What a difference a week makes...

sunset over Mzuzu - calm before the storm

Hello from an unusually quiet Sunday evening in Mzuzu.

This week has been really tough not only in Mzuzu but throughout Malawi as there were mass demonstrations last Wednesday as people took to the street to protest about some of the issues that are affecting everyday lives here. Unfortunately the peaceful demonstrations that were planned became violent and there were many injuries and some fatalities.

On Wednesday our offices were closed and I stayed within the Synod compound all day after being told not to go further than the gates. In fact we stayed inside until Saturday. I have to say that nothing would have made me go outside as I could see and hear many people running away from the town centre.
All day on Wednesday there were sounds of shooting and tear gas was being used to try to control the situation. I was able to see where road blocks were burning and could hear sirens as dead and injured people were transported to the hospital. It was not good and quite frightening as the shooting and trouble continued into the evening. These last few days Mzuzu has been strangely quiet - the sounds that shape the days here have either been non existant or very muted. I usually am woken by traffic noise, hooting horns, the call to prayer from the mosque and loud music from market just across the wall from my home but from Wednesday to Saturday the world here was muted.

I took this picture on Saturday morning. The sun still shines but there are dark clouds behind -  a picture of our world at the moment..?

On Saturday after taking advice I went out to the shops to get in some bits and pieces and it was Mzuzu but not as I know it. There were much fewer people out and about than usual, fewer cars and again much less of the city sounds than I would expect. I saw shops that had been destroyed and completely emptied of all their contents. Peoples liveliehoods are affected or just gone. We have been hearing from friends and colleagues that it is much the same in other places.

Please pray for this land - for peace and calm, for those who are injured and grieving the loss of family and friends, for a peaceful resolution to the issues that people were demonstrating about.

But in all of this challenging time some aspects of life are ever the same...

My house 'guests' keep coming - this small lizard took refuge in the sunspot in my bedroom.

There is time to spend with friends...

 and my small neighbours come to play in the garden!

I have really been glad of the texts, phone calls and e mails from family and friends this past week. Thank you for your care and concern.

Wishing you a peaceful week wherever you are.

Love and blessings

Fiona

cars, cold weather and cake..!

My rush hour route to work!

Hello all and greetings from sunny Mzuzu!
Thought it was about time to update my blog and let you know some of what's been happening over the past couple of weeks.

early morning in Lilongwe

First of all I am very glad to be back from Lilongwe. I mentioned in the last post that I was taking someone to the airport  and then I had a few things to do in Lilongwe when I was there. I also added that it may take a little more time than usual to do all that needed to get done and so it did..! I was in Lilongwe from Tuesday til Thursday as we could not get diesel to get home to Mzuzu.
I am very glad that I had one of our drivers with me as he very patiently searched for a filling station that could supply us with diesel. Very often at the moment you hear the expression that people are waiting 'on the line', in other words queuing until fuel becomes available. Please do remember pray for the people here who are finding this time of fuel shortage a real challenge.

flowers in Lilongwe city centre

There is beauty to be found even in the city!

One of the evenings in Lilongwe there was a power cut and I enjoyed the candles that were set out along the hotel corridor floor to guide guests to their rooms. Not sure about the fire safety implications though..!

On the road home we stopped for a snack at our usual place and here is the sight that met us... Fuel was coming and so many people were 'on the line' at the filling station! 

on the line at Kasungu

Look out for the tobacco lorry, as usual well laden and on the way to the auction floor.

There were many beautiful places and lots of lovely scenery to enjoy as we travelled home and having a driver with me meant that I could really soak it up. This just part of the view on the road north to Mzuzu.

Here is the vegetable market at Jenda where we made a brief stop on the way home to buy potatoes. It was quite chilly on this day and the people were well wrapped up. Their produce is so nicely displayed and is always a really colourful display. You buy spuds here by the bucket and not by weight, another new experience for me. I am still eating my way through the bucketful that I bought...

Yet another new experience for me was getting the car serviced. I had had a very basic car maintainence lesson before I left Northern Ireland but I have to say that my knowledge of car parts has increased dramatically since last week. Universal joint, front suspension, shock absorbers, wheel bearings... I do actually now know where to find these on a car -well most of them and understand a bit more about what is their function! The mechanic talked me through all that had been done to the car and another lesson about life in Malawi is learned...

A couple of the most recent visitors to my home

This rather large gecko was trapped in my kitchen sink and had shed it's tail. This can happen when they are shocked so he does look a wee bit shorter than usual. I re-homed it out to the garden and I hope it managed to keep away from the ever hungry chickens...

Last week I celebrated my birthday and had the lovely surprise of not one birthday cake but a whole birthday greeting of cake! Thank you Diane - birthdays shared with friends are always good.

Another few weeks have flown by with all of their ups and downs. There are challenges and frustrations as well as enjoyment and fun but whenever I see the children in our nursery schools I am reminded of the reason I am here. Children are important to God, they have a special place in His plan and it is a privilege to part of a programme that recognises that and is working to make life better for them in His name.

This week I am meeting with some of our presbytery trainers and I am encouraged when I hear all that they are doing in their districts. Please pray for them as they travel to visit, train and monitor the nursery caregivers in each of the CCAP Early Childhood centres within their districts.

Wishing you all a good week.
Love and blessings

Fiona

out & about...

Misty sunrise on Monday morning

Hello!

Life has been a really varied this past week and I have been out and about to some different places and meeting new people. My Malawian driving experience is developing but there many roads yet to be explored!

 I was back to the lakeshore again this week except this time I was the driver and not the passenger! The road to the nursery is very sandy and I was very thankful not to get stuck. Nicolas and Paul who were with me were also very glad as they would have been out pushing!

However they did have to help me by moving a tree that had come down across the road!

The children at the nursery were very pleased to see us and we were pleased to see them and to have got there without too many adventures!

Last week I saw cassava plants growing and this week I saw it out on mats drying in the sun. This week I should be experiencing my first taste of cassava nsima as we have our end of bible study celebration and Mrs Phiri has said that she will bring it especially! Will update you next week...

 My next door neighbour Ruth invited me to visit a craft group that she has set up for some of the local ladies near her home. It is a venture that allows them to sell what they make and to have a small business enterprise. I was the official photographer as they  showed off their completed work.

Spot the visitor!

The ladies were not the only ones busy making beautiful things - I saw many many spiders making magnificent webs in the trees above where the ladies were working.

On Saturday I took a visitor from Northern Ireland down to the lakeshore to enjoy a bit of sunshine and to soak up the scenery. What a beautiful afternoon...

Another day trip this weekend to Vwaza Marsh, where I met the elephants last year... It was a beautiful day and I am glad to report that the elephants were in another part of the park! We did see many hippos, kudu, warthogs and baboon as we enjoyed a 2 hour walking safari with our guides though. God's creation is truly amazing!

On the drive home we were behind this lorry with a very large load of tobacco heading to the auction floor. Some of the loads are really quite heavy and the trailers are loaded to capacity and then some more bales are added! You can maybe spot the bicycle taxi passenger, wonder how she feels about passing such a large load?

This week I am taking a visitor back to the airport and will do a couple of things that I have to get done in Lilongwe. This trip could take a little longer than usual as fuel continues to be scarce. Watch this space...

Wishing you all a good week.
Love

Fiona

PS the database is very nearly completed!