Life...

Today is Friday and Cristy and I both actually have the day off! I am doing my best to avoid going down to the hospital at all. Most Fridays I seem to end up in Blantyre running errands but today I’m staying home and “mucking about” as Cristy says. We just got back from the Makwasa market where I bought a cabbage and 5 mangoes. It cost all of 75 cents (100 kwacha). The mangoes are starting to get ripe here and they are yummy! We took Julia and Jessica who are peds residents from Loma Linda Medical Center visiting for 2 weeks to the market too. It was fun to pretend to be a tourist with our cameras for a little bit. I may have written about this before, but I really enjoy shopping at the little market there. It is not tourist-y at all – there are no carvings or random things white people might buy, but rather it is a really the place local villagers shop on a daily basis. Now, since I’ve been here for a while I know several people who are there shopping as well. I like that and somehow I feel more a part of the culture and LIFE here by going there and shopping. Granted, I also buy things in Blantyre at the shops that get their wares from South Africa which most villagers don’t do – but still…

Wednesday was the first heavy rain… I was home for lunch and all of a sudden the sky turned dark pewter grey and I could hear thunder in the distance. The clouds were swirling, a wind picked up, and pretty soon the gigantic rain drops came down. It was amazing! Masa and I were rushing around closing the windows and doors to keep the rain outside. It was so loud I looked out and saw it was actually hail! With part of the ceiling in the kitchen missing the rain and hail was deafening on the tin roof. Cristy wasn’t home yet and as I guessed she got caught in the downpour walking home and came in dripping wet! Everyone is happy that the rains are coming because it means they can plant maize and once again have enough food for the next year. They wait until one or two heavy rains before planting so that the ground is good and wet. But fields everywhere are dug and in neat rows ready to be planted this month.

*Now it's Sunday*
Last night we had an adventure - in the UK they celebrate "Guy Hawks" day on the Saturday night closest to November 6 with fireworks. So the Thyolo sports club (i.e. where rich white people go to play golf, watch rugby, and drink beer) was holding a fireworks show and dinner so we (Kelvin, Sue, Jessica, Julia, & I) decided to go. The fireworks was actually pretty good and the food was edible as well. I was hoping to meet some ex-pats from the area but everyone seemed to know each other and since we were sitting in the dark it didn't help the socializing much. It was interesting, but not a place I'll probably frequent.

So life continues on here – occasionally I have to remind myself that I am actually LIVING in Africa. Not that it seems like it’s the US (the falling ceiling, lack of water, and sweltering heat remind me that I’m not in the US) but I guess it just sometimes seems surreal that I’m actually living here; to believe that somehow God has made a way for me to be here to try and make a contribution to the mission here. It is humbling to be called and used in this way. Very often I wonder if I am making a difference but then I am reminded of the steps that brought me here and how God was clearly leading so I trust in that leading and continue with my daily work.

I appreciate the notes of encouragement and the prayers that I know are offered regularly. Some of you have shared of your financial resources as well and I can't thank you enough.