My month in Malawi

I left for Malawi on November 28.  I flew from LAX to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (which took about 19 hours), from there to Lilongwe (another 5 hours), and from there I was driven to Mzuzu (another 5 hours).  The travel and move to a completely opposite time zone can be exhausting, but 100% worth it!  I was very apprehensive prior to boarding my plane, as this would be my first trip to Africa.  I had to quiet my fears and make the conscious decision to put one foot in front of the other, as I have resolved not to allow fear of the unknown to paralyze me and prevent me from a lifetime of adventure.

Thank goodness I did not let fear prevent me from this adventure!  The opportunity to serve at the Rafiki village in Malawi was amazing!  The staff was so welcoming, and the children were so fun.  It took a few days to get used to the routine of the village, so I was very grateful for the amount of time I committed to spending there.  I could write for days about all of the experiences, but that would make a book, not a blog, so here are a few highlights from my trip.

The Rafiki village in Malawi is in the northern part of the country, so I was able to enjoy mild weather with a tropical feel.  The temperature during the day would be in the mid to high 70's, and at night it would cool off just slightly.  I enjoyed sleeping with my windows open, listening to the symphony of frogs and birds throughout the night.  Occasionally I would hear drumbeats or a voice crying out over a megaphone in the distance, which added to the twilight charm.  I arrived at the start of rainy season, so I was able to experience the feel of humidity building through the day before the sky burst its seams and literally showered the earth with more rain that I have ever heard or seen (it definitely doesn't rain like this in the desert).

The children behaved just like children do in all parts of the world.  It is required at the village that they address all adults with titles of respect (a practice that is wise to observe when traveling).  Many did not say (or could not say) my full name, so I was called Auntie Shaun most of my visit.  I enjoyed walks with the children, where they were kind enough to point out every snake hole they could find after learning that I really don't like snakes.  I tried to teach them baseball but a short attention span, and a natural instinct to let disputes over calls escalate, required that we modify the rules of the game somewhat to keep everyone interested.  One modification: there are no balls or strikes, everyone gets three pitches and you either hit it or you don't.

For most of the children basketball is their favorite sport, and they are good!  They practice so hard and play in tournaments with schools from the neighboring villages.  The tournaments last most of the day, with a message from a pastor in the middle.  I was impressed to see how many children stopped watching the tournament and sat down to ask the pastor questions during one of the tournaments.  Dinner conversation often turned to basketball, with the vast majority of the children indicating to me that Kobe Bryant is their favorite player.  When they learned that I have a brother named Brian they got very excited, and would constantly ask me to show them pictures of my brother whose name is like Kobe Bryant. 

I could write so much more about my trip.  I experienced three different churches, a diabetes and hypertension clinic at the hospital, frequent trips to town, and a day at Lake Malawi.  There is so much to learn and enjoy when visiting this country, and perhaps I will share more at a later time.  I will be heading to South Africa in two weeks to begin my Peace Corps service, which will no doubt give me a great deal more to share.  Thank you for reading and stay tuned for more stories of the amazing adventures I am so fortunate to be able to enjoy!