Well I meant to continue this blog in order, but I think I am going to skip around now...
You see, the president of Malawi kicked the British ambassador guy out and he took Britain's money with him. This apparently made it harder for people to get extensions on the 30 days they are allowed to stay initially. So, I am now having to come home earlier than anticipated. This suddenly made me flustered and feeling a bit rushed. It means I cant spend as much time in the clinic, or tutoring adam, or watching eseme, or dancing, or talking to students. And then I realized I havent even blogged about any of the things i am doing...
I think the word im looking for is flustrated.
Let me tell you a bit about Africa.
I love the people. The food is not my favorite. The weather is cool, sometimes cold and mostly cloudy. I live with Michelle in a house on African Bible College's campus. There is always a shortage of petrol. Im getting used to being called Azungu (white person), its like a chant that follows me everywhere I go. Mostly its cute. But sometimes I feel like telling them that everyone can obviously see that I am white, and I know I am white, so its really unnecessary to state it repeatedly.
I tutor a Lebanese 7 year old on weekdays. His name is Adam and he is the cutest. I really want one now. But I also want the 7 month old orphan baby Eseme that I watch quite often. She is kind of like the baby chick my roommate once brought home. I tried to resist, knowing I'd get attached, but she is so darn cute and she babbles away while I do the dishes. She wouldn't smile at anyone a few weeks ago and now she smiles and laughs at everything, especially when Michelle and I dance for her. I love that God uses adoption as a symbol of His love for us. Eseme, I would adopt you in a heartbeat if I could.
I have gotten to work in the pharmacy at the clinic. I am learning how to organize the shelves, stock the emergency night medications, count out baggies of medication and so on. I was counting out pills that help support the immune system that people with AIDS have to take twice daily, and I had a moment. I have these moments occasionally here. It is when I stop and I think, I am actually doing this in Africa right now... What the heck? Why am I here right now doing this? It's not a bad why am I here, more of a "I'd never imagine I'd be doing this. Ever." I had one my these moments when I was sitting with Michelle in a line ( a que) waiting for petrol, holding Eseme and drinking Sobo. "Im in a line... waiting for gas with a few hundred malawians, in the middle of africa, playing with a baby who might have AIDS, talking about calories..." What??
Anyways, I have had incredible conversations with some of the college students here about short term missions, and their opinions about teams coming in to help their country. They have told me their awesome holistic, transformational, sustainable, ministry ideas. I feel privileged to have them share their hearts for the villages with me. I think that has been my favorite thing about my time here. It reminds me that the church is alive and active. It is working worldwide to bring everywhere the fragrant knowledge of Jesus.
