A few parting thoughts as we wind down our last days in Malawi.
The people are wonderful. They certainly earned the title of “Warm Heart of Africa.” We have been welcomed everywhere we have gone. Complete strangers welcomed us in to talk about the Good News; church members gave us tea and sometimes dinner; our host let one of the other teams (7 more people) stay with us for a night when they were moving to a new location; vendors were just as interested in talking about us as they were their wares. I don’t think I ever heard a harsh or negative word toward any of us.
When we entered Malawi, we were approved to stay in the country for 30 days. We actually will be here for 33 days, so we had to visit the immigration office to get an extension. At the office we learned that beginning October 1, Malawi will require a $75 entry visa. We made it just under the wire. We also learned that $75 is “small money” in America and that a plate of breakfast costs $75. Apparently his American friends are celebrities.
Our host assured us that the officer was exaggerating, but it makes you wonder how we are viewed by the people around us.
Our host’s vehicle has been broken down for the last few days. The mechanic doesn’t seem to know what is going on. I can’t imagine how frustrating that would be. Walking isn’t so bad, but when it takes an hour and a half instead of fifteen minutes, you have to recalculate your entire day.
Illness is a reality on the Race. At least three of us have been sick this month, plus one case of lice. You do your best to contain the symptoms, keep your diet balanced, and not drag your teammates down with you. Fortunately, we’re surrounded by a team of people who genuinely care about your wellbeing, and know when you just need a little r&r.
On one of our days off, we made a trip to Lake Malawi. It was beautiful. We stayed at an “eco-lodge” or community hostel sort of thing. It had to be the highest concentration of white people on the north side of the country. But we were the only Americans. It was neat to speak with other westerners and find out what brought them to Malawi. For most of them, it was the slow, simple way of life.
I was talking to Ralph & Esther this morning when Ralph suddenly pointed out the door and said, “Look, a monkey!” Sure enough, there was a monkey making its way across the lawn. Of course none of the locals even took notice, but all seven of us went running out to see the monkey.
Farewell, Mzuzu! Zikomo!
