See you 'tomorrow'...

Everyone Malawian had relish last night, even the poor. Relish is the food people eat with their Nsima (stiff maize porridge, staple food). It can be anything from stir fried veggies to boiled mice. Well, the real rains of the rain season have started and every year after those first downpours millions of termites creep out of the ground. They fly as if they are drunk and drop down everywhere. People just sweep them on heaps and fill their bags. Some try to sell part of it on the roadside to generate a little money to buy salt to flavour the termites when they fry them. I had to think of the quails God sent to the Israelites. Well, I cooked lentils instead…

Just a few small things this week reminded us of the importance of studying language and culture when you go to a new country. Of course we have an advantage of starting in a very similar culture as we lived and worked in for the past years. That’s why I am not surprised by the following things – just thankful to be able to put it in perspective.

Greetings are such an important part of life here. If you don’t greet people properly with the right questions and ask them about their family members etc. you are terribly rude! While greeting, people will hold your hands much longer than would be appropriate in our Western culture. Men will even hold hands with Cees during a whole conversation, even during a walk. That would be odd in our culture. No problem here, it’s just  culture, showing normal affection. We don’t feel uncomfortable now, we did 5 years ago.

People respond differently to certain issues. Moses burned his hand quite bad on the gas burner yesterday and I told Charity (the woman who helps me with the work in the house). She started laughing very loud! Most of you would respond differently I think... Laughing here is just a way to express sorry-feelings. After screaming a few hours, Moses fell asleep and after that he was fine. He remains with 5 big blisters on his left hand. We hope they will not puncture because punctured skin surely gets infected in these tropics with all those terrible dirty flies everywhere.

Now, people start to wonder how I manage as a mother of four kids, being far from my brothers. If something happens and decisions need to be made, how do I decide anything without my brothers? In this culture, every family matter must be resolved with the knowledge of the mother’s brothers. And on the other hand, how can Cees actually raise ‘his other children’, the children of his sisters?  Interesting discussion topics!

I will just close with some prayer requests so that we may be united in prayers.

During this whole research period different doors have opened for us from the Malawi perspective. Now it’s time for the church to consider and decide. We really long for answers as we are getting tired (emotionally and psychologically) of uncertainties. We are the kind of people who want to be busy, working with a vision in mind and a goal in view.  Pray for wisdom in the church committees and patience in our family. 

We are also still waiting to get our work permit. This means we are also still camping. I would really like to get our belongings: books, toy’s, kitchenware, bedding, furniture, fridge and stove etc… We pray the agents will deal with our papers soon. It’s a very small job to do, maybe 30 minutes work, but if it sunk to the bottom of the pile… During this crisis in Malawi nothing seems to get done but we believe God even controls such small details as ‘Molenaar-stuff-in-Zambia’. Mr. Smile (that’s his real name) promised to help us with this permit issue and he keeps saying “Tomorrow it will be ready…” That’s another thing you learn in Africa; tomorrow basically means ‘not yesterday’… tomorrow can be any day after today! Hope to see you ‘tomorrow’!

Mirjam