Burgers and Pools

"Listen kids, today we will go to New York!". "O", says Moses, "Can you eat that?" We are in the US now! What an blessing for kids to speak more languages. Moses feels free to talk to anyone. We had dinner at a restaurant and he started talking with the customers in the boot behind us. "Hi, what's your name? Mine is Moses. How old are you? I am two. I was in new York. I was on a ferry and saw lots of helicopters!" The kids have the time of their life! We get invited to church families and most of them have pools. So, after swimming (the most favorite activity for our water-loving kids) we get to eat hamburgers! This causes the little boys ask one of the two questions when we tell them what's next: "Can you eat it?' or 'Can we swim there?'

What a world! Not just the kids are rolling their eyes out these days. The trip to the Shoprite here was an event, a sight, an adventure..."mom, look at this, mom, look at that!" Fruit covered with chocolate, veggies in chips appearance, a whole isle with cereals only... we didn't know how to make choices. What kind of bread do you take? We are happy as long as their is bread at all. This country seems to have no limits of anything. We shouldn't stay longer than a month and come too often...it would make going back to Malawi harder. We have talks about this with our older kids, they observe things and it is easy to let envious thoughts enter your young hearts.

We are making quite some bloopers... simply because we are not from here! I'll share just one... The last night of our camping trip with some church families we all went to an Italian restaurant for dinner. First problem: what do you order? There is so much choice and the names on the menu don't make sense to us. Finally I made our order, a pizza each, as Malawian portions are small. Wow, we could feed an orphanage from the pizza's we ordered! The size of the drinks and meals are at least three times bigger then we expect! There we sat, as if we were starved...some people kindly helped us eat the food and some of us had pizza for breakfast and lunch the next day!

"Mom, the people here are so nice! So kind and friendly!" We are being blessed with so much kindness and love. It's wonderful to see our kids make connections with church family. Joash and Rhode didn't remember anything anymore from the time we were sent, eight years ago! The purpose for our trip to the US and Canada is mostly to reconnect with the church and share what we do, in His name on behalf of the church. We hope to meet many more of our church family members. We have one 'problem', receiving so much care and not being able to return much makes me feel uneasy. I think proverbs says there is a time to receive and a time to give. I hope our 'batteries' are being charged in these seven weeks gone from the field to be able to share from that again back home in Malawi.

Ba sobo!

Since a lot of our English friends come from Dutch heritage you will understand the warning ‘Pas op!’ To our great surprise, this phrase has even entered the Chichewa language which we are learning. ‘Ba sobo!’, also meaning ‘watch out or be careful’, Cees and I had a big laugh. With regards to language learning, we have covered a lot of theory and we are now learning how to make nouns from verbs.

Last week we had a funeral of the 84 year old neighbor next door. He was a Seventh-day Adventist and church members came to sing from 6 am to 1 am, 2 days in a row! Beautiful singing, many songs familiar to us since we used similar hymns in Zambia. I am sure the singing is very comforting to the mourning relatives. Interesting how people, who now live in town, still use the traditional customs when it comes to a funeral. All furniture is taken out of the house and the floor is covered by the traditional mats. Everyone sits on the floor, women with the legs stretched out. Also all women must wear a traditional wrap on top of their skirts to show respect. We went and did the same. Everyone brings something to contribute to the funeral. All the women have the duty to wail, all the young men from the neighborhood have the duty to dig the grave. A truck is hired to transport the coffin and all the people to the graveyard. This man reached a high age; in sense old people have escaped the recent epidemic. People between 40 and 60 are much fewer. Often it’s the (great) grand parents who take care of children.

Hard to imagine that we will be in North America within four weeks, Lord willing! June 19 is the last school day for Joash and Rhoda. Then they will have finished their first full school year in one place (Malawi). Previous years the home school year was always broken up with a few weeks of school in the Netherlands in December. We will pick the kids up from school, exchange the uniforms for travel clothes and go to the airport, traveling from Lilongwe to Kenya to Amsterdam. From there we continue to New York and arrive there June 22, all Lord willing!

We hope to spend three Sundays in our sending church, the HRC New Jersey to re-connect and fellowship and present the ministry in Malawi. From there we drive to Michigan, where we lived from 2002-2004. Cees will be speaking at the HRC youth camp and we will do presentations as well. From Michigan we drive to Canada, Ontario and visit Burgessville and Jordan. We are looking forward to meet all our church friends, and share with you the work of the Lord. We will come with all six of us…Ba sobo! The kids are very excited! I have to tell myself not to worry too much when I start to feel tired when I think about all the details (Few days airplane ride with a 2 and a 3 year old…).

After our presentation tour through NA we hope to spend 3 weeks with our relatives in the Netherlands on our way back to Africa. My shopping list is growing…home school stuff for the little boy’s, shoes and clothes that can last a year, gluten free flour, birthday gifts, etc, etc.

Did you know missionaries lose at least a couple teeth while at the field? I lost one just two days ago when we were eating rice…ping…I hadn’t seen the white rock in it. But what a relief, there is an Indian dentist in town. Amazing how she could help me with so little equipment!

Wishing you a Good Sunday!

Malawi today

Six weeks ago I offered Mirjam to write the next blog – hence the long silence! That silence does not characterize our home normally, with the six of us there never seems to be a dull moment. And even in the country, things are happening.

Ten days ago, Malawi’s president suddenly passed away at the age of 78. This happened in a time the once celebrated leader received a lot of criticism for his domestic and foreign politics. His first term did the country a lot of good, creating the much needed economic growth. The second term saw a change of approach. In July 2011, the unrest escalated in protests, which were rigorously dispelled, leaving 21 civilians dead. After that, talks were started between the government and civil organizations, but without result. Foreign exchange became very scarce, fuel was hard to get by – people spending up to 48 hours in a fuel queue – and relations with other countries became very sour. Donor nations such as the UK and USA froze their support, and the economic growth lapsed back.

So far, power was peacefully handed over to the Vice-President, who had fallen out with the President two years ago, when the President appointed his brother (and cabinet minister) to succeed him after his second and last term would be completed. We pray she will be able to restore relationships with other nations and also bring an end to the rather unchecked reign of the previous cabinet. For most people, the urgent needs are to have sugar back on the shelves – lately one could see a hundred yard line of people outside of the one store that sells sugar! Prices have gone up, the money has artificially retained its value, while on the black market the kwacha has half the worth it had a year ago.

At home, other dynamics are at play. Joash and Rhoda both celebrated their birthday in the Eastern break. In fact, we went on a Church Camp the day Rhoda turned 10, and left Camp at Joash 12^th. With some families from our international church we camped out and enjoyed a number of preaching sessions while the kids had their own programs. Zebras wandered freely around the tents. The kids will return to their last quarter of school. We can’t believe this school year has gone by so fast. They have both adjusted well and we feel blessed that they made a good transition into international school. Obed and Moses go three mornings to a Pre-school and proudly practice their English at home. During those mornings we try to keep up with our language lessons.

Mirjam and I were encouraged by this morning’s sermon from Acts 27. The theme was God’s sovereignty in a startling storm. God wants Paul to witness before Caesar, and rules over all the events of his journey. As we journey this first year in Malawi, there are times it seems we are sailing without wind. Or you reach a port that you think is good and promising, a ministry that appears to be a good match, and you need to leave it again to travel on. These are challenges that test our faith and confidence in God’s planning. Yet we are encouraged to place our trust in His leading; He knows the road ahead and has a plan for us here. One aspect that is increasingly pressing upon our hearts is the tremendous want of training among the churches. We speak with ministry leaders, representatives of organizations, local pastors and church members – all echoing the same desire that more be done to equip the churches and their leaders. These signals clearly confirm our calling for Malawi.

I hope for you Mirjam will be writing next…

We will be adding more pictures soon!

Strange is normal, normal is strange…

One would expect that the local people (Malawians) would mostly be surprised by seeing us (foreigners) do things differently from them. Like eating with utensils (instead of hands), pushing a stroller (instead of carrying the baby in a sling on the back) etc, etc. There are of course so many things we do differently from the people here. But my experience is the opposite: people get surprised, give comments, laugh at us, when we do things in the same way as they do!

When we were visiting a local church nearby, where people don’t know English, the  congregation had a good laugh at us. Why? Because we talked this strange English and Dutch? No, because we spoke the language of their tribe! Years ago we would have been very discouraged, thinking we were saying it the wrong way, making mistakes etc. By now we know that we should only be encouraged when they laugh at us. Since preaching in the tribal language is still too difficult, Cees uses translators. The one who was chosen did a very poor job. We don’t blame him at all. We do understand enough of the language to know if the translation is doing justice to what Cees preached. When it missed the meaning completely, Cees just said it straight in Chechewa himself, that’s when the big laugh came!

When I carry a child in a sling on my back, people turn their head. Why would a white mother do this? Actually, for the same reason as black mothers do… I must say that Moses is getting very heavy and fortunately prefers walking, but it’s still a nice and handy way whenever he is very tired.

In this (fuel)crisis the use of bike taxi’s is increasing. Drivers make sure their bike is in good shape, there is a seat on the back and they have lots of energy. For a little money you can get on the back of such a taxi and go to your destination. You can find many here in Lilongwe! Passengers don’t get off when the road goes up, they let the driver struggle, since they pay for their job. When you are dressed nice it’s difficult to stay nice though…specially in the rain season when mud is everywhere. I think these bike taxi’s would be a good alternative when our fuel  runs out. I am sure our neighbors will roll their eyes out when we would go and visit friends, just as they do, using these local taxi’s… imagine, 6 bikes in a row, black drivers with each one of our family on the back... Maybe it will happen soon.

I don’t know what people think we eat but they are always surprised when we buy our corn-flour. “So, do you eat Nsima?!” “Of course!!” In fact, it is our kids favorite food. When we eat Nsima with the locals they love to see us eat their food. It’s our food too! Sometimes they would prepare ‘European’ food, like potatoes, (to please us), thinking we won’t eat the local food. Then our kids are disappointed. Women are even more surprised when they learn I make our own Nsima…”So, you can even cook Nsima?!” Yes I can and I do, (it’s not very difficult…our recipes are often much more complicated!)

My first words (in the tribal language) were “I can do it myself” and when our language teacher heard that she laughed hard! (I guess those were my first words of any language I have learned (Indonesian, Dutch and English)… I go to the market myself and buy our food myself. Most expat women just send their worker to do it. I want to see the veggies before I buy it, even if that takes an hour of sweating on the hot and crowdie market where is smells bad because of so much garbage and walking is difficult because of the mud. Once a vendor put potatoes and tomatoes in my basket and made me pay, when I came home the bottom ones where all rotten! That’s one reason for me to tell them “I can do it myself”, another one is, I like to get out and be among the people!

My battery is getting low. Power supply is very very poor, most days I cook by candle light, bath the kids by candle light, kids do homework by candle light etc. During the day power is also off so washing clothes, making coffee, ironing, mixing dough, baking bread, using computer and internet…all needs to be postponed for the hour we will have power, and we never know when that will be (usually the odd hours between 23.00-5.00). The luxury of a generator is of passed time. If we would have one it wouldn’t even help because of fuel shortage. Solar would be great…but not affordable for us to buy, jammer! I just bought the whole stock of candles from the local shop…4 x 6 candles. There will be a time that we won’t need power (or candles) anymore to have light because there won’t be any night! 

Rhoda

Just a picture of the busy lot! Cees took Lassy out for a moment so Rhoda and I could clean up the 'birth cradle'. We had prepared a place for her, which she seemed to like. Yet, that particular morning we found her between some bushes where she had dug a hole. With the heavy rains we have had lately, we had to move her to higher places. So far, they are all doing well - and the little boys just love watching them!

six people, ten puppies

We have just seen number ten being born. Lassy, our German Shepherd dog, became mother in the last few hours. There might be more coming… Watching her fills me with amazement and awe. These creatures know exactly how to do all the pre- and postnatal care, just by themselves! Our kids are exited too. Happy birthday to… yeah, we’ve got to come up with ten names yet…

It was good to start Bible study again, prior to the church service, yesterday. A Malawian brother shared some experiences from growing up in one of the main churches of Malawi. It illustrated the need for revival and sound teaching even in this established and well organized church. For many years, he could not attend his congregation, but his mother paid his church contribution. According to the books, he was a good church member. At one stage he found out that his mother stopped paying, so he thought to make up and pay for entire year. That, however, drew the attention of the leaders and he was disciplined for absence. What does it really mean, to be a faithful Christian?

Malawians also see the journey of faith as a journey on a bicycle. Here, having lots of hills, biking means you often get off the bike, pushing it up the hill and later on speeding off the hill without having to do anything. Sometimes you put effort in being a Christian and after effort there is time to relax and just cruise...

Once again we were reminded of the sad reality of many Christians going to church for the wrong reasons. Number one reason is not the pure desire to hear God’s Word but to make sure you are seen so that the church will make your funeral a big event. “Funerals are nice… lots of people, lots of food, surely the deceased must be in heaven with so many people respecting your funeral.”

We are so much in need for reformation and revival. We pray God will use us to carry out Gods Word in such a way that it touches the hearts, wakes people up and gets them into action to be reformed. This is probable a worldwide need!

Well, Malawi is struggling. From different directions we hear ‘this is how it started in Zimbabwe’. God knows where this is heading and we just pray for His mercy upon this land. It is tough to be in the queue for a whole day or night in order to get fuel for the car. We even have a maximum of 25 liters (which means we will run out very soon and stand in queue again) and we have to drive very carefully. Instead of picking up the kids from school at their own knock-off times, letting them wait for hours so we combine all the necessary driving etc. It also limits people to carry out their / our ministries. Instead of doing mentor visit’s every month, reducing it to every quarter, etc. Fuel price have gone up with 60%...so everything else too! This is not manageable for many people and the suffering starts. Stocks are running out, not just in the grocery shop (no sugar, no flour, no milk…) but also medicines. You can imagine the consequences!

When I walk on the streets in our neighborhood I get stopped many times, ‘please, give me food’ or ‘please give me clothes’… Of course, the Bible says something about that and the question is how we should give ear to God’s command to give away one skirt when we have two. It is common here to just trade and I like that better than just handing out stuff; even if someone trades a few tomatoes from his garden for a good quality skirt or blanket. In the past months I have gotten to know Samuel. He sells paintings. I don’t buy his paintings because I need them but to help him. He was born healthy but at an early age lost his hands in a fire. He didn’t choose to sit and beg all his life. He made an effort to learn how to paint with his mouth and feet. He married, has children and maintains a cornfield to provide for his family. When I bought another painting last week he told me he finally got enough money to buy fertilizer for his cornfield. He hopes to yield enough to even sell some and have money to buy school uniforms to send his kids to school. There are many disabled people here, due to lots of deceases (like polio), fires, poverty, insufficient / failing medical care etc. A program where they are being taught to be creative and find out how they can make a living would be wonderful.

It’s time to check my laundry. It is hard to get things dry in this extremely humid rain season. The heavy downpours remind me of our first rain season in Africa, 2006! My, that was an experience in the bush without a proper house… Well, I want to make sure the bedding for our visitors will be dry and not moist and moldy! We are expecting three visitors from the US this week! We are excited and looking forward to host them (hoping they won’t mind all the noise and hassle a family with young kids produce…). It was also an opportunity for me to send a ‘wish-list’….particular medicines, alum to make play dough long lasting, real crayons (they sell crayons here but that quality…no fun for the kids to try to color a picture when the crayon doesn’t make any color on the paper…and that can be said about anything really, quality of things is very very poor and so disappointing to give the kids a present when it breaks within an hour…we were spoiled people). 

I managed to find some useful materials for the children ministry I will be leading this year in the international church we attend. It needs a lot of adjustments and when there is power I will try to work it out. I am excited about it and pray for wisdom to teach the teachers and children. For now, I send you our greetings and wish you all the best!

Snow and Malawi

No snowflakes in Malawi

Snowflakes, snowmen, reindeer,  winter night songs and more… our kids see and hear those typical ‘Christmas’ symbols at school but it seems so funny in a country where one can not relate to those things. This is the hot season and we can only dream of snowflakes, in reality just breathing can make you sweat. But it doesn’t really bother any of us, it’s just the smell sometimes when you stand in line in a crowded shop or office.

No snowflakes in Malawi, the locals wouldn’t survive! But what a blessing the message of Christmas is: Jesus Christ, Son of God became also son of men.  Unspeakable Gift being given to us out of Unspeakable love for us from God our Creator. I hope you and we will celebrate the Glad Tidings in Thankfulness, worshipping Him who is worthy of all glory and not being distracted by the thousands of ‘Christmas’ symbols. I remember the stuffed stores, extremely decorated houses and yards and conversations people were having about what  and how much food to stock up and prepare etc. On the other hand, we need to remind ourselves not to be distracted by the opposite of feeling lonely because were spend Christmas (and so many other celebrations) without relatives, friends and church members.

His angels were around us

Last week we were encouraged by the Lord when He preserved us from a bad accident. We travelled with our family to Zambia, Covenant College, to get our household goods. A truck followed and within 1,5 hour, Cees, with the kind help of some other men, got all our goods (furniture and boxes) in that truck. We spent time with Zambian friends, having a meal here and a meal there. Then our tire went flat so we exchanged it with the spare and left to go back to Malawi. Cees was exhausted so I drove. After 1,5 hour I felt the car making strange movements and wanted to ask Cees whether he tied the nuts really well, but he slept and I thought it might be the rough road. Some strange noises started to make me worry and I decided to bring the car to a stop. All five nuts were off! The wheel was just sitting at the edge of the nob; it had been moving back and forth for an inch. We could have had a very bad accident and we felt God’s amazing grace almost physically. Then what? Our spare tire was the flat one and this tire had no screws anymore and was damaged. We left the car at the roadside and started to hike with our whole family. A tine old car passed after some time, even though he had already some passengers, when he counted us, 6, he said he could EASILY take us. Together with the other passengers we were packed  in this car and without AC etc it was quite a trip, but how thankful we were to reach a town after an hour drive, where we could exit this car, straighten our bodies and think of what to do next. Cees went searching all over to find screws to fit our tire but nowhere to be found. In the end he went back with a taxi, unscrewed one nut of each wheel and used those to fasten the tire without nuts. He arrived late at night at the lodge where I decided to wait with the kids. We all slept (at least stayed) in one room that night and the owners didn’t make us pay the next day, how kind!! Cees still had to find nuts for us to start the journey back to Malawi so he searched and searched in small old huts and found some who could do the job even though they weren’t the right ones.  

Meanwhile the truck had lots of trouble at the border, called us every 15 minutes, needed money etc etc. We managed to cross the border and reach home. The truck followed later. Once in Lilongwe, it took a few more days to clear the goods with customs (although we had received permission to bring it in before we started off). The whole process was very stressful. Of course we are very very happy with our stuff (nothing fancy, just stuff but we could have never bought everything again here for the money we used to move it) and are still unpacking boxes. Also we are very tired. Having two boys in the age of 2 and 3 is extremely challenging!!!  Besides we all got stomach flu (lots of washing, lots of crying but no sleep and no energy. Now the boys have chickenpox and are very moody.

Joash encouraged us when he said: “I am happy I experience difficulties like this, it prepares me for future and as we have seen, God is in control. Whatever happens, I will know that God is on our side.”

Let me get a glass of cold water. After living without a fridge, this is a real treat. And so are the freshly baked glutenfree cookies (I got some glutenfree flour from Holland) I was just able to bake in my  oven now. And the power stayed on when the bread was in the oven too, that made my day today!