A Jewel in the Mountains

It is always a delight and a surprise to be taken to some out of the way spot and find something beautiful. Saturday, one of the missionary couples took us to a recently discovered restaurant.

The restaurant was on a ridge on top of one of the mountains about 15 minutes out of Mzuzu. The road to the restaurant was a dirt road.

We were greeted by the owner who gave us a tour of the grounds. He was British but lived in Malawi 12 years. He acquired this piece of land and is building a resort. He was in the process of putting in a swimming pool and beach volley ball courts.

What was amazing were the terraced gardens. The flowers were beautiful. I didn't take my camera. I was bummed. Apparently on a clear day you can see Lake Malawi, but it is very smoky because of fires burning all around.

Sunday , we went to church. They had several choirs there. Some of them were really good. The Africans are wonderful singers. They have great voices and really get into their singing.

Sunday afternoon was spent getting ready for today, our first clinic day which went rather smoothly. It can be frustrating working with the Malawians as there work ethic is so different. Maybe we are starting to Americanize them. It is hard to get them to follow instructions. I am learning to just go with whatever. Hopefully the rest of the week will go well. Next week we will be doing a clinic outside of Mzuzu. I suspect it will be much harder.

The fuel shortage does not help those of us that must get around. We were taken home on black market petroleum. The doctor got it from one of the volunteers, he said it was probably better not to know how it was acquired.

It is very hot here. The sun rises and sunsets are spectacular. It gets warm here very early and does not cool off too much at night.

Saturday

It is a beautiful morning here. It is much greener here than when I was here 2 years ago. The Village grounds are beautiful. The sunsets here are simply magnificent. Elaine and I have been going for walks in the morning before it gets hot. We are entering the Hot Rainy season. As I understand it, the seasons are cold, cold rainy, hot, hot/rainy. They apparently had 3 days of heavy rain before we arrived.

Petroleum is in shortage, this has lead to a host of problems, especially in meeting food needs.

There is fuel on the black market but it is apparently diluted and cost four times as much. To add to the problems here there is hoof and mouth disease in the cattle so they can't get good beef. The lack of fuel means they can't bring beef in from neighboring countries which means that chicken is also in shortage because everybody is buying chicken. They can't get regular milk so they have to use powdered milk. Peanut butter that they buy in large containers and is a food staple has to be bought in small jars which adds greatly to the cost. In all of this God continues to provide for needs of the Village.

Elaine is giving the young ladies a sex education talk this morning. I am having some quiet time before we head out to the church to start organizing the clinic. I expect to be very busy this afternoon.

Our head doctor is ill And he is to give a guest sermon at the church where we are setting up the clinic. He is in a lot of pain . A little improvised care was established, IV fluids and IV medication. We did not have an IV pole so we took a picture off the wall and used the picture hanger. We are all praying he will be better by tomorrow.

There have been many gliches trying to set up this clinic. Tomorrow afternoon we will have to work in order to be ready by Monday.

The work begins

Yesterday and this morning were spent completing children's physicals. The children are always the most fun. Elaine was enjoying the opportunity to tell some of the older children the story of how they came to the village. She was here from the start and has some great stories. She needs to write a book.

This afternoon we organized medications for the clinic. This the 3rd time I have set up a pharmacy. It doesn't get any easier as many drugs that are the same have different names. After a year I have to re-orientate myself to their use.

Tomorrow we will go to the church to organize what we organized. It will be a busy day. Monday is the first clinic day so time is of the essence.

I am looking at my swollen feet. Time to rest.

Answered Prayers

Travel to Africa is never an uneventful experience for me. Something always happens at the airport

Kathy prayed that I would have a comfortable flight to Malawi. She knew how I dreaded the long journey into Malawi.

This time I found myself on an overbooked flight. My ticket said I had to go to the airport to get seat assignment on the plane. I was not allowed to check in on line. I did not question that because that is not unusual because of the many plane changes. I had all my seat assignments except the Denver to Minneapolis flight. I had a confirmed flight! I did not think that there was any possibility that I might not get on the flight.

I checked in. They could not give me a seat assignment. I was sent to the boarding area for my seating assignment. Others were showing up without seat assignments. It soon became apparent that all of us were not going to get on that plane. Then the announcement came asking for individuals willing to give up their seat in exchange for a $400 dollar flight voucher. Several who had come to the boarding area after me got seats on the plane, I got the last seat on the plane. A very nice gentleman gave up his seat. Was he an angel? Too me, yes!

Minneapolis to Amsterdam was comfortable. I was in an aisle seat in the middle row with no one in the middle seat.

Amsterdam is a huge airport and Elaine and I had not determined where to meet. The last couple of hours we finally connected. We had to check in for our Nairobi / Malawi connection.

Elaine got her boarding pass and the agent gave me mine. Elaine was in business class for the Amsterdam/Nairobi flight, the agent asked me for my ticket and said, "I can do better for you" and gave me a business seat. WOW! Prayers answered.

We arrived in Lilongwe about 2 pm. We stayed overnight and headed for Mzuzu late morning after some shopping.

There is a major gas shortage here. The government has not been paying it's bills so most of the countries are not giving them petroleum. This is a major hardship on an already impoverished country. People are waiting for days to get fuel. A supply came in the day we arrived. The staff here was spending the afternoon getting fuel for all the vehicles. The present prime minister who apparently was very well liked in his first term has become very corrupt. The political environment is not good.

Today and tomorrow we are doing the children's physicals. I think the afternoon will be spent getting ready for next weeks clinic in the community.

On a lighter topic, when we entered the Village, the children mamas and staff were all waving as we drove into the compound. They are always so excited when we arrive. It makes all this so worthwhile. Africa is like coming home.

Everything Takes Longer Than I Think!

I am as ready as I am going to be. I keep remembering one more thing. One way another, with or without everything I think I need I will be on that plane.

It is a beautiful Fall day here. I have been up since 5:30 this morning after getting to bed at 1 am. I should have just gone to bed earlier, when 5 am came I could not go back to sleep. I am finishing up a few things and hopefully will be able to relax before Kathy comes to pick me up.

I leave Denver at 3:32 pm to begin that long, long, long trip to Malawi. I have 4 plane changes. I got a flu shot this year, the first in 6 years. My body was not too happy.

I covet your prayers for good health, safe travel, energy, wisdom in dealing all I will be confronted with. (I have been a bit testy recently.) I need a rest from Weight Watchers. Oh, yes, that my luggage gets there in one piece.

THE ETERNAL GOD IS YOUR REFUGE, AND UNDERNEATH ARE THE EVERLASTING ARMS. ---- DEUTERONOMY 33:25 ( my flying verse, I am depend on those big arms keeping me together.)

It's a long way to Lilongwe

I didn't think that I would be going to Africa this year, but here I am making final preparations for another journey into Africa. This will be my sixth trip.

I leave on Sunday October 23rd for Malawi to do 2 medical clinics. We will be doing clinics one in Mzuzu and one about an hour out of Mzuzu. We are a team of 6, 3 doctors, 2 nurses and the daughter of one of the doctors.

I am anticipating a challenging 2 weeks, having been to Malawi 2 years ago. I am not sure I have really gotten over that clinic. It was definitely the most difficult one I had helped at. This a very impoverished country where most people live on less than a dollar a day. besides that this is a country where AIDS has ravished the country. Last year I heard that at least half the people they saw had AIDS.

On the bright side. I am taking in the beautiful fall weather and colors. I have missed the last two fall seasons . Last year I left on October 12 th so I got a glimpse of fall, the previous year I missed fall altogether. I returned home on October 12 following a early fall snow. This year fall is beautiful, the colors are magnificent. Truly, a blessing from God!