This morning we left early for the village. Once again, the children greeted us with waves and screams and jumped on us when we exited the bus. We walked through the village and saw first hand the living conditions that seem only suitable for the pages of national geographic or the TV screen. It was hard to believe I was actually there - being present -it was REAL. I couldn't believe the amount of children roaming around EVERYWHERE.
We met with a family who has been identified by Children of the Nations as one of the very neediest families in the village. A team of four of us, with one Malawian translator, sat down with the family to talk. We learned that there were four generations seated around us, living in one household, the youngest was a 7 month old son of a 20 year old girl named Memory. She wrote her name on the top of my notebook so I won't forget her. I want to remember to pray for her and her whole family. She was the only one in the family who spoke broken English, and when I asked her how she learned, she responded that she went to school for a few years, but was unable to continue because they didn't have any money. She wanted to badly to go back to school and learn. We were trying to find out what their most immediate needs were, then we were able to go to the market and buy some things for them, things that they would never be able to afford otherwise - which was amazing.
I learned some new skills today:
1. How to get water out of a dirty well
2. How to carry a ridiculously heavy green bucket on my head around a village while children laugh at me
3. How to wash, cut, and boil pumpkin leaves
4. How to buy a bucket in Malawi
And I have the pictures to prove it!
The hospitality of these people in Malawi truly puts Americans to shame. Everyone waves and smiles and greets eachother - and when I drive down my own neighborhood streets I only receive unfriendly stares. I hope I don't ever forget these people.
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