they have their own diseases and illnesses, but why is it that cancer is claiming the lives of thousands of people each year in the states? Makes you think doesn’t it…we may not have malaria, but we have our own set of diseases and problems that disrupt and destroy life. The only difference is theirs is called malaria while ours is called cancer.

Development.

We have been home for a few weeks now, and as you can tell it has been easy to adjust back into the life I left behind. Blog entries are few and far between or simply nonexistent. My life isn’t nearly as exciting, thus I can’t seem to figure out what to write about or what people would even want to read about. We wake up, eat, go to work, eat, maybe watch a movie or some TV and then go to bed, and then we wake up the next day only to do it all over again. Exciting huh? Don’t worry this blog entry won’t be all about the life of Peter and Malia since their return home to Boredom, oops I mean Seattle! Don’t get me wrong, we LOVE it here and it was so wonderful to fly into the city and to see the rain, the clouds and to feel as though we were really HOME.

I feel as though I have so much to process and no time to do it, and to be quite honest I am slightly tiring of having to put my experience into words. I often wonder if people really care to hear about my time or if they are just asking questions out of obligation. Terrible way to think, I know, but a girl can’t help it! From my previous post you can tell that I learned a lot about a lot of things while there. I not only learned a lot about myself, but I also learned A LOT about Peter and the organization he works for, COTN.

All this new information is great, but the challenge for me is what to do with what I have learned. I figured the best place for me to start is right here, on our blog. So bare with me as I process my thoughts by writing about them in hopes of informing you about my experience, the work of COTN and Peter’s role within the organization.

Since back I have found myself inquiring about everyone’s May months in hopes of getting the focus off me. For some reason I don’t want to talk about Africa. Now I don’t know if that’s because my heart feels so heavy from the experience that if I don’t talk about it it’s almost as if I wasn’t there. If I don’t talk about it, then I won’t feel guilty for not doing anything. If I don’t talk about it….then….you fill in the blank.

Now that I have been home for a week or so I have had time to reflect on my time in Uganda and Malawi, and I must say I was sad before I left, but I am even sadder now that I am home. I went there full of information, statistics, stories that simply grieved me, and I left with a heavy, grieving heart. Let me explain. So many people have been asking me so many questions about my trip and I could respond with so many answers, but I am careful and considerate with my words. I want to share my experience without tainting their view of things. I want to share my experience without sounding like Debbie downer. I want to share my experience while allowing people to see that there is hope within these situations. A culture of dependency blankets the whole continent of Africa. This I had read about, this I had researched, this I knew, but to SEE it with my own two eyes made it all the more real.

I grieve for all that we have and have not done in Africa. I grieve for all that has been lost. I grieve because of the poverty, the unnecessary deaths, the short lives, and the lack of resources. I grieve for the vulnerable – for the women, the widows, and the children.

Things cannot continue as they are. Things must change because the people are in need of a new way forward. Organizations must rethink the way they do things in Africa. They must begin to focus their programs around sustainability and empowerment. They must begin to develop programs whereby nationals are empowered through education and ownership.

Sponsorship programs are important, but the scope of the programs can’t stop there. these kids don’t just need donors to pay for their school fees, medical bills, and food - these kids need to learn how to be self sustainable. They need to learn about the importance of a healthy diet and the importance of clean water, they need to learn about sustainable business practices and the possibility of microfinance...They need to be empowered to provide for themselves, considering the children and their parents can’t rely on donors forever, and there truly is an immediate need for a skills center and for income generating projects. The simple act of provision is such a time consuming challenge for countless African families, and it is the women that feel the brunt of the weight. However, even amidst all the challenges, the possibility of hope for these women sure makes me smile.

Ultimately, while in Africa, I simply realized the necessity and importance of Peter’s job! COTN was not founded upon sustainability and as you know they rely heavily upon donors to fund their various projects. However, Peter has brought a new way of thinking to the organization that has truly turned things upside down. He has challenged the way things are currently done and he is paving a new way forward for COTN – one that is sustainable, one that I am really excited about. Don’t get me wrong, COTN will always need donors, but at least these new practices will lessen the need, while providing people with skills and resources to transform their own lives. If you are interested in hearing more about what Peter does at COTN…please do NOT hesitate to contact me, I would LOVE to share!

Dreams.

I finally posted some pictures on Facebook last night. It took hours to reorder them and post comments, but it was so worth it, and I had to do it. So check them out if you want – Uganda and Malawi.

So much emotion poured forth as I sat in the coffee shop going through all the photos. It was a difficult task having to scour the photos and place the worthy ones in an album for all to see. I kept thinking gosh aren’t they all worthy of album entry? Aren’t all those kids smiles beautiful? How is a girl to choose? Do I have to choose? Of course you have to choose! I mean not EVERYONE wants to see ALL 4,000 of your photos.

I have recently been feeling as though my entire African experience was simply a dream. Perhaps one night I went to sleep and dreamt about Africa, and in my dream Africa came alive and everything seemed so real. The sights, the smells, and the people were all I had hoped for and more, and everything was all I had imagined it would be. And then after a LONG, deep sleep, I woke up reluctantly back in grey, rainy Seattle. Sounds like a beautiful dream huh? However, the reality is that our African experience was REAL, and we not only have less money in our bank account to prove it, but we also have beautiful pictures to serve as visual reminders of our time.

These pictures make the experience that much more real. Just by looking at the pictures the experience is nearly tangible. If I close my eyes tight enough all my senses come alive. I can touch it. I can taste it. I can smell it. I can see it. I can hear it. I can touch the hands of the children. I can taste the nsima. I can smell the red dirt of the land. I can see the beautiful smiles and the bright, beautiful colors. I can hear the sound of the drums and the stomping of the feet upon the earth. And I am reminded once again that my experience was real.

Wealth.

As I was driving home from work yesterday, all these thoughts were pouring into my brain and impacting my heart. I quickly reached for a piece of paper and fumbled through my bag for a pen and started writing my thoughts onto this said paper in hopes of posting them here for you all to read. Don’t worry all of this writing took place while I was stopped at a red light. I was on my way to pick Peter up from work and I was all ready to talk and pour my heart out…poor guy.

He listened to all of my thoughts and concerns…one of them being that he and I haven’t really talked about Africa since we have been home. Another being that I am tired of talking about Africa and feeling as though I have to filter my words and my thoughts in order to cater to the person that I am speaking to. Also, I can’t help but wonder if people are simply asking about our time in Africa merely out of obligation or if they actually really care. Terrible thoughts I know, but let’s be honest we all know they are real, and we all are guilty of this – of asking someone about their time away somewhere or how their weekend was simply because it’s the nice thing to do.

Well let it be known that I am tired of all those nice people out there!! Thanks, but no thanks! I want to talk to people about Africa who really WANT to hear about Africa. I can give an easy, generic answer… “oh it was great, thanks for asking!” but those simple answers do not do my heart nor the experience justice. I am tired of the short answers. The short answers are what people want to hear, the short answers are what people have time for, BUT the problem is I always want more time. I want more time to talk about the children, to talk about what COTN is doing, and to talk about how all of it has left its imprint upon my heart.

To be honest, I have found myself asking people about their months of May so that I won’t have to talk about mine – so that I won’t have to feel the ache that still remains in my heart. Short answers do not do my experience justice and the reality is all the time in the world wouldn’t do my experience justice. So I will save you all the time and instead give you the option of reading my thoughts here.

My time in Africa challenged my way of thinking. My time in Africa challenged my concept of equality and my concept of wealth. What does it mean to be wealthy here in the states? What does it mean to be wealthy in Africa?

So many people will have so many different answers to these questions, but the reality is wealth is relative. I may think that amongst our family and friends Peter and I would be considered poor. Now I don’t mean begging on the street poor, but I just mean we live very simply. We rarely go out to dinner. We rarely spend money on date nights. We have one car. I rarely buy flowers. I can’t tell you the last time I bought myself a new clothing item. And the list could go on…but it won’t because Peter and I have been blessed abundantly, and I don’t want those of you reading this to think that I am complaining about the way we live because I am not. I have realized that living simply has allowed us to find true joy in the small things, and it has also forced us to examine the extravagant lives of those in the states.

Even though I feel impoverished amongst our family and friends because of the simple way we live and our small sacrifices, it is all relative. Wealth is relative. We have a car which in African wealth terms makes us wealthy. We are educated not only with bachelor’s degrees, but also with master’s degrees, which in African wealth terms makes us wealthy. We have food in our fridge, clothes in our closet, pots, pans and plates in our cupboards, and money in our bank account, which in African wealth terms makes us wealthy. The catch is it also makes us wealthy here, and I think we quite often forget about all the people that go without and the poverty within our own country. The Africans found it hard to believe that we had homeless people and beggars in the states…They would ask, but it is such a wealthy country? You have everything there? So many opportunities, why are people poor? And to be honest, I didn’t have an answer for them…why are people poor? Why is the system unequal and why are people continually being pushed down the ladder by those moving up? Why have we not done anything and why do we let things continue as they are?

So many questions to ponder…and so many answers I do not have. But I do know that
sometimes I feel ashamed of the wealth in this country. I even found myself feeling ashamed of MY own wealth in Africa – we have a camera, a computer, an itouch, ipods, tons of clothing options, multiple pairs of shoes, and back home we live in a brand new apartment FULL of THINGS, such as a few more cameras, a broken computer, a TV, couches, a comfy bed, snow skies, fishing poles, more clothes and even more shoes.

Even though we didn’t carry all of these things around with us and our tangible wealth was hidden behind the doors of the duplex, we quickly learned that the white color of our skin was enough to denote wealth. Our skin color alone carried the symbolism of wealth. At first these assumptions angered me and left me frustrated. I even found myself thinking… “if they only knew that Peter hasn’t been paid in months…if they only knew how poor we were and how little we have to give financially, then maybe they wouldn’t assume such things” (makes me laugh now thinking about my ignorant thoughts). But the reality is their assumptions are true. We, Peter and I, have SO much stuff!! If we were just basing our wealth on the accumulation of all of our things, we would be considered wealthy, and that doesn’t even include our levels of education or the fact that we were able to travel TO Africa in the first place.

It is easy to loose sight of ALL the things we have when they simply fill the open space in our apartment or house, but ALL of these things are made real when you move from one place to another – when you are forced to pack up ALL of your stuff. How long would it take you to move? How many boxes would you have? How many moving trucks would you need? How important are all of these items in the first place?

What is it you spend your money on? What could you go without? How could you live more simply? I have been challenged this past year to live more simply and God has blessed me abundantly. My hope and prayer is that Peter and I will continue to question our buying motives and our need to live up to the status quo and that we represent Christ with the way we spend our money and ultimately the way we live.

My Insights While on African Soil...

1.I love road trips and car rides probably because I have my greatest thoughts while in the car.
2.I love old people
3.I love working with women
4.I love kids, but teenagers are tough for me
5.I need to start volunteering somewhere
6.I hate goodbyes and I have a hard time fully investing in people when I know I will be leaving soon.
7.I love Uganda
8.A child’s smile lights up my world
9.I am thankful for my parents – thankful that they are alive and they were able to provide for me
10.Thus, I am thankful for my childhood
11.Gas is expensive
12.I don’t like papayas and I still don’t like fish
13.I love cassava – yum yum
14.I really love cheese and chocolate, and my mouth misses them when it doesn’t have them!
15.I love African sunsets
16.My dream has been fulfilled, but I am left wanting to see MORE countries, wanting to spend MORE time in Uganda and other places
17.I use A LOT of water in ONE day
18.I am obsessed with checking my email
19.I love clean feet and clean socks
20.I love to bake and it makes me sad when I am not able to do it
21.I love porcelain toilets that FLUSH!
22.I am a neat freak and everything has its place
23.I love the beach and sand
24.I love a cold beer, potato chips and popcorn
25.I love clean towels and clean sheets
26.I love seeing my husband with kids
27.I love spending a whole month with my husband, and I really miss him when he isn’t around
28.I have strange dreams in Africa
29.But even amidst the strangeness, God really does speak to me in my dreams
30.God is the same everywhere
31.Some people here think WE (either peter and I, or the West as a whole) can solve their problems with resources and money
32.the reality is we cannot
33.I love sponsorship programs and seeing the long term impact of sponsorship
34.BUT at the same time I wonder if sponsorship perpetuates the dependency cycle
35.I love learning new things and brainstorming with people
36.I am passionate about development projects
37.I dislike introducing myself because no one can say my name right
38.I slightly dislike translators, probably because I hate having to WAIT for them to translate what someone has said or what I have said
39.BUT I also love translators because they are my ears and my mouth and I wouldn’t be able to communicate without them
40.I miss my friends when I am away from them for so long and I really miss Bekah!
41.I don’t like missing birthdays
42.I love clouds
43.I love bright colors
44.I love trees and the color green, maybe because it reminds me of home? (Ireland and Washington)
45.I love hot water
46.I am not a huge fan of bucket showers
47.But I am a huge fan of my husband
48.Death is so very real in Africa.
49.Life is different in Africa
50.People are different in Africa
51.Peter’s job and his role at COTN is SUPER important and necessary in promoting change and sustainability in Africa
52.I learned that only through empowerment, education, self sustainability and development projects will the culture begin to change in Africa

I could go on and on and on about the countless ways I was enlightened in Africa, but I won’t do that. My goal was to get to 50…and as you can tell I have gone a bit beyond that!

Chichere Farm.

I started this entry before we left...and figured I should post it anyways even though we are already home! So here goes...

We have arrived at Chichere Farm. This is our last COTN Malawi site to see, and I must say it is probably one of my favorite places. We arrived here yesterday (last Monday) in the late afternoon, just before the sun was to set. Me, loving sunsets as I do, dragged Peter by the arm to venture out beyond the gate to witness the unobstructed view of the sunset as it set brilliantly upon the fields. As my husband was attempting to capture the beauty of this place in a single photo, I casually turned to him and asked “So…tell me where is this 350 acre farm exactly?” He kindly replied by saying, “Umm…you are looking at it!” I felt just a little silly after that question. However, my silliness was extremely short lived because I was simply overwhelmed by the vastness of this place. Chichere farm stretched for acre upon acre upon acre. I wasn’t too sure where the boundaries of the farm started nor where they stopped. As far as I was concerned, ALL this land was Chichere farm. To say I was overwhelmed by the majestic beauty of this land would simply be an understatement.

We stayed at Chichere Farm for 2 nights, 3 days in the cutest, most comfortable little guest house. The first full day, the Farm Manager took us to see the boundaries of the farm, the river, the fish ponds, the vegetables, the cassava, the banana plants, the equipment, the lambs, and the offices. We saw the majority of the farm in just one afternoon, so Peter and the Farm Manager were able to talk business for the remainder of our time, while I simply basked in the beauty of this place.

One morning I sat out on the veranda drinking my coffee, reading my book, with no agenda for the day, and I thought now THIS feels like vacation. The view was amazing, except Peter kept informing me that they needed to cut down some trees so the view would be clearer from the veranda.

Every night and each morning we would find new friends in the guesthouse, whether it was geckos, spiders, cockroaches, slugs, etc. But truly the beauty of this place overtook the little creatures we found.

The sunsets there were simply magnificent. The sun blanketed the fields with its rays, and the ground glistened and sparkled in the sun’s final light. It was all beautiful, don’t get me wrong, but if you looked close enough, certain parts were just a little bit lovelier than others. The sun showed its favor to these parts by reigning down its bright rays upon the scattered patches of earth.

Books. Books. Books.

While here I have learned that Africans love married couples. They truly value marriage and see it as such a beautiful blessing. People are always asking us how long we have been married and asking us about married life, how its treating us, what we have learned, our challenges, our joys. When we told one woman we had been married just 9 months – she said oh so it’s a new family, and I said YES it is. Being here has reminded me of how deep my love is for Peter and that when we said I DO on August 15th, 2009, we were indeed starting a new family!

Recently I have read a few relationship books, trying to figure out how my husband ticks, why he is the way he is, and realizing that there is a common thread between ALL men. I long to be a “good” wife. I long to love him the way God has called me to. I long to aid God in refining Peter and making him more holy. In Love and Respect, I learned that I long to feel loved, while Peter longs to feel respected. So RESPECT is an important component in our relationship with each other.

Another book I just finished reading is Sex God by Rob bell. I brought a ton of books with me to Africa and I finally finished the first one, but the duplex we are staying in has a collection of books. So I, being a major book connoisseur, decided to comb through the selection of books, and I landed upon this book by Rob Bell.

In the first chapter he talks about Genesis and how we reflect what God is like and who God is. He states, “A divine spark resides in every single human being”. How you treat the creation reflects how you feel about the Creator. How you treat yourself and others also reflects how you feel about the Creator. Thus, when I respect the image of god in others, I protect the image of god in me.

In the final chapters of this book, Bell mentioned some beautiful things about marriage that I wanted to share. But before I do that I wanted to share some of my own insights. Peter and I have been married only 9 months now and my hope and prayer is that we grow old and gray together. Many people say that the first year is the most difficult. Although Peter and I have yet to make it to the one year mark, I can at least attest to the last 9 months, and I can say with confidence that it is hard, but it is also so good. However, I can see with my own two eyes how easy it would be to fall away from each other. I can see how easy it would be to live a separate life and to never see each other. I can see how easy it would be to simply be roommates passing in the night. I can see how different schedules, different sleeping patterns, different interests, different friends, different TV shows could separate a couple. I can see how easy it would be to fall away from each other, and I now fully understand the reason for intentional time/date nights with your spouse. Many people think “but you see them ALL the time…I mean you DO live with each other”. But that intentional time is what keeps the relationship strong because it is within that time that you are reminded of your deep love and friendship for one another. It is within this time, whether it is during a shared meal, a walk/run, or even a coffee date that you are reminded as to WHY you chose this person to love and to marry.

So onto Rob Bell’s insights – when a couple first gets married, there are a thousand little adjustments they are constantly making, a thousand discussions about he details of life, a thousand conversations about trivial things that are actually significant. Such as…what kind of toothpaste do you use? Or do we use the same tube? (one that has been an issue in our house – how do you squeeze the toothpaste tube? Is it from the bottom of the tube or the middle?) What side of the bed do you sleep on? (also another one that was an issue in our house, but has been solved with some serious justification) Lots of covers, none, a fan, air-conditioning, an open window, an electric blanket, heat turned up or down at night? (I love a lot of blankets, Peter dislikes so many blankets – we have compromised!) Who will do the cooking? Is it you or him?

So many questions with so many answers….Bell states that is these details, these everyday sorts of lists that sound so minor, that are often at the heart of a marriage…they’re what you find out about the person as you begin the lifelong exploration of just who this person is. As I read this part of the book, I was able to answer nearly all of the questions he posed. His thoughts on this subject are so very true. You can learn so much about yourself, your spouse and your marriage simply by observing, reflecting and asking questions.

He also writes about the concept of choice. Although some may believe that who they marry is pre-ordained by God and there is only one person out there for them, their soul mate, ultimately they still have to CHOOSE to love that person. Love is still a choice, and out of 6 billion people on the planet, I chose Peter. And no one else. No one else gets me in this specific, holy, sacred, emotional, spiritual, physical way. Quite often people forget their own stories. They forget what attracted them to the other in the beginning. They forget the mystery of what brought them together. They lose sight of the holiness of marriage, the exclusivity within marriage and the power that is derived from both.

ALL these next bits are straight from the mouth of Rob Bell. So please remember this and don’t give me ANY credit for these beautiful thoughts and images.

A marriage is a sacred, holy thing, and it needs to be treated with respect and honor.
The point of marriage isn’t marriage. It’s a picture. A display. A window that you look through to something else. A marriage has a mission. When our trust has been betrayed and those who were supposed to stand by us don’t, this naturally has consequences for how we think about God. A marriage is designed to counter all of this. Not to add to the brokenness of the world but to add to the “oneness” of the world. This man and this woman who have given themselves to each other are supposed to give the world a glimpse of hope, a display of what God is like.

When we go to a wedding, maybe we’re so moved because we want this new couple to succeed. We intuitively know that their “success” is somehow tied to ours. Their making of love makes the world a better place to live, a place where there is more love for all of us. Maybe that is why we always notice great marriages. When their love is growing, it inspires us. Their life together gives US life.

And finally, after all of this leaving and cleaving and bones and flesh, the passage ends with the line “the man and his wife were both naked and they felt no shame”. No shame or embarrassment. No apologizing for who they are. No covering up or pretending. Total acceptance of each other. That’s what we want, isn’t it? We want someone to see us exactly as we are and still love its. It’s terrifying to let people see who we really are. Being naked is terrifying. If you see me for who I really am, if I give you that kind of glimpse into the seat of my being, into my soul, will you still love me like you do now? We crave unconditional, absolute acceptance from a lover and also from God. This is why a marriage is always about something bigger than itself. It’s two people, in their unconditionally loving embrace of each other, showing each other in flesh and blood what God is like. These two are naked, and they feel no shame.

Lastly, he writes about the pattern for how we’re made to connect with one another and sometimes we find that the progression is out of order. The passage in Genesis about Adam and Eve is about whole persons coming together. All of him being given to all of her, and all of her being given to all of him. If he wants her just for her body, that splits her. It means that she is good to him only for a part of her. It’s easy to take off your clothes and have sex. People do it all the time. But opening up your soul to someone, letting them into your spirit and your thoughts and fears and future and hopes and dreams…THAT IS BEING NAKED.

And from the mouth of Malia Drennan…THAT IS BEING NAKED. It is easy to take your clothes off for someone, especially easy when it is your husband, but it is HARD to share your deepest, darkest thoughts and fears. It is HARD to share ALL of yourself because you fear rejection, disappointment, and so many other things. But it is so very freeing when you do share, and your vulnerability gives space for the other to be vulnerable as well.

Roadtrips.

So we are on another road trip, but this one isn’t to the airport, this one is to Lake Malawi. The weather is a bit iffy today, and by iffy I mean cloudy and a bit cool, but still in the 70s. It was also sprinkling a little this morning. I love road trips. I don’t quite know what it is about them, but I just love them. I love seeing new terrain. I love covering so much ground and speeding down the road. However, there have been a few moments on this road trip where I wanted to jump out of the car simply to take a picture of something that I deemed picture worthy. However, car pictures will have to suffice.

Peter informed me this morning that we had surpassed the halfway point for our time in Africa. I didn’t really want to talk about it. Over breakfast he asked me what I would miss most about this place, and to be honest I told him that I would miss spending so much time with him. I mean we see each other every day, and we spend nearly every moment together and I will miss that. At home, life gets in the way, there are things to do, work to be done, movies to watch, people to see, tv shows to watch (is the Biggest Loser over yet??). I will miss the intentional time. However, Peter will be coming home with me, so I have to think of something else that I will miss. To be honest, I will miss the simplicity of life. I will miss the bright colors and the beautiful people. I will miss the heat. I will miss the double bed, fans, mosquito net and even bug spray! I will miss the uncertainty of hot showers. I will miss having my meals cooked for me. But mostly, I will miss learning about a country, culture, and its people.

So today will be spent at the Lake – we brought our bathing suits, one little towel, the camera, sun screen, sunglasses, and some snacks of course! I was just informed that the 2 hour journey to the Lake was quickly coming to an end.

Well we are on our way back from the Lake, and I can honestly say I had such a wonderful time today! My skin feels a little tight and toasty, so I am thinking I am slightly burned. We took TONS of photos and after much coaxing I got Peter to put his suit on with me and we went for a dip in the lake. The lake reminded me of the ocean because of the current and the waves. It was nice to see water again and it made me realize how much I LOVE living so close to water. I grew up in a house that is right on the water. My parents have another house on the Hood Canal, but even before that property we spent our summers on Bainbridge Island in another house on the water. When I studied abroad, I studied in Mexico, and lived in a place that was literally right on the water. Even when I moved to Ireland, I was still close to water. Are you getting the point? I love water – I love the smell of the ocean. I love the sound of the waves. I love the sand beneath my toes and the water on my feet. I have never lived anywhere that is entirely landlocked and I don’t know if I ever will. So it was wonderful to see water today!

On our way out of town we stopped to buy African treasures. Everyone bargains here, but to be honest, I have a really hard time with that. I mean Peter and I truly don’t have that much money (especially after this trip!!!), but these people have even less than we do, which is crazy to think about!! Our one purchase could keep them going for a whole month, so that’s why I have a hard time bargaining. So I let Peter do all the talking and all the bargaining. But it’s hard because everyone wants you to come into their shop and check out their items. Kind of reminds me of Mexico!

This afternoon we walked away with some elephant bookends, a wood map of Africa, and a drum. Love the drum, but I am going to need some drumming lessons from the locals before our drum makes it’s way back to the states! They had so many cool items like a chess board on a table, a big carved box, carved chairs, but we couldn’t bring ourselves to buy any of them because I am such a practical shopper. Before I buy anything I have to figure out where it is going to go, which is hard considering we are currently living in a tiny apartment that doesn’t have that much wall space. But some of the things we have purchased for the future – like the bookends – they are cool and I wanted them, but we don’t even have a bookshelf right now! But it’s for the future, when we have a bigger place with more space and tons of bookshelves for our endless supply of books. See this is how I rationalized that purchase.

Anyhow, we are heading home now and the sun is setting. I must say, I LOVE sunsets. Peter is always teasing me about my love for sunsets. Watching the sunset is truly a beautiful event for me, and I find it so very satisfying! Well lets just say the sunsets here are nothing short of spectacular…EVERY single night without faith the sun sets and the colors that shoot across the sky are simply magnificent! It was a beautiful way to end such a beautiful day.

Lately.

This past week, Peter and I met with the widows again and learned even more about COTN’s widows program. We were able to see two homes of the women involved in the program. One of them, Wezzi, was a graduate, and she was caring for her 5 children plus the child of a relative, so 6 children total. When we entered her home, my first thought was “this place is HUGE!” Of course it’s all relative, but her house had about 5 rooms – one for cooking, storing food, one for herself, one for the boys, one for the girls and then she also had a living room with one couch. Wezzi had saved enough money to build her home and put a metal roof on it to protect them when the rain’s came. Before the program her profit was 500 Kwacha per month (about $3.5) and after the program her profit increased to 2,000 Kwacha per month (about $14). It was amazing because she has been able to save money each month and she has even set aside extra for finishing the house. The other women that were there said that Wezzi’s story truly encouraged them and gave them hope for their future! Heck, the girl gave me hope. She showed me what strength, courage, faith, perseverance and determination could accomplish, and I felt extremely empowered through her.

The second home we went to belonged to Eunice Moses. She lived in this tiny house with her last born son. The house was truly two rooms - one room for the kitchen, living room, dining room, etc, and another room for sleeping. The roof was made of straw and during the rainy season rain comes in from all sides flooding the small space. And to top it all off, Peter said he saw a rat!

Their hope for the future is that the graduates will be able to loan money to the women who are just starting off in order to help them start their businesses. Thus both parties will benefit, the person loaning the money will get their money back with interest while the other person receives money they wouldn’t otherwise have received. Such a cool concept, one I believe they thought up on their own!

We bid them farewell and to be honest I was really sad to leave. Some of them hugged me soo hard, and I got a little chocked up! I will miss their beautiful singing, even though there were times when I truly thought it would never end, thus my questions would never be asked or answered. I will miss their willingness to talk to a stranger and their passion for empowerment and each other.

On Saturday morning we spent time with our family in Mgwayi. I always get a little nervous about our time because the family doesn’t speak English and they always have us doing interesting tasks! To be honest though, I love that COTN has paired us up with a family that we keep going back to. It has been such an amazing experience to get to know the mothers and the children in the village, and I love being involved in some of their daily tasks. So the moms name is Crissy and she has 4 kids – Ruth, Lute, Grace and Andrew. Her husband passed away awhile back and only one of the children, Grace, is sponsored through COTN.

So this Saturday we sat around with all the women and children and husked the corn and took the corn bits off the cob with our thumbs. I must say it was hard work sitting for that long and it was so hard on our soft thumbs! Peter got a little blister early on which prohibited him from continuing the task, but I kept on like a champion and pushed the pain from my thumbs to the back of my mind. I just kept thinking “gosh these women do this kind of stuff ALL the time – I can’t just give up!” Even when Dave and Pike (COTN staff that came with us) told me to give it up and kept checking on my thumbs I just said, “Don’t worry, I’m fine!” Well needless to say, I competed my task and all I had to show for it was a huge blister on my right thumb.

It was a great day and we sat around while the kids asked us tons of questions about America, such as what do the girls our age do? My response…umm?? Not chores like this! The girls here work soo hard and they help their mothers with EVERYTHING from cooking, to cleaning, to washing, to caring for siblings. Makes me feel as though we don’t do enough back home.

Sunday we went to church, which was of course longer than Peter and I are use to, but it was okay because we were expecting it! It wasn’t crazy like I thought it might be. The pastor spoke in English and then someone translated his words to Chichewa. We didn’t get home till about 2 in the afternoon and then spent the rest of the afternoon playing games with the COTN secondary students. All in all it has been a wonderful week and it is hard to believe our time will be ending soon!!

Villages.

Our time in Malawi has been soo busy and our schedule has been so very full! But I am finding bits of time here and there where I can write a little something for the blog. However, it is always so very delayed. So what you have in front of you is simply a brief description of the happenings from this past week, not including Friday, Saturday, Sunday – those will be for another post!

The past few days have been spent visiting people’s gardens and the various children’s villages. The majority of people in Malawi are subsistence farmers. Thus, many Malawians possess farming skills. So COTN is trying to build upon those skills by encouraging new methods and crop diversity, in hopes of improving yields, food security and profits. It was truly amazing to see all the things that can grow here. Most gardens have tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, mustard, papaya, sweet potatoes, cassava, maize, basil, pumpkin, bananas, sugar cane and beans. Tobacco and tomatoes are the most profitable crops here in Malawi. And we were even allowed to take a few treasures home with us, such as a spitting cucumber, mustard leaves and a papaya.

On Wednesday we visited Mtsiliza and 575 kids are involved in the feeding program in this village. I believe about 300 are currently fully sponsored. All the children gathered in one room with their bowls/plates and we were introduced to them, and then peter and I were able to participate in the daily feeding. Let me tell you the cooking pots that the food was in were HUGE!! They served them their staple food nsima and soy meat. Peter was in charge of making sure the kids washed their hands and I was in charge of serving the meat. The kids kept coming and I kept thinking oh no what if we run out of food? But these women do this EVERY single day so they know what they are doing! Wish I could help with that task every day really. The children are beautiful and it hurts to see their discolored hair, their distended bellies, and their hair loss – all signs of malnourishment.

Yesterday (Thursday), we visited Chilombo, which is another COTN village. While Mtsiliza is minutes away, Chilombo is a village out in the boonies. Well its not THAT far away, but it did take us nearly 45 minutes to get there by car. By bike it takes nearly 2 hours. COTN came into Chilombo only 3 years ago, and I believe nearly 300 children are involved in the program. The school building collapsed a few months ago during the raining season, so they have all of their classes outside and when the rains come class is canceled. It was a blessing to be able to visit another village, and the children are as beautiful as ever.

On Thursday we went to Chitipi again to visit the children’s home and to see the farm. I think I may have mentioned in a previous post that COTN has two farms, Chitipi farm and Chichere farm. Chitipi is a 12 acre farm, while Chichere is a 350 acre farm. At Chitipi they have chickens, pigs, maize, cassava, etc. We have yet to see Chichere, but plan on visiting it in the next week! There are two kids in particular that stole our hearts at Chitipi – Steven and Esther. Steven has been at the home since he was nearly 2, he is now 4, and Esther has been at the home since she was 4 months old I believe, and she is now 20 months. Their first memories will be at this home and they won’t remember anything before that. I met Stevens grandmother at Mtsiliza, which is where she lives and she remembers him of course, but Steven does not have any memories of her. I guess she has visited him a few times, but the distance is quite far without a car. Steven is a ton of fun and a ball of energy! And Esther’s mom died in childbirth, and her dad wasn’t able to care for her. She is still such a baby, but so beautiful. All of these children have such sad stories and it makes me soo thankful that they have a place to live!

Welcome to Malawi.

So peter and I have arrived in Malawi! It was quite the journey getting here! We woke up really early Sunday morning – about 12:15 AM to get to the airport for 2:30 because we had a flight to catch at 5:10 AM. So we were hassled about all the luggage we were carrying and told that we were going to have to pay money for the extra weight. Well that’s terrible news. So we packed our carry-ons as full as we could and ended up paying $72 for the COTN bags we were carrying! It was a bummer and the whole ordeal nearly caused us to miss our flight.

Our first full day in Malawi was spent in Mgwayi village. COTN has been working in this village for only three years, but it is really close to Njewa, where we are staying so we were able to walk there. We were paired up with a family – so we met all the members of the family – 5 children and one mom. We saw where they lived and we had little chores – I cleaned the floor by applying more mud to it, interesting concept I know! And then Peter and I were sent to the market with money and some words on a paper and we were asked to buy the necessary goods! I must say I really enjoyed that part…trying to sort out which vegetables were which in Chichewa. So we learned that matimati are tomatoes, nsomba is fish, ufa is corn flour, anyesi is onion, mchere is salt, and mafuta ophikira is oil. Then to finish off the adventure, we went back to the village and cooked some food!!

Today (Tuesday) Peter and I were separated and I must say I didn’t like it much! I mean it was fun to come back and share stories with him, but it just wasn’t the same. Maybe it was because I was the ONLY Azungu in the village today, and it is a little embarrassing to have EVERY single child in the village holler at you, stare at you, and run to see you. Also, I made a baby cry today for the second day in a row! All I did was get a little closer than they liked and waahh…waahhh…I didn’t know what to do!! Should I pick the baby up? Or will that just make them cry harder…how do I get myself OUT of this situation…most of the time I just laugh. Another time I touched a child’s hand and she wiped her hand off…hmm really?? I swear my hand was clean so that couldn’t have been why she wiped it….no she wiped it because it’s a WHITE hand.

So today peter stayed back at Njewa and the COTN office so he could meet with some COTN Malawi staff members. Fun, FUN, Fun! While I traveled a short distance to a village called Mtsiliza, where COTN has been working for 13 years. I spent all day meeting the widows involved in the widows program. It was really something to hear all of their stories. I was extremely encouraged by their grace, their sense of community, and their sense of empowerment. My only concern in regards to the program is its sustainability. They said they rely tremendously on outsiders from the West coming in to buy their products, and that they have not been able to find a market for their goods in Malawi. So when teams from the states visit Malawi they quite often buy things from the widows, thus their only clients are foreigners. All in all it’s a wonderful program and it empowers the women by providing them with skills to start their own businesses.