Return to Likhubula

Kondwani's Mvano Report

2006-07-30T14:15:00.000+01:00

Report on the Tour by Likhubula
C.C.A.P. Women’s Guild (Mvano)
to the Likhubula Community

Compiled by
Kondwani Chamwala
Communications Officer
Steering Committee
for the Likhubula Dunblane Link

Introduction
Likhubula C.C.A.P Women’s Guild (Mvano) has been an active part of the church since its inception.

Mvano has a number of responsibilities at every church that encourages unity and helping each other in times of difficulties.

Among their duties, Mvano is supposed to cheer patients both at home and hospital. They are also play a significant role during funeral ceremonies and a leading role in communities by preaching the gospel through their activities.

On 24th June 2006, Likhubula Mvano had a tour to cheer the elderly people and some vulnerable people of the Likhubula Community and the chairperson for the Dunblane Likhubula Link, Dr Jenni Barr, joined the tour.

Description
The tour started at 9.45am on Tuesday of the 24th June 2006 at the Likhubula C.C.A.P Church with a word of prayer. Gathered in good number and dressed in their uniforms, the cold weather of the day disturbed the beauty of the women by forcing them to have mixed colours on top of their uniforms.

Likhubula C.C.A.P Church have five cottages, but the tour was reduced to four by combining two cottages. Then the cottages were divided as follows: Mbewa/ Kalilombe, Gibson, Nakhonyo plus Forest and Mangombo/Chilanga. The journey begun and some women had tablets of soap and packets of salt on their heads. Not only members of the C.CA.P were targeted but also others from different denominations and those without too.

Mbewa / Kalilombe Cottage
This was the first meeting point for Mbewa/Kalilombe people to receive a little something from Likhubula Mvano. Twenty six people from this cottage benefited from the aid and 10 of them were from other denominations. With the bad weather that included rain showers, and for being the first visiting place, the function was not interesting up to the expected standard.

The visit in Mbewa/Kalilombe cottage took place at the house of one of the traditional midwives for the Likhubula community, Mrs Makina, popularly known as Make Mwalimwal. Dr Barr noted the poor state of the building. After the donation, Dr Jenni Barr delivered a speech that includes greetings from Dunblane, Scotland. This was followed by a word of thanks by representatives of the elderly group and then a closing prayer marked the end of the function. The group then moved off to the east of the area.

Gibson Cottage
This way to the east ended at the house of one of the old woman who could not manage to walk to any other place in her Gibson cottage. The ceremony here started at around eleven o’clock and the weather now was stable.

It was lively. There was singing and dancing by both parties such that Dr Jenn Barr could not resist joining the gospel jigs. Twenty six people were the beneficiaries of the aid in Gibson cottage.

After the speech by Dr Barr, everyone wanted to say something that was not more or less than ‘thank you’ to the Mvano of Likhubula and Dunblane Cathedral. Singing and dancing continued, as people were departing heading to another point.

Nakhonyo and Forest Cottages
It was the turn of two more combined cottages. At around noon the party arrived at the house of Ms Kokamalemba. Not much different from Gibson, there was excitement and a warm welcome given to Mvano and Dr Barr.

A total of 26 people received assistance at this point and 12 were not C.C.A.P members.

As before, Jenni Barr delivered a speech then representatives from Nakhonyo and Forest cottages also had a word to say. After a closing prayer, Mvano started off to the last point, situated at about 30-45 minutes walking distance.

Mangombo/Chilanga Cottage
This could be better described as the special place, the home of one of the longest serving members and founder of the Likhubula congregation. After the arrival of Mvano, it was singing and dancing waiting for the man who can write history to appear. In his dark jacket Mr Namboya (born in 1912) showed himself to the gathering with his supporting walking stick, heading to have a seat and he was welcomed by Dr Jenn Barr.

The function began and 26 people went home with soap tablets and packets of salt. After speeches by Dr. Barr and representatives of the cottages, it was time to sing and dance. Bearing in mind that this was the last point everyone danced to the maximum.

One of the old retired teachers, also a member of Mvano, marked the end of the function with a prayer in both English and Chichewa. Later, almost everyone flocked to Mr Namboya to say bye and get blessings from the old wiseman by shaking hands with him. It reminded everybody of the sign of ‘umodzi’ when Dr Jenn Barr shook hands with Mr. Namboya.

Conclusion
The five hours’ tour had a great impact, and it clearly demonstrates the role of Mvano in the Likhubula community. The little they shared was helpful to the elderly people and Mvano was asked to visit these people on a regular basis as this so vividly signifies a spirit of remembering them.

Later discussions between the Steering Committee, Dr Barr, the Chairman of Mbewe Development Committee and the village chiefs for the five cottages have highlighted the value of having joint discussions when drawing up lists of those most in need in the community.

The tour spread out the gospel through songs sung by Mvano and by the mere fact of the visit to the elders.

Neverending thanks were given out to Mvano in Dunblane Cathedral for supporting Likhubula Mvano in this activity.

Mary's Meals 2006

2006-07-25T21:51:00.000+01:00

On 15th March 2006, we launched a substantial appeal in Dunblane in Scotland. We were aware that children left home early in the morning to walk barefoot for a 7am start at Nansato School. We knew that several did not return home till after 2pm, and that there was no meal included in the school timetable. Between our first and second visits in June and September 2005, as many as 100 children had dropped out of school because of the food shortages arising from two years of poor harvests. In other areas of Malawi there was a major player providing a meal a day for children in school - this was Mary's Meals, part of the charity known as Scottish International Relief. When we started our publicity for the fundraising, Mary's Meals were being being offered to 40,000 children a day in Malawi. By the time I was visiting, just four months later, this had risen to 90,000.

So we teamed up with Mary's Meals to form a three-way partnership. (1) In Scotland we would raise funds for the start-up costs and to guarantee Mary's Meals at Nansato School for at least the next three years. (2) Mary's Meals in Malawi would take Nansato School into its scheme: linking with local people at Likhubula in February 2006 to build a lock-up and kitchen complex; providing the start-up equipment (three ecological stoves, wooden paddles, tin buckets for water, plastic basins for washing and 1,200 plastic mugs); arriving regularly with supplies of likuni phala - maize for porridge, fortified with soya and vitamins. (3) The community at Likhubula would set up a committee of volunteers, who on a rota basis would arrive at 6am each day to prepare and serve the food, clean up and have everything locked away by 11am.

And so on my first day at the school, I too arrived at 6am. In these winter months, this is just as the sun is appearing, and we carried out the equipment, chopped wood for the stoves, lit the fires and prepared the buckets and basins with water from the river. Of course, I didn't actually carry any of the buckets on my head but I did take the photos!

There was a lovely sense of community. Mothers stirred the phala with babies tied on their backs (and not always their own babies - this was something that everyone would help with). The day woke up slowly: children and teachers started to arrive; the ground was swept, lines were formed, assembly held in the shade of the classroom wall; children moved into their lessons. The stirring continued. It would take a while for the water to boil, some good agitation for the phala to dissolve, careful balancing of wood for fire and gentle nudging to prevent sticking as the porridge moved to its final stage. Only in this last stage could the lid go on to the pot and we relaxed together - creating, as it happened on this day, a poem that we would later have painted in English and Chichewa on the walls of the kitchen:

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
STRENGTH FOR LEARNING
FOOD FOR KNOWLEDGE
STRENGTH FOR LIFE

One volunteer had challenged me, "See if anyone says thank you". Maybe they wouldn't, not directly, but when I showed these photos to the head teacher his first comment was, "If you had taken these pictures at the start of February, the children's faces would not be looking so healthy". There seems to be a consensus that within six weeks of serving phala, there are noticeable benefits. The same volunteer had observed that at first he just thought Malawian children were not very good at concentrating in class. Only when he saw the improvement in their learning did he realise how much the hunger situation had been affecting them.

Compelling for me are the entries in the simple school jotter that is the record of Mary's Meals:
14/02/06 - 900 meals
15/02/06 - 981 meals
16/02/06 - 1,001 meals
In July 2006, the school role now stands at over 1,000 and it is still rising.

Naturally, I took my turn serving the phala. Later one child would write, "The moment Jen Bar arrived at our school she joined the women who were preparing some porridge for the students. It was very funny to see her activities so that everybody was interested to eat the porridge with happiness." Certainly, if curiosity was anything to go by, mine was consistently the longer queue!

The final word belongs to Chiyanjano Mwale, a 12 year old student in Standard 7:
"Many and many years ago, Nansato School was in the problems of hunger. But with the precious God, Mary's Meals sent Likuni Phala, the delicious food for the children and teachers at Nansato School to eat.

Many children who dropped out of school because of hunger have now started going again to school. Doubling of cups is not a problem for Standards 7 and 8. We are very happy and we are enjoying this Likuni indeed. May God bless you.

In addition there is a building we are using on cooking this Likuni Phala and when some visitors asked Christopher Kamphulusa the importance of this building he said, "At first we were cooking Likuni Phala on the ground. But now we have a real place for cooking Likuni Phala."

Please please continue sending the Likuni Phala to us. We are indeed enjoying it.

THANKS."

It costs just £5 a year to feed one child Monday to Friday for a year through Mary's Meals.

You'll find a lot more detail on the website at www.sircharity.org

...as if I am a car

2006-07-25T13:58:00.000+01:00

"Why would I walk on the road, as if I am a car?" he asked, striding off into the bush. He often had interesting comments to offer. For example, one day as I sat by his desk during interval in school he said, "I hoped you would come today. Would you like to see an African video?" I was intrigued. What he produced, however, was a wadge of snaps for us to look through, picture by picture. In 2006 this was the closest this African gentleman would come to owning his own video.

He was so very keen for me to see his home and clearly proud of it once I was there. Retiring in 2004 after 30 years as a teacher / head teacher, Mr Nyambalo had obtained land from the village chief and together with his wife had built his own house. They constructed the outside kitchen first and lived in it until the rest was finished. He paid for his own water supply, installing an outside tap. He even had the whole house wired for electricity and had paid in full to be connected. Sadly this was yet to happen. The last of many explanations which he had received from the power company read, "We have run out of telegraph poles". He has now promised to send me a message in Scotland if ever his lights go on!

Often Wyson Nyambalo was born on 16th April 1949, fifth born in the family. As he writes: "We were six, three boys and three girls. The first born son Hamilton and last born daughter Betsie passed away in August 2002 in May 2003." This was a theme as we looked through his pictures. Already, at 57, Mr Nyambalo has outlived many of his closest friends and relatives. These two siblings are survived by nine children, and Mr and Mrs Nymbalo themselves have seven children and nine grandchildren.

Having retired from teaching, settled his family in their own home (which gives him immense peace of mind since his wife is now provided for, should anything happen to him) and gathered several of his grandchildren to raise (as often occurs in Africa, taking some of the pressure off his own children), retirement had not beckoned for long. Nansato School by the Likhubula river has, in common with many Malawian schools, a chronic shortage of teachers. At present there are 6 teachers for 1,100 pupils, but one of these teachers is on maternity leave, one is the head teacher with many duties beyond the classroom and one is about to be posted away through her husband's work. Volunteers from Scotland come for a spell through World Exchange in Edinburgh, but their term is always limited. When Caroline Tredrea was being moved from the school to help at Likhubula House in April 2006, Mr Nyambalo became employed on a temporary basis as her teacher replacement. By the time I arrived in June he was still the faithful teacher of Standard 6, arriving at school around 7am every morning and remaining in his classroom at morning interval to tackle marking for 100+ pupils.

Nor was the weekend much different. When he saw an advertisement for a teacher for a Saturday School for 24 orphans, Mr Nyambalo was interviewed and appointed. I am writing about this group separately, but each week that I visited I would see him offering tutorial teaching, opportunities for play and vigorous outdoor education to this group of vulnerable but dignified children, aged between 5 and 16.

Maybe Sunday was his day off. Yet the church service itself would last over 3 hours and I would spot him, resplendent in his smart green Sunday suit.

Some people are just born to be active!

The house was one of the newest I had seen, but the layout familiar: a main sitting room that would house any belongings that contributed to leisure (for Mr and Mrs Nyambalo this meant a large number of books, writing materials and a mechanical knitting machine). Through the back corridor there were sleeping quarters, a storeroom for the year's supply of dried maize and a door leading to the outside kitchen. The house had a generous veranda (also groaning with maize following the bumper harvest), and the garden itself had fruit trees (with a chair resting in their shade), a compound with goats, a fenced vegetable garden and everywhere the obligatory chickens (or, as I liked to think of them, the living, breathing fridge).

You could live off this land, if first you walked to the mountain to cut wood for the fire. The other staples required were salt, sugar and soap. For Mr Nyambalo, the last thing you wanted (as a provider) was to run out of these, or find that you required some to cook for visitors but on that day you had run out of money. So he kept a little store of these in his home, and this was so valued by others that folk from the community would come to make purchases from him whenever their own supplies were running low. To a city girl like myself, this presented a fine picture of contentment and self sufficiency, coupled with a generous spirit.

I was only the second Scottish lass whom Mr Nyambalo had met. The first was a significant lady, Mrs J.G.Campbell, whose husband had provided the funds for Mr Nymbalo's education. Mr Nymbalo's father had worked as this man's cook for a number of years and without his patronage his son would not have been able to access Secondary education. Then a year ago Brigitte, Jonathan and I had attended a stately meeting in Likhubula with Steering Committee and church elders towards the end of our visit. I remembered the voice that announced, "There is a problem with this partnership!" We all held our breath, only to be teased that a two-week visit was grossly inadequate. This was my introduction to Nyambalo, and his prayer that followed was memorable and recalled to me my own grandfather's comfortable ease when speaking to his Maker.

A final lasting impression from the visit to his home is the photo and letter from a pupil at Dunblane Primary School, framed and mounted on the bare concrete wall. Mr Nyambalo's youngest daughter has a penpal, but his personal dream is to find a penpal of his own, someone with whom he can share his considerable curiosity and interest in a world that he already knows is larger than Malawi. I think this parternship should succeed in offering him that.

It's a party!

2006-07-20T21:55:00.000+01:00

The driver dropped me at Likhubula House and the group was already gathered to welcome me - members of the Steering Committee, of Mvano, of the church session. The table was laid beneath the trees by the (dried up) pool, the cloth was the new Likhubula House pattern. We had massive sugary scones and bottles of Coke / Fanta / Sprite with a range of welcoming speeches. My contribution was a box of Matthew Orr's homemade Dunblane tablet - not quite as juicy as sugar cane but a resounding success, especially with the accompanying photo of a 12 year old boy working in the kitchen.

Mr Chiromo had been called away to a funeral (his wife's younger sister) and Mrs Navaya had been taken unwell shortly after setting out, so the event was in Charles Kamanga's hands and he was well up for the task. We spoke of going up the mountain, and Mr Mambo (top right in the dark shirt) explained I would head straight for Sapitwa and as a visitor would carry all my own gear. It's a good thing I'm used to straight-faced humour, for the reality is anything but - guides and porters will do the carrying, and Sapitwa (for the likes of me) involves at least one night in a cabin en route. However, since Sapitwa literally means Don't go there I probably won't! At least the treatment helped remind me I was safely back amongst friends.

After thanksgiving prayers, we packed everything away and I was escorted to my chalet. Following the trip to Shoprite I had stopped at a local market for vegetables, but now I was humbled to find that the ladies were carrying stocks for me of eggs, green vegetables, peas,

tomatoes and bottles of fizz. All this, plus my age in bananas.

Welcome to the warm heart of Africa.

Programme for the visit

2006-07-20T08:43:00.000+01:00

I am now eager to get into telling the little stories that characterised daily life at Likhubula, but have a sense that first this entry should give a flavour of the purpose of the visit and a general overview as to how my time was used.

The parternship is between Dunblane Cathedral, the schools and aspects of the local community in Dunblane and the church, school and local community at Likhubula (the local community comprising 5 villages, each with its own village chief and, recently, Development Committee). In this the first year since the parternship began, we have made two brief visits to Malawi and hosted a three week visit to Dunblane by the head teacher, minister and chairperson of the Likhubula Steering Committee. We made good initial headway in putting together draft statements for a Parternship Agreement, but difficulties with communication since the visitors returned home in December 2005 and news of Mr Chiromo (head teacher)'s illness in Spring 2006 led to a fairly last minute committee decision that I should visit, when annual leave permitted, in order to see if we could establish a firmer foundation for ongoing communications within the partnership. I would be staying at Likhubula House, but we were aware the volunteer staff whom we knew had recently completed their time of service there and the house was presently undergoing substantial renovation. I wasn't sure what I would find.

I found a lively organisation, ably managed by two new Malawian appointees, Patricia and Eliza, and serviced by a comprehensive and hard-working staff. I was settled into Chalet 3 (shower, kitchen area, two beds, two chairs and a dresser) with gheckos each evening for company. In Chalet 2 lived an American team who were helping the Museum of Malawi to catalogue the wildlife on the mountain (seemingly with the help of a gun). In Chalet 4 - from 6am each morning - were the inseparable pairing of Mrs Safari and Mrs Baluwa, who dealt with the daily dose of laundry and prepared a mid-day meal for many of the workers on the estate.

My friends next door.

I soon came to realise that I was living in a village. Between the ladies next door and Patricia and Eliza across the path, I would rarely leave my chalet without being greeted and included in a conversation. Mrs Safari is the best kind of language teacher, dugged and persisitent, prepared to repeat a phrase until I have it mastered. Thus in the days to come I would graduate from How are you? to How are you this morning? to See you tomorrow! to I fell in the river as I was going up the mountain.

But I promised an overview of the programme. There were early meetings at Likhubula with the Steering Committee - a party on arrival, a meeting in the church on Day 2. There were meetings with Sunday School teachers, school staff, members of the School Committee, local chiefs and leaders, church session, new and outgoing minister and, in the weeks to come, two further sessions with the Steering Committee. I addressed school assemblies and visited each class in school plus the Sunday School and the new adult education class that meets with a volunteer teacher each afternoon. I was escorted in the rain through the villages by Mvano (the Women's Guild) to distribute salt and soap and to spend a little time with those in greatest need in the communities. I helped prepare and serve Mary's Meals at Nansato Primary School. I recorded the music of two choirs - the Band and Tyamike Choir. Each Saturday I joined a group of orphans who have their own programme at Likhubula House. Finally, in Church I addressed the children twice, helped lead a service (this started comfortably in English but seemed to shift to Chichewa as my prompter becaame more bold). On the final Sunday I preached the sermon (my part securely in English, then translated) and we explained, launched and signed the Partnership Agreement amidst celebration, singing and dance.

On quiter days I visited Mulanje and Chitakale, spent a night up the mountain, hosted the school staff for lunch at my chalet and watched the World Cup Final under the stars as part of my farewell party.

There were three deaths during my stay, each en route to the (distant) hospital. I visited one penpal who has had to drop out of school, was invited to eat in a variety of homes, some with and some without electricity but all with roaming and noisily mating chickens.

And everywhere I went I would see signs of a special little dance and hear children's voices chanting Jenn Bar! Jenn Bar! It was always offered with affection.

Somehow, Stirling seems rather quiet now I am returned home.

Ah, you have returned fatter!

2006-07-18T19:54:00.000+01:00

Where else can you be so delightfully insulted but in Africa?! There was so much affection in her voice as she said it that even before it was explained, I knew that a bit of plumpness was to be admired in this community (as a sign of good feeding, of implied wealth and, in all likelihood, health too).

Of course, some days later after I had inadvertently fallen in the river, I found that even the ladies washing their clothes by the bridge would point to me then point to the water with a mischievous grin. When I commented to one of the mountain guides that everyone seemed to know, he replied, "But of course. We have all heard that you were going up the mountain and have been wondering - how we she do? She is a fat one!" And this one is my friend!

Finally, there was the porter to whom I commented that, after the escapade leaping from rock to rock to cross the river, I would not now be leaping any more. "I know", he said sagely, "You are old."

Come to Africa for a healthy dose of reality and learn to love and accept yourself as you really are!

Practically there

2006-07-18T18:24:00.000+01:00

I'm impatient now to be describing my arrival at Likhubula and impatient with the final practical tasks to be completed in Blantyre to support the visit. However, for the sake of others visiting later, I'll mention what needs to be known.

I visited Malawi.net to open an email account. This will not be required in future as we have since established good links through Yahoo.com and the Internet cafe in Chitakale. Their electricity and computer availablity is generally more reliable than at Likhubula House.

I called on the bank to exchange money. Generally, I carry Sterling (English) notes and some US dollars. The exchange rate is better in Blantyre than Mulanje, but currency exchange is possible in the smaller towns, which can certainly be useful. Both MasterCard and Visa can let you withdraw money from a cash machine with a card and a pin, up to MKW 20,000 per day, around £100. Frighteningly easy!!

Up until now we have also stopped to purchase Celtel cards (and unblock the Malawian Celtel Sim card in our mobile phone). However, I found coverage in the Likhubula area very poor, and we are now advised to go for Telecom instead. The Steering Committee now holds a phone for us and will take care of these details in advance of any visit. One less task for Blantyre.

Want to buy a turkey? © Jenni Barr

So the final stop is at Shoprite, Blantyre, a giant supermarket with groaning shelves stocked direct from South Africa. I load up with cleaning products, a plastic bowl, an orange squeezer (which I like so much I bring it home with me) and staples such as rice, pasta and seasoning cubes. In place of milk (dicey if the electricity supply is variable) I like to have lots of cartons of juice. Redbush tea is fine for a warm drink and my luxury item (take note, Lawley)is a generous supply of breakfast cereal with good roughage. With these items in the store cupboard, daily purchases of fresh fruit, vegetables and eggs from the local market will go a long and nourishing way. For those special moments, there is always the supply of Eet Sum Mor biscuits.

Chicken in a basket © Jenni Barr

Petrol in the vehicle, the mountains in sight and we're off.

Blantyre Days

2006-07-17T18:42:00.000+01:00

It has become our custom to spend a day or two in Blantyre before travelling to the land of dust roads and warm hearts. Last year Brigitte, Jonathan and I had stayed for some days at Grace Bandawe Conference Centre, a short walk from the Synod offices. The staff there remembered me, they even put me in the same suite. It was full of memories of Jonathan with his strawberry Fanta, of Brigitte and games of patience. My first night there was vivid with dreams - Stirling offices, colleagues, friends, the unfamiliar. But as dawn burst each day (and dawn in Africa is never just a visual experience, it assaults sight and smell and sound) the preoccupation with work would recede. Africa has its own way of claiming its visitors.

The first day was a Sunday.

Church of St. Michael's and All Angels
© David Else - Lonely Planet Images

I joined a group of Australian pastors and their wives for the English Service at the Church of St. Michael's and All Angels. We gathered for some thirty minutes outside the Church, while the Chichewa service ran over time. Being introduced to the Chief Advocate's wife for the first time, I started to explain that I was part of the Dunblane Likhubula partnership. 'Oh, I know all about it,' she replied. The English service, too, ran over time but no one seemed to mind. There was ample time for all visitors to be presented to the church and we were invited as we stood at the front of the church to make any comments we wished to the congregation. I brought the greetings of Dunblane Cathedral and spoke a little of our excitement at becoming involved in the link with Likhubula. The excitement seemed to be shared by the congregation, even here in Blantyre.

I returned later in the day for the 5pm service. This was led by a Canadian minister, so started spectacularly promptly. Seated behind me was Andrew Parker, last seen in Scotland. Andrew works with Scottish International Relief, and having seen a container with stuffed schoolbags for Malawi pupils off from Scotland in March, he was now in Malawi to help unpack it on arrival. I was fortunate that its arrival had been delayed, for so had Andrew. After the service he drove me to their home, a townhouse in Blantyre gifted for use by personnel from the voluntary organisations. Some people look a little out of place in Africa, others as if they have lived here all their lives. Andrew falls decidedly into the latter camp. Hate to tell his wife, but this probably wasn't the year to establish a new home in Edinburgh.

At ease driving through the town, Andrew had already been fined by the police. 'What's the crime?' 'Just pay us and we'll tell you.' In all likelihood the police had run short of salary. Andrew's crime? Driving in the wrong lane in a land that has no lanes and - frequently - no tarmac.

Setting Off

2006-07-17T18:10:00.000+01:00

Maybe this posting won't be everyone's cup of tea, but once I had locked the cases, shut up the house (watched with ominous awareness by Chip the cat and somewhat more discretely by the children in the street who will soon become his surrogate companions) I met up with my father and we made our way to Dunblane Cathedral to meet with Rev Colin McIntosh. This is a strange kind of trip. Not strictly holiday (though I can't think of any better place to be going) and I am very mindful as I travel of carrying the hopes of the Dunblane side of this partnership. Colin had prepared a small card of readings titled 'For Jenni on her way to Likhubula'.

They read as follows:

God our Journeying
God of all our journeying,
inviting us to travel with you,
forgive us when we cling to outworn security,
afraid to let go of what is safe and familiar.

Give us courage
to take the risk
of answering your call
into joyous adventure.

Friends and Saints and Angels
Bless us, God,
with saints to tell us stories,
with angels to surprise us,
with friends along the way.

Bless us, God,
with strength and joy and courage
all the length and breadth
of our nights and days.

The Inner Journey
Lord of every pilgim heart,
bless our journeys
on the roads
we never planned to take,
but through your wisdom
discovered we were on . . . . .

And last, but not least
BE SAFE
Wherever you walk
may the earth uphold you.
Wherever you enter
may you find welcome.
Wherever you rest
may it be a good home.

And wherever you go
in these great wide worlds
within and without,
know that our thoughts go with you.

After all this, check-in and the flights from Edinburgh to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Johannesburg and Johannsburgh to Blantyre in Malawi were a breeze. I was met at the airport by Blantyre Synod personnel carrying a great sign which read, Welcome Dr Jenni Barr.

In under 12 months here I was back in Africa, finally less than two hours' journey from Likhubula.

Preparing to return

2006-06-09T23:34:00.000+01:00

This is a new venture - setting up a blog. It may stand or fall on the availability of phonelines for an Internet link in Malawi, but since I'm due to be back in Likhubula for around four weeks this summer, it's worth a try. Catch some observations, tell some of the stories day by day. Besides which, the evenings can be quite long as we tend to be back in the chalet by dark (and dark in this area falls around 5pm). Of course, by 5am the sun will be back up and the African community beginning to buzz. Maybe the best thing I can do at this stage in Scotland is start getting used to turning in early.

I'll use entries in the next few days to set the scene, outline a little of our partnership with Likhubula and give some of the reasons for a visit at this stage.

However, you'll find details of the partnership at www.dunblanelikhubulalink.org.uk.