For those who do not know we came home for Christmas to surprise our families! It has been an wonderful wonderful trip. We had my cousin pick us up from the airport with her new baby (well not new new, I just hadn't met her yet!). We ate some good ol junk food then went to her apartment to shower and change. We surprised the families by we telling our Dads so they could try and gather all the fish in the sea (our siblings) to a Wednesday night church service at my parents chuch in the city. Katie walks in with two Christmas cards with our ticket stubs in them and hands them one to each mom. Of course my Mom puts it down to help get the baby out of the car seat untill Marki points out the tickets. My Mom opens hers and says "There Comming!?" Katie says, "I think theres a date" and Marki yells, "there here!!!" My Mom almost wailing, "There here?! Where?!" as we walk in... yes tears followed.
Bryan gave a short video presentation before the church service started. After church we all paraded to my parents house were we continued with the laughing hugs stories and eventually bed, it had be a long 40 hours.
Oklahoma has not been to hash on us, it has been in the 50s to 70s almost the whole time! We are surprised, we even got a good ol thunder and lightning storm with the tornado warnings going off on night. Oh, Oklahoma, if you don;t like the weather stick around it will change shortly!
Between Christmas Eve and Day night we visited five homes for all the family fun traditions we could cram in... The days after I came down with a head cold and alot of my family with other bugs, it has been sad. But we all get to sleep and watch movies! Anyway, New Years we are with more family then soon back to Africa where we are about to move, and have new jobs and well lots to look forward to!
I will post pictures soon!
Happy New Year to All!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, December 1, 2008
Its now December!
Lets catch you up on November...
Summer Camp
I spent two weeks in Zomba at a summer school run by the Education sector of Peace Corps. Every education volunteer sends a boy and a girl to this camp totaling 90 some odd kids. I went to each the environment tract… I was a liason to all the environment volunteers coming in to teach things to the kids through out the two weeks. We had 23 kids in our tract. We went on a field trip to the botanical gardens and introduced the typical American lunch to the kids (peanut butter and jelly sandwiches).
We gave the kids money to buy trees to plant an orchard. They did a good job choosing!
Every evening we played “all camp” games. For this one I was used to be an example to show the kids how to play! I had to listen to my companion to direct me to a paper ball and then I had to throw it at another blind folded person.
The weekend between the two weeks the kids and only a few staff went to Liwonde National Park. So some of us took a brake and went up Zomba Plateau. Some of us rode horses (the first I’d seen in almost 1 and a half years). After the ride we met up with others just hanging out by the dam that hold Zomba’s drinking water.
We also ran into town from the school often, we wanted to get a picture with all the Christmas decorations!
Here the kids are out planting their trees with Bryan’s help.
Back Home
The puppies are now getting larger and the rains have come and mangoes are still falling! Mangoes everywhere!
We are doing well, we spent Thanksgiving at the Ambassadors home. We had roasted hog and swam in the pool... More pictures to come! Happy Holidays to All!
Summer Camp
I spent two weeks in Zomba at a summer school run by the Education sector of Peace Corps. Every education volunteer sends a boy and a girl to this camp totaling 90 some odd kids. I went to each the environment tract… I was a liason to all the environment volunteers coming in to teach things to the kids through out the two weeks. We had 23 kids in our tract. We went on a field trip to the botanical gardens and introduced the typical American lunch to the kids (peanut butter and jelly sandwiches).
We gave the kids money to buy trees to plant an orchard. They did a good job choosing!
Every evening we played “all camp” games. For this one I was used to be an example to show the kids how to play! I had to listen to my companion to direct me to a paper ball and then I had to throw it at another blind folded person.
The weekend between the two weeks the kids and only a few staff went to Liwonde National Park. So some of us took a brake and went up Zomba Plateau. Some of us rode horses (the first I’d seen in almost 1 and a half years). After the ride we met up with others just hanging out by the dam that hold Zomba’s drinking water.
We also ran into town from the school often, we wanted to get a picture with all the Christmas decorations!
Here the kids are out planting their trees with Bryan’s help.
Back Home
The puppies are now getting larger and the rains have come and mangoes are still falling! Mangoes everywhere!
We are doing well, we spent Thanksgiving at the Ambassadors home. We had roasted hog and swam in the pool... More pictures to come! Happy Holidays to All!
Friday, November 7, 2008
We have Pupies!
November1st our gal Mphatso (meaning gift) had her pups, 4 in all.
She bore 3 male and 1 female. 2 of the males are white, most likely to turn tan/yellow. Here is the runt followed by the big boy.
The other male is tri colored, like his mom and has a wave on his head. The little girl is the darkest one but will also be tri color.
Mphatso takes very good care of them, they are living in our kitchen. When I saw them last there eyes were still closed.
We headed south of Sharpevale to Liwonde National Park. We visited two current volunteers then the next day headed up to the North end of the park to look at it as a potential third year placement and assignment.
One of the volunteers has a flame tree in her front yard… they are in full bloom this time of year.
We would live inside the park gate, with the families of the scouts. Here is the gate…
The compound of housing
One of the houses. No electricity or running water. Tile roof, two bedroom and a living room. Each house has their own chim and detached kitchen. We would have to watch for elephants and the troublesome monkeys. While sitting chatting with a women’s group outside the gate I saw two different kind of sun birds! Lots of wild life!
The work is endless… The women’s group, the scouts wives, the scouts themselves, the surrounding villages (mainly elephant problems), the two cultural lodges, and Mvuu Camp/lodge just across the shire river. A lot of work can be done, we will just have to decide what we want to do… I like the idea of working with the women’s group and the scouts wives… Anyway, we talked of moving as soon as February… it will depend on our current site, when we feel like the projects seem sustainable and such…
We stopped to take photos of the baobob flowers in full bloom
She bore 3 male and 1 female. 2 of the males are white, most likely to turn tan/yellow. Here is the runt followed by the big boy.
The other male is tri colored, like his mom and has a wave on his head. The little girl is the darkest one but will also be tri color.
Mphatso takes very good care of them, they are living in our kitchen. When I saw them last there eyes were still closed.
We headed south of Sharpevale to Liwonde National Park. We visited two current volunteers then the next day headed up to the North end of the park to look at it as a potential third year placement and assignment.
One of the volunteers has a flame tree in her front yard… they are in full bloom this time of year.
We would live inside the park gate, with the families of the scouts. Here is the gate…
The compound of housing
One of the houses. No electricity or running water. Tile roof, two bedroom and a living room. Each house has their own chim and detached kitchen. We would have to watch for elephants and the troublesome monkeys. While sitting chatting with a women’s group outside the gate I saw two different kind of sun birds! Lots of wild life!
The work is endless… The women’s group, the scouts wives, the scouts themselves, the surrounding villages (mainly elephant problems), the two cultural lodges, and Mvuu Camp/lodge just across the shire river. A lot of work can be done, we will just have to decide what we want to do… I like the idea of working with the women’s group and the scouts wives… Anyway, we talked of moving as soon as February… it will depend on our current site, when we feel like the projects seem sustainable and such…
We stopped to take photos of the baobob flowers in full bloom
Friday, October 31, 2008
End of October
Okay, it is really hot. We though 100F was hot, this whole past week was 120F. I am grateful that our bodies have somewhat adjusted to this heat. Thursday evening we had our first rains. They lasted about an hour, this is called the mango rain. So called, because within two weeks the rain will have ripened all mangoes and they will all fall off the trees. It is the warning before the real rains come. There is normally a two to three week gap between. Now the farmers will all make sure their fields are ready for planting. The school term ends next week so all students can help their parents work in the fields. I think they have a two month break.
We have a cell phone tower that now marks the turn off to our house from the highway! We can see it from our yard, it makes communication so very nice! No more holding the cell phone in the right exact spot tilted at just the right angle! Now even in our house we have good coverage! We are happy!
We visited Amos who is our site mate’s (Jen) counterpart. He had his first child three months ago, so we went to see him. He is adorable. Sleeps a lot, but with it so hot, I would too if I could! Custom is to give a gift for the baby or parents so we gave a jar of jam and brightly colored fabric measuring a meter and a half square.
Last Christmas our Agogo (Grandparents) gave us a male chicken. One of the Nkook boys stole it and sold it off. Then we were told the Agogo gave us a hen. We went away awhile and asked for them to hold it till we returned. It laid eggs so they kept it so it could raise its young. Tuesday they came over with 4 chickens, 2 male 2female. The babies of the hen. They are almost full grown. We gave one male to our neighbor to prepare for lunch, the rest we kept in the kitchen till nightfall when we snuck them in the hen house. This makes for easy integration.
Mphostso was about to burst when we left for the city. We hope she has her pup(s) soon. Mwamboli is doing very well. She is so very healthy. We looked back at the photos from when we got her, she has improved 100 percent!
We have a cell phone tower that now marks the turn off to our house from the highway! We can see it from our yard, it makes communication so very nice! No more holding the cell phone in the right exact spot tilted at just the right angle! Now even in our house we have good coverage! We are happy!
We visited Amos who is our site mate’s (Jen) counterpart. He had his first child three months ago, so we went to see him. He is adorable. Sleeps a lot, but with it so hot, I would too if I could! Custom is to give a gift for the baby or parents so we gave a jar of jam and brightly colored fabric measuring a meter and a half square.
Last Christmas our Agogo (Grandparents) gave us a male chicken. One of the Nkook boys stole it and sold it off. Then we were told the Agogo gave us a hen. We went away awhile and asked for them to hold it till we returned. It laid eggs so they kept it so it could raise its young. Tuesday they came over with 4 chickens, 2 male 2female. The babies of the hen. They are almost full grown. We gave one male to our neighbor to prepare for lunch, the rest we kept in the kitchen till nightfall when we snuck them in the hen house. This makes for easy integration.
Mphostso was about to burst when we left for the city. We hope she has her pup(s) soon. Mwamboli is doing very well. She is so very healthy. We looked back at the photos from when we got her, she has improved 100 percent!
Saturday, October 18, 2008
It is hot
We are now in the hottest part of the year, 100F before 9 and 10am. We are having to do things to keep cool like hanging wet clothes in the windows, but when the wind dies so does any hope of coolness. We just don’t do much during the hottest part of the day.
We read and write and if we have to go out we try to jump from shade spot to shade spot. Ending under a tree...
Mangoes are comin! Every time the wind blows down comes mangoes. The mangoes are so sweet this year a Malawian who tasted one asked if we had dipped them in sugar. No, but the reason they are confused is because the mangoe rains that sweeten and ripen the mangoes has not come yet? Our tree does not care, its ready!
Bryan has been peeling them and slicing them for drying. I have been avoiding them until I can not resist anymore! They smell soooo good, and the taste, a fresh mango is irresistible! But then I break out in my poison ivy rash… and restrain myself. Why did it have to be Mangoes? I could take allergies to Papias, but mangoes?! You know I thought you had to not like something to become allergic to something, but I was proven wrong.
Our puppy is pregnant… so I decided we can’t call her puppy any more. Now I call her lil mama. We think she will have her pups the last week of October. We are very thankful that our big girl is not pregnant, I don’t think we could feed her the amount of food she would need… No worries for homes for the pups, because a new group of Peace Corps Volunteers swear in when they will be 6 months old so we thought about just bringing them to the city to give to those new volunteers.
We are in town to volunteer at a fundraising dinner for the Summer Camp next month. Today we cook serve and cleanup after about 50 people… We will stay Sunday so we can attend a church we found here in the city… So that’s whats up with us.
We read and write and if we have to go out we try to jump from shade spot to shade spot. Ending under a tree...
Mangoes are comin! Every time the wind blows down comes mangoes. The mangoes are so sweet this year a Malawian who tasted one asked if we had dipped them in sugar. No, but the reason they are confused is because the mangoe rains that sweeten and ripen the mangoes has not come yet? Our tree does not care, its ready!
Bryan has been peeling them and slicing them for drying. I have been avoiding them until I can not resist anymore! They smell soooo good, and the taste, a fresh mango is irresistible! But then I break out in my poison ivy rash… and restrain myself. Why did it have to be Mangoes? I could take allergies to Papias, but mangoes?! You know I thought you had to not like something to become allergic to something, but I was proven wrong.
Our puppy is pregnant… so I decided we can’t call her puppy any more. Now I call her lil mama. We think she will have her pups the last week of October. We are very thankful that our big girl is not pregnant, I don’t think we could feed her the amount of food she would need… No worries for homes for the pups, because a new group of Peace Corps Volunteers swear in when they will be 6 months old so we thought about just bringing them to the city to give to those new volunteers.
We are in town to volunteer at a fundraising dinner for the Summer Camp next month. Today we cook serve and cleanup after about 50 people… We will stay Sunday so we can attend a church we found here in the city… So that’s whats up with us.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Lots of Crocs!
We were in town for a long time, I got put on medical hold for most of it. I was having pain in my lower left abdomen. The docs ruled out a bunch of stuff, but never really identified the cause, so I am still feeling pain every once in awhile but not as bad as originally.
While we were in town we visited the Nature Sactuary. Actually it was like walking into an open zoo (no cages). We saw all kinds of birds and even some crocodiles. The second picture is of weavers nests in a tree over the river.
We also got to do a lot of baking and cooking, we made strawberry/apple pie!
So October first came around… I officially became 26 and we had friends visit! Lyndsey (Peace Corps Zambia), Mark (studying abroad in South Africa) and Mark’s room mate Hans. We took them to Sharpevale to see our home and then to Senga Bay, Lake Malawi. Sadly I do not have photos of people, actually the only time we had the camera was at the croc farm! So here are some crocs!
We visited the Croc farm in Senga Bay were they breed crocs for there skins. We got to watch them feed the big ones. They said the big ones eat 15 -20 chickens each! Good thing they only feed once a week!
Once I get pictures from our friends I will post more! Our friends headed out yesterday, leaving us in Lilongwe again. Tomorrow we shall head back to Sharpevale...
While we were in town we visited the Nature Sactuary. Actually it was like walking into an open zoo (no cages). We saw all kinds of birds and even some crocodiles. The second picture is of weavers nests in a tree over the river.
We also got to do a lot of baking and cooking, we made strawberry/apple pie!
So October first came around… I officially became 26 and we had friends visit! Lyndsey (Peace Corps Zambia), Mark (studying abroad in South Africa) and Mark’s room mate Hans. We took them to Sharpevale to see our home and then to Senga Bay, Lake Malawi. Sadly I do not have photos of people, actually the only time we had the camera was at the croc farm! So here are some crocs!
We visited the Croc farm in Senga Bay were they breed crocs for there skins. We got to watch them feed the big ones. They said the big ones eat 15 -20 chickens each! Good thing they only feed once a week!
Once I get pictures from our friends I will post more! Our friends headed out yesterday, leaving us in Lilongwe again. Tomorrow we shall head back to Sharpevale...
Saturday, September 20, 2008
September
We are back in the capitol city again. But let me update you on what we have been doing in Sharpvale the last month.
We went to see the Nanyango Irrigation Club’s gardens. It took us two days to walk it all. We met many of the farmers and even saw the treadle pumps in action! The most amazing thing is how much land the group is cultivating! One man in working 4 acres for his family! He already harvested two ox carts worth of dry maize (white corn) this dry season. When we saw the fields the new maize was waist high. This man and his family will have gotten two more planting seasons meaning he can plant three times a year.
This club is named after the river they are located along, here is a man using a treadle pump in the sandy river bed.
This picture shows the watered gardens compared to the surrounding land that is dry and dead.
Some different crops maize at two different stages and sugar beans
Fields… some of the furthest away
This is on a shoot off of the Nanyango river, it flows year round making it easier to utilize the water.
Bryan always asks the farmers what they plan on doing with all the crops from their gardens. Will they sell or eat? Most said some of both but some (those who had terrible crops last rainy season) said they would eat all! And they said it in a Praise God we aren’t going to starve this year fashion.
A family working in their garden
Mother with two of her children, look how happy she is!
All these kids help (try anyway) their parents in the gardens and fields.
I like this picture because of the completely grown maize and how the kids are just hanging out.
The man with the 4 acres Bryan asked what he planned on using the food for and he said “Eat it, eat it all.” I then promptly asked how many people in his family he has to feed? He replied looking off in the distance eyes glazed over as if picturing them, “Too many.” His crops did fail last rainy season and he and his family were worried about hunger this year. Now even as the days are getting hotter, he gladly spends his days tending to the fields.
The Man with some of his family
Our Agogo Wamuna (Grandpa) in the village has been gone for 3 weeks to Dedza Hospital. One of his sons works there. We were told he had an operation, but as best we can tell it was kidney related. This man is a trooper, he returned two days ago, the girls singing and people chatting! We went over to give a dozen eggs and see him, he had gone in but came out to greet us. He comes out greets us then says Tiowanana (see you later). We think he was exhausted from travel and excitement of getting home and he isn’t so young any more. Over all he is doing amazing and the Agogo Akazi (Grandma) is so happy and relieved to have him home.
As for the rest of our village family, they are well Loveness (one of the Grandparents granddaughter) has found her x-husband and sees him as a way out of the village. The x-husband and his family live in Blantyre. So he has re-proposed which entails paying the chief some moola. Sad thing is he did it behind the whole families back, he is not liked by the family or village for that mater. Even the chief said he was not welcome back to the area… he did some bad things, mainly steeling. So now Loveness has gone back to Blantyre. We do not really expect her to come back. I am sad because she and I chatted often, she speaks fluent English and she helped me connect with the women of our village.
Here are some pictures of our families kids:
Mary and Jenifer (Mr. Liwonde’s oldest and youngest 1st and 4th)
This is Loveness’s first Shalom
Mr. Liwonde’s 3rd (only boy) Charles
The kids love to hang out with us and play games, they really like Uno! From Left to Right: Memory, Shalom, Bryan, Charles, Mary holding jen and Lockylo.
Our well has dried up, so we have spent the last three weeks trying to get it fixed, but all that has happened is they,as Malawians say, crashed (broke and removed) the top of it. The women have to travel the 3 kilometers round trip again… needless to say the plants are suffering, but we reuse any and all water we can. We even bath standing in a basin to catch the water! Crazy… but it works!
Our other large problem is a stray male dog that has been hanging out around our ladies. This dog is sneaky and we have been trying to catch him and scare him off but he just won’t leave! This is one of the thorny traps we made for the hole in the fence. Thing is he is too smart.
Mr. Liwonde has three baby goats and he is expecting a few more. He has a set of twins and one other… They are fun to watch at such a young age they fall often but get right back up and bounce everywhere! The one other (not the twins) is very cute, he has huge floppy ears!
We have some pictures from last month…
Bryan working on wiring our village home thanks to Uncle Don who sent mass amounts of boxes and moola. We now have solar electricity! It rivals the electricity in the cities because the cities power is always going out! Ours does not!
Keah (Me) pitting masaw and cutting in half to dry… reminds me of pitting cherries at Grandma and Grandpas!
We distributed the last of the treadle pumps, 3 to a small group. I like this group a lot, they were very prepared and ready!
Last time we came into town we brought chicken to Peace Corps staff who wanted them, so this is how we transported them!
By the way Bryan is doing amazingly well and his head has healed up Great!
We went to see the Nanyango Irrigation Club’s gardens. It took us two days to walk it all. We met many of the farmers and even saw the treadle pumps in action! The most amazing thing is how much land the group is cultivating! One man in working 4 acres for his family! He already harvested two ox carts worth of dry maize (white corn) this dry season. When we saw the fields the new maize was waist high. This man and his family will have gotten two more planting seasons meaning he can plant three times a year.
This club is named after the river they are located along, here is a man using a treadle pump in the sandy river bed.
This picture shows the watered gardens compared to the surrounding land that is dry and dead.
Some different crops maize at two different stages and sugar beans
Fields… some of the furthest away
This is on a shoot off of the Nanyango river, it flows year round making it easier to utilize the water.
Bryan always asks the farmers what they plan on doing with all the crops from their gardens. Will they sell or eat? Most said some of both but some (those who had terrible crops last rainy season) said they would eat all! And they said it in a Praise God we aren’t going to starve this year fashion.
A family working in their garden
Mother with two of her children, look how happy she is!
All these kids help (try anyway) their parents in the gardens and fields.
I like this picture because of the completely grown maize and how the kids are just hanging out.
The man with the 4 acres Bryan asked what he planned on using the food for and he said “Eat it, eat it all.” I then promptly asked how many people in his family he has to feed? He replied looking off in the distance eyes glazed over as if picturing them, “Too many.” His crops did fail last rainy season and he and his family were worried about hunger this year. Now even as the days are getting hotter, he gladly spends his days tending to the fields.
The Man with some of his family
Our Agogo Wamuna (Grandpa) in the village has been gone for 3 weeks to Dedza Hospital. One of his sons works there. We were told he had an operation, but as best we can tell it was kidney related. This man is a trooper, he returned two days ago, the girls singing and people chatting! We went over to give a dozen eggs and see him, he had gone in but came out to greet us. He comes out greets us then says Tiowanana (see you later). We think he was exhausted from travel and excitement of getting home and he isn’t so young any more. Over all he is doing amazing and the Agogo Akazi (Grandma) is so happy and relieved to have him home.
As for the rest of our village family, they are well Loveness (one of the Grandparents granddaughter) has found her x-husband and sees him as a way out of the village. The x-husband and his family live in Blantyre. So he has re-proposed which entails paying the chief some moola. Sad thing is he did it behind the whole families back, he is not liked by the family or village for that mater. Even the chief said he was not welcome back to the area… he did some bad things, mainly steeling. So now Loveness has gone back to Blantyre. We do not really expect her to come back. I am sad because she and I chatted often, she speaks fluent English and she helped me connect with the women of our village.
Here are some pictures of our families kids:
Mary and Jenifer (Mr. Liwonde’s oldest and youngest 1st and 4th)
This is Loveness’s first Shalom
Mr. Liwonde’s 3rd (only boy) Charles
The kids love to hang out with us and play games, they really like Uno! From Left to Right: Memory, Shalom, Bryan, Charles, Mary holding jen and Lockylo.
Our well has dried up, so we have spent the last three weeks trying to get it fixed, but all that has happened is they,as Malawians say, crashed (broke and removed) the top of it. The women have to travel the 3 kilometers round trip again… needless to say the plants are suffering, but we reuse any and all water we can. We even bath standing in a basin to catch the water! Crazy… but it works!
Our other large problem is a stray male dog that has been hanging out around our ladies. This dog is sneaky and we have been trying to catch him and scare him off but he just won’t leave! This is one of the thorny traps we made for the hole in the fence. Thing is he is too smart.
Mr. Liwonde has three baby goats and he is expecting a few more. He has a set of twins and one other… They are fun to watch at such a young age they fall often but get right back up and bounce everywhere! The one other (not the twins) is very cute, he has huge floppy ears!
We have some pictures from last month…
Bryan working on wiring our village home thanks to Uncle Don who sent mass amounts of boxes and moola. We now have solar electricity! It rivals the electricity in the cities because the cities power is always going out! Ours does not!
Keah (Me) pitting masaw and cutting in half to dry… reminds me of pitting cherries at Grandma and Grandpas!
We distributed the last of the treadle pumps, 3 to a small group. I like this group a lot, they were very prepared and ready!
Last time we came into town we brought chicken to Peace Corps staff who wanted them, so this is how we transported them!
By the way Bryan is doing amazingly well and his head has healed up Great!
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