Tionana and Zikomo

Although I have been here for almost a year, my Chichewa continues to be limited. Fortunately the two words I need the most right now I have mastered. Those words are zikomo and tionana. Zikomo, as you may know, means thank you, and tionana means see you later. As my time here is running out, I find myself saying these two words over and over.

It seems like just yesterday that I was hugging my friends and family in Pittsburgh and telling them it wasn’t goodbye, just a “see you later.” Now I am faced with the same realities, but on the other side of the world. I will spend my last few days here in Malawi saying tionana to my students’ smiling faces, my fellow teachers and my friends here who have made this an incredible and unforgettable year. Although I may not have an exact timeline for when I will return to Malawi someday, this year has solidified to me that my mission to Malawi is much more than just this year. My love and commitment to this country will continue to bring me back to Malawi hopefully many more times. As difficult as it is to say tionana for now, I take comfort in the notion that I leave a piece of my heart here, and will return when called to continue my mission.

Zikomo means many things here, and is often said when there are no other words to describe a situation. This makes it even more appropriate for me to use as I depart. I can never fully express my thanks to the students of Form 1 that allowed me to be their Biology teacher this year. The ways in which they challenged me, laughed with me, grew with me and made me a part of their lives have changed me in ways I could never imagine and for that I am incredibly thankful to them. I cannot thank the families here who took Lauren and me in and made us part of their homes. Having the comfort of knowing loving and reliable people were just a phone call away gave us such peace of mind and made our year here go so smoothly. We will miss these families that have become our own when we leave, but we will leave behind our thanks and gratitude for all the ways they have helped us.

I will spend my last few days here saying thank you to my fellow coworkers, to Verah and our night guards who have worked with us since our first days here, to the congregation of St. Andrews who welcomed us with open arms, and if I could, I would say thanks to every person who has given me a smile or a wave as I went by. All of these people and so many more have my sincerest thanks for all they have done for me, all they have taught me, and for how they have shaped and changed me for the better. I am also so thankful to my friends and family who have visited me throughout the year (two of my best friends Marissa and Kelley are currently with me, and will be with me until I leave!), being able to share this experience and create memories with you all is something I could never thank you enough for.

I would not feel right about leaving and not saying thank you to YOU as well. Thank you for reading my blogs and sharing this journey with me. Thank you for your words of encouragement, they kept me going during the hardest days. Thank you for your continued prayers; it was such a comfort to Lauren and me throughout the year knowing we had an army of people praying for us. Thank you for the letters, cards, emails and messages, your words touched me. Thank you for your involvement in this mission, it would not have been possible without you.

I am scheduled to depart from Lilongwe International Airport on Monday, July 23rd. Lauren will be heading straight home, and I will be heading to Madrid, Spain to meet up with Heather, along with Marissa and Kelley. Before coming to Malawi I started saving and planning to travel a bit after my time here was over. After my family left here in 2005, my parents and I spent two weeks in London re-acclimating to life outside of Malawi and using it as a transition home. I was very grateful for that time, and I am now looking forward to my time in Spain to adjust and begin my reflection of this past year.

Although this is my last blog from Malawi, this will not be my last blog. I will continue to post a new blog on Tuesday mornings as I transition home, find out what is next for me, and reflecting on this past year. So for now … Tionana from Malawi and Zikomo Kwambiri (Kwambiri means very much) for everything!