April 22-29 I am looking forward to going to the Missionary Partner Personnel Conference, April 29 – May 2. to be held at Katengeza Namoni Church Lay Center, Congoni, Malawi. The theme of the conference will be exploring reconciliation as a model for mission in the Malawian context. Speakers will be Dr. Andre Bartlett of the Aasvoelkop Church in Johannesburg and the Rev. Willy Zeze of Josaphat Mwale
Theological Institute, Nkhoma.
I had a delightful time last Sunday morning after church (9:30 am!) having coffee with the Ter Haars, Maralisa, and her Minister’s wife. Can’t remember names but they are from the Methodist Church in Johannesburg, and they support Maralisa’s orphan school that she started. He was preaching at the second service that morning, while we enjoyed coffee.
This week has been just an ordinary week. I am trying to end this so I can pack to leave today at 5:00pm to attend the conference.

April 17-21 I spent Saturday at school going through a large cabinet and a desk. I found some good learning center things to use in the reception and kindergarten rooms. Before I left, I set up the room for Monday. Sunday afternoon the night watchman came to our house to say that water was running out of that room!! The plumbers are connecting up the equipment to the sinks in the classrooms so that we might have water. I got Dr. Ter Haar to ride his motor bike to the school to see if he could find the turnoff valve.
He did. Monday morning my room was a mess, but it didn’t take too long to set up again.
Sunday we were invited to Reynet and James Vitches (South African missionaries with 4 boys) for lunch.
They had a South African meal much like the Stitts had last week. We enjoyed eating
lunch outside in their eating area which is very shady with the trees and is surrounded by African gardens. There were large pots everywhere, a real African trademark. Every home here has many of them. The Vitches had made three round tables from tree trunks and concrete in the area. The meal was delicious and the afternoon was delightful. The Vitches’ house sits on the top of a small mountain peak and the view across the valley to the mountain tops in the distance is lovely. Those mountains peaks are climbed by most of the short term young missionaries. Think I will leave that adventure to Lynne and Stan when they come in May!
I was saddened to get Jim McKenzie’s call telling me of Barbara McKenzie Buenger’s death. Barbara was the daughter of Jim’s oldest brother, Locke. The funeral will be on this coming Saturday. I deeply regret that once again I will not be able to be with the family at this time. I will, however, be there with them in spirit.
I had received only about 6 responses on my blog. Lynne realized by my not responding that I probably
had not received the responses. She copied all the responses and sent me a long list last week. I felt like I had a wonderful visit with so many people after spending the afternoon reading the responses. Thanks to all who have made responses. They make me feel that home is not so far away.

April 12-16
Last Sunday the sermon at our church was delivered by Dr. David Morton, Assistant Director of the Nkhoma Hospital. He delivered a very thought provoking message on the Walk to Emmaus. David and Rebecca Morton, who were missionaries in Uganda before coming here, have 2 grown sons living in Seattle. After church we were invited to Trudy and Jon Van Tilborgh’s home for tea and coffee. We had refreshments on their lovely veranda overlooking a beautifully landscaped yard. Many of the missionaries have gardeners who do good jobs. On Tuesday we were back at Trudy and Jon’s home for a grand birthday party for Jon - lots of cake, cookies and pie. They had a Dutch couple visiting them. They are on a short missionary trip doing medical work in the Lilongwe hospital. That hospital deliveries 30,000 babies a year!!
Wednesday night 8 of the Guesthouse folks and Rhona, Jessie, and I were invited to Hennie and Elsabet
Smit’s home for a South African meal. We started with pumpkin soup and thin homemade spicy herb bread and guava juice. The main dish was like stew, chicken and many vegetables, cooked over coals outside. Just before serving a creamy sauce was stirred into the stew. Dessert tasted a little like banana pudding, but it was actually a pie. It was a delicious meal and the fellowship was great. The Smits are missionaries from South Africa. They have been here for 22 years. The missionaries are such wonderful caring folks. Example: Today I had a surprise visit from Rebecca Morton. She was on her way home from doing volunteer work in the Children’s Ward. A team of 8 doctors from the US were visiting in the hospital yesterday and left the hospital some sample medicines. Rebecca gave the medicines to Dr. David Morton. When he saw Avelox, he gave some to his wife, Rebecca, telling her that Dorothy is taking this, give it to her. I didn’t even know he knew that I had been to the doctor. ‘Twas like a gift from heaven. God continuously works in mysterious ways because getting a prescription is a difficult process. The fellowship with missionaries is so neat.
Barbara Nagy’s cook, Berea. prepares us a hot lunch Monday-Friday. It’s wonderful to walk into the kitchen with its mouth watering aroma after being with the preschoolers from 7-12 noon. A delicious tomato sauce with oil, onion and sweet basil is cooked with a green vegetable (eggplant, green beans, squash, okra or something we have found at the local market and don’t even know what it is). Sometimes Berea adds whole hard-boiled eggs. Most of the time the sauce is served over rice and occasionally over potato wedges or pasta. All our loaf bread is homemade by Berea and it is delicious.
I learned more about the water filtering system. The long process that I described sometime ago is done in the rainy season which is January – March or early April. Now we simply draw water from the spigot, and boil it before we put it in the filtering system that sits on the kitchen counter. The rainy season system was in use when I came so I haven’t seen how water comes out of the spigot at that time, but I have seen a picture of a tub of dark brown water! I’m most thankful for the filtering systems!
Last week the teacher of the 3 year old class left. I am now teaching that class as I train a teacher aide. We hope to have a lead teacher soon. The completion of the second phase of the school building is quickly approaching. We are in hopes that some expected funds arrive soon so the building doesn’t have to stop before the work is finished. We are planning the dedication of the new building for June when a Korean is coming with a memorial plaque for the building. This second phase of Ebenezer was built by Korean alumni of a Korean school built by the efforts of Raymond Provost, missionary in Korea. He became the Director of the school, and is now deceased. His wife, Mary Ella, member of Black Mountain First Presbyterian has been the force behind getting this phase built. She was a big helper also in getting the first phase of the school furnished.

April 7-11
I spent Thursday and Friday doing school work, getting ready to start teacher training with a new teacher aide this week.
On Friday I received a call from my son, Jim, that my brother Dan had a stroke and was in the hospital in Gastonia. Saturday morning I got the messge about 6:45 that Dan had died about 11:45 Friday night. Without thinking about what time it was in Gastonia, I dialed and talked with my sister-in-law, Martha. She said that her family was there and that Dan died peacefully. I was horrified when I realized after hanging up that it was about 3:45 am in Gastonia. I hope Martha was able to sleep after that.
Our Christian faith gives us the joy of knowing Dan is now healed and living in the glory of eternal life with our Lord. For that I am most thankful. Our family and friends have lost a grand Dan (the grandkids’ name for him was most appropriately Granddan).
I have been comforted by the many outpouring expressions of symphony and love that the Christian community here has shown to me. It makes me realize how miraculously the Christian faith draws people of all cultures, races and religions together into community. Thanks be to God for our faith, hope and love.
I tried to change my airplane ticket to be able to attend the funeral. The earliest seat on the plane would be on Wednesday. Dan’s funeral is to be tomorrow, Monday, April 12, Dan and Martha’s 58th wedding anniversary. The beautiful story is that their whole family was together on Easter, last weekend, and they were able to get a family picture with the first great grandchild (1 month old). Dan loved being able to hold her. I really miss being able to be with the family to share in all the wonderful memories that Dan has engraved on each of our hearts.

April 1-6 Easter Holiday started on Thursday. I went with Willeke and Reynier Ter Haars to Nkhwazi, a beautiful spot on the northwest shore of Lake Malawi which covers up about one third of the entire area of Malawi. It appears more like the ocean rather than a lake. The children rode the waves just like being at Myrtle Beach. There was a large rock formation within a short swimming distance that the children loved climbing and jumping off into the lake. It made a very high diving board. Trees were very close to the sandy shore line, and I enjoyed sitting in my chair in the nice breeze reading my book and watching occasionally as the children called my attention to special actions they were performing from the rocks, their rubber canoe, sand castles, etc. Our camping reminded me of the many camping experiences our family enjoyed on the west coast for so many years. This time though, I choose a room in the lodge and felt like the African Queen in the most attractive African décor with oil paintings in attractive natural-wood frames, furniture (sofa, chairs, and coffee table) made of logs with colorful covered pillows and cushions. The bed had its mosquito netting bordered with matching material of the bedspread and pillows and was tied back at each bed post with matching ties. I felt like the African Queen until I realized that I couldn’t call for my attendants to take care of the huge spiders I kept seeing creeping around. I did, however, enjoy watching the wild life around the camp - monkeys jumping in the trees, birds singing, dogs wondering around, otter, butterflies - and then there were, of course, the gnats, very small flies, a snake, ants, the same critters you see almost anywhere you camp. We were not bothered by mosquitoes.

I had my meals with Willeke and Reynier and their 6 six children (Geerton, Wianna, Jo-ine, Eva, David and Adam) and the Van Dykens (Canadian missionary couple, Carolyn and Scott and 3 sons, Nathan, Darrick, and Aaron). The children were great campers helping with all the work. The adults cooked and the children did the dishes without arguing.

Our Easter service was beside the lake. It reminded me of the many times Jesus taught the disciples and the multitudes around the sea of Galilee. We read the Easter story, sang and had prayers. The children offered many precious prayers for the service as well as for regular meals and for our travel time before and after trips. Our singing was good because the Ter Haar family is a little like the Von Trapp family. The family sings together in church at times. We all had a great time relaxing and enjoying the beautiful spot on the Lake.

We broke camp just before it rained. As we were traveling the very bumpy dirt road to the main highway we got stuck because it had rained during the night. We got out to push the van. We had an easy time with the pushing, but suddenly the heavens opened, and it poured down. Willeke was driving and afraid of getting stuck again so she just kept on driving leaving all of us in the rain until she came to a safe place to stop. We were all totally drenched, but no one melted!! We arrived home at 5:00pm on Monday after 4 days of great adventures.

The building of the second phase of the school which is being paid for by the Koreans is coming along very well, and the playground equipment provided for by people of Holland will be placed on the playground this month. The teachers’ housing is on hold. The contractor who did the first buildings of the school did it for almost nothing, but now his work load prevents him from doing the teachers’ houses. When a contractor in Lilongwe was asked about doing it, his price was more than the cost of materials. There is a good builder who is willing to build at a reasonable price, and they are looking for one to purchase materials. Hopefully that will come soon.

March 28-31
Today is Palm Sunday. Last Sunday it was announced in church that the service would begin today at 7am since we were going to have Communion in the English Worship Service for the first time. The service was from 7-9:30 am. There were a number of small children with their parents. Relatively speaking, the children did well!! The communion table was all set up and covered with netting. There was a chair at each end of the table with an elder sitting in each chair throughout the 21/2 hours. The main section of the church was filled with worshippers until after the sermon. Then things were said in Chichewa and about half of the congregation left. Then the elders passed out cards for you to turn in to receive communion. The two elders at the table removed and folded the netting and communion was served by the elders. We sang all stanzas of 3 hymns 3 times each. Four people were asked to stay after the service and Maralisa ( one of those asked to stay) said that the ministers and elders wanted their opinion about the service. Hopefully, they suggested it be a little shorter next time. However, the worshippers felt like it was a historical event for the Malawians.
Monday was back to school. Wianna Ter Haar(13 years old) came to help in our school (older Ter Haar children all go to Lilongwe to ABC School and are on holiday for the next 2 weeks). Wianna enjoyed helping the children in their learning centers in the Reception Class(3-4 year olds). She did a real good job. Her sister Joine came to help today and sister, Eva will come tomorrow. The 3-4 year olds respond beautifully to the older children.
Last night I had dinner at the Guesthouse with the young folks. It was the last night for Ruth before she began her 30 hour flight to Canaan today. A couple from Atlanta arrived this afternoon, and I had a delightful chat with them before they left to attend a dinner elsewhere. Thad is a lawyer and Suzanne is a dentist. They are here for only 4 days. They are collecting information to start a Dental Clinic at the Hospital. They are very much interested in our school and know of mission teams who have held teacher training sessions in a number of countries.
I have got to go pack and be ready to leave tomorrow at 12 noon.

March 24-27
My first mail was received on March 25th (mailed on Feb.17). It was eagerly opened. It contained one of my resource books I didn’t have room to pack. I took the book to school and one of the teachers took it to study a little on a subject we had been discussing. (Thanks for the book). I was thrilled to get all the wonderful messages from the deacons and thanks for many individual packages of tea and fruit drinks. We are really enjoying them. Jessie’s mom arrived on Thursday and tolhat my daughter, Lynne, had called her to tell her to tell me “hello.” That and the mail sent by Leeann and the deacons made me feel a lot closer to home. Thanks for all the responses you make on my blog, the e-mails and especially the prayers. All those responses make things seem well.
Jessie and Rhona are due to leaving the country for a day to re-enter it the next day to have passport stamped for additional 30 days to be followed by buying more days etc.,etc.,etc. Grace, Jessie’s mom, Jessie, Rhona, and Gerwin (Dutch student nurse, doing missionary maintenance work for 6 months) left this morning to go to the great waterfall up north in the David Livingstone area. It’s a 2 day trip on unreliable buses travelling bumpy roads. (Can be made in an all day trip, if you’re real hardy.) I’ll be eager to hear their stories on return next week.
I had a committee meeting with the school’s board this morning. I stayed after the meeting to have coffee with the Ter Haars. During Easter break next week they are going to Lake Malawi, which is suppose to be a beautiful area. It’s the largest lake in Africa and appears to look more like the ocean. It’s a seven hour trip. They invited me to go with them. We’ll leave on Thursday and return on Monday. I am excited about going with them and their 6 children, ages 4 to 14 years, four of the children are their natural born children and 2 (Adam and David) are adopted Malawians. Both are at Ebenezer school in kindergarten and 1st grade. Ter Haars are a loving family. Dr. Rainier Ter Haar(South African) is head of the hospital and wife, Willeke (Dutch) is the one who has run the Ebenezer School from it’s inception. She taught in Holland before marriage. The school where she taught in Holland supports the Ebenezer School with scholarships for the children, and they gave them a big grant for playground equipment which will be in place on our playground sometime after Easter break. It’s going to be great to have things to play on outside.

March 18-23 Clean water is obtained in Dr. Barbara’s house by a ceramic candle type filtering system. There are 3 large plastic buckets which sit in the refrigerator area just outside of the kitchen. There are two filters on the bottom of the first bucket that filter the water from the first bucket to the second bucket, and the second bucket is emptied into the third bucket and the water there is used to boil for drinking. We dip a pitcher into that bucket to fill with water to pour into a neat regular size electric coffee looking pot. We flip a switch to get hot water quickly for tea and other hot drinks and pour the remaining into another filtering system sitting on the end of the kitchen cabinet. The top half of that system has 5 candle type filters, sitting on the bottom of the top container, filtering the water into the lower container from which we draw the water to drink. Our faithful loving maid Berea cleans out the system each Friday and keeps the operation running.
I went with Maralisa to the Orphan Village School again on Friday to distribute jersey shirts to each child. Maralisa buys a large plastic bag of second hand shirts from the markets each year to give one to each of the 140 children in the school. I took lots of pictures at the center of the children. I went to the school to see how we could work up some inexpensive learning centers to be used in their open-air classrooms. We are working on establishing an abacus on the playground equipment. If it turns out as effective as we hope, we will make 4 of them, one on each side of the sliding board platform. The abacus will have 10 bright colored pinch type clothes pins on 10 horizontal lines of string. The children will pinch the clothes pins to put on the lines each day (good finger muscle building activity to hold pencil). The pins will easily slide across the string for demonstrating adding and subtracting so they can practice an activity to learn math at recess time.
The children were ready to have their lunch before we left, so I got to taste their meal which was a mush made from maize (corn). They serve it with sugar, but what I tasted had no sugar on it and actually it was quite pleasing. So I’m sure the children really enjoy the meal especially with the sugar on it.
Linken (I just found out that’s the way he spells Lincoln) lives very close to the village school and is actually on the board of directors. We stopped at his compound to talk about the sign for Ebenezer School which we will put on our school building before the dedication of the second section of the school in June when Koreans are coming with their sign to be placed on their building for the 1st and 2nd grades. Linken is making our sign which will have NC USA and NKHOMA (each are hand carved letters on a board) and placed on either side of the symbol of the Celtic cross with a circle at the crossbeams. The Celtic cross is on the Synod building and on the church gate in the brick wall around the church. Each frame will be linked to the symbol at the end of the crossbeam with a chain link representing North Carolina, United States of America is linked by Christ to Nkhoma. They asked me what to put on the sign??? That’s what I came up with, I hope it turns out well.