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!

A Day in the Life {Journal Entry}

I have been wanting to document more of our day to day life here in Malawi. Funny, embarrassing, mundane stuff that I know I will enjoy looking back on one day. 

My past "A Day in the Life" journal entries can be found...

Here
Here
Here

&

Here

11/2013

In our first couple months, "on the field" we had our first "what!?" experience. David had taken the kids out for a bike ride. At this particular time, we were a circus show in the village (now nobody pays any attention to us). Every time we went out, everyone would chase us and point + laugh. It took a bit to get used to...especially for our kids. So on this particular day, David had 3 of our kids and was riding bikes. We had bought the boys' bikes a little big so that they could have a few years out of them and son #2 hadn't quite gotten the hang of starting off his new bike on his own. After a fall, he hadn't been able to climb back on, so he was walking with head hung down as a whole group of kids followed him and laughed. {side note: now he would totally be able to handle this situation, but at the time he was embarrassed and feeling really sad}. 

As the group of kids surrounded him, a bike taxi (njinga) was flying up on the group and totally took out one of the kids; sending her flying into the ditch with an apparent broken leg. Son #2, oblivious to the "hit and run" that happened behind him just kept walking to the house. 

The next day, a knock came to the gate. The mother of the injured child was there. She was accusing our 7 year old son of running over her daughter and breaking her leg. A crowd had gathered and they wanted us to pay for the damages done. It was definitely one of those moments we were like, "what?! 
 that is not how it went down!" After many conversations, translations, and even confessions from the bike taxi driver, our 7 year old son's name was cleared. The mom broke down in tears and said, "I am not accusing anymore, but am begging for help." In Malawi, when someone is hospitalized, a family member must go with the person to the hospital and stay with them 24/7 to care/feed for them. The mom was just desperate for transportation and food for she and her daughter for however long they were going to have to staying in the hospital. 

It was definitely one of those moments that took us  from scared, confused, angry, and  frustrated, to deep compassion. We quickly saw how an injury to a family member can deeply affect the whole family. How even "free" healthcare costs families greatly as they have to figure out a way to supply meals, take time off work (if you have a job), and come up with costly transportation. It was such a clear picture to me of how all  moms are going to do what it takes to get our kid's help. I just may never have had to be in that desperate of a situation before. 

A Day in the Life {a journal entry}

I have been wanting to document more of our day to day life here in Malawi. Funny, embarrassing, mundane stuff that I know I will enjoy looking back on one day. My first "A Day in the Life" is found here.

2.21.16

There have definitely been some learning experiences while living here. Experiences where cultures collide and you are left feeling totally embarrassed. One afternoon, Azlee (intern) and I were going out to do some home visits. We were wearing our medical pants and had our chintenjes in our backpacks ready to tie them around us as soon as we got to the home. Neither one of us were talented enough to ride our bikes in a skirt. Soon after we left, we saw there was a funeral in the village. A very large funeral with the whole village in attendance along the main road. Funerals here are marked with tree branches. A pile of branches alert you to the beginning of a funeral and again at the end of the funeral. I knew the markers and knew that if I was driving a car, the culturally respectful thing to do is to slow your vehicle down to a crawl between the 2 piles of branches. What I didn't know, was that if you were riding a bike, you should dismount and push the bike until you crossed the branches noting the end of the funeral. As we rode our bikes (oblivious to such a cultural rule) through the funeral, someone stopped us and asked us to dismount and push our bikes. We were mortified and apologized profusely. At this point everyone who was mourning had stopped to watch us. We were already embarrassed and did not want to cause anymore of a scene, so we decided to push our bikes around the backside of the funeral as to draw less attention. We did this and came out on the other side and were a good distance from the funeral, so we decided it was safe to get back on our bikes. As we were climbing back on, another person came to inform us that we had  indeed NOT passed the branches and to please get off our bikes. Oh my goodness! We did it again?! Of course at that moment we look over and see the Sr. Chief and the village headmen attending the funeral and watching us make this huge cultural faux pas. We apologize again whole heartedly and climb back off the bikes and push them further down the road where we finally see the branches signaling the end of the funeral. Rest assure, we did not make that mistake on the way back home.....or ever again. Fortunately, Malawians are so gracious and did not harbor any hard feelings towards us!

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?

 

A Day in the Life {2.11.16}

For Christmas this year, my sweet mama gifted me a kindle! I am loving having a library at my fingertips! I stumbled upon an author named Kim Abernethy who wrote 2 memoirs (In this Place & In Every Place). In her books, she chronicles her life serving in West Africa with her husband and 3 daughters. I loved her candidness and transparency as she shares the good moments, hard moments, and even scary times in her journey. Her books were so fun, encouraging and faith building. I wish I had kept a journal of our time here in Malawi starting at the beginning.  It made me  want to make sure I am recording the mundane, every day things so that I can look on them with fond memories one day. So, I thought it would be fun to start today!

2.11.16

Since we have lived in Malawi, my kids have had quite the collection of unique animals. Once the locals find out that you're on a hunt for a pet, the knocks on the gate will begin. I guess it's a good opportunity to make a little cash on critters that are found wandering around the village. So far, the kids have been the proud owners of 3 hedgehogs, 4 chameleons, 1 dog, 3 laying hens, 4 turtles, 2 inherited turkeys, several crabs, and a plethora of random grasshoppers, butterflies and water bugs. The animals have taught the kids responsibility and what happens when you neglect your animal. It's also taught them that some things just belong free and were not made for captivity. Through all the lessons, the "pets" have provided lots of entertainment.

Our old kitchen table (before we bought one from our missionary friends that transitioned back to the States) was unfinished wood. So, I would cover it with a piece of cloth and then overlay that with a piece of clear plastic so that we could wipe off the table. One day, I noticed Asher (then age 4-5) talking to the plastic as she was shoving her hand between the cloth and the clear plastic. I asked her what she was doing and she informed me that she was talking to her pets. In exploring  little more, I realized that Asher's "pets" were tiny little bugs that she was finding outside. She was storing them on our kitchen table between the cloth and plastic. That day we had a good conversation on what counted as "pets" and what did not. We also talked about what kinds of things only have homes outside.

Along with some interesting and harmless pets, we have also been offered some strange and unusual pets. One day a boy came to the gate asking for Grainger (he is the animal lover). He brought in a cup with some "animals" inside, when he turned the cup over, 3 large scorpions came out and scooted all along our porch with their pinchers clapping. I did put  my foot down on that purchase (thankfully none of my 4 were to interested in having scorpions for pets). The boys left with his scorpions and was disappointed he was not able to make a sale that day.

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.

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!

Meat Market {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}

So, I guess it is kinda obvious how I fell off the blog wagon for a bit. June was a busy month with finishing up school, hosting a missions team, and having grandma come visit for a month! 

Let the Malawi Mondays commence!

Meat here is considered a "relish". 

Relish is anything that you eat with your Nsima. See here for more info on Nsima.

Meat is pretty expensive and is a treat, rare for many we live around.

If you had some extra kwacha and wanted to buy meat for your family, you'd head to the market where you'd find chicken, rabbit, goat, or currently mouse kabobs (you read correctly, mice.on.a.stick)!

The goat is usually slaughtered out on tables and you can pick your choice meat along with weighing your portion and be on your way. 

{sorry if this pic makes you squirmish}

It may not be totally USDA approved, but we've still yet to hear of anyone with "mad goat" disease and it actually tastes pretty good!

Harvest Time {Malawi Mondays}

It's harvest time here in Malawi!  

Harvest time is all about the maize, {aka corn}.

The maize seeds were planted months ago, prayers were lifted for watering, and God sent the rains.

Then, came the time where I began to get squirm-ish and I began to silently question, "for the love of all things sweet and juicy" when are you going to pick the corn already?

But, maize here is not grown for that burst of sweet juiciness; it is grown for food that will hopefully feed the family for the next 12 months.

First, you wait until the corn stalks are dry.... like bent over to the ground dry.

Then, the ears are pulled from the stalks and dried some more in the sun.

 

Harvesting is such a community effort, neighbor helping neighbor. 

 

Next, the dried kernels of corn are pulled off the cobs, where another drying process in the sun takes place, and the kernels are treated to keep out critters. 

 

The maize is then stored in 50kg (110lb) bags at the home.

When a bag is used up, a new bag is carried (usually by women on their heads) to the mill  to be ground into a fine powder.

The powder is laid out on woven mats to dry for a third time.

 

 

The flour is then used to make Nsima (see-muh).

Nsima is a daily staple that Malawians eat (and other Africans- my girls called it Fufu).

 

 

Let's just pause here a sec. and talk about the process of making Nsima.

Above is one of our house moms, Maggie, whooping up some Nsima over an open fire.

 Notice Maggie balancing the hot pot with her flip flop clad foot. She was adjusting wood, balancing the pot AND working that porridge- like substance, with a force!

I really think nsima-making should be a CrossFit WOD.

Reason # 564 Malawian women are ripped!

 

I will admit that my first week here, I tried to help our cooks make nsima in the big pot that we use when we are cooking enough for all of our widows and orphans on Saturdays.

I may or may not have been able to even stir the semi-liquid nsima.

 

Our cooks were killing it with ease and I will just forget to mention both ladies are grandmas.

 

 

Nsima with fish and relish (vegetables).

It is a very thick substance, kinda like mashed potatoes.

You eat it with your hands by rolling it into balls and scooping up the relish.

 

This is the finished product of the Harvest!