Just wanted everyone to know.....we are now officially Peace Corps Volunteers.
We were sworn in on Wednesday, April 25th in Lilongwe. They had a nice reception at the Embassy.
On Thursday, April 26th we are heading to our village to live. We will be in the Sharpevale area of Malawi which is South of Monkey Bay about 30 miles. We will be given some time, up to 3 months, to prepare our home and get use to the area.
Love to all of you. Thanks for the prayers! We have definitely been blessed!
Bryan and Keah (from phone call from Bryan to Mom Payne)
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Info from Malawi - April 29, 2007
After talking to Bryan on Saturday, April 7 he was feeling pretty sick. All he could do was lay in bed and talk so that is what we did. He had been sick for 3 days before and was having a lot of stomach problems. They all decided it was something he had eaten. He was in the dorm room at the Dadza College. Everyone else was out enjoying a going away party. He hoped he could eat dinner but felt that his stomach could not tolerate it. All the trainees were heading for their villages on Sunday. They would go by bus - not hitchhike this time. Their village we be in the Sharpevale area.
Since they had found out what their assignment was going to be I thought maybe everyone would like to know what they would be doing the next 2 years. They might have a few changes but basically this is what they were told so far.
The village they will live in for two years is a farming village, as most villages are. The Malawians grow a lot of their own food. They have to since they make so little money. The problem is they do not know how to make the most of their land to produce the most they can. This follows right a long with what Bryan's Great Grandfather Shuhart did all over the world. He was in Ethiopia in the 1940's teaching the people how to get the most from their land.
Bryan said they will be living in the Chief's area of the village. This is a great honor. The chief is the landlord of their hut. In Malawi their is two forms of Authority: Normal Government and Traditional Government. The two work closely together. Each village has a chief then several villages are represented by the group village head man or women. They are usually in charge of 12 villages. So the Chief and group village head person work closely together and then work in accordance with the Parliament.
About 3-4 KM, which is around 2 miles North of their village, is a small health clinic. It is run by another Peace Corps person. South of them is an educational center with another Peace Corps person.
Since I began this writing we have found out a few more tidbits of information since Bryan and Keah actually made it to the village to visit. They have a Library in the their village. It is run by a gentlemen that use to be a government official. He is retired and volunteers his time to run the Library and teach people to read, English included. Bryan sent us some pictures of the Library. It needs books, so my school is going to send books to the Library. I hope this will be a program our school can help with for years.
They have also found out that they will be working with a program called Africare. Bryan said they are the only group working with them. He said it will be a great opportunity. They will work with them in many ways but one way is through leadership development which goes along with their undergraduate degree. They hope to help them improve their leadership skills to become a better working machine.
Bryan and Keah have mentioned that corn is their main staple food. The farmers will need to learn how to get more from their fields using a program called Permaculture. It is a program that requires less work to get a better life. The program consists of 1) water catchment, 2) Natural compost, 3) Planting system, (less hoeing, certain plants help with this), 4) trees that can be used for good (like shade for some plants like beans, legumes and peanuts which will require watering one area for a lot of product), 5) No water (reserving water and using little for things like a bafa or bath). The farmers are only planting once a year and the people have three seasons (1) Rainy - plant and grow, (2) Dry season, (3) Hungry season. Hopefully Bryan and Keah can make a difference, I truly believe they will.
Bryan and I talked for another hour after their visit to the village. They were able to meet a lot of people that they couldn't speak to yet. They met the people from Africare and 12 or more chiefs from the region they will be working in. The language was a major problem. They seemed a bit frustrated with that but I believe they will get help from Mr. Johnes Kadzakumanja from the Library. He speaks English.
Their home is just great. It has 4 rooms, living-dining-kitchen, 2 bedrooms, and a store room. The toilet is out back and the bafa is out the back door.
They said the garden area needs a lot of work. The house has a great front porch and even though the red brick is visible on the picture it was being covered by the white clay. I think this home is pretty new. I am telling everyone they have a lovely brick home with a clay roof. God has definitely blessed them. One funny story Keah shared was the mosquito ritual they have when they get in bed. Once they get into their bed they of course have mosquito net over the bed and they begin their mosquito hunt. Killing all the little critters that got in when they opened the net. They get their flash lights and hunt them down and squish them. Sounds like a night camping at the lake in our tents and campers.
Their village is 30 minutes south of Monkey Bay, which is on the South end of the large lake Malawi. IT is a resort area and from Google Earth you can see lots of houses along the the bay.
They are hoping that you keep them in your prayers. With only two years they seem to have a lot to do! Mom Payne
Since they had found out what their assignment was going to be I thought maybe everyone would like to know what they would be doing the next 2 years. They might have a few changes but basically this is what they were told so far.
The village they will live in for two years is a farming village, as most villages are. The Malawians grow a lot of their own food. They have to since they make so little money. The problem is they do not know how to make the most of their land to produce the most they can. This follows right a long with what Bryan's Great Grandfather Shuhart did all over the world. He was in Ethiopia in the 1940's teaching the people how to get the most from their land.
Bryan said they will be living in the Chief's area of the village. This is a great honor. The chief is the landlord of their hut. In Malawi their is two forms of Authority: Normal Government and Traditional Government. The two work closely together. Each village has a chief then several villages are represented by the group village head man or women. They are usually in charge of 12 villages. So the Chief and group village head person work closely together and then work in accordance with the Parliament.
About 3-4 KM, which is around 2 miles North of their village, is a small health clinic. It is run by another Peace Corps person. South of them is an educational center with another Peace Corps person.
Since I began this writing we have found out a few more tidbits of information since Bryan and Keah actually made it to the village to visit. They have a Library in the their village. It is run by a gentlemen that use to be a government official. He is retired and volunteers his time to run the Library and teach people to read, English included. Bryan sent us some pictures of the Library. It needs books, so my school is going to send books to the Library. I hope this will be a program our school can help with for years.
They have also found out that they will be working with a program called Africare. Bryan said they are the only group working with them. He said it will be a great opportunity. They will work with them in many ways but one way is through leadership development which goes along with their undergraduate degree. They hope to help them improve their leadership skills to become a better working machine.
Bryan and Keah have mentioned that corn is their main staple food. The farmers will need to learn how to get more from their fields using a program called Permaculture. It is a program that requires less work to get a better life. The program consists of 1) water catchment, 2) Natural compost, 3) Planting system, (less hoeing, certain plants help with this), 4) trees that can be used for good (like shade for some plants like beans, legumes and peanuts which will require watering one area for a lot of product), 5) No water (reserving water and using little for things like a bafa or bath). The farmers are only planting once a year and the people have three seasons (1) Rainy - plant and grow, (2) Dry season, (3) Hungry season. Hopefully Bryan and Keah can make a difference, I truly believe they will.
Bryan and I talked for another hour after their visit to the village. They were able to meet a lot of people that they couldn't speak to yet. They met the people from Africare and 12 or more chiefs from the region they will be working in. The language was a major problem. They seemed a bit frustrated with that but I believe they will get help from Mr. Johnes Kadzakumanja from the Library. He speaks English.
Their home is just great. It has 4 rooms, living-dining-kitchen, 2 bedrooms, and a store room. The toilet is out back and the bafa is out the back door.
They said the garden area needs a lot of work. The house has a great front porch and even though the red brick is visible on the picture it was being covered by the white clay. I think this home is pretty new. I am telling everyone they have a lovely brick home with a clay roof. God has definitely blessed them. One funny story Keah shared was the mosquito ritual they have when they get in bed. Once they get into their bed they of course have mosquito net over the bed and they begin their mosquito hunt. Killing all the little critters that got in when they opened the net. They get their flash lights and hunt them down and squish them. Sounds like a night camping at the lake in our tents and campers.
Their village is 30 minutes south of Monkey Bay, which is on the South end of the large lake Malawi. IT is a resort area and from Google Earth you can see lots of houses along the the bay.
They are hoping that you keep them in your prayers. With only two years they seem to have a lot to do! Mom Payne
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
New Sight
We Saw our sight. It is amazing.
We will not have cell phone coverage in our area, but our area is very very nice! Here is a picture of our house!
We will have e-mail access when we go into Ntcheu, but it is a 50k modum so don't expect much from us unless we make it to a major city. For your information we will be less than 30 minutes away from Monkey Bay. Monkey Bay is an amazing spot on the lake. Love to you all and God Bless.
From Malawi,
Bryan and Keah
Keah and Bryan will be moving to this location after their intensive language training, (which is happening this week) and the test, (which will be early next week) . Then there will be an official Swearing In Ceremony. They will probably be moving around the end of the month.
Letter From Bryan
Dear Family and Friends, 03-11-07
Hello, again from Africa. I pray this letter finds you all well. I am writing you while sitting at our table in a mud hut with a thatched grass roof. This letter is written on the second day that Keah and I are at our homestay. This is at the four week part of our training where we live in a village with a Malawian family near the College we are being trained at.
Keah and I are very blessed to have a house of our own for homestay. It is a small house about the size of our back room at my parent’s house. There is a sleeping room and a sitting room, and a little room we keep our clothes in . The walls are white washed with white clay the family got from the other side of the village.
Our family here is Presbyterian. There are 9 kids in the family, but most have moved out. Our Abamo (host father) is a retired government official, and all government business is done in English when possible. This means his English is pretty good. Also, one of his son’s, Kingsley, who will be 21, like Anthony, very soon speaks a little English. No one else in our family speaks English, but that’s ok. We’ll learn Chichewa! Then we’ll speak with them more! Other than Kingsley, there is also another son, Nelson, who I don’t recall meeting yet, and the youngest is the only girl out of 7 is Chimwemwe. Chimwemwe means “happiness” in Chichewa. Along with the family there are two foster children. The mother’s sister passed away along with her husband so their daughter, Chisomo, also lives with them. Chisomo means” Grace”! Also a friend of the family who’s parents passed away lives with us. His name is Vistone, Chisomo, Chimwemwe & Vistone are younger. Maybe Vistone is in the 4th grade. Chisomo is in the 6th and Chimwemwe is in the 7th. As you can see, many people in Malawi have to take in foster children. This is due to HIV/AIDS, plus people drive crazy and they have a lower life expectancy.
It amazes me how happy everyone her is! They are very welcoming! I see why they call it the “warm heart of Africa”! For the people that know no English, they will know “English speaking people are most welcome here!”
The Malawians are amazed that we want to come to Malawi and live for two years. They are so happy we are trying to learn to speak Chichewa. I really enjoy Chichewa. It is a spoken language that the British put in writing. Because of this it is a phonetically spoken language. Words are spelled like they sound and spoken how they look. Anyone who knows Keah and I will know this is wonderful for us. For example, butterfly is Gulugufy but I’m sure in the states they’d try and spell it Gulugoophey. All women are called Amay, which is “mother” or “mama” and men are called Aambo which is “father”. Also in some places they call women Mana and men Baba.
Now for a funny story; since we don’t know the language very well, we get a lot of stares. Keah and I went with another PCT, Peace Corps Trainee, to a football (soccer) match this afternoon. Kingsley coaches Tristone’s team and they were to play the team from another village which was next to ours. Since Kingsley couldn’t find a ball the kids kicked a ball around made of sugar and salt bags. The game was to start at 7:00 but didn’t because of the need for a ball. Kingsley went in search of a ball. The children kept kicking the ball around until they got tired of that. Keah, Aurora, Kevin and I were watching and all of a sudden we had 29 little boys standing, sitting and laying in front of us. They were just staring at us. We were like, “ ok, ummm, what now? We can’t talk to them and they can’t talk to us. Here we are talking in English and they are talking about us in Chichewa. I know they were talking about us because every once in a while you cold here “Azungu” which means “white person” or “foreigner”.
So I did what any former Camp Counselor would do we began playing soccer. Kicking the ball around and then here comes 29 little kids wanting to play with us. It was awesome! Then here comes some more boys. It was like they were waiting to see if we were aliens or something. When they saw we played soccer they decided they could come play with us. We played in a giant circle for about 45 minutes. Many got tired and went over and sat in front of Keah and Aurora again. Kevin and I were not “Azungin” for a while. We were just two guys who could kick a ball.
Soooo…..After that Keah and I came back after the game, which was a tie, 1 to 1. we took our Bafas which means “cup baths”, which is a funny story for another day!
We had Tea then ate dinner. We were walking back from giving our dirty dishes to our Amayi and Keah told me to look up. When I did, I thought the sky had been moved down to where we could touch it. You can see every star as if they are right in front of your hands. Without the huge amount of light we put out in the States the stars are crystal clear! We also observed the sky is amazing during the day. African skies are unlike anything we have ever seen.
Ok..on to something else. We have a PCVL (PCV Leader) working with us, well she’s done for now, but she was working with us. She is a third year volunteer who helps in many ways. Her name is Hidey and her parents have recently moved to Altus, Oklahoma. I gave them both my parents and Keah’s parents address. I hope you will hear from them. Hidey is the one that gave us the idea about sending the tea bags in the letters. The tea here is not so good. Just plain old tea.
Thanks for the letters you have written. It means a lot to hear from you. It is exciting to get mail. I hope you will all write as often as you can.
I pray God keeps you all safe and healthy. You all are in our prayers constantly! I hope this letter has put some of you at ease about Malawi. It is great hear. We look forward hearing from you.
We love you all, Bryan and Keah
Hello, again from Africa. I pray this letter finds you all well. I am writing you while sitting at our table in a mud hut with a thatched grass roof. This letter is written on the second day that Keah and I are at our homestay. This is at the four week part of our training where we live in a village with a Malawian family near the College we are being trained at.
Keah and I are very blessed to have a house of our own for homestay. It is a small house about the size of our back room at my parent’s house. There is a sleeping room and a sitting room, and a little room we keep our clothes in . The walls are white washed with white clay the family got from the other side of the village.
Our family here is Presbyterian. There are 9 kids in the family, but most have moved out. Our Abamo (host father) is a retired government official, and all government business is done in English when possible. This means his English is pretty good. Also, one of his son’s, Kingsley, who will be 21, like Anthony, very soon speaks a little English. No one else in our family speaks English, but that’s ok. We’ll learn Chichewa! Then we’ll speak with them more! Other than Kingsley, there is also another son, Nelson, who I don’t recall meeting yet, and the youngest is the only girl out of 7 is Chimwemwe. Chimwemwe means “happiness” in Chichewa. Along with the family there are two foster children. The mother’s sister passed away along with her husband so their daughter, Chisomo, also lives with them. Chisomo means” Grace”! Also a friend of the family who’s parents passed away lives with us. His name is Vistone, Chisomo, Chimwemwe & Vistone are younger. Maybe Vistone is in the 4th grade. Chisomo is in the 6th and Chimwemwe is in the 7th. As you can see, many people in Malawi have to take in foster children. This is due to HIV/AIDS, plus people drive crazy and they have a lower life expectancy.
It amazes me how happy everyone her is! They are very welcoming! I see why they call it the “warm heart of Africa”! For the people that know no English, they will know “English speaking people are most welcome here!”
The Malawians are amazed that we want to come to Malawi and live for two years. They are so happy we are trying to learn to speak Chichewa. I really enjoy Chichewa. It is a spoken language that the British put in writing. Because of this it is a phonetically spoken language. Words are spelled like they sound and spoken how they look. Anyone who knows Keah and I will know this is wonderful for us. For example, butterfly is Gulugufy but I’m sure in the states they’d try and spell it Gulugoophey. All women are called Amay, which is “mother” or “mama” and men are called Aambo which is “father”. Also in some places they call women Mana and men Baba.
Now for a funny story; since we don’t know the language very well, we get a lot of stares. Keah and I went with another PCT, Peace Corps Trainee, to a football (soccer) match this afternoon. Kingsley coaches Tristone’s team and they were to play the team from another village which was next to ours. Since Kingsley couldn’t find a ball the kids kicked a ball around made of sugar and salt bags. The game was to start at 7:00 but didn’t because of the need for a ball. Kingsley went in search of a ball. The children kept kicking the ball around until they got tired of that. Keah, Aurora, Kevin and I were watching and all of a sudden we had 29 little boys standing, sitting and laying in front of us. They were just staring at us. We were like, “ ok, ummm, what now? We can’t talk to them and they can’t talk to us. Here we are talking in English and they are talking about us in Chichewa. I know they were talking about us because every once in a while you cold here “Azungu” which means “white person” or “foreigner”.
So I did what any former Camp Counselor would do we began playing soccer. Kicking the ball around and then here comes 29 little kids wanting to play with us. It was awesome! Then here comes some more boys. It was like they were waiting to see if we were aliens or something. When they saw we played soccer they decided they could come play with us. We played in a giant circle for about 45 minutes. Many got tired and went over and sat in front of Keah and Aurora again. Kevin and I were not “Azungin” for a while. We were just two guys who could kick a ball.
Soooo…..After that Keah and I came back after the game, which was a tie, 1 to 1. we took our Bafas which means “cup baths”, which is a funny story for another day!
We had Tea then ate dinner. We were walking back from giving our dirty dishes to our Amayi and Keah told me to look up. When I did, I thought the sky had been moved down to where we could touch it. You can see every star as if they are right in front of your hands. Without the huge amount of light we put out in the States the stars are crystal clear! We also observed the sky is amazing during the day. African skies are unlike anything we have ever seen.
Ok..on to something else. We have a PCVL (PCV Leader) working with us, well she’s done for now, but she was working with us. She is a third year volunteer who helps in many ways. Her name is Hidey and her parents have recently moved to Altus, Oklahoma. I gave them both my parents and Keah’s parents address. I hope you will hear from them. Hidey is the one that gave us the idea about sending the tea bags in the letters. The tea here is not so good. Just plain old tea.
Thanks for the letters you have written. It means a lot to hear from you. It is exciting to get mail. I hope you will all write as often as you can.
I pray God keeps you all safe and healthy. You all are in our prayers constantly! I hope this letter has put some of you at ease about Malawi. It is great hear. We look forward hearing from you.
We love you all, Bryan and Keah
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Update from Bryan and Keah
Pieces of a letter from Keah:
Let me tell you what it is like in Africa, or at least where we are, Green, very very green, lots of trees, pine as well as many others, grass, cows, goats, white billowing clouds in a bright blue sky, mountains, forests with cool shade, and rain most every day. (It is at the end of the raining season now) The flowers are colorful and exotic. There are beautiful birds.
The food is good. We eat rice or nasima with every meal and some sort of meat. (beef, goat, fish, or soy) We have a fruit(avacodo, papia, pumpkin) and veggies. Beef does not come in hamburger form (actually not in any recognizable form) The goat comes litterally chopped bones and all. Fish is bought fresh and cooked whole or headless.The soy tastes like meat. We have three meals a day plus two tea times.
Where we are there are no poisonous plants or animals. No snakes, scorpions or other weird bad things.
We are well and loving the amazing God given land of Africa!
We have spoken to Bryan and Keah since receiving the above letter and here is a brief update.
A typical day for them starts at 6am. They eat with their host family then go to classes. Each morning they have one and a half hours of language and one and a half hours of culture and skill training. They go back to their home for lunch and then in the afternoon have another hour and half of language and another hour and a half of skill training. They said the people are all nice.(I am sure I over simplified this and they can correct it when they have computer time)
Monday April 2 they were in Lilongwe. They had a few minutes on line and were able to check e-mail. Keah said they got to go into a grocery store, to quote her " It was like Christmas!!!" They bought some chips and a candy bar.
This week (April 1-6) is their last week in their current village. They will leave Friday and meet with their fellow volunteers. They will find out which village they will be assingned. From there they will be taken to another village in southern Malawi. Then they will be sent out to find their village. They will have a week to find it and get there check things out and come back.
When they get back they will have a week of intensive language training and then a test. Please pray for them as they study the language. Also pray for safety as they travel on their own to find their village.
Keah was not sure of all the details. We will try to call them this weekend and get a update, or they may even have a chance to do the update before they leave for their village.
Let me tell you what it is like in Africa, or at least where we are, Green, very very green, lots of trees, pine as well as many others, grass, cows, goats, white billowing clouds in a bright blue sky, mountains, forests with cool shade, and rain most every day. (It is at the end of the raining season now) The flowers are colorful and exotic. There are beautiful birds.
The food is good. We eat rice or nasima with every meal and some sort of meat. (beef, goat, fish, or soy) We have a fruit(avacodo, papia, pumpkin) and veggies. Beef does not come in hamburger form (actually not in any recognizable form) The goat comes litterally chopped bones and all. Fish is bought fresh and cooked whole or headless.The soy tastes like meat. We have three meals a day plus two tea times.
Where we are there are no poisonous plants or animals. No snakes, scorpions or other weird bad things.
We are well and loving the amazing God given land of Africa!
We have spoken to Bryan and Keah since receiving the above letter and here is a brief update.
A typical day for them starts at 6am. They eat with their host family then go to classes. Each morning they have one and a half hours of language and one and a half hours of culture and skill training. They go back to their home for lunch and then in the afternoon have another hour and half of language and another hour and a half of skill training. They said the people are all nice.(I am sure I over simplified this and they can correct it when they have computer time)
Monday April 2 they were in Lilongwe. They had a few minutes on line and were able to check e-mail. Keah said they got to go into a grocery store, to quote her " It was like Christmas!!!" They bought some chips and a candy bar.
This week (April 1-6) is their last week in their current village. They will leave Friday and meet with their fellow volunteers. They will find out which village they will be assingned. From there they will be taken to another village in southern Malawi. Then they will be sent out to find their village. They will have a week to find it and get there check things out and come back.
When they get back they will have a week of intensive language training and then a test. Please pray for them as they study the language. Also pray for safety as they travel on their own to find their village.
Keah was not sure of all the details. We will try to call them this weekend and get a update, or they may even have a chance to do the update before they leave for their village.
Monday, April 2, 2007
Quick note from Malawi!
Hello from Malawi!
We are alive!
We did not feel the Quake!
We only have a little time on the web...
Just wanted to say Hi! We Love and Miss you all!
Congratz Fez!
God Bless!
Hugs to you all!
We are alive!
We did not feel the Quake!
We only have a little time on the web...
Just wanted to say Hi! We Love and Miss you all!
Congratz Fez!
God Bless!
Hugs to you all!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)