After Five Years

I know I've posted this picture before, but it's one of my favorites from Malawi

Five years ago I was in Malawi. It was the first time I’d crossed the Ocean, first time I’d been on African soil, first time I’d been away from my family for two months, first time I traveled internationally (solo at that). My two month internship was full of firsts. Take for example the day we left by dawn for a distant village some three hours out in the bush; we returned after dark, racing through the bush with a mama in labor in the back seat. Her son was born just as we pulled into the hospital entrance.

In many ways, the two months I spent in Malawi five years ago gave me excellent background and prep for moving here to Zambia. My time in Malawi is also part of the seeds for bigger life dreams… like one day working in a least-reached/frontier area.

As a kickback, I pulled a few snapshots from my time in Malawi, as well as portions of an essay I wrote after my first ever village stay, at my language helper’s house in early June 2009.

eating lunch
(blue car pictured in the background)

“When I first began soaking in my surroundings, I especially noted the old blue, tireless car that rested in the courtyard behind Asiyatu’s house. I wondered the story behind it, but never asked. By request, I took posed pictures of Asiyatu’s family and the car.”

“Beyond the brain-ups required for a stay in the village were the cultural learning experiences. My host family was kind and gracious, and patiently tried to teach me everything from the ChiYawo word for “delicious” (which I fail to remember at the moment), to how to pound maize, to how to scrub blackened pots. In exchange, I attempted to explain what a snowman is and how to build one, what a bailer is, why you need a tractor on the farm, how far the trip is from Malawi to America, and why I’m not married. Over the course of time, we discussed many topics and compared many things between Malawi and America. Last night, as we sat on a grass mat gazing at the sky, Asiyatu asked, ‘Do you have the moon in America?’”

hungry?!?
This was my first ever ugali/nshima (call it whatever you will) meal on the continent.
I was definitely not used to the idea of wadding up food in my hand before stuffing it into my mouth!

“Joyfully, as a friend to a friend, Asiyatu shared parts of her life with me. We cooked meals, ate together, toured the village, visited friends, chatted, bought food at the market, exchanged sweet treats from our respective countries, and visited the village chiefs according to proper protocol.”

(oh my... i look so young...)

“It takes humility and joy to join villagers in their environment. In the morning, when we walked to the river to draw water, everyone laughed, because unlike my friends who carried large pails (4 or 5 gallons each) on their heads, I hauled a small 2 gallon pail at my side. When Asiyatu invited me to pound maize flour at the neighbor’s, I gave the pounding stick a huge thwack and it landed on the side of the mortar, spilling the precious maize in the dirt. The onlookers laughed. After watching a round of net ball and still not understanding the strategy of the game, I joined in a round and ran around like a confused person. My friends laughed and said, ‘It’s okay.’ ” 

“I can’t carry water on my head, and I get tired before I get the ground nuts pounded into the sought-after fine powder; I am clueless about net ball rules; when I tried to pound maize, I spilled it in the sand, but I have friends in Malawi, Africa.”

looking out over the Shire River

I’m very excited about the opportunity I have to once again visit Malawi this July—after five years.

yep. that's for real.
Lake Malawi

what might you need today?