More from Sue in Malawi

Here's some more from Sue, hot off the press:

Hello again everyone -- have received a call from Sue this evening. She's well and happy and has been doing lots of eye-stuff. She recently travelled north and checked out the Tcharo site where the FACT team will go later in the year; she says the accommodation's basic and has no electricity, so it'll be a bit like Packing Shed Island. She's heading back to the hospital tomorrow for more clinc work and starts her journey home on Wednesday, to arrive at Heathrow on Friday morning.

Thanks for your prayers, everyone. But don't stop yet!

Sue

FACT volunteer Sue K is out in Malawi at this VERY MOMENT, alongside Malawi guru John Challis. Sue is an Orthoptist (that's something to do with eyes...!) and is on a fact finding mission looking at eye care facilities in northern Malawi... Here's some of her latest news:

''We went to church yesterday. English service at 8.00am, Tambuka service at 10.00. We were introducd, and had to send greetings etc etc. When I went to the front to say hello, there were no other white faces!! About 400 people at 8, and another 5-600 at 10!!! It was the "first fruits" service many people came in carrying whole sticks of maize about 6ft tall. Amazing.

John Challis has now gone up country to Livingstonia, leaving me here for the week, coming back on Saturday to take me up for the weekend. I'll see hopefully where the team is going to be staying, but can't get right there 'cos there's no road access. That's why the team is going!

I've done a small clinic today with help from Mr Mafuku who was translating for me. We saw 14 people and managed to help all but 1 with glasses. I'm doing another clinic tomorrow, then I'm out visiting Wed, Thurs and Fri with various outreach teams.

Health wise, I'm fine; had a few mozzie bites and one tick so far but no probs and no malaria! I've kept my tape diary faily up to date, it'll be a bit of a ramble but I'll be able to transcribe the best bits. I'm certainly glad to have come."
Do keep Sue in your prayers, and John C - who is making some of the arrangements for the team in the summer!

Be a smartie for Malawi

Well a couple of weeks have passed since Shakedown... I think that a good time was had by all! The Malawi t-shirts are of course as stylish as we had hoped - if you're not wearing one right now... well you should be!! Volunteer fundraising also got off to a flying start - with everyone replacing smarties with pound coins - so cunning! Lots of wacky ideas soon followed - the strangest of course being the ongoing auction on the FACT volzone of an evening with volunteer Lukey... Fortunately there are much safer ways of contributing - such as coming to Vince's yummy meal onboard on Sunday 24th April, buying some of Lizzie's hand made cards, or sponsoring a three peaks run, cycle ride around the Isle of Wight or swim the width of Lake Malawi... or even sponsoring yourself to go to a party in Rob's garage!!! As ever for more details email me: ruthe@fact.org.uk