We're back!!

We're back in the UK!!! We made it!!! Hurah!!!
There's lots to tell from the last week, as we've been travelling, winding our way back down to Lilongwe... a longer report to follow but the highlights were - travelling up 'Ed's Road' to the Livingstonia plateau, complete with 20 switchback bends and sheer drop... and a rather close encounter with some elephants at Vwaza Marsh, who seemed to want to stay in Rob and Vince's hut!! And... Ed has got his luggage at long last - just in time to keep him in clean clothes for the next month or so that he is staying out in malawi to work on yet another road.

Thank you all so much for all you prayers - we've been so aware of them. Anyway... I'm off to sleep!!! More deetails of our exploits and hopefully some pix to appear v soon!

Love from Ruthie xxx

“It feels as though we’ve been here for months…”

A very excited Ruth phoned this morning at 7am (8am Malawi) to bring greetings and news to everyone – the jetty is complete, Hooray! She was hoping to have phoned from the jetty, but apparently even at this time of the morning there are throngs of villagers parading around on the new construction, so there was no room for her!
Spot on plan, our team, assisted by many villagers topped off the jetty with concrete on Tuesday – everyone frantically mixing concrete by hand. Ruth says its looks amazing and the boat has already come in and used it, everyone is very delighted.
On Tuesday evening there was a big celebration in the village, at one point it felt as though there wouldn’t be enough food, so they scoured the village for anything on four legs, cassava, a sort of lettuce leaf that is fried and rice. About 50 people, including the village chief called Keith joined our team (it strikes me that village chiefs come from a good stock of names).
Half way through our phone conversation Ruth thought she caught sight of the boat coming over the horizon – she was mistaken, but that’s their next activity today: the boat will take them the two hour journey north to Mlowe where they will spend a few days before trekking off by road to Livingstonia to complete their stay in Malawi – it will be a few days of rest and sight seeing.
But, before they leave, they must lay a big mooring into the deep water so that the boat can secure offshore before coming into the jetty – such attention to detail!
As we finished our conversation I asked Ruth how everyone was feeling, she said, “…very tired, but really, really amazed by all that we’ve achieved – it feels as though we’ve been out here for months, everyone is getting on so well…”. She went on to remark how relieved they are to have done so much heavy and risky work without injury.
Let’s thank God for all they’ve safely achieved; let’s pray that their final week will be a great time of rest and blessing.
Their Heathrow flight comes in at 06.45hrs on Friday 26 August.
David

They stand in amazement...

A very excited Ruth phoned this morning at 10.00hrs to report fantastic progress on the jetty at Tcharo. They arrived in the small lake side community last Friday where there was no boat landing; there is now a 20 metre long jetty – WOW! They’ve used the gabion method of building (large wire cages filled with rocks). In the early stages they used lots of huge rocks that were very tricky to move, the local women have been teaching our team how to carry stones on their heads. I expect Vince will dispense with the food trolley when he gets back to work!
Ed Sauven has been a real slave driver, they’ve had little respite from the constant work but they are in good spirits. To make things easier, the villagers are enthusiastically helping and there’s a real sense of everyone going for it, to create a new landing for the boat. Their aim is to get things all done by Tuesday next with a layer of concrete to top it off.
Their location is very isolated and remote. The girls are living in a borrowed house and the boys are based in a building near to the clinic. Cooking is done in a fire that’s built into a hole in the floor. The fishing is good and they enjoyed eating a 2-foot long catfish the other day.
John Challis has returned today from Lilongwe, he’s been on the search for Ed’s baggage – thankfully it’s been located in Johannesburg, but they have no idea how long it will take to get it to him. The indomitable Ed though, is coping well - it was a pleasant surprise to find a little store of clothes that he left behind last year.
The lakeside setting is beautiful – evening light fades early and marks a welcome end to their daily labours. Ruth said they stand in amazement at all that they’ve achieved in the short time they’ve been there.
In the middle of next week when they are complete, they will say farewells and then will go back to Mlowe where there will be more celebrations to mark the end of their work. Apparently, “Dave” the white goat (recently named) will be there waiting for them – he’s destined to be the main ingredient of their celebratory feast!
Ruth asks us to continue to pray for safety – she says they’ve done some amazing feats of rock moving without serious injury so far. Pray also for energy, their programme has been really hectic, without much chilling out time. Let’s also pray that their final week when they do some sight seeing and take some rest will be a real treat for them all.
David

A letter from Ruthie arrives...

Thursday 28th July 2005

Dear David and everyone!
Well I am sitting on the floor of the clinic writing this while Jo sits next to me filing her nails!! Rob is wandering in & out with some tools, Vince has gone fishing… Becky & Lizzie are up at the water mill, doing a technical drawing of it for a plan to make it hydro-electric… Jon, Al & Lizzie F have gone to Tcharo for the day to scout it out…Ah, every day life, eh?
This morning we were down working on the jetty, when I heard lots of squealing from Lizzie K & Jo… as triumphantly Ed strolled down the beach - having just walked the last 5 miles of his five day journey!! Much relief all round! Ed seems none the worse for his sojourn around Africa… although unfortunately his baggage hasn't caught up with him yet - more prayer!
Well, what can I tell you about the last 5 days… it feels like we have been here a lot longer than that! We had a fairly uneventful journey up north after our night in Lilongwe at the Korea Garden Lodge… our next night at Ekwendeni Mission Station included one of the highlights of the trip - an evening of singing & dancing with a local choir… they taught us some beautiful African songs & raised the roof with their incredible singing & even John Challis was seen dancing!! Lizzie K & Al held our end up trying to teach them some English songs & our new songbooks came in very useful. And then a morning of looking around the mission station, into Mzuzu to meet the Chiefs, then up to Mlowe, our home for the next week or 2 or so…
Anyway, enough of me for now. Vince has diligently been ensuring that the team diary is written every day, so here's some quotes from that:

Sunday 24th. By Vince
"Overall journey time from Tollesbury to our Lilongwe accommodation 24 hrs! But the comforts are here - a swimming pool with adjacent bar, restaurant and a sheltered garden with lots of exotic plant life."
Monday 25th. By Lizzie K.
"Passed tiny little houses with straw roofs, passed men dressed smartly riding bikes with wood stacked high behind the saddles, passed women with beautiful posture walking elegantly with boxes, bags, sacks and stacks of wood on their heads; passed children running barefoot by; passed babies strapped tightly to their mothers' back with brightly coloured material; passed strange elephant looking at mountains that loomed before us; passed several road blocks and police & army checks; and eventually we arrived at the guest house (Ekwendeni)."
Tuesday 26th. By Jon G.
"50 bikes were stacked on the wall ready for volunteers to cycle hundreds of kilometres educating, treating and caring for the 37,000 orphans in Northern Malawi. The description of work with young people evoked memories of volunteers in the mud and working away for free in Tollesbury. Those who put in time seem to get out more than they could ever put in." (about our visit to HIV/AIDS project on Ekwendeni mission station.)
"The children inform me in a mix of Tambuka and pigeon English that a snake (possibly a black mamba) lives on the hill. Fear is the same in any language in my book… I am fearful. No loo trips in the night, in fact - as few loo trips as possible!" (at Mlowe. Jon Gay - Iron Man??)
Wednesday 27th. By Becky
"By 7 am we had tucked into Kelloggs cornflakes and watched the sun lift over the mountains. We could see the other side of the lake - Tanzanla? Mozambique? It was the clearest it had been for weeks apparently. It's a beautiful place, the scenery and atmosphere unlike anything. Even the cockerels are forgiven in the early morning light."

So anyway, we are now in our second full day at Mlowe. We are staying at the clinic - where the camp beds are all set our neatly with mozzie nets hanging from the beams above. We have two 'mamas' who are doing our cooking, cleaning & washing etc - they cook on very efficient open fires, expertly pulling or pushing the logs backwards & forwards to increase or decrease the heat. We spent yesterday morning looking around and meeting the local Chief and his council of village headmen. In the afternoon we started restoration work on the jetty - which has disintegrated into the lake even more than it had when we were here last year.

Later:
It's 7.50pm now & it's been dark for about an hour and a half. We're all sitting around writing letters by torch light to give to Bob (Baxter) who's leaving us tomorrow. We met Bob last year also & he has been here for a few weeks to help John. He's been a great & helpful addition to the team & entertaining company! Anyway… yesterday… we spent much of the afternoon moving rocks that have fallen off the jetty into the water, making the bottom too shallow. So we all got in the water and threw rocks around - great fun!! Today we have cracked on with filling in holes and using the rocks to fill gabions. Rob & Vince particularly have made friends with Kingsley, who is our gabions expert. Fortunately Ed has approved the work so far!!! This afternoon Ed had me Lizzie K & Jo scrubbing rocks with a washing up brush to make them less slimey so that concrete will stick to them… although we think that this may have been just to keep us quiet!
Al, Jon & Lizzie F had a good look at Tcharo today & had a great time by all accounts. Al assisted in the clinic & diagnosed someone with diabetes (apparently)… Jon found out that it's just £20 to buy a wife in Malawi, so I'm not sure whether the boys will be coming back!
We've just been given a four minute warning until Bible Study time (!!!) so I'd better write fast. We were discussing yesterday what peoples' impressions are… everyone mentioned how friendly everyone is that we've met, very welcoming. Everyone is trying to learn the local language, Tambuka… Al is fluent in some kind of language, but we're not that sure whether it's actually Tambuka…
Workwise - the jetty I've talked about; there's also a few other jobs here in Mlowe - making a mooring offshore for the boat; fixing some lights & things here at the clinic & a few things at the water mill - which John built a couple of years ago. They had a very exciting meeting at lunchtime with some people from Lilongwe re: making the water mill hydro-electric, hopefully producing 50kw for Mlowe. There are lots of little projects like this… we've seen lots of examples of Malawian's doing great things, lots of hope.
Sorry this is a bit scribbled and rambling! Not used to writing longhand!!
Gotta go! Lots of love from Ruthie xx

At Tcharo; but Ed's luggage still missing

Chris Challis has sent another report (dated 6 August): "The team are now at Tcharo - no electrity, no phone chargers, no shavers – how will they survive?? John is now on his way to Lilongwe to hopefully find Ed's luggage, among other things!"

Stage One Complete

Ruth phoned the FACT office at 17.30hrs, Thursday 4 August:

The old boat landing jetty in Mlowe is finished – it now has a very splendid concrete topping and looks transformed.
The locals are so delighted – a local dignitary came to inspect the work and was most impressed and the village chief “Big Dave” has given them a white goat to celebrate the event, preparing the beast for the pot has not been easy though – it’s still walking around and giving them endearing looks.
The weather is very hot and Ed has been quite a slave driver, though today has been their day off. The “boys” have been trying to cook up peanut butter on an open fire (could this be a veggie alternative to roast goat!).
Tomorrow all of the team travel to Tcharo, this will mean a boat trip south.
Last Sunday the team attended church and handed out the special FACT songbooks that Lizzie produced – this made the congregation burst into a spontaneous round of exuberant singing and clapping.
Ruth asks us to pray for a number of things:
1. For continued good health.
2. Safety, especially when work starts on the second jetty.
3. Protection against spiritual attacks.

Andrew Eastham

PS:
a) Ali: if you want to join the volunteer cruise at the end of the month, I’m up for it too. Rob.
b) Lizzie: may I have a lift back to Tollesbury when we arrive back at Heathrow – no probs, David

It's hot, and it's goat for dinner

This latest report comes from Chris Challis, who had a phone conversation with his "old man" on Monday 1 August:

"Work has started and progress is being made. However, outside temperatures have rocketed: early morning starts to avoid the mid day sun means work stops at about 11am and doesn't resume till 1-2pm-ish! Super tan mode. The team have been rewarded by the chief of the area by being given a white goat for a feast – this reward is very rare. Well done the team!"

Chris Challis