Did what you say? Well, the other nite my friend Maggie one of the Malawian staff works asked me for dinner. She had prepared a traditional Malawian meal for the Spiritual Emphasis speaker and when Maggie's husband couldn't make it back in time for dinner, she asked me to come.
I arrived in good African time to the meal and before me was a bowl full of flying ants. After prayer I scooped 5 or 6 onto my place and then quickly put one after another in to my mouth. Sure enough they tasted like bacon.
Pastor Carlton said you must have eaten them all your life. To which I replyed no this is my first time. The guy next to me tryed to push his off onto my plate, but when I tasted them the second time they weren't quite as good so I told him he better keep his own Ants on his plate.
I also must report that I'm in Jo-Berg South Africa having something taken off my nose and and shopping for the children's ward we've been building. The shopping hasn't given me much time to worry about the results of the byopsy, hopefully this was just a wart. Next time they take something off my nose they'll have to knock me out. The pain killing shots were worse than the cut of the knife, which I felt before he gave me a second shot of novacain or what ever it was.
I'm hoping they will let me know early next week so if there is more work to be done it can be done quickly. The other scar is still there on the side of my head, but it is healing. God is good and I thank Him for his faithfulness to me.
Until later, Blessings
Michelle
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
The WAR OF THE TOILET SEAT
About a month ago I mentioned to my LandLord that my toilet seat was broken, the fact is, it was broken when I moved into the place, but not wanting to complain to much I waited for several months. After nearly falling off it, as it slid to the floor I decided that the timing was right. Apon mentioning it, my land lady went into a lecture about how Malawians don't know how to set the seat down properly and that's what breaks them. Since it had been broken from day one, I decided that wasn't the case with this one, but perhaps in the past someone has slammed her seat down and thus she wasn't happy about this one breaking.
My dear friend and landlady wanting to please me, went out and purchased a wooden seat which of course wasn't cheap and then she hired two (Plumbers ) to install the seat. It took several hours to install it and finally the men left. That evening as I pirched apon the thrown I felt it give way and then it pinched me. Fearfull of causeing further problems I said nothing to my land lady, and continued to use it doing my best to avoid the parting pinch. But last week the seat completely came apart, so I decided it was time to break the news to her ( the Land Lady that is).
Last night she came home from the store and asked if she could have a word with my helper Leah. She quickly brushed by me and started to rant and rave at Leah about toilet seats and a number of other things. I realized I had made a big mistake in allowing her to talk to Leah and
in mentioning the broken seat at all. Aparently she had taken the seat back to the store and the store manager accused her of lying. Her daughter slammed her fingers in the car door and all in all she just wasn't happy. She was sure that Leah had broken the toilet seat and that this was the root cause of all her problem at this time. I assured her that Leah was not there at the time it broke and that there was an explanation for why it was broken. After praying with her over the events of the day and telling her I loved her and Mega her daughter too. I finally convinced her to go on a walk with me around the neighborhood. On our walk we talked more about the toilet seat, and about the problem of our compound, but by the time we arrived home, she was reminding me that she was the one who told me about Leah and that she believed Leah was a good lady. It appears God is working in her heart.
Apon preparing for bed, I realized that my toilet seat problems were not over, I could not go to bed leaving the toilet without a seat of any kind on it, less I drop into it in a state of sleepiness and ruin an otherwise tranquil night. So I pulled the seat out of the box and put it back together again. It was then that I discovered the true criminals. it was the (plumbers) they had thrown out some parts and put others in the wrong place thus putting the seat at an awkward angle which made it break when I pirched apon it.
Now the dilema, should I tell my dear Landlady or let her think Leah was the guilty party. This morning I asked Leah what she thought I should do, and together we agreed that it was best to leave things as they are. I'll go get myself a new seat and not say another word. However the next time she offers a plumber I will try to fix the problem myself. After all it doesn't take but five minutes to put in a toilet seat. This is unless you are someone who as never used a toilet and doen't understand all these extra plastic parts /washers, then it takes two men and two hours to install it so it will break instantly apon pirching.
What I saw in all this was that certainly we do not battle against flesh and blood just the day before all this came about the Hindi preast had been at the Landlords home to offer prayers. They are clearly seeking peace and having a difficult time finding it. However this search is causing them to draw closer to me and ask for prayer on a regular basis. Thankyou for praying with me for them. Blessings, Michelle
My dear friend and landlady wanting to please me, went out and purchased a wooden seat which of course wasn't cheap and then she hired two (Plumbers ) to install the seat. It took several hours to install it and finally the men left. That evening as I pirched apon the thrown I felt it give way and then it pinched me. Fearfull of causeing further problems I said nothing to my land lady, and continued to use it doing my best to avoid the parting pinch. But last week the seat completely came apart, so I decided it was time to break the news to her ( the Land Lady that is).
Last night she came home from the store and asked if she could have a word with my helper Leah. She quickly brushed by me and started to rant and rave at Leah about toilet seats and a number of other things. I realized I had made a big mistake in allowing her to talk to Leah and
in mentioning the broken seat at all. Aparently she had taken the seat back to the store and the store manager accused her of lying. Her daughter slammed her fingers in the car door and all in all she just wasn't happy. She was sure that Leah had broken the toilet seat and that this was the root cause of all her problem at this time. I assured her that Leah was not there at the time it broke and that there was an explanation for why it was broken. After praying with her over the events of the day and telling her I loved her and Mega her daughter too. I finally convinced her to go on a walk with me around the neighborhood. On our walk we talked more about the toilet seat, and about the problem of our compound, but by the time we arrived home, she was reminding me that she was the one who told me about Leah and that she believed Leah was a good lady. It appears God is working in her heart.
Apon preparing for bed, I realized that my toilet seat problems were not over, I could not go to bed leaving the toilet without a seat of any kind on it, less I drop into it in a state of sleepiness and ruin an otherwise tranquil night. So I pulled the seat out of the box and put it back together again. It was then that I discovered the true criminals. it was the (plumbers) they had thrown out some parts and put others in the wrong place thus putting the seat at an awkward angle which made it break when I pirched apon it.
Now the dilema, should I tell my dear Landlady or let her think Leah was the guilty party. This morning I asked Leah what she thought I should do, and together we agreed that it was best to leave things as they are. I'll go get myself a new seat and not say another word. However the next time she offers a plumber I will try to fix the problem myself. After all it doesn't take but five minutes to put in a toilet seat. This is unless you are someone who as never used a toilet and doen't understand all these extra plastic parts /washers, then it takes two men and two hours to install it so it will break instantly apon pirching.
What I saw in all this was that certainly we do not battle against flesh and blood just the day before all this came about the Hindi preast had been at the Landlords home to offer prayers. They are clearly seeking peace and having a difficult time finding it. However this search is causing them to draw closer to me and ask for prayer on a regular basis. Thankyou for praying with me for them. Blessings, Michelle
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Life in Lilongwe
My Dear Friends, I'm so sorry to have taken so long to write something to you. I was waiting for a day when I didn't have something pressing but I've decided that day will not come anytime soon. I continue to work with the Whittier Area Community Church on the bulding of a new hospital ward. It has been fun communitcating with them on a daily basis as they strive to fill a container to fill our new ward with all of the equitment it will need.
I'm also decorating a baby ward which needs some TLC. As always things in Africa take time and somehow more effort than they would in the USA. As I have gone to sort though piles of rolls of fabric in a warehouse pulling roll by roll out , unwrapping the plastic to make sure you see what it really looks like and then sorting roll into piles of likes and dislikes. I walk away with my hands covered in black grime. Sneazing from the dust and thirsty from the heat. The process takes hours just to find the fabrics you want to use, let alone bringing them all together to make it look like it belongs.
I ask the store owner where I can find a drink and he says check around the corner, around the corner on a street that has more potholes than pavement is Annie's Bar and resturant. A dive with a few bottles of beer on the shelves, a fanta, sprite and coke. Take your pick, their all full of sugar and with the heat you'll be thirsty in minutes after you drink it. All I want is a bottle of water, warm or cold that doesn't much matter. I decide to drive home, opening the door I"m blasted by oven like heat. Don't want to open the windows to much for fear that someone will reach thier hand in and grab the fanny pack on my waist. I've been trying to wear a hat to protect my skin from the sun, but decide the hat holding in the heat on my head, will kill me now, where as skin cancer will at least do it slowly. I fight traffic all the way home trying to take side roads to dodge the traffic, I find myself in a dead end. Great, try again. I turn around and head back on the busy roads, three cars from the light, I wait and wait finally realizing the first car's driver has climbed out of his car and gone to Bata to buy shoes or something. So I pull out into the on coming traffic and around the two car s ahead of me so that I can get to the intersection where the main road is. I'm clear, home is just minutes away. I arrive there feeling a bit tired. Lying down on the Bony Couch( meaning the springs on the back are pushing up against the fabric like ribs on a starving child) I drink a large glass of water and then fall promptly asleep. This is a day in Africa. It's eazy to forget that there is a world out there other than your own and without a radio or TV you quickly become out of touch with that other world.
I have a lady who is helping me with keeping the house clean, cooking and laundry, i've been trying to help her and her husband get ahead, go to school and continue their personal developement. Its exciting to watch them as they stay up late at night and wake up early to prepare themselves for each days lessons. I wish I had more time to help Leah learn more about cooking. But little by little she is learning. Last week we made chicken pot pies. They turned out really tasty.
Last night I was over at the Land Lords home, had a wonderful dish from Bombay and then she shared all the things she was worried about. I asked her if we could pray together and so we did. I'm excited about what the Lord is doing in the home.
Finally, please pray that God will do a purifying work during spiritual emphasis week on the ABC Campus.
Blessings, Michelle
I'm also decorating a baby ward which needs some TLC. As always things in Africa take time and somehow more effort than they would in the USA. As I have gone to sort though piles of rolls of fabric in a warehouse pulling roll by roll out , unwrapping the plastic to make sure you see what it really looks like and then sorting roll into piles of likes and dislikes. I walk away with my hands covered in black grime. Sneazing from the dust and thirsty from the heat. The process takes hours just to find the fabrics you want to use, let alone bringing them all together to make it look like it belongs.
I ask the store owner where I can find a drink and he says check around the corner, around the corner on a street that has more potholes than pavement is Annie's Bar and resturant. A dive with a few bottles of beer on the shelves, a fanta, sprite and coke. Take your pick, their all full of sugar and with the heat you'll be thirsty in minutes after you drink it. All I want is a bottle of water, warm or cold that doesn't much matter. I decide to drive home, opening the door I"m blasted by oven like heat. Don't want to open the windows to much for fear that someone will reach thier hand in and grab the fanny pack on my waist. I've been trying to wear a hat to protect my skin from the sun, but decide the hat holding in the heat on my head, will kill me now, where as skin cancer will at least do it slowly. I fight traffic all the way home trying to take side roads to dodge the traffic, I find myself in a dead end. Great, try again. I turn around and head back on the busy roads, three cars from the light, I wait and wait finally realizing the first car's driver has climbed out of his car and gone to Bata to buy shoes or something. So I pull out into the on coming traffic and around the two car s ahead of me so that I can get to the intersection where the main road is. I'm clear, home is just minutes away. I arrive there feeling a bit tired. Lying down on the Bony Couch( meaning the springs on the back are pushing up against the fabric like ribs on a starving child) I drink a large glass of water and then fall promptly asleep. This is a day in Africa. It's eazy to forget that there is a world out there other than your own and without a radio or TV you quickly become out of touch with that other world.
I have a lady who is helping me with keeping the house clean, cooking and laundry, i've been trying to help her and her husband get ahead, go to school and continue their personal developement. Its exciting to watch them as they stay up late at night and wake up early to prepare themselves for each days lessons. I wish I had more time to help Leah learn more about cooking. But little by little she is learning. Last week we made chicken pot pies. They turned out really tasty.
Last night I was over at the Land Lords home, had a wonderful dish from Bombay and then she shared all the things she was worried about. I asked her if we could pray together and so we did. I'm excited about what the Lord is doing in the home.
Finally, please pray that God will do a purifying work during spiritual emphasis week on the ABC Campus.
Blessings, Michelle
Friday, January 11, 2008
A Week to remember or should I forget it.
It's Friday and I'm glad it is finally here. We started the week with problems with the electricty on campus. Our clinic cannot run unless the power is totally up and running on all phases but we were without a phase. Therefore the X-ray man, Lewis was constantly at my door begging me to perform a miracle and get his power back up. Lewis is by far one of the most faithful workers I have in the clinic. He loves his work and is really good at it as well. He never misses a day of work and practically refuses to take a holiday. Anyway, because we were without power/x rays many patients came which we were unable to help.
One patient was a lady who was in a Semi truck brought her daughter who had broken her leg.
I was surprized to see her truck the first day when she pulled up. Never did I imagine that her driver would pull off the road, on to the grass and break through our septic system.
Yesterday afternoon the power problems were fixed but I had a new problem or challenge, it was this very large truck stuck in our septic system. We asked a truck who had delivered bricks to help us get the semi out of the hole and he did so. Now our only problem is the repair of the hole and the students from the college were in the hole today with masks and gloves to start the repairs.
The week had started with a sweet little girl who's father works for one of our doctors, coming in with a burnt leg. The poor little thing didn't even wimper when the doctor was looking at it. I was told that that was because it was third degree burns and the nerves are burnt off. It was horrible to see. We sent her to a specialist, I'll let you know when I find out what they were able to do for her. It's hard not to let some of these cases get to you.
Finally we have been searching all week for blood for a young man who has aid and will die if he doesn't get a transfusion. Even if people have the blood to give they are not always willing to give it and you cann't force anyone to give their blood. The blood bank keeps sending us the wrong blood which is also making me a bit wacky.
All in all, God is working in the lives of my staff. I'm encouraged by what I see in their attitudes, especially the attitudes of the cleaners. They came together on tuesday and helped me clean up the storeage room which was infested with Rats or at least things were covered with little black rat gifts. We had pizza for lunch and then drew names for the mattresses which the rats had made nests in. Somethings better than nothing I guess. Those who's names weren't drawn were really un happy and said I should make up for their losses. So, would you feel bad if you hadn't won a rat nest mattress? Sometimes the things we deal with are so un real it blows your mind.
Thursday I went home and decided to make a big pot of soup and feed all the neighbors, I think some people slept better that night. You cann't solve all the worlds problems but you can at least bless a few. Have a great week and enjoy all the pictures that follow this entry.
One patient was a lady who was in a Semi truck brought her daughter who had broken her leg.
I was surprized to see her truck the first day when she pulled up. Never did I imagine that her driver would pull off the road, on to the grass and break through our septic system.
Yesterday afternoon the power problems were fixed but I had a new problem or challenge, it was this very large truck stuck in our septic system. We asked a truck who had delivered bricks to help us get the semi out of the hole and he did so. Now our only problem is the repair of the hole and the students from the college were in the hole today with masks and gloves to start the repairs.
The week had started with a sweet little girl who's father works for one of our doctors, coming in with a burnt leg. The poor little thing didn't even wimper when the doctor was looking at it. I was told that that was because it was third degree burns and the nerves are burnt off. It was horrible to see. We sent her to a specialist, I'll let you know when I find out what they were able to do for her. It's hard not to let some of these cases get to you.
Finally we have been searching all week for blood for a young man who has aid and will die if he doesn't get a transfusion. Even if people have the blood to give they are not always willing to give it and you cann't force anyone to give their blood. The blood bank keeps sending us the wrong blood which is also making me a bit wacky.
All in all, God is working in the lives of my staff. I'm encouraged by what I see in their attitudes, especially the attitudes of the cleaners. They came together on tuesday and helped me clean up the storeage room which was infested with Rats or at least things were covered with little black rat gifts. We had pizza for lunch and then drew names for the mattresses which the rats had made nests in. Somethings better than nothing I guess. Those who's names weren't drawn were really un happy and said I should make up for their losses. So, would you feel bad if you hadn't won a rat nest mattress? Sometimes the things we deal with are so un real it blows your mind.
Thursday I went home and decided to make a big pot of soup and feed all the neighbors, I think some people slept better that night. You cann't solve all the worlds problems but you can at least bless a few. Have a great week and enjoy all the pictures that follow this entry.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
