The Malawi Blog

Hey, fans and friends...
The Malawi blog is up... start here:
http://bragdonwood.blogspot.com/2009/04/42409.html
That way, you get it all in order...

5/11/09

Carnivore was the bomb! Woo hoo! Roasted chicken and ostrich meatballs rocked! Great sauces, and the tropical soda was great too! No stomach aches either... at least for me and Rick. The atmosphere was crazy -- there were monkeys in the trees behind us, and tree frogs creaking and shrieking so loud that we had to yell sometimes! Also, there music system seemed to be all late 60s and 70s tunes. Yes, I danced to ABBA as they carved meat off of swords... they played “Fernando”and “Dancing Queen”.

Also a bunch of Motown / soul stuff that was familiar, but I don’t remember them now. Sorry Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Our taxi broke down with a flat on the way to the restaurant with a flat tire.

Sad times, but because of being broken down, we saw the Kenyan President’s motorcade roar through the city. Pretty cool, actually. Kenya is first world -- it’s surprising to see black people that aren’t thinner than me around. :- )
Greg and Simon lost their hippo teeth souvenirs to customs... shoulda checked ‘em... too bad; they were nice ones. I can’t wait to get home... it hit me in the middle of a Kenyan gas station how surreal it was to be in a city that wasn’t American. Seriously, that was the first time I got that “I feel like I was photoshopped here” vibe. Hearing Audioslave’s “Cochise”, and Oasis’s “Cigarettes & Alcohol” on the in-flight radio station made the middle seat bearable. The girl next to me is snoring. I actually think that’s cute. Then again, I met a girl (a friend of a friend) a few months ago who had pretty bad breath... and I thought that was cute, too. Endearing, unique... you know what I mean...

Before getting on this flight I talked to a couple from London who were exactly one of those couples that Nick Park interviewed for “Creature Comforts” -- I almost didn’t believe that they were real accents, since they were so spot-on British. They couldn’t believe the poverty in Kenya... I told them what I’d been doing in Malawi, and it surprised them. They’re very sheltered... said the pot to the kettle...

Anyway... I thank you all for your prayers, your support, and your friendship... if I missed anything, please ask me about it!

5/10/09

Left Malawi, and pretty much all I packed behind. This morning, a few of us went to church in the village. It was good to see those guys one last, time, give ‘em hugs, and worship with them. So many smiling kids, too. I wonder when I’ll be called “azungu” again...

At IBF, a new set of locks meant the staff were locked out of the sound room... so we had an acoustic morning. ( -:
Brian preached on Annias and Sapphira, and the proper way to give, and how to do it with the right motives. It’s not the amount that matters, it’s the heart of the giver.
We all got out of there quick, and a few of us rode with the Dinerts to the airport. The flight took off on time, and we’re now drinking our last Malawian Fantas in tiny airline cans. Chris is the man. He sits the same on a plane as he does on a boat, in a car, or at dinner. There’s something Pauline about that, I think.
We’re going to Carnivore for dinner, so I gave Chris my entrée, and he gave me his dessert... mmm... canned strawberry shortcake... I’m tired and my pants are too loose.

(a running gag from Braveheart)
Servant: An excellent idea, sire...
King Edward (Longshanks): IS IT?!

5/09/09

It rained during the night, hard enough to wash away footprints, and give me and Ruben license to sing “Africa” by Toto again. I haven’t made many appeals, but seriously, you need to feel an African rain. It felt so much more... correct than in the US, with buildings and roads that don’t erode or lead to water. I was supposed to get wet; I was getting in the way of those droplets, who wanted to soak the soil they were aimed at.
We did a short little jaunt in the morning before breakfast. Dan and I were in one car, and most of the others were in the... other. I’d barely talked to Dan the whole trip, unless I was asking for a task, or trying to defend, dodge, or distract from being teased. It was cool hearing how he’d shifted from member to leader of an STM. Wow, I’m just thinking of all the conversations that I haven’t mentioned now. So much learning taking place... at least for me.
On the way out of the park, I didn’t have a seat belt, and... uh.... I slammed my head good and hard on the top of the car. Painful, but tonight it’s become a lump with a bruise. Nice. Rick gave me a Hershey bar to treat the pain. Spoonful of sugar, right?

On the way back “home”, we stopped at Dedza, the city / plant where all Brian’s flooring tiles were made, and where almost all Malawian pottery starts. We saw the ovens, and all the beautiful plant life scattered around. There were pretty sculptures and nicely painted fired clay pottery. I bought something else to ease the teasing -- a pretty goblet with an orange sunset and savannah trees, and some Malawian coffee for the peeps in the IT office. It smelled fantastic. The coffee, I mean.
As we drove back, some guys in a fast government car kept throwing blue papers out of their car -- they were pro-Bingu in the upcoming elections, and dozens of kids were running out into the street to get them. So dangerous, and it was just photocopied posters. Very effective though; the word was spread.

We stopped by and visited Kwacha’s family -- his sisters, their kids (so stinkin’ cute!) and Kondi and Patricia. We had a Malawian cake for a snack, and a round of Cokes and Fantas.
When we got home, I stuffed all my souvenirs into my backpack, and I put all my extra clothes, supplies, and stuff into the giveaway bins. No extra clothes, only the stuff I’d wear on the way back. I gave away a lot. I wish I had more. Tim took my empty bags; no more checked luggage... only my backpack. I helped Ruben fix the dryer... even though it kept breaking. Bummer on that. The desserts were epic again -- three different ones, plus ice cream! Molva pudding is a SA dish... like a syrup-soaked cake, warm and sticky, but wet enough that it keeps you salivating.

5/08/09 pt. 2

(continued...)

We got back to shore, and after a few tasty chocolate chip cookies, we headed into the game park. We stretched our legs in an unlit round room with pictures of all the creatures we could expect to see inside. It was a little odd. I’m (Carl wiggles his fingers) thinking like a writer, but this is a Jurassic Park moment -- there’s an electric fence around the place to keep big things from getting out... but it doesn’t stop little things from sneaking in. I think of Dinner the goat, tied to a rope again. Ah, Lex... as if you really knew Unix.
We dropped our stuff off in our “cabins” -- military tents on raised “decks” with thatched roofs for extra covering. The deck of Brian and my tent was freshly treated to prevent termites... i.e. used motor oil was smeared all over it, like a Kevin McCallister trap. With my shaggy beard and scruffy hair, I feel like Marv as I ice-skate in sneakers...

The trip through the backwoods of Liwonde was so cool! The car, clockwise from the driver’s seat was Rick, Tim, Ruben, Ron, me, and Greg. We saw impala, wildebeests, waterbucks, baboons(!), wild boars, and eventually, elephants!

We started off, trying to drive to the rhino enclosure, well to the north of the tents and the lodge. Rick and Greg scoped it out, but soon, we realized that it had been a while since anyone had been down this path. I try not to think of Frost, and instead enjoy the ride. Soon, we arrive at a disabled vehicle, and a tractor. The bridge is out, or never was.
We get out, and walk across, with Rick splashing and 4x4ing behind us. I didn’t even think of the possibility of crocs in the water to the left and right. Later, the guys offer me money to run across the backs of any crocs we come across -- $5 to go from one side to the other; there and back again. Easy money.

After driving on what Rick and Greg called “a game trail” for a bumpy long time, we had to get out and go over a dry river bed. There were a number of clean, fresh clam shells here. Greg guessed that baboons had a picnic lunch here, having brought them from the water, 300+ yards away. It was kinda suspicious, you know? An empty house, with dirty dishes still on the table. I still think it would have been cool if the monkeys had gotten into the car while we were distracted.

We drove past many more amazing trees, deer, and rustling brush before truly finding our dead end point. There was no bridge that a car could take -- maybe Erin’s Bumblebee, but not this rental car.
We cracked out the Cokes and Fantas we’d packed, and listened to the silence. It was amazing. I don’t have the words for the feeling -- this was the furthest from anyone else I’ve ever been. Yeah, the rest of the guys were there, but no-one else. Animals that didn’t know the hand of man were literally just beyond the next tree. Rick, Ron, and I got out on the wooden supports for a (former) bridge. It was cool, high above the water, sipping a Fanta.

We went back, over hill and over dale (we missed Chip), and back to the path beyond the river... Ron got chased over the river by Rick in the car... I’m glad he didn’t fall in. We were close to camp again when Ron spotted two elephants off to the left. We watched and photographed them, and I even (on a dare) tried to tag either of them with a rock. Fortunately, I’m not a good thrower...

Man, next we saw a grip of elephants crash through the trees in front of us, and a ways behind us. It was sweet -- we heard one or two of them trumpeting. I wasn’t scared... don’t know why. Seriously -- I would have thought that would rile me, but it was just cool; cool like an airplane taking off, or seeing an 18-wheeler parallel park.
So, once we got back to the lodge, it was dark, but lit by candles and kerosene.
Ruben, Greg, and I sat, drinking our bottled sodas, feeling like we were 19th century Brits on safari. So we started talking like it. Greg told us of the ‘chaps’ that he’d known who had been gored or trampled, and Ruben spoke of trying to rescue friends from quicksand... and losing them. I had such a hard time keeping a straight face -- I now know where Shannon gets it. Just such a perfect charade, as I swirl my Fanta like brandy, and lean back in my comfy chair.
I gotta admit, the meal was a bit dodgy -- I wasn’t sure what had been washed or prepared with “tap water”. I stuck to the beef and the soup -- if it boiled, or if it burned, I should be good... right?

After dinner, we went to the sitting room again, and had our official “debrief” time. I wish I could share some of the thoughts, memories, or things the guys were thankful for, but I’ll let those things stay in our group. It was a total blessing to serve with these guys. To BE served by them.
Oh, I somehow mentioned Muppets, and Tim asked me if I was a Muppet fan. I proudly said I was, and I think Greg or Dan asked if I could sing any Muppet songs. I started singing “The Rainbow Connection”, with occasional harmonic help by Ruben (doing a Kermit voice)... I don’t know how weird that made me look, but it felt like massaging a pulled muscle. The Muppets are a touchstone in my life. Comfort food and a security blanket. Muse and jester.

Tonight, I went back to my tent rather than doing a 10pm drive into the jungle with Dan and the rest. I’m tired, and wanting to lie still. Brian and I talked about dating, being a kid (and the misbehaving we’d done), and the mission field. Such a different life from mine, even so different from his life in SA.

5/08/09 pt. 1

Today, we left ABC for the Liwonde game park. A-mi-nals!!!
We got out early, and saw amazing scenery and towns on the way. I kid you not, I seriously saw the landscapes as something Tolkien would have brought the 9 through. And it dawns on me that our group has been reduced to that. I see the plains of Rohan, and the huts and hills of Hobbiton. The Shire. Longbottom leaf, and second breakfasts.
We travel in an Apex rent-a-car -- you’ll see its etched windows all over our pictures, I’m sure. Miles of teasing and talking. Some idle, some poignant. We packed drinks and sandwiches, but they are in the other car. We have muffins. I eat the top off one, and later the stump. It’s a long drive, and I’m sure I fell asleep.
We ended up at a touristy-looking resort, the “Hippo View Lodge”. It was bright and clean, and very well landscaped. We looked around, Brian put his head in a hippo statue’s mouth, and then we got on our river boat. It’s cool -- I dug the openness and the 80’s-ish look-and-feel to it. Plus, the boat is named “Shire Queen” -- OK, technically, it’s pronounced “sheer-ay”, but I suspiciously believe it’s another LOTR reference. Maybe Dan Brown needs to get his quack-ness down to Africa and connect some random historical dots about Tolkien...
Oh, the boat ride was so cool! I mean, I wasn’t giddy, but it was epically cool to be on a real-life Jungle Cruise.

We saw bare-chested fishermen in canoes then hippos swimming and yawning -- yes, they blow bubbles AND wiggle their ears!

We pulled up close in the marsh to two elephants, and one had a bird on his back! Simon and Rick got some good pictures of us with the oliphaunts in the background. Man, that was surreal.
We saw a croc on the way back, and the same hiphopopotamuses, swimming and waiting. Chris and Dan talked about wearing crocs. Chris undid a tangled shred of rope / cloth that was under Dan’s chair, and wore it like a bracelet. It was such a surfer moment -- he was the only person there that could have pulled that move off.
Somehow Tim fell asleep in his deck chair. I think I would’ve fallen out, but then again, I move when I sleep.

5/07/09

Tired. Done. Busy. Paint. Drying. Tacky. Lifting. Nailing. Cutting. Sorting. Singing. Laughing. Joking. Kidding. Secret. Unsure. Hidden. Smirking. Teasing. Hoping. Defensive. Honest. Hopeful. Eating. Cleaning. Talking. Bonding. Happy. Sore. Patience. Packing. Leaving. Giving. Sharing. Jealous. Distracted. Sinning. Wrong. Repenting. Humbled. Humbled. Learning. Smiling. Pressure. Future. Responsibility. Timing. Leading. Elders. Teachers. Workers. Blessed.

5/05/09

So, yesterday I killed a wireless router... brain surgery + power failure = lost patient. Some geek I am...
And sometimes Texas Hold ‘Em is too hard after a day of work... but playing with dirty tambala coins was fun. 50 tambala coins are heptagonal -- pretty cool!
Today was painting and emailing. Oh, and while I was in the shower, Chris told me I was leading devotions in 3 minutes. Nice. :- )
My fingers are dry and my fingerprints are deepening... AND EVERYTHING SMELLS LIKE TURPENTINE!

[FYI, the picture is of a toy I had (...still have) that I thought looked like a bottle, and the most dangerous bottled thing I could think of that started with "t" was turpentine...]
Ruben’s stacking nails, trying to beat Lukas’ record. Simon killed a goat for dinner... You heard me. Ruben named him "Dinner", so it would be less traumatic. I still didn't watch.

Lukas is teaching Tim and Brian how to better use their cameras. Speaking of apertures... my ocular apertures are getting tired.

Chris is on the phone with Jessica. Pretty much if the phone rang after 6pm, we knew it was her. Pretty cool.

Dan’s talking shop to Rick, and Greg’s dictating a letter for me to write to someone.
"Life is good, eternal life is better"... "and he walked the length of his days under African skies"...
"That girl is like a sunburn"...
Haha, Ruben was singing every Neil Diamond song today, ticking Chris off... but it was very funny that every few minutes, I’d hear Ruben burst out with a “on the boats and on the planes, they’re comin’ to America!” Chris would eventually come out of the office, shaking his head with a laugh -- "you see what I gotta put up with, Carl?"
Lukas leaves tomorrow, and we on Sunday Afternoon. Such a good day, even though I really didn’t get a lot of drying time for the shelves and doors...

5/03/09 pt. 2

(continued)

We went to lunch at the Sunbird Hotel in Lilongewe. It was a buffet with an Asian cuisine kind-of-menu. It was good beef, and tasty soup. Just a great mix of Fanta, fellowship, and fun. I love hearing Chris and Rick’s tales of extreme surfing and shenanigans... ooh, Newt getting rocked on a ramp, and Chris getting pummeled by pipelines crashing. It’s like hearing Jake and Jim talk about skiing -- no personal experience, but I can imagine it pretty well.
From there, we headed to a wandering walk through the back alley shops of the city. We parked at the post office, and were immediately beset by sellers, trying to get us to check out their shops. A rasta-looking guy introduced himself to me as Jack Sparrow. I checked his arm -- no bird tattoo. Nice try, though. Thanks for playing.
We walked down through town, past a place that’ll be opening next year that Anita’s psyched about -- it’s a SA version of Target... wow; getting big capital city -- a chain department store :- )
So, we passed through a ton of lean-to shops and booths -- I mean booths; it’s divided like a convention hall. All merchants are surrounded with food, raw and open; an organic cornucopia, complete with flies and flaws. Little tables or blankets with dozens of sunglasses, bottles of skin care cream, shampoo, trial size soaps... everything. Brian described it like the stores in Aladdin -- a good mental picture, but imagine a wetter climate, and far more South African trade goods. All the dirt is compressed with bottle caps from Carlsburg beer and Coca-Cola. It’s almost paved in places. We gingerly avoid water here, running or still. Chris is in sandals, and I wonder how close to pee-water we’re getting.
The clothes they have for sale are shipped there from the US, SA, or even the Middle East. Thrift store escapees, special buys from Marshalls and Ross, and last-chance bargains end up here; packed on pallets, cargo bins, and delivered to a less discriminatin’ country.
All the booths seem specialized -- a shop with only blue jeans, another with many jackets (including a spiffy army coat from a possibly defunct country -- what else do you do with the loser’s uniforms?). There’s one with only Hawaiian shirts (no, I didn’t get one), and a booth packed with nothing but bras. Brian bought some kind of grilled lemon slices from a guy who was cooking ‘em up. It was a market; something that America’s distilled into department stores.
We crossed the river on a cool, rickety toll bridge. Real rickety, not some manufactured creaky thing, but rope with boards slung across it. An Indiana Jones bridge at least 3 stories over the river.
We keep walking up to the more Indian part of town -- we walk through a different market that’s almost all auto parts and fish market. Again, I think of that Mad Max / native American mentality; if you have something, use it, don’t throw it away. Rick’s naming every kind of part and piece he sees, and there’s piles of brake, axel, and engine pieces. Some of them are so huge, I can’t imagine how a buyer would get it out -- pieces that weigh a ton (easily) are nestled in this secret metal boneyard.
After making the circuit, we cross the river again, this time by the regular road -- it’s a good stone arch, with cars driving over, and people doing laundry in the river underneath.
We check out the golf course (Brian says it’s good, and he’s got a couple sets of clubs) and a couple guys split off to see the police station which was nearby. If you don’t already know, the Malawi police are numerous, yet they don’t have cars, or really any vehicles at all. So weird!
So, walking back to the cars, we pass the merchants again. I tell the guys that I’m looking for something small, and that I don’t know what I want, but I’ll know it when I see it. That gets a lot of competitive aggro going, and the guys are really trying to get my business. I continue to wear my backpack in front, and I keep both hands in my pockets. No sense gettin’ jacked if I can avoid it. Finally, I found a beaded elephant. It’s shiny, with some orange (beads + copper) and kinda cute -- I hope I get to see some elephants, ‘cause that’ll make it a better gift. Same with the rhino bookends.
We headed back, and stopped at the only fast food place I saw in Malawi. It’s a SA place called “Steers” -- it looked like a Burger King, maybe... very purple, though. We got soft serve, which was a little sharp in taste, but hit the spot. I got to buy a round (i.e. a carton) or Cokes for the guys from the store.
If you don’t know this about me, then let me share... I love giving stuff to people, and not giving the same stuff to myself. It’s totally born from of Andy Dufresne in Shawshank Redemption getting the beers for the inmates who’re tarring the roof -- it makes a man feel like he’s done a good day’s work. Then when Andy’s offered one of the bottles by a fellow worker, he waves it off, telling the guy that he stopped drinking years ago. The guy gets confused, smiles, and goes back. Then Andy smiles. That feeling -- that smile -- is so unique. I dare you to try it... it might be an acquired taste, but I love it, and now I can’t go long without it.
And does the name Mildred Hideaway mean anything to you?

5/03/09 pt. 1

So, 2 churches this morning; #23 at the school in the village, and IBF at ABC.
Kwatcha’s friend and ex-roomie Kondwani (Kondi) is the pastor of a church in the village -- not the only church, mind you, but the only one that exegetes a passage in the bible. With our 10 guys, we doubled the turnout for that church. Kinda awkward, but
The music at Kondi’s church was all acapella, with Richard leading. Man, that guy had some complex rhythms going -- we couldn’t keep up. Some of the melodies were familiar, but they sang in Chichewa, and at the end, Kondi explained the gist of it. The kids of the village keep coming in to see us -- it’s a big deal. Felix and Richard had to keep the kids quiet, or out of the church. Man, I hate disrupting stuff.
Next, we piled into the car, inside and out, and went to the job site, and saw all the work Rick, Richard, and the workers had done. Wow! A full slab, with a septic hole, and fittings for plumbing built in. Rick designed it to have a tank above for the women of the village to fill their water supply for washing, showering, and flushing. Somehow, I’m thinking of the way Rachel was found in Genesis.
So, we pile back into / onto our ride, and head to IBF; it’s at the Chapel in ABC. We load Kondi on as well, and I got to talk to him a bit as we “hung” together. He pointed out a Christian-looking church inside the village that actually practices something like voodoo or a derivation of fear-based paganism. He explained how much Malawi was still superstitious... people in the village will try to get a curse put on you if you bring too much weath, or weirdness from the outside. A metal roof, or a fistful of dollars could get you hexed. Conversely, you can try to combat illness and poverty by following rituals and paying these shaman / priests. Haha, now I’m hearing Josh Crooch lambasting WOW characters. "C’MON! You’re killin’ me!" :- )
Kondi also told me that while he was going to school in SA, he was blown away that there were poor white people there... he actually gave a guy 5 rand just so he could tell people in Malawi that he gave to a white beggar. As I rub my beard now, and look at my paint-stained shoes, and ill-fitting clothes, I realize that I look like an LA homeless guy, yet here, I’m ... well, I’m rich. Still, kind of a freak.
We drove back to the house, and Greg and I walked down to church. We talked about early man, and the idea of having a perfect mind. Adam was created perfect... entropy and death weren’t part of the equation for him... so he would have had perfect visual, olfactory, tactile, and auditory memory. He could name all the animals and remember them. He could hear an animal sound, and now exactly which one it came from. And Greg postulated (and I agree) that even after the fall, the decay of Man hadn’t reached its current state -- lives were longer, and I bet that their skills were stronger. Imagine being able to see an object built, and be able to do it, just after seeing it once. Being able to judge distances as if you had a tape, binoculars, and a level. Not having to write measurements down, because you wouldn’t forget so quickly. It’s a cool thing to think about... especially from a craftsman’s point of view.
So, we get to IBF, and Kondi’s passing out bulletins -- man, he’s everywhere. Brian’s there too, meetin’ the folks as they arrive. I think of the last time I saw a pastor greeting people at the door... I don’t think I’ve seen it this decade.
There’s a ton of international-looking peeps here -- it’s a small world, after all, inside His Church, and under this octagonal dome. I sit with some of the crew, and look through the hymnals... one is simply printed, and has some Chechewan hymns in it. I wonder if those were some of the songs we sang... or rather clapped along with/?
I wish I recorded the morning better, but the music was great to sing along with -- a drummer, or to the side of the stage kept time, and we sang Crossroads / bible study like songs -- upbeat, and encouraging. Nothing against the more traditional hymns, but this crowd didn’t seem too formal. The Kingdom brothers (of whom we’d heard a few on Thursday night) were up as special music, and they sang a catchy tune they wrote called “Welcome”, that “sampled” The Lion Sleeps Tonight -- Ruben loved it... they had major skills, both with volume, and with timing. They sang a hymn as well, and then Brian preached from the end of Acts 4... Barnabus the servant, helper, encourager, and saint. I think I kept my notes... somewhere.
We hung around for a while after, as Brian mingled, and at least I (like any geek) idled poorly. Have you ever seen me idle bad? Nothing to help out with, no clean-up projects, or things to pass out... you can hear my belts whine, and the pistons churn in an oilless cacophony that drowns out chit-chat and social graces. Grrr... then compare that the NO2 boost when I give stuff to people; just as much of a car(l) problem, but the cloud of me escaping thank yous and eye contact works like a smokescreen... a buffer... OK, enough justifying of my quirks...

5/02/09

So, today, while I'm at the computer, Brian witnessed to a unity-seeking guy named Rue -- “Roo-ee” -- who came to the house to get Brian interested in a lady who was coming to town to share some newly revealed truth from God. Yikes. This lady’s pic was on the propaganda novel he was handing out to people. Spracken ze LaRouche? OK, so he claimed you could follow this path correctly: Jesus = Salvation; Jesus = God; God = love; therefore, Salvation = love. So, love is all you need. Not the bible, truth, or the Holy Spirit. This dude was soft on knowledge, and didn’t recognize that Brian WAY out-comprehended him. Still, Brian kept up his patience, and calmly walked him through the Gospel, and the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice. I sat there in front of the computer, praying that Brian had the right words, and thankful that of all the people to talk to him, a Seminary-trained missionary was available. God is good.


And somehow, Ron, Ruben, and I started quoting Brian Regan... I wish I remembered what started it; probably something about the “Me Monster”. Brian opened his DVD cabinet, and put on Regan’s “I Walked On the Moon” special. We sat and watched, laughing and quoting it to the guys who hadn’t seen it yet. That and Facebook are such a cool slice of home... woo hoo!

5/01/09

Stomach ache this AM... probably from the fish and pop, or the gift-horse chocolate cake last night. I could crunch the grains of sugar in it. Not Stevie’s cooking. By the way, Stevie is a native Malawian, and one of Brian’s employees... he’s been trained by Anita to cook and clean in Western (or ZA) style -- he follows recipes from the classic Betty Crocker cookbook very well. It’s amazing to have huge meals that I’ve heard of for every meal. So cool. We all love Stevie.
Oh, and (mainly) Lukas and I hung the rest of Brian’s pictures. I helped out with some financial stuff -- inputting receipts, etc. I installed and imported stuff for Anita’s laptop, and ran the STM donation push remotely from Malawi. Oh, yeah -- RDP from a different continent, baby! Geek on!
I’m totally the Josh Wade of this year’s trip. It’s actually comfortable.
As I said to a few of the guys: “It is a good thing to have citizenship in the imagi_nation_”
Brian’s implied challenge to us: is your effect the same as a finger in water? Remove the finger, and the water just closes in.
Dan’s a cool guy; I love hearing cop stories. I bet Danny and Justin could do a PSA just as easy as doing an infomercial, or a sitcom.

[Carl proceeds to write an end-line rhyme poem that’s too... corny to share]
Oh my weerrd. Why, Carl, why?

4/30/09

Ha, ha, ha... a good day at Lake Malawi.
It was a long drive, and I got to hear Ruben, Greg, Simon, Brian, and Lukas’ testimonies. Wow, Ruben the bad teen; Greg the philosopher; Simon, the kid saved from walking away; Brian, the born missionary; and Lukas, the saved ex-caffeine kid.
And now there’s a joke going around. At my expense... heh heh. Greg knows, and he’s encouraging.

The lake was so cool -- like a beach, but with faster and smaller waves. Chris and Rick went swimming... I was a little freaked by Brian’s “snail parasites that’ll kill your liver” speech, so I hung back. We ate at the Sunbird Livingstonia Beach, named after the missionary, of course.
We stopped at the wood / curio shops on the way back. They’re along the road to the lake -- at least 25 tent-like structures full of similarly-carved wooden things; keyholders, ashtrays, figures, bowls, toys, trinkets, and jewelry. But some are unique; the wood and the size, the detail or the shape. Such were the rhino bookends and the croaking toad. For the toad, you run the little club that fits in his mouth along his back, and it produces a hollow “glomp”ish sound. Yes, I saw toads here. They’re behind Brian’s house, hiding with the skinks in the run-off / woodpile near the electric fence. The noise is quite accurate at the right rate. I need to get Ed and Silvana something, too.
I don’t want to jinx it with mountaintop excitement... and this dern beard is itchy...
I love this crew, and I’d love to keep going.
Mosquitoes are punks, though. *slap* *slap* Come back you little creep!
We had steak fajitas for dinner, chambe (battered, with pop) for lunch, and French toast for breakfast!
I’m tired and happy and excited and I can’t hardly wait! So sleepy... YAWN!

4/29/09

Origami + Malawian kids = fun!
I went with Rick to the construction site in the village, and after some shoveling and brick-sorting, I made a crane from part of a cement bag. I taught them the word “share”... they all had to pass the bird on, or it fell apart, back into a piece of paper. I would flap the wings, and make a “grok, grok” sound, which they laughed at, then tried to duplicate. Teaching them vs. learning their words; wow!
“Baa-lamm” --> bird or crow
“Se-ca” --> paper
“tee-oh-na-na” (“mau-wa”) --> see you later (tomorrow)
Oh, and washing “mud” off with minimal water, outdoors, at night isn’t as fun as several hundred other things I’ve done. Grr...
But Fanta and a couple conversations -- one with Lukas, one with Greg -- hit the spot. Lukas and I were putting up pictures and photos, but Greg hit the nail on the head. Gah!
The phrase “Finnegan's Wake” jumped into my head and stuck today. Why?

4/28/09

Lukas went to the village today with Rick to get more pictures... I guess he got swamped, and led them around the streets, looking like a parade. I did data entry, file transferring, and helped with painting and scraping the walls. I’ve decided that since I haven’t had any caffeine since LAX, then I won’t have any until I get back. That might be hard to handle on the plane...
Tonight, all Brian’s senior students came to the house, had dessert, and he gave them each a different Macarthur NT commentary. Afterwards, they sang a couple songs, all a cappella. It was totally cool, and unique. They danced and moved while singing worship songs -- and they modulated their volume or speed as a group without a conductor! I talked to a guy from Mzuzu (a different town in Malawi) named “Z”, who works at the ABC radio station, and is a communications major. (he's the one looking at the camera...)

4/27/09

Just played “Wizard” with Ruben, Rick, Ron, Dan, Simon, and Greg. Dan CLEANED UP -- it’s like hearts mixed with Crazy 8’s. It was a great first day. Dan and I painted 2 rooms, Chris and Ruben (with Lukas and Malawian Willie) did both ceilings, Simon wired stuff, and Rick started building the dorms in the village. Haha... Lukas and Chris both snore, but I bet I do too. :- )
Ruben + Chris = karaoke; it was so fun to join them singing “Sing” from Sesame Street and “I Love You Just the Way You Are”, and hearing Dan lay down “Ice, Ice, Baby” on cue. Heh heh... I haven’t shaved yet, maybe I can be Logan when I come back home. You know, just shave the muzzle area...
I hope to give away all this stuff I have. No obvious mosquito bites... yet. With the paint color on my hands, it looks like I’ve been makin’ waffles!
I really wish I had more skills, in the same way I wish I was a better man. I hope I can learn more about construction... and yes, I know I’ve started the last three thoughts with “I”... stink.
The food rocks! Biscuits and gravy, pizza, and spaghetti and meatballs + salad + chocolate cake today! I hope and pray tomorrow I can shine with His light brighter. Word of the day: hope.

4/26/09 pt. 2

I sang “Africa” as we flew over Mt. Kilimanjaro (Kill-uh-man-jer-o? Kill-a-muhn-jar-o?). Saw a cute little Indian girl with squeaky shoes wander around the airport. I’ve forgotten at least half of the last 24 hours... and that’s kinda sad. The Nairobi airport was pretty odd -- it felt like sticks to Heathrow’s house of bricks. We watched a soldier patrol out the window with a machine gun and a red beret. I think someone made a musical Sgt. Barry reference. Maybe it was me.
So, we’re in Africa, in Malawi, in Brian’s house, and I’m sitting in the squishiest chair he has. Deet already scarred my cheapy watch. It looks acid-washed, or Alien-sprayed. Hahaha! We’re not supposed to drink tap water, or offer to give money or stuff to the Malawians (at least not without Brian’s say-so). Dinner was Shepherd’s Pie -- a-maz-ing! It was like a milder version of my Grandma’s Enchilada Pie... hmmm... maybe that’s where that name came from.

Chris and I got to ride on the outside of the Combi through Msilisa (mm-sil-EE-sa), a village right across the street from African Bible College. Every kid under 8 (and some over) yelled “azungu” (aah-ZOONG-goo!) at us, and ran up waving. Azungu means “white person”; not anything like an insult, just a skin-tone derived identification. More often than not, having an azungu in your village means money’s not far behind. A sad truth for Malawi -- all whiteys are gonna have money to burn.
Rick’s going to start building a residence for interns or potential grad students to stay at during their time at Kondi’s church, or at IBF. Right now, it’s just a maize field with a property line marker on it.
I just pulled off my socks that I’d been wearing since Friday morning. Right now at Grace, I’m hoping Jim, Mike, and Jake are taking the offering for Crossroads.
Silvana’s topic of conversation on Friday is still throwin’ me off... I think I know why she has and was holding her position. I can’t be fatalistic about it. Maybe when I get back I’ll do something about it. Someday I suppose.

4/26/09 pt. 1

Eyes are red like I’ve been crying, and Kenya Airways “RA09” is playing “Hunger Strike”. Maybe it’s arrogant, but I bet only 12 people worldwide really know what this song is about. Maybe I don’t know hunger, but I know the strike part.
I can’t believe I was able to fall asleep, and that I can’t now. Shoes are off, and feel better now.

I love the pigeons in Bolt; “are you kiddin’? This is the bes’ day of my LIFE”...

4/25/09

Saw some CRAZY chips at a Heathrow gift store... Cajun Squirrel? Prawn Cocktail?

I couldn’t place the ethnicity of the girl behind the counter... how apropos in an international airport. She spoke idly to her coworker about the clothes she wore last night – an off-the-shoulder orangey-pink French thing, with nylons (of course) and Gladiator boots. As I imagine the schizophrenic party that she’d be able to attend dressed like that, the whole of the Heathrow airport scene feels wrong. “Duty-free” becomes an obscenity, and I wish I knew why they walk and drive on the right side. My backpack and Anita’s laptop feel heavier with each euro or pound sign I see.
I walk past the HMV shop; it looks like FYE, but smaller. They’re playing Dylan’s “Subterranean Homesick Blues”, and I lock eyes with the stock girl, who’s dressed like Mad Stan. She doesn’t know about Bob tossing signs around, but I do. Further down the hallway, the Starbucks doesn’t have BTLs, but they’re blasting the Sugarcubes. Maybe it's better than I thought... maybe it’s the 3 hours of sleep, but I start laughing (to myself, of course; who’d listen?) and try to figure out what I want...
To eat, I join most of the crew at a party-looking place called Garfunkel’s. It’s kinda expensive, but I got some good tasty ice cream & a toffee waffle. And a huge glass of water.

4/24/09

So, I’m on an airplane, sipping what’s left of my Venti BTL (I didn’t think they’d let me on with an outside drink)
I have trail mix from Mrs. Peters and my little red moleskine. Headphones and an interesting selection of in-flight music. I laughed through Fou De Fa Fa, and now I’m listening to Johnny Cash’s At Folsom Prison album... and it’s speaking to me – maybe it’s the worry, or that I’m locked into an inescapable dark place, thinking about the people and places of home.
The conversation on the way to the airport with Ed and Silvana was odd and a little tense... I hope being guarded and a smart aleck wasn’t too brusque.
Chris is a cool guy – I’m glad I’m tethered to him for this round. Takeoff was fine -- it’s a lot like Star Tours... :- )
OK, now Johnny’s singin’ about cocaine and murder... maybe not so much like me.