Still kickin'

We’re still here, and we’re doing well! Sorry for the silence for so long—computer problems happen all over the world, it’s just harder to fix them in some places! So what’s been going on in Malawi over the last month, you ask?

Anya has been bumped up to a higher-skill swimming group (she’s a shark now, not a stingray!) and her legs are often sore but her ego is soaring since she wins most of her races. She also had a field hockey tournament where her team won both the tournament trophy and the “spirit award”. While she was in as mid-field, her team’s defenders never saw the ball (puck?) because it never got past her! She loves our new Rotweiller Jake and her pet chameleon that lives in the tree outside our window. We also had a brief relationship with a hedgehog (quite cute and only a little stinky) but we couldn’t get it to eat anything so we released it in the dog-free yard of our friends. She stayed up until 1am crying about that one!

We had a meeting with Ethan’s teacher, and discovered that he is excelling at blending consonants with vowels, counting, and telling stories…not so much at sitting still and ‘responding to correction’. We, of course, were shocked at this report (HA!). At least his teacher assures us that he is adorable and totally lovable even while he is not listening.

Isaac is crawling at lightening speed, standing for brief seconds, clapping and waving good-bye. He is amazingly skilled with his two teeth and eats absolutely everything—when he wants to and not a moment sooner. He is equally skilled at taking bites as if he’s hungry, and then spitting it out with impressive force. You can often identify all 3 meals for the day by these dried missiles on my clothes. (I’ve given up changing when things get dirty early in the day)

We’re plugging away at language, enjoying ourselves most days. We’re making slow but steady progress. Of course I did tell our guard, “Gonana bwino” instead of “Gonani bwino” the other day. Just one vowel different…no biggie right? Except that I told him to sleep WITH ME well instead of to sleep well. It might have been funny to see a Malawian blush had I not been so mortified! Does that count as making yourself a fool for Christ???

It’s hot here, and we’re anxious for the rain. There’s not a blade of grass alive in our yard, so the dust is totally out of control. Of course, once the rains start it will be mud I’ll be cursing instead! Oh well. There is nothing quite like enjoying an ice-cold Coke while baking in the sun to make you feel ready for Thanksgiving, I always say!

Health Education

We traveled 3 hours north to the small town of Mzimba the last weekend of September. The Robertsons and Rudds, fellow IMB missionaries, are there doing evangelism, community development, and leadership training with 2 of Malawi’s 14 Bible schools.

Once a year the students' wives travel to the Bible schools to attend class, and this year I was invited to teach health education. I readily accepted, but I was shaking in my flip-flops before I began. How was I going to connect with semi-literate village women on matters of health and wellness!?! After working with migrant farmers in Yakima, Washington, I've been used to suggesting the inexpensive home remadies whenever available. But it's a whole new level when you're talking to people who can't afford to heat water because firewood is so expensive, or who don't always have the means to buy salt for gargling or who have never even seen a band-aid.

But God was present, and God was glorified! The 14 women were attentive, hungry for information, and open during the discussion. It did not take long for questions to turn from basic health (when gargling salt water for a sore throat, should the water be hot or cold?) to matters of discipleship (if I already have 8 children but my husband won’t allow me to use birth control, can I as a Christian woman use it without his knowledge?) I confess I was more prepared for the former than the latter, but it was wonderful to see Michelle Robertson, much more experienced than me, and the pastor’s wife guide the discussion. I left Mzimba with a new, deeper respect for the issues facing Malawian believers (especially the women) and their true desire to honor God despite the many challenges.

The greatest fan; 1925-2009

I'm convinced that The Ohio State Buckeye's cheering squad will be a little quieter this year. Not that they aren't as awesome as ever (one of these days they'll pull through in the big game), or that we love our Jim Tressel any less than before. It's just that Mary Pumpelly, affectionately known as Gert to many of us, has passed away, and the loss of her voice, hoarse from yelling at the TV screen, is significant.

She will be deeply missed, for she cheered for us all as emphatically as she cheered for her Bucks. She spoiled our children, and cooked us endless meals, and made a heavenly cheesecake (as long as Jordan was there for dinner). And oh, how she prayed for us, getting us through more trials of life than we even give her credit for, despite arthritic knees!

She was godly, and she was fun--a perfectly wonderful combination. Who will ever forget the way she made the poor young airport guard blush, when, after a particularly thorough search of her titanium knees during a post-9/11 screening, she said, "Good thing I didn't have my hips replaced!"?

As much as we love her, and as much as we'll miss her, we celebrate the lessons she's taught us and we rejoice that she is now in total peace with our God. And we'll forever think of her every time we ask each other, "How 'bout them Bucks?"