StillwatersIowa

Well after a productive and enjoyable stay in Malawi, Africa I'm back home. Those of you that go on a work trip know it serves two purposes. First it gives you an appreciation for the place and the people you visit. And second it reminds you how good you have it and how much you appreciate the folks back home. Much was accomplished back home while I was gone. One day son Kurt says, "Well Dad we got along pretty good. If something were to happen to you I think we'd get along ok even though we might miss you a little." :) A father's responsibility is not to create a business that's dependent on him but to bring up the next generation to not only run that business but to be better at it than you. Jan has extra responsibilities when I'm away and I owe her a big Thank you. She has been very busy coordinating folks who borrow the cabin and keeping it clean. She feeds the guys if she knows they are going to be around and also cooks on Thursdays for ...

Well once again it's early on a Saturday morning. After a breakfast meeting we head for the airport. Our week has been successful in a variety of ways. We were blessed with open doors on starting a new association. I was able to spend time with some old friends as well as make many new friends. Hennie manages a modern tobacco farm. He and his wife Renae invited us for lunch. We were able to meet their daughter who was home on break from boarding school in South Africa. The downtown market is a must stop if you ever come to visit. It was fun to greet JJ and the rest of my buddies who peddle souvenirs for a living.  We went to Harrison and Miriams for a wonderful meal.   After lunch we went to see their church and Miriam showed us her garden. We stopped by the Africa American Bible College academy and visited Mrs. Timmerman's 3rd grade which was my sister Beth's class last year. We stopped at the Monsanto headquarters.  I wanted to get my fa...

Greetings from Malawi. Since the internet is working good today I thought I'd send some pictures your way. The weather here is warm. It rains every day some. Our work here is a little different from past years. We are forming an association called Farmer to Farmer Consulting Services. We are meeting with folks to help us in this process. The people here are very friendly and always ready with a smile. Harrison has been a big help. He is a farmer/pastor. He has worked for CRWRC in the past. He is helping us with driving, money exchanges, and interpreter. Harrison will be assisting our organization in accounting. He is also a Christian brother and friend. Kondwani went to college in Lilongwe for agriculture. He has been working with the farmers in the villages for 4 years. He will continue to consult farmers encouraging them to see their ag occupation as a business to feed the country rather than just a garden to feed their family. Jane lives in Nkhoma. She was a pas...

My dear family and friends. It's 4 am on a Saturday here in Malawi, Africa. I arrived yesterday. My luggage did not.     When we arrived at the airport in Cedar Rapids on Wednesday we were told due to all the cold and snow out east our flight had been delayed. We had to totally rearrange our travel schedule.   We ended up flying to Detroit, then London, then Amsterdam, then Nairobi, and finally Lilongwe. Ken and I left home around midday on Wednesday. After 6 airports and 5 flights we arrived here around midday on Friday. It was my first visit to London. I was surprised at how big, how crowded, and how old the city is. On international flights the airline is always feeding you. Flying into Holland we had this waffle for coffee time that was sweet and tasted like a scone. It was really good. Our spouses must have gotten their cooking skills from their Dutch roots. We flew right over Benghazi and later Mt. Kilimanjaro. We arrived in Lilongwe to find Har...