The biker and the baker

I finally have lake Malawi sand on my feet and Lake Malawi water in my hair. And another tick on my bucket list. We were told that we were going to leave very early this morning to go see the lake. We left at 10h30... African time in action.  Now that I am here and experiencing life as most African's do, I can understand African time... There is no convenience of just jumping into your car, no washing machine, you have to warm your water over the fire, kill and slaughter your supper... The list is never ending. I take my hat off to Joyce, who is supplying our every need. Warm water to bath, cooked breakfast, lunch and supper. So, no more rolling my eyes at African time.  After a breakfast of fried eggs and bread, we hit the road to Lake Malawi - about a 2 hour drive from Lilongwe. We share out songs with the Malawians and end up having a nice little choir in the back of the bus. We enter an area named Salima, the rice province. Unfortunately we didn't ...

We are on our way to Lemson's church, our hosting church, Winning Ways Worship Center.   When we arrive, the worship is in full swing.   Tony and myself don't hang around too long, as we had prepared a lesson for the Sunday school kids.   We leave the church during worship with a string of kids following us out to a volleyball court outside.    We play duck, duck goose with the children as an icebreaker - there are probably around thirty kids or so.   After the games we proceed to explain the gospel to these little ones using a hard-boiled egg and Varista and George translates for us into Chichewa.   We talk about sin and the children give examples of sin.   I write all their examples onto the shell of the egg with a crayon (the egg represents us)  and ask the children if the sin makes the egg clean or dirty.   They replied, dirty.   I explained that when Jesus died for us, and He died for every person on this planet, and w...

Today found me in better spirits and I decided to put a smile on my face and enjoy this experience, this opportunity that has been laid before me. After breakfast, we all head to the center of Malawi.  We need to exchange our Rands for Kwatchas, and get Malawian sim cards.  Jethro and Micah begs me to stay at the house with Joyce and Patience.  I am a bit hesitant but both Joyce and Patience assure me that they will be fine.  I oblige, but still feel a bit uneasy.  "It will only be for a little while," I tell myself and we leave. The dusty streets of Lilongwe are filled with people wherever you look.  Lots of people walking, riding bicycles, moving goods on bicycles - one guy had a stack of wood piled on his bicycle probably about 3 meters high!  We even saw a carcass of a cow being transported on a bicycle.  The shops' sign boards are interesting, clever and humorous.  Bustling, little markets all over the place, selling anything you can...

Friday, 7th July 2017 Last night we spent the night at a mission station between Inchope and Chimoio.   We couldn't see much of the place, as we arrived in the night and left before dawn. We had the privilege of meeting our hosts Roy and Trish who has been running the station there for more than 30 years.   They welcomed us with plates of warm food and everyone was very keen to make the acquaintance with their beds! John made sure everybody was awake and ready, and after coffee and some rusks we were on our way....   At 4 am! Most of us, had a little catnap and we awoke to find ourselves in a landscape dotted with little koppies, which contrasts with the  flat Southern Mozambique. Northern Mozambique also seems a lot dryer.  In some places it looks like the bush is growing in desert sand.   Most of the rivers are completely dry. And lots of beautiful baobabs again. We had our breakfast stop next to one of these giants.   Ca...