Pictures and Videos... fun at Rafiki!

Friends and Family,

Here are some spontaneous happenings from this past week!

Uchizi hiding from Nick

Nick suceeded in catching him.

Mwiza and Maria showing off their athleticism

Nick playing a bit of football with the children.

Two beautiful Malawian ladies: Rebecca and Lekani

How many boys and girls we can fit on the tire swing?

Nick giving Stanley a trumpet lesson

A little musical sample for the standard 1 kids

Standard 1 Children singing the Malawi National Anthem

Rebecca with Alex, Estery, and Bright

Rebecca reading "All Things Bright and Beautiful" to her kindergarten class

Rebecca collecting phonics worksheets from her class.

Rebecca carrying a basket, "Malawi lady" style, while one of the aunties carries the guitar!

Rebecca having her hair done by Charity.

Rebecca posing with Chance, Charity, and Emily. They all helped with her hair!

Nick posing with his JSS 1 choir. They sang beautifully!

Nick posing with the JSS 2 choir and two of their other teachers.

Nick directing a choir of Junior Secondary Girls singing "We are not alone"

He had some help from Rebecca and Sandy Moyer.

Nick leads a sing a long at Gazebo time.

An amazing child leading us in the song - "Hello There"

Rebecca reading the children a lovely book called "Lord of the Dance"

A DelVillano Family portrait

We hope you enjoy!

With Love,

Nick and Rebecca DelVillano

Visit to Amina's home

Dear Friends,

This afternoon we were blessed with a real cultural experience! We accompanied Elin and Paul (ROS's here) to take Amina, one of the Junior Secondary Girls, to her home. She lives at the top of a mountain overlooking many valleys down below. She lives with her Gogo (grandmother), her aunt, and two young cousins. Unfortunately our camera ran out of batteries before we got to her home, but the experience there was just incredible. Up until today we have been merely driving or walking past huts, but today we got to go inside of them, see how the Malawians live, and experience their living quarters first hand.

Amina's family property consists of several little huts arranged in a small circle. One hut is for cooking, a couple are for sleeping, one is an outhouse, and a few are for pigs to live in. The family also has two straw storage units for corn - these looks like small silos made of dried grass and straw. On their property they grow coffee, guava, bananas, sweet potatoes, and corn, of course. They also have a cage where they keep rabbits. The many chickens and roosters roam the property freely, and sleep in the hut with the family at night. Amina and her aunt spoke English, but the Gogo and the small cousins did not. They were very happy to have us come and visit their home. I guess it was probably a good thing that the camera was out of batteries - it was nice to just be a guest and not a tourist. Nick and I spoke a few words of Tumbuka to the Gogo, just enough to say hello and thank you, and to tell her that her home is lovely. Before we left, the aunt gave us a big basket of guava and sweet potato. We hesitated to take her gift, because like nearly all Malawians, they have so little to eat. Elin offered to give her money in exchange, and at this she got down on her knees, took Elin's feet in her hands, and in complete submission and humbleness asked us to accept her gift. Cultural barrier sometimes are just so overwhelming, its hard to know what to feel. It gave her great joy to be able to give us the small gift that she could, even if it seemed like such an unnecessary sacrifice. We took her gift graciously and thanked her many times. Elin eventually slipped money to Amina at the last minute - money to buy medicine for the youngest cousin, who is sick with malaria.

Driving away from their home we were very overwhelmed with emotion. As we rolled past toddlers in rags playing in the dirt, and little boys riding bicycles with big loads of wood on the back, and women drying corn in their yard, or hoeing their gardens, and gorgeous valleys and mountains lined with every shape and color of flowers and trees, goats and chickens scrambling down the roads, we kept thinking "how sad, and yet how marvelous." With all of the poverty and illness we saw, we also saw beauty beyond descriptions. We also received a warm smile from each and every person we passed, and many of them shouted kind greetings to us and shook our hands. They have so little, and yet they have so much. Perhaps that is where their joy comes from - the simplicity of life. Rebecca told Amina's aunt that she loved Malawi, and that it is so beautiful. She said to Rebecca, "but, isn't the United States more beautiful?" Rebecca tried to tell her that it is beautiful, but that there is a beauty so unique and special to Malawi, and that she loves it so much. The aunt didn't understand. Just as the poor immigrants coming to America in the 1900's thought, Malawians see the Untied States as a land of plenty. They can't see the many troubles we have of our own, they can only see the wealth. But you know, while we are here in Malawi we also tend to see only the beauty, and the poverty and illness isn't necessarily what we see first. Perhaps the grass will always be greener on the other side of the ocean for those of us who experience other cultures... all we can say is that if either of us were to spend an extended period of time in the other's culture, we might be unpleasantly surprised. Food for thought, anyway.

We do know that God created us all different, and that we are all not only beautiful, but equal in His eyes. For the thousands of dollars we have saved in our bank account and the few ears of corn Amina has to sustain her through the winter, we are equal in the sight of God the Father - each beautiful and rich in our own ways. And every time we meet another human being we should be able to see Christ in that person, because all humans are created in the image of God. All of His creation, all creatures great and small, proclaim His glory, and that goes for rural Malawians as well as rich businessmen in New York. And it goes for the coffee plants, and the chickens, and the guava fruit, and the corn, and the goats, and the orphans with which we live and work each day. Even the heavens declare the glory of God.

And so we leave you with some cute pictures of the kids from music time and also pictures of our Malawian outfits that we picked up from the Tailor shop today. Where ever you are tonight and whatever your circumstance, we ask you to praise God for His creation around you, for truly, He is present in all places, and in all times. Glory to God in the highest!




Love,

Nick and Rebecca

Our adventure into town - by foot! And other adventures...

Dear Friends,

It's been a very busy past few days! Sorry for the lag in blogging! We'll try to catch you up with all we have been doing since our last post.

On Wednesday Nick started to teach the junior secondary school girls. A little background - this Rafiki Village in Malawi was originally just a vocational secondary school for girls. It has since grown into what it is today - a full fledged village with housing for 84 children of all ages, starting with babies of 18 months - but the girls' secondary school still exists. In addition to the vocational training, the girls now receive instruction in all secondary subjects, including math, science, English, Chichewa, and MUSIC! Nick has taken on this task for the next couple of weeks. The girls are reviewing basic music theory and beginning to sing in 2 and 3 part harmony. There is no piano here, and the only keyboard we have is a roll out one. (you should google this marvel of technology if you don't know what a roll out keyboard is.) Nick is doing the best he can with a capella arrangements and hymns. He usually plays guitar during class, too. So far the girls seem to be having a blast.

Friday was a very important day for the Kindergarten class here at Rafiki. It was their 100th day of Kindergarten! There was a big party to celebrate, complete with ice cream sundaes, popcorn, music, party hats and party favors. Rebecca and Sandy Lu assisted the Kindergarten teacher because there was so much extra work to be done for the party. This was also an important day for Rebecca because it was her last day of observing Kindergarten before taking over as the Kindergarten teacher next week! Madam Susan, the regular teacher, has gone to the United States for a 4 week break. Rebecca will be the substitute teacher for the next week, until Rafiki's 3 week vacation starts. Rebecca is thrilled to have this opportunity. The kids are so precious and so smart. Check out the adorable pictures taken at their "100 Days of Kindergarten party."

100 Days of Kindergarten Party!

Bright enjoying his ice cream

Eves and her ice cream

The class getting ready to go home for the day.

On Saturday we took a trip with Paul (ROS) and Andy to the "Typha Market," the fabric and clothing market in Mzuzu. Nick, Rebecca and Paul bought some wonderful African fabric and went to the tailor shop to have traditional Malawian garments made. The prices were unbelievable - about $15 for 10 meters of fabric, about $12 for Rebecca's outfit, and about $3.50 for Nick's. We will model those for you online once we pick them up!

The tailor and his sewing machine. Note the foot pedal!

This afternoon Sandy Lu, Fred and Andy (mini-missionaries) and Susan (ROS) went to the airport to return to the United States. After church it was pretty quiet around here. We decided it would be a good time to take a little adventure - we went into the city of Mzuzu - by foot! Most locals walk hours a day to get to and from work or the market, etc. As we've said before, most people do not have cars, so to get to work, school, the market, and church, everyone has to either walk or take a bike. There are many employees of Rafiki who walk an hour each way to work, and some who walk two hours. Anyway, we wanted to experience what that must be like for the Malawians, and we thought it would give us a chance to see the Malawian people outside of the gate up close and personal. The walk down the M1 highway to Mzuzu was about an hour. This highway is so funny because cars and trucks go down it about once every two or three minutes, but the shoulder of the road is always packed with pedestrians and bikers. We were greeted by numerous children who either laughed at the mazungas, ran home screaming "mazunga!" or followed us for a time, very interested. We also saw some of the Malawians who work in Rafiki, including Connie and her children Mercy and Praise. (See picture below.) We greeted many people on the road in Chitumbuka, and as always, they were very warm and friendly, usually laughing at our attempt at their language.

Connie and Baby Praise. BTW - Connie delivered her own baby in her hut and cut the cord herself by the light of a cell phone.

Once we got to town we slowly perused the "old market," which now only seems to have second hand clothes from the Unites States for sale. We walked down the road to the "new market" and walked around for about half an hour. We bought some tomatoes, onions, garlic, and a nice straw basket. Rebecca also bought a tin cooking pan that is so typical of Malawi. It is nothing more than sheet tin pressed into a round pan shape, but most people living in huts cook in these, or carry produce to and from places. We have plans for an Anniversary cake to go in this pan! :-)

Hand made tools for sale at the market. Up close, you can see that these tools are made from old pipes and bolts, along with other scraps of metal and wood.

The basket vendor

We then walked to the grocery store and bought a couple of sodas (in glass bottles, of course), a couple of candy bars, and 4 bananas. We started to walk home, but quickly got very tired. We stopped for about 10 minutes to watch a kids "football" game. (soccer) When we started to get back on the road, we were followed by a Malawian man who wanted to "be our friend." Unfortunately, as kind and warm as the Malawians are, you have to be skeptical of this sort of behavior. Malawians are so incredibly poor, and when they see a "mazunga," especially an American, they assume that we are extremely rich, and they see it as an opportunity to get some money. Indeed, after about 15 minutes of getting to know our new friend, he started to hint about his poverty and his lack of money for school fees. He asked for our phone number (which we did not give,) and he eventually left. As it began to get dark and we picked up the pace, we were met by another man who had similar motives. He actually lives in a house right outside of the Rafiki gate, so we walked the rest of the way home with him. He too wanted our phone number, and offered to give us a chicken. (a very high honor.) You have to feel sorry for these men, who seemed to have such loving hearts - but desperate needs call for desperate measures. We do not believe that simply giving these people money is a help. We choose to minister to them by being friendly, and supporting as many local people as we can by buying lots of hand made goods and produce. You just can't do everything.

A coke and new hand made basket. 450 "Kwatcha," about $3.20, for the basket, and 35 kwatcha for the coke - $.25.

football!

Tomorrow starts another week. Nick will be on his own for the primary school music classes, as Rebecca will be tied up in Kindergarten all morning. He will be teaching the secondary girls in the afternoons, as well as continuing the "gazebo music time." It is going to be a busy week for us. Please pray that God will give us creative energy for the week, and that we can continue to be His hands and feet in this village, for the workers, Mamas, and Aunties, as well as the children.

We love you all, and we really appreciate the encouraging comments and prayers you have been sending our way. Praise the Lord for the work He has done in Africa, and for allowing us to be a tiny part of His huge plan for these children. It is amazing to think that He has knit them in their mothers womb, and counted the hairs on their heads, just like other children. He has a loving plan to prosper and grow them, and we get to walk along side of them for a short time. God is awesome, and He can move mountains!

In Christ,

Nick and Rebecca

P.S. We thought you'd enjoy Nick's attempt to carry the laundry on his head, as the Mamas and kids do...

10 things about Malawi we have found intersting... and 10 pictures

1. The dirt here is red. It is not brown or gray, or even orangish, it is red. Do not confuse this with red clay... although similar in color, the consistency is that of dirt we are used to at home. This red color seems to get on the bottom of every sock and shoe, and it is all over the kids' clothes. The laundry workers hand rinse each item of clothing before putting it through the washer, just to get the red out.

2. Bananas are used here in food exactly as potatoes are used in food at home. For example, vegetable stew for dinner this week consisted of tomato, cabbage, green beans, and banana chunks that resembled potato in appearance and taste. (well, close enough.) The bananas are sometimes picked green so that they will be more starchy and less sweet. Last week we enjoyed scrambled eggs with banana instead of potato, and french fries made of bananas. YUM!

3. Paper products are not really used here. Toilet paper is imported from South Africa for the Mzuzu grocery store, but tissues can only be bought in the capital city of Lilongwe. Napkins in the dining hall are cloth, and the bathrooms at school have cloth towels instead of paper. People here are generally too poor to buy something that they will blow their nose on and throw away.

4. One of the favorite snacks here is sugar cane. You will see people carrying around big chunks of it. They rip some of the inside off and chew it in their mouths, extracting the sugary water. They spit out the bark from which the sugar flavor came, and take another bite. The paths here where the workers walk are often sprinkled with sugar cane innards. I once saw a very little baby (under a year old) chewing on a stick of sugar cane.

5. A popular form of public transportation here are bicycle taxis. Behind the "driver's seat" there is a large cushion. You will see men driving these bikes with a lady sitting sideways on this seat. (This, by the way, is considered very romantic.) We have yet to ride this form of taxi. :-)

6. Power outages here are random, relatively often, and normal. Sometimes the power will just go our for no apparent reason - maybe for maintenance, maybe something malfunctioned. People are never surprised or concerned, and within a few hours it randomly comes on again. I should also mention that the power is usually (but not always) shut off for maintenance on Sundays. So much for Sunday morning coffee!

Our little peanuts:

7. Here, peanuts are known as "ground nuts." This refers to the fact that they grow in the ground - they are not ground up. It took about a week for us to figure this one out. Strangely enough, however, peanut butter is still called peanut butter.

8. The preferred way to carry a baby is on your back. The baby is strapped to the back with a piece of cloth called a "chitenji." This piece of cloth is just a big, rectangular cloth. A chitenji can also be a skirt, a head wrap, or a shawl.

9. Although an estimated 30% of all Malawians are HIV positive or infected with AIDS, it is incredibly taboo to speak about the disease. If someone dies of AIDS, you will never know it. The cause of death is usually publicly stated as the flu, or simple never stated at all - and people don't usually ask.

10. The preferred way to carry a large load is on the head. (If the load is incredibly large, say, like a new arm chair or kitchen table, this will go on the back of a bike - yes, we've seen it!) Some women will carry huge loads of wood on their heads. We once saw a woman carrying some 25 tin watering cans on her head. Most of the time these loads are carried without the assistance of hands, but sometimes you will see someone reaching up with one hand, or more rarely two.

In Christ,

Nick and Rebecca

BONUS FACT: The national dish of Malawi is "Nsima," pronounced like "seem-ah." It is the staple food of Malawi, much like bread or pasta in other cultures. Nsima is a stiff porridge made from corn flour called "ufa" (oof-ah). The Nsima is rolled into balls and dipped into various relishes, usually beans or stewed rape leaves, and very rarely meat. Stanley is extremly excited to be eating Nsima, as most children are when its on the menu.

Tumbuka Lesson: Nkhute mwa nsima! --> I love Nsima!