Abigail and I are having a little one-on-one time holding down the fort here in Malawi. Â We were supposed to go to Mozambique with Matt, his parents, and the TMC team, but 1) there’s a fuel shortage so our caravan was down to 2 vehicles and with fewer seats someone had to stay behind, and 2) I was sick so we were the best candidates to be left behind. Â I’m feeling better now, and Abi and I are enjoying the girl time. Â The travelers get home tomorrow – can’t wait to hear how it all went!
We had a great little family vacation last month! Â Ever wonder how to go on safari with a 6 month old? Â Here’s how we did it…
We went. Â Sometimes with a baby it’s tempting to just stay home and keep a routine. Â But we just went. Â Babies are amazingly flexible. Â We gave her naps and food at all the right times, but we WENT.
Make sure the baby is good around cameras. Â In our case, no problem. Â She’s fine around cameras. Â Mom, however, is not so good at juggling baby and camera… It’s got to be one or the other, so mom let dad take all the really good pictures.
Set your expectations. Â We planned to bring Abigail on as many things as we could, but knew that we’d have to go a bit slower, stop and enjoy things with her, and maybe cut a few things short. Â We also knew that at times there would be things that one of us could do while the other stayed back with her. Â Thinking through those things ahead of time made every experience more enjoyable.
Teach your baby to sleep on rough roads. Â We had about 11 hours of rough roads on this trip, and Abigail just slept right through it. Â She actually woke up if we stopped or the road was suddenly smooth!
Go places that you know YOU will like. Â Do you remember when your parents took you to Disneyland when you were 2? Â Of course you don’t. Â The point: don’t plan your vacation around your baby. Â Plan your vacation, then figure out how to do it with a baby. Â We went to Ntchisi National (Rain) Forest, Lake Malawi, and Nyika National Park. Â None of these places had a playground or even a toy box, but Abigail couldn’t have cared less. Â She smiled and played with her 5 toys, and we loved all the beauty and variety we were able to enjoy.
Have enough diesel so you don’t get stuck on the side of the road. Â This is good advice even if you’re not taking a baby on safari. Â We didn’t get stuck on the side of the road, but we did use every bit of diesel we had!
Even the jerry cans we had stocked up on! Â When we got to the furthest northern point of our travels, we drove in to the lodge with the fuel light on, 20 litres of diesel remaining in the jerry can, and the knowledge that we had a 5 hour drive before we would reach the next gas station. Â But we made it!
Get to know the locals. Â In our case, that meant the wildlife. Â We walked up to a herd of zebras…
.. spotted leopards! Â …
…and let Abigail sing songs to the bushbucks off our room’s little balcony.
Be the only family booked at the lodge. Â This one recommendation, though entirely out of our control, might get the most “Amen!”s in our home. Â The lodge at Nyika National Park was running a “green season” special because it’s the tourist off-season and it’s rainy which makes it difficult to get around. Â So we knew we’d gotten a good package deal, but we didn’t know until we arrived that we were the ONLY people at the lodge. Â They treated us like royalty, washing our laundry, babysitting Abigail during dinner, and taking a chatterbox 6 month old on safari.
We didn’t mind if she was shrieking in delight at the elands, but a nice older bird-watching couple might not have appreciated her joy the way we did. Â Thankfully we didn’t have to figure that out, and we went gleefully shrieking at the animals all over the park, from the sunrise safari to the nighttime safari.
Enjoy it and go home refreshed. Â We’re busy these days, as we’re starting to describe in our We Love What We Do series, and we’re about to get busier with the summer and short-term teams. Â We needed to get away, just for a bit, but on the last day of vacation we realized that we were ready to go home, to do more of what we love. Â The vacation had fulfilled its purpose, and we had learned how to take a baby on safari.
A couple weeks ago, we took Abigail in to the clinic for her 4 month check-up and vaccinations. Â We’re following the CDC’s recommendations for the American vaccination schedule. Â Kind of. Â The rotovirus and pneumacoccal vaccinations aren’t available here in Malawi, so we’ll catch up later in the States. Â The only other difference in her vaccination schedule is that she gets the oral polio vaccination rather than the injectable.
But she does get a great giraffe band-aid!
She also gets her own health passport, which is a copy of her medical records that we take with us whenever we go to a clinic or see any doctor. Â With a significant number of medical staff coming to Malawi for short-term stints (2 weeks to 2 years) there’s not a lot of consistency or order to the medical world here, so it makes sense that you carry your own medical records.
All in all, Abigail is doing great, and we thank the Lord for a healthy, very happy little girl. Â Look at that face though! Â We’re not sure where she got her mischievous, adventurous personality…
In our latest newsletter, we introduced everyone to little Abigail Elizabeth, and asked you all to pray that we would be able to get her birth certificate and passport quickly so that we can return to Malawi on the 15th. Â God is answering your prayers! Â We were able to pick up Abigail’s birth certificate early last week, and on Tuesday of this week we had our appointment at the Federal Building to get her passport expedited. Â They said it would be ready Friday and they’ll overnight it to us, so we should have it in hand by Monday at the latest. Â Yay! Â The Lord has been very kind to us and it appears we won’t have to change the dates of our return tickets. Â Everything is on schedule for us to fly out next Wednesday! Â Thanks for your prayers!
She was mostly awake and alert for her passport photo…
but the passport interview put her to sleep!
As we get closer to Baby Floreen’s due date (August 21) and to the GMI missionary conference (August 15-21), we’re starting to think that it would be nice if Baby Floreen showed up soon. Â Today would be good. Â Tomorrow is the next best option… Â So we’re giving her motivational talks now. Â And actions speak louder than words.
Oh yes she did. Â Though jumping on the trampoline was a lot of fun, Rachel’s not convinced that Baby Floreen got the point. Â No progress yet, so maybe we’ll just take another long walk.
We got a good laugh at the sermon title yesterday at Placerita Baptist Church. Â We feel like we’re not the only ones who think that something should be happening any time now! Â And thanks for the special music note too – very hopeful!
One of the great things about being in the States for a couple months is that we get to spend time with our families. Â We stayed with the Floreens for the first few weeks we were here, and last week we drove up to Mount Hermon, CA, to spend a couple weeks with the Smiths.
The day before we drove out, the Floreens took us to Getty Villa, a beautiful place to explore and a great time to spend as a family.
On the way up to Mount Hermon, we took the “road less traveled,” taking time to stop and enjoy what we saw along the way – like the Old Hawaii Honors Stand, where we bought a couple avocados.
We also stopped in Santa Barbara, where we took a little tour of the courthouse (including the bell tower) and perused the reference section of the library. Â Yah, we’re a little nerdy, but we loved it!
The day after we got to Mount Hermon, the Smiths took us to lunch at the Santa Cruz harbor, and we went out to explore the lighthouse. Â What a beautiful place!
We’re also getting a chance while we’re up here to spend time with some of the members of First Baptist Church of San Lorenzo Valley. Â We’re really enjoying this church and the opportunity we have to get to know many of them better!
And that’s all the pictures we have, at least for a while. Â Matt and Rachel’s Dad went kayaking, took some great pictures on the trip, and then somewhere between the kayak and the car the camera disappeared. Â We’ve contact the company, and even gone back to look, but it seems that Rachel might be getting a new camera in the next few days!
Our blog is a collection of the unique and amusing things that fill our lives in Malawi. Â For a more holistic look at what we’re doing in Malawi, check out our newsletters – the July newsletter is coming soon!
Since we arrived in the States about a month ago, we’ve been able to stay with the Floreen family in Camarillo. Â We’ve enjoyed daily life with them, and been able to do some special things as well. Â Last week Lorraine, Matt’s mom, took us blueberry picking!
Camarillo is an agricultural area, so there are all kinds of farms here! Â The family who owns this blueberry farm allows friends and family to come pick for free just a couple days every year. Â Yay for free berries!
Matt’s professional berry picking theories came in handy…
So we came home with LOTS of berries!
And ate a few! Â Rachel must have eaten more than a few. Â =)
Any of you who have been out of the States for an extended period of time will know what these faces mean:
There’s a mixture of “Wow, this is great!” and “Woah, this is way too much!” in those faces. Â =) Â Despite the fact that we’ve both traveled quite a bit and both lived overseas for extended and varied times before we were married, coming back to the States still takes a few days to get used to. Â The biggest culture shock we’ve experienced so far has been merging on the freeway. Â You realize too late that you can’t change your mind as you go speeding down the on-ramp at 70 mph, hoping someone will let you squeeze your little car into the flurry of activity… and all this on the right hand side of the road!
Besides the shock of merging in traffic, our adjustment back to the States has been fairly simple. Â It’s almost like the “African file” in our brains closed and the “American file” opened up. Â Everything American seems normal in this context. Â The internet is fast and reliable, the electricity never goes off, there are white people everywhere, the pace of life is quick and full… and while we notice these differences, it all seems normal.
With very little culture shock, we hit the ground running – meeting with people, stocking up on home and office supplies to take back to Malawi, figuring out medical status and plans for Baby Flo, spending time with family, and sharing with churches. We’re so thankful for all God has allowed us to do in these first weeks, and we’re looking forward to the coming weeks of spending time with so many more of you. Â If you’re in the southern California area, we’d love to see you in the next couple months. Â Send us an email or a comment, and we’ll make a plan!
A few things have changed around here, so it’s time for some updates…
Our cute little puppy of a couple months ago is quickly becoming a large dog. Â Weighing in at around 45 pounds, Simba is now 4 months old, and this picture is a pretty accurate idea of what he spends his time doing – lying down and eating. Â And if he’s not eating his food, he’ll gladly eat rocks, snails, entire maize stalks… anything that fits in his mouth!
Rachel is growing too, as she enters the second trimester. Â Baby Flo is starting to make an appearance!
At 14 weeks, Baby Flo is doing great! Â Matt got to come and see the ultrasound this time, and we marveled at God’s creative design as we watched Baby Flo lift up a hand to show us all 5 perfectly formed fingers – so tiny, but already there and moving around!
Another thing that’s growing is grass! Â The rainy season was very late this year, but it’s finally here. Â We’ve had rain every day for a week now, and it’s so beautifully green! Â It feels like we brought the green home with us from vacation!
What’s growing here? Â Our box of burned out electrical items! Â Voltage spikes, brown outs, and all other kinds of electrical anomalies are a part of daily life here, so we try to protect our more important items (fridge, freezer, computers, etc) with voltage guards. Â The guards lying on the ground are both dead due to a spike a couple weeks ago. Â The one on the left has a little black hole one it where it burned completely through – but it protected Rachel’s computer! Â The one on the right protected Matt’s computer, all his back-up drives, the printer, and the internet router, but when it burned up, it got so hot it burned the two holes in our wall! Â On to the next set of voltage guards, and more lessons in Malawian electricity!
The Ladies’ Bible Study on 1 Peter has been fabulous! Â They’re 16 weeks into the study, and just starting chapter 4. Â All the ladies have learned so much from this small book and God has grown in each of them a greater appreciation for studying His Word carefully, thoroughly, and in context. Â The graphic above was generated by Wordle.net, highlighting the key words for the book of 1 Peter.
And finally, though this has nothing to do with growth, a little glimpse into our adventurous lives here in Malawi – a Nile monitor lizard that we chased out of our kitchen last week.  He’s much smaller than other monitor lizards we’ve seen, but he made up for his size with aggression and snake-like movement!  We’re hoping this guy does NOT grow and come back for a visit!
After almost 9 months in Malawi, we decided to take a little time away. When you’re living in a new country, your “days off†are just as busy as your work days, so we knew we needed to go away to rest. And away we went…
To the Zomba plateau. It’s a 4 1/2 hour drive south of Lilongwe, and a whole world away! The ferns, trees, and GREEN overwhelmed us, and we started to relax right away.
We had rented a 2-bedroom cabin down a little dirt road, and thoroughly enjoyed a cozy fire to keep us warm in the evenings. It’s the hot time of year here in the southern hemisphere, but up on the plateau it was cool and brisk, and high enough in elevation that there are no mosquitos.
The first thing we did when we got to the cabin was take a walk. This is how we looked when we left for the walk…
And this is how we looked when we got back to the cabin. You might notice that we’re smiling even bigger in this picture – the rain was awesome!
We decided that this trip qualified for Christmas and birthday presents for both of us, but Rachel did have her actual birthday on this trip, so we went for a boat ride at a trout farm.
Matt thought that Rachel probably shouldn’t be paddling on her own birthday, so quickly took over paddling duty. =)
In between resting and reading, we saw quite a bit of the plateau, including William’s Falls…
And Chagwa Dam, a hidden, remote little lake that was one of our favorites.
One of us took A LOT of pictures on this trip and thoroughly enjoyed hauling a big camera across fields, through the rain, over waterfalls…
Same said adventurer conquered a few mountains in search of just one more photograph.
Our last adventure was exploring the western side of the plateau. We had tried to drive out this direction, but the roads were too eroded, even for 4-wheel drive. So we hiked them. It was almost 4.5 miles uphill to reach Chingwe’s Hole, a hole ~60 meters deep, situated right on the edge of the plateau, overlooking the valley and plains below. When we got to the cliff, this is what we saw. Fog and clouds!
But as we waited, the clouds lifted and the fog blew out of the valley – it was beautiful! Suddenly the 4.5 miles uphill was worth it!
On the way back down, the clouds settled back in, and we slipped and slid in the rain all the way down!
And we loved every minute of it. We drove home from our vacation feeling rested. Our times of refreshment in God’s Word and our times of enjoying the beauty and wonder of His creation are reminders of His grace to us, and we’re ready to jump back into life and ministry with a renewed excitement!