Monday, June 28, 2010
Grammar lessons
Oh, and after publishing that last post, I apologize for my run on sentences, my misspelled words, and my scattered thoughts. I'm updating everyone via my iPhone, and have 20 too many thoughts bouncing through my head as I type. I'm college educated I swear, even if my posts are not indicative of it!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
"The FED"
When I got my first wind of who "The FED" was, I thought, "who is this woman, and my the power she has.". Let me set the stage for you. Upon my arrival in Malawi with all 130 soccer balls, I had to go thru customs and explain to them what I intended to do with them. My customs card was filled with limited information, as I had no address of residence listed, and I mearly wrote down village names, all of which I completely butchered the spelling, and the customs agent made sure of it. Now Malawi has quite a corrupt government, as the customs agents could have easily confiscated the soccer balls for some illegitmate reason, and then sell them on their own and pocket the money (it's happened to visiting teams before who brought in sports equipment). So back to the story-- the customs agent refused to let me thru, as I see my brother waiting for me in the distance, and trying to tell the agent where I am going with the balls. A supervisor then came to talk to me, of whichi could offer up little information, and asked if my brother could come and give him the info he needed. He reluctanty waived Chris passed the security, and Chris spoke the magic name "Theresa Malila" and we were waived thru customs as if we ourselves were Malawian citizens. Goodness, the power of this woman, that even customs supervisor know not to mess with her.. What was I stepping into for the next 8 weeks?
If you didn't pick up on it, let me write out the equation for you.. Theresa Malila = "The FED"
Theresa is the Founder, and Executive Director of Somebody Cares.. She's got power. Anyways, I was completely intimidate to meet this woman and even more scared to step in her way. In the villGe, they call her "mother Theresa" which is fitting for her humble heart, and her absolute love for te children. But back in the office, she is all business-- and if you know her sense of humor, she is hilarious. If you don't know her sense of humor, you get a cometely different vibe from her. Thankfully, I understand her sense of humor, and we get along quite well. Okay, so you know the FED, now let's talk about why I'm really blogging this time around.. Haha
so I've been very busy with my nutrition education classes, and have had a lot of positive feedback from the women, the village chiefs and the administrative staff here. I've been updating the FED every once in awhile-- (when she asks) and she is also seeing the benefit of the talks. She was asked to go to a last minute conference that was held last week regarding malnutrition (thank you God), and she agreed. It ended up being a 5 hour confernce where she was able to gather information about malnutrition, and the part that government plays in edu atiin, the funds set aside, and then was able to talk with a company called valid nutrition. They have created these malnutrition packets that are made of powdered milk, sugar, peanut oil, and vitamins and minerals. It's a paste, kind of like peanut butter, but much sweeter and tastes really good! They are made predominanty for those children withHIV/AIDS-- and so she was able to gather info about the packets, and they gave her a box of samples of which we can pass out in the villages. They then invted her to go to their factory this week to see the production of their product, as they are based here in Malawi. All of which she shared her experience with me, and let me sift thru all the information she brought back, and how excited she is about the potential to partner with valid nutrition, and she said that if I weren't here doing nutrition talks in the villages, she would have never thought to go to the conference because it wasn't necessarily relevant to the mission of somebody cares. I was so excited to go thru the manuals that she brought back-- all of which are about low input food and nutrition security, and how to grow and eat more, while using less. One of my goals here was to crreate a manual of nutrition lessons that I could type up, and then train the staff here so that they could continue with the nutrition education classes after I have gone. There wasn't going to be enough time for me to write several lessons and train the staff on all of them- so I was praying that the Lord would have His hand in the planning process, and that I would write the lessons that would be most useful and helpful to the communities here... And then the FED walks in with this manual "Low Input Food and Nutrition Security. Growing and Eating More Using Less". I started looking through it, and it has every topic that I've been talking about in my lessons to the women, even down to the exact diagrams that I have created, they are the EXACT same in this manual. Talk about positive reinforcement and affirmation from God!!! ( I had been somwhat worried that my lessons were a bit lengthy and with complex information) the guide has food groups listed with thr crops and staples of Malawi listed in each one (something else I wanted to do before leaving ) and the info is presented in a way that even if you don't have much nutrition knowledge, you are still able to teach the material, as there are concepts and objectives listed, and questions at the end to make sure you and your audience understands what you have just learned. I was flipping through the pages so fast, like I was a 5 year old unwrapping presents on Christmas Jmorning-- I can't tell you the excitment in my heart for just the possibilities that will turn Into opportunities in the near future for nutrition education here that I had tears in my eyes bythe time I was finished, and the FED laughed.
My daily devotional is a new lesson each day in Oswald Chambers book My Utmost for His Highest, and today was about the Lord gripping your heart, and listening to His call, and then you must obey the call, and that you should not dilute the word of God. And if the call is God led, He will see it through the way that He intended. Icame into this experience fearful to have expectations because I tend to set the bar high for myself, and sometimes if you set expectations, you end with disappointment (it's happened too many times for me). So I gave the reigns to God and have been seeking His purpose on a daily basis as to why I am here and what I have to offer. I didn't even come here with the intention of teaching nutrition, but God is using every fiber of me while i'm here, and even though I am utterly exhausted at the end of the day, it is all for His glory, and I have never looked forward to such exhaustion as I do here. The Lord is ever so satisfying as ever so faithful I cannot put into words the blessing that I am walking in day in and day out.
After my flipping thru the manual pages and the crying session, the FED gave me a hug and thanked me for my work here; again- affirmation from the woman that I was so scared of -and yet, I now call her mother Theresa. She introduced me to a potential partner the other day as her daughter, and My emotions caught the best of me again. She brought me flowers the other day with a card that said, "welcome to my family" and I am truly grateful. I tend to accrue "mothers" everywhere I go.. (not to be mistaken, my own biological mother comes first, and I love her with everything that I am!) but From high schhool teachers being my school moms, to the ladies in the office that I worked with at point Loma, and now to the FED, Ms. Theresa Malila in Malawi . I am incredibly blesed
After my
If you didn't pick up on it, let me write out the equation for you.. Theresa Malila = "The FED"
Theresa is the Founder, and Executive Director of Somebody Cares.. She's got power. Anyways, I was completely intimidate to meet this woman and even more scared to step in her way. In the villGe, they call her "mother Theresa" which is fitting for her humble heart, and her absolute love for te children. But back in the office, she is all business-- and if you know her sense of humor, she is hilarious. If you don't know her sense of humor, you get a cometely different vibe from her. Thankfully, I understand her sense of humor, and we get along quite well. Okay, so you know the FED, now let's talk about why I'm really blogging this time around.. Haha
so I've been very busy with my nutrition education classes, and have had a lot of positive feedback from the women, the village chiefs and the administrative staff here. I've been updating the FED every once in awhile-- (when she asks) and she is also seeing the benefit of the talks. She was asked to go to a last minute conference that was held last week regarding malnutrition (thank you God), and she agreed. It ended up being a 5 hour confernce where she was able to gather information about malnutrition, and the part that government plays in edu atiin, the funds set aside, and then was able to talk with a company called valid nutrition. They have created these malnutrition packets that are made of powdered milk, sugar, peanut oil, and vitamins and minerals. It's a paste, kind of like peanut butter, but much sweeter and tastes really good! They are made predominanty for those children withHIV/AIDS-- and so she was able to gather info about the packets, and they gave her a box of samples of which we can pass out in the villages. They then invted her to go to their factory this week to see the production of their product, as they are based here in Malawi. All of which she shared her experience with me, and let me sift thru all the information she brought back, and how excited she is about the potential to partner with valid nutrition, and she said that if I weren't here doing nutrition talks in the villages, she would have never thought to go to the conference because it wasn't necessarily relevant to the mission of somebody cares. I was so excited to go thru the manuals that she brought back-- all of which are about low input food and nutrition security, and how to grow and eat more, while using less. One of my goals here was to crreate a manual of nutrition lessons that I could type up, and then train the staff here so that they could continue with the nutrition education classes after I have gone. There wasn't going to be enough time for me to write several lessons and train the staff on all of them- so I was praying that the Lord would have His hand in the planning process, and that I would write the lessons that would be most useful and helpful to the communities here... And then the FED walks in with this manual "Low Input Food and Nutrition Security. Growing and Eating More Using Less". I started looking through it, and it has every topic that I've been talking about in my lessons to the women, even down to the exact diagrams that I have created, they are the EXACT same in this manual. Talk about positive reinforcement and affirmation from God!!! ( I had been somwhat worried that my lessons were a bit lengthy and with complex information) the guide has food groups listed with thr crops and staples of Malawi listed in each one (something else I wanted to do before leaving ) and the info is presented in a way that even if you don't have much nutrition knowledge, you are still able to teach the material, as there are concepts and objectives listed, and questions at the end to make sure you and your audience understands what you have just learned. I was flipping through the pages so fast, like I was a 5 year old unwrapping presents on Christmas Jmorning-- I can't tell you the excitment in my heart for just the possibilities that will turn Into opportunities in the near future for nutrition education here that I had tears in my eyes bythe time I was finished, and the FED laughed.
My daily devotional is a new lesson each day in Oswald Chambers book My Utmost for His Highest, and today was about the Lord gripping your heart, and listening to His call, and then you must obey the call, and that you should not dilute the word of God. And if the call is God led, He will see it through the way that He intended. Icame into this experience fearful to have expectations because I tend to set the bar high for myself, and sometimes if you set expectations, you end with disappointment (it's happened too many times for me). So I gave the reigns to God and have been seeking His purpose on a daily basis as to why I am here and what I have to offer. I didn't even come here with the intention of teaching nutrition, but God is using every fiber of me while i'm here, and even though I am utterly exhausted at the end of the day, it is all for His glory, and I have never looked forward to such exhaustion as I do here. The Lord is ever so satisfying as ever so faithful I cannot put into words the blessing that I am walking in day in and day out.
After my flipping thru the manual pages and the crying session, the FED gave me a hug and thanked me for my work here; again- affirmation from the woman that I was so scared of -and yet, I now call her mother Theresa. She introduced me to a potential partner the other day as her daughter, and My emotions caught the best of me again. She brought me flowers the other day with a card that said, "welcome to my family" and I am truly grateful. I tend to accrue "mothers" everywhere I go.. (not to be mistaken, my own biological mother comes first, and I love her with everything that I am!) but From high schhool teachers being my school moms, to the ladies in the office that I worked with at point Loma, and now to the FED, Ms. Theresa Malila in Malawi . I am incredibly blesed
After my
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Thanks for laughing at me God
I'm in the middle of my work here, and starting to realize that the end of my trip is almost around the corner. Just when I was getting comfortable with the training sessions and nutrition talks, and now I have to start tying up loose ends! I guess I'll just have to come back!!
So far, I've been able to educate over 300 women (and a few men) about basic nutrition education and it has gone very well. They are very limited in regards to the importance of each food group, but have welcomed my teachings, especially when talking about nutrition for their children. Yesterday was my favorite group of women so far. When we arrived, they were playing net ball and having a great time with one another, which carried over into a great nutrition discussion. They were really responsive to my questions, and were asking for advice... Yes, children in the villages also hate vegetables and so their mothers are asking me how to get their children to eat them; it's a worldwide epidemic. Two chiefs even showed up for our talk, which is a very big deal in the village. I didn't get a chance to talk to them before we started, as they came in a little late, but I had noticed one of the men nodding and affirming everything I was saying throughout the talk. It caught me a little off guard at first, since he was so affirming of what I was saying before Theresa could translate. Once I was finished with the session, he stood up and introduced himself as the chief in impeccable English, and continued to thank me and bless me for my teachings and my guidance. He said how grateful he was for me to be there, and the affirmation from the rest of the women really touched my heart. The women started passing me their babies one by one, just so I could hold them! It was just a other experience that when we were driving away, I said "okay God, thanks for showing me why I'm here, again!!" Everyday, it's another reminder, or 2 or 3 or 4 as to why I'm here. It's funny to look back 4 months or so ago and think how I was so unsure about venturing out into this unknown; not knowing what I had to offer, and straddling the fence- one minute I was going to Malawi, the next I was staying in San Diego. I think I made the right choice :). I've grown so much on this trip, and I've been stretched in ways that God had already prepared me for; yet I had no idea I could do. I sometimes think God is sitting in His office with his hands behind his head, relaxed in His leather chair and His feet rested on top of His desk, and laughing at me. He is just waiting for me to realize what He's created me to do, and I'm finding things out bit by bit, completely amazed, and He's just laughing, as if it's news to Him of these things I've found. If you ask me, I'm sure that God has quite the sense of humor... Just food for thought.
So far, I've been able to educate over 300 women (and a few men) about basic nutrition education and it has gone very well. They are very limited in regards to the importance of each food group, but have welcomed my teachings, especially when talking about nutrition for their children. Yesterday was my favorite group of women so far. When we arrived, they were playing net ball and having a great time with one another, which carried over into a great nutrition discussion. They were really responsive to my questions, and were asking for advice... Yes, children in the villages also hate vegetables and so their mothers are asking me how to get their children to eat them; it's a worldwide epidemic. Two chiefs even showed up for our talk, which is a very big deal in the village. I didn't get a chance to talk to them before we started, as they came in a little late, but I had noticed one of the men nodding and affirming everything I was saying throughout the talk. It caught me a little off guard at first, since he was so affirming of what I was saying before Theresa could translate. Once I was finished with the session, he stood up and introduced himself as the chief in impeccable English, and continued to thank me and bless me for my teachings and my guidance. He said how grateful he was for me to be there, and the affirmation from the rest of the women really touched my heart. The women started passing me their babies one by one, just so I could hold them! It was just a other experience that when we were driving away, I said "okay God, thanks for showing me why I'm here, again!!" Everyday, it's another reminder, or 2 or 3 or 4 as to why I'm here. It's funny to look back 4 months or so ago and think how I was so unsure about venturing out into this unknown; not knowing what I had to offer, and straddling the fence- one minute I was going to Malawi, the next I was staying in San Diego. I think I made the right choice :). I've grown so much on this trip, and I've been stretched in ways that God had already prepared me for; yet I had no idea I could do. I sometimes think God is sitting in His office with his hands behind his head, relaxed in His leather chair and His feet rested on top of His desk, and laughing at me. He is just waiting for me to realize what He's created me to do, and I'm finding things out bit by bit, completely amazed, and He's just laughing, as if it's news to Him of these things I've found. If you ask me, I'm sure that God has quite the sense of humor... Just food for thought.
Monday, June 14, 2010
I can pay your rent with my starbucks frappicuino...
I've been here for a month now, and still, it seems pretty surreal that I'm pursuing a dream that I've had since I was eight years old. Yesterday was one of those days that smacked me in the face and said," Kelsey, wake up-- this is Malawi. This is Africa" it's hard going home each day to a warm shower and the welcoming of a bed to sleep in. It doesn't feel right that i can go home and essentially "wah away the dirt; wash away the day's struggles." it's something that I've dealt with since I got here--and still don't realy know the best way around it. Yesterday we went to the slums in Mgona- a piece of land right outside of town where there is no "village sense of community," people don't have extended family around.. Orphans, HIV and malaria are commonalities in this area. We first went to a presentation where a women brought all efferent types of leaves and seeds and foods that they use as home remedies for illnesses such a malaria, diarrhea, ulcers, loss of appetite, etc. It was really interesting for Vanessa and I, granted we are nutrition majors and starting nutrition education talks this week with the women. We were able to take away vital information that we can spread to women in neighboring villages; from boiling mango leaves to relieve diarrhea, to grinding avacado pits for boosting the immune system. We are very excited to be starting out first talks today.. And Keta was very impressed with the layout of our talk, and what we plan to talk about.
After the presentation, I was given the opportunity to go with the Home Based Care workers on their visits to the people in the slums. This is the first thing that teams do when they come to SomebodyCares, but since I arrived a few days after the team, I initially missed out on this opportunity. The home based care workers regulary visit hundreds of homes each wk, checking up on thr people, seeing if there is any errands or chores they can do, possibly offering them training in tailoring or other trades to helpthem get back on their feet. Cathy told me that of the 5 women somebodyCares trained to be tailors, all 5 of them are now tailors and are making a living fOr themselves. That's incredible-- especially for Mgona. 1 out of the 5 would have been amazing; let alone all 5.
The first hut we visited was occupid by an older woman whose son took care of her. She was on ARVs for HIV and she was taking medication for tuberculosis. She was quite frail, and had a hard time moving around. She graciously welcomed us into her home, and we just asked her how she was doing and if there were any chores or errands we could do for her while we were there. She specifically asked me to pray for her, and I felt quite honored. After praying over this woman, she was so thankful that we had taken the time to isit her, and that I was willing to pray for her. Goodness, the little blessings that mean so much to the people here.. How they teach me so many lessons on a daily basis. The next place we visited the woman was a widow who had 5 children. She was sick and didn't have any medication, and her 2 oldest children were well enough to attend school. She said her 3 other children were very sick, one of which was laying on her lap. She told us that he was 5 and that he had stopped speaking and walking when he was 2. His body was so depleted that he couldn't move; couldn't speak- he couldn't even respond. I was shocked by this obviously, as her son lay almost lifeless on her lap, and completely broke down when she told us that one of her other kids is the same way; not talking, not walking etc. SomebodyCares has tried to train her in tailoring, but she has no one to watch the children while she is away, and is too sick to leave her hut. She has no source of income with 5 children to support. Again, this woman asked me to pray for her. Where to start? Where does this woman turn to for hope?.. The same Father that sustains me sustains her. He gives her hope, He gives her life, He gives her strength to grt thru each day. That prayer was hard- not knowing where to start as everything I have been blessed with is running thru my head, and comparing it to the impoverished state that this woman lives in on a day to day basis... (sigh). I'll consider mY soul to be completely ROCKED from her story... And from her, I have learned SO much. Thank you Jesus.
The last place we visited the couple was on meds for HIV (HIV plagues the slums). A home based care worker prayed for them, and asked if they were okay on rent payments, as they had previously fallen behind. I asked how much their rent was for their 2 room hut-- the main room I could touch all 4 walls when standing in the middle, and I can imagine thr bedroom was much smaller. Rent was 800 kwacha a month-- that's $4.54. Yes, and they struggle to make ends meet each month. I think I will think twice about spending my money on mindless things such as starbucks.. My once a week indulgence could be paying a years worth of rent quite easily. I then began to think of everything that I buy that is around $4.50.. And gosh-- so many things I buy from a gallon and a half of gas to a pint of strawberries to a tip I left for thr waiter could pay their rent. Once again, thank you Jesus for rocking my soul.
We were able to hand out a few soccer balls while leaving Mgona. A group of boys were playing outside te community center withtheir plastic bag made ball, and so we gave them oneto play with for the time being. Once we decided to leave, we told them that they could keep the soccer ball, and they were absolutely ecstatic. The kids started jumping in thr air, kissing the ball and chanting "good day" as we drove off. Again, my soul was rocked. Thank you to everyone who donated shorts and balls, finances and prayers. You are truly making a difference in these people's lives, and even moreso, my life.
Tuesday was our first nutrition talk, and we had a fairly small group of 15 women or so, which was nice for the first talk. They were very receptive to the information that we shared; 6 food groups, the importance of each group, daily meals, feeding children, importance of breastfeeding, sanitation and portion control. It went very well, and granted that Vanessa doesnt like public speaking, she did great! The women were very appreciative and learned some preventative techniques as well. Afterwards We were able to serve the children their daily porridge.. 110 hungry mouths!
Today we went back to chechemba and chikudzulire; 2 villages we had visited when the team was here. We did our nutrition education class for about 65 women, who were very interactive during our talk, which made it very easy for us! We went to these 2 villages to introduce farming and gardening techniques and animal husbandry. SomebodyCares was able to purchase seed, fertilizer, pesticide and pigs through sponsors and donors so that the village people can learn a new trade, and learn as a village how to be sustainable. They were very excited to be getting all their goods to get their projects started, and it will be interesting to see how things unfold.
South Africa plays uruaguay tonight--BAFANA BAFANA!!! it's been soccer fever ever night at Keta's house.. Filled with the annoying sounds of the vuvuzela's (the loud horns). All 3 of us have them and cheer on our teams proudly. How about that US game against England?! We are still talking about it in the office! It was a great first game for the states! As always, thank you for your prayers and continued support-- time is really starting to fly by as the weeks get busier and busier. Please pray for my health. As of lately I had stomach pains, which I later found out was from an ulcer. The doctor took me off my malaria medication (you have to take malaria meds everday while you're here). I have an appt later this week to see when I can start taking my malaria medicatin again. The ulcer medication seems to be working, slowly but surely, so I'm still having some discomfort. Zicomo!!!
After the presentation, I was given the opportunity to go with the Home Based Care workers on their visits to the people in the slums. This is the first thing that teams do when they come to SomebodyCares, but since I arrived a few days after the team, I initially missed out on this opportunity. The home based care workers regulary visit hundreds of homes each wk, checking up on thr people, seeing if there is any errands or chores they can do, possibly offering them training in tailoring or other trades to helpthem get back on their feet. Cathy told me that of the 5 women somebodyCares trained to be tailors, all 5 of them are now tailors and are making a living fOr themselves. That's incredible-- especially for Mgona. 1 out of the 5 would have been amazing; let alone all 5.
The first hut we visited was occupid by an older woman whose son took care of her. She was on ARVs for HIV and she was taking medication for tuberculosis. She was quite frail, and had a hard time moving around. She graciously welcomed us into her home, and we just asked her how she was doing and if there were any chores or errands we could do for her while we were there. She specifically asked me to pray for her, and I felt quite honored. After praying over this woman, she was so thankful that we had taken the time to isit her, and that I was willing to pray for her. Goodness, the little blessings that mean so much to the people here.. How they teach me so many lessons on a daily basis. The next place we visited the woman was a widow who had 5 children. She was sick and didn't have any medication, and her 2 oldest children were well enough to attend school. She said her 3 other children were very sick, one of which was laying on her lap. She told us that he was 5 and that he had stopped speaking and walking when he was 2. His body was so depleted that he couldn't move; couldn't speak- he couldn't even respond. I was shocked by this obviously, as her son lay almost lifeless on her lap, and completely broke down when she told us that one of her other kids is the same way; not talking, not walking etc. SomebodyCares has tried to train her in tailoring, but she has no one to watch the children while she is away, and is too sick to leave her hut. She has no source of income with 5 children to support. Again, this woman asked me to pray for her. Where to start? Where does this woman turn to for hope?.. The same Father that sustains me sustains her. He gives her hope, He gives her life, He gives her strength to grt thru each day. That prayer was hard- not knowing where to start as everything I have been blessed with is running thru my head, and comparing it to the impoverished state that this woman lives in on a day to day basis... (sigh). I'll consider mY soul to be completely ROCKED from her story... And from her, I have learned SO much. Thank you Jesus.
The last place we visited the couple was on meds for HIV (HIV plagues the slums). A home based care worker prayed for them, and asked if they were okay on rent payments, as they had previously fallen behind. I asked how much their rent was for their 2 room hut-- the main room I could touch all 4 walls when standing in the middle, and I can imagine thr bedroom was much smaller. Rent was 800 kwacha a month-- that's $4.54. Yes, and they struggle to make ends meet each month. I think I will think twice about spending my money on mindless things such as starbucks.. My once a week indulgence could be paying a years worth of rent quite easily. I then began to think of everything that I buy that is around $4.50.. And gosh-- so many things I buy from a gallon and a half of gas to a pint of strawberries to a tip I left for thr waiter could pay their rent. Once again, thank you Jesus for rocking my soul.
We were able to hand out a few soccer balls while leaving Mgona. A group of boys were playing outside te community center withtheir plastic bag made ball, and so we gave them oneto play with for the time being. Once we decided to leave, we told them that they could keep the soccer ball, and they were absolutely ecstatic. The kids started jumping in thr air, kissing the ball and chanting "good day" as we drove off. Again, my soul was rocked. Thank you to everyone who donated shorts and balls, finances and prayers. You are truly making a difference in these people's lives, and even moreso, my life.
Tuesday was our first nutrition talk, and we had a fairly small group of 15 women or so, which was nice for the first talk. They were very receptive to the information that we shared; 6 food groups, the importance of each group, daily meals, feeding children, importance of breastfeeding, sanitation and portion control. It went very well, and granted that Vanessa doesnt like public speaking, she did great! The women were very appreciative and learned some preventative techniques as well. Afterwards We were able to serve the children their daily porridge.. 110 hungry mouths!
Today we went back to chechemba and chikudzulire; 2 villages we had visited when the team was here. We did our nutrition education class for about 65 women, who were very interactive during our talk, which made it very easy for us! We went to these 2 villages to introduce farming and gardening techniques and animal husbandry. SomebodyCares was able to purchase seed, fertilizer, pesticide and pigs through sponsors and donors so that the village people can learn a new trade, and learn as a village how to be sustainable. They were very excited to be getting all their goods to get their projects started, and it will be interesting to see how things unfold.
South Africa plays uruaguay tonight--BAFANA BAFANA!!! it's been soccer fever ever night at Keta's house.. Filled with the annoying sounds of the vuvuzela's (the loud horns). All 3 of us have them and cheer on our teams proudly. How about that US game against England?! We are still talking about it in the office! It was a great first game for the states! As always, thank you for your prayers and continued support-- time is really starting to fly by as the weeks get busier and busier. Please pray for my health. As of lately I had stomach pains, which I later found out was from an ulcer. The doctor took me off my malaria medication (you have to take malaria meds everday while you're here). I have an appt later this week to see when I can start taking my malaria medicatin again. The ulcer medication seems to be working, slowly but surely, so I'm still having some discomfort. Zicomo!!!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Chikondi..Love.. Chisomo.. Grace
I've been training teams everyday this wk. Yesterday I trained 2 teams at the same time.. I had 30 girls and there was a crowd of about 300 just watching the trainig session. We also went to the community center and brought all the kids rompers.. Yes, rompers.. Haha so we passed out almost 150 rompers.. Yes, the school teachet has 150 kids in his class, from ages 2-5... And has help from maybe 3-4 people.. It's incredible how well behaved these kids really are. We got to put the rompers on the kids... I walked into the classroom, and after about 2 minutes of being in there, a girl strted to shriek at the sight of my white face. Goodness.. Hahaha
This soccer thing really seems to be taking off here. I'm really encouraged by the work that we are doing, and everyone has been very accepting of the idea, and even the men have come up to me and told me what a wonderful thing I am doing.. How soccer will keep the girls focused, instead of them dropping from school an grtting pregnant. I was flabbergasted.. Yes, I know Thats the point of the whole girl empowerment campaign, but to actually have the men see the purpose of the girls playing soccer and embracing it is an entirely different story. It really brought tears to my eyes- I felt like a proud mother.. Birthing the game of soccer here to the young girls. I went to a game on wednesday and there were a ton of people that showed up. It was a very exciting game, as the crowd really gt into it.. Ooing and awwing everytime the ball got close to the goal, or a girl made a long kick or whatever. The girls have been put on an unfamiliar stage, and they ate embracing it, and walking with their heads a little higher out on the pitch. We are hoping that we can continue with the trainings here, even after I am gone.. And hope to plan a yearly tournament between villages. The coaches are doig great work with the girls, as the team that played on Wednesday was the same team that I trained last week. It was obvious that their Coach has really invested some quality time in his players, as they looked like a completely different team than I had seen last week. I was very proud, and the coach was very excited for his team. It's an amazing feelig to see the growing support for the girls in the community here. Everyone is getting mote and more excited, and the girls are wanting to better themselves and their futures. Even though I'm not "preaching the word of God" directly, I've been asked several times by people "why are you here?! Why are you doing this for people you don't even know?" and that has been my favorite question to answer. People are taken back when I say that I'm here because I love them, and thr the Lord has called us to love one another-- and I have been given such a blessing; to show love to these people thru the sport that is a piece of me, and that I love so much. I never thought soccer would bring me here.. To the villages of Malawi-- let alone to everywhere else that I've traveled to for tournaments.. But I know one thing... I will be back here to see how the sport grows among the girls in the communities.
World cup starts today! The office has cancelled my trainings and we are gettig off early to watch the opening ceremonies. Keta is going crazy.. Malawi is going crazy.. Africa is going crazy.. It's a fun atmosphere to be a part of. Games all day everday this wknd and will be our evening entertainment for the duration of my trip. Time is starting to fly, as I only have 3 weeks left! God is good! All the time! And all the time, God is good!!
This soccer thing really seems to be taking off here. I'm really encouraged by the work that we are doing, and everyone has been very accepting of the idea, and even the men have come up to me and told me what a wonderful thing I am doing.. How soccer will keep the girls focused, instead of them dropping from school an grtting pregnant. I was flabbergasted.. Yes, I know Thats the point of the whole girl empowerment campaign, but to actually have the men see the purpose of the girls playing soccer and embracing it is an entirely different story. It really brought tears to my eyes- I felt like a proud mother.. Birthing the game of soccer here to the young girls. I went to a game on wednesday and there were a ton of people that showed up. It was a very exciting game, as the crowd really gt into it.. Ooing and awwing everytime the ball got close to the goal, or a girl made a long kick or whatever. The girls have been put on an unfamiliar stage, and they ate embracing it, and walking with their heads a little higher out on the pitch. We are hoping that we can continue with the trainings here, even after I am gone.. And hope to plan a yearly tournament between villages. The coaches are doig great work with the girls, as the team that played on Wednesday was the same team that I trained last week. It was obvious that their Coach has really invested some quality time in his players, as they looked like a completely different team than I had seen last week. I was very proud, and the coach was very excited for his team. It's an amazing feelig to see the growing support for the girls in the community here. Everyone is getting mote and more excited, and the girls are wanting to better themselves and their futures. Even though I'm not "preaching the word of God" directly, I've been asked several times by people "why are you here?! Why are you doing this for people you don't even know?" and that has been my favorite question to answer. People are taken back when I say that I'm here because I love them, and thr the Lord has called us to love one another-- and I have been given such a blessing; to show love to these people thru the sport that is a piece of me, and that I love so much. I never thought soccer would bring me here.. To the villages of Malawi-- let alone to everywhere else that I've traveled to for tournaments.. But I know one thing... I will be back here to see how the sport grows among the girls in the communities.
World cup starts today! The office has cancelled my trainings and we are gettig off early to watch the opening ceremonies. Keta is going crazy.. Malawi is going crazy.. Africa is going crazy.. It's a fun atmosphere to be a part of. Games all day everday this wknd and will be our evening entertainment for the duration of my trip. Time is starting to fly, as I only have 3 weeks left! God is good! All the time! And all the time, God is good!!
Monday, June 7, 2010
I'm making kids cry...wherever I go..
So it's obvious that since I haven't blogged in awhile, we've had a pretty busy week, and limited internet access. Every time I came to the office last week to blog, the power was out, and before I knew it, it was the weekend, and Keta doesn't have internet at her house; neither does any other citizen of Malawi. The organization that I'm working with pays $500 a month just for internet access, and given that 80% of this country lives on less than $2 a day, internet is quite the luxury. Lots to catch everyone up on here. We had our first training session with the girls last week. It was obvious that there had been few, if ever any "visitors" to this village, which is a nice way of saying that I don't think these people had ever seen white people before. SOmething I've had to somewhat be OK with is that the fact that I'm fair skinned makes small children cry..literally. The infants, and some toddlers will take one look at me, and begin to scream in terror at the sight of my face; and there's nothing I can do about it, but to just stop looking at them. Our first training session was well, interesting. There were only 6 girls at the beginning which turned into 21 girls in a matter of minutes. We were able to pass out shorts, and get the girls changed in a small house beside the field. If I could describe sounds of the giggles, I would. It filled the house, and all of us could not stop laughing. They thought it was the strangest thing to wear shorts without a skirt over the top. They kept laughing at calling themselves boys. Since the shorts were mens L and XL's, we were sinching the drawstrings around the girls' waists, which they also found hilarious. The big shorts were much appreciated, since they are LONG, which covers more of their legs; big thanks Tim! By yhe time we finished our warm up which turned into "follow the leader" there were 300+ people surrounding the field. Since I didn't know much about the girls or their skill level, we started with a simple passing drill. Let's just say We have a lot of work to do. Balls were going left and right, up and down- it looked like dodgeball! So for the next 2 hours, I bores the girls with mundane passing drills, but I was very proud of them that by the end of the session, they were able to pass and trap with both feet; they were able to dribble, and to bring the ball acroos their bodies to get passed a defender. O thought it was successful, and the girls were happy. The field was in decent shape, but long grass- maybe 8 inches or so, with lots of unexpected holes and hills, and the girls are playing barefoot. Their feet were hurting after practice. At the end, Edward the youth pastor talked to them about our Girl Empowerment Program, and then talked to them about the importance of an education, and avoiding relationships with Guys while in school, as many girls drop out of high school because a man has vowed to take care of her.. So they get married young an before long, the girl has a cheating or sick husband, and she is left on her own again. So we stress education to the girls. Edward then had to explain to the girls that some of the guys that were watching their training session were here for the wrong reasons. As modesty is highly respected in the villages, girls wearing shorts is a BIG deal. We even had to hand out a few tshirts to girls so that they could cover up, as some of them only own tank tops, most don't even own bras. So you can see how it would be somewhat suggestive for girls to be running around in shorts and rank tops. Edward had to warn them that some men may approach the girls with a newfound interest. This was a hard concept for me to swallow. Here I am, coming into the village wearig shorts, and at the end of the session, I jump in the van, lock the door and drive away. I have the security of locking the door. I don't have to worry about about the after effects of wearing shorts because I've left the village. But these girls that I'm leaving behind; they head home wondering if some guy is going to approach them; an they have no escape. They can't even escape to their own homes because there are no locks on the doors.. Welcoming anyone who chooses to intrude. It's a hard concept to swallow, but that's all that I can manage to do.. Because if I try and chew it and dissect it, then i will think that I may be causing more problems. Keta has assured me that I'm overthinking it.. But it gets harder and harder everytime to get in that van, lock the door and drive away. We went to another village that neither Keta nor Edward had ever visited, and I tagge along to present the girls team with soccer balls. Again, this village had never seen white people, so I had several bug eyed children staring at me for over an hour.. I'm always being watched here, and they all try and grt my attention, even when they are told to be quiet.
I went to my first girls soccer game in chilombo this weekend. The girls were excitedfor the shorts as well- I've come to te conclusion that they all just think it's so funny to be wearig shorts. I was told that these 2 teams were the better of the 9 teams I'm training. Their style of play resembled what I call "bumblebee soccer" where they all run to where the ball goes, with no regard to positions or the off sides rule. Luckily each team has coaches, so I am not solely responsible for their performances.. Haha the spectators must be thinking " well this American girl must not be too good of a player if she's coachig them, and this is the outcome.." haha. Bottom line is that the girls are enjoying themselves, which they are, and that makes me incredibly joyful.
Keta has also planned fr Vanessa and I to give nutritional talks tithe mothers and widows in the coming weeks. I'm very excited for this opportunity to grow and expand my knowledge. Our ulimate goal by the end o the month is to create a food pyramid specific to each village (according to their crops) and educate them about boiling vegetables etc. So that will keep us busy too.
The world cup hype is hitting hard here. Keta even decided to pay her cable bill this month so that we could watch all the games.. Hooray! It was a bit of a slow weekend, with the power out for most of the wknd. They have scheduled times whn the power goes out (3 times a wk for 2 hours at a time) but then it will also shut off randomly.. Awesome (not) so I've been getting a lot of sleep and waking up early. This morning I woke up at 5 and I'm starting morning runs. Now I'm used to San Diego sunsets (I'll admit it, I'm spoiled) and now I'm spoiled even more with African sunrises. They are absolutely breathtaking- I wish I could run with my camera. My runs have been a great way to start off my day, and I've even gotten Keta to start walking in the mornings while I run laps around her in the neighorhood. We really enjoy each others company, so the living siuation is working out quite well. I'm still trying to convince her to take me to the lake and an animal reserve before I leave! I'm crossing my fingers! Oh, ad I saw my first "wildlife" here.. Monkeys! Haha I was excited.
Please continue to pray for encouragement, and that the villages are open to the opportunities we are providing for the girls!
I went to my first girls soccer game in chilombo this weekend. The girls were excitedfor the shorts as well- I've come to te conclusion that they all just think it's so funny to be wearig shorts. I was told that these 2 teams were the better of the 9 teams I'm training. Their style of play resembled what I call "bumblebee soccer" where they all run to where the ball goes, with no regard to positions or the off sides rule. Luckily each team has coaches, so I am not solely responsible for their performances.. Haha the spectators must be thinking " well this American girl must not be too good of a player if she's coachig them, and this is the outcome.." haha. Bottom line is that the girls are enjoying themselves, which they are, and that makes me incredibly joyful.
Keta has also planned fr Vanessa and I to give nutritional talks tithe mothers and widows in the coming weeks. I'm very excited for this opportunity to grow and expand my knowledge. Our ulimate goal by the end o the month is to create a food pyramid specific to each village (according to their crops) and educate them about boiling vegetables etc. So that will keep us busy too.
The world cup hype is hitting hard here. Keta even decided to pay her cable bill this month so that we could watch all the games.. Hooray! It was a bit of a slow weekend, with the power out for most of the wknd. They have scheduled times whn the power goes out (3 times a wk for 2 hours at a time) but then it will also shut off randomly.. Awesome (not) so I've been getting a lot of sleep and waking up early. This morning I woke up at 5 and I'm starting morning runs. Now I'm used to San Diego sunsets (I'll admit it, I'm spoiled) and now I'm spoiled even more with African sunrises. They are absolutely breathtaking- I wish I could run with my camera. My runs have been a great way to start off my day, and I've even gotten Keta to start walking in the mornings while I run laps around her in the neighorhood. We really enjoy each others company, so the living siuation is working out quite well. I'm still trying to convince her to take me to the lake and an animal reserve before I leave! I'm crossing my fingers! Oh, ad I saw my first "wildlife" here.. Monkeys! Haha I was excited.
Please continue to pray for encouragement, and that the villages are open to the opportunities we are providing for the girls!
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