Funny African Signs

Some of my favorite African names for stores or slogans:

Rupture Tailoring!

Leave Them Here Coffin Shop
 
Money Comes, Money Goes Investments

Carlsberg: Probably  the best beer.


Comfort Mattresses: Beatable Prices!


Wholesale Store: Stockists of car parts, oil, car supplies and mozzerella cheese. (no lie! there's a fridge in the back with the cheese!)

My favorite I think is the sign that you see when you get to the town of Mzimba. One day I'll get a picture of it for you...

"Vasectomy: show your partner you care." hahaha.

Sometimes you just needs these little "gifts" in your day. :)

p.s. It's "mice" season here in Malawi. They burn the fields and catch the mice and then sell them on the side of the road...

Appetizing, I know. And no, I haven't eaten them. Shocking.

Sunday Drive...

I remember when I would be running late for church and get really ticked that I hit a red light.
Or when I would sometimes think about not going to church because I wasn't up for the 40 minute drive to get there.

And then you have Sunday's like today...where you drive 2 hours to get there. Then, you have to walk 3 km because there is no bridge to get to the church.

And you have to cross a river...and walk across a bridge.

And other people are out washing their clothes wondering why in the world you are out this far into their village.

And then you really start to appreciate cars and roads and places being so close in the states.

But don't feel sorry for me, because I got to see these beautiful faces...

I love my life. :)

p.s. plus we got a chicken!

Meet Maggie!

Okay everyone...Meet Maggie!

 

Maggie also is a very talented hair stylist....and she really wanted to try her skills on some mzungu hair.

 

Whaddya think? Just so you know..that mug hurts! I feel for you Dana when you get your hair done. Ouch!

 

I wore my hair like this for church the next day. I got a lot more looks than I normally do. 

Christmas in July!

I went to Lilongwe this past week with the 4 Laffoons kids for a "Soul Care." This mission group from Norfolk, VA ( I told them all about you Uncle Stew!) came to do a Ladies Retreat and also a VBS for the kids. So Eric and Lisa decided to stay in Mzuzu, and I took the kids down with me.

It is a 4 1/2 hour drive down to the city.
Did you know there are over 90 speed bumps (little tiny ones) on the way?
Also, there are 14 bridges that you cross over.
Plus, tons of road kill, and a couple of bricks tied to a tree (Why you may ask? Well, to keep them from falling off.)
So, as you can see, we learned to entertain ourselves on the way down.

Anyway, it was a great time. I got lots of fun treats and candy and hang out with some people my age. One of the guys even graduated from Bob Jones! We had a good talk about that. :)

BUUT, one of the best parts...I got 3 packages!! WOOT! Lots of candy and fun stuff from America. I tell you...its like Christmas when you get a package!

Thanks Mom!! Really happy that the package that got sent to Malaysia finally reached Malawi. ha.
Thanks Clayton and Mrs. Mostinger!! You guys are sooo sweet! What a great gift for a teacher to be able to keep in touch with her students! Miss you and thank you for thinking of me!
Thanks Mr. Chuck!! They tried to charge me $80 because the customs slip said it had a voice recorder in it, but I charmed my way out of it. :) Thanks for the candy and the mixes! We were REALLY excited about the cheesecake mix.

A sad part of coming to Lilongwe was to say bye to Kym. She was the journeyman that I stayed with when I first came to Malawi. Well, her term is over and she is headed back to America on Aug 1. Also, another Baptist Missionary couple that I really have spent a lot of time with is having to leave for good for medical reasons. That happened very quickly. We learned about that the first week of July, and they are flying out at the end of July. So sad. Plus, another couple is leaving for their Stateside Assignment.

I now am the only Journeyman in Malawi! Wow!

26!...It rounds to 30.

The hotel where I do my internet has been down since the 2nd of July. This means no updates for June, no happy birthday emails, no reports, no personal emails that have been trapped in my outbox of Mac Mail have been able to be sent out.

That also means no video skyping for my birthday week. Pity party for myself. :)

But I did have one awesome birthday on Monday. We went out to the lake for the day called Chintechi Inn. WOW! I felt like I was in the bahamas! White white sand...blue green water...little thatch roof huts sprinkled along the beach, and no one around. It was glorious!

We saw baboons on our way there, drove through the rubber plantation, and ended the night with birthday cake, chili for dinner, and a little Jane Austen, Emma. A super birthday.

Maybe when I get my internet back I can put up pictures.

So thanks everyone for all of the birthday wishes. I needed to hear from people back home so badly. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

And a special Happy Birthday to Paul Hart, Megan Griffith, and Bethany Crescenzi who all have birthdays with me. Wish I could be with you guys! Love you!!

Also, thanks mom for the birthday package that I got a day after my birthday. I cried like a baby as I read all the cards. There's something about seeing your family's handwriting that is very precious, and I've never cherished it until now. I love you!!

Dear Maggie,

 It was exactly a year ago yesterday that I was excitingly opening a letter saying that I had been officially accepted to be a journeyman in Mzuzu, Malawi.

So, I believe I can say that I have been praying for you for a year now. I started immediately praying for a friend in Mzuzu, whether another white person or a Malawian.

I have to admit, I thought that God had given me a "no" for an answer many time over the past 6 months. I had cried, wailed, pleaded, begged, and finally accepted that these two years was going to be a lonely season in my life.

Then, when I wasn't looking for it, you showed up. You sought me out...and not because you wanted a white person be your friend, but because you heard I was doing children's ministry and you have a huge heart for it.

I did think at first that this was another failed attempted at a friendship when we didn't talk for 2 weeks after meeting each other. But then, when I came to the orphange this week, and they had forgotten to plan for my visit, I was sure I had driven out there and just wasted gas. I think its pretty cool that right as I sat down on a random sidewalk, you walked out of your house. Providential? I think so.

Sharing with you in your house and hearing your heart for children was so humbling. You took great care to pull out the few children's evangelistic materials you have saved over the past few years. You were so excited to show them to me! I admit I felt so spoiled...most of them were the "toss-off" materials of old sunday school guides. You told me how you were saving up your money so you could photocopy a children's bible story book you borrow from a friend. You were so amazed at how they put the Bible stories with pictures and into kid's language and you knew it would be such an asset to your sunday school class. I was so humbled.

When I learned that you were the only Christian in your family, my admiration for you just grew. Your mother and sister didn't understand why you thought you needed "Jesus" and why their old Catholism ways and their works weren't good enough to go to heaven. I could tell that you were so burdened for them.

Sharing that afternoon with you listening to our favorite worship songs, talking about our lives, you teaching me how to make chips, and just sharing our hearts was so wonderful.

So, thanks Maggie.
Thanks for being willing to follow Jesus.
Thanks for being willing to be friends with a Mzungu (white person) because I know its not always easy.

You are an answer to a lot of prayers.

Love,
Lauren

Dear Maggie,