snippets...

Greetings from a beautiful sunny day in Mzuzu... (apologies for those of you in the snow and ice!!).

Just a few snippets from this week. I forgot to mention that at the end of the year the Synod had an emergency meeting in which they wanted to present a petition to the Government. They had intended to march to the regional office here in Mzuzu. It was a colourful morning with all the ministers in their robes! However, as you can see by the newspaper headline, the march was stopped by the police. In fact, truth be told, it wasn't stopped at all - as soon as the ministers heard they couldn't march, they gave a press release instead. However, imagine my surprise as I had been out in town and when I came back home I couldn't get in because of armed police surrounding the Synod offices! It was drama!

Today in Church the petition was read out - it is dealing with the quota system for education which the Government have just put in place again, and which people from the north believe is excluding them.

This week I have been at school all week, and in the evenings trying to write my assignments where were due on Friday and which I had to ask for an extension until Monday. The good news is that one is completely finished and the other is close to completion.

Here you can see some of our lovely children. These two are in the queue waiting for a nappy change - don't they look happy!

and this one is on the mat about to have her nappy changed!!

This poor child fell at school and was in floods of tears. Although it was a minor cut we made a bit deal and put a plaster on it. She would not play after that but just sat on this bench and showed off her plaster to any who wanted to look at it!

I had the unfortunate task of dismissing one of our staff members on Friday - not an easy job and I felt really sorry as she will have no income for herself and her family, but I had to follow the procedures.

The earthquake is still much talked about and in church today there was an announcement that Karonga Girl's Secondary School (where Claire McIntyre once worked), is going to re-open tomorrow and the girls will stay in tents (like the one in the picture) until the hostels are rebuilt. Its rainy season now and some of the classrooms are badly damaged so classes will also be held in tents. The tents at the school have been donated by the Red Cross, unlike the outpatients department at Kasoba which you see below which was donated from UNICEF. Many thanks to some donations which have been received for the disaster area.

and...just so you know I am fine, here is a picture of me with a book, not a study book but just some reading about the Montessori child. I am looking forward to having no study to do this week!

Blessings, have a good week and for those of you in the UK, I hope it heats up a bit for you.

With love from Diane

PS look forward to a comment or two.......maybe nobody reads this!!

Happy New Year... or is it??

Greetings from Mzuzu.

I have not written since before Christmas so I hope you all had a great day celebrating the birth of Jesus. As you can see in the next two photos, church here was absolutley packed on Christmas day - in fact we had so many people they were in the vestry and outside even though it was raining. The sunday school did the drama of the Christmas story and you can see Mary and Joseph in this photo!

As you can see our church is quite big - I would think well over 1000 people on 25th December. Bear in mind I am at the front of this end, there are many more people behind me!

Since Christmas, I have been trying to do my assignments but really not getting on very well at all - everytime I sit down to do something, a knock comes to the door! Two assignments are due next week and I am not at all confident, but here's hoping that the inspiration will come!!

Today I set off to Karonga to see the earthquake damage for myself. I took a driver with me, usually I drive myself but I think I am becoming lazy in my old age! This is Owen Singini and he is an exellent driver! Its a 3 hour drive to Karonga.

On the way the scenery is beautiful - here is one of the bridges we have to cross on the main road.

a fishing village by the lake shore...

its lovely and green at the minute as we are in the rainy season - the lake in the distance looking across to Tanzania on the other side


..and as we approach Karonga, the oxen ploughing the fields. In other parts it is done by hand.

On arrival at Kasoba village, I went first to the church and if you recall the last photos I sent of the earthquake, things have become much worse since then. The last big quake on 20th December caused already weakened structures to collapse or become really unstable. The church is actually sitting at an angle - this picture shows it slightly.

Looking into the church from the front door - I did not venture in as it is really unstable.


and the poor manse has also fallen down more with the last quake and is quite unsafe.

At the village the health centre has also a lot of structural damage and so UNICEF have provided two tents, one for outpatients and one for maternity. The front wall collapsed.

This is the maternity wing!!

The primary school is also badly damaged and will not open as planned on Monday. This photo shows a block which was built recently and all the pillars at the front have collapsed.

And the nursery school which was built with help from Hillsborough was damaged in the second big earthquake. It has bad cracks at both ends of the building leaving it structurally unsafe to be used.

Many people have lost some or all of their homes and are living in structures like this one. Its quite pathetic when you consider this is the rainy season and its torrential rain we are talking about. Some are made of grass and some with plastic sheeting, and some have no shelter at all!

This is a temporary manse which the Red Cross brought yesterday for a family at another village.

and this is the doctor at Kasoba's temporary home. His house is seen behind but it is really quite unsafe inside. Its strange as some of the houses look okay from the outside but when you see the inside its another story.

Here is a man's home with his temporary home beside it.

the maize mill - as you can see the roof is quite unsafe.

an old lady in despair - she had worked all her life to build this house and its badly damaged at both ends and the other walls are slanting so if another quake comes it will collapse.

This home belongs to one of the caregivers at the nursery school.

and this inside wall of another house looks not bad but if you see it in reality it is sitting at an angle and I would not stand under it...

another home inside...

and the man with all the responsibility to look after his villagers - the village headman from Kasoba who, even after all the earthquakes and the tremors which are still occurring daily, keeps smiling!

Its been a good day in some ways and a very sad day in others. The scenery was beautiful as we travelled to Karonga. It was very hot and sticky along the lakeshore. Arriving in Karonga, seeing many buildings fallen down, many people's livlihood destroyed in an instant was not a good feeling. I feel sad for these people who have worked so hard for all they have only to have it fall down around them. Even today tremors are being experienced. A couple of experts from USA are coming this week to Malawi to visit Karonga and see if they can explain why this is going on for so long.

Please spare a thought for the people of Karonga in this rainy season, when life is tough enough as people are preparing fields for planting their crops. The photo's do not paint the picture as disturbing as it is first hand. Some help is coming - today some tents were being distributed, but much more is needed.

And yet, in the midst of all of this, people are telling me God is good because we are alive. We have seen 2010! It makes me feel humble when I see friends who have lost so much and still can praise God.

Till next time...

Have a good day

Diane

Blessings

Hi everyone

Blessings...........there have been so many blessings throughout this year - I thought I should share some with you. Today as I was attempting to write this we had blessings of rain - we have had two torrential downpours today. I had to stop due to the lightning so this is the third attempt - lets hope I will be successful this time. Actually the lights have just gone out........on again now!! Spare a thought for the people of Karonga who are without shelter and clean water and with these downpours it must be pretty miserable.

This time last year I was with my good friends Nicky and Barry in South Africa. Nicky did Montessori training with me - we had such a laugh! Have a great Christmas in SA! Lol.
I was blessed to have two trips to Northern Ireland this year - the first one for 4 months for deputation and then for 6 weeks study leave. Here you can see my good friends Maureen and Margaret - both ex Malawi people who keep me on the right track..........or otherwise!!

When I was back in September the leaves were beautiful.

It was great to be at my nephews baptism - what a great family -

miss you all - have a fabulous Christmas!

And how wonderful to be able to attend my good friend Henry's wedding to Sarah -

here is the relaxed groom with Ros before the ceremony.

and the happy couple..blessings to you both

Fiona is coming to join me in January...a Scottish lass..should be fun...

looking forward to working with her

Carson and Diane and myself...........we know where we were!!!

Off to Scotland to see my favourite niece there - of course she is the only one........lots of love Molly D.....
Yes, this is Scotland........what a blessing! Such an amazing place on a good day.
And then off to Israel..... these crazy people know what they were doing and why! No prizes for guessing......

Do I know him?? Do you know him???

and back to my home in Malawi where the children are my main focus

and training caregivers in the rural areas

and ..........oops something I didn't tell you............

just joking, its one of the teachers children!

The times stuck in the mud were not such a blessing but will never be forgotten

and visitors like Jonathan and Wesley worked so hard and gave me such a laugh

Here is Florida who some of you will know as she has been in Ireland a few times.

the containers keep coming..................

Bible study on Wednesday nights - David, Maggie, Bethan, Rachel,

Jacob, Pemphero and Michael - we all miss you

What could be nicer than watching the sun.........fabulous...

and of course the PW ladies..........

to one and all I wish you a blessed Christmas and New Year where ever you are in the world.

To all friends and family and those who I don't know..thanks for your support, for reading the blog, for the Christmas cards and messages I have received. You are all blessings to me! Have a wonderful Christmas as we remember the reason for the season!

With much love to you all

Diane x