And it is off again!
Malawi Africa, is notably my most challenging month from many different reaches. But, my other blog about defines and gives perspective to the spiritual/ emotional struggles this month embodied. Today, we have 4 days remaining in Month 10 of the World Race, they are going by so quickly it is a bit dizzying, especially for much of it I was praying for it to hurry up. In this blog I want to give you a snap shot of what this month holds and why today, I have found myself in great enjoyment and hesitation for the month to end in 4 days.
This month started out rough with a blast of culture shock, that was like walking into the stream of a water pressure machine. It was uncomfortable, and was challenging in ways that were new for me to the race, to all of my previous travels, and for interacting with a new family. As we walked into the home we would be staying for this month, the most notable change of the year was, a normal house, with couches and a flat screen TV and host that spoke English. It doesn’t sound like a struggle when writing it, but last month I was in a barn with host who communicated through google translate.
From Asia to Africa, there are so many stark difference in culture, like Africa is louder all of the time, and where something is offensive in Asia it is common in Africa. Where something is common in Asia it has the possibility of being offensive in Africa. So, after living for 6 months in Asia, our transition to Africa required a bit of a learning curve. For me the learning curve is finally rounding back out to a place of comfort.
When we arrived the water at the house was not working, so we needed to go to the back yard and pull water out of the well, for our toilet, showers, washing hands, cooking, and drinking. In our back yard their is a metal sheet we pick up to uncover the well, where there are roaches that scatter at the exposure of light and find safety in the holes between the bricks of the well. Then there is a 20ft drop down to a large basin of crystal clear water, that we throw an old paint bucket connected to a long tattered rope that has been retied multiple times, down into the well to collet water. It at moments feels like fishing, as you wait for the recoil tug of a full bucket and draw it up, where I use my ropes belaying technique to maneuver the rope out of my way, so I don’t trip on it or get the weather beaten rope into the fresh water. Then as the bucket of fresh water breaks the crest of the well, that creates a great sense of accomplishment, to which the water then gets poured into a bucket to be moved into the house for all to use!
But, then after our first 4 days in Malawi, the water came back on and there was a great elation that sprang up in me, a joy of comfort and of ease. The water back on, brought the ability to take an actual shower and not a bucket shower ( the water here is so cold, and when you dump a bucket of it over you head, it takes your breath away and there is just something about a typical western shower that helps this girls hair so much!!), we can flush the toilet with out filling it up with water first, and we can wash dishes in the sink!!! The simplicity is delightful and refreshing.
In the last few days, the water went out again, and there was a rumble of passing the information on in the house that the water is off again and in preparing for the days without water, we went outside while there was sunlight to draw water from the well. It was suppose to last for 4 days, but it lasted only for 2!!!
As our days passed in Malawi, we realized there was a common theme of things not working, as there were hours that we went with out electricity. It does not come at a specific time, nor does it last for a consistent amount time, like currently as I write this it is 9 am on the 23rd of Oct, and the electricity has been out for about 3 hours and we are unsure of when it will turn back on. When we do not have electricity, the refrigerator does not work, and when the electricity is out the mode of cooking is changed greatly, from cooking on the electrical stove top to cooking on the fire in the back yard. It means no tv, which sometimes is quite a blessing, after not having television for months, it is so strange when it is playing and how mesmerizing it becomes, even when Telemundo in english is on the TV… it is for real a thing.
Then the other challenge that has occurred has been bugs, before I ever thought of coming to Africa, I heard stories of bug and I am not a big squirmer to bug, but in this country the bugs have definitely got to me. In the room that a few of us were in, there were these bug that colonized in our bedding and bug nets. So, it seemed like every other day my bedding situation seemed to be changing, like went from sleeping on a bed with a bug net, to sleeping on the floor with my sleeping pad, and then the bugs collected in the mosquito net. So, we got rid of the net, so we moved our room around again, to put our tents in the room, to try and avoid the bugs. Then the bugs came into my tent, so I moved back out of my tent to sleeping on my sleeping pad and coating myself in tea tree oil and bug repellent.
There were a bunch of reasons that made this month a legitimate struggle, and at the start of the month it made me anxious and focus on each of the struggle, which also got me focusing on home. But, during this time I shared with my team about my struggles, and they prayed over me and spoke encouragements over me. Then over the days, I began to see the beauty in this country, and the beauty in the people we were interacting. I saw the purple and red flowers blooming in the trees, the cool breeze as we walked to the market, and the family that is our host in a new sweet way. So, I am finishing the month with peace and seeking out to find joy in each situation, in ministry, with our hosts and with my team!
sorry was going to add a photo of the well… but the wifi is expensive here so photos are hard to upload sometimes!
Love y’all… MONTH 11 is here!!
