Blantyre, Beauty and Bricks

July 12, 2017

Yesterday, our group took a long van ride south to Blantyre – en route, we had the opportunity to drive alongside Mulanje Mountain, the 3^rd largest mountain in Africa.  We stopped to take some photos and stretch our legs.  Breathtaking…one more unique quality of this beautiful country. 

As we continued, we drove through a tea plantation – hundreds of acres of tea plants, beautifully green from irrigation, hard work and care.  Not long after, we stopped for lunch – on the menu….PIZZA!... definitely a treat.  Our table had a gorgeous view of the mountain. 

A while later we arrived in Blantyre, a large city in southern Malawi that has modern architecture and conveniences.  As we drove through the city, we hit rush hour traffic – stop and go for quite a long stretch of road.   Traveling the opposite direction were several police vehicles; Mphatso said it looked like perhaps the Vice President of Malawi was traveling, escorted by police officers.  As we began to turn the corner, we saw a large group of people gathered who were likely there to listen to the VP whom we had just passed.  Many of the people gathered were wearing blue fabric that proudly displayed the president’s face – others wore blue shirts with the words “Democratic Progressive Party.”  The people seemed filled with energy and there were traditional African dancers on site, doing a good job entertaining the crowd. 

We arrived at our lodge in Blantyre and got settled into our rooms.  Everyone seems tired tonight. 

On Wednesday, we traveled two hours downhill on a very twisty road to reach the Lower Shire deanery where we will participate in the day’s building project.  This area, while not terribly far from the river, is extremely dry and dusty.   We reach the dean’s home and were greeted with gratitude and excitement by Abusa Joseph, whom I remember from the Pastors’ academy last summer, and his wife.  We travel to one of the local congregations where we are greeted with handshakes and the harmony of Malawian singing – that sound never gets old. 

We get a quick tour of the area, including the congregation’s chapel space which is overflowing with people – great problem!  Currently, in a space designed for about 30-40 people, this congregation is packing in 80 adults and nearly 170 children.  In addition to the overcrowded space, this is an area that experiences a lot of flooding and their building can no longer sustain the excess water – they need a space with a more appropriate concrete foundation, so they are working on making bricks for the building. 

We get to work, watching some men pack mud into wooden molds, flip the wet bricks out onto the ground in rows, and begin the process again.  (They need roughly 15,000 bricks to build the new chapel – so far they have made 2500.)  We took turns learning how to properly pack and flip the bricks to ensure they would be strong.  It was a messy job, but it was SO fun to be getting our hands dirty!  We packed until the mud mixture was gone – about 150 bricks total for the day. 

All the while we were working, the youth choir from the congregation sang and danced – it was a space filled with happiness. 

While we helped make bricks, Hannah, Julia, Maddie and Ella pulled a couple of Frisbees out of the van for the dozens of community children who had gathered there and they begin a game of catch.  As we finished washing the mud off our hands, we were invited to take a seat for some formal greetings.  Abusa Joseph introduced his church leaders who offer a quick report about their congregation.  And, with the help of Mphatso, John introduced the group and offered words of gratitude and prayer to those who were gathered. 

I am astounded at the number of children in this community – so many kids who were unafraid to meet us and be nearby, hoping for a quick photograph or brief interaction with our youth.  It was mentioned in passing that this area could use a well, as the other water source is pretty far away – I pray that this can happen for them – everyone should have easy access to water – not negotiable.  I wonder what we can do to make this happen…   

We finished our time in Lower Shire at Abusa Joseph’s house where his wife prepared a delicious lunch for our group.  Afterward, we take turns using the dirt toilet, knowing that it will be another bumpy two hours until we get home.

We arrived back at the lodge with enough time to shower and get ready for dinner.  We enjoyed a meal together and excitement about traveling to Red Zebra tomorrow – after a very dry couple of days, I think the group is ready to see the lake!  As the teens and I gathered for our evening chill time, they express how sad they are that the trip is coming to an end – they already miss the kids from the villages and the music that has surrounded in many ways throughout the past week.  They are looking forward to worship at the cathedral this weekend.  It has been a pleasure to see this trip through their eyes.  I hope that God is speaking to their hearts in big and powerful ways this week. 

My prayer for today:  That we all take the time necessary to see the bigger, mountain-sized picture and not fret about details - at least not all the time ;); that we pay attention to one another, and help carry one other’s burdens, even if it might inconvenience us from time to time; and that our hearts might be open enough to let God come in and change our perspectives so that we might have a more honest and complete view of the world around us.  Amen.