Sunday, September 5, 2010

Mount Nkhoma Climb

Just want to say a quick THANK YOU to everyone who wrote a comment or e-mail, it was great to hear from you!

Tomorrow begins my sixth week here in Malawi and my first day of coaching ABC's Men's Volleyball Team! I'm excited and nervous at the same time. It's been 2 years or so since I've played organized volleyball so I'm a bit rusty. Thankfully, I was able to spend sometime this afternoon putting together a practice schedule - hopefully all will go as planned and the biggest challenge I'll have will be learning all the guy's names! :)

I'm having a hard time remembering what all has happened since the last time I wrote! Let's see...this Wednesday afternoon activities began. The teacher in charge of netball with me was 30 minutes late leaving me to referee a bunch of middle schoolers playing a game I'd never heard of before! I tried stalling until Joy came by making the girls stretch and run a couple laps. After Joy was still nowhere to be found I asked the girls to explain the game so we could play. We didn't have enough players for a real game so we only played half court, 4 against 4. One girl named Ama got really into calling everyone out on their fouls (there's always one!).  Monday's we teach it to the younger girls. Most Americans have never heard of the game but Malawians are very proud of their National Netball Team who placed 5th in the 2007 Netball World Championships. 

Wednesday night's ABC staff get together for Bible Study at Jack and Nell Chinchen's (founders of ABC). Their son, Paul Chinchen, introduced this semester's topic of study, the parables. We also spent some time in prayer for the Bartletts, an American missionary family whose kids go to ABCCA. The mom, Katie, suffered the worst of the injuries and was taken to a hospital in Blantyre (a good driving distance from Lilongwe). Last I heard she had a broken pelvis and platella. What's worse, two years ago Katie's husband was killed in a car accident here in Malawi. The family went back to the States and had just returned in August now this happened. Her three girls are split up between families on campus while Katie finishes recovering. There were several other requests I can't recall right now. I'll try to post them later.

From what I can remember, Thursday was pretty uneventful. I worked late to finish writing letters to all the parents who haven't paid tuition yet. Yuck! So dinner at the Chinchens and helping their youngest daughter, Bess put together party favor bags for her birthday party were easily the highlights of my day.

Friday was only a half day at the office because I was put in charge of picking up my 3rd roommate, Danie, at the airport. Melissa (my other roomie) came with me. Melissa was stressing out the entire time because we were running an hour and a half behind schedule but I kept trying to tell her - we were just running on African time! What's funny is, Melissa told me she was picturing Danie waiting in line to buy a ticket straight back to California like she would have done if she had been stranded at the airport too long! lol Thankfully, Danie is a little less emotionally driven than that and we found her waiting in the lobby for us safe and sound (only a little wide-eyed and panicked!). 

We hurried back to campus for the college's back to school ice cream social. Every year at this event the upperclass men play a prank on the freshmen. Two students from each class are chosen to come to the front. One student sits in a chair blindfolded while the other stands behind them. Supposedly, they are in a race to eat the most bananas but when the whistle blows the freshman is the only one who remains blindfolded while the others smash bananas all over him. It was pretty entertaining...the Africans LOVED it! 

Yesterday was incredible! My roommates and some of the other teachers on campus packed our lunches and drove an hour out of Lilongwe to Mount Nkhoma to enjoy a day of hiking. Owen, who has made the climb several times, assured us it would only take 45 minutes to get to the top. HA! I don't think he realized he was taking up a bunch of out-of-shape/picture happy Americans. We got every angle of that mountain possible on camera :) I think we started quarter to ten and reached the top around two o'clock minus an hour lunch break halfway up. I'll post pictures on facebook sometime this week! The long hike was worth the amazing view! Places like that make me realize how small I am and how GREAT God is!


"Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all." 1 Chronicles 29:11

Miss you all!

Amanda




2 comments:

  1. Wow! That's awesome! Sounds like you've been having a blessed time in Africa - I envy your experiences! I'm always uplifted to hear about my good friends doing so well. It helps keep my spirits high!

    Until next time,

    James B.

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  2. Can I say how much I love this background? Beautiful.
    Still praying for Katie and her kids.
    The whole freshman/senior prank reminds me of playing "fashion show" at your b-day party. But now you're all grown up and missionarizing in Africa. *sniff, *sniff so proud.
    Seriously, what a blessing to be using your talents in God's service.
    Blessings and love,
    J

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