Comings and goings.....

Hello everyone,

Time flies when you are having fun!!!  I am not sure about the fun but the time is really flying and keeping up to date with the blog is becoming a challenge!  Today I am in Lilongwe and have spent the past 4 hours trying to upload the pictures but the network is really slow!

Lots has happened since my last post.  We had a strategic plan review meeting for the synod in April, and I was glad I was there because somehow the planners had forgotten that we have children in our churches, and I was able to emphasize the importance of planning for our children too!  In a culture where children are not really valued, they are often forgotten!!

The strategic plan is being co-ordinated by Martijn Booghart our Capacity Building Officer, and his understudy Rev Glad Kumwenda!

The strategic plan review team!

At the end of April, i travelled to Lusaka in Zambia to spend some time with CCAP Synod of Zambia, our sister synod.  I had a great trip - I was welcomed very warmly and saw and heard much about the work of the church in Zambia.  I was humbled by the hospitality I received - it was a privilege to have this experience with these Godly men.  In the photograph below is Rev Dr Chilenje, the Moderator and Rev M Kabandama the General Secretary.  We are standing in front of their unfinished offices - right now, they are operating from what is supposed to be a hen house!

Mr Ngulube, the General Treasurer of the Synod

One of the highlights of my visit was meeting Rev David Chiboboka, who I worked with at Zomba Theological College and I had not seen him for 9 years!  It was great to catch up with him and hear about his family and the work of the Theological College at Chasefu where he is now principal.

A group of CCAP Synod of Zambia ministers

Just like in Malawi, the children are keen to come and greet visitors.  These kids were so much fun and were able to communicate in English much to my surprise!  

As well as being there on an official visit, I was taken on a couple of sight seeing visits, one to a reptile park. Snakes are not my favourite creatures but I was fascinated by the different types.  This one of course is a black mamba - one of the most deadliest snakes in Africa.  It is named black mamba because the inside of its mouth is jet black - if you are bitten by this snake, there is not much hope for survival!  Thankfully this one was behind glass!

Just before  I went to Zambia, it was lovely to have Terry and Joyce McMullan stay for a couple of days too!  Some of you may also recognise Luso and two of her three children in the photo too!

From Zambia to Ireland - I spent a couple of weeks in Scotland and Ireland, visiting family and also doing a presentation at Stranmillis on the research I had done a couple of years ago in Malawi on early childhood.

With some of my lovely nieces and nephew!

Visited the Ireland Garden show in Antrim with some folks from Armoy PW - we had a great day.....

Back to Malawi and straight back into work.  A delegation from PCUSA were with the Synod and wanted to learn about our early childhood programme, so we went to visit our CCAP International Pre-school in Mzuzu.

As you can see the children were fascinated by some photos on Fletcher's phone!

busy counting!

 Its the time of year for visitors and it was so nice to see Peter who I met 20 years ago when I first came to Malawi - he was doing research in the South and stayed in Zomba!  He was on a quick visit and I was so thankful to be able to spend some time with him and catch up with all his news!

Yesterday I attended two Presbytery meetings where I have to give a report on Early childhood development.  First was Nkhamenya Presbytery where I intended to reach by about 9.30am.  However, a few miles before Nkhamenya I was stopped by the police and asked if I could take some victims to the hospital - there had been a bad accident and some people were seriously injured.  Unfortunately one person died.  I was able to carry three people who were hurt, two others and a policeman to the hospital at Nkhamenya.  I just hope the victims survived - one of them seemed to be in a critical condition.  A minibus had collided with a taxi and the taxi had lifted off the road and flew through the air, going through a brick kiln before stopping.  All casualties were from the taxi, and unfortunately all of them from the same family.  Praying for safety on the roads here is a necessity before you embark on any journey.

the church at Chamakala (Nkhamenya Presbytery)

Umanyano - the women's guild

Madodana - the men's guild

I always enjoy meeting students who were at Zomba - this is Mrs Rev Ng'ambi who was in my class 15 years ago!  Makes me feel old!  

I am also conducting interviews to find new Presbytery Trainers for Early Childhood development.  This means a lot of travel as I have to visit 25 Presbyteries.  During the last week, I had interviews in Mzuzu, Dwangwa and Limphasa.  On the way back from Dwangwa I saw these two monitor lizards - I thought they were being very affectionate, but they were fighting - and what a fight it was.  They are large lizards with a lot of strength and I was quite a bit away but could feel the power!!  Amazing sight to see!

 Tomorrow I am heading to Nkhoma to see an orphan project which is under the Synod there.  I will travel back to Mzuzu on Wednesday.  I value your prayers for safety as I travel on the roads of Malawi.

Have a good week,

Blessings,

Diane x

my happenings.........

Hello everyone,

I hope you had a blessed Easter time.  We had lots of Easter celebrations in the church the whole of Holy Week!  The service on Easter Sunday was a real celebration of the risen Christ.

Before the Easter break we had a Board Meeting for Early Childhood Development.  Our Board Chair, Rev. John J Gondwe was appointed Moderator Elect last year and so cannot hold two positions in the Synod.  Because of this the Synod appointed a new Board Chair in the name of Rev Stephen Bota.  Here you can see Rev J J Gondwe on the right congratulating the new Board Chair, Rev S Bota!

The Board members went to visit two ECD centres in the morning - one which is running well and the other which is not!  It was an eye opener for all of them!

An organisation called 'Vision 4 kids' sent me some money to buy Bibles in the local language to distribute to some children who did not have Bibles.  I bought 70 Bibles in Chichewa (they are not available in Chitumbuka), and took them to one of the local primary schools where they have a Bible club every Wednesday!

The kids were so excited and immediately sat down and began reading them!  They sang a couple of songs (which I could have done with ear plugs for they were so loud) and had a great time!

I am grateful to Vision4kids for thinking of Malawi!

Easter as I said is a great celebration here.  The Anglican and Catholic churches have the 'way of the cross' on Good Friday where they carry a cross between two strategic points and have Bibles readings at each station of the cross.  It is a very moving experience.

On Palm Sunday the children take part in the service by bringing palm branches and singing as they parade into the church to do a short drama!

Work continues to be busy as the ECD Presbytery Trainers (EPT's) begin their monitoring in May and they are preparing for that.  Presbytery meetings also begin in May and I have to present a report at each Presbytery, so I have been working on that!  We are also struggling financially as a Department and I spent the last few days trying to draft a project proposal to send to a few prospective donors!!

Usually on Sunday afternoon I go for a walk with three friends - last week we had quite a strenuous walk but at least the rain stayed off!

Its a bit worrying in the country at present as some places in the south had tremendous flooding earlier in the year, and yet some areas have a drought.  The harvest will not be a good one overall and already maize prices are high!  Please pray that the Government will take steps to ensure that there is food security in the country this year!

I continue to have a lot of wildlife in the garden and sometimes in the house too!  

During the Easter break I went to the lake for a day and found some wildlife there too!!

There had been really heavy rains just before I arrived at  the lake but it cleared up and was a beautiful day!

Even at night it was beautiful - there was a full moon and this is the reflection over the lake around 7pm (it gets dark here at 6pm).

Wishing you all a wonderful week!  Thank you for all the good wishes I received over Easter - much appreciated!!

Blessings,

Diane

Hello everyone,

I was privileged to be invited to Blantyre Synod at the end of February for a couple of days to discuss with their Education Secretary about Early Childhood Development in their synod.  I met with Rev Moyenda Kanjerwa, the Deputy General Secretary and was treated like a queen for the few days I was there.  It was lovely to see what is happening in another synod and also to have good discussions with the Education Secretary!

Rev M Kanjerwa

I kept bumping into past students of Zomba Theological College which was so nice, to hear stories of what they are doing now and where they are serving.  I spent a morning with Rev Dennis Mulele who is the Youth Director in the synod.  We had some good conversation as we went to visit two of Blantyre Synod's early childhood programmes.

Rev Dennis Mulele

I visited Orbus which is funded by the Presbyterian church of Australia.  Of course they had a great location and wonderful buildings, but I was so disappointed to see so many young children having no play materials, but instead being forced to write!  This is a similar story all across Malawi though!

At Chifundo 2 a similar story - lots of children, no play materials but at least they had porridge!

I was taken to Mulanje but it bucketed with rain the whole day and so we could barely see the majestic mountain.  We did manage to buy some pineapples though!

Back home and we continue our training programme in our CCAP International Pre-school on Friday afternoons with the teachers.  They really are quite knowledgeable if only they had the confidence to show it!!

We had four zonal meetings in March where Nicolas, Gerrie and myself were facilitating! The synod is divided into 4 zones and we met our trainers from each zone at each meeting!  The first meeting was Livingstonia zone which was held in Rumphi!

I was glad to arrive safely as the road was quite treacherous - this was when we were coming home and it had dried up a lot!  I was very thankful to get home safely!

An activity showing children the water cycle!

The second meeting was in Bandawe zone and it was held in Mzuzu.

Then we travelled to Nkhamenya to meet with Lilongwe zone!

 And finally to Mzimba to meet with Loudon Zone.

I must admit I was tired after all the travelling and all the talking and I am glad they are over.  This coming week I am busy again with a Early Childhood Board meeting which I have to organise....no rest for the wicked!

I am thankful that with all our travelling we had safe journeys and a good time of fellowship with all our trainers.

Of course our focus at all these training meetings is the child and how we can assist the young children of Malawi in their development.  We had no shortage of kids to pose for us in the various locations!

Wishing you all a blessed week,

Diane