July 19 – 26

For me the past 10 days have been marked primarily by my having to teach in the 1st grade. According to the culture Miriam can be out as long as 2 weeks after the funeral of her mother. We have been blessed with short term mission groups with folks who like to help in schools! That’s another example of God as the awesome chest player! I have learned a lot about teaching in the first grade, and I believe I know now just about enough to be dangerous. We only have 2 weeks left in this school year so I really hope and pray that Miriam will be back in the morning. I have not heard from her which is also cultural custom.

The past two mission groups have been very generous to the school in supplying us with more wonderful books. We are developing a very nice library of books. I have discovered excellent books for each of our classes in the selections given to us. The children are enjoying them tremendously. It has been great to find a number of books that relate to exactly what the classes are studying at the moment. I always get excited to find a fresh approach to a new concept that is being taught to the children.

I was given a lovely pottery bowl full of fresh vegetables and 2 pumpkins. Today I experimented in making Peanut and Pumpkin Soup and Cream of Pumpkin Soup. It’s my first experience with pumpkin soup, so I don’t know what it should taste like. Both soups turned out pretty good. It made a lot of soup. We will have Maralisa and Seon Hee over on Tuesday for a soup and salad supper. Seon Hee will be returning from South Africa that day. The Peanut and Pumpkin idea originated because we have a 50 lb. bag of peanuts. That is one of the main crops for these people and the harvest season has just closed.
Berea, our cook, taught me to make her delicious sugar coated peanuts. We are eating lots of them!

The harvest was celebrated at church on July 18th during the Chichewa service. It was so interesting to see
all the harvest being brought to the church and placed on the front steps to be carried down the isle at a particular point in the service. There were many women carrying their offering on their heads. You don’t see many men carrying anything on their heads. There are plenty of women on the roads at most any time of the day carrying very heavy loads on their heads. More and more of the men are carrying great loads on their bikes. Ten years age they tell me only the missionaries and few others had cars, motorcycles, or bikes. Now there are a great number of them. Africa is making great changes, just like the rest of the world. Some of them are good and some, not so good. Just like the rest of the world.

Rhona and Jessi are settling into their house. I have enjoyed having Kate and Lisa with me since the other two left. We were told that Barbara has e-mailed us that she will be leaving on the 27th and arriving on the 29th, Thursday. I have 2 more days to make more curtains before having to move. I believe I will be in better shape to move then. Folks have been nice to offer to help make the move.

July 10-18

Last Sunday 3 visitors from North Carolina stood up to introduce themselves in church. After church Rebecca and David Morton from Seattle invited Kate from West Virginia,myself, and the North Carolinian guest to their house for coffee and banana bread. We had a enjoyable visit with them. The doctor and the business man were visiting the hospital gathering information, and Rainy asked if she could come to our school to help with the students. I was so glad because Miriam our 1 grade teacher did not come to school. It turned out she was at the hospital with her mother who later died on Tuesday afternoon.
I learned a lot about Malawian culture on Wednesday when Grace, teacher of 4 year olds didn’t show up, and Lawrence, our maintenance man, didn’t appear either. I went to see Cathy Msosa, one of the school committee members, after being told that Grace and Lawrence were instructed to go with the family members back to Zambia for the funeral.The committee members had to arrange for the transportation of the body and for people to escort the family to their home. They had to obtain the death certificate from the hospital, and purchase a casket to be delivered to the village. On top of that Miriam did not have a work permit and our ambulance could not go across the border and had to be met by an ambulance from near the family’s village in Zambia. Thank goodness for the good committee. It took four
of them 5 hours Tuesday night to make all those arrangements and then they had to pay for it all. I am thankful that I did not find out about all that until Wednesday.
On my birthday, Tuesday, 42 of the mission workers were here at our house celebrating my birthday with a table loaded with cakes and cookies. Birthday celebration is the time all the missionaries to socialize. Jessi and Rhona saw that it was done up royally. What a surprise it was to open up a box of 115 Birthday cards!!! I felt so unworthy and yet I felt absolutely great reading all those wonderful verses and messages from so many people. I didn’t know I knew
that many people who would send me a card for my birthday!!! You certainly have made a wonderful memorable birthday for me that I’ll cherish forever. You couldn’t have made me feel better than the high you gave me with all those thoughtful and loving messages. Thank you for making me feel so special on my 80th Birthday.

Today at church I understood more of the service and sermon than most Sundays. I was most thankful because after the sermon Abuso (the preacher) called on me to have the prayer. I was SURPRISED and looked around to see if there was possibly someone else that he might be speaking to. Grace was sitting beside me, and whispered it’s you. So I stood up and prayed (praying for help as I stood up!). After church I told Abuso, “ you surprised me when you called on me to pray.” He said, “We must always be ready.” I agreed that indeed we must always be ready for we never know when the good Lord will call us.
A couple from Chicago and their 4our children 2 boys and 2 girls came Friday. I met them at church this morning. They asked if the children could help in the school. I doubt that Miriam will be there so I think that Ruth (18 yr. old) will be good help in the 1st grade. The husband and wife are both doctors and they are here for three weeks to do surgery. I hope the 2 boys about 14 and 16 will play socker with the boys. The boys in our 4 year old class were given socker T-shirts. One day they all came to school wearing their socker shirts. They said that they had to play socker while wearing their T-shrts. They kicked the ball around and then they huddled like in football. We heard them praying “Thank you God for this day and for this food. Bless mommie and daddy. In Jesus name, Amen.” I called one of the payers over and told him that when they got in a huddle they should pray that they would play a fair game and that they could win. In the next huddle we heard, “ Thank you God for this day and for this -----’’! The 4 year olds keep life interesting!

July 2-9 The Korean bikers stayed for 10 days to help Seon Hee distribute the mosquito nets to the village folks. The boys hung the nets for the village people and taught them how to use and to care for them. I had the Korean bikers and Seon Hee and boys for dinner one night while they were here in Nkhoma. One boy is a Christian. He’s the one who started looking for a worthy need to support. When I asked what church they attended, the non-Christian said he wasn’t a Christian, and the Christian boy immediately replied he’s not yet. The non-Christian is looking for a serene place that’s back to nature. It would be interesting to know how they end up after their excursion across and up the African Continent.

We have been busy at the school trying to get the 1st grade into the new building. The doors are the big problem. All three doors were ordered by the same measurements and the concrete floors are not all equal. I got really excited when I saw one classroom with the door hung on it. The contractor came by that day and I asked him if we could move into the room. The answer was no because the lock had not been put on the door. I begged him to put the lock on and let us move into just that one room. I have the feeling a lock will not be placed on any door until all the locks can be put in place. It doesn’t seem to bother the builder that the first grade class has lumber and other building equipment stacked all over their present classroom which is suppose to be the administration office. It will all come together some day! Hopefully it will be soon.
The people working here continue to come and go. We had Bible Study here last Tuesday night, and we had a little going away party for Carolyn. Carolyn, and Scott Van Dyke and their three boys are returning to their home in Canada. For the past 2 years Scott has been connected with the Orphan Project and has done a lot of wonderful things for the people here in this area. He is so gifted. He made the wonderful playground equipment that has been installed on our playground recently. Our children are really enjoying all the things he made for us.

Yesterday was a great experience. I rode bike taxi for a 20 mile round trip visit to a village. We went to see the home that was being built for a blind 70 year old man. He was found in the village sleeping in a building that was a mud circular storage house that was not large enough for him lie down. Seon Hee talked to the village people about giving him land to build on and bringing the sticks and wood pieces to make the roof. Volunteers in the village have provided the labor to build the house, and it is now ready for the plaster and the roof. The village people are helping to provide those things, Seon Hee is really encouraging the people to help each other and things are really happening that are so very encouraging. There are so many blind and disabled people there in the village. They have become excited about being able to do things together that they could not accomplish alone. Not only are they working together, but they are worshiping together informally and developing closer human relationships by singing and enjoying being with each other.

I was surprised again on July 2nd to receive two packages and a bunch of letters. There were Easter Greetings and goodies and a number of condolence cards. I do appreciate all the thoughts and prayers. Thanks to all of you for remembering me in such nice ways. Hearing from you makes me feel closer to you and to home.

Jessi, Chris , Kate and I all attended the 4th of July celebration that was given by Ambassador and Mrs. Bodde on Saturday, July 3rd. It was held in their beautiful home near Capitol Hill. It was a typical cookout and everyone seemed to have a great time. Perry and Brenda Janson, who head up the Malawian Peace Corp, sang the National Anthem beautifully. It put us all in the mood to celebrate America. Ambassador Bodde welcomed us and gave a short talk thanking each of us, missionaries and peace corp people primarily, for all the things we do in Africa. He said there were about 400 Americans in Malawi each day doing great things with Africans. The setting was in lovely gardens with a swimming pool. The food was good, and we enjoyed meeting many of the Americans who came to the party. I enjoyed talking with Ambassador and Mrs. Bodde. They felt that they had been on holiday for the past 2 years in Malawi. Next week they are headed for Bagdad, which will require a much heavier work load.

June 27-July

June 27-July 1
At the dedication luncheon the retired Rev. Mgawe invited Seon Hee Lee and boys, Mr. Kim, the present senior minister (CCAP, Church of Central Africa Presbyterian) the Rev. and Mrs. Chapota and me to dinner that night. He sent his driver for us. Mrs. Mgawe died just before I came to Nkhoma. Rev. Mgawe was playing his harmonica when we arrived, and we all enjoyed singing some familiar hymns. After a few hymns, the cook announced dinner was ready. The Rev. invited us to go next door as he ushered us into the next room. At the foot of the table was a small table with basin, and the cook was standing across the table ready with pitcher to pour warm water for each of us to wash our hands. No towel was provided. That explained to me why the children at school do not use a towel. The cook removed the table cover to present us a big meal of at least 9 different dishes, including nsima (pronounced seema). It is eaten with the fingers at almost every, if not every meal. (Nsima reminds me of mush, a very fine grain of corn meal that I remember eating as a child with pork sausage and eggs. Their nsima is much drier and is picked up with thumb, index and middle fingers and then used to scoop up other items on your plate. Some people eat the entire meal that way while others do use forks and spoons. I always take a very small helping of nsima.

With each experience I seem to learn a little more about African culture. I went to Rev. Chapota’s home to go to Rev. Mgwe’s. I told Abusa (the preacher) I would be at his home at 7:15pm to go to the 7:30 dinner. I arrived at 7:17 and both Rev. and Mrs, Chapota were sitting in their living room talking. They invited me to sit down so I did, and we continued talking. A minute or two later he told her they were invited to dinner at Mgawe’s. It was obvious this was the first she knew about the invitation. Well we talked for about 10 more minutes and then she left to tell “the kitchen” they were going out to dinner.
About 7:45 Rev. Mgawe called and asked where we were and said he would send his driver for us. We started walking and the driver picked us up not far from the Chapota’s home. TIA (This is Africa).

During the conversation that evening the Rev. Mgawe repeated a number of times the statement “God is the great chess player.” I had never heard that expression, but I have certainly seen it in action a number of times here. I’ll share a couple of examples. When I asked the contractor to come for lunch after the celebration,he express great concern about the lack of funds to pay the builders at the school their monthly salaries. I asked him how much he needed immediately. He answered 259,500 Kwachas, which is $1500.00. At the celebration the next day Mr. Kim surprised us by presenting the school a check which allowed us to pay the salaries! Another example of God placing the right person, at the right time. at the right place is about Seon Hee’s experience when taking Mr. Kim to the airport. On the way Seon Hee decided she had about 10 minutes to take Mr. Kim to meet her Korean friend who had recently built the Korean Hospital in Lilongwe and was running it. For over 2 months Seon Hee had been praying for mosquito netting for the elderly and disabled folk in our village. In a less than 10 minute stop-over at the hospital they met 2 Korean bikers traveling from South Africa north looking for a needy cause to support. Seon Hee told them about the mosquito nets needed. They were thrilled with the project and met with her after she and Hussein, the school committee chairperson, delivered Mr. Kim to the airport. They spent 2 hours in Lilongwe checking for a good buy on the nets and buying 250 of them. The Korean doctor loaned the bikers the hospital truck and driver to transport the bikers, the nets, and the bikes to Nkhoma the next day. You may read about their stay in Nkhoma in my next log.

The Americans in Nkhoma have been invited by the Ambassador to Malawi to a 4th of July celebration in Lilongwe. The party is being held in an area near Capital Hill. Four of us, Chris and Kate from the Guesthouse and Jessi and I are all looking forward to the experience which is being held on Saturday, the 3rd of July. It sounds like it will be a traditional cook-out. It’s nice that you can have cook-outs here in the middle of winter!

Yesterday was wonderful. When I got home from school, I found Rhona had brought me 4 packages and 9 cards from the hospital mailroom. They were dated from March 23 to June 6 and yet I just got each of them. We believe the hospital may be just saving mail until they feel like they have enough to deliver. Thursday at school Douglas from the hospital came with another employee to the school to tell me that I had a package that needed to be picked up. I told him I was very surprised because I had just received yesterday 4 packages and 9 letters. He responded that that must be the mail he was talking about. (TIA) Thanks for the mail. It is wonderful to hear from North Carolina and the goodies enclosed are great.

Dedication of Ebenezer's New Addition

I have had the privilege to talk with Mariella Provost, 87, from Black Mountain. She and her husband were missionaries in Korea and started a school there, some 50 years ago, Moon Wha School. Mr. Kim, from Korea, who attended Moon Wha School just visited Ebenezer School in Malawi. Due to the efforts of the Korean people the addition to Ebenezer School was built. The following is information I received from Mariella about the recent dedication. Hands around the world, must be incredible for the Provost family to see how their vision has grown and reached out to others. To God be the Glory, great works have been done!!!! Thanks Mariella.
July 1, 2010
Mr. Hyung Sup Kim visited Ebenezer
From Moon Wha School in Korea
On June 21st, Mr. Kim, Hyung Sup, Chairman of Moon Wha Board in Gyeongju went to Nkhoma, Malawi. A dedication service was held for the Raymond Provost Hall. This two-classroom building was built with funds raised by the alumni, faculty and friends of Moon Wha Jr.& Sr. High School in Gyeongju, Korea. Raymond Provost was the first principal of Moon Wha School which was started 50 years ago!! Mr. Kim presented a plaque that will be mounted on the building.
At the dedication service there were people from the Synod Office, teachers, students and friends—people from Asia, Europe, U.S.A. and Africa. What an international gathering that was!!
Since Mr. Kim does not speak English, they were very fortunate to have a Korean missionary, Ms. Seon-Hee Lee, working at the Synod Office who interpreted for him.
You as friends in the States have helped to fill the inside of the building with furniture, a copy machine, text books and supplies. In addition we are also gathering scholarships for the children. What a joy to see what God is doing to build this Christian School in Nkhoma. In September the school will start its 4th year. Then there will be a Preschool (4 year old class), Kindergarten, 1st Grade and a new 2nd grade. The first two-classroom building was made possible by a church in Gastonia, North Carolina and some playground equipment was given by friends overseas in Holland. Now I am thrilled that friends in Korea are helping.
Your friend in Christ,

Mariella Provost



Please note, the young girl in the front row with the blue jacket over her head is Ellen. :)