Day 21: Hope

We are home. The stop watch says 62:54:53.37. That’s how long it took from Olipa’s driveway to mine.

I woke at 3:20 this morning and lay in my bed thinking about the trip we just took.

It was pretty incredible to reflect on all these years of Africa visits but this one was special. Mostly we stayed at the houses of people who have become good friends. A lot of my friends are travelers and I've done a fair amount of it myself but it’s a different experience being in the homes of people living their lives with them as opposed to watching from afar.

We were treated so graciously by everyone. Phoebe, in Uganda, prepared the sweetest little house from us and I could tell she put careful thought into each detail to provide a restful, cozy, little refuge for us. In Kenya, Agnes welcomed us to her family’s house and introduced us to her extended family all living on the family compound. Jane, from Palissa, put us up in her daughter in laws AirBnB. Staying with Alice and Andy in Malawi was like going home as it’s been the fifth time I’ve stayed there. And once again Olipa hosted us at her home in Lilongwe, giving us an opportunity to have time with her dear children.

And people provided food for us too. Alice from Kimenyedde  remembered that I love roasted ground nuts and sent us home with a full bag. Bella had mango juice ready knowing I drink as much as she could pour. Alice from Malawi not only made spaghetti and soya balls for us but provided us with a cooking class so that we can make them here in the US and Emmanuel jumped out of the car to get us hot freshly roasted corn on the cob knowing that’s a special treat for me. Father Francis came to say goodbye and brought a meal of fish, rice, and greens and Phoebe instructed us on how to make fresh mango, passionfruit and tangerine juice to go with that meal. When people eat together there is a communion about it.

These friends extend their love and kindness to us. We are blessed. We in turn, try to help by giving menstrual kits to girls. I hope these girls stay in school. I hope they help change the world for the better. I won’t know much of the outcome although now and then we get a story about someone like Millie who went on to become a nurse or Desire who is just completing an IT degree or Patricia who has started her own fashion and design business. We hope we are helping to make the world a better place. Frank Quinn (our MCP IT guy) gave us a bag of little wooden hearts with the word HOPE on each one. As we traveled we sprinkled them on dinner tables or handed them to tailors or school girls when we remembered. It’s a good reminder that the best we can do is hope all this makes a difference. I believe it does.

f any of our friends from Uganda, Kenya or Malawi are reading this I hope you know how grateful we are to all of you and how much we love you. You are truly  part of our family. Thank you always.