My first few days in Lilongwe

I arrived in Lilongwe at about 9:30 malawi time on Wednesday night (about 6 hours late), but the interns were there to pick me up! My first look at the country was the next morning and it is beautiful! I arrived just in the beginning of the interns' first break between mission teams so we have been taking things easy for the past few days. This has been a good time to get to know each other as well as see and experience a little of Lilongwe and the Malawian people before diving in.

My first day, I walked down the street to visit the crisis nursery. Right now there are around 15 babies ranging from infants to 3 years old. Some of the children staying here are orphans, but some just need special care due to illness or the family's inability to provide care. The babies are soooo adorable! I seem to be a little attached to a little girls named Fi-fi and Elanati, and a little boy named Chisomo Lukele. I hope to spend more time here loving on the babies, but also helping with other needs around the nursery.

The next day was filled with a little adventure...we got up and drove to a village about an hour outside of Lilongwe called Dedza. The drive was exciting because nathan is great driver and there was beautiful scenery. The landscape was the picturesque African rolling hills dotted with trees. There were also beautiful monoliths the size of small mountains scattered throughout the hills with steep, rugged mountain ranges. There is a popular potter place and cafe in Dedza where we went to look at hand-made pottery and get amazing cheesecake from the cafe. On our way back, we dropped Zuze off near a village to purchase a goat for us because they would give him a good deal. That's right, we bought a living breathing goat for about $30 US dollars and put it in the back of the land cruiser with everyone else!

Although not my idea, the goat was purchase with the intention of eating it for dinner that night. We got back to the compound and some of the Malawian Ministry of Hope administrators, the guards, and the driver, and Nathan killed the goat out back. I didn't watch this part, but am proud to say I stepped out of my comfort zone and watched them 'dismantle' the goat afterwards. Then I even helped Daniel clean and cut up the meat to get it ready to cook. John, the malawian driver, was very excited about making a Malawian delicacy. He took the insides (and i Mean almost all the internal organs) and the blood to make some sort of stew. It looked absolutely disgusting, but after it was completely cooked all the malawians were eating it! In the end, I ended up eating goat stomach, esophagus, testicle, intestine, and who knows what else! It wasn't that bad, but once is definately enough! We spent the rest of the evening grilling the goat meat and preparing dinner and then all eating together. It was a bonding experience for sure, if you are brave enough to call it that!

Yesterday we got up and went to the chichinge market to buy fabric. A chichinge is a piece of brightly patterned fabric that women use to tie over their skirts or use to carry babies. Then, we made our way over the the Ambassador's house for a 4th of July cookout. It was actually weird to be around so many azungu (white people), but still fun. After this, we relaxed the rest of the day and watched movies together. The rest and time together just being was much needed.

Today, we went to CCPC which is a missionary-run church that Nathan grew up going to. It was really neat to see some many people from so many different backgrounds coming together to worship. After this we picked up lunch and then Nathan, Hannah, and Rachel went to pick up the new mission team coming in while the rest of us organized medications for the medical clinic on Tuesday and then went on a walk.

I hope everyone is doing well back home and please let me know if you have any questions or comments! I love and miss you guys. Please continue to keep me and everyone else over here in your prays because we can definately feel them! Grace and Peace, Lauren