from the heat of Mzuzu to being so chilled out...

Greetings from a very chilly Belfast! Yes, I have arrived safely from Mzuzu and am frozen - its so cold here! But the positive thing is that my photos upload in a second here where in Malawi writing the blog can take hours!! I left Mzuzu on Tuesday - the rains have definitely come - we have had heavy rain in Mzuzu and further north, although in some parts there has been little. Pray that the rains will come to all parts of the country so that food security will be good in 2011.

I just thought I should update you on the last week before I left Malawi. We were doing two weeks training with some of the caregivers from Mzuzu Presbytery - there were 34 participants in all, learning about Early Childhood Development.

The training is both theory and practical and the caregivers have a very packed programme. Here you can see some group work.

and.....more practically, making glue from cassava..........


and cooking the glue

Making paint from natural leaves (non poisoness of course)

and the end products (paint brushes are made from twigs)

Hlezipe our guest facilitator from Loudon Presbytery (some of you will know Loudon as Embangweni)

Learning how to make playground materials

and doing outdoor games

Much of the training involves making materials so this is the scene after classes as dusk is beginning to fall and everyone is busy making materials

and one of the end products made on a maize sack

Myself in action teaching about nutrition and malnutrition

As I was leaving before the training finished the group bought me a gift and here is the leader of the group presenting it to me

the whole group

I spent the last evening with my facilitators, Hlezipe, Enala and Nicolas (who took the photo) - these are the Christmas cards I received from them, and my skirt is the gift I received from the group

I had to rush to school to say bye to the teachers and the kids and found them busy making materials too - don't they look good wearing their hats - here is the Pre-school class

and the toddler class

and the kids made me this beautiful card of Mary(who is black) with baby Jesus (who is somehow white)!!

Then I left all the festivities of Malawi, got on a plane and landed in Belfast -weather was fine but cold, and then when I woke up this morning suddenly its really freezing and everywhere is covered in snow!! Makes me wonder........why did I leave the lovely heat of Mzuzu!!!

Enjoy your weekend in the snow or the heat depending on your location. Wishing everyone who reads my blog joy, peace and happiness during the Christmas season and many blessings for 2011.

With much love

Diane