OK so I know that I said in the last post we would have
another update in a few days…. That was only three weeks ago. Sorry about that.
Time here really seems to go quickly. Part of the reason I think is because
everything just simply takes longer. It seems weird but I’ll try to explain a
bit. Getting to the car from our house takes at minimum 10 minutes as it is
culturally proper to greet each person you know that you pass with at least a
mwadzukha bwanji (how did you rise) or mwaswera bwanji (used after noon as kind
of how is the day). Traffic in the city is always slow going as is most
everything else. So a 2-mile run to the store that in the states would take 15
minutes, here takes at minimum an hour. This pace of life has been a huge
adjustment for us. In the states it is run here, run there, and keep your head
down and at the very least look like your busy J
Although it has been a challenge to get used to, we welcome the extra time we
have together as a family.
Since the last post we have seen and experienced many of
God’s blessings and wonders. We received a call late on a Sunday night from Fr.
Dario asking if we would like to take a trip to Blantyre/Lunzu with him the
following afternoon. We were happy to accept and to see more of the beautiful
Malawian countryside and meet more of the Comboni family. The drive was long (4hrs) but with with Fr.’s
stories and discussions it went by pretty fast. We stopped by two Comboni
perishes on the way down. Both were very welcoming to the family and invited us
to come again soon to stay for a holiday. We arrived in Lunzu to the Comboni Technical School that evening and even though we were pretty road worn, stayed up late sharing in great conversations with the brothers and fathers. The next day we toured the technical school campus and took a quick run into Blantyre. That afternoon we set out for Balaka where more than 20 young men are in formation with the Combonis. Pray that they will continue to grow in faith and keep answering God’s call. We spent the night in Balaka and the next afternoon set back out for home. It was a fast trip that we were extremely glad we took.
To celebrate Corpus Christi our parish again put on a
magnificent display of worship. The day prior, different small Christian
communities and groups created beautiful works of art honoring various saints.
They were all created on the ground and out of natural ingredients like corn,
flour, ashes, and crushed bricks. The mass was celebrated outside and followed
by a processional, which lasted about 2 hours that was filled dancing and
singing in between moments of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The day was
filled with joy and worship as we reflected on the body and blood of our Lord
and Savior.
Next was our visit to the second of the three nursery
schools that the Comboni Missionaries have built. This one, in area 24, was the
first to be opened and has some great teachers and systems in place to provide
the local children with a base foundation of education before they move to
primary school. Along with building the school, the Combonis also had a bore
hole dog and a well installed for the school and local community to have access
to safe clean drinking water. It is wonderful to see what a difference our
organization has made in the quality of life and sprit of so many people. Although much has been accomplished there is
still a long way to go. There is a great need for basic supplies. tables,
chairs and many other things to allow the nurseries to operate
efficiently. Because of the lack of supplies,
to practice the writing skills the children learn, the children have to go
outside and draw the letters they have learned in the dirt and sand. Still the children are happy and in a safe
learning environment. We look forward to helping this and the other nurseries
in many ways in the future.
The following week we were invited to our first mass and
meeting of one of the 25 small Christian communities of S. Johns. Small
Christian communities are basically sub-divisions of the parish members broken
out by the geographical location of their homes. They work together on
projects, pray together and numerous other things. The event is usually held on
the feast of their named Saint and held at a chosen family’s kunyumba (home).
We celebrated mass and dined as honored guests and tried to speak a little in
Chichewa. The afternoon was amazing and we felt very honored and humbled to
have been invited.
The remainder of the time we have been establishing a daily
routine, meeting with Fr. Somanje, and continuing to strengthen relationships.
Everyone has been healthy and we are grateful to God for His many blessings.
Thank you all for your love and support! God Bless.
