Well, here we are - going from strength to strength by the day thank you Lord! All is going well. We've been fortunate to have been staying with a wonderful family about ten minutes from our house for a few days - it's been so great to sit down and be part of a big family and round a table with 7 other people each night, and it has certainly helped us settle into the Malawian life much quicker.
Helen has been able to pop out with the mother of the family (Anne) and get into the markets, hunting for good deals on all the essentials. We had a bit of an unsuccessful shopping trip on Monday, paying crazily over-inflated prices for food. We realised (after a little currency calculating) that two sweet potatoes and one pepper had cost us about £4.25...eeeshk! So, we've learned that the best way to do it is to go with someone to the market, or even better delegate that duty to whoever will be working with us in the house, to get a much better deal.
I'm finding the whole culture fascinating to be honest. The market and town centre are so busy that it is hard to drive through at times, and the people are always walking somewhere! Mainly on the road too! It's wonderful to see people taking so much initiative too - I guess that it is necessary as there isn't much (if anything) of a government hand out here, so people have a work ethic and for the most part are willing to do something to put food on the table! It's great to see, and I think lots of people back home could learn SO much from that - there isn't any 'sit back and live off the dole' here.
With that, we are looking to employ someone in the house part time, which is such an alien concept to me in some regards, but the wonderful thing is that not only will they be able to assist Helen and make her time here much more pleasant (knowing what to buy and where to buy it is a key thing!) but it also gives someone the opportunity of employment. We'll take the next few weeks and get that sorted so that we have the right person for the whole Lawson household!
I managed to pop into school yesterday and it was such a delight to walk round. The grounds and buildings have such a charm about them, and there is just such a wonderful atmosphere there. Mr. Morse (the headteacher) has been a massive blessing thus far, and is a really top gentleman, so I'm really looking forward to getting started and working alongside and for him. He has two young daughters, both born here, and lives with his Scottish wife on the school grounds. I'll be in tomorrow to get the classroom organised, and then start work on Monday to get prepared for the start of term in a fortnight.
Thankfully we haven't had many more spider incidents, although I think I will just need to suck it up and get used to it. We have a (very dead) spider the size of my hand hanging from the eves of the house, and so the less I see of them (alive) the better hehe i'll be having a word with God upon my arrival in heaven regarding the need for such a beast - I'm sure there is a reason for them but at the moment it just escapes me! Short of saddling it and using it instead of the truck I'm at a loss!
Helen is doing well - like me she is much better for the support of the McGraths and Iain and Ruth - community makes the difference, and we really feel part of one here already. We're with the McGraths until tomorrow morning, and then we are out for dinner at Chad and Tracey Morse's so it's another opportunity to build relationship and become further planted.
All good! (plus the truck is awesome ...)
Thursday, 18 August 2011
Tuesday, 16 August 2011
Settling in to Africa
Well, we're a few days into our African adventure and it's been very much that! We arrived safely and all our baggage was intact and present (my guitar included - thank you Lord!). We were met at the airport by brother and sister Iain and Ruth, and it was so so good to see them. They then took us from Chileka airport into Blantyre, giving us a chance to admire the local people's ingenuity and creativity with what they have (stalls by the side of the road and all kinds of creatively constructed shops selling a variety of things.
We received a wonderfully warm welcome at the McGraths (friends of Helen and the Gatwards from 2000) and then we set off in our new truck (Mac) to our new house. First impressions of the house were hard to describe to be honest - it has HUGE potential, and with work and help it will be home. It's part of a compound with 24 hour security (good old Henry, Samson and a few other gentlemen), and has a really lovely front courtyard and a huge back Khondi (like a veranda) looking our over a massive garden. The outside space at the back needs a lot of work but once we find someone to take it on it will be a really great space for entertaining and for Eilidh to roam free!
As for the internals of the house, you walk through the front door and can turn left to enter the L-shaped lounge or right to go up the wide staircase or into the compact kitchen. Both long walls in the living room are almost all glass, and therefore all bars too - so we're in the process of getting lots of curtains fitted (courtesy of the school) and we'll need to be creative to make it more homely. Upstairs comprises of two bedrooms of decent size, a bathroom with bath and shower, and a separate toilet.
As i said, it will become home in a few months once we've had a chance to source the people who are skilled and reliable. It seems to be the way here that you make long term plans for a short term project due to the rather relaxed Malawian approach to deadlines, but it'll all come together!
Everything else is coming together - I'll post more about the spider adventures and our hilarious trip to Shoprite... but for now I'll sign off to say that WE'RE ALIVE hehe and we're all well. MOST importantly, Eilidh is doing great and loving our new lifestyle.
Lots of love to all!!
We received a wonderfully warm welcome at the McGraths (friends of Helen and the Gatwards from 2000) and then we set off in our new truck (Mac) to our new house. First impressions of the house were hard to describe to be honest - it has HUGE potential, and with work and help it will be home. It's part of a compound with 24 hour security (good old Henry, Samson and a few other gentlemen), and has a really lovely front courtyard and a huge back Khondi (like a veranda) looking our over a massive garden. The outside space at the back needs a lot of work but once we find someone to take it on it will be a really great space for entertaining and for Eilidh to roam free!
As for the internals of the house, you walk through the front door and can turn left to enter the L-shaped lounge or right to go up the wide staircase or into the compact kitchen. Both long walls in the living room are almost all glass, and therefore all bars too - so we're in the process of getting lots of curtains fitted (courtesy of the school) and we'll need to be creative to make it more homely. Upstairs comprises of two bedrooms of decent size, a bathroom with bath and shower, and a separate toilet.
As i said, it will become home in a few months once we've had a chance to source the people who are skilled and reliable. It seems to be the way here that you make long term plans for a short term project due to the rather relaxed Malawian approach to deadlines, but it'll all come together!
Everything else is coming together - I'll post more about the spider adventures and our hilarious trip to Shoprite... but for now I'll sign off to say that WE'RE ALIVE hehe and we're all well. MOST importantly, Eilidh is doing great and loving our new lifestyle.
Lots of love to all!!
Wednesday, 3 August 2011
The Last Day...
Well, that's the last day at work past, what a strange feeling. I've been working at the church for over 5 years now, and it's gone in so quick in some respects. It has been an honour and a privilege to serve such a wonderful congregation, and I/we will miss so many fabulous people, some of them have become like family to us through the past few years.
And so here starts the final phase of the final phase... well, the second last phase of the final phase... We've had a lovely week at mum's in Dunblane, and we will be with my dad in Bridge of Allan until Sunday, where we will then head up to Oban after our last service serving at the church.
It will be such a special Sunday leading worship for the last time with such a wonderful team - again, they have become such a treasured part of my week, and so they will be greatly missed. It's been a place of sanctuary for me to get in amongst them and worship, and also just play and be creative, and for that I am so very thankful.
Almost there, and then we'll be on our way - time is flying and we will be soon!!
And so here starts the final phase of the final phase... well, the second last phase of the final phase... We've had a lovely week at mum's in Dunblane, and we will be with my dad in Bridge of Allan until Sunday, where we will then head up to Oban after our last service serving at the church.
It will be such a special Sunday leading worship for the last time with such a wonderful team - again, they have become such a treasured part of my week, and so they will be greatly missed. It's been a place of sanctuary for me to get in amongst them and worship, and also just play and be creative, and for that I am so very thankful.
Almost there, and then we'll be on our way - time is flying and we will be soon!!
Tuesday, 5 July 2011
And the packing continues...
Well, we're about five weeks off departure and the house is an ever-increasing combination of piles and stacks as we get each room organised. Currently, we're up in Oban for a few days to get some rest and enjoy time with Grandad and Grannie, but we will soon be returning to Stirling with a second wind for more of the same.
It's amazing how much stuff we don't have! Definitely one of the fringe benefits of moving regularly over the past five years, in that we have sifted our stuff and binned everything over the years that hasn't had a heart connection. We've managed to move on some furniture too, and raise some welcome pennies in the process, and the result is that we only have to box up the kitchen and throw some stuff from the lounge together and then hey presto - we're ready to fly!
Well, that and the small matter of organising the air freight... cue Grannie Oban! She's a dab hand at all that, so we'll let her lead the way in filling the water containers with as much jungle formula and as many pairs of new socks as possible.
Before we know it, we will be heading down the road towards Edinburgh airport with our cases in hand and a twinge of excitement :) Between now and then, it's all hands to the pump!
It's amazing how much stuff we don't have! Definitely one of the fringe benefits of moving regularly over the past five years, in that we have sifted our stuff and binned everything over the years that hasn't had a heart connection. We've managed to move on some furniture too, and raise some welcome pennies in the process, and the result is that we only have to box up the kitchen and throw some stuff from the lounge together and then hey presto - we're ready to fly!
Well, that and the small matter of organising the air freight... cue Grannie Oban! She's a dab hand at all that, so we'll let her lead the way in filling the water containers with as much jungle formula and as many pairs of new socks as possible.
Before we know it, we will be heading down the road towards Edinburgh airport with our cases in hand and a twinge of excitement :) Between now and then, it's all hands to the pump!
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