31 Days!

That's all we have left until we go home! 31 DAYS! I was thinking back to when we had only been here for 31 days... it doesn't seem like that long again, but in all reality it was. I was still getting used to everything. Life here was still mostly terrifying and there were some many things we were new and fun and crazy... and guess what?!?! 305 days later... I'm not really convinced things have changed all that much. I'm still learning crazy things everyday. I'm still finding new and exciting experiences to have, and sometimes life here is still hard and sometimes mostly terrifying. BUT! That's all okay because I did it! I have almost survived my first year in Malawi. The next four weeks are going to be insane we're going to be busy, and we're going to try and cram lots and lots of stuff into the next couple of weeks, but it's going to be incredible! I can't wait!
      When I looked back to see when the last time I posted a blog was, so I would know where to pick up the story I couldn't believe it had been so long ago. The past weeks have flown by. I've been so busy that I didn't even realize that I hadn't posted in FOREVER! Sorry guys. Well, I'm going to try and catch everyone up, without killing you by forcing you to read my horrible writing. So we'll use the bullet format, with a few longer entries for things here and there.
I'm going to start after school started back up because I think that's right about the time the last one was written.
*We started school back up after spring break with a great out break of allergies. EVERYONE was plagued with the horrible disease! It was crazy, but we survived.
*We also did lots of the things that come with living life like grocery shopping and having pizza with our favorite people.
*We've had great times babysitting for several families on campus and off. Abi Floreen is probably our favorite. She's adorable.
*We have managed to create and UNO monster out of Bule. But I don't think we mind that much we've gone several times to hangout and play UNO and drink cokes with our friends.
*We went to the LAKE! Lake Malawi is gorgeous and HUGE, so sometimes I just pretend its the ocean. It's very likely I've already told about the lake....
*It started to get cold! What on earth is that all about. We'll probably freeze before we can make it home. The nights an morning are frEEEEEEzing... Now that's possibly a little bit dramatic, but it's cold nonetheless. I didn't know. I didn't really come prepared for such nonsense.
*I called my mom! ON THE PHONE! OH MAN! The Kysers are the most wonderful people EVER!
*There were lots of days off of school right after we started back up just some different holidays and things. Most of which we managed to use quite wisely by not getting out of bed for more time than was necessary to get a quick bite to eat or set up a movie...
*I started going out on Friday afternoons with Bule and some other folks on campus to Malikah Village where Bule heads up some different ministries. The first week I just played with sweet kiddos and held lots of hands.
*Ogles and I spent a fun day shopping with Rachel and Sharlie for fabric and other fun things.
*I spent several afternoon assessing kindergarten students for next year.
*We had our end of the year ballet and choir recital! We had so much fun, I help with the little girls ballet classes and O helps with the choir classes at the academy. So we really enjoyed the evening and were proud of our sweet girls they all did a great job.
*We went to LOTS of very INTENSE basketball games, all of which our wonderful ABC Lions won. But they were crazy!
*The next Friday at the village I had the privilege of being thrust from any comfort zone I was clinging on to when Bule asked me if I would share with the women of the village... OH MY GOODNESS! well with the help of Esnart, who is awesome, I managed to share something with them. I can't even describe how incredibly blessed I was.
*Then Mrs. Jan and Mary CAME, and OH WE WERE EXCITED! I'm not certain I realized exactly how great it would be to see familiar faces and hear familiar voices! They are just normal people and it's wonderful. Since Jan and Mary were here we took that opportunity to do lots of fun things.
*We went out Sunday to and orphanage at Bunda that the Kysers have gotten pretty involved in. We went to the church there, the pastor is an ABC grad and the music is lead by a student. Afterward we had lunch and just played with beautiful kids and toured the facility.
*Monday was a holiday here so we decided to take a day trip to Dedza. Dedza is about 2 hours away, its a beautiful drive. Dedza is known for its pottery so we went to a cute little shop where you can sit and eat and look at all kinds of wonderful things.
*There was also a fabulous team here from Arizona. More amazingly wonderful  normal people. We had tons of fun hanging out with them and getting to know them.
*We've spent lots of time lately at the Crisis nursery with the team, with Mary, just the two of us.
*Wednesday we took the day off to tag-a-long with the team and all the fun things they were doing. We went out to a village not to far from ABC where some people have started a school. The kids there sang songs for us and recited prayers and just showed us lots of fun things they have been learning. Then we colored with them and sang and just had fun. We played fun games and just got to love on all the adorable little kids.
*The Lady Lions won their basketball game!
*The college year is coming to a close so we've been doing lots of fun things to celebrate the soon to be graduates. The junior class puts on a dinner each year. They did a great job! Everything was beautiful and they succeeded is celebrating their brothers and sisters well.
*We attended a crazy soccer game, there was yelling and fighting and then we left.
I'm sure we have done all kinds of other things i'm forgetting but I think this is enough for now.
I have learned so much in just the last week about service, about ministry, about loving people. Some of it is still processing... some of it may be years in the processing stage, but I'm grateful for the experiences I've been able to have.

Until next time...
"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." 2 Timothy 1.7