Our Journey

I received this email from my mom yesterday.  She wrote so beautifully and honestly about the transition back home after her three weeks in Malawi. Please pray with her that God will give her the words to share her experience with those who need to hear it.

It is odd being back to this land of plenty.

So many have asked about the trip, and some I tell stories and some I just say it was an amazing journey. Sometimes I find myself getting angry at peoples comments, but I know the comments are out of ignorance (as so was I until 3 weeks ago). I see the faces of many of the villagers each day. I do my work and find myself wondering why.

I want my family and friends to know about Malawi. To know the beauty of the country, the hospitality of Malawians, the fast pace of the language, the awe inspiring love of God felt in the villages, the desperation of the villagers, the amazing music, the hardship of each day, the horridness of the hospital, the ruggedness of travel, the laughter “okay” brings, the peace I see in Carter and Claire Marin, the amazing love showered on you by your Malawi family, the joy and sadness and frustration your work and the country brings to you and Jeffrey and on and on.

Mom in Kholosi Village

But, as I hear myself speak and look at the pictures I took I do not have the tools to tell our story. One must see for themselves.

Read Full Post »

MONDAY

8:00am  Wilson and Finna suspect they have malaria

8:30am  Kara, Wilson, Finna and Christina to Clinic

10:30am   Wilson positive for mild malaria, has medication.  Finna positive for severe malaria and must stay for 6 hours of observation.

11:00am   Home with Wilson to discover that Finna has the house key at the clinic.

11:30am   Home again with key.  Siyileni arrives to get the car to go get Carter from school.

12:00pm  Realize that assignment for UMPH is not 2-page article but 5 session curriculum due last week.

Afternoon   Reading, writing, typing, stressed out!

6:00pm   Chichewa class

TUESDAY

8:00am   Tereza arrives to tell us that Lucy needs to go to the hospital.

8:15am   Jeff leaves to get Lucy.  I am still freaking out about work assignments and stay behind.

8:30am  Get my priorities straight (apologies to my editor), call Jeff, and get changed to go to hospital with Lucy.

9:00am  First visit to ARV clinic.

11:30am  Begin to SMS Siyileni who is picking up Carter to ask if she can stay with him for an hour because we are still stuck in radiology waiting   for x-rays.

12:20pm  Texting and making phone calls like crazy to buy another 30 minutes of childcare so we can stay with Lucy.

1:00pm   Jeff and I home to grab some food and make rice for Jeff to take back to the hospital for Lucy and Tereza.  Power goes out.

2:00pm  Jeff back to hospital.  I give up trying to work without internet and play with Carter.

3:00pm  Claire home from school and the kids and I give in to no electricity and watch all but the last 10 minutes of a movie when the battery on the laptop dies.

4:30pm  Jeff arrives home after dropping Lucy and Tereza at their homes.  Exhausted, stressed and worried we fall for Carter’s well-played request to go out to eat.  French fries and ice cream were just too tempting.

7:30pm  Kids headed for bed and I stay up to work.  Internet goes in and out about every 15 minutes.

9:00pm  I give up and decide to go to bed.  But can’t sleep and I notice the glowing green button indicating the internet is back on.

9:15pm  Back at the computer for 30 minutes only to lose internet AGAIN.

10:00pm  I think I slept.

WEDNESDAY

7:00am  Jeff gets kids to school and signs up for Parent-Teacher Conferences on Thursday

7:30am  Jeff drops off green truck we have been borrowing to get rear window replaced that we broke fetching water 2 weeks ago.

8:00am  Arrive at Lucy’s to see a miraculous site – Lucy healthy, strong and smiling.

9:00am  Go to get Jeff’s phone which he left in the big green truck.

9:30pm  Back to the hospital to check on lab results (not ready) and see doctor (not there). So we visit Lucy’s grandchild who was admitted yesterday.

10:30am  Home and try to work for an hour before going to pick kids up from school.  In the meantime have a great conversation with Wilson and his best friend, Lenzo, comparing economics and infrastructure of US and Malawi.

11:30am  Pick up Pastor Nkhata and youth from bus depot.

12:00pm  Pick up kids from school.

12:30pm  Arrive at airport to greet Bishop Nhiwatiwa from Zimbabwe only to arrive late, back into a massive SUV and shatter the rear window of the Rav4.

1:30pm   Drop visitors off at the Bishop’s lodge, sing, pray and welcome Bishop in Malawian style!

2:30pm  After taping up the window, pick up Moty to do grocery shopping for welcome dinner.  Jeff picks up the green truck with its new window.

3:30pm  Kids and I home.  Jeff to get estimate on replacing window in Rav4.

4:00pm  Internet is on so I can send some documents to editor.

6:00pm  To Chichewa class.

7:30pm  To Daniel and Moty’s house for Bishop’s welcome dinner.

9:30am  Home again after dropping the pastor and his wife at home.

10:23pm  Sharing the craziness with anyone who has the patience to read.

Read Full Post »

If you have been praying for Lucy, your prayers have been answered!

Jeff and I’s hearts were heavy all day yesterday.  I woke up this morning so anxious to see Lucy and worried that we shouldn’t have left her alone last night. My morning prayers captured the groans of my spirit the past 24 hours…

Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;

listen to my cry of supplication.

In the day of trouble I call on you,

for you will answer me.

Psalm 86: 6 – 7

Those who love me, I will deliver;

I will protect those who know my name.

When they call to me, I will answer them.

I will be with them in trouble,

I will rescue them and honor them.

With long life I will satisfy them,

and show them my salvation.

Psalm 91: 14 – 16

When we arrived at Lucy’s home this morning she was dressed, sitting up and eating a big breakfast!  She was wearing that amazing smile that was missing all day yesterday.  I nearly cried and I did hug her tight.  Jeff and I just stared at her as she ate and talked with us as if the previous day had been a bad dream.

When I told her that people in Malawi and in the US were praying for her, she said, “I knew it. Last night I was laying here on the floor I felt a change in my body.  And I had not started taking any of the medications yet.”

We took her and Tereza back to Queen’s to drop off a sample at the lab and check on her blood work.  We had to rush to keep up with Lucy as her strength and strong stride have returned.  There were no doctors in the ARV clinic this morning to check her blood work.  So we will go again tomorrow.

But before we left Lucy asked if we could go to the Pedeatric Ward where her daughter’s baby had been admitted.  We found them in the courtyard with hundreds of other mothers and babies who have to wait outside each morning as the units are cleaned.  Seriously.  We talked, snuggled the baby and prayed together before leaving.

Lucy and Tereza asked to be dropped off in town so that they could run some errands.  We urged, pleaded and warned Lucy to take it easy today and rest.  She said she would… this afternoon.

Thank you for praying and keep them coming.

Ambuye akudalitseni! God Bless You!

Read Full Post »