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We spent three days in Lilongwe to purchase a cooker and fridge
and some groceries. Dr. Alex Maclean (a physician from Scotland)
and his family drove us back by ambulance to Embangweni. We were
impressed with the lush green vegetation and again with the very
friendly and hospitable people that we met. Our last visit was
during the dry season and everything was brown and dusty. Rainy
season does not mean constant rain. We have had plenty, but mostly
in the late evening and at night. Tempuratures are in the 80's
during the day and 70's at night. We have seen lots of sunshine.
We found the hospital looking much the same although there is
a new public health building and the antenatal clinic is in a
more spacious and newer building. I talked with Joyce Ngoma (a
public health nurse in charge of the child survival program),
Smith Beza of the HIV program, and the hospital matron. All indicated
that there is a tremendous shortage of nurses. Embangweni, although
a good hospital, is in a rural area and is not the most desirable
place to work. There is also a problem with loss of staff because
of AIDS. The educated are dying from it just as those who are
very poor and living in the outlying villages. More nursing education
programs are needed.
We are learning to adapt to new things such as only three electric
outlets in the entire house, cooking without pam, muddy shoes
always, muddy water sometimes, frequent power outages, walking
everywhere we go, having hired help who do so many of the chores
we are accustomed to doing ourselves, sounds that are different
such as roosters crowing, children outside chattering and laughing
in another language, storks in the trees, corn fields surrounding
our house, shopping in little tuck shops and bargaining for food,
people coming to the door to sell vegetables or fruit, and always
smiling and laughing people.
Malawian friends have been coming by to visit during the day
and in the evenings. Many people that we remember from our visit
in 2000 are still here and have been visiting to greet us and
welcome us back. They are so courteous and friendly—lots
of laughing and remembering. They are all willing to help us learn
the language and find it quite funny when we do not pronounce
words correctly. We have hired Mr. K's son Andrew as cook, and
when we asked what he would like to be called, he said Mr. K.
or Mr. Karonga. We said that we couldn't call him Mr. K as that
was his father's name and his father is cooking for the Macleans
nearby, so we suggested Mr. A.K. and he was delighted with that.
It implied the respect that was needed, but not quite so formal
for a person who will become almost a part of our family. (I guess
that means that Peter, who cooked for us before, would be Mr P.K.)
We also have hired his sister, Clara (to be called Clara) to wash,
iron, and clean house. Mr. A.K. found us a night watchman who
will patrol periodically and also sleep on the breezeway from
7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. His name is Dismon Nyirongo and he lives
in a nearby village. Mr. A.K.'s criteria for the watchman were
that he not drink or smoke. I'm really not sure what KSA's a watchman
should have. This is a trial for one month for Mr. Nyirongo. Salaries
range from 1000 Kwachas to 2500 per month which is $11 to $28
per month. The employer also pays for medical care for the entire
family of the person hired. This is generally a very minimal amount.
We were told that fertilizer is usually given as well during planting
season.
Tuesday we go to Mzuzu to the synod headquarters to be formally
introduced to synod officials and to take care of employment issues
with them, including a work permit application. We will look forward
to seeing PC(USA) mission co-workers Jim and Jodi McGill and also
Hayden and Margot Boyd there. We visited Rev. Mwale here at Embangweni
our first morning as he is head of station and is essentially
our "boss" here. He told us that the new house that
they are building is for us, and we let him know that it is a
big house and we would not be offended if he wanted to give it
to a larger family. He will let us know. Our little house is quite
cute and cozy. It is brick with cement floors and very clean.
One bedroom was made into a kitchen for us as the outside kitchen
room had a dover stove and was very black and sooty. There was
no room for a fridge and no electricity.
All in all, we are settling in and are now adjusted to the time
change. We are anxious to get to the work that we will be doing.
We'll find out more about that when we go to Mzuzu. Our settling
in has been made so easy because of all of the help from the Macleans,
from Jon and Mary Bennett Poehlman and of course from George and
Betty. Jon and Mary Bennett left us an enormous cache of many,
many essential items in four action packers. Thank you, thank
you, thank you! We also have used the satellite phone that George
and Betty lent us and it will be extremely useful and appreciated!
Jodi McGill has given us lots of tips by email over the last few
months as well. Nancy and Frank Dimmock helped us with so many
needs including transportation in Lilongwe. Our house was furnished
by Carolyn and Alex Maclean from "missionary stuff"
that they found in storage. We were surprised to find it all ready
for us.
We are grateful for our many blessings. God has indeed been watching
out for us on this trip. We thank everyone for their support and
prayers. Thanks goes to our daughters and their guys for their
terrific send-off and to John and Toya for their last-minute caring
that helped us get finished packing and to the airport.
Our love to each and every one.
Bill and Beth
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