From A - Z(ebras)

1.28.2016

*If you are just interested in an update, skip these first few paragraphs of musings*

It’s interesting for me to look at where I’m at now, compared to where I was before I left home for this adventure. In preparation for coming here, the SM office told me to talk to other SM’s and learn from their experiences. The thing seemingly everyone says it that their year serving was the hardest but best year of their life. I always wondered how that phrase was interpreted differently for so many people. It’s easier for me to understand all the ways it could be the best year, but how it was the hardest year is a bit vaguer in my understanding. Was it hard because of remoteness? Physical ailments? Personality or cultural differences? Sheer job hardships? There are such a broad range of things that could lead to such a conclusion. Hearing that so often made me resigned to the fact that it would be one of the hardest years of my life, too, as well as one of the best. But here I am, in January, thinking quite the opposite. I’m having one of the best years of my life. Best – by itself – without showing up alongside “hardest.” And truthfully, that in itself has been harder for me than any challenges I’ve had here. I wondered why, but I’ve narrowed it down to one main thing. Comparison. There are plenty of challenges here, but honestly I have everything I need, physically and emotionally. Yet for some reason I’m worried that my experience is somehow invalidated because I’m enjoying it so much. But then I look at why I’m here, and why I came, and the concern for others’ opinion falls away. Do I believe in the work being done here? Without a doubt. Do I believe in the job I came here to do? Absolutely. Do I see improvement or progress based on my work? Yes. So what more is there, really? Satan is so crafty when it comes to hurting us. He found the thing that could get me down after I’d put up defenses against all the ways I thought he would hurt me. Jerk. But recognizing the attack makes it a lot easier to navigate out of. A step in the right direction.

I truly am so happy here, though. I do miss my friends and family terribly, but my solution would be to transplant everyone here, not leave this place myself. I know I’m only halfway through my time, and perhaps my opinion will change, but honestly I don’t foresee that. I am so grateful for this place and these people. As an introvert, it can be hard to invest time in someone who won’t be around for long, but everyone I’ve met here has been welcoming and warm. That speaks volumes to me. Especially in the guest house, where there is a steady stream of incoming and outgoing medical professionals/residents/etc. We have a full house right now, but two are leaving tomorrow, and yet we all sit down for “family meals” whenever we are all available. It’s so interesting to hear everyone’s different stories, and since I’m the only one not here solely to work in the hospital, the table conversation usually revolves around medical/surgical talk, so that’s new for me as well. Life is good though. I’m realizing how important community is wherever one goes. It makes such a difference!

In the past week I’ve been able to visit Zomba for the first time, go on a game drive with zebras to the left and a golf course to the right (seriously!), and take photos in the peds ward of the hospital for a small project. Oh, and school was fit in there between the cracks! ;)

The Zomba visit came over the weekend and consisted of a cabin up on the plateau and horse-back rides for the kids. Us non-kids walked the trail behind the horses (walking was free and the exercise was wanted), and the kids excitedly sat atop their designated horses. I had two main points of interest from that walk: 1. The plateau is beautiful (shocker!), and 2. Jeans are not designed for running in (also a shocker!). But seriously, the walk was great. The whole time, I had a song running through my head… well, essentially one phrase of a song. It was an unrecorded song sung at a Relient K concert that had been written for the lead singer. I can’t be mad at him for that. But the song is called “Look On Up” I think and basically it talks about putting away your cell phone or blinding thoughts and look up. There are so many cool trees in Malawi! One in particular was a coniferous tree that only had branches in rings that appeared every couple feet up the main trunk. I took a picture but it unfortunately didn’t turn out well enough to post. If you want to see it, come to Zomba! ;) The rest of the weekend there was filled with good food, venders, and excellent company! We got to meet up with some friends who live there and the boys were taken on a tractor ride which I think is basically the highlight of their life at this point! Guess I need to learn to drive a tractor to keep their attention.



The game drive took place in Bvumbwe at a place called “Game Haven” that I didn’t even know existed till a couple weeks ago, yet it’s closer than Blantyre! It’s a small resort/animal reserve type place that doesn’t have lions or elephants or those type of animals, but for pretty cheap you can go for an hour and a half game drive. I finally saw zebras and giraffes! I’d always been somewhat bored by them in pictures, but wow. Seeing them in person is something else. They are incredibly unique! I know my pictures will not do justice, but because daddy requires it, here’s what I have! :)



School has been easier this week but we’re making visible progress and I’m so thrilled! Be it reading clocks or spelling from memory (teaching spelling makes me hate the English language. I can’t teach a single rule without first prefacing, “this is how it usually is but there’s ALWAYS exceptions…”) This morning we had a group craft with the other kids here. With eyes wide, the kids took in the table stacked with popsicle sticks, paint, glitter and felt and then the hurricane hit and things got messy. A wonderful sight! From bird feeders to raft boats to animals, it was messy and awesome! The table only took a few hits thankfully, where the tablecloth ended and the young ones ensured that paint showed up. I love seeing the differing types of creativity in kids though! I really love the kids here, even when they’re HANGRY. (It is a REAL thing.)

One other project I did this week was taking pictures in the pediatric ward at the hospital highlighting the lack of mosquito nets available. Since it’s the rainy season, the ward is overflowing with kids due to malaria and other things more common in the rainy season. But it was a huge step out of my comfort zone. I love taking pictures, but taking pictures of people I don’t know is uncomfortable. But I was determined to just do it before I could think too much about it, so I asked a nurse to come translate for me and we went to some of the different rooms and asked if we could take pictures. I was expecting opposition, understandably, but surprisingly received none. It’s always sobering to walk through a hospital. Every time I do, whether it’s in the general ward or pediatric, there are always stories. Many that I never learn, but the ones I do learn make you take a step back and just appreciate life a bit more. One time Dustin and I went to take a few ladies who were bedridden outside in wheelchairs, and it was something else to see them enjoy the sunshine and fresh air that they hadn’t been able to take in for too long. Despite the pain of the wheelchairs going over bumps, you could tell that the fresh air was a welcome gift. I picked a flower for each of them and both ladies held onto it the entire time. I’m annoyed at myself for not making it back there to take them for a walk again, but when the next clear day comes and someone strong to lift them is available, I’m hoping to get them some fresh air again.

So welcome to another week in Malawi. Good luck to all the high school basketballers in Walla Walla this weekend! Stay safe and score high. And to my favorite people at home, I cannot express my gratitude to you. I have never once questioned the support from home, and that is truly amazing. From church members to family members to friends, I wouldn’t be here without you, so thank you. And I sincerely apologize for being a sap, but people are too often unappreciated and I’m willing to bore a few people if it means some others will smile.
Tionana!