Africa Hot

Fall has always been one of my favorite times of year. The coolness in the air, the leaves changing, football games, and holidays right around the corner. What could be better? There is something about the seasons changing that I just love. Luckily the seasons change here in Malawi as well. Currently we are in “Hot Season”. And let me just say, that hot season in Africa means HOT.

When I first arrived in August the temperatures were about the same as they were in Pittsburgh - about 85 during the days, dropping down to 65 during the evenings. Many nights as I sat on my front porch I had a long sleeve shirt on because of the coolness in the air. It has since warmed up a tad… okay it has warmed up a lot.

This week it will be about 100 degrees every day. The sun is so strong here that standing in it for a few minutes will leave just about anyone covered head to toe in sweat. Because of the heat, Malawi slows down. It is not uncommon to see people who work outside taking breaks in the shade to escape the heat from the sun for a few minutes throughout the day. People are most active in the mornings and right before the sun sets to avoid the heat of the day. 

I teach in the afternoons and by the end of my lessons I am dripping sweat as if I just ran a marathon. When I teach for two classes in a row, I make my students take a break half way through to go drink water because they are just as hot as I am. Sixty-five students in one room make for a toasty environment.  I give my students all the credit in the world for sitting in the heat and listening intently, never complaining once.

Many of my fellow teachers think it is so funny that I think it is so hot here. They tell me that it is just going to keep getting hotter all the way up until December, and when I think it can’t possibly get ANY hotter, that’s when the rains come. I like to remind my fellow teachers that in America it is getting colder, and that in not too many months it will be snowing there! They can hardly believe when I tell them that, similar to the fact I can hardly believe that it is going to get HOTTER here. 

The heat really slows down life here. Lauren and I have found ourselves lying on the concrete floors of our house, not wanting to do anything because it is just so hot. Even Remus is affected by the heat; the poor pup lays in the shade napping most of the time because the heat is a little much for him. We are fortunate to have a fan that provides an occasional breeze when the power is on, but most of the time we just sit and learn to live in the heat (no AC here). On days when it is just too hot to handle, we will jump in our car and drive around a little while enjoying the AC in the car. I know it sounds crazy, but sometimes you just really need an escape from the heat. 

I recently found out the word “Malawi” means flame of the earth. On days when it continues to be 100+ degrees, I can see how this name is appropriate. Please continue to pray for the people in the heat of Africa, for their safety and sanity.

We've Got the Power

You’ve already heard me say multiple times that electricity isn’t a constant here in Malawi. I thought I would take a few minutes to explain this a little more. Malawi has one electric company, Electrical Supply Company of Malawi (ESCOM). Driving around you will see ESCOM trucks that have their slogan printed on it, “Toward Power All day-Everyday”. 

There are multiple challenges that Malawi faces when it comes to their electricity issues. The first being they don’t produce enough power to accommodate all the people that require it. Because of this, they cut power to different sections of the country when the demand is higher than the production.  Lately this has been happening daily. Here is an example of what the past week has looked like for us in terms of when we did or did not have power:

Monday: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm no power   

Tuesday: 2:00 pm - 1:00 am no power

Wednesday: 4:00 am - 2:00 pm no power

Thursday: 8:30 am - 2:30 pm no power

Friday: 4:00 am - 2:00 pm no power

Saturday: 2:00 pm - 1:00 am no power

Sunday: 4:00 am - 2:00 pm no power

Some quick math with show you that we did not have power for 64 hours of last week. I will try to be optimistic and say that’s only 38% of the time without power! However, if I am to look at this realistically, it is a huge problem. Malawi produces most of its power using hydro electric energy from the Shire River. Since it is currently dry season, and the very end of dry season, the river is running very low, and therefore not producing much power at all. We have been told by our friends here that once the rains start (in mid-December) there will be plenty of power and we won’t have as many power outages. That may or may not be true, but for now, we are dealing with 64 hours without power a week.

For me, not having power is an inconvenience. I am not able to cook on our stove, we can’t keep food in the refrigerator without it going bad, we can’t charge our electronic devices, and when the sun goes down sitting in the pitch black isn’t very fun. As much of an inconvenience as it is for me, it is a much bigger issue in other parts of Malawi, for example in the Hospitals. How is a hospital supposed to function the way it should when it does not have power? Oxygen machines, surgical equipment, sterilizing equipment, baby warmers and medication refrigerators all require electricity.  I am sorry to report that because of the power outages that Malawi faces daily, deaths in hospitals do occur as a result. Some hospitals try to combat this problem by installing solar power (which is a great option for Malawi due to the amount of sunlight here), however these systems are very expensive and often can’t be afforded without the help of outside funding. More reliable electricity would not eliminate all the deaths that occur in hospitals, but it could certainly save some of the lives lost.

Similar to hospitals other local businesses and schools suffer from not having power. Imagine trying to run a business without electricity. Or any of you teachers out there, imagine having a classroom of 65 students and not having any electricity available to aid you in teaching them. I am thankful that St. Andrews does have solar power for the students at night so they are able to study without having to use candles (a potential hazard). These are just a few examples of how not having electricity creates challenges in daily life here.

Not having power is not just an inconvenience; it is a serious problem that Malawians are faced with every day. I hope that as you turn on your TV or your light switch today, you think about all the people all over the world who are affected by not having access to constant electricity. If you really want a challenge, go without electricity for a couple of hours and walk a mile in a Malawian’s shoes.

Sunday Morning

Church here in Malawi is a very different experience than going to church in the US. Don’t get me wrong, some aspects are the same; there is singing, and a sermon, occasionally Communion, announcements, praying and an offering. Just because the bones are similar doesn’t mean the body is the same. Each Sunday St. Andrews CCAP (Church of Central Africa Presbyterian) has two Celebrations of Worship, a 7 a.m. English service and a 10 a.m. Chichewa service. In case you are wondering what happens between the two services, think again. The English service takes up the entire three hours each week. So by my calculations, by the end of the year I will have put in enough church time to cover me for a few Sunday morning sleep-ins. 

Church starts promptly at 7-ish. Malawians never seem to be on time for anything, so when I walk into the sanctuary at 6:59 like a good Presbyterian, I am one of a handful of people in the building. By the end of the service, every pew in the entire church is filled to the max, sometimes with people even standing in the back, or children sitting up front on mats. Worship starts with multiple choirs performing different songs. I used the word performing because there is usually choreography, or hand motions that go with almost all of the songs. There are a lot of different choirs in the church, some are all women, some all men, some young people, some older, anyone and everyone can be and is in a choir, and let me tell you; they can ALL sing and dance. It is so beautiful to watch these people sing their hearts out for their Lord and Savior. 

After the choirs, it is time for church announcements. The announcements are a little different from the ones I am used to hearing my Dad give on a typical Sunday. Things that are announced in church each Sunday are: the offering amount from the week before, who is in the hospital, deaths the previous week, upcoming marriages, where and when church meetings are to be held the coming week, where and when choir practices will be and if there are any visitors in the congregation today. Can you imagine if we had visitors come forward each week and greet the entire congregation … no one would ever come back to that church! Here it is very common and people really enjoy greeting the congregation they are visiting with. I am always entertained by the weekly announcements and realize it is really how information is shared with the church members. (No weekly e-mail blasts here.)

After the announcements there is usually a hymn and then the Bible reading. After both of those it is time for the sermon. Unlike in the US, it is not uncommon to see someone who is not a minister in the pulpit. This is because there are not enough pastors for all the churches in Malawi, so Pastors are assigned to multiple churches and prayer houses (smaller churches), that they travel to on various Sundays. In their absence, it is the responsibility of the elders and leaders of the church to preach. They do a wonderful job. Sermons usually last about 30-35 minutes (sorry if I ever thought you were long winded, Dad). Multiple times throughout the sermon the preacher will say, “The Lord is good!” to which the entire congregation responds enthusiastically, “All the time”. It is a treat to see the entire congregation engaged and really feeding on what is being preached.

After the sermon, it is time for the offering (after the offering there is one more hymn then worship is over, so when we reach this point I know we are in the home stretch).  The offering is something that I have always found inspiring in Malawi. Every single person in the church gives something during the offering, including children. If someone does not have money for the offering, those around them make sure they give that person some of their money so they have something to give. Everyone walks to the front of the church and puts their offering in a basket. These are people who compared to most Americans, have so little. Yet every week they march forward in that church giving a portion of what they have back to the Lord. They don’t do this with a frown on their face either; they often do it while singing and dancing, giving joyfully.

I have learned so much from going to church weekly here in Malawi, and most of what I have learned has not been from any sermon. A packed church every Sunday reminds me that even when circumstances are not what we would like, there is always, always, a reason to praise God. When I see people far less fortunate than anyone I have ever met in the States standing there praising God with everything they have, I am humbly reminded just how blessed we are. Seeing these same people, who may be struggling to put food on the table, or pay their children’s school fees, giving some of what they have to the church so the church can continue to do its works is so humbling. I challenge you today to try to find the same joy I see on their faces, even when the circumstances aren’t ideal. I also challenge you to give more in whatever that capacity is (time, talents, financially) because we are a blessed people, and I am reminded of that every day here, and even more so on Sunday mornings.