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Archive for December, 2009

Malaria

Posted in Uncategorized on December 29, 2009 | 2 Comments »

At about 5pm tonight Fina came in and I picked out the words “Wilson”, “chipatala” and “tikupita”… Wilson, hospital, we are going.  It only took me a few seconds to realize that I was part of the “we” and that I would be driving.  Fina is often weak and suffers from nausea and headaches (possibly anemia) so I thought maybe she needed to see the doctor again.

But when I went outside Wilson sat in the driveway, head in his hands.  Immediately I knew that I was taking Wilson to the hospital.  He looked up with effort and said, “malaria”.  As we drove Wilson corrected me for a wrong turn.  He wanted to go to a neighborhood free clinic but Fina and I insisted that he go to Queens Hospital.  It is the largest public hospital in Blantyre.  So I dropped them off and told them to call me as soon as they were finished so I could bring them home.

Not an hour later, Wilson called.  There was no doctor at Queens.  NO DOCTOR.  At 6pm on a Tuesday night.  I guess Wilson knew all along what I just couldn’t imagine.

So I went to pick him up and as I was driving I called Moty Mhone.  She told me about a Private Clinic that we could go to nearby if they had money, about 1500 Kwatcha, or US$10.  I knew they didn’t have it, but I also knew that’s where we were going.

Wilson slouched in the backseat sitting up enough to tell me where to turn.  When we arrived at the clinic he got out and walked to the door not waiting for Fina and I to gather up Christina (their 8-month old daughter) or our things.  Thankfully there was no one else at the clinic.  It was a smallish building with a waiting room, a room marked “Pharmacy” and an examination room in the back.  Fina and Wilson immediately followed the woman – nurse? doctor? nice lady? I don’t know what her qualifications were – back to the exam room.

Soon Fina came out to get me.  The practitioner wanted to make sure I had money to pay before she gave the medicine.  By this time Wilson was sitting in a chair but laying his head on his arms on the desk, not even looking up as I came in.  I gave the woman 2040 kwatcha ($13) for two injections, five days of oral medication, anti-nausea medication and pain reliever.

She had two glass vials.  She picked up the first one and a pair of children’s school scissors.  She used the sharp edge of the scissors to kind of saw around the edge of the vial.  Then placed the vial within the folds of her skirt and snapped the top off.  Then removed the needle from its sterilezed plastic packaging and filled the needle.  She repeated the same process for the second.  I know the process wouldn’t get past any Board of Health in the USA but it took 30 minutes and cost $13.  Who am I to say?  Wilson got his medicine and we were on our way.

On the way home Wilson kept mumbling, “I have no luck… this is a miserable life.”  I could only say, “you will be better tomorrow,” hoping that it’s true.  I’ve never seen Wilson like this or heard him so pessimistic.  It breaks my heart to see him so sick, Fina obviously worried and to know that there are thousands of people facing these same symptoms, lack of access to healthcare and in much worse straits even than Wilson.

Wilson is sleeping now.  I’ll be as pushy as I feel that I can to make sure he takes the full round of treatment.  And I’ll be praying.  Please pray with me…

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Christmas Day

Posted in culture, family, Mission, Pictures on December 28, 2009 | 2 Comments »

Christmas Day in Malawi was beautiful.

Carter - just a little excited

never say "never" - Claire Marin got Marie Claire's cell phone!

We all woke up at the usual time, around 6am.  The kids open their stockings (rain boots set by the door for Father Christmas) and were thrilled to hear that they didn’t have to wait until after church to open their presents… just until we had made coffee!

The tradition in Malawi is to worship together on Christmas morning so we bathed and put on our Christmas best and headed to Galilea UMC.  My heart jumped as I walked into the simple church to see streamers draped from the ceiling, balloons hung from streamers and an evergreen branch propped in the corner with gum on the branches for the children.

Galilea United Methodist Church

As the sanctuary filled with people, “Christmas ya bwino” filled the space and smiles brightened the room.  Carter generously allowed me to tear pages from one of his new coloring books for each of the children and 20 children shared 12 crayons to color them.  The pastor’s wife passed out stickers to adults and children alike.  It appeared that there was no set time to start worship, just the wonderful fellowship of friends and Christian brothers and sisters.

Worship was filled with singing and a wonderful message from Pastor Kaunda about the humble beginnings of Jesus so that no one would feel that salvation was too expensive or that anyone was unworthy of God’s gracious gift.

Before the benediction, one of the youth came forward to pass out the “Secret Santa” gifts that members had placed under the tree as they arrived.  As each gift was picked up, the gift giver came forward and the gift recipient was called out. The person stood in the congregation and came forward – some shyly, some with a skip in their step, some on their mother’s hips or hiding behind skirts, and others running with open arms.  On condition of a hug, the gift was given.  It was beautiful to see children, youth, men and women embrace and receive these gifts.  There was laughter and applause and aaahhs all morning as the gifts were shared.

Jeff was Alinane's Secret Santa

now that's Christmas spirit

And that was only the beginning of our day… Rev. Mhone and Moty are in Zimbabwe on holiday so the young people from their house joined us for the day.  We ate well, played lots of games, laughed and prayed together.

Bethel and Elvyn cooked food to bring for lunch and Elvyn insisted on cleaning the kitchen after we were through.  And she and Jeff compared recipes in the kitchen and talked about school while she did so.

We played Uno and Toss Up, Swipe, and bawo (Malawian mancala).  Sibling rivalry only influenced strategy a few times and Bethel’s luck was amazing – until it wasn’t!  The game that stumped them all was Boggle.  But I like to win, so that worked out well for me.

Chimango, Bethel and Innocentl Mhone

bawo!!! Sibogale and Elvyn

We almost have Monsters vs Aliens memorized already

Sibogale and Claire Marin played all day too.  Sometimes joining the big kids for games or doing myriad art projects in Claire’s room.  I think it was nice for both girls to have someone their own change to be with all day.

Carter made a fast friend with Francis.  Francis is the oldest of three orphaned brothers.  He stays with the Mhone’s on holidays from Joyce Banda Foundation Secondary School where Moty teaches.  We have come to know him through brief visits and Bible study as a mature and wise young man.  But Christmas day he won a special place in our hearts building lego trains, kicking the football, tolerating his magnetic block houses being smashed and watching movies with Carter.  As we finished a dinner of leftovers he told us that he decided that day to “open himself up to Carter and he was so glad that he did.  Carter is a good kid.  And thank you for today.”

Francis and Carter

These young people – Chimango, Bethel, Innocent, Elvyn, Francis and Sibologe – are our family here in Blantyre and the conversation, jokes and relaxing together felt amazingly like many other Christmases.  It was another day of grace and gift on this journey in Malawi.

Our greatest sadness was that our internet “ran out” so we didn’t get to Skype with family.  But we talked on the phone the 25th and 26th and it was wonderful to hear everyone’s voices.

2009 will be remembered as a very, merry Christmas!

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2nd Quarter Newsletter

Posted in Uncategorized on December 28, 2009 | Leave a Comment »

Here is a link to our second quarterly newsletter.

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The Queen of Fans

Posted in family, Pictures on December 26, 2009 | 7 Comments »

We returned from holiday Monday with sad news that my Grandmother, Myra Oliver, had passed away on December 19.  When I think of my grandma, I think of the word “dignity”.  And the article below written by Bob Hartman does a great job of capturing this.  Those of you who knew her from Culver will smile as you read this.  And those of you who didn’t might enjoy knowing a little something about her.

Myra Oliver

Myra Oliver

THE  QUEEN  OF  FANS – THE  FINAL WHISTLE

by Robert B. D. Hartman

The 16th of October 1993, was hardly the picture-book day the Academies wished for a Fall Festival football game. It had rained incessantly since dawn and Oliver Field was a veritable lake by the 1:30 kick-off between the Culver Eagles and Scecina High School from Indianapolis.

Though the skies had cleared slightly by game time, there was a distinct threat of more precipitation and the gathering crowd looked anxiously at the scudding clouds.  Undeterred by the weather, Myra Oliver, the “Queen of Fans,” arrived early and settled into her favorite seat midway up in the stands overlooking the field named in honor of her late husband. She greeted parents and visitors, always cognizant of her status as the senior citizen of the Academy’s athletic community.

For 37 years, Myra was not simply the wife of a head coach, but very much a part of his professional life and Culver’s number one fan. She accompanied Russ on the long train trips to Minnesota, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky, when the Culver competed with the likes of Shattuck, Greenbrier, Memphis Tech, and the Kentucky Military Institute. When competition with these old line schools began to change in the late 1950s and 1960s, Myra occupied a reserved seat on bus rides to countless small towns across Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois. She was always gracious, remembered faces and names, and served as an unofficial Academy ambassador.

No one can calculate the number of football, basketball, and baseball games Mrs. Russell Dwight Oliver viewed since she and Russ were married in 1937. During 29 football seasons, he coached 232 football games. His basketball and baseball tenure was not as lengthy, but during the “iron man” years when he coached all three sports, his teams played 348 basketball games and his baseball squad 181. No other person in the history of the Academy will ever match that record – a total of 761 games. For most of those contests, Myra was an ever-present fan. She knew each player and was a true part of each team, not just a face in the crowd.

On Sunday afternoons, during the football and basketball seasons, she would prepare bowls of batter for her famous waffle dinners. Team members would arrive at the Oliver home, slip out of their Dress A’s or athletic sweaters, make some small talk, and then take seats in the dining room for a feast of waffles, drenched in maple syrup and melted butter.

Following the 1969 football season, Russ surrendered his coaching duties to become the Alumni Director. He and Myra also began to plan for retirement, including his appointment by George Steinbrenner ’48, as a scout for the New York Yankees. His sudden illness and subsequent death in December of 1974 was a shock to everyone. The king had died but, in passing, he left a very dedicated queen.

Myra remained in Culver and close to her friends, the Academy and the teams she loved. A place on the top row of the Reuben H. Fleet Gymnasium was tacitly “reserved” for her during the basketball season and when spring arrived and the click of bat against ball could be heard north of Highway 10, Myra would usually be holding court in the third base bleachers.   But age was creeping up. Because of failing eyesight, Myra decided to move into a retirement community in Fort Wayne where she would be near her son, Bruce ’56. For the first time in more than six decades, young athletes missed her smiling face and supportive applause. She never wavered in her loyalty to the teams her husband coached, nor the students who made up Culver’s new generations of athletes.

Today, December 19, 2009, Myra Oliver heard the Almighty’s Final Whistle.  She was 94.  We won’t forget our memories of this petite, gray-haired lady. “God’s Blessings” to Culver’s “Queen of Fans”

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Luwawa Forest Lodge and the days following

Posted in Uncategorized on December 23, 2009 | 1 Comment »

Any move is stressful, but all the strong and willing friends who showed up to help us made it so easy.  And with our trimmed down lifestyle (and crazy type A personalities) we had everything unpacked and put away within 24 hours.

good friends

Then after preaching the following morning, we headed to Lilongwe on our way to Luwawa Forest Lodge for our Christmas holiday.  Some friends had tracked down some petrol for us in Blantyre Saturday night so we arrived in Lilongwe with no problem but still needed another half tank to get us to the lodge and back to Lilongwe.  Thankfully, Chimango Mhone was in Lilongwe and made friends with a taxi driver who was “in the know”.

After the much-anticipated call about the arrival of the latest fuel tanker, Chimango suggested that Jeff’s “mzungu” self stay behind while he went to get the fuel.  So we enjoyed a lovely room service dinner while Chimango sat in a long line of fuel-hungry Malawians.  But at 7:30pm he returned triumphant!

So Tuesday morning we headed for the lodge.  Twelve miles off the tarmac road and up into the Viphya mountains we went.  We arrived to a beautiful lodge with a cozy fire, small bar and restaurant with wood plank tables, and picnic tables and amazing flower gardens surrounding it all.

beautiful grounds and scenic views

orchids that flower lovers around the world travel to see

Carter immediately found the playground and Claire Marin sniffed out the bikes.  Jeffrey enjoyed the view and I unpacked and made yet another new space feel like our own.  We travel everywhere with orange monkey, Duckie, coloring books, the Kindle, paper, colored pencils and Legos!

Carter at work

Honestly, I was still a bit out of sorts the first couple days.  Bored and unable to enjoy the lack of anything to do and fill our days.  But then I got the hang of it.  We hiked the beautiful trails, read books, played cards, napped when it rained and visited with other guests.  The highlight was abseiling and mountain climbing the 50m beginners’ rock with Claire Marin.  But it was also fun when Jeff, Claire and I gave archery a shot.  It’s a good thing our daily protein intake does not depend on our prowess with the bow!

a pro at work

how great is this?

Carter was carried the bulk of most of the hikes but he was usually entertaining us with new songs he had made up; he sang out clearly from Jeff’s shoulders.  Carter and Claire Marin play so well together – most of the time.  Jeff and I usually postponed our dessert until after the kids were in bed and enjoyed Mzuzu coffee and fruit crumble or chocolate cake with hot custard in front of the fire.  It was a delightful week.

can you guess what Carter gave me the first night at the lodge?

The last day or two Jeff and I admitted that we were both looking forward to and dreading going back.  There was a high possibility we wouldn’t find fuel in Lilongwe to get home and even when we got home, as far as we knew, the new house (as comfy and perfectly suited for us) still didn’t have water or electricity.  But we packed up a suitcase of stinky clothes and muddy shoes and got on our way.

The gas gauge hit empty about 70 kilometers from Lilongwe.  I actually said a breath prayer for a good 90 minutes asking God for fuel.  I’m so glad God didn’t strike us down.  As we neared Lilongwe we didn’t see any long lines.  So a few blocks from the hotel we pulled into a station and asked about petrol.   The attendant nodded like it had been flowing like water all along.  I can’t tell you how much tension whooshed out of the car!  We filled up and glided to the hotel.

At the hotel we even had ice cream to celebrate.  And then holding our breath we called Wilson to ask about the house… electricity at the new house!  We felt like we’d won the lottery.

Now we’re back at home and the relaxation and elation have worn off.  Electricity has been rigged from the neighbors and bizarrely and randomly decreases in power or cuts off.  And we only have cold water – sometimes.  The foreman was here today and says he’ll have a plumber here tomorrow to figure out the geyser situation.  In the meantime we’ve bought two 210kg barrels to collect and hold water for days when water doesn’t run at all.

Tonight the electricity went out about 4:30pm so Jeff made macaroni and cheese over the mafua (charcoal stove) out back and boiled water for each of the kids to take baths in the plastic tubs sitting in the shower.  The kids don’t seem phased at all.  We’re trying to decide what is reasonable to expect in Malawi and when we slip into whining.

But right now the electricity is on, the Christmas tree is glowing in the corner with presents underneath from Fort Wayne, we’ve enjoyed home roasted coffee from Brad Wood and the dogs (Yes, now we have two dogs but that’s for another post.) are sleeping peacefully.  Right now is pure grace.

Merry Christmas and Mulungu kudalitsani (God Bless)!

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