A Different Perspective

Greetings from Malawi, Africa. Our perspective is the way we see things. To perceive situations. Like is our glass half full or half empty. When we leave our comfort zone or our home turf we often get a different perspective. We see a bigger picture. 

Last Sunday about a 20 mile band in our area received 16-17 inches of snow in 10 hours. Not your usual late November Sunday. Our busy lives slowed down. We saw Sunday from a different perspective.

Although we stayed in most of the day we did have to pull several folks out of snow drifts that were trying to travel.

 Just 30 miles away we received less than an inch of snow and our crew spent the week hauling hog honey and trucking. Thanks for all your efforts guys. I really appreciate you.

Last Tuesday morning around 2:45 am Alex picked me up and brought me to Cedar Rapids where Russ and I flew to Atlanta, waited for an evening boarding, and then took a 15 hour flight to Johannesburg, South Africa where we landed at 4:30 pm the following day.

We had an Uber driver take us into town and stayed overnight in a hotel in Johannesburg. The next morning we boarded an African airline and flew to Lilongwe, Malawi. It's interesting once luggage and everyone is loaded the African stewards fumigate the inside of the whole plane including the passengers.We arrived in Malawi around noon on Thursday.

Malawi is the skinny purple country on the map to give you an idea of where we were at in southern Africa. I heard once it's about the size of Iowa with 6 times the people at about 17 million.

For those of you who travel internationally you already know this. The snow on Sunday created a shorter night. Then Monday was scurrying around with last minute items and up at 2 am. Then Tuesday night was no sleep on the plane other than catching your head nod off. Then Wednesday night in a hotel in Johannesburg. Always takes a couple nights away from home plus by now I'm in a time zone that's 8 hours ahead of you. So by Thursday I'm a little tired. Our friend Harrison was at the airport to greet us and drive us. Harrison is a pastor and a farmer.

We checked around at different places to stay and settled on Korean Gardens where we have stayed in the past. This guest house is run by a South Korean family. We have hot water, a restaurant, our own bathrooms, and occasional wi-fi although it's about like our old dial up internet.

The Malawian soil is fertile in most places and has the capability of supporting it's countrymen. Most farm around all trees by hand. There plots are called gardens. The women do alot of the farming.

Lilongwe is a busy city of around 700,000 people. It varies from upscale western culture to total slums and poverty. It grows all its own food of every kind right in town. Goats run wild. Transportation varies from on foot to bicycles to motorbikes to small cars. Pubic transportation is available everywhere however there may be a wait, something these folks are very used to. 

The villages out in the rural areas are a totally different world. Some folks have small areas along side of the dirt roads and paths to sell their goods. Either produce or things they have made. Many folks have no other option than to just exist.

This is my fourth trip here and my favorite part of the trip is always the people. They are a peaceful people. Sometimes this allows the government to take advantage of them and keep them dependent. They stick to their culture. They are always friendly. There are some folks begging in the city when they see you however this is not common practice in the rural villages. They don't know what it's like to have things and most are content.

On the left of this picture is Harrison and Russ. On the right is Kadwani and Moses. These are fellows we have worked with over the years and they have become friends.

This is Moses and Maria and their family. Maria used to work for my sister Beth when her and Dan were in Africa. Praise Elizabeth is on my lap. She was named after her grandmother and my sister. Jarod is beside me. They farm and Moses is their churches music leader in a village near Lilongwe. They support 29 extended family members. After getting flooded out of their home they all moved in with Moses's mother. Moses and Maria are building a home.

This is Hennie and his family. Some of you will remember Hennie as a guest at our customer appreciation supper. They are from South Africa. Farmed in Zimbabwe until they were chased out for being white. Lost all there earthly possessions. And came to Malawi to find work. Hennie is a great friend. We have only talked to Hennie by phone and look forward to a visit next week.

We went to the fields on Friday in the villages and hope to do much more of that this coming week.

Many choose to grow continuous maize or white corn because that is their main diet. We have noticed some root worm damage in the past years and we are encouraging crop rotation.

Malawi has a dry season and a rainy season with stable temps year around so those with the ability to irrigate can grow corn at any time. This is a test plot where Harrison's youngest daughter, Nyengoyake and her finance, Tusha are working. They and we are encouraging farmers to plant single kernels spaced apart in narrower rows. The culture plants several kernels in a hill spaced 44 inches apart. Kind of like when our grandparents checked corn with a wire.

I am encouraged to see God has been blessing the efforts of those who have come to help farmers do a better job of raising food for their families. A few folks are catching on however slow. And when they do I start to see better homes in the villages and newer clothes on their kids. Thanks again Ken for leading this effort for many years.

Wells for clean water have been and are still going in villages for better health and less trips to the river or stream.

Animals for meat are starting to be fed in pens rather than running loose eating all the gardens. However they have a long ways to go.

Enough for today. I wanted to show you the downtown market. However I'm about to lose internet. It was amazing that Maurice, chicken legs, John the Baptist and all the others remembered us. These fellows sell souvenirs and wooden things that they make. Its a tough living however they are great salesman and a good bunch of guys. Obviously a different perspective coming here. As I visit here and see home from eyes in this country we are so blessed. So often we see our glass half empty when in reality it is and continues to overflow. God is good both here and home. We who have been given much have been given a responsibility what we do with the time, treasures and talents God has given us. More next week about an amazing worship service here (it's actually 4 pm here now), more farming, friends, and maybe even a wedding to top off next week. God bless.