Last Day at our First Centres and our First Goodbyes...

written by Beth and Marquita

We started our last day at the center with the children running behind our Land Cruiser as we drove up the path to the child care center.

Each morning as we arrived at the center, the children were eating their porridge for breakfast. We told our last Bible stories and were amazed at how well the children knew their English Bible verse and Psalter after practicing all week.

The children, and even the teachers and pastors, loved the new games we taught them, including Simon Says, obstacle course, four square, crocheted frisbees and kickball. But their favourite games are still soccer and jump rope!

Simon says...

Obstacle Course

The cooking mothers invited us to help serve lunch. The ladies make a heaping 60L pot of nsima (pronounced see-ma) everyday and serve about 200-250 children at the two centers we were at this week. They follow a weekly menu and add vegetables, beans, fish, eggs, and soya pieces on the side, depending on the day. We had to be careful not to burn our fingers while scooping the nsima onto the plates, but also when we were eating it, because it is eaten with your fingers.

The teachers, matrons and pastors at the centres have been very helpful all week for translating and disciplining. In appreciation for their help, we gave them Treasured Meditation booklets and some Canadian and American pens as a way to remember us. Before the children ate lunch, we were able to thank them for an enjoyable week, and we hope that the Bible stories taught throughout the week may be a blessing for them. The pastor also thanked us for the Bible lessons and wished us all the best in the future. We have learned that Malawian culture requires introducing yourself to everyone, and greetings and goodbyes take a while!

After lunch, we went to the Timotheos office for week closing. One of the employees gave a short meditation on Numbers 20:1-13 about how Moses disobeyed God by smiting the rock, yet God still cared for the Israelites and provided water for them.

We ended the day with supper and a gezellig evening at Florus and Janneke’s house.

Saturday morning started out slow with chocolate chip pancakes and eggs for breakfast. Then the group walked next door to the Good Samaritan orphanage for a tour. The director was very happy to show us around their massive compound. They house children with vulnerable backgrounds from ages infant to 18. We were very impressed by the quality of care they provide. For example, the babies receive one on one care until age one and a half.

After that, our driver, James, took us to the Blantyre wood market. We were bombarded with offers of “good deals” and “low prices”. We quickly learned how to haggle the price down and returned with lots of cool wood carvings, paintings and cloth wraps.

We shared a delicious dinner with Florus, Janneke, Bep and Lianna and then ended the evening with singing psalters.

Tomorrow we plan to attend church at the Mulinga center where half of the team has been doing the VBS this past week.