I watched a total of 4 movies and too many TV shows on the long flight. It was very cold when we arrived in Johannesburg - about 40 degrees - to spend the night. The hotel was further from the airport than we had hoped, but it gave us a chance to talk to a 20 year old girl from the UK who is spending 6 weeks at Krueger National Park studying elephants.
We arrived mid afternoon in Lilongwe. The people are indeed poor. Many are selling items along the road. The soil reminds me of Georgia - red clay and everything is a dusty red. The air is very smoky and there are fires burning everywhere. Mphatso told us that the people set the fires to clear brush and get rid of rodents.
Susan encouraged about 10-12 local children to join us playing games. We played duck/duck/grey duck with them. They caught on quickly and had a great time. These are most likely children of the staff at the church, so they look well fed although they are barefoot in the cool weather and their clothes are a little raggedy. Joe got out his guitar and we sang with them, too. We had dinner in the "dining hall". As we walked there we came across the Women's Choir practicing. Beautiful joyous voices. Dinner was rice, chicken a corn/greens medley with bananas for dessert. We have to be very careful what we eat as sanitation is not a priority here and I do not want to pick up any nasty bugs. We went to bed at about 9pm - party animals, we
are not!
Mphatso met us at the airport in Johannesburg as he had been there for a meeting. He is the Communication Director for the ELCM (Evangelical Lutheran Church of Malawi) and will be our guide as he was for the group who came 4 years ago.
We arrived mid afternoon in Lilongwe. The people are indeed poor. Many are selling items along the road. The soil reminds me of Georgia - red clay and everything is a dusty red. The air is very smoky and there are fires burning everywhere. Mphatso told us that the people set the fires to clear brush and get rid of rodents. Tonight we are staying at the ELCM headquarters in their Guest house. It is a 3 bedroom house with a small kitchen and 2 bathrooms. Susan and I are sharing a room and Ellen and Joe have their own.
Susan encouraged about 10-12 local children to join us playing games. We played duck/duck/grey duck with them. They caught on quickly and had a great time. These are most likely children of the staff at the church, so they look well fed although they are barefoot in the cool weather and their clothes are a little raggedy. Joe got out his guitar and we sang with them, too. We had dinner in the "dining hall". As we walked there we came across the Women's Choir practicing. Beautiful joyous voices. Dinner was rice, chicken a corn/greens medley with bananas for dessert. We have to be very careful what we eat as sanitation is not a priority here and I do not want to pick up any nasty bugs. We went to bed at about 9pm - party animals, we
are not!
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