Thursday, July 31, 2008

NEXT THURSDAY

I will be on Facebook and gmail (bubbles.gmail.com) for chatting purposes on thursday again. 11pm my time 2pm seattle time and 5pm if you are in a place like tennessee...dad and candace. I will be on for at min an hour so if you are a bit late you will catch me... hope to hear from you all!
love ya!

my muzu rant

Muzu
This is a sad story if I ever have to tell one. Well the Saturday after I had that sad experience with the little boy with the hurt foot things really got out of hand. The Muzu boys have a soccer team and they play in the COTN league. Well they are kinda pushy and violent and the ref (a COTN staff) eventually kicked them out of the league due to violence. They tried to beat the ref up, though he got away fine. The boys threatened saying don’t bring the azungus back here again. COTN feels the threat is worth waiting to talk to the chief. Well in true Malawian style no one has talked to the chief and there are only 2 muzu visiting days left. Ughhhhhh. This is my favorite place in Malawi and I have been kicked out and I didn’t even get to say goodbye… I am beyond mad upset or frustrated. I hope to get to go say goodbye to them because I don’t want to be that white person who said they would come back and just didn’t care enough to. Anyone can ask my directors I am fighting them tooth and nail on this one. So for the last Tuesday and Thursday I had to pick a new field. I went with my friend amy to her field that is walking distance and we do about the same things. Only its not with my kids and it made me more sad. Today we went there was this big bus there blasting music. It was a Christian group who said they organized a soccer tourni. Only they took the teams COTN created and had them play so they didn’t do anything at all. Then at half time they had a talk organized. Well we thought ok give it a chance and here is there talk: you are loved. Jesus loves you. None of you were a mistake. In John 3.16 it says for God so loved the world… Now raise your hand if you want to accept Christ into your heart. (picture little Malawian children just a few of them though raising their hand… their friends look around and raise their hand afraid they may not get the free stuff that might be coming) then they do a 10min prayer to save the children. Following that they direct the kids with hands up to the front of the bus and hand out flyers to the YC conference to a bunch of 4-10 year olds. Not sure how those kids will be able to get down town but yes please give them a paper in English they cant read. Then they plugged them in to Zero churches or organizations near by and gave them no bible in which to learn about who Jesus is and what he expects from us and what is right and wrong. But they did nicely treat them all as if they are an unreached population. Well if anything this area is over churched and under “gospeld.” Please don’t talk to them like they don’t know who Jesus is. Please ask who already does believe in God. Maybe even ask who goes to church. You could also find out who believes in witch craft… it’s a stretch but maybe find out which kids are gulus or whos parents are to find out what they struggle with. And maybe they shouldnt drive their dumb bus in blast their music so the kids cant sing their songs and hear their own beautiful voices and share a culture of beauty with you…and then hand out Canadian flags as if that has anything to do with Jesus and then drive off and never see these kids again. But Yes count hands and go to bed at night thinking 50 some odd children now believe in Jesus. I would rather have gone to Muzu and allowed some 18year old boy punch me. RANT OVER.

scandals in africa

ok so now you have your hopes up that i will leave some scandal here... well in africa its a bit different.... i folded my chitingi up so it hit just below my knees and pulled my shirts down over the top. every malawian women was pulling at it and having a fit..
ok so a chitingi is something like a sarong and you wrap it over your skirt so that you dont get your skirt dirty while working. i guess you are supposed to wrap it high on your waist and tuck your shirt in. anyways it was the scandal of the neighborhood. i know i know i am a rebel.  
lets see what else.  I have been invited to dinner by another family so hopefully i can find a translator and go.  

House visits
momma jenna had us mud an entire wall today. I did so while be pestered by one of my favorite kids, mava, mother.  she was drunk and telling me good job over and over while shoving mud in my face and telling me in chichewa how to fix it... all the while she said good job. i dont know crazy is all i can say!  this sunday i am going to catholic mass with momma jenna and family and i cant wait.  

mgwyei
yes i spell that different everytime!  monday i got to hold the newborn baby... his name is kidd or christopher and it was so great! the mom dropped the baby at my house visit with me tuesday and told me i could bring it back on the way home... funny!


Other news
Missing everyone a lot. Thought I could move here… though I can I would need to move with atleast one close friend and change my phone to have international texting. Not communicating and yes Candace texting is driving me crazy. Love it here though but missing home and at this time of the year Alaska Camp, creation YMP and all my crazy summer events

BABIES!
I get to see you soon and I still really miss you. I have your pictures up all around my bunk bed and look at them all the time. Sometimes I play the dolphin song just because you like it so much! I hear you have been taking care of salma and I thank you so so much. Please come to the airport I wont be able to wait one minute longer to see you! Love you so so so so much! Send me an email ok!

Hmmm I think that’s about all I have to add… other then if KAISA reads this… I miss you and hope you and fam are doing well this week. I know I talked to you but really I love you and am thinking and praying for you!

Thursday, July 24, 2008

a late night update

well i got to hold a three week old baby. they strapped it to my back with a chitingi... i am sure i spelt that wrong. in anysense its like a sarong only thicker. it was so little and i was so terrified it would fall. Eventually i took it out and held him. he is the younger brother or krissy, they call him kid. there are four in that fam krissy weezi promise and kid. they are all beautiful and great. The mom is kitty and i make her laugh everytime i come because i yell into the field MOMMA KITTY and then give a big wave followed by muli bwanji which mean how are you. havent met the dad yet. the next day i held the baby again and for a long time.. but in my arms not on my back. this time it peed on my and had to go home and change it! lol.
at muzu i experienced real sadness. one kid had a wound on his foot. so i got his sister and had her walk me the boy and a malawian to their house to it could be cleaned and cared for because it was bad. they were reluctant to go but with a smile i prompted them on. as we got close the boy limp ran ahead and stopped at a house. it wasnt his though. the malawian intern i was with asked for the boys mom as the boy stopped and cried refusing to go home. a women came picked him up and we followed them home. this was not his mom and the boy wiggled free and ran about ten feet away. the mom walked up with a baby on back, who was cute and smiling. i turned to see the boy was still crying and had picked up two large rocks prepared to throw them if his mom came close. i had noticed as we walked into the village from the sports field all the kids that followed seemed to draw closer to me, smiles came off their face. the moms stood by and laughed at the boy as he cried and yelled in chichewa. i didnt know what he said and there was nothing i could do... i have never felt so helpless ever.
well in anysense it is late and far past my bed time BUT here is good news, next thursday at 11pm my time, 2pm seattle time and 5pm Tennessee time i will be on facebook, and on gmail... bubbles.rgc@gmail.com sign on and chat with me... i will update this before then too but just wanted to let you know... hint hint mom you can try again and aunt mary you may be at work and busy but thought i would let you know! HOWEVER internet, computers and electricity is not something you can count on here... SO i may get kicked offline or it may not work... oh the things of a third world country!
anyways i love it here all the same and still miss you all like crazy!
blessings from africa.. you are all in my prayers

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

weeks come and go

well we are cruzing through weeks here and i love it more each day. Today was good rather short. Went to visit momma jenna and couldnt stay to long as it was parent day at school and she had to go to class.  Did wash some clothes though.  Prayer in need for the youngest child, a boy named precious, he is pretty dang sick... possibly malaria.  I am told they get it about once a year here but its no good for young kids.  He is maybe six and in standard one (grade one).  The whole family could use prayer as food is low and they are trying to build a new house because the one they are in... well i am not sure i think they out grew it because they took in a child.  in any sense keep them in your prayers.
At muzu today my little girl jennifer looked pretty sick most of the time.  She looked pretty weak so keep her in your prayers.  At the end she gave me a smile and ran around which was good to see.  But looking from her to her sister i could tell she wasnt totally healthy.  The kids at muzu have stomachs bloated from starvation and its super sad.  The other villages have similar problems but its worse here.

COMMENTS
yep gram i am able to see the comments you have left!  it makes my day so keep leaving them!

BABIES!
i miss you so so much... are you coming to the airport to get me when i get home with kendall... you should come and have kendall go by taco del mar!! Hint hint  But i do love you lots and cant wait to see your little faces and to kick your butt for wearing make up!!! :)  also have kendall send me a message so i know how everyone is doing... including salma!!! i am sure your having a good time dragging her around like a toy liah!

hmmm... what else to say.  the sky is beautiful... saw a red moon the other night!   I loved walking over to mgwei and having my name chanted once again.  I think they think of me as the crazy azungu (that means white person) as i pretty much run about really willing to make a fool out of myself for them!
Got invited to dinner again... and another marriage proposal. I am just racking up those!  
ok i think thats it i need to get to bed... blarg!
miss you all and love it here!  cant wait to show pics to you all!  thanks again to all my supporters!

love you
sami

Saturday, July 19, 2008

HEY ALL

So its the weekend here and we are chillin in town. Dont see much of town usually so this is nice. I am here with two other americans and no malawian... getting confident in my chichewa and my ability to say no i dont want to by that and NO i dont have money!
This last week has been crazy RAD (there ya go goon!). I got to hold a 2week old baby on my back! it was really scary. My favorite kid Krissy hungout with me a lot so thats nice. I love walking in to mgwei the village behind my compound! most of the kids know my name and yell it from afar. Usually krissy comes running into my arms yelling my name. I love it! krissy's mom kitty invited me to dinner at her house and i couldnt go... but maybe later.
I am officiallly a pro at holding water on my head!
Hmm other then that still having stomach issues... mom you may get an email next week about making me a doc apt. This is so annoying.
The weather is back to sunshine!! Sunshine, Africa, fun people, great kids, God! throw some rugby and ruggers in there and i am set!
Still loving it and the kids and everything.
blessings
sami

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

AHH i miss you

well totally healthy now! thought you all would like to know

I am learning the language here pretty quick. its been really great and the kids are happy to help! today i carried water for the first time on my head with no hands! WOOT!  I ran around with kids so much yesterday and it was awesome. When i went in to the village today i heard shouts from all around of kids calling my name. One girl specifically has my heart, she is 13 her name is krissy and i adore her.  i would love to be able to sponsor her is she is available. keep her in your prayers
as i went to my sports ministry today at MUZU the kids were great.  we played games and they heard a good word from the bible.  as we left we had about 100 children chasing the car because they think we are rad... well we are! they are pretty great themselves.  Before they were afraid of us and now they run and sit on our laps or leap into our arms!  oh they are great!  

its gotten cold, sitting in sweats and a longsleeve right now!  but its given way to some beautiful sunsets!  cant wait to show you all pics!

miss you....
love you babies i think you should comment me back because i miss you so much!!!!

love you all and thanks to all those who supported this... God is good!

blessings... update me on your life folks i miss you!

also thanks for the letters katie downing they have been great! you are a blessing!

sami

Friday, July 11, 2008

team blog

dont know if i put this in a different post but here is the team blog again
malawi2008interns.blogspot.com

RIGGERS POST THIS PLEASE

So the Malawi team is alive and well. Things havent chenged to much except God is showing himself more and more! Please pray for health of our team. Sami got really sick and is on the mend but our team as a whole is getting run down.
Please also pray that God continues to open the hearts of the children and parents we meet every day!

(check my blog before this to add stuff and you can read team updates at malawi2008interns.blogspot.com)

WOOT

hey all so i finally go the internet for more then just a minute... though i am paying by the minute so i will try to make this quick!
I love MALWI! sorry gram i think i will move here... lol. Well i will atleast be back!
You should check the team blog as it will be updated more then mine (hint riggers... its a good place to get our update if you are not finding it here!)
my kids are great. i see God in every one of them. As we approach the village the kids run up and yell AZUNGU which means white person. They grab your hand and just walk with you. We dance ALOT... suprised ruggers... probably! we play lots of repeating games and teach about the bible.
My village i go to on tues and thurs is MUZU COTN has not been here alot and the main guy in charge doesnt like us. The first day the kids were scared of us as they hadnt seen white people before. We made a good ten of them cry. By now they chase the van when it leaves and there are hundreds that come see my team of four. Each time we go we give a bible talk and just show the kids we love them and want to play with them. The first day we showed up to an empty field three hours later when the director came to get us there were 300 children plus parents! Crazy.

SICK
wednesday of the second week i went to a potluck with a staff person. Just me and her with a bunch of malawians. It was amazing. I however was not very careful and wached my hands in not sanitary water and then ate. Here in malawi we dont use silverware... so i ended up barfing for five days straight. I went to the clinic and they did nothing... They gave me anti-nausea that absorbs... hmmm... sketch...YES. eventually i was so dehydrated i had to go back and get an IV. This was at a new REALLY sketch place, but they tested for malaria and i dont have it so they gave me and IV. all is kinda well i am still flowing after every meal but not barfing!

TEAM
My team is great, i live in a bunkhouse with 16 other girls. We have running water most of the time and sometimes it HOT. We have electricity most of the time too!

ROOMIES
sorry guys i realized i left a bunch of stuff... EEEK

BABIES
I love you and miss you so so so so so much! give salma a hug for me PLEASE and make sure kendall doesnt feed her people food! And you better not have makeup on! I MEAN IT! :) but i miss you a lot and have your pictures all over my walls so i can see you all the time! If you look up at the sky just know i am looking up there too and thinking of you!

Food
the first week we went into the village and had to get food and one thing on our list was a live chicken... we had to kill it. MILLER i think i will give up meat. My chicken was amzing and then they killed it... sad. other then that its veggies boiled to nothing and then corn product or rice

cant think of anything else besides the fact all is well the kids are great my team is great and i miss you ALL!!!!

blessings from MALAWI!!!!
sami