Worthwhile Moments

Yesterday was full -- up at 4:30, thanks to the rooster next door, swept the house, 'cleaned the yard' aka removed grass, swept the kitchen, did dishes, went to school [7am] and on the way stopped by the tea room for a sikono [bun] for breakfast, taught my 4 classes all in a row, ran home [buying bananas along the way for lunch] and then rode my bike to Natenje where I hitched a ride into town from a lovely old irish man visiting his daughter in Malawi :) And now I suddenly have internet. It's strange - there is no longer an adjustment. I just learn to operate in two zones, one where I cook over open fire, lesson plan by candlelight and take bucket baths and the other where I have internet, can buy yogurt and have a bathtub.

The past week has also been a full one. The students have a football and netball game next week so there has been sport practice every afternoon - meaning my school day starts at 7am and ends at 5:30pm. But it's been amazing to learn to play netball with my female students! We laugh a lot [mostly at my confusion] and I learn more chichewa!

Life is impossibly hard some days - both physically and mentally. A few weekends ago I was coming home [on bike, naturally] and it started raining so the bike was coated in mud and got stuck. A man from the village I was passing had to help me schlep it up the hill as I sobbed. Getting home, soaked, muddy and tired, I found that my fence had collapse becuase of all the rain. And then, as I was walking back from the well, with a giant pail of water on my head I slipped and fell, spilling all the water over the ground. Not a fabulous home coming. Or there are days when teaching is terrible -- students don't understand, or I am stressed by lesson planning, or my being the only woman on staff is being particularly difficult. But then days happen to make it all worth it: 1. Yobu in form 3 searching each of his fellow students pockets to find my missing crayon 2. Kafryn [4 year old from next door] walking with me to the well all four times as I got water 3. the reverend at the church giving me a loaf of bread just as I ran out 4. Chatting on my neighbors front porch each day at 4:30 on the dot 5. Making students do yoga stretches to wake them up before class 6. Being taught how to play netball by my female studets 7. Realizing that I could follow an entire conversation [and a long one a that] in Chichewa :) 8. Those moments when I truly feel content and at home here [had one the other day as I looked around at the absolutely gorgeous scenery after I pumped a bucket full of water and thought "Am I really here?"].

I am blessed by neighbors and students that engage me and keep me confident in humankind's ability to love.