Not in Kansas Any More

Well, it has been about a week since I touched down in Malawi. I can now officially say as I look around, Toto, we’re not in Kansas anymore. As I have stated in previous blogs, one thing I’m excited about is being able to share my experiences with all of you reading this, and hopefully be able to teach you more about this country I love so much. My hope is that as you read these blogs, you learn more about my life in the United States, verses what my life will be like here in Malawi.

Home Sweet Home

Heather and I are fortunate enough to own a 3 bedroom house in Scott Township together. Our Little house has everything we need: a nice kitchen, 1 and half bathrooms, a garage, nice neighbors, a beautiful lawn (that I hope Heather is taking care of), and a nice big living room where we love to hang out with all of our friends and family. Notice when I am describing my house in Pittsburgh, I didn’t have to mention it has clean, drinkable, running water and electricity. We are so blessed in the United States that we often forget that we live in a world where those two things are not a right but a privilege we (myself included) often take for granted.

 

Here in Malawi, I am again fortunate to live in a beautiful 3 bedroom house that has electricity, running water (most of the time), and we will even be hopefully getting hot water soon. The house is located on the same grounds as the St. Andrews Church and the School I will soon be teaching at. Right next to our house is the home where the headmaster and his family live; I have been enjoying getting to know his beautiful family. I have a nice kitchen with an electric stove. Our refrigerator is in our dining room along with a nice table that meals can be eaten at. I have settled in nicely to my new bedroom which has a big closet and I have even managed to hang up some pictures. I sleep under a mosquito net every night which hangs above my bed. We have a living room with lots of seating for when we have visitors from the church or school. My favorite part of the house is our porch which is right next to huge tea fields that lead up to the base of Mt. Mulanje. I have been enjoying hanging up hammocks and reading while I marvel at the amazing view that is now right in my back yard.

I would be doing a disservice to you if I told you the way I am living in Malawi is how everyone here lives. I will be the first to admit we are living very privileged lives here. Most Malawians live in very simple houses, which are often over crowded with family members. Many people do not have the safety a mosquito net provides at night and instead have to simply lay a mat on the floor. Electricity and running water are often not part of these simple homes and women will sometimes walk for miles for the closest source of water. Most cooking in Malawi is done on small charcoal stoves as opposed to our electric stove, and meals are eaten seated on a mat on the floor instead of at a table. Around almost every home in Malawi is a small garden where the family will grow produce to help feed their families and if they have extra, sell for a small profit. 

I hope you do not read this and feel sorry for Malawi and its people; that is not why I am writing this, and that is not why I am here. I do hope that you read this and maybe say an extra prayer for injustices in this world. Maybe read this and be a little extra thankful when you flip on a light switch later today, or when you go to brush your teeth later with clean running water. Learning to be thankful for what I have been blessed with just because of where I was born is a lesson quickly learned here in Malawi. I’m starting to think I’m going to be doing more learning than I am teaching this year…

When Africa is Home

Greetings from the Warm Heart of Africa! I'm happy to say that Lauren and I (and all of our luggage) have arrived safely in Malawi and we are beyond excited to be here.

We were warmly greeted at the airport by multiple members of the school and the church we will be living and teaching at. It was a comfort to be so warmly welcomed, after such a hard few weeks of goodbyes.

After close to 20 hours in the air and traveling about 9,000 miles over 2 days with little sleep, sleeping in a bed last night was such a blessing. Quickly after we arrived I was reminded that I am certainly back in Africa. The house we will be living in (which I will talk more about later) did not have electricity when we first arrived, and this morning we woke up to no running water due to water shortages. Electricity that comes and goes, no running water and bugs bigger than I have ever seen are certainly frustrating and make this transition hard. However, one look out my new bedroom window, or off our back porch, and I am quickly reminded why I love this place so much.

We spent much of today in Blantyre gathering supplies we will need to set up our house and our lives here. One of the most important things we got today was wifi! It is amazing to me that I can type this blog from Mulanje, Malawi and it can reach you., where ever you are reading this. Such a blessing to be able to stay connected and to be able to share this journey with all of you! 

I'm happy to be home again :)

Malawi Bound!

Well, the day has finally arrived. As I write this I am sitting in Dulles International Airport waiting to board my plane! I will make this blog short and sweet.

Thank you. If you are reading this, you deserve a thank you for your thoughts, prayers, encouragement, love and support. Without each of you I would not have even made it this far.

The past couple weeks have been hard getting all packed up and saying goodbye to so many people I love. Even though they were difficult, I am comforted by the peace I feel that this is exactly where I am being called right now.

Thank you in advance for your continued prayers as Lauren and I fly over the next 2 days and begin to get settled into our new home.  Please continue to pray for our families as they adjust to having us far away.

My next post will be from the Warm Heart of Africa!

Packing Up and Saying Goodbye

The countdown is on. I takeoff in just 6 days, and I can't believe it. My final week in the States will be spent packing everything I think I will need for the year, and saying goodbye to as many of the amazing people that love and support me as possible. Both of these activities come with their own unique challenges.

What do you pack for a year? Great question. My packing list has become lengthy and very detailed to cover every scenario I can imagine. Everything from Aloe to Zip Ties has been collected and is in the process of being packed up. I am allowed to take 2 bags weighing 50 lbs. each and a carry-on weighing 15 lbs.  I have had to buy some clothes to wear while I teach- skirts and blouses mostly, and a few things for our kitchen which may be hard to find in Malawi. You certainly learn what is important when you need to pack your life away in 115 lbs.

The other thing I have been busy doing is spending time meeting up with and saying goodbye to people before I head out. Even though I know this is not the last time I will see these people, each goodbye is hard. These past few months have been an amazing reminder of how blessed I am to have so many great people loving, supporting and constantly praying for me. I will miss each and everyone of you, but will hold you all in my heart wherever God leads me on this adventure.

I ask now for your continued prayers as Lauren and I finish up our packing over the next couple of days. I also ask that you lift up our families in your prayers as they prepare to say goodbye to us for the year and send us on our way.

Almost time to fly!

It Takes a Village

They say it takes a village to raise a child. We have certainly found this to be true as we raise our rambunctious 7 year old son and twin 4 year old girls. Over the last seven years we have utilized the support of our family, church and friends to get us through.

Brooke has certainly become a part of our village as she started as a friend from church and moved on to being a part of our family. Our kids look up to her, learn from her, laugh with her and ask about her when she is not around. Since Brooke told us about her year in Malawi we have been having a lot of long conversations with our kids about Brooke’s passion and mission. 

Although part of our village is leaving us for a little while, we are thrilled for the village in Malawi that gets to inherit her for the next year. Even in her time gone, she will be continuing to teach our small village and all of the children in it about selflessness, giving your time to others, living in the moment, taking chances, and how small we are in such a big world. It certainly takes a village and we are so blessed that Brooke is a part of ours. 

We will truly miss her while she is gone, but we are so excited for how much she will teach and support those in Malawi. We are even more excited for how much she will teach us once she is back!!

- Jess and Jared Robinson

Hi! My name is Kelley. I went to college and became friends with Brooke's sister, Heather. Over the years, Brooke and I grew closer, and now I consider her one of my best friends.

I started writing this as we left on a trip to Italy. Your shirt says "I want adventure in the great wide somewhere," a quote from Beauty and the Beast. You, Brooke, are always up for an adventure. 

While I think about you leaving for a whole year, I can't help but think about all the crazy adventures (big and small) we have shared over the years. I'm going to miss having spa nights with you, watching the saddest episodes of Grey's Anatomy on Saturday nights together, building a bird house on a whim on a Friday night, reciting every line in The Parent Trap while Heather glares at us, egg battles in your kitchen with theme music playing in the background, choreographing ice skating routines, and practicing our Olympic events in your front yard.

I'm going to miss all of those things and countless others, but it is more important to focus on this amazing adventure of yours. What an incredible gift it is to feel this calling to give your service in Africa. When you first told me about this journey of yours, I'm not going to lie, I thought you were a little crazy! Now I see that this is what you were meant to do. It is clear with the passion and conviction in which you talk about this adventure. 

I know this is going to be a great adventure for you. I will have to sustain glares alone from Heather when watching The Parent Trap while you're in Africa for the year, but I am so incredibly proud of you and your strength! I hope this is your best adventure yet! Your space on your sofa will be waiting for you when you return home. 

-Lots of love, Kelley