101 Days of Malawi Countdown

As of today, we've actually been here 103 days, I believe. But 101 sounds so much better. So it's time for another countdown. This one is entitled

Things I've seen (at least) 101 of in the past 101 days

1. Ants. Yep. You knew it had to be on the top of the list. But for real...I see at least 101 EVERY day, I think. At this point, we only kill them sometimes. And we only get them out of our food/drink sometimes. I'm told that this means we're moving up in the missionary rankings. Yep, there's rankings. You wish you were that cool.

2. Bicycles Carrying Really Weird Things. Chickens, a goat, 8 bags of groceries, 15 watermelons, 10 8-foot long poles, kittens, 3 other human beings, a bed frame, or any of several other sorts of unidentifiable bundles. Bicycles here are as common as vehicles on the streets, and they carry all the same things a pickup truck would back home. These men must have leg muscles of steel! I don't know how they do it! And it's not as if the roads or the sides of the roads are smooth! This amazes me. I'll have to get some pictures of this to prove it.

3. Bananas. We really like bananas. And there are tons of them here. On every street corner someone's selling bananas! That's convenient. 

4. Coke (and fanta). I refuse to capitalize fanta. It is an inferior beverage. But Coke is abundant here! Well, it usually is, anyway. Lately there's been a Coke shortage, along with everything else. But we still manage to find it pretty often. It's the popular soft drink here, and we are very grateful for this. It's found here most often in a glass bottle, and it's made with real sugar, so it's delicious! We did find a place down the street that sells it in cans, which is a special treat we reserve for desperate occasions. 

5. Lizards! There are all kinds of lizards here. Really cool ones! Some are just lil tiny guys that kinda blend in- we have them at home too. They're all over the dorms. I like those guys. They catch mosquitos and are just kinda cute. Especially the lil baby ones. Then there are some dark colored ones that are a little bigger and they're kinda annoying. Then there's the big ol guys that are grey and rough-looking, and they have super bright blue heads! It's so awesome!! When was the last time you saw any animal that was bright blue? I'm talking cerulean, here. And there are birds that color too. It might be my new favorite color. But I digress...Lizards! They're everywhere!

6. Flowers. Man, the flowers here are gorgeous! The trees are beautiful, and they all have bright pretty flowers! (Well, except for those annoying trees that have those big nasty green ball things that fall out on our house and squish under our feet and smell yucky. I've seen about a million and one of those.) We go around campus and collect flowers for bouquets all the time. They're just really nice. Once again, I'll have to post pictures to adequately demonstrate this. But believe me- Malawi's probably the most beautiful place I've ever been, and that's in part due to the pretty flowers everywhere. Can't wait til rainy season enhances that!

7. New Release Cassette Tapes. Okay, I have to admit, Aly was the one who actually saw this. I was absent on this occasion. However, I just want you to enjoy that. This isn't old 80s music on cassette tapes. This is the latest stuff to come out. I don't care who you are- that's impressive.

8. Jerrycans (and cars) in Fuel Lines. I've never seen so many jerrycans (or various other random plastic containers used to contain petrol) in my life! Every fuel line here has dozens and dozens of jerrycans at the front and dozens and dozens of cars lined up in every direction. It's really quite a sight to see. I wish you could all experience this and understand the desperation and resignation of the people here. A Malawian friend of mine recently said Lilongwe won't know how to have a social life anymore if the petrol queues are no longer necessary. Fuel lines are where you go to hang out! I sat in my first petrol queue last Sunday morning at 5 AM. It's an experience you all need. I know gas is expensive in the states, but...I don't think I'll be complaining about that when I return home. Over $8 a gallon and lines for hours just to get a few liters if you're lucky. And countless people are robbed while waiting in line. It's tough, folks. Count your blessings.

9. Stares. Apparently it's not impolite to stare in Malawi. And, I don't mean to startle you, but people in Malawi are mostly black. It's beautiful.  But see, in case you didn't realize...I'm white. (It's okay, sometimes I forget that too.) Very white. I practically glow in the dark. Oh, the stares! But I will say, as many stares as I've seen, there have been even more

10. Smiles. The people here are so friendly!  They smile at you and shout out "Muli bwanji!" or "Hallo!" from across the road, out the window, next door, wherever. It's incredible. It feels like the good ol South of the USA! Everyone's got a smile, a handshake, and a greeting for you, even if you are the awkward minority who stumbles over even the simplest response in Chichewa that you've been practicing for months. This is a special place, and I feel so blessed to be a part of it! Thanks to all of you reading for helping make this possible for me.

manna and meat

This has been a hard week.  I could list reason after reason after reason, and still there would be more. Difficulties seem to pile up here and some weeks it's just overwhelming and I don't know what to do anymore.  So the tears come and the praying continues and God patches up my stubborn heart that is so quick to doubt His plan and reminds me that He loves me dearly.  This has been a week of that. I complained and complained and whined and whined.  And I don't mean to say that things weren't hard- they were and still are. There are multiple factors that combine to make life difficult at this point.  But fyi- I'm in a third world country serving as a missionary.  Easy was never a guarantee. And that's okay.
Last night, after a week of harboring bitterness and anger towards people and institutions and myself, I finally let it all go. I was reading in Numbers about the people of Israel fussing in the wilderness about how sick they were of eating manna. Which- seriously- who wouldn't complain? Sure, it was a miracle from God that they had food to eat, but I can imagine manna got old pretty quick when it was all you were getting. I mean, who of you have eaten the same meal twice in this week, let alone every day for months? So I can see where these guys were coming from. So they tell Aaron and Moses they'd simply rather be back in Egypt stuffing themselves with fruits and veggies and meat! Mmmm...sounds delicious when all you've had is some sort of wafer for months. But wait a minute...Egypt. Weren't they oppressed there? Weren't they slaves? Weren't they dying? Yeah...not ideal. But they keep looking back. And that's what I've done this week. I've wished for a different time, a different place, different people, different circumstances. I've begged to return to a place where I'd be just as miserable, with a few conveniences that seem ideal but would truly only hold me captive and oppress me. God basically tells the Israelites he'll give them so much meat it's coming out their noses (seriously, that's what it says.)  He gives them what they want, knowing full well it will make them sick.  Because from day one, He's had only their best interest in mind.  NO, that doesn't mean their lives are easy! But God is with them.  He guides them through the hard times and hard places so that He can bring them to the place He has prepared for them.  He has great things for them! And the first great thing is that they get to be in relationship with the Almighty Creator God who has chosen them for Himself!  I think I'll probably get over the manna issue... I get Jesus!
This place is a blessing. This life is a blessing. These people constantly bless me. I am blessed!
No, it's not easy. No, it's not always fun. No, it's rarely convenient. But it's beautiful. It's wonderful. It's right. He brought me here for a reason, and this is part of the good He has prepared for me. And in the midst of it all- good or bad- I have Jesus. :)

So I now send you to this blog, not so that you'll feel sorry for all the poor folks in Africa and all the missionaries that got shipped over to help them. I send you to this post so that you may love and pray for us. So that you may know that blessings aren't always easy or obvious. So that you may be a part of praying God's healing into this land. It is a blog post from a family that lives next to the Kysers. They're not ABC folks, but their kids go to the Academy and they're able to give you a really great picture, through photos and words, of how things are in Lilongwe.  Pray for Malawi. And wherever you are, thank God that you have Jesus with you. Count those blessings (after all, you get to celebrate Thanksgiving soon...get a head start!)