5 Things

Taking a cue from one of my favorite fashion/lifestyle bloggers, I'm
going to structure my posts in a format called 'Five Things.' Each
post will contain a combination of 5 things that Stevie and I would
like to reflect on or tell you a little bit more about. That way
Stevie can provide the play-by-play, and I'll be more of the color
commentary :)

Five Things: The Start of A Journey

1. Time only matters to people who wear watches.

Before we left, we were told by several people that the concept of
time in Malawi was different. We understood what they meant to a
degree (mostly from trips to the South!), but had no idea how much
patience would be required. For example, we  had to take a bus from
Lilongwe to Mzuzu yesterday, and were told that it was a 5 hour trip.
We were instructed to get to the bus station 'early,' so we arrived at
6:40am (quite impressive in itself!). We were the first 2 people on
the bus and sat for 2 hours before the bus even left.... and then the
ride took 7 hours instead of 5. People got on and off at multiple
different stops, probably for bathroom breaks, but Stevie and I were
way too nervous that the bus would leave without us so we sat for 9
hours straight... I know that will make my Dad proud, since we were
taught to 'hold it' on road trips! :)

2. Clean vs. Dirty: it's all relative.

A hot shower can go a long way. But then again, when no one else has
showered in a long time, a quick jump in the pool is better than
nothing!

3. 'Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry'

Stevie and I had the opportunity to attend church this morning with
the people of Ekwendeni. We sat very near the front, and were called
forward to introduce ourselves to the congregation. The mass was
beautiful - 4 or 5 different children's choirs performed, and the
homily focused on God's calling of His people. Up until today I had
thought of this trip as more of an 'adventure', but now am already
starting to see that it will likely be a period of great spiritual
growth as well.  Malawians are very thankful for all that they have,
and though they do not have much money, they value family and
friendship very highly. The people of the parish were incredibly
friendly, and we were invited for coffee at one of the church elder's
homes after mass. Starting our stay in Ekwendeni with mass was
definitely a great way to feel like part of the community. On a side
note, we also learned an important lesson: bring 1 church-appropriate
outfit on any trip... Crocs, flip flops, and old tee shirts do not
count!

4. Americans should really learn to 'use their heads' more.

The people of Malawi can carry ANYTHING ON their heads. Not just fruit
baskets or pottery.... yesterday we saw a woman walking with a
full-sized suitcase balanced atop her head. Coming from the medical
student perspective, we're clearly worried about cervical spine damage
and other injuries, but it's seriously impressive.

5. 'Long Walk Part of Gift'

I remember my Mom using this 'Old Indian Guide' expression to remind
us kids that sometimes the gift isn't just the present itself, but
also the work and time that's put into creating the gift. The
expression popped into my head yesterday as we were finishing up our
72 hour journey from Columbus to Ekwendeni. Our global health
experience did not start when we arrived in Ekwendeni - it started the
second we left America!