See you all soon!

August 15, 2011


This might be the last entry I make as my trip is winding down…today is the second to last day here in Blantyre. Today is Monday, and I leave Wed. afternoon…so I will wind down my thoughts for this trip.

An observation that I have made on this trip was while Mathew and I were in the village, we were having lunch with his family. Several times during the meal, different people asked the young children to fetch more of something or to clear some dishes away. When I say young children, I am talking 4 or 5 years old. And they did as they were asked without a second thought. There seems to be a much stronger order and respect for elders than we experience in the U.S. In addition, the way the women carry their babies on their back and very close to them always, I think creates a much stronger bond…that closeness can’t help but increase the bond and trust between mother and child.

A last note that I have jotted down was from my meeting with Norma and Fortune, the two girls who received the scholarships. We met a couple of times and I asked them if they would have any interest in corresponding with college students in the U.S. or if any of their friends might want to. A couple of days passed and when we got together again they said that the response they received from the others was that they didn’t have time to write letters and would rather use facebook or twitter. I had supplied them with addressed envelopes and stamps. I was a little disappointed and surprised, but I realized that it makes sense, who doesn’t like technology and instant connection? So I asked if they wanted to see if they would be interested in passing that information along, maybe we could follow up some time in the future.
So, I think I will wrap this up, because I have written just about all the thoughts that I have right now. I have several days left before I return home, 1 more here and then essentially 30 hours of travelling over the 2 days after that.

The last thing I want to say is a huge Thank you to all who have taken the time to write to me and help me stay connected through this time. Some of you have also shared that you have read my blog, which was encouraging and helped me continue writing, thank you. I will see you all back on the other side of the pond!