As Seen on TV

I have been trying to show in my blogs what the real Malawi is like, not what you see in movies like the Lion King. The truth is however, sometimes Malawi can feel like a scene from the movies. Since Lauren has never been to Africa before, we took the couple days we had free before we start school to go do the touristy aspects of Malawi.

Our first stop was a trip to Kutchire Lodge, which is located in the Liwonde Game Reserve. Kutchire is owned and run by a good friend of the Merry Family, Sam Ncozana. Sam has been working on building the lodge for the past two years, and let me just say it is incredible. There are rustic chalets, tree houses, a viewing deck and a beautiful outdoor dining area under a magnificent old tree. While staying at the lodge it is not uncommon for herds of elephants to pass through at night and munch on the trees surrounding the area. While we were there we were fortunate enough to see so many elephants! 

We also spent one morning driving around the game reserve trying to see other animals such as warthogs, a variety of different kind of deer-like animals, rhinos, giraffes, cheetahs, and lions. We were able to see warthogs, deer, and elephants but were unsuccessful finding some of the other animals. It was such a fun experience getting to see these magnificent animals in their natural habitat, but also very fun to see Lauren so excited (and sometimes very afraid) to see these beautiful African animals up close!

During our time at the lodge we also had the opportunity to sit and talk with other missionaries that had stepped away from their daily lives for a moment. This was such a blessing. We talked with one family that has been in Malawi for 10 years starting an orphanage in a neighboring village. The family lives in the village and often go days or weeks without running water or electricity. Hearing them talk about their mission, and their love for the people of Malawi reminded me how lucky I am to be able to be doing what I am doing. Please pray for the missionaries all over the world that do as God instructed … they leave everything to become fishers of humankind.

Our last stop on our touristy trip was a visit to Lake Malawi. Malawi used to be called Nyasa Land, which literally meant “lake” land because of its beautiful lake. We got to the lake right as the sun was setting and the view honestly took my breath away. The colors from the sunset reflecting on the lake were something only God could create. The next morning we took a boat to an island on the lake and were able to go snorkeling and see some of the beautiful fish of Lake Malawi. We also spent some time jumping into the crystal clear water from nearby rocks. It was so refreshing to be able to enjoy God’s beauty for the day.

We had an amazing time sightseeing for a few days, but it again made me realize just how fortunate I am. Most Malawians have never seen the wild animals that live within the borders of their own country. Some have never seen the blue waters, or beautiful sunsets at the lake. I am grateful for the opportunity to travel and see as much of this country as possible, but I will continue to count my blessings and be thankful for all of the opportunities I have, because I know not everyone has the same.