The Whirlwind Continues...

village
Originally uploaded by yo_paully.

We have been combining our construction efforts with an intense emotional and personal view behind the scenes here in Malawi. Our hosts JR & Ivy Andrews have made a near superhuman effort to ensure that we have had a first hand look at all of the aspects of life here in Malawi - truly the good, the bad and the ugly. However, as a team, we would agree that there is way more good than we ever imagined. The people here may not have much money, but they are creative, committed to their families and simply want to live a better life. Malawi is called "Warm Heart of Africa" and it really is. We receive countless waves and smiles everywhere we go.

This trip is a little bit like starting to build Noah's Ark, the Village of Hope is being designed, built, equipped and staffed as if it will be here for the the long haul. This place is going to have an awesome impact on generations to come.

Today we visited a village called Lagooni (not sure of the spelling). It was as close to middle class as it gets in Malawi. By Canadian standards, it would still be considered very poor, but was more modern than most of the remote villages that we've seen. This village had stores, bars, clubs and had more of a "Big City" kind of feel, as far as villages go. That said, village has a higher average rate of AIDS than most of the others that we've visited.

The home is almost complete, and as a team we are really excited about our last day, and a little bit sad that our journey is almost over. Tomorrow we will be having lunch at the house with the workers. We will be having Nseema with relish, which is the most common meal in Malawi. Nseema is made from maize (crushed corn) made into a thick paste style of dish, almost a Malawian version of grits. Relish is a vegetable mixture usually consisting of tomatoes and whatever other vegetables are available, sometimes fish is used. The meal is eaten with your hands - no utensils or dishes are used.

We've taken tons of pictures - it's been a wild ride and we've learned sooooo much and we're anxious to share it our friends and families.