Celebration 2 of 2

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 1 Corinthians 9:24

Sorry for such a late post, but the Olympics have been on and...that's my excuse, Olympics. I have been distracted from watching amazing people who have spent their whole lives working on this goal of going to the Olympics to find out if they are the best. And there have been some unbelievable records that have been set, by astonishing people and countries. Learning their stories and how they have gotten where they are. Learning about how they train and what they go through to be the best, I love it all. This is my last post.

cooking with the village

 

THE CELEBRATION

 

Movie of village shown to the village

THE celebration every year is the last day that we are in the village. This is the day we get there early in the morning and we stay until after dark. We spend the day just being with everyone, getting to know them, taking A LOT of pictures. Going to the homes of the people we each have gotten to know a little better. We cook with them, or rather try to cook with them, we eat, we play games, we kill a goat or two and some chickens. Lots of dancing and lots of singing. This year we added the play that I spoke about earlier and the movie. Every year is different and every year is special. 

 




this girl

children

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

boys

 



I spent most of my time hanging out with Fiki, because there were so many people with us this this whole trip I was lucky if I was able to say hi to her for a minute everyday, let alone catch up. We talked and cooked together, I got to learn a little about everything Live Love Malawi has been doing in last year, and what other people not involved with Live Love have been doing too.



dancing with the children

foot pedal on sewing machine

They built a sewing building for the women and widows to learn how to make clothes, purses, bags, and even learn how to hem, and fix holes in clothes. They were taught this to be more self-sufficient and they love it. The women were taught in only a few months how to sew on non-electric machines that are powered by a foot pedal that were donated (including The Grove church) to them so that they could make money for their village and families. 


sewing machine



Bau (mancala) Malawi board game

concert

They are adding more agriculture to the village of Chipampa and so they built a water tower to get water throughout the fields. They are building huts in the village to let guests stay in the village. They have started their second year of school of literacy for adults in the village to learn how to read both in Chichewa and for some in English too. We were there to see the first graduates, and now these women and 1 man know how to read their language and some know how to read 2. It was amazing and beautiful.  They are working with ways to medical treatments to children and adults, the care they need, including Malaria, leprosy, hearing, eyes, burns, bed sores, and coughing. I also found out about a new organization called Donor See where people can learn about how they can donate to help others in third world countries. This site is made for people to put up information and pictures of people who need help to get a cure or medicine, or even to just go to the doctor. They keep updates on each person so that the donors know what is going on and how they have helped. The person who started this is Gret Glyer, an American who has been teaching at ABC academy for a couple of years, he also started Girls Shine Academy a school for girls in Malawi. specifically Mkanda village. We were there when they were in the final stages of finishing the school. The link talks more about it and what is left to be done. These are some of the things that we talked about all night.



Girls Shine Academy

What else do we do on the last day? We take it all in, we remember what we have seen, and what we have heard, we take pictures of everything and everybody so that we can take it with us, and show others. We try and see how we can come back to our own country and not go back to our own routines, and find a way to be in Malawi, while we are in America. We remember how blessed we are in America.

How do we come back to America and not go back to a regular routine? Some people only wait a few weeks and it is back to the same life of rushing around, trying to get everything done on their errand list, driving their kids around to all of their extra activities, Malawi will always be in their hearts and mind, but they do not know what else to do, and life happens. Some start their own organization as soon as they come back and try to find a way to help, one guy, Nick, went back 6 weeks later to become a 5th grade teacher at ABC academy, and last year a girl named Alyssa went back to teach as well. We all have our different ways to cope with what we have seen and been through while we were there. It is a life changing experience no matter what the outcome. I know I will be going back next year and I am starting right away with funding.
 
I want to thank each and every one of you for all of your love and support in getting me to a place I love so much, a place that changes me every time I go, a place where they teach me more than I can ever teach them.

Thank you all again for all that you have done for me.