To Market, To Market......

I think it is safe to say that shopping in Malawi provides an entirely different experience than how we previously shopped for food in the States!

 

3 hours to the North and 3 hours to the South of our village are big, bustling cities with groceries stores galore. You can find many familiar items that tempt your taste buds, (except chocolate chips...sigh) including dairy products!

 

Oh thank you South Africa for producing and shipping milk, butter, yogurt and cheeses galore to our little country.

 

I could just bear hug you for that!

 

And as much as we enjoy the occasional times that we are around the big city to grocery shop, my favorite shopping experience, by far, is the local market.

 

Here is our favorite little market that is right next door to Jason and Lacey's.

 

 

I love shopping outside with all the noises, smells and colors.

 

 

As the weeks and months go by, you never know what you might find at the market.

 Currently mangoes have fizzled out and limes, lemons and avocados are plentiful.

 

Each little shop has fun surprises and I love knowing that what I purchase was grown and handpicked by the owner.

 

Sometimes when you are shopping, it starts to rain.

It is the rainy season after all.

You just cozy up under an overhang and hope it passes quickly (and that your camera doesn't get wet).

And you watch your kids dance around in the rain and splash in the puddles.

 

The market is such a picture of community.

This woman is my friend.

She always sees me and yells, "ahh, sister!".

Then she proceeds to speak to me in Chichewa and teaches me how to reply.

 I ask her if she has peanuts and she replies, "no". So, I buy carrots instead.

Then I tell her "Tionana mawa", which means "see you tomorrow" and she laughs and shakes my hand and repeats it back to me.

 

If  the produce salesman is in a good mood, we might receive a "prize" in our sack.

A prize is an extra piece of fruit, pile of beans, or cluster of onions thrown in free of charge. 

 

We stroll down the aisles and buy our produce, watch men play games outside the shops, smell the grills sizzling with roasted maize and buy all the kids a Fanta.

 

It's my kind of grocery shopping.

FOUR

Our little "brown bear" turned 4 today! 

We are having so much fun celebrating on the same continent this year!

All the "firsts" are THE best!

I love how she always puts her shoes on the wrong feet.

You would think it would feel funny...nope!

We love her sillies and her sass.

We love her spunk and all her affection!

When she is happy with you, she'll say, "mommy, you good!" while she gives you a big thumbs up.

We love her BIG laugh and how she can crack herself up over anything!

So, so happy to celebrate this big day with her!

She is such a GIFT to our family!

 Favorites at Four

Favorite Colors: Pink and yellow

Favorite Movie: Cinderella (we're still holding strong!)

Favorite Food: Pizza and Cake

Favorite Drink: Fanta

Favorite thing to play: Cinderella

Favorite Friend: Limbani

Favorite thing to do with mommy: make chocolate

Favorite thing to do with daddy: tickle!

What do you want to be when you grown up? "to school"

Skills Classes

It is our deep desire at Pure Mission to see all the children that we touch at Esther's House become leaders in their country. We want to give these kids the support, opportunities, and tools to live out whatever God's plan is for their life. One way we are seeking to do this is through skills classes.

 

Every day after school, our 9 residential orphans and 50+ community orphans trickle onto Esther's House campus for tutoring and spiritual development. In a village where movie theaters, skate parks, and shopping malls are non existent and extra curricular activities at school are null and void, we really wanted to offer the kids something fun and educational they could be involved in on top of their tutoring classes.

So, at the end of January, we introduced our 6 classes to our children:

Construction

Drama

Sewing

Hair Braiding

Bible Skills

Agriculture

 

The kids had a few days to decide on what class they were the most interested in and at the end of the week, we let them sign-up. Sign up day could have been re-named "high attendance day" because no child wanted to miss their chance to scrawl their name on the sign up sheet with excited fingers!

 

 

 

It was fun to see all the boys that signed up for sewing class! Love how in Malawi you see many men sewing at tailor shops. Esimy and Miles have been teaching the kids how to use the foot pedal sewing machines. Today, I saw some older children sewing bags, whereas the younger children were learning how to sew a straight line using construction paper. Sewing is such an important skill to learn in Malawi. It can be used to help mend clothing in your family and also can be used as an income generating skill or occupation.

 

 

Hair braiding is one of our most popular classes!

Debra asked for mannequin heads so that her students could practice braiding. We searched high and low and none could be found. So, she creatively thought of making "heads" with scrap material and sewing the hair onto the material...genius! The girls are learning different types of braids and we hope to offer services to the village (kinda like beauty schools in the US) once we get enough practice. For now, the girls are having a blast and practicing their fine motor skills.

 

Bruce is doing a fabulous job teaching drama to his eager actors.

They are working on their theater presence and will be presenting a Gospel based performance out in the village at the end of the term.

 

 

 David has a class full of eager boys who are anxious to learn the ins and outs of construction.

In a culture where you build your own house, these are very practical skills for the students to learn. They have leveled and fixed every door on campus and are going to be learning how to lay tile next.  Never seen a more excited bunch of boys walking across campus with their power tools.

 

 

 

Seth is an intern with Pure Mission currently.

 He has been helping teach the Bible Skills class. We are wanting our children to know how to spend time with God, how to use their Bible and to grow a passion for Bible Study.

 

Mr. Jiles is teaching our Agriculture class. 

The young children have been learning the life cycle of a plant and will be building boxes to plant their own seeds in.

 

 

We have many older kids who attend evening classes at school. We are also offering several classes in the morning for these students so they do not miss out on learning a skill. They have been here early each morning ready to go!

 

 

We are excited to see the classes up and running. We have seen an increase in our attendance each day. We are also using Skill Classes as an incentive for going to tutoring. The kids understand that they have to come to tutoring on time if they want to participate in their much anticipated Skills Class. We are hoping to offer new classes and let the kids sign up for different activities each term. We can't wait to see how these classes equip our children for their futures.



 



SIX

Guess who has been with us for six whole months?

 

 

These pretty girls!

 

In some ways, it feels like it was just yesterday that we were meeting the girls for the first time.

 

In other ways, it seems as if they have been a part of our family for much longer.

 

Last night we had fun looking at pictures of the 3 weeks that we spent in their home country.

 

It was fun to hear their perspective of that time, now that they are little English speakers.

 

The pictures reminded me just how FAR we have come in the last 6 months.

 

Can't wait to look back at year 1.

I know it will just keep getting better and better!

So blessed to get to be the momma of my four.

Do you still have a blog?

I have been getting asked that question a lot lately, so I figure it is time to dust the cobwebs off this ol' blog of mine and give a little update.

           Here are some very random thoughts about life since I updated last.

• In August, we brought home our two daughters! It still feels so surreal at times that we are done with the waiting, the aching, the constant changes in process, the paperwork..... and our girls sleep under our roof each night; simply amazing!
• In October, we moved to Africa! Lots of adjustments all at one time and we are still working on becoming a family of 6 and transitioning to a new culture. But, here we are almost 3 months in, and there have been some HARD moments, but life is good.
• For the first time in 9 years, I am a working mom! That has been a bit of an adjustment, but my husband is THE best and we are constantly working on how to balance it all. Even though some days are tough, I LOVE what I get to do. Advocating, loving on, and helping these kids here is really the most fulfilling thing I have ever done. My absolute dream job!
• I am a mom to FOUR kids. This has been  dream of mine for soooo long. But, I gotta admit, the reality of that dream kicks my tail most days. It is getting easier each day and I can see glimpses of what life will look like in my future, but man, zone defense is hard somedays!
• We really like our life here in Africa. I love the pace of life, the culture, the people. I love what my kids get to experience, the relationships we are building, the adventures we get to have. I am so thankful that God called us to this.
• I hurt my shoulder sometime around Christmas and it can't be fixed where we live, so I had to come back to the states....solo. Just got home New Year's Even. This has been a big bummer as I miss my family terribly. Tomorrow I have a Dr. appointment to see what the problem is and fix it. Already have seen God at work in so many of the details.
• I don't like to fly...still. One day, I hope I can be that calm, collected person reading their newspaper, or better yet, sleeping as the plane ascends to 30,000 feet off the ground. But, for now, I am just that sweaty girl with the knots in her stomach, gripping the arm rests for dear life.

yup, very random. Can my excuse also be that it is 3:30AM (dang jet lag) as I am typing this?

Here is to hoping I can blog more regularly in 2014!

 

 

Our Adoption Video

Wrote the name of this first song down in 2010 when we started the adoption process.

My friend Jackie H. had it in her adoption video of her son Miles and I absolutely loved it!

My heart is just bursting with thankfulness to God for His faithfulness in bringing our family together.

We needed these girls just as much as they needed us!

This Love by Mandi Mapes

I’ve never felt this way before
funny how you found you’re way to my door   
and suddenly my prayers are coming true
and these arms are not letting go of you

this love this love is the deep kind
you’re my baby, you’re my sunshine
I’ll hold your hand, be your biggest fan
and I’ll love you all of the time

our eyes are not quite the same shade
and your hair blows in the wind a different way 
but I am your mother and 
I love you just the same 
so I’ll take your hand honey 
and you can take my name

my heart has been redeemed,
adopted and now I know my Father
this grace that I’ve received 
I want to show you
I want to show you

this love this love is the deep kind
it hangs on through the storm and the sunshine
I’ll hold your hand, be your biggest fan
and I’ll love you all of the time

© 2010 Mandi Mapes

Song #2 "Least of These" by Audio Adrenaline

Photos at the end in the yellow/gray were taken by "Your Life in Stills Photography".

School is in Session!

 

After Labor Day we decided we needed to get started on this whole school thing.

Add some structure to our day.

 

 

 

 

 

{yup, verdict is in, I officially have the cutest class}

 

 

Even though our curriculum is currently residing on another continent, we are making the best of it.

My little sister (ESL teacher) brought me the mother load of ESL (English second language) ideas and curriculum for the girls.

 

We are getting the hang of it.

 

 

 

About 2 weeks after we started school, in which I had been calling school "shule" (Swahili), Esther informed me on a random Sunday morning that school in Swahili is actually kafunda (sp?).

Pretty sure she will be the teacher by the end of the year.

 

 

 

 

This Really Happened!

My sweet friend Jenny took these pictures for us at the airport. 

 

We are now home and thoroughly enjoying our new life as a family of 6.

 

 

 

As I was looking at these pictures, I am just overwhelmed by God's faithfulness....to our family....to these girls.

 

We are so incredibly thankful!

 

 

This is "For Real"

In 5 days or less, (not too good on calculating the whole time change thing) we will be meeting our daughters!

orphans no more, in our family for keeps,

we now have 4 kids,

been waiting for this day for so long,

it is finally our turn,

oh my goodness this is really happening!

My mind has been running on 3.5 years of delays, changes, bumps, disappointments, deferred hope and second winds that it is slowly coming around to the idea that this is "for real".

The girls' received their US VISAS 3 days ago!

Our bags are packed, tickets are booked, hotel reservations confirmed.

I can't sleep at night. A mixture of excitement, gratefulness, and sheer ohmygoodnesslifeisabouttochange is keeping my mind on overdrive.

eeek! 5 days!

{please excuse the fragmented post and run-on sentences, adoption has fried my brain}

Flexibility {must be a must}

We are living in the land of ever-changing plans. Pretty much on a daily basis.

I guess when a 3.5 year international adoption intersects with an international move, a little crazy is bound to happen.

And although there are many moments when my chest feels tight and I think to myself that I just need a puff of my old friend, the inhaler, I realize that asthma is not the culprit, but anxiety. Who knew anxiety could make you feel like an elephant resides on your chest?

But despite the few moments of anxiety, mainly peace is reigning here. I mean, how can you not have peace when you sit back and chronicle all that God has been doing? All the details that He has not only taken care of, but exceedingly and abundantly and way over the mark provided for. Here are just a few to show you His awesomeness...and oh, how He loves to bless (maybe I am just now getting this!) -

• He gave us a car! Yes, a car! currently residing in the city where we fly into in our new home country.
• He sold our house after 2.5 weeks of being on the market
•  He has almost 100% funded us for the next 2 years. In just 5 shorts months.
•  He miraculously completed our adoption which our gov't said could not be done until Fall. We go get our girls in 2 weeks. Just typing those words is baffling.
•  We were able to send a container to our new home and it made it out to sea. If you have 2 Lego-loving boys, you'll understand why a container full of Lego's is such a blessing to your transition.
•  He has provided a team for us to move with and serve with. Love these families already so much and having them makes the transition so much easier.
• The people He has placed in our lives to love us, pray for us, partner in ministry with us. Having so much support really encourages us!

There are many more blessings and many more to come. So even if plane tickets have to be changed again tomorrow, or another billion pieces of paperwork comes our way to complete our adoption (seriously though, does.it.ever.end?), we are ready for it!

After all, I am pretty sure flexibility is the name of the game in the line of work we will be doing in our new home county.

He is good to give us preparation for it!