I fly out of Malawi at 10:30 am and then arrive in Zambia! I'm pretty pumped about seeing my friends and getting to just live in Africa without worrying about "life" stuff, ya know?
On my beautiful drive down to Lilongwe today, (which by the way, my right arm is entirely sunburned from hanging it out the window, so pastey left arm, red right arm), I got a phone call that I may not have been on the field long enough to get vacation time to go to Nairobi. So, even though I have a plane ticket, even though my supervisor approved it, even though we are less than 24 hours before I leave....I might not get to go.
Bummer of the century.
Its really hard to understand what that feels like if you haven't lived in a different culture surrounded by new things, new people, and you live by yourself. And you have this glimmer of seeing your best friends for 20 blissful glorious days....and then its taken from you....
BUT, I'm not complaining....I have a cheerful heart...God is in control...and I'm here to spread the Word not be with friends.
all much easier said than done.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
When surrounded by poverty...
I am officially leaving tomorrow to start my journey towards Zambia. I'm a little stressed though trying to get 6 weeks worth of school ready, pack for Zambia and Nairobi, arrange dog needs, workers needs, electricity needs, grocery needs, my needs...
I was a bit overwhelmed today, and actually I'm still overwhelmed. It all built up to a breaking point today and I just broke down and cried. One of my worker's wife has been in the hospital for the past 4 days with bleeding. The bill came to 10,000 kwatcha. His monthly salary is just under 7,000 kwatcha if that puts it in perspective for you. So, when he comes to me, Mama Reeder, and asks for my help because he has no money and the hospital will not let her leave without the money...what do you do?
Jesus said to give to those in need. Whatever you do for the least of these, you do to me. If you have 2 coats, and someone asks for one, give it to him.
So when you are surrounded by poverty, who do you give to? When everyone around you is in need, where is the cut off so that you yourself aren't left in poverty, or worse yet, add to the helplessness mentality?
Things I've been struggling with lately...and I can't come up with a good answer.
I have 3 workers that depend upon me to provide for them and their families, so when a big problem arises, they come to me...it usually concerns money. So, when do you say no?
If you have any wisdom, I would love to hear it.
I was a bit overwhelmed today, and actually I'm still overwhelmed. It all built up to a breaking point today and I just broke down and cried. One of my worker's wife has been in the hospital for the past 4 days with bleeding. The bill came to 10,000 kwatcha. His monthly salary is just under 7,000 kwatcha if that puts it in perspective for you. So, when he comes to me, Mama Reeder, and asks for my help because he has no money and the hospital will not let her leave without the money...what do you do?
Jesus said to give to those in need. Whatever you do for the least of these, you do to me. If you have 2 coats, and someone asks for one, give it to him.
So when you are surrounded by poverty, who do you give to? When everyone around you is in need, where is the cut off so that you yourself aren't left in poverty, or worse yet, add to the helplessness mentality?
Things I've been struggling with lately...and I can't come up with a good answer.
I have 3 workers that depend upon me to provide for them and their families, so when a big problem arises, they come to me...it usually concerns money. So, when do you say no?
If you have any wisdom, I would love to hear it.
Friday, April 16, 2010
The lizard and I had it out...
I was simply plugging in a lamp in the corner of my den. I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye...not even a foot from my face was this thing. Now...I know the picture doesn't quite do it justice, but from my excellent estimating skills, I'm pretty sure this sucker was just shy of 1 foot long. Next to your face, that's really big.
Well, It was a cold rainy day, and I happen to have my rainboots handy..and I didn't want the thing to touch my feet, so I got my broom, and decided to dance a little with the beast.
Please note, my door is on the other side of the room....I had to cross rugs and couches to get her to go in the right direction.
Well, I must say that Mama Tegha is one heck of cleaner (she's my housekeeper) and she does hand wax the floor. As soon as I got the beast off the wall, it tried to run away....the key word being tried. The best part is the very last 2 seconds of the video...
Lizard from Lauren Reeder on Vimeo.
(And you better watch this 11 second video, bc it took me 55 mins to upload it and 2 attempts).
hahaha. I laughed so hard at this...welcome to entertainment in Africa. :)
By the way...my Jack Russels found it as soon as left the doorway...
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Stars
One of my favorite things to do is look at stars, even when I was in the States. Of course, when I got to Africa, I was hoping for even more than I saw in the States, and new ones because I'm in the Southern Hemisphere.
Well, in the capital city, because of smog and lights, I really couldn't see anymore than I could see in America. Then, in Mzuzu, I came during the peak of rainy season, so the nights were always cloudy.
BUT, the past 2 weeks, the nights have been really clear. I was stuck outside in my backyard the other night waiting for a friend to come and pick me up so I went to stargazing.
I could see so many stars! But, there's this really great spot in my backyard, between to little trees that line my driveway, that if you look up, you can see this huge band of thousands of stars.
This is kinda what I see. (If only I had my Uncle Wayne's IPad app that tells me what it is!) I see this except not quite as much milky white cloud lookin' stuff.
When I first saw it I was just dumbfounded. I couldn't believe I had the privilege to see such an amazing sight and from the convenience of my own backyard. The next night, I put out my blanket, grabbed a cup of tea, and laid out to look at them...mesmerized for an hour.
I was doing some research on the internet as to what this band of stars is...and I think its the Milky Way. Maybe not...I'm sure someone out there way smarter than me can tell me exactly what it is, but boy, is it amazing to look at.
I wish I could put into words what runs through my head when I look at the sky about Jesus' love for us, the majesty and beauty of His creation, the awe and honor I feel to live here in Africa, the gratefulness that my Father would put such a beautiful sight in my backyard.....
I hardly ever took time to marvel at God's creation in the States. Praise him that he made things slow down so much in my life that I can take time to Praise Him through his creation.
3When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;
4What is man that You take thought of him,
And the son of man that You care for him?
5Yet You have made him a little lower than God,
And You crown him with glory and majesty!
6You make him to rule over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
7All sheep and oxen,
And also the beasts of the field,
8The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
9O LORD, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth!
Well, in the capital city, because of smog and lights, I really couldn't see anymore than I could see in America. Then, in Mzuzu, I came during the peak of rainy season, so the nights were always cloudy.
BUT, the past 2 weeks, the nights have been really clear. I was stuck outside in my backyard the other night waiting for a friend to come and pick me up so I went to stargazing.
I could see so many stars! But, there's this really great spot in my backyard, between to little trees that line my driveway, that if you look up, you can see this huge band of thousands of stars.
When I first saw it I was just dumbfounded. I couldn't believe I had the privilege to see such an amazing sight and from the convenience of my own backyard. The next night, I put out my blanket, grabbed a cup of tea, and laid out to look at them...mesmerized for an hour.
I was doing some research on the internet as to what this band of stars is...and I think its the Milky Way. Maybe not...I'm sure someone out there way smarter than me can tell me exactly what it is, but boy, is it amazing to look at.
I wish I could put into words what runs through my head when I look at the sky about Jesus' love for us, the majesty and beauty of His creation, the awe and honor I feel to live here in Africa, the gratefulness that my Father would put such a beautiful sight in my backyard.....
I hardly ever took time to marvel at God's creation in the States. Praise him that he made things slow down so much in my life that I can take time to Praise Him through his creation.
Psalm 8:3-9
3When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;
4What is man that You take thought of him,
And the son of man that You care for him?
5Yet You have made him a little lower than God,
And You crown him with glory and majesty!
6You make him to rule over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
7All sheep and oxen,
And also the beasts of the field,
8The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
9O LORD, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth!
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Exciting Days...
Yesterday after "FunFriday" at school, I was heading over to the Laffoon's so that Lisa and I could start making my curtains for my kitchen! I was so excited.
As I was pulling up to their gate (which is on a very steep hill), I stopped and waited for Joel to open the gate all the way. The dogs come running out, as they always do, and were sniffing around my car. I s-l-o-w-l-y pull up to go through the gate, and my car just rolled over this big lump....which was promptly followed by yelping...not to mention of bunch of African women at the bottom of the driveway yelling, "THE DOG!"
So, I picked up the giant Belgium Shepherd and his back leg hung limply. Uh-oh.
The family came running.. They were so gracious, and said if the dog didn't get out of the way, then it was his fault. Plus, now he will just learn not to come up so close to cars.
Well, we piled into my truck and off we went to the vet. The vet said that his leg was broken in about 3 places. They put him in a cast, gave him some shots, and we headed back home.
That night when I got home, my nightguard already knew all about it. Small town....ha.
Today, I finally got to work on my curtains for my kitchen! They are going to be adorable. We decided to run to the local lake/sanctuary for the sunset, so we all piled in the car and headed there.
When we got out, I walked up to the edge of the grass and looked around at the amazing view. Indigenous forest surrounds the lake and it is very peaceful. Almost immediately, my foot felt like it was on FIRE!
I looked down...I had step directly in the path of Safari Ants! There were several on my leg, and PINCHING THE CRAP OUT OF MY FOOT!
Lisa quickly told me to pull up my pants because they just start traveling directly up your body. So, I'm jerking off my shoes and pulling up my pants. I got just a few bites before I got them all off. After we piled into the car again to head back home, my hand started hurting, and there was another one on my hand! AHHH! geez, those suckers can pinch.
Eric said there are tribes in Kenya that use them as stitches. They get the ant to pinch the wound close, then bit off the head and keep it here. Weird, huh?
So, I think, though I'm quite paranoid, that I have all of them off. When we got home, we heard a boom outside...Someone was shooting off fireworks down the street! And they were really good ones too!
Wowzo...what a weekend....and its only Saturday. :)
As I was pulling up to their gate (which is on a very steep hill), I stopped and waited for Joel to open the gate all the way. The dogs come running out, as they always do, and were sniffing around my car. I s-l-o-w-l-y pull up to go through the gate, and my car just rolled over this big lump....which was promptly followed by yelping...not to mention of bunch of African women at the bottom of the driveway yelling, "THE DOG!"
So, I picked up the giant Belgium Shepherd and his back leg hung limply. Uh-oh.
The family came running.. They were so gracious, and said if the dog didn't get out of the way, then it was his fault. Plus, now he will just learn not to come up so close to cars.
Well, we piled into my truck and off we went to the vet. The vet said that his leg was broken in about 3 places. They put him in a cast, gave him some shots, and we headed back home.
That night when I got home, my nightguard already knew all about it. Small town....ha.
Today, I finally got to work on my curtains for my kitchen! They are going to be adorable. We decided to run to the local lake/sanctuary for the sunset, so we all piled in the car and headed there.
When we got out, I walked up to the edge of the grass and looked around at the amazing view. Indigenous forest surrounds the lake and it is very peaceful. Almost immediately, my foot felt like it was on FIRE!
I looked down...I had step directly in the path of Safari Ants! There were several on my leg, and PINCHING THE CRAP OUT OF MY FOOT!
Lisa quickly told me to pull up my pants because they just start traveling directly up your body. So, I'm jerking off my shoes and pulling up my pants. I got just a few bites before I got them all off. After we piled into the car again to head back home, my hand started hurting, and there was another one on my hand! AHHH! geez, those suckers can pinch.
Eric said there are tribes in Kenya that use them as stitches. They get the ant to pinch the wound close, then bit off the head and keep it here. Weird, huh?
So, I think, though I'm quite paranoid, that I have all of them off. When we got home, we heard a boom outside...Someone was shooting off fireworks down the street! And they were really good ones too!
Wowzo...what a weekend....and its only Saturday. :)
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
The Lake.
Just when I thought that Malawi could not get any more beautiful, we drove to Lake Malawi on Monday after school to just get away. I had had a rough day of school...just frustrations of doing school in a 3rd world country, and so had the Laffoons. So, we packed up ourselves, put on our swimsuits, and started the 45 minute drive there.
I hadn't been there before, nor even the road that direction. Boy was I in for a surprise. This picture just doesn't even do it justice.
So that was just the ride there. We knew we didn't have much time, so we went to the closest part. It is called Nkhata Bay. It is really touristy, but we didn't care. We just wanted some lake. Someone in the market had told us about this little beach there, so we were on our way to find it. This is my first view of the bay.
WOW!
and when we finally found the little beach,
THIS is what it looked like...my jaw hit the sand.
That is Mozambique and Tanzania mountains in the background by the way. Pretty cool, huh?
So...this my friends....is all so very close to my house. And I can go there whenever I want. :)
I feel so blessed.
I live here!! WOW!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
My April Update
Happy Easter friends!
I had a FANTASTIC Easter here. Our chrch service today lasted from 8:30-12:30, so I sure got my praise on. I took some video, and maybe one day I'll get to upload it so you can see what chrch is like here.
As most of you heard, I was very sick the past 2 weeks. On our very first day of school (which went well), I got a very bad headache. By the next morning, they had decided that I had Malaria. The end of the week brought the Malaria back with it, and I saw an American doctor in the capital city. He says I most likely had Malaria and Strep Throat/Typhoid...and possibly the flu. So I got lots of meds, and now I'm feeling much better.
So, we'll get school going again full swing...for the next 2 weeks. THEN, I'm off to Zambia for a month of training. We'll spend 2 weeks in the city, and then 2 weeks in the bush (camping! my favorite!) and end it with 3 days living with a Zambian family. I've decided to go see Victoria Falls with some friends while I'm there. THEN, I'm flying off to Nairobi to do some ministry with another M friend of mine Jeff Norton and his friend Blake. My best friend Michelle is flying in from the states to work with us as well, and she will accompany me back to Malawi on June 2 and spend a week with me there. WHEW! I have a whirlwind schedule coming up, but BOY am I excited about it.
Couple of pr@yer points:
1. My gardener and his family are not Christians. I've spent a lot of time lifting them up, and trying to think of ways to share with them. They don't speak English so it makes communicating very hard, but I spend a lot of time with the oldest girl. There were also some issues with possibly firing him, so I really need some Gdly Wisdom.
2. That my time traveling will be safe and that this time spent with friends will be a good one.
Praises:
I'M ALL BETTER! I was SO overwhelmed by the amount of people who were pr@ying for me. People I've never even met where emailing me to tell me they were lifting me up. Thank you so much. It could have been much worse.
The Father is really working in my heart concerning being alone. He has taught me so much already. I have made older friends here, but still waiting on a friend my age. He has taught me that it is HIS timing, and HE is my Friend and Comfort.
Thanks for all the emails guys! I love reading them! Fun fact about Malawi: Its totally acceptable to pick your nose in public...even in the middle of a conversation with you....even if you are a "business person" and dressed all fancy. ha.
Love in our Father,
Lauren
I had a FANTASTIC Easter here. Our chrch service today lasted from 8:30-12:30, so I sure got my praise on. I took some video, and maybe one day I'll get to upload it so you can see what chrch is like here.
As most of you heard, I was very sick the past 2 weeks. On our very first day of school (which went well), I got a very bad headache. By the next morning, they had decided that I had Malaria. The end of the week brought the Malaria back with it, and I saw an American doctor in the capital city. He says I most likely had Malaria and Strep Throat/Typhoid...and possibly the flu. So I got lots of meds, and now I'm feeling much better.
So, we'll get school going again full swing...for the next 2 weeks. THEN, I'm off to Zambia for a month of training. We'll spend 2 weeks in the city, and then 2 weeks in the bush (camping! my favorite!) and end it with 3 days living with a Zambian family. I've decided to go see Victoria Falls with some friends while I'm there. THEN, I'm flying off to Nairobi to do some ministry with another M friend of mine Jeff Norton and his friend Blake. My best friend Michelle is flying in from the states to work with us as well, and she will accompany me back to Malawi on June 2 and spend a week with me there. WHEW! I have a whirlwind schedule coming up, but BOY am I excited about it.
Couple of pr@yer points:
1. My gardener and his family are not Christians. I've spent a lot of time lifting them up, and trying to think of ways to share with them. They don't speak English so it makes communicating very hard, but I spend a lot of time with the oldest girl. There were also some issues with possibly firing him, so I really need some Gdly Wisdom.
2. That my time traveling will be safe and that this time spent with friends will be a good one.
Praises:
I'M ALL BETTER! I was SO overwhelmed by the amount of people who were pr@ying for me. People I've never even met where emailing me to tell me they were lifting me up. Thank you so much. It could have been much worse.
The Father is really working in my heart concerning being alone. He has taught me so much already. I have made older friends here, but still waiting on a friend my age. He has taught me that it is HIS timing, and HE is my Friend and Comfort.
Thanks for all the emails guys! I love reading them! Fun fact about Malawi: Its totally acceptable to pick your nose in public...even in the middle of a conversation with you....even if you are a "business person" and dressed all fancy. ha.
Love in our Father,
Lauren
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
