HALF WAY TRHOUGH!!

So...I have been riding for 4 days now and have riden 219 miles...at this rate I would have a total of about 438 miles...out of 500.  I have fallen behind in my blog due to lack of access to internet, so don't kmow if I will be able to accurately document my travels. 

The ride from Kittery to Freeport was a long one, 69 miles, but I rode it in about 5 hours and 40 minutes.  It was a mostly flat ride and not very scenic, actually.  I was so happy to be riding that day because it had looked like it would be raining for a lot of the day, and I made it without much rain at all!

So, I have realized that the internet is not cooperating again, still, at this location...photos take a very long time to upload, so I may not add as many as I would like at this time.  The above photo is our first night's campground in Freeport.  Very comfortable and wooded...next to the lake.  There was a lot of wildlife around there; the campground was connected to a Farm that had lambs...I think different than sheep?  There was a section of it that had community gardens...which was cool.  At our tent site there was a chipmunk that ran around the picnic table and on it and he was very cute.  Stephen saw a bird of some kind down by the water and he startled it when he came upon it.  We were sitting on the rocks looking at the water and out in the distance I saw something come to the surface...it was a seal!!  The fish were jumping like crazy and we even saw one that was swimming along the surface of the water...kind of like a shark; we could see his tail fin and dorsal fins sticking out of the water as it swam.

 

I did not sleep very well that night; it was due to a combination of things.  I was excited that I rode to far on the first day, anxious about what the next day would hold and slightly uncomfortable sleeping in the tent.  I realized by the next night that it was helpful for me to close the flap on the 'door' so that my face wasn't right next to the outdoors and the dirt and whatever lurks out there.  Yes, I am a little bit of a sissy while camping...but I did it!  I did not sleep great that night but we were awake relatively early and on the rode about 7:15! 

We headed for Camden, where we had another speaking event, and decided that I would ride as far as I could by noon, then we would have to stop and check in at the next site and get ready and get to the library.  I rode 55 miles out of 67 that day...I was a little disappointed in that.  One thing was that there were more hills that day, plus my chain and gears did not seem to be shifting great, so I did not use the lower gears so I really had to push myself getting up some of those hills!  The scenery was much more appealing, thankfully, and we were not on as many main roads.  Stephen was getting a little excited because he was seeing more wildlife...he saw some deer in the field and some turkeys in another field!  We are still waiting for the Big Moose!!!

I rode across this really scary bridge...I think I posted it on facebook but it was like the singing bridge back home...it was kind of long and really bumpy...grated!  So we both took pictures of it; Stephen took one of me taking a picture of it.  Stephen has taken a couple of pictures of me riding up hills toward the car!  So...Stephen and I were just talking and trying to remember what day was what!!  We have all these fabulous pictures and cannot remember what we saw on which day!!!  The pictures above were taken on the second day of riding...from Freeport to Camden...

So, I have spent about 2 hours now...adding these pictures and typing these very few paragraphs, and Blogger keeps freezing, so I must stop for now!  If anyone has any suggestions for using Blogger, I would love to hear them...I would love to be able to update this more and share more via the Blog...I will now try Facebook and see if that works any better!  

Kittery to Freeport, Day 1

So, we have very limited access to internet, so it took all my time to load these pics (plus I posted some on fb).  I was surprised that the rain slowed way down about 8:30 this morning, and I decided to take a chance to ride the planned route.  I rode 69 miles between Kittery and Freeport and including stops did it all in 5 hours and 45 minutes including Snickers Stops!  Not a bad first day!  We have a long day ahead for tomorrow, 77 miles from here to Camden.  Hopefully we will have better access to internet and can write and post more!  Thanks for the support and for following!  Zikomo!

I WILL ride today!!!

So, Stephen and I have been watching the weather for the last few days, but closely for the last couple of hours this morning.  Had the weather been nicer, I would already be on my bike...but the hurricane remnants are hitting us now, and it's a bit too wet I think to ride.

However, after looking at maps, watching news and praying hard, I think I will be on my bike in the next few hours!  Outside the window here now it looks do-able...really light rain...but they are calling for it to slow down by later today and clear by late afternoon.

We have a reservation at a campground in Freeport...it's about 70 miles from here.  I figure if I ride half of that, then I will only have a little bit to 'make up' to reach my numbers!

Last night we were greeted at the Rice Public Library by a group of elementary school students from the Shapleigh School here in Kittery.  They had done fundraising for another person who was doing work in Malawi, but they lost touch with that person, and then saw the article in the paper that we would be speaking at the Kittery Library and that I was going to be riding to fundraise for Malawi! 

The children came to the library and we all talked about Malawi a bit and their 'Make a Difference' club and I honestly don't know who was more impressed with whom...(is that correct grammar?) They were 5 5th grade girls who one day, while hanging out in their bedroom, were kind of bored and started talking about something they could do. This is what they came up with, the 'Make a Difference' Club at school. They met every week for about an hour or so and talked about how they could make a difference and what they would do, and then they implemented their plans. They held bake sales, made jewelry to sell and held a change-a-thon (where each classroom collected change). They raised the money and then were unable to donate it to the cause they had chosen, Malawi, so donated some to other local agencies with various needs. They held onto some of it and then saw our story.

We had a fun hour and a half together and talked about the possibility of them participating in a pen pal exchange this year!  We were all very excited about this.  Betty (above left) was very outgoing and outspoken and seems to have a strong spirit of initiative within her and the ability to lead others; she was instrumental in beginning this club.

One of the moms suggested we have a picture of them donating the check...this was the result.  It looks like we are playing tug of war, but...well, it had intended to be showing extreme excitement over the gesture of the donation.  We had fun!

Today holds another significance I realized when we were eating breakfast.  5 years ago today, I was in Malawi for the first time.  We left JFK on Sept. 3, 2007 and arrived and stayed overnight in Johnnesburg, and then the next day flew to Malawi, which I think was the 5th! 

I WILL RIDE TODAY!

More later tonight with updates about the day's events....oh, and did you notice the fundraising thermometer???!!!  So close to my goal!!!  Whoo Hoo...I gotta ride with all that support behind me!

ZIKOMO!

GOING TO KITTERY!

So, this is my bike with a bunch of stuff surrounding it!  Stephen and I have been packing for the last couple of days and here it is Tuesday morning and we are ready to go...I think!

I have been watching the weather and it is looking like riding tomorrow may be very difficult!  I may not get to ride due to the remains from the hurricane...they are calling for 80-90% chance of rain with 1-2 inches of rainfall...I did buy some rain gear, but don't know how safe it will be!  So stay tuned!

On a really, really positive note, I am so very close to my $3,000 goal I cannot believe it!  I will be putting out my final pleas for donations so that I do reach that goal.  For those who might read this who did donate, yet another Thank you to you...which does not even come close to the gratitude I feel for those donations...but I appreciate each and every one!

This afternoon Stephen and I will be speaking at the Kittery Library and have received an email from a woman whose child attends an elementary school up there.  Their school started a service club, and they are planning on meeting us at the library and they want to donate money to Karen's ride!  I was so thrilled (again, beyond words) to hear that news from them....it seemed to come from out of the blue!  But, these are the kinds of things I have experienced since beginning Educate Malawi.  We have met so many wonderful people and have encountered such generosity from people wanting to help us and Malawi.  It inspires me to keep going and doing what we are doing.

Well, time to eat some breakfast and get this day moving!  More to come...probably even later today after we speak at the library!

Zikomo!

Karen

Malawi journal cont'd....

September 2007....

Within our first 48 hours in Malawi, Shannon said she wanted to go home...she said she hadn't really wanted to go but felt like I made her go.  We talked and cried and we both were going through our own stuff and as I look back on it now, it was still one of the worst times of the trip. 

That very afternoon we were given the opportunity to go visit the medical clinic in the village and I was happy to be doing something!  It had been a long morning so far so I was excited to have something to take my mind off some of the difficult things.  We  were given the task of weighing patients and taking their temperatures.  It was Shannon's first time holding a baby, she realized and pretty scary for her!  There was a 'seat' we had to put the babies in to weigh them...it reminded me of the bouncy chairs that we used when the kids were small.  The difference was this was a scale, not a toy! 

Some of the babies were really good and others screamed bloody murder!  No different than here, I thought, and then learned that the mothers told the children sometimes that if they didn't behave the mzungus (us, white people) would bite them!  Mzungu really doesn't just mean white people, but in our case it kind of did.  I understand it refers really more to a class of people than color.

While we were at the clinic, we were making bags of patano - which is like tylenol - I looked out the window and I saw a monkey in a tree!  Just across the street from the clinic it was in a tree!  Not in a zoo, in its natural habitat!  It was really cool! 

We had peanut butter and banana sandwiches forlunch and for dinner Joab (one of the cooks) made us some rice and beans - like red kidney beans. He added tomatoe and onionto the beans and it was soooo good!  So tomorrow we are going to reant a kayak and go aroudn the island, at least one of them. .....

.....I really hope I can sleep tonight. It's quiet - I haven't really heard much music.  Nadine says that when it gets quiet, it means someone has died - I wonder if that's it!  We played cards, did a budget and made some trail mix for tomorrow to take with us.  I also boiled some eggs.  So, all in all the day turned out ok. "

The next day we did go out in the kayak, for 21/2 hours!!  it was a double kayak and I remember it being very difficult and a little scary!  The water was very choppy and it was windy, so we had to work against a current almost!  There was a rudder in the back (where I was) but I do not think it worked very well due to the water conditions.  Shannon and I had quite a challenge coordinating our paddle strokes as well...it was pretty ugly a couple times, let me tell you!!

After our kayak trip we spent some time in the village, meeting people and looking around at the shops and stuff.  Then there are the 'beach boys' as we came to know them...they are vendors selling various crafts and wares.

"I think I disappointed some of the vendors today - I think when you say you want to look at something, they think it means you want to buy it - I guess there is no window shopping here!  We did end up buying some fabric today that we can use to have some skirts makde and I'm going to have a bag made as well.

I have moments when I'm really happy and comfortable here and then there are moments of...just extreme sadness, it's like homesickness, adn it is almost a physical feeling.  I felt that way after Shannon and I had a tiff, it was really not a big deal - but I felt like I had no one else to talk to or anywhere to go...I didn't feel better being away from her - I felt worse!"

Here are some of the pictures that we took today while we were walking around in the village:

 

 

 

 

These pictures were taking down near 'Otter Point', which is at one end of the village.  There is National Park there, hence the pictures we took in front of the signs...The inside of the museum was very interesting; there were displays of various fish and water 'creatures'...I didn't take notes so cannot tell you anything about them.  And furthermore, I do not retain many details from museums anywhere, so it's not just limited to Malawi!!  The lake was beautiful and we have since learned that in addition to its beauty, it has the largest number of species in a body of fresh water.

I think that will be all for today!!  My hope is to continue on through my journey...maybe in larger portions next time, who knows...I write what I can when I feel like it and maybe someone will be interested in some of it.  I really just wanted to shared about my experiences that started my journey to Educate Malawi!!

Zikomo and Peace! 

MORE SPONSORS NEEDED TO REACH MY GOAL!

Hi all!

I have taken a little break from training, riding and writing to travel for vacation to North Carolina with my husband.  Tomorrow we head north and I plan to pick up the serious riding and training and fundraising efforts. I rode a small bit on this trip and took some pics (below left is the view at the Smokey Mountains, and right is in Waynesville, North Carolina).  We only rode a total of 23 miles while in this part of the country, but it was a beautiful scenic ride.

I feel grateful to be able to travel and spend time in other places and it helps me appreciate our country more and more!  It is absolutely beautiful here and my heart feels full of pride to be a part of this country.  We have continued our efforts for Malawi and I have confidence that the wonderful people of our country will come through for us!

Only 3 and 1/2 weeks until the Big ride starts!!  I am getting ready...stay tuned.

Video Blog 2 - AUGUST 1, 2012

Hi friends,

Before viewing my newest video, I want to say that I am enjoying talking to you (and myself) in this new form of blogging...it is quicker and easier for me and I like to think it's more personal!!  I would like to bring your attention to 2 things at this point:

1.) My current mileage for the year is 1060 miles toward  2,500  miles for the year and

2.) I am almost 1/4 of the way to my $3,000 goal for Karen's Ride!!!  Woo hoo!  Thank you all who have donated so far...Please help me reach my goal; any amount will be greatly appreciated and it all adds up!

Thank you and enjoy this segment of my blog.  Oh, and don't let the ringing phone bother you in the video, it didn't bother me! 

TIONANA!!



p.s.  Stay tuned for some exciting Educate Malawi news in the next couple of days!!  I can't wait to post it...it is really huge for us!

My first video blog!

So, on the day I reached my 1,000 miles (for the year) I am trying out a new form of 'recording' info. and my thoughts to share with you all!

My fundraising is going well so far and I am preparing for my Big Ride...

Here is my first effort at a video blog...Stephen gave a thumbs up for my 'performance'....hope you enjoy it!

JULY 16, 2012

Moni (hello)!

Well, I am plugging along,  not writing on the blog...I have realized it is exactly the same for me as a diary, or journaling...I like it, but cannot seem to make it a continual, ongoing habit.  I don't know how people do it.  I do not always feel like it, so don't write.  It is certainly not that there is nothing to say or write about, because there is sooooo much, always!!  Oh well... here we are in July and I have a new plan...every Monday morning, that will be the plan, I will post something on the blog, whether I feel like it or not!

I will start with a quick update about my ride...the last post I gave the stops, and want to add that I have reserved campsites all along the way, so I am now locked into the locations and distances!!  In addition to that, I have booked 3 speaking engagements along the way - Karen's Ride Eve, we will be speaking in Kittery, at the Rice Public Library.  On Thursday, September 6th, we will be speaking at the Camden Public Library and on Friday we will be at the North East Harbor Library, near Bar Harbor!  We are very excited about all that, and look forward to spreading the word about Malawi!!

Check out the previous blog post to this as I have added some maps showing the various day's rides.  I have also done some updating on the website, so if you haven't looked at that lately, check it out.

Today the temperatures outside will be in the mid-90's and tomorrow close to 100 degrees!  I do plan to ride tomorrow morning as early as possible to beat the heat...here you see a picture of my sad bike, all alone hanging from the ceiling!  I have recently done some work to that, and it feels like a new bike!

Educate Malawi is plugging along doing craft shows and making new connections all the time!!  We are working on some collaborations for our scholarship program and we are also eagerly awaiting the Fall to begin our pen pal program again.  We have a vision to expand both programs and it is very exciting indeed!!  Will keep you posted and update the website as soon as possible with all the information.

Tionana (goodbye) for now!!  and Zikomo (thank you) for your attention!

Karen

Karen's Ride has been scheduled!

JUNE 14, 2012

(photo taken 2011)

So, my training has been ongoing and I have begun to plan my next Big Ride!!  We have held our 4th annual bike-a-thon for Educate Malawi, Inc.!  I am preparing for my second annual Big Ride for Educate Malawi.  That is what has prompted me to write today...I have riden 637 miles this year toward my 2,500 miles for the year.  This week I have  also mapped out my ride for September!  I am very excited about it. 

I will begin riding either September 4th or 5th - I am hoping to do a speaking engagement in Portsmouth, NH on the 4th about Educate Malawi and then would start riding in Kittery, ME. the next day.  If that does not work out, I will start riding on the 4th. 

So, here is the map of the ride...Map of the Coast of Maine: 

So, from Kittery to Calais is approximately 291 miles.  I realized when I started mapping this all out, that by the time I got up there it would be really close to Canada!  Plus, we will have to drive home from wherever the end point is.  So, Calais will be the route up and we will double back until I reach the 500 mile mark.  I have identified campsites along the route and have roughly figured out the mileage per day.  It is not consistent, some long days, some shorter.  I have no doubt that it will be beautiful scenery and I hope to spend some time spreading the word about Educate Malawi! 

BREAK WAS TAKEN HERE...AND I RODE MY BIKE SOME MORE...

I have riden 658 miles this year so far and have begun riding with some men I used to work with who are crazy!!!  They ride the hills around this area, and it is a challenge for me to keep up.  However, it is fun and is helping me stay motivated and focused on the training that will be important once that time comes!

In case anyone is curious, the 8 day ride will be mapped out as follows:

1. Kittery to Freeport 

2. Freeport to Camden

3. Camden to Ellsworth

4. Ellsworth to Harrington 

5. Harrington to Calais

From here, I 'backtrack' down to Camden, which will bring me to 500 miles!!  The maps will just be a reverse of that route.

6. Calais to Harrington

7. Harrington to Ellsworth

8. Ellsworth to Camden

HOME!

I plan to post the exact routes as time goes by.  Hopefully it will not be another 2 months before I get back in here to post.  I have had thoughts of video-blogging...taking video of myself talking and saying what I would want to write, but taking the fraction of the time to do it - genious, right?  But...am a little self-conscious of putting my face on here like that, so I will try to 'write' again sooner than later.

April 16, 2012

Slowly this year I have begun to get my miles in. It certaily has been plenty warm for riding these past few months, but somehow I was unable to take advantage of all that to start clocking my miles!
Well, It's April and the pressure is on...I have found a decent route that is short enough that I can do several times a week to fit in between other responsibilities, while still challenging. There are several hills that are a decent workout and it is beautiful terrain that keeps me interested and willing to ride there! We used to ride up Rt. 5...which had some scenic areas, but it was basically flat, so not that challenging, and did get somewhat boring.
So, with that said, I am on my mission! Stephen and I will be riding today...the day of record-breaking temps...it is supposed to be close to 90 degrees today!!! Yikes! We hope to ride before it hits those temps.

I will try to get some photos posted here soon of the beautiful area we are riding in...Up to 172.16 before today's ride. Can't wait to add to my thermometer and get it moving!!

2,328 miles to go!

Karen

September 5, 2007

We left Johannesburg the next morning on a flight to Malawi....it was a short flight compared to the last leg of the journey and our excitement was growing!!

We arrived at our final destination, Cape Maclear, around 7:00 p.m. Another long day of travel. A note from my jounal:

"We discovered that our electric charge adapter fits in the outlet here. We exchanged 2 hundred dollars, went grocery shopping, got some food for the ride, stopped at market for produce andmade our way here. It took us between 4 and 5 hours from the time we lwft the airport, till we got here - it was another very long day! The roads weere bumpy, paved a lot of the way, but 2 lanes, people walking or bike riding on both sides of the road, so it was a pretty tight fit with 2 cars going by!"

This is where we slept and some of what our room looked like. This pole was 'the closet'...as it turned out, there were worms or bugs of some sort in them, and before the end of our stay, Shannon's clothes, mostly, had little tine holes in them from the bugs! We discovered this before we left and we were able to get another pole for the closet.

As I recall, that first night's sleep was good...it felt surreal to be falling asleep here and thinking that this would be where I would be sleeping for the next 3 months. We slept under mosquito nets every night which took some getting used to...a lot, actually, for me. I sort of felt clautrophobic, and I am not really prone to that feeling, but somehow I had a slight fear that I wouldn't be able to breathe. There were even a couple times I woke up in the night and a mosquito was inside the net; that is an unsettling feeling! Plus, there was no way I could go back to sleep unless I knew for sure it was gone or dead...I would get bitten for sure if it stayed inside the net. The other thing I found that happened for me was that my feet became very dry there. We were barefoot (with flip flops) most of the time; and it was hot and sandy, and my heals cracked and were very scratchy. Well, they 'caught' on the netting and I had to wear socks at night so my feet wouldn't stick to the net! It all worked out in the end...

Another quote from my journal: "We fell asleep listening to singing from the bar down the beach. Oh! I probably should describe the quarters. Shannon and I share a room-2 double beds, some wooden shelving alon 1 wall, and some bamboo poles that hang from the ceiling that Shannon used to hang her clothes over. I woke up a couple times and looked at my watch - it seemed to go back and forth in time - it seemed to be 1:00 and then 12:00 later. there were some different sounds - singing. It sounded like someone laughing at about 12:00. We took showers in the morning - they were cold. The water here is heated by a solar panel, so the water isn't warm until the afternoon. It was a quick shower but we were hot so though it was cold it felt good. We had yougurt for breakfast and an orange."

That first 24 hours was long and filled with so much anxiety for me. I could hardly speak without breaking into tears. The tears were a combination of fear, insecurity and excitement. I was overwhelmed at what we were doing and could hardly grasp the enormity of the experience. For me, this was not just an activity; it was truly life changing...and I felt that as soon as we landed in Africa.

Thursday, September 6, 2007

"We did take a nap before lunch and another one just now (4:30 p.m.)! Lunch was communal and Joab cooked for everyone. He made chicken, potatoes, coleslaw and quiche. It was very good - and looked very nice on the plate. We ended up back at our room again after lunch; Shannon was feeling very sad and homesick - she said she wished she hand't come. No, I'm not sure those were her words. But she said she didn't want to stay for 3 months. I, then, started feeling very bad and sad. I felt builty because I "made" her come even though that is not true."

That was how our first 24 hours went...trying to settle down and understand our feelings and deal with the enormous task we had taken on.

"The water here (Lake Malawi) is absolutely beautiful - and there are waves, that we can hear at night! I'm beginning to "get" how long 3 months will really be for us - but also, it will change when we're busy doing a 'job' and stuff. We are just getting the hang of the money. Also, we are talking about some R&R things we can do - I'm just still hoping it all works out with the money and stuff!"

Malawi Information

A quick posting...I wanted to just jot some basic information and statistics about Malawi, then I will continue with my personal blog.

This information came from a variety of sources; one of which is the CIA website. Also, it may be slightly outdated at this point...but it was accurate at the time we first traveled there.

* Malawi is landlocked below Tanzania, next to Zambia and Mozambique.

* It is slightly smaller than Pennsylvania with a population of approximately 14 million people; Pennsylvania has approximately 13)* On July 6, 1964 Malawi gained independence from British rule and was named Nyasaland (Nyasa means lake) its name was later changed to Malawi.* Lake Malawi is approximately the size of Vermont, takes up 1/3 of the country and is th 9th larges lake in the world.

* 1 in 5 children in Malawi dies before their 5th birthday
* 49% of children are malnourished

* 40% of deaths of 2 year olds are malaria related

* Malawi is the 7th poorest country in the world. For human development it is ranked by the United Nations at 151 out of 162 countries.

* Over 14% of the Malawi population is living with HIV/AIDS

* 55% of the population lives below the poverty line. Life expectancy is 52 years old, which is an increase from the previous life ecpenctancy of 36 years.

* Over 1 million children in Malawi are without a parent, home or education and most are orphans due to an AIDS related death of their parents.

* The literacy rate is 58% total: 72.8% male and 43.4% female.

This is just some of the information that we learned about the country after our first visit. This last one, in addition to our experience visiting the schools, was what set our mission in motion.

Malawi 2007 Cont'd.

This was the morning and afternoon of September 3, 2007. Shannon was saying good-bye to one of our dogs at the house. The picture of me is at JFK airport; we bought some Toberlone for the flight...we made them last for quite a while and even gave some to a security guard at the South Africa airport!

Reading back through my entries from my journal made me smile. I wrote at 9:54 p.m. that we had been flying for about 4 hours and had 13 hours to go! We had had dinner by this time which I thought was very delicious. Between 1:12 a.m. and 5:12 a.m. I wrote:

"Well we have lost our first 4 hours during travel. We are landing in Dakar, Senegal before going to Johannesburg. I slept for a very little bit -very hard for me to get comfortable in these seats - my back hurt a lot!! I'm thinking in would be niceto have breakfast now. Some people had a second dinner only half an hour ago!...."

As it turned out, I did not sleep except for about those 20 minutes in 20 hours of flying. In re-reading my journal entries, it was rather limited in detail, really. Shannon was sick for a lot of that first leg of our journey. The first time I was almost asleep she woke up crying and saying she was going to be sick. She said she had been dreaming about her boyfriend and woke up feeling very sick...so I think from then on it was hard for me to completely relax and sleep. Plus, sleeping in a sitting position on a plane is very difficult (for me). There were people who were snoring...maybe they were the people who drank all the wine that was being offered...I should have paid attention!

We stayed overnight in Johannesburg at a hostle that Shannon had stayed at in 2005, Shoestrings, and I slept so great!!

We were very excited and feeling pretty good so far about accomplishing this first leg of our journey! I have traveled to Malawi 4 times as I sit and write this, and I feel that the flying there is as much a challenge as any part of the trip! I wrote the morning before we departed Johannesburg:

"I keep thinking about all the people at home who put so much faith and encouragement in us - I'm feeling like it's pressure...I need to keep my faith in order to combat that! Fear and anxiety will not serve me at all while I'm here. Shannon seems to be feeling better than yesterday".

We boarded the plane in Johannesburg on our way to Blantyre, Malawi on September 5...excited and nervous to land and be in the country of our destination, we excitedly boarded.

I will close this post with a small note for the continuation of these entries. It may sound 'funny' or unusual, but the remainder of the posts will be strictly about our experiences and feelings of being on this journey. We were doing volunteer work but the organization we were working with have asked us not to talk about them in any of our Educate Malawi work (which is what this blog is associated with, technically). Unfortunately, I can say no more than that. I am grateful to have had this opportunity and without it would not be doing this work that I am loving for a country I came to care about.

Peace for now!!

Karen

Happy January 2012

The new year is here and Educate Malawi is in full swing! We had a board meeting in December and have 'mapped' out our year's fundraising events. They are soon to be posted on the website and also in a newsletter...we have some great events and look forward a successful fundraising year. Our project is really, really nearing completion. There were some issues with the cement that we had sent funds for, and the classroom floors needed to be re-done. This was a bit disappointing but the last we heard things are back on track and we have one of the classrooms left to complete before we can say we are entirely done with construction. We have not raised funds for desks, etc. at this point, but our initial goal will be met which was to secure a place out of the elements for students to remain indoors during the rainy season! Hoorah!


***********************************************************************************

I have been looking back at some old emails about the first trip made to Malawi...that's a little ahead of where I left off in my last blog - 2 months ago!! That is not how I see this year going; my hope is to update more frequently on the blog to keep folks posted, etc.

Shannon and I planned our trip to be for the Fall of 2007, that was when she would be completin high school and she decided she would forego college for the first semester to go back to Malawi! I requested a leave of absence from my job at the prison, and was granted it, and we began fundraising. Our trip was 2 years away and we decided we would need to raise about $10,000, maybe more, in order to cover travel costs, living expenses while in Malawi, and bills that were not put on hold at home. We held fundraisers, set up a special account to save our money, and we did a weekly Sunday newspaper route together for 10 months! Without knowing it, that paper route was a good indication of our time together; I wish now I had paid a little closer attention so I could have been better prepared! (more on that later)

We received some support from local businesses and organizations including the Rotary Club and a local Episcopal Church. We felt blessed to have the support of people who we did not know and who did not know us. Those 2 years were a little bit of a blur, and events unfolded continuously that let me know we were on the 'right' path. Our decision to travel to Malawi and volunteer was what we were 'meant' to do. We also received support from family and friends and our goal was realized in September 2007!
I have saved some of my emails from that first week of our journey and it took me a long time to be able to look back at them...again, I am getting ahead of myself and my story, but I am better able now to read them. There were a lot of emotions we went through and it was a challenging time for both Shannon and I, for our own reasons. I can best speak about mine, obviously, and will. In my next post!

Peace to you all for now!

Karen