I do not have a good title.

Lets see... what has happened since my last post...? Well we left off on Monday... So, Tuesday. Tuesday was a pretty average day wake up early (well less early considering the late night basketball game) and go to school. School was followed by parent conferences and a pizza night with the guys. (there was also a chop chop involved which Owen thankfully killed) Wednesday was game one of the championships so Ogles and I decided to nap that afternoon so we could stay up late and watch the game. The guys played hard but we lost. Thursday was back to school and more parent conferences and Friday was the same. Friday was the second game of the championships, another well played game but we lost putting us second. It was fun though and everyone played hard. The guys still have a few more opportunities to play before the season is completely over though.

Saturday we attempted, once again, to sleep in but our faithful friends came to sing at our windows. Clearly, by friends here I mean the men who are working to build a trench in our back yard, which is all of 5 feet from the back of our house to the wall around campus. Its okay though we've learned to just embrace them at some point one of them really did start singing and all I could do was laugh. 

Later that day some friends came over for lunch and just to hang out. I also had the opportunity to go to a wedding on Saturday for one of the girls that works at the academy. We only went for the reception, but it was fun. One of the main things they do is call up different groups of people to dance and throw money around the new couple. We arrived just as they were calling up the ABC staff, what an experience. 

After the wedding we came home and decided that ice cream was clearly in our future so we drove up the street to have ice cream and coke (no judgment please). While we were sitting around Michelle called and told us there was petrol at such-and-such a place and we should go, and so we did... only to find out that they had stopped pumping for the evening and we would could come back at 6am. Okay that was the plan. We went back home and were just sitting around when Michelle called again and send several other places where also pumping and we should go to one of them after some (much) debating we decided we should probably go. So we drove around town for a bit, but no luck. So we came home and resolved to go back out in the morning. 

Sunday... Ogles got up around... EARLY... and took some students from the college and went and managed to be car number 5 in the queue and get almost a full tank of gas! Praise the Lord!  We also had lunch with with a lovely family Sunday afternoon and then spent the rest of the day being lazy. SUNDAY was also the 100th day we have been in Malawi!!!!

Monday morning... day 101... the stomach bugs strikes! Ugh! apparently tons of people on campus came down with this rather nasty bug... and in true Aly and Ogles style we managed to catch it. Ogles was out most of Monday and I was out Monday and most of Tuesday... WEDNESDAY we recovered!  and its back to work I was so glad to be back with my students today (even if they were a bit crazy). As for the rest of the week nothing much is planned except for the LECRAE CONCERT ON SUNDAY!!!!! Ahhh! I am so stinking excited!!! You have no idea! Lecrae is coming to Africa... TO Malawi.... TO LILONGWE... Ahhh! This is so great! 

Things are still hard sometimes, I still miss home... the thought of not spending Thanksgiving with my family is tough, but I believe that God has called me here and he will provide for me as he already has time and time again. (today I got a thanksgiving card from my mom! and several other pieces of mail!!! Mail is great here by the way!) For that I am so thankful!!  I'm learning something new everyday, some things are hard some things I've learned before, but all of them are good things. 

Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement! We need all we can get here! 

Until next time... 

 "Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;

   for his steadfast love endures forever!

 Let Israel say,
   "His steadfast love endures forever."
 Let the house of Aaron say,
   "His steadfast love endures forever."
Let those who fear the LORD say,
   "His steadfast love endures forever."

  Out of my distress I called on the LORD;
   the LORD answered me and set me free.
 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.
   What can man do to me?
 The LORD is on my side as my helper;
   I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.

 It is better to take refuge in the LORD
    than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the LORD
   than to trust in princes." Psalm 118.1-9