Hey Ya'll I'm In London!

Sorry I haven't blogged very much lately! I've been in London for ten days now. It feels like it has been so much longer though because we hae been going going going nonstop. My energy tank is empty and so is my wallet. But this is London and I can't stand to sit around and not take advantage of every single second.

All of the rumors going around about how insanely expensive London is are totally true. It's funny how a price tag of 10 pounds doesn't seem so bad until you realize it's actually about $15.

Either way I am still trying to make the most of my time here! Free museums are great and my friends and I just recently found out that when shows are sold out you can but standing room tickets for only 12 pounds... Les Miserables here we come!

I am finally starting to get comfortable here with the time management, the commute to school, relations with my host family, and even some of the British ways of life. For example you shouldn't make too much eye contact (or any at all) with people unless you know them. And when riding the tube you should be silent. Talking is annoying to others who are riding in your car. All things to get used to!

So far I've been to Piccadilly Circus, the river Thames, Camden Markets, Hammersmith, Stonehenge, Bath, and Portobello Market in Notting Hill with some friends just today! This weekend (Friday 20th-Sunday 22nd) I'm heading to Scotland! Please pray for me as I will be staying in a cheap coed hostel -- I mean it's all part of the experience right?

I can't even begin to count how many times I've ridden the tube and the buses. It takes me about an hour and a half to get to my classes in Kensington (yes, like the palace!). Thankfully I only have classes Tuesday through Thursday so I have a massive four-day weekend. Living the dream.

I'm listening to Laura Story's song Blessings and she sings, "What if trials of this life are your mercies in disguise?" I feel like this song applies so well to my experiences so far in London. I've prayed an dprayed for a smooth and successful time abroad. To my surprise it has actually been really tough. I've gotten lost many times, I am so homesick, running out of money, and sometimes (a lot of the time) people aren't always nice. But I know that God is using this period in my life -- especially the hard parts -- to help me grow.

More infor to come about the results of my Scotland trip! Also I will be uploading pictures to Facebook very soon. Here's a preview, enjoy!

 #stonehengeselfy

Love,

Vi

Let the Journey Begin Wednesday 24 July Malawi 2013

{Yesterday I said goodbye to my host family and arrived back at Grace Bandawe to rejoin the group for a week of traveling and evangelism rallies.

We repacked our bags and departed for Zomba. I thought we were just going to a tourist attraction but we were actually going to Zomba church for lunch and an unexpected service as well. Then we went on our way for a few more hours and arrived at Mangochi, a town right on the edge of Lake Malawi. We arrived at the church of Mangochi for a very long evangelism rally which consisted of us sitting at the front, facing the audience while a few men preached in Chichewa to the audience. We listened to choirs and even got to get up and dance with them. I taught some kids the Macerena! That was a blast. Finally after the 3 hour service we went inside for dinner. I got a scrumptious Malawian Coke which I would soon be addicted to during the time there. We got to our lakeside beautiful hotel and hit the hay pretty quickly.} End Tuesday

Wednesday 24 July

Today was wonderful

-Manual work (brick passing and songs)
-Boat tour on Lake Malawi
-lunch at hotel with open faced Chambo (fish)
-Evangelism at Bindula church village with dozens of children. Happy (the preacher traveling with us) shared about his life before God. So many kids rushed up to the front to be prayed for. Moses the representative from South Sudan sobbed as he put his hands on the heads of children and prayed aloud for them. We left so early because it was very dark.
-For dinner we enjoyed fried fish, rice, beef, and drinks (a coke of course!) A Mel Gibson movie was playing loudly on the TV in the dining room of our hotel.

Unreal beauty of Lake Malawi

Dancing in Mangochi with the Choir

Day of Blessings, Monday 22 July Malawi 2013

Thank you God, for today! This morning alone with Catherine (my host mom) Joyce (the 17yr. old family nanny) and Kaleesha (the 15 month old granddaughter) has been splendid. Breakfast was yummy with porridge and eggs. Then after breakfast I connected with Catherine while we listened to her albums.

Catherine is a retired Primary school teacher. Now she enjoys spending her time singing Gospel songs in both Chichewa and English. She has two albums and she is working on her third now. She even has songs on the radio in Malawi. No big deal right? Are you kidding me?!

We talked about her lyrics, her ways of writing and the recording process. Then I danced and played with Kaleesha and that was when I met Joyce. We talked about our families and she asked me if I use chemicals in my hair. Joyce does not go to school because it is too expensive. :(

Later that day I got a tour of Kalibu Academy. I took a class last semester at Westminster called Infectious Diseases. We learned all about infectious diseases, obviously, and we sent our very simple science lab findings and supplies to a school in Malawi. Kalibu! So I actually got to tour the school!

Then, I got a tour of the Kapuka's 50 acre farm which just so happened to be right next to Kalibu Academy. Crazy!

Finally I had a dinner out with Mada and Grace. I had a delicious veggie calzone and Mada and Grace got a SIM card for me and we all called my parents which was totally unexpected and just wonderful.

English signs:

"Chicken parts, gizzards, and jiggies."

"... and take away." -- later I find out that this is the Malawian equivalent of Take-out-food

It's still only Monday right? Today has flown by now that I look back on it. I think that I have finally broken out of my shell and am beginning to understand the ways of my host family. Today and every interaction was truly sent from God.

Walking tour of the Kapuka's farm!

Welp, Here We Are. Sunday 21 July Malawi 2013

Sermon Notes:

Psalm 1
Acts 6
Joshua 3
Ephesians 4

The Church: humble, gentle, love, one body, one spirit, no longer infants, cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you.

My Notes:

Boy am I tired. Emotionally, physically, mentally. Since 5:12 a.m. I have been awake. I cannot eat another bite of absolutely anything. I can eat all day long at home and yet I feel full all the time here. Why am I on this trip? What has God planned for me?

Everything and everyone has a distinct smell. I guess that's how it is everywhere. I know my family and I have a certain smell and our house does. Maybe it's from the food we eat? Or our laundry detergent? Or maybe, it's the dogs... hopefully not.  The smells here are the same as the smells in America and yet they feel so foreign to me. The smells of dust, garbage, diesel, etc. We have those smells in America but why do they seem so different here?

Today I was picked up from Grace Bandawe Church Conference Center by my new host dad, Mr. Samuel Kapuka. First we went to a small grocery store. I went inside with him and we got some tea and water and some milk (in a bag!) That was interesting. Also people like to laugh at me when I try to speak Chichewa. I don't blame them, I probably sound (and look) like a fool.

Next we went to his house and I got a quick tour before we all loaded into the car and went to church.

The rest of the day consisted of picture-taking, meals, and hanging out around the house. I got my own guest house complete with a living room, bedroom, kitchen, and bath! Wow!

The Kapuka's are so nice and welcoming to me. They really know how to treat a guest. They have a beautiful garden surrounding their home and people actually pay them to get married on their front yard! Imagine that. They also have about 30 pigs around the back of their house. I think pigs are so cute and I love being around animals even if it's not a dog. Did I mention they also have

The Kapuka home and one small part of their beautiful garden!

7 guard dogs? They're small and they yap yap yap yap yap all day and as I will soon find out, all night long.

With drooping eyelids I cannot write any longer as I fall asleep to the sound of squealing piggies.

Good night, Malawi. 

So... I'm Going to Malawi? Journal Entry: Saturday July 20

I'm writing this while on the flight to Malawi:

So we bypassed Friday! It's over. The stay in the hotel last night in South Africa was wonderful. There were beds, warm showers, even a TV! Sara and I woke up early so we walked around the hotel. The Emerald Guest house was the name. I think my sheets were dirty but I didn't care. I was astounded by how cold it got. In Celsius it was single digits - whatever that means. We were delighted by the sounds of cooing birds and the delicious smells of breakfast floating through the crisp morning air. The milk was in glass bottles. I think it may have been whole because it looked really thick. 

After our continental breakfast we headed to the airport by 7:30 for our 10 a.m. flight. We were in a few long lines for bag checks and customs. We made it in the nick of time to ride the shuttle to our plane after we stopped for water. I got change back in the airport in money that had Nelson Mandela's face on it. They're called Rands. 

We boarded our flight and we're about to take off. In rows of three we are all the way in the back. I'm glad I got a window seat and I'm glad we were on a bigger plane when we had our 17 hour flight to Johannesburg yesterday.

My family wrote me notes to read on each day of the trip. After reading today's and yesterday's notes I've decided that the theme for today is love. My dad suggested I read 1 Corinthians 13. Today (and the whole trip) is full of unknowns. So even though I don't know what to expect, where we are going, who we'll meet, I will go simply with love. 

Joel 2:13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

We'll be in Malawi by noon!

So... I'm going to Malawi? Journal Entry: Thursday July 18

"Black bird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
You were only waiting
For this moment to be free"
~The Beatles

This song is playing on the radio as my parents drive me to the airport. I feel like it is representative of what this trip will bring for me. My eyes will be opened for the first time to another part of the world. All my life, I was only waiting for my moment to be free.

Other songs on the car ride:
Neil Young- After the Gold Rush
Jack Johnson- Flake
Suzanne Vega- Tom's Diner

Our first flight took less than 40 minutes! It was so quick and painless. Before the flight we talked about how the sound of rolling luggage over the tiles of Pittsburgh airport is sort of soothing to hear. It makes me excited because I think "I'm flying somewhere!" It's always exciting to be away from home of course! I sat next to Sarah on the plane and we had great constant conversation.

The D.C. airport smells like pizza and fresh paint. We had delicious Chipotle lunch in our international wing of this massive airport. It's interesting to see all of the people who are foreign. Foreign in language, dress, culture and simple ways of life. It's interesting how babies seem to have the same babble and innocence no matter their ethnicity, place of birth, etc. Babies are great. A little girl came up to me to show off or to give me her milk. I think she and her mom are from Africa because they are on our flight to South Africa. I didn't really know what to say to the little girl and it made me wonder if that was a sort of preview for the trip in relation to children. Now the little girl has been restrained by her mother in a scarf black sling. She's definitely not happy about it.

Our flight leaves at about 6 and we should arrive in South Africa during their dinner time!

Home Again, Home Again: The Calm After The Storm(s)

Here I sit watching the Bachelorette vexed by droopy eyes and seemingly endless yawns. As I think about the week that lies ahead of me (dog-sitting, cat-sitting, shifts at the Gap, and a horse back riding lesson) I cannot help but yearn for the familiarity of the counseling job I enjoyed last summer. This yearning has become even stronger now that I have just returned from a week of acting as a fill-in counselor at the best place on Earth, good ole Pine Springs Camp. 

I received the pleasure of working alongside a great counselor that I met last summer. It was so nice to spend my week with someone who I knew already and could catch up with. We had a great cabin of four beautiful, bounding girls who were so elated to be at camp for the week. The sun shone down on us for two days and then came the storms. Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday were plagued with gallons and gallons of pouring rain. 

Even though I suffered soggy hair, muddy toes, and the constant smell of must on every article of clothing in the cabin, the week truly could not have been better. The new staff members accepted me with open, loving arms and I basked in the delight of spending time with some great old friends on staff too. 

Not only was I appreciating time with friends old and new but I savored the time and connection I had with God. For me, I feel closest to God when I am out in nature. The wind on my face, the birds singing, and the sun shining through the trees, it all just screams God's love and power. 

I hope to keep up this connection now that I am back home and falling back into my regular summer routine. I plan on taking walks and seeking God through the nature around my home in order to appreciate God even when I'm not in "the best place on Earth." In addition to finding God through nature, I can also feel His peace and love through some of my favorite Christian songs. Here are a few of my all time favorite lines:

No power of Hell, no scheme of man, 

can ever pluck me from His hand

~In Christ Alone

Take my will and make it Thine, 

it shall be no longer mine

~Take my Life (and Let it Be)

Jesus died my soul to save,

my lips shall still repeat

~Jesus Paid it All