Salima, Worship, & Bricks

July 23-24, 2016

Muli bwanji, friends! 

The weekend has flown by, and was filled with so many good things. 

Saturday morning, the five of us packed into our Toyota truck, and Derrick drove us through the mountains to Salima.  There, we explored the Kuti Wildlife Reserve – a large habitat near Lake Malawi that is home to several indigenous animals, birds, etc.   Although Malawi is not a typical home for giraffes, they have a few there that we were hoping to see.  No such luck.  BUT, we were able to get up close to a couple of zebras, a camel, several baboons, an ostrich, and many unique bugs - the coolest one was the “ant lion” and our introduction to this new bug came with a childhood story from our friend Mphatso.  We ate lunch at Kuti and then packed back into the truck for a little more driving.  So much driving.

Around dinner time we arrived at the Red Zebra (to my surprise, the red zebra is not a mammal…it’s a fish…) where we were able to snag a few pictures of the sunset.  Red Zebra is a lodge on the shore of Lake Malawi, and the views from this place are breathtaking.  As you stand on the pier or on the beach, you can see the mountains and a small island. On the shoreline is a meticulously maintained garden that surrounds the lodge – there are beautiful flowers, succulents, palm trees, jasmine, and roses. (There were many more, but I have no idea what they are called).  :)

In the morning, I awoke early to catch the sunrise over the lake – totally worth it!  As I sat at the end of the pier capturing the pink sky, I witnessed an eagle scoop up a fish and eat in on the mast of a nearby boat.  And, as the sky became brighter, it was fun to watch, as one by one the fishermen grabbed their boats and headed out to the lake – no motors, which was a nice change.

After breakfast, we got on our "Sunday best" and headed to the ELCM parish in Salima – (First Lutheran Church in Eau Claire helped raise funds for this building and former Bishop Pederson helped to dedicate it in 2008.) As soon as we stepped out of the car, we were warmly greeted by everyone who was already gathered.  The two from our group who are clergy were whisked away to the pastor's office to talk about preparations for worship….I got to stay and take pictures and visit with people :)  While the sanctuary is typically full in Salima, there were many adult women missing because of an area conference being held over the weekend. While these women were missed, it certainly didn't affect the morale of those who were gathered, even though they were a small group.  

The entire worship service was spoken in Chichewa, except for an introduction by Mphatso, Abusa Kathy’s greeting, and Abusa John’s sermon.  There were nearly as many youth as adults, and they were quick to share their smiles.  The next best thing to the relationships being built was the music….WOW the music…….this small congregation of 20 sounded like 100 when it was time to sing – and everyone did…..with harmony…..and energy…..and JOY!  It was glorious, and I was thankful to be a part of it.  After worship we stepped outside where the conversations continued.  We were invited to walk behind the church where the village houses were located.  There, laid a large pile of bricks – ready to be made into a wall.  (That’s one thing that has caught my attention in Malawi...walls everywhere)  On the walk I was befriended by a small girl who took my hand and walked with me for a bit.  There were also a handful of requests for me to take pictures - again, the kiddos loved seeing their own faces :) 

On the way back to Lilongwe, we stopped at a market in Salima to do a little browsing and shopping for some authentic, handmade Malawian goods.  I was told we should negotiate the price of these goods (NOT my strongest gift!) and I begged John and Mphatso for their help, which they gave :)  I eventually got the hang of it and was ok on my own.  Malawians have a knack for wood carving, painting and basket weaving – I was very impressed. 

(I’d tell you or show you what I bought, but I can’t ‘cuz my kids might be reading this :)...)

Once we get back to our rooms in Lilongwe, the three of us weary travelers began finalizing our lesson plans for Monday’s first teaching day at the Pastor’s Academy.  From what we understand, there will be around 60 pastors in attendance, all different backgrounds and levels of education, and from all different regions experiencing different challenges.  I am anxious to meet the pastor from the Mkhota parish (Gethsemane’s companion parish) – it would be so nice to make a connection with him and explore their current situation.    

As I settle in for the night, I am feeling excited to teach the first set of lessons on the doctrine of the Holy Spirit.  We’ll see how it goes…..not sure what to expect!  I will update tomorrow after the first day is complete.  Take care, friends!

Love from beautiful Malawi,

Laura