Malawi Monday {City Life}

We have officially been city dwellers for a month! Although the past four years we have made MANY trips to the capital city for picking up visitors, supplies, groceries, or just to get away; it is definitely a different experience actually living here. {If you receive our monthly newsletter, you have probably already read most of this list! If you aren't receiving our monthly newsletter and would like to, sign up is here.} Eight Experiences Living in the City:  Traffic here can be a beast! Plan accordingly and avoid certain roads at certain times, or you'll be stuck for quite awhile. Electricity being out means all "working" stop lights go out, too. No electrity= major traffic jams. We live relatively close to the new school our kids are going to. If we leave on time (6:30AM) it can take a mere 8 minutes to get to school. If we leave 5 minutes later, it will take an hour to get to school. yikes!  Everything still breaks in Malawi. This month our refrigerator, car, and water heater all broke. Things breaking is just part of normal life here, but the nice thing about living in the city is that you can usually find someone to come and help you more quickly than when you live way out in the village.  There is a good sized expat (foreigners like us) community in Lilongwe doing all kinds of ministries and work. We were invited to our first dinner this month with a family originally from Texas. We are thankful for the opportunity for community. Church is so awesome in your native language! We have been able to go to an English speaking church every Sunday. This is such an amazing blessing. To sing and worship in your native tongue  weekly is a game changer! For the first time in 5 years, our children have the opportunity to participate in some extracurricular activities at school! The joy it has brought us to watch them try new things, even though they are nervous, has been truly a gift as a parent. They are brave and really putting themselves out there. We are proud! Electricity is pretty good right now. We are in "rainy season" so the water supply is up and power outages are lasting about 8 hours a day (compared to 24-27 hour outages back in hot season). We have mostly had electricity all night (which is awesome, hello fans!). But the nice thing about living in the city is, I don't have to stock pile my groceries or worry about meat going bad. Grocery stores are nearby and all the big stores run on back up generators! So many people speak English here. We are going to have to be really intentional about language learning since it is pretty easy to communicate in English! Chitenjes are not required. When we lived in the village, I always kept a chitenje by the door to throw on if someone knocked. In the city, you see don't see as many people wearing chitenjes, but you do see lots of skinny jeans and Western wear.

Secondary School Graduation {Malawi Mondays}

It's time for a little Malawi Monday ! Today is all about Graduation Ceremonies!

I've been able to attend a few Secondary School Graduations (both government and private) and they are so much fun!

Friday, we attended the graduation of one of our Form 4 (12th grade) students from Esther's House! It's so much fun watching a kid that has grown up in the sponsorship program at EH hit this great milestone! It's a big accomplishment to finish Secondary School here in Malawi!

When we received the invitation for graduation, it listed the start time at 8AM. At almost four years of living here, I did not fall for the start time! Like many African countries, Malawi runs on it's own time schedule and we knew if we showed up at 8, we'd most likely be waiting for several hours. So, we played it safe and showed up around 10 AM. Graduation actually started at 11:30. Honestly, I love the laid back time schedule here. For a person who is perpetually late, I love not stressing about being exactly on time. It's freeing knowing that if you show up late, no one is going to be mad at you and you probably won't miss much!

So, from 10-11:30, we (myself, my 7 year old daughter, one of the EH girls, my sister, and two awesome interns) wandered around the auditorium, took photos, and danced with little kids in the back.

{Essau, the graduate}

{"L", one of our EH kiddos posing for some photos while we wait}

{cute neighbor kids dancing in the back}

{graduates waiting to start}

{guys chillin' while they wait for the program to start}

{My Asher-girl killing some time}

My favorite thing about Malawian graduation ceremonies are the dance-in entrances! 

I love the joy, the moves, the celebration!

So fun!

{If you visit my Instagram page, you can see the actual video}

Our two interns are so much fun and danced in with the graduates.

The graduates were pumped having visitors celebrating with them and ate it up!

The dance- in was followed by all kinds of student led activities. 

Boys' acapella songs, reminiscent of Boyz || Men. Lots of rap renditions, poem recitations, 

and even Acrobat Steve!

There are speeches given by the outgoing and incoming prefects.

The speeches are very free and one even complained about the teachers, to the cheers of her peers.

Many headmen are in attendance and sit in special seating on the front row.

An honored guest speaker gives a speech to the graduates. 

{Acrobat Steve}

{There were cultural dances}

Finally, the certificates are passed out! 

So proud of Essau!

Awards are given to the top student in each subject. 

Another fun thing that takes place in Malawi is when a student wins an award. 

The parents usually run, whooping with joy to hug their student and often give them gifts of money or food. 

It's sweet to see the joy/pride/celebration of the family members. 

Next, all the graduates will take their MSCE (National Exam). They will find out the results of this test in September/October. The results on this test will dictate what they can do in their future. If they pass, more opportunities will be available. Entrance into universities and different schools will depend on what kind of score they receive. 

It's a LOT of pressure!

Malawi Mondays {Rainy Season}

It's been awhile since I have written a Malawi Monday! When we were stateside for our 6 week furlough over Christmas, one of my friends mentioned that she and her kids enjoyed learning about Malawi through these posts. So,  I thought I would add some more about what life is like here in Malawi, through expat eyes. 

It's February, so I thought I would write about what happens here in February....rain, lots and lots of rain. For example, yesterday it rained and within an hour, filled up my 60 liter trash barrel.

In America, we call our rainy season "Spring". Trees and flowers begin to blossom, we start shedding our winter wears, and in the evenings, lawn mower engines are humming in every suburban neighborhood. But, in the US (or at least in the South) we typically receive rain all throughout the year.

In Malawi, rainy season is pretty much the only time of year that we receive any type of precipitation (at least in our area). The rains start in November/December and usually finish up around March/April.

A good rainy season is imperative for most Malawians. Malawi is primarily  an agriculture community. When the rains are "officially here" you will find the majority of Malawians out in their gardens planting seed. You may see some people plant ground nuts (peanuts), green beans, tomatoes, potatoes, etc. But everyone is planting maize (corn). Maize is the primary ingredient to make Nsima. Nsima is the staple food of Malawi. It is typically eaten with every meal. You can read more about Nsima  here. Too much rain or too little rain has life impacting consequences on the people here.

This is our fourth season to be living in Malawi during the rainy season. The first rainy season we were here, it rained off and on. Nothing to extreme from what we were used to living in Arkansas.

The second year, we saw MAJOR rains. As in, rained so hard that the rushing waters took down our 10 foot tall brick wall that had just been constructed in the back of our campus. It rained so hard that many houses and gardens were washed away. A man from a village a mile from our home drowned trying to walk home. The flooding lasted for two weeks and then the rains went away. People tried to replant their gardens, but the rains never returned. The harvests in our area were very small and people went hungry that year. You can read more about how people were effected here.

The third season we were in Malawi, we had a mild rainy season. It would rain for a day and then not rain for two weeks. About the time everyone was chewing their nails that their gardens were going to dry up, another rain would come. Our area had a decent crop, although many parts of Malawi experienced major flooding and then droughts. You can read more here.

This year, we are experiencing rain every day. This has been the pattern since November. The gardens are looking good. The water does not seem to have caused too much damage in our area, although we have heard of flooding in other parts of Malawi.

I had never lived in a country before where the amount of rain received has such life impacting consequences.  Too much rains equals the loss of home and garden. Too little rain also means the loss of garden, which is the primary way that people feed themselves for the year. Most Malawians do not have the money to go buy maize if their garden fails. When droughts and flooding happens, the price of maize sky rockets because it becomes a hot commodity.

The first year that we moved here, I was telling one of our staff members about how much I loved rainy season. I loved the sound of rain on the tin roof of our house. I loved the cool down of weather and I especially was in awe over the beautiful sunsets. I loved how everything turns green, the dust disappears and the country is lush and beautiful.

She explained that my experience was somewhat different than our neighbors living around us in the village. Rain doesn't sound pretty on the rooftop when it is leaking through your thatch roof at night when you are sleeping. Rain doesn't seem peaceful when it is rushing through the floor of your hut. A typical Malawian home is made of mud bricks and uses mud instead of concrete to lay the walls. Lots of water = the potential for your house to fall apart each rainy season. I enjoyed rainy season because the amount of rain doesn't effect how much or little I will eat this year.

My perspective was totally different than my neighbors. Which I guess is how this whole ex-pat thing works? We come from different cultures, backgrounds, experiences. We view things through different lenses. Part of the hard and the beauty of living in another country is learning to see the perspective of  those you have come to live life with.

Naming Babies {Malawi Mondays}

It has been a long time since I did a "Malawi Monday". My sister has been giving me some good ideas of new topics I haven't put on here before, so I hope to be posting more in the future . If you want to see the Malawi Mondays so far, click here.

Naming babies in Malawi is a little different than how we might name our young ones in America. Traditionally, the first Malawian baby is named by the father or someone the father chooses. The babies born after the first, can be named by the mother. When babies are born at the hospital, which is strongly encouraged (with a fine if you don't) a name must be picked for the baby before the mom is discharged.

Recently, a Malawian dad came to the gate and informed me that he wanted me to name their first baby! I wasn't sure he was serious until the next day, during a glorious Sunday afternoon nap, when I received several frantic texts. "Come on! The family is all waiting for you to come and name the baby." So I jumped up and grabbed my sister and 2 daughters and went to their house. We were warmly greeted by the father, the mother, a sister, and  a neighbor who were seated on the grass mat inside the home. We got to cuddle with the most gorgeous little babe who was a mere 2 days old.

 I originally had picked the name "Noah", but learned there was another boy in the village with that name. When my 8 year old heard the baby's last name was George, she offered up the name "Curious". The family was really contemplating that name and I had to steer them away much to my giggling daughter's dismay. We offered the name "Jude" but with the accent here, it sounded more like "Judy". The family finally agreed on the name "Jonah" after we explained how Jonah was a picture of Jesus' death and resurrection (3 days in the whale).  I was so worried that the mom might not like the name I had chosen. I wanted to make sure she actually wanted to call her kid by that name for the rest of his life. Names are a big deal! Can you imagine letting a foreign woman whom you never met to come name your baby? Fortunately, after offering several names, she seemed happy with the name "Jonah".

Sometimes babies here are named Lonely or Trouble depending on what circumstances the mother was going through when she became pregnant. I have been trying to pick a good strong Biblical name to really speak to the baby's future and how God views the child as a blessing!

We have also had the delight of naming the foster baby that we cared for last year. We were surprised to learn that the family respected the name and kept it even after he was moved out of our home. I have also had the great honor of having one of our staff' member naming his last born after me. I cried when he came to tell me his daughter's name. That was the first time anyone had named their child after me! It was really special and encouraging to me!

{a sweet baby from the village}

 

Any topics you are curious about that you'd like to see on a Malawi Monday?

 

Immeasurably More {Malawi Monday}

I love Ephesians 3:20, and am especially digging this NLT translation....

"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think."

There has been many occasions in my life where God has shown me that He can indeed do infinitely (or NIV translation says, "immeasurably") more than I can ask or think (imagine), but it seems sometimes I need a reminder of this. 

Before Christmas, He let me have another glimpse of his mighty power.

There have been 2 brothers around 7-10 years old that have shown up at Esther's House in the past. Dad was a witch doctor and boys liked to "wander away" and dad would get mad and chase them off. The first time they showed up, social welfare got involved and the boys ended back up at home with dad and that was that.

Right before Christmas, the boys showed up again. We found them laying outside our gate, sick with malaria and hungry. It was later in the day and their village is pretty far off, so we fed them, bathed them, dressed them in clean clothes, and gave them a place to sleep. I called social welfare again the next morning, and got the answer "take them home". I was feeling so frustrated! Wasn't anyone going to help them? What could I actually do? The boys had a dad, a family, they weren't a fit for our program. So I loaded up my 4 kids and our Abusa (Pastor Stanley) and we bumped in and out of potholes down a long dirt road until we eventually wound up in their village. 

We met dad and older siblings and learned that their mom had died several years ago. Culturally in Malawi, when a mom passes away, the maternal grandmother cares for the children (not dad). In this case, grandma was unable to do that, so dad was doing the best he could for his 4 children. He explained that every time he went out to the field, the boys would run off. We listened, encouraged, talked to the boys and then it was time to go. Still not feeling a peace. 

Then, Pastor Stanley asked the dad if he was indeed a witch doctor. He stuttered around and eventually admitted that he was. Stanley shared the Good News of Jesus with him. He said no one had ever told him about that before! He explained how this man's charms had no power, but that God in Heaven is All-Powerful. The dad decided to follow this Jesus and prayed to surrender his lifestyle of being the village witch doctor. He came to Esther's House a few days later, with all his idols and charms in tow, to meet with Stanley and  Bruce (our house dad) and burn them. Stanley has now gotten the dad plugged in to a good church in his village where he can learn more about what following Jesus looks like. A family transformed.

We drove back home with smiles plastered on our face. Stanley and I each talking to each other about how we had no idea the boys'  story would end this way. God had done wayyyyy "more than we could ask or imagine!" 

I drove out thinking this situation was "hopeless and God reminded me that He is the hope giver. 

I drove out thinking that the boys were going back in a terrible situation and God showed me that He is in the business of transforming hearts and families.

I drove out thinking that this was a problem that was on me to fix and the burden felt heavy. God reminded me that He is the only answer and He carries our burdens.

I drove out thinking that no one was going to really help these boys and God reminded me how much He loves His Children and wants all to come to reconciliation with Him.

There is hope in Malawi, not because any Americans are here, but because HE is here!

He is faithful and He will always knock our socks off and do "infinitely more than we might ask or think."

And what a privilege that He allows us to go along for the ride and see Him in action.

 

Print from artbyerinleigh on etsy.

Same? or Different?

I've had lots of conversations lately about how we are different.
different culture,
different ways to raise children,
different roles of men and women,
different languages,
different taste buds,
different fashions,
and the one you can't quite escape...
different shades of brown

Sometimes I feel like the focus is on how different we are.
It is so easy to focus on the differences.
{This is a world wide, century old problem, not just a "here" problem.}

But, in reality, there is so much more "same-ness".
I don't think we adults catch it as much as the kids do.
Kids just have such  a way of simplifying things, don't they?
You have a ball? Let's play. We're friends!
But us grown-ups, we forget that lesson.
We forget the same-ness, only look at the differences until their magnified disproportionally.

We're all descendants from Adam, brothers and sisters.
As believers, we all have the same Holy Spirit residing in us.
As mommas (all around the world), we love our children and want what's best for them.
Little boys love watching construction equipment and want to hear an "atta boy" from their dad.
Girls, no matter where they are from, love giggling together and knowing they are valued.
All children have a longing for love and family.
Worshipers of Christ desire to bring Him glory and to know they are a part of God's Story.

 

 

 

So much same-ness

It's all about perspective, and looking for what we want to see.

And getting that we are all human.

Same, yet uniquely and wonderfully made.

And when what we have in common becomes our focus instead of how different we are....look out world!

Meet Anna {Malawi Monday}

We are ecstatic to have Anna join us at Esther's House!

Anna will be here for one year as our Director of Health and Wellness. 

Health care is a huge issue in Malawi, and we can't wait to see the lives she will impact with the gifts God has given her!

We want you all to get to know her and let you in on what she'll be doing here in Malawi!

>> How do you feel God has prepared you for the work here? 

I finished my degree as an RN at the University of Arkansas in May. I was able to work at Highland Oncology during my Community Class and gained a lot of practical experience. I also worked as a camp nurse last Summer which built my confidence as we administered assessments and diagnosis. 

>> How did you hear about Esther's House?

I read about Esther's House on our churches' website, but didn't know much about it. We had a night at church for our College Ministries where different people came and spoke to us about missions. Kristin Copher came and spoke about Esther's House. I was interested as it sounded like a good long term option for medical missions.

>> What made you decide to come to Esther's House?

I took a Community nursing class my last semester of my senior year. As I learned about American Health Care and the inflated costs of care, something didn't set right with me. Also, during the time, the hospitals I was wanting to work with weren't hiring. I felt God was drawing me to overseas medical missions. The doors leading to going overseas kept being thrown wide open. Also, it was a good season in my life to try something like this, as I had nothing physical holding me back in the States. 

>> What will you be doing at Esther's House?

I will be caring for the orphans, staff, community kids and widows that are in Esther's House programs. I am also going to be working for the next month in the Ntcheu District Hospital so that I can get my certification to open the Kwataine Clinic in Madzanje Village (where EH is located). I hope to be working 2-3 mornings a week at the Kwataine Clinic and seeing patients from the villages surrounding Esther's House. Having access and transportation to get to a hospital is a huge need in Malawi, especially in the rural areas. We are excited that we will be able serve the people in the villages surrounding us. 

It is really neat to watch how God continually provides servants for His Work here!

Anna, you are "most welcome"!

Widows {Malawi Mondays}

"learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow." Isaiah 1:17

 

I love, love, love that here at Esther's House, we seek to serve the orphan AND the widow.

I love that some of our widows care for the orphans in our program.

It is such a beautiful picture to me; the Bible being played out in front of our eyes!

 

 

 

We have 67 widows and 3 widowers in our program here at Esther's House.

They come to worship on Saturdays and receive spiritual food from our Malawian pastors, along with a big feast of nsima, goat, and greens.

 

 

 

Esther's House provides assistance to these men and women by doing roof repairs each year before rainy season sets in.

We provide fertilizer to be used in the gardens that will help produce their crops and sustain them throughout the year.

 

We also are able to provide health care and other physical needs such as: blankets, sugar, oil, soap, candles and matches throughout the year

.

So thankful that God allows us to serve these men and women!

 

YOU can have the opportunity to be involved in this ministry too!

We need sponsors to partner with our widows which enables us to continue our widow ministry!

Sponsorship is only $20 a month, and has a HUGE impact in these men and women's daily lives!

You can sign up here.

 

Please feel free to comment or email me (ourmustardseedlife@gmail.com) with any questions1

 

 

 



Malawi Monday {Interview with an Intern}

{Malawi Mondays is an attempt to show glimpses into "how we see Malawi" as someone who has moved here from another passport country. Hope to give a little picture of how life here is beautiful, exciting, difficult at times, and full of learning experiences and hope!}

We were super blessed to have Azlee intern at Esther's House all Summer between her sophomore and junior year of college. 

She was a blessing to our ministry and to our team!

Azlee was a good sport and agreed to participate in a little Q&A about her experiences in Malawi.

>> What made you want to intern at Esther's House?

I want to do international missions once I finish school. At the University of Arkansas, I am majoring in Crop Science with a minor in Pest Management. Interning at Esther's House was the perfect opportunity for God to prepare my heart for living overseas in the future.

>> In 10 words or less, describe Malawi.

beautiful, dusty, loud, lively

>> What kind of things did you do at EH?

I did orphan and widow care while I was in Malawi. I even learned a few things: I grouted a tile flour, bargained in a market for food, jumped off a cliff, and most importantly, I grew in my relationship with Christ!

>> What was your favorite experience?

I  LOVED getting to play "wee shoo" with the kids! The only way I can describe it would be to say that it's the African version of kickball. The kids played it almost everyday and that is not an exaggeration. Another thing you need to actually experience yourself are the sunsets in Malawi, they would take my breath away everyday with just how beautiful they were.

>> What is something that God taught you?

Some nights when I was walking to my room and it was completely dark outside, I would click off my headlamps and sit in the middle of the courtyard just to look at the stars. It was incredible to look up and see the Milky Way without city lights or pollution interfering with my view. Those nights were a strong reminder to me of Isaiah 40:26, "Lift up your eyes on high and see! Who has created these? He Who brings out their host by number and calls them all by name; through the greatness of His might and because He is strong in power, not one is missing or lacks anything." God knows EVERY star by name. God knows me by name. While I was in Africa, I felt alone, I could only talk to my family and friends on the computer whenever they had time. So God and I had ALOT of time together. 

Thanks Azlee for your heart to serve and the sacrifices you made to be here!

>>We have had 3 interns that have come to Esther's House this year for varying amounts of time. We have a new intern, that just arrived Saturday,  that will be staying with us for a full year (intro to come)! Internships can be customized to fit your strengths and length of time you have to serve. Have a heart for international missions? orphans/widows? Want to see if long term missions is in your future? Shoot me an email and I can connect you with more info! ourmustardseedlife@gmail.com<<

Transportation {Malawi Mondays}

We have been enjoying hosting a team from the States this last week, so today's post will be short and sweet!

 

Transportation is a big problem in Malawi as most people can not afford a vehicle.

With gas hanging out right around $8 a gallon, it is expensive to travel period!

Doing anything besides walking is a luxury.

 

Out in the village, where we live, most people walk or take a bike taxi to get them out to a main road (M1). From the main road,  you can wait to hop on a mini-bus (what we call a mini-van), hitch a ride in the back of a truck (which is a tad bit cheaper) or hope someone will be generous and give you a free lift into town. Once you reach town, you can buy a ticket on a "big bus" to take you anywhere you want to go in Malawi.  One round trip on a "big bus" to the capital city can be as much as 4-6  months of average village wages.

 

A sturdy chintenje that fastens a baby to mom is considered a safe car seat and the best air conditioning is riding on top of a truck full of maize! Instead of road rage, most of the passengers can be heard singing as they drive by.  



Warm Heart of Africa {Malawi Monday}

Out of 53 countries on the continent of Africa, Malawi is the only one dubbed 

"Warm Heart of Africa."

Today, I am going to give you the top 5 reasons why Malawi is deserving of this title!

1. No matter if you are invited or not or if the timing is convenient or not, when you show up at a Malawian's home, they will greet you warmly! They will hustle to pull out their grass mat (which also happens to be double as their bed) to allow you to sit in a clean spot. Even though Malawi is listed as one of the top 15 poorest countries in Africa, that does not affect their hospitality. Many times, I have left a house with a bag full of ground nuts (peanuts) that were generously given.

2. Malawi has never had a Civil War.

3. Wherever you go, people will always greet you! It goes something like this....

Wa Wa, Muli bwanji? (hello! how are you?)

Ndili bwino, kaya inu? (I am fine, and you?)

Ndili bwino! ( I am fine.)

zikomo! (thank you)

zikomo! (thank you!)

zikomo! (thank you! thanking can go on for quite awhile back and forth)

After the greeting, you are friends! Simple as that!

4. Whenever you visit a church unannounced, the pastor will usually invite you up and let you share a word with the congregation. Same rule follows at most functions. David was visiting the Ministry of Education the other day and they were having a teacher's inservice. They invited him in and and gave him the floor to speak to their teachers. They sang songs for him and let him video tape! We have always been welcome into the schools and classrooms of our kids here!

5. The Malawians have a saying, "a gift is a gift". Which to them means that you are always thankful for what you receive and no gift it considered "too little".

 

As I was thinking of all the ways that Malawians truly show their "warm heart" it was hard not to be convicted! They have definitely taught me that "more stuff" does not necessarily equal a generous heart. That a person can have so very little, but still make someone feel welcome and comfortable in their home. Isn't this an awesome thing?

 

If you come to visit Malawi, you are sure to feel "most welcome".





Clothes Washing {Malawi Mondays}

Last week, Lacey and I showed you 20 different ways you could style your chintenje.

This week, I wanted to let you in on how those chintenje's (and other threads) get cleaned out here in the village!

First you need to gather your supplies:

 powdered soap, 

green washing tablets, 

 scrub brush,

and a couple of washing buckets

(we also like to add in some fabric softener so our clothes aren't so stiff and scratchy).

The clothes are first soaked in the soapy water.

Then, each article of clothing is rubbed all over with the green soap tablets.

Next, the clothing is scrubbed from top to bottom with the brush.

After that, the clothes are "pounded" on the concrete to push out all the stains and soapy water.

Lastly, the clothes are rinsed in clean water, wrung out and hung on the line.

I will say that hand washing will clean your clothes like no other.

I had a very favorite adoption T that I purchased from my friend Jennifer

It was so soft and comfy in all it's vintage-y goodness.

In true Catherine fashion, I dried it in the dryer back in the States with a blue and red crayon which totally ruined it.

I brought it here with me as a "sleep shirt" because it was just too soft to toss.

After a couple hand washings here in Africa, the stains are totally gone and I am back to wearing it too many times a week.

True Story!

Although your clothes will get super clean, this method over time totally wears your clothes out. They are faded, stretched and a little thread worn. 

{Just another reason why you don't find any gyms out here in the village; daily activities here are a workout!} 

>> Today, I am guest posting at The Vanilla Tulip Blog (squeal!). Hope you'll hop over there and check it out! <<

Water {Malawi Monday}

I knew I would have talk about water at some point on Malawi Mondays because spending a lot of time at the well is definitely a big part of Malawian culture (as well as many other countries).

I admit I haven't spent most of my life giving too much of a thought to water. 

If, I was thirsty, there was always clean water flowing freely from my faucets. 

Water in the shower, water in the washing machine, cold water spraying out of my refrigerator. 

I even had a bed made of water back in the 80's. 

I drank it with confidence, never a thought that I, or my kids could become sick from the drink.

Gathering water never took too much of my time or encompassed a large portion of my day. 

Here, it is not the case. Multiple trips to the well have to occur each day. 

To wash clothes, cook, clean, bathe, and to offer to parched lips.

It is a family event, a social gathering, a rite of passage for little ones to be "big enough" to help.

It is a serious work out!

   

So many Bible stories come alive as I watch the women congregate at the well!

"Jesus answered her, All who drink of this water will be thirsty again. But whoever takes a drink of the water that I will give him shall never, no never, be thirsty any more. But the water that I will give him shall become a spring of water welling up within him until eternal life."  John 4:13-14

Sports and Evangelism {Malawi Mondays}

Welcome to Esther's House newest program!

Let me introduce you to our football (aka soccer) team........

Our spiritual directors, Pastor Stanley and Tadala had a vision for this new program. 

Football is HUGE here and although you may not be able to get someone to come to church with you, everyone will come out to the football field on Sunday to watch a game. 

{Felix}

So our kids began to practice under Coach Bruce (also girls' house dad).

{Bruce  + team}

The boys are getting in shape, perfecting their foot work and learning how to encourage one another.

It is really fun to watch this camaraderie forming between them all. 

{Zenus}

 But, this program isn't all about physical fitness. 

Our main goal is for them to be spiritually fit too.

The boys are also learning how to share the Gospel with their peers. 

At half time of each game, one of our boys shares the Good News with both teams.

{Chiyerekezo}

And our pastors follow up with teaching.

{Tadala}

The boys have done such a great job sharing with confidence and passion!

{Bruce, Tadala and part of the team}

The boys are boasting a 2-0 record currently, and although winning is pretty fun, we are super pumped that 2 of our boys have stood up with confidence and shared what Jesus has done in their lives. Couldn't be more proud!

Road Grading, Malawi Style {Malawi Mondays}

{Malawi Mondays is an attempt to show glimpses into "how we see Malawi" as someone who has moved here from another passport country. Hope to give a little picture of how life here is beautiful, exciting, difficult at times and full of learning experiences}

When we lived stateside, our house was  on a black top road that turned into a dirt road right after our property. As the boys grew up, they loved seeing the road grader pass our house. The drivers would always keep a bag of dum-dums nearby to hand out to the boys (and other kids) watching them do their "thing". 

The purpose of road grading is to smooth out roads so that cars can easily pass along, while also keeping the water draining (yes, I had to ask my husband the purpose ;). 

This is how we road grade, Malawi style.....

There are no air-conditioned tractor cabs with shiny blades.

Instead of blades, you use your hoe, and the strength of your back.

The government pays people in the village to grade out a certain sections of the road.

The ditches are cut lower and the excess soil is thrown into the middle of the road.

There is a long triangle of sorts (not pictured) made of 2 x 4's that is used to measure the road and make sure the slope from the middle to the edge is at the correct angle.

The soil is unbelievably  hard right now as rain has been non-existent since April.

The distance from the highway to Esther's House is 2.8 km and it has taken about a month to grade the road section by section to here.

There are a few blacktop roads in all of Malawi, but the rest (and vast majority) are dirt roads. This is how the roads are maintained all over the country!