Play or Pray

So the other night when we got home Johanna took some coffee to our night gaurd. When she was getting ready to leave she asked if there was anything else we could pray besides his house. He kind of hesitated and said no. Well, Johanna started walking away and Nota asked "when?" Johanna ofcouse confused by this asked him what he meant. He then asked her "when are you and Kym going to come to my house to play?" So Johanna after saying "yikes" in her head had to quickly tell him pray... not play and she added motions.

With all that said, try to make sure you are being understood. Here in Malawi play means many things that we wouldn't really want to be associated with. =)

Say Cheez!!

On Thursday after lunch we were hanging out with some of these sweet kids and I asked to take a picture. If you look on the end (left side) there is a girl with a brown purse over her shoulder. That is Ellizah beth. She is the nicest and smartest kid. In this picture she wanted to hold my purse and be like me. I know.. can you believe it….a cute precious girl wanting to be like me. She hasn’t seen the krazy Kym yet. Are these students not beautiful?? The girl in the middle with the big smile and braids, her name is Kathy, and she has the best laugh. Very loud and contagious!!! The guy looking off to the side (there is always one in a picture), he throws the best paper airplanes. We made a really good one today and played catch with it. Don’t worry, I am taking Frisbees tomorrow. =) The other girl in the middle with her hand by her mouth, she is so shy, but one of the brightest students. I could go on and on, but just want you to enjoy these smiles I see everyday.

Fried Bananas...yum yum

A couple came down to Lilongwe for a visit. This is Susan and her husband is eating fruit by the foot in the blue shirt. After dinner at this great restaurant we were served fried bananas. On the plate it look just like donut holes (which I was secretly really excited thinking that that was what is was). I am glad someone warned me or I would have been completely surprised and possible disappointed. Anyway…they were awesome. If you cant tell we are really enjoying them.

Anyone have an aloe vera???

At school there is an hour in a half lunch break. Since we are in the middle of a village, the students walk home for lunch. They cook, eat, and then come back. Today we ate our lunch outside and hung out with some of the kids. We didn’t realize that we were baking like a toasted cheezer (If you can name this movie, you get some brownie points). Johanna and I were only outside for about an hour and here we are nice and pink. Who would of thought on January 21 I would have sunburn. Fun times!!! It rained today too, but then after the rain….hello sun!! The high was 28 degrees, Celsius that is. Which I would tell you how much it would convert to in Fahrenheit, but I have no stinking clue. I would like to say somewhere around the low 90s, but its very humid!!! So, here is our first Malawi sunburn.

Fruit by the foot…..Priceless

So my mom bought me some fun goodies to bring with me and because I am such a kind person I decided to take some fruit by the foot with me to a picnic we were having and share. It was very entertaining watching one of the kids eat it because he was only three but the true show was this!!! Fruit by the foot…$5.00, suitcase to put it in …$50, gas to drive to the picnic….k2500. (2500 kwacha= about $20). Watching two grown men look ridiculous eating it….. Priceless. They said…please no autographs. They already are too famous!!

Ngala Mountain

So every Monday-Thursday Johanna and I drive to school. This is what we see. Can you even believe it??? Reminds me even more of God's beauty. The road that we have to go on into the village is very ruff and sometimes stressful. You think.... Do I swerve around the person and hit another car?? or do I hit the huge(I mean huge) pothole to miss the car and the people... Or what about the goats and chickens?? And you can't forget the little kids who are runningto our truck and yelling "mzungu" "mzungu" "mzungu" which means "white person." You definetly don't want to hit those cute little guys.. And let me tell you, they are stinking cute!!!! So...after a day at school of 7-3:45, we drive home and see this. WOW!!!!!

Explorers of Tomorrow

Here is the school that we teach at. The students are standard 1-8. Johanna and I teach standard 7 and 8. They laugh at me daily, which isn't any different from the youth I worked with in the US. I am really enjoying the pupils!! (that is what they are called here...not students) They are always smiling even when they are confused and don't understand what I am saying. (Which happens often because I talk too fast for most of them. I am learning to slow down) I must be really good though because the chickens even try to join the class when I am teaching. =)