BUSTED!

There I was - driving along - finally getting up the nerve to pass or overtake the vehicle in front of me.  On Malawi roadways, I always do that reluctantly and cautiously.  That is when I realized why the car in front of me was going slower than expected.  Standing by the side of the road, encouraging me to pull over, were two uniformed traffic officers.  BUSTED!  It seems that I was exceeding the non-posted speed limit.  After retaining my driver's license, I was told that I must report to the Central Police Station at 7:30 AM today.  Ugh!

So my morning was spent familiarizing myself with government offices that I had, heretofore, avoided.  To say that this was a long, arduous process is an understatement.  All of the attending officers were very cordial and helpful to this "alien".(That is what we are referred to as foreigners in another country.)  But the process of.....
1) Handwriting the complaint for each offender with personal details
2) Pleading guilty to the receiving officer
3) Having your complaint taken to the judge to assess the fine
4) Paying said fine and getting a receipt
5) Showing receipt and retrieving driver's license from attendant after searching through envelopes, plastic bags, and wooden case, repeatedly
6) Driving home SLOWLY
.....took 5 hours.  Yes, 5 hours of handwriting with a carbon duplicate of all records and waiting with fellow offenders while moving from one building or locale to another.
The temperature was moderate, and a breeze was blowing.  I was fortunate to have a bench to sit on and was in good company.  I met a Red Cross worker from Iceland, a missionary from Canada, and several Malawians that I did not know before.  I am always up for a new adventure, right?
My real regret is that I could not take photos.  That is strictly forbidden at government installations.  Yet somehow I don't think that I will soon forget this experience.

On the bright side, I got caught up on my Bible reading, outlined a ladies Bible study, organized menus for ANTS, and made bulleted lists of all the things I needed to do when released.  Might as well make the most of the moment...or  the minutes....or the hours!

Another First

Today was the first time in my life that I have taken kernels of maize to a mill to be ground.  How cool is that?!

In preparation for our upcoming ANTS session, I bought two 50 kg bags of maize.  When ground and cooked, this becomes the staple food of Malawi, called nsima.  I took Edward and Isaac with me, and with the help of five ladies at the mill, we had maize flour in about an hour.

Everyone was more than happy to have their picture made so that you could see for yourself what this process looks like.

Did I mention that you can shop for groceries and have a new dress made while you wait?!

I LOVE AFRICA!

Selecting the Bird

November begins this week, and that means that Thanksgiving cannot be far behind.  I know that many of you have already begun to compile a menu for this festive holiday.  At the top of your list is probably the word turkey.  You may have already gone shopping to select the perfect bird.  Well, I did the same today, although my process was a bit different than any of my previous years.

Let me explain:

1) Man rides up on bicycle with turkeys in tow

2) Man displays turkeys for inspection

   

3) Fredna selects turkey

4) Gaylord haggles over price

5) Deer and dog inspect turkeys

6) Turkeys now have a new home where they will receive lots of grain in the next three weeks

Now if I could just find canned pumpkin and red sweet potatoes!

ANTS

One of my assignments as a missionary in Malawi is to serve as the administrator for All Nations Theological Seminary or ANTS.  ANTS offers a Master's Degree in Missions and Intercultural Studies.  Sessions are held in May and November of each year.

 

 

That means that beginning Saturday, students and teachers from around the world will be arriving in Lilongwe for the month.  Along with students from the African countries of Malawi, Zambia, Namibia, and Swaziland, we also have students from Pakistan and America.

 

I love it when ANTS is in session and will post photos of students and classes later in the month.  Right now we are in the midst of cleaning and preparing for classes to begin.

  

People often forget the preparations that go into ensuring that the facilities are in order for housing and feeding students.  Thanks to Edward, Shedreck and Isaac for their hard work this week.

My Kids (Young Adults)

I love these amazing people and miss sharing in their everyday lives.  They do send photos occasionally, and I thought I would post.  You'll see why I miss them so much.

You Tell Me

You tell me - is this guy spoiled or not?  I guess it is true that you can take the boy out of Texas, but you can't take Texas out of the boy!

I Am Rich...No, Really!

You know how we Christians say that we are rich, even though we don't have any money?  We contend that the blessings and provision of God make us wealthy beyond compare.  Well, I agree with that thought, but today I actually became a billionaire .... really .... see....

and no, this isn't play money.  This is the currency of the neighboring country of Zimbabwe given to me by one of my friends.  Now these 30 billion dollars actually equal less than two American dollars and might buy one egg. 

Thinking about it ... let me start all over ... I am a Christian and, as such, am rich, even though I don't have any money.  The blessings and provision of God make me wealthy beyond compare ... really!

Where I Now Live

Until coming to Africa I had always lived in small Texas towns.  I remember when our children were very small, they made the comment that one day they would like to live in a town that was large enough to have its own Wal-mart.  Isn't that funny? 

Well, they each got their desire.  Adriane lives in Longview; Shelby lives in the Dallas/Ft Worth metroplex; and Caleb lives outside Los Angeles.

I, on the other hand, do not live anywhere near a Wal-mart.  There is nothing small nor Texan about my town.   I did make an interesting observation the other day while standing at the kitchen sink.  I live in a town where I now wash and re-use Ziploc bags (and wash dishes by hand, I might add).  What a random thought!

 

In today's disposable society, I recycle Ziploc bags.  When items are abundant or inexpensive, you tend to overlook their inherent value.  You tend to discard the old in favor of the new.  You tend to forget that there is still much usefulness remaining in the original object.  I wonder if we do that with people as well as things.

Lord, help me to see the inherent value in your creation.  Let me view each person I encounter, as one You paid  a high price to redeem and salvage.  Let me help each discover his/her worth to You and his/her value to Your kingdom.

   

 

Thank you, God, for where I now live and for the lessons you are teaching me along the way.