TEACHING IN MALAWI

Hiking Mount Mulanje

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Jackson) — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 22:19:00 +0000

This past Easter break I hiked Mount Mulanje in southern Malawi and it was AWESOME!. Mulanje is a serious, rustic climb that makes you feel like a legit athlete when you're done - 4 days later. It takes several hours just to get to the top of the plateau, never mind any of its peaks The secret to my wonder woman feat: porters. Truthfully, I couldn't have done this hike without them, not with my bum knee (never mind my lack of physical strength).

Heading south on a bus Dani (left) and Cara (right). Optimistic and excited.

Classic "before the hike" pose.

To start the hike we needed to cross this ~~stream~~ river. And no, I didn't gracefully hop along the rocks. I fell in the river and needed a helping hand to climb back on the rocks. I was fine, but my "I am an agile ballerina" ego was a bit bruised.

A view from the top of the plateau.

Often spotted along the trail: me resting.

A common bridge, not too high off the ground. Very slippery.

What I thought our "hut" accommodation was.

What our "hut" actually was.

Rustic (or way better than any "hut" I imagined) interior.

Another view from the top.

Yet, another gorgeous sunset courtesy of Malawi. We didn't hike that peak

And, we hiked alongside a double rainbow. Seriously!

Took a proper photo, too.

Our guide and porters.

The never ending adventures of transport. We took bike taxi's to get back to the main road after the hike. It was a bit scary blazing down those dirt roads at warp speed. I don't know how the ladies with babies on their backs sit side saddle. I white knuckled the mini handle bars the entire twenty minute journey. On the way to the base camp from the main road, I rode on the back of a matola (flatbed truck) wedged between bails of bananas and a live chicken. I swear I don't make this stuff up. Promise, I'm not that creative.

Sharing head space with a bag of who knows what in the back of a minibus.

View from the top of the plateau.

If hiking Mulanje sounds like your forte, it can be done pretty inexpensively. My recommendation is to get in touch with the Mountain Club of Malawi Key Keepers. Most of them are expat avid hikers that have been in Malawi for years and are very knowledgeable. If you're up for the hike, I highly recommend it. Of course, feel free to contact me if you have questions.

Saying Good Bye

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Jackson) — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 18:45:00 +0000

If you're wondering who my fearless housemate was this year, it's this lovely South African.

In the face of danger (a snake attempted to jump in the bathtub with her in it), she doesn't even scream. She headed back to SA yesterday and you can tell she is no longer here. In two days, I'll be moving back to the U.S. A year ago, I wasn't ready to say good-bye. The good news was that I didn't have to. This year I am ready for life's next adventure. Malawi - it's been good, it will be interesting to see how we meet again.

Crisis Nursery Donation Visit

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Jackson) — Tue, 26 Jun 2012 18:44:00 +0000

Today I made one last trip to the Ministry of Hope Crisis Nursery in Lilongwe to hold and feed the babies. On this trip I got to take with me and the other volunteers a stack of diapers, food, and grooming aids for the kiddos. These donations were made by some of the kids on the ABC campus and a women's Bible study group in San Diego. How cool is that?! The nursery uses cloth diapers most of the time because disposables are very expensive. Sometimes the lack of water and electricity for hours on end prevents the mamas (staff) from being able to wash the diapers, so disposables come in very handy. Thank you San Diego ladies. The diapers were very much appreciated.

This little guy could have been happily held all night.

As you can see from the food on his shirt, my feeding technique could use a little work. Although I suspect he may be a fellow food snob, much like myself, since he kept spitting the cereal back out.

Click here to learn more about the crisis nurseries.

You know you're still a tourist when . . .

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Jackson) — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 20:10:00 +0000

If you live in Malawi long enough, you'll probably have a snake in your house. I thought I might have by passed this life experience, much like avoiding malaria (knock on wood), but no such luck.

Even after having lived in Malawi for almost two years, I am still a tourist. How do I know? You might be a tourist if YOU FILM THE SNAKE YOU CAUGHT IN YOUR BATHTUB BEFORE YOU ~~REMOVE~~ KILL IT.

Truth, I tried to remove the snake by putting it in a box and taking it outside. It was only a small, blind snake that resembled a worm. However, I am a squirmy girl and it was wiggling too much for me to coerce it into a box. So I ended up ... you're not going to like this. I end up throwing rocks at it and then sending it down the drain. Basically, I tortured, paralyzed, and then drowned the sucker. I, kind of, felt bad about it. Kind of.

On a funnier note, the snake popped it's head out of the tap covers the night before while my roommate was, get this, taking a bath. Makes me shiver just thinking about it. The crazy African didn't even scream. She's a star.

My New - Old Phone

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Jackson) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:39:00 +0000

Hello 2012 Jen,

It's 2000 Jen showing you my cool new phone.

Remember this?

Look how small it is!

Actually, this is my most recent phone as of January 2012. In an era of smart phones and apps, this is what I am rockin'. Many smart phones don't work here, so there really isn't much of a point. I even had my roommate bring me this from South Africa for cheap because you can easily spend $50 on something like this in Malawi. Surprisingly, you can get BlackBerry service and a lot of people are using it. I just don't use my phone enough to warrent paying extra for the service (or buying a BlackBerry). I suspect it won't be long before there is 3G and 4G service readily available in Malawi and everyone will be Skyping on their iphone while playing Angry Birds. Well, maybe not that soon.

Malawi Football

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Jackson) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 06:29:00 +0000

Not long ago I got to go to my first pro football (soccer) game in Malawi. This was a big playoff game in which the associate pastor from Flood Church serves as a coach. So, some friends and I went all VIP for the event for about $6. Unfortunately, our team (green - and yes, I am a girl) didn't win that day, but it was a good time nevertheless.

Game Clip

Halftime Show

Cheap Seats

Guess What?

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Jackson) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:04:00 +0000

Two lines is positive.

One line is negative.

I'm ....

But, first

...

do you even know what you are looking at?

That little gadget is every woman, man, and child's friend. The rapid malaria test. Just placing a droplet of blood on the device can determine if you have malaria within minutes. Any guesses as to what my results were?

I'm still malaria free.

Yeah!

Just a little malaria FYI for you. Even if that test comes up negative, the lab still checks your blood for the parasite and as of late even your platelet and white blood cell count. When it comes to malaria (and other diseases) we don't mess around here. If you have a fever, it's best to go to a medical facility for a malaria test. If caught early, malaria is very treatable. People half act as if they have the flu when they have malaria and for the most part, it's no biggie. The government even provides treatment medication free of charge. In fact, it is even advised to carry treatment meds when you leave a malaria containing country. Just about every non-malaria country will practically let you die before they acknowledge that you have the disease and then they often don't have the meds readily available to treat malaria, including the good old USA.

It is also important to remember that malaria is somewhat preventable. Take the preventative malaria meds if you can, sleep under a net, and wear mosquito repellent when you're exposed. I've also found that running fans helps keep mosquitos away, too.

With all of that said, Africa is still an amazing place and I highly recommend you visit it if you can. Don't let my ramblings scare you. Malaria is preventable and treatable. :)

Victoria Falls Travel Review

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Jackson) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 14:24:00 +0000

I HEART Zambia!

All of my stories of Victoria Falls are captured here in one easy to navigate post. If you would like to know more about all the great (endless) things to do in Livingstone, Zambia then click here. If you have any questions (how I got there, safety, etc.) don't hesitate to send me an email. Enjoy!

Jumping into Devils Pool on the edge of The Falls - Part 1, Part 2.
River boarding and white water rafting the Zambezi River.
Cliff diving into the raging Zambezi River.
Falling off a cliff on the Gorge Swing.

Victoria Falls: Gorge Swing

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Jackson) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 14:07:00 +0000

One of the activities I had been really excited to do in Livingstone, Zambia was to swing off of the bridge over the lower Zambezi river that connects Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Don't get me wrong, I was a bit nervous about it, but very gung ho. So one afternoon we made the schlep to the bridge to watch the excitement. First, we watched a guy bungee jump by hanging from his legs. The jumping part didn't seem so bad but watching confirmed that I had absolutely no desire to hang upside down for a couple of minutes over a rushing river waiting for someone to retrieve me. I'm up for adventure and fun, but that just looked painful. Everyone I had talked to who had bungee jumped off the bridge said they didn't really enjoy it as much as they thought they would. On the other hand, swinging off the bridge came highly recommended. Up next was a jumper who was going to swing and it looked a little something like this.

Something happened to me when I watched that jumper fall and keep falling - fear. BIG FEAR. Fear I didn't even know I could have just from watching. It came quite unexpected as I am not afraid of heights. I was beginning to second guess my desire to jump. Luckily, one of our group members was recovering from being sick so we were going to wait a couple of days before making the big leap anyway. On the other hand, this gave me a couple of days to fester in my fear.

This was when I realized that I had a very real problem with fear. Swinging off of that bridge was going to be by far the safest thing we did that week. Even if I passed out during the jump, I would still be safe. No one had ever died from jumping and there was still this part of me that wanted to do it. Honestly, it made me wonder how much opportunity I'd been missing out on because of illogical fears. When it came to cliff jumping that week I had chose the small jump on two different occasions. Just moving to Malawi was 8 years in the making. Was I allowing fear to rule my life more often than not? I questioned a lot of my life choices.

I decided to conquer my unnecessary fear this time and jump. However, jumping off the bridge was a bit pricey and as it turns out there was a gorge swing in the area that was 1/3 of the price but only half as high. I was once again overcoming my fears halfway, but I suppose you have to start somewhere. The night before the jump I had difficulty sleeping. My stomache was in knots and I was popping antacids like candy. This sun did rise, I did get out of bed, and I did hop on the truck to take us to the gorge. I decided to put on a brave face and feign excitement BUT I was terrified. Yet....

I put on the harness.

I walked out to the platform.

I shimmied to the edge.

(I didn't dare look down.)

I leaned back.

I fell!

I kept falling!

And, I triumphantly whoohooed, repeatedly.

This swing wasn't about being adventurous, this swing was about not letting unnecessary fear rule my life. I conquered. What have you conquered lately? If you could use a little perspective when it comes to fear Seth Godin's book, Linchpin, is a book I have been reading that views fear from a different angle.

Click here to read more about my Victoria Falls trip.

Victoria Falls: Cliff Diving

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Jackson) — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 11:20:00 +0000

If everyone jumps off a cliff, would you? The answer to this childhood lesson is yes. However, the dumbest (most dangerous) thing I did on my Victoria Falls trip was to cliff dive (okay, so it was a jump) into the rushing waters of the lower Zambezi river without a life jacket.

So how did I get suckered in? In the national park that surrounds Victoria Falls you can take a trail that leads to the lower Zambezi river. Along this trail we kept seeing spray painted pink arrows. Initially, we thought it was to guide you down the trail to the water, but once we got to the water we realized that the arrows kept going along the waters edge. As curious as we were to find out where the arrows led, we waded in an eddy current in the river first. Cuz, you know, we have to indulge in every immediate and slightly dangerous thrill that comes our way.

After the allure of the wonderfully cool but not cold water wore off, we followed the arrows. We bolder hopped for a bit and then came across a relatively new climbing rope tethered to the rocks that led to no where but the water. After a few puzzled seconds past it dawned on someone that this was the makings of a rope swing. Not so much a swing, but a means to cliff dive/jump into the water AND pull yourself back to the shore.

Truthfully, I was skeptic but everyone attributes such things to my being several years older than the rest of the group. Regardless of my opinion, everyone jumped and it looked something like this.

After watching my fellow jumpers happily survive, I decided to leap, too.
And now for my feature film cliff jump in HD.

You might have noticed that I didn't jump quite as high as the others, but I had a lot of fun doing it.

Click here to read more about my Victoria Falls trip.

Victoria Falls: River Boarding The Zambezi River

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Jackson) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:59:00 +0000

At this point I am starting to sound like a bragger with the craziness I've been up to, but... consider these posts as exposing you to things that you never thought were possible.

With that said, my second most highly recommended adventure to do while in Victoria Falls is to river board and white water raft the Zambezi River.

Catch that? River boarding. I'll pause to suggest you watch the video below before I continue.

Talk about an amazing rush. I am not the best swimmer so I stuck with the class 2 and 3 rapids. Most of the time, I wasn't quite riding the rapids but holding a boogie board at my side while being tossed around the Zambezi, but it was still awesome. Along the way you could hop back in the river raft whenever you wanted and when we encountered a small still patch of crocodile infested water, it was required. The whole thing was a bit scary, but far less dangerous than surfing in the ocean.

This was the best rafting trip I have ever been on by far. Rafting, river boarding, cliff diving, and riding rapids sans raft or board - Amazing! Have I used amazing enough in my posts lately?

We didn't head out to Jungle Junction as the video recommends, but I've decided I should ride in a dug out canoe at some point. If I ever make it out to Lake Malawi again, I think I can actually pull that off.

Click here to read more about my Victoria Falls trip.

Victoria Falls: Jumping Into a Waterfall

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Jackson) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 19:35:00 +0000

How does one get to jump into a waterfall - at the top AND not fall over the edge?

Visit the beautiful Victoria Falls in Africa between September and December. Personally, I recommend the Zambian side.

During the dry season the Zambezi River waters are relatively low.

So low that you can actually walk across most of the 1 km wide Upper Zambezi River.

This is where it gets interesting. At the top of the falls an eddy current forms at Devil's pool. The current flows upstream due to the geology of the river and actually appears to lack any current whatsoever. Translation: if you jump into the river at this one spot, you won't be swept over the edge.

So without further a due footage of the craziness that is Devil's Pool.

You may have noticed that I am not in the video. Well, our group opted to have our pictures taken instead, which you can view in this post. But, the above video captures the awesomeness of what we did. We were all a bit surprised the eddy current wasn't more obvious. Which makes you wonder how anyone ever figured it out in the first place. Really, all that is between you and and a 100+ m drop is a couple of feet of rock. Amazing!

Sponsor Welcome: Tiny Prints Review

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Jackson) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 21:23:00 +0000

A big featured welcome to Tiny Prints!

This premier online stationery store carries all sorts of beautiful paper products such as invitations, birth announcements, Christmas cards, and Shutterfly photobooks. I am a fan of their designs and used their services in 2010 to send out my Christmas cards ... from Africa. Tiny Prints even addressed, stamped, and mailed my cards. I have also used their awesome greeting card service to send personalized birthday cards. Tiny Prints has been a huge blessing given that mailings from Malawi take 3-8 weeks to arrive in the United States.

Click here for more Tiny Prints coupon codes.

If you have used Tiny Prints, share your experience in the comments section below. Or if you know someone who could benefit from this service, pass it on.

As always, thank you for your support.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Victoria Falls: The Best Facebook Profile Pic Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Jackson) — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 16:19:00 +0000

Curious as to how one achieves a Facebook profile pic like this?

Step 1: Travel to Livingstone, Zambia or Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe from September to December. Personally, I recommend the Zambian side. I know, this step is probably going to be your greatest obstacle, but Zambia not only has Victoria Falls but also has the best safari park in all of Africa. Really, Zambia NEEDS to make it onto your bucket list.

Step 2: Head out to Livingstone Island through the Royal Livingstone Hotel. Why? Cuz hanging off the edge of Victoria Falls is an organized excursion that you pay for (and can be booked through any lodging).

Step 3: Hop on a boat that ferries you out to Livingstone Island on the upper Zambezi River. Note the spray from the falls and pray your boat engine works and has an anchor. Just kidding (sorta, not really).

Step 4: Enjoy the view.

Step 5: Strike a pose.

The "giddy with excitement" pose.

The "watch Felix, your guide, show you how to gently wade into Devil's Pool" pose.

The "watch your guide NOT jump over the edge" pose.

The "hey - the guide survived and I am soooo doing that" pose.

The "I would NEVER get to do this in the United States" pose.

The "I am not wasting another minute, I am jumping" pose.

The "this is the most awesome thing I've ever done" pose.

The "don't cha wish this was you, sucka" pose.

Step 6: Shimmy to edge of Devil's Pool.

Take a peak.

Get a little closer.

Take a few deep breaths.

Over smile for the camera, cuz now there is even a rainbow. Really!!!

Add in a dramatic pose.

Or, two.

This is living for all it's worth!

What?! How?! - That post is here. Enjoy!

Click here to read more about my Victoria Falls trip.

Support (Almost) Raised

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Jackson) — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 16:33:00 +0000

As many of you know, most missionaries are volunteers and therefore need to raise financial support to fund their ministry. I, of course, am no exception. Today I am excited to announce that another member has joined the finance team. Yippee!!! Really, this is every exciting and deserving of a Snoopy happy dance. So I will say it again. Yippee!!

An animal heel click (we'll pretend that is what is happening) to really drive home the point.

Drum roll please (sorry, no animal photos for this one)....
My middle school and high school science education ministry is 90% fully funded. This even means that my thermometer on the right gets an update.

An additional $125 a month would fully fund this ministry. So close, I can see a victory lap in the future.

To help fully fund this ministry become a member of the finance team by clicking here.

As they say in Malawi - Zikomo! (Thank you)

Teaching in Africa: Unexpected Loss

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Jackson) — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 15:44:00 +0000

We lost one of our third grade students this week. Please keep her family and friends in your thoughts and prayers.

Below is a link to one of my fellow teacher's experience explaining our tragic loss to her students. There is hope in loss.

Teaching in Africa: Unexpected Loss: Yesterday was a very tough day at the academy. I arrived at school to find out that one of the third grade students had passed ...

The New Diggs

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Jackson) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 15:08:00 +0000

To start off the new academic year at ABCCA, I moved into a new home. This is pretty common here on campus. Last year I lived in a home of a family that was on furlough for the year. They have since returned, so I needed a new place. I now live in another home with a new roommate. I am pretty happy with how everything has turned out.

Check out the new diggs.

Our Half of the Duplex

Front Yard - Compliments of Our Neighbors

Bath

Backyard

Kitchen

Back Patio - Great Place For A Cup of Tea

Living Room

Dining Room

Bedroom Closets

My Princess Bed

Making of a Princess Bed

Kids, this is NOT Recommended

I Am Engaged! - The Proposal Story

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Jackson) — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 19:34:00 +0000

Surprise! Seems a bit out of left field, given that I have been living in Africa for the past year, but you never know where life will take you.

Cozy up, cuz this post is a goodie!

I officially decided to move to Malawi in late spring of 2009 and committed to serving as a teacher at ABCCA for two years. I was 31 at the time and getting married and having kids was definitely on my bucket list. However, teaching in Malawi would definitely limit that from happening any time soon, but ~~I prepared to let down my long list of suitors gently~~ I have a track record of embracing unique opportunities that would be near impossible in a relationship. What opportunities were those? Oh, you know, like … I’ll have to think about that one. Truth is, I was everyone’s favorite single gal pal. Traveling the globe for two years when everyone else seemed to think it was time to settle down was totally logical, all things considered. I had wanted to do this for years and now was my chance. I said “I do” to Malawi and off I went. Actually, the big commitment was over a year before the move. Needless to say, a lot can happen in a year.

During the summer of 2009, I met David.

David and I hit it off better than either one of us expected. Seeing that we really enjoyed hanging out with each other, I dropped the “oh BTW I am moving to Africa for two years” bomb on him.. Surprisingly, he stuck around. While we had a great time together that year, I can tell you that our impending separation did complicate things. About a month before my departure we put an official expiration date on our relationship – the day I boarded the plane.

Those first couple of months were a bit tough adapting to a new culture, a new job, a new home, and moving on from a break up, but I knew everything would work out as it should. Ultimately, it was the peace and joy of Christ in me that allowed me to welcome my journey before me.

Ladies and gentleman, I am here to tell you that sometimes absence does makes the heart grow fonder. After a few months, David and I decided to re-evaluate our no relationship plan. Things had been good between us and maybe we could make two years apart work, somehow. To jump start our rekindled relationship, David hopped a plane to Malawi. That’s right! He flew 12,000 miles for over two days to hang out with little ol’ me. We went on safari in Zambia, schlepped through the markets of Lilongwe together, watched countless hours of sitcoms on DVD (Lilongwe isn’t the most exciting place), hiked Mkhoma and he even taught my taught my classes for a couple of days. For three glorious weeks we experienced Africa together.

How about my engagement story? I am getting there. Speaking of which, I am a practical gal and a busy gal that lives 12,000 miles away from her lovely San Diego home. If we were going to have a relationship, I made it very clear that a “bigger commitment” (wink, wink – nudge, nudge) would need to happen in the near future. I was assured that was part of the plan. Yes, I am a brat that ruins surprises. I knew a proposal was on the horizon.

So here we are, summer of 2011 and I am back in the USA. David and I are spending time together, he’s meeting my mid-west based family (ahem, asking my family for their blessing) and he’s making sure we schedule dates together (I had a lot of catching up to do with all my peoples during my short break). On one such date he surprised me with a trip to Palm Springs complete with an aerial tramway ride up Mount San Jacinto.

It’s lovely there overlooking the desert and, being at such a high altitude, much cooler.

We found a lovely spot with a great overlook and David started to set up a romantic picnic, but there were a lot of people near us who were enjoying the view, too.

So, we decided to find another spot to enjoy our picnic lunch. We were having a great time when a family of six plopped down beside us (BTW, plenty of space at this outlook point to spread out). And so we waited, and waited, and they just kept sitting there.

So, we finished our lunch and hiked again. We came across yet another lookout point, but this time it was small enough for us to have a quiet moment together. We were taking in the beautiful scenery and the warm air when it hit me – was this one of those elaborate moments where the guy wants you to think he’s going to propose, but doesn’t? {Sike!} To keep the proposal a total surprise, he later drops to one knee, pretending to tie his shoe, during a TV commercial break and then pops the big question. But, I digress.

While overlooking the desert, in one of my favorite SoCal spots, David dropped to one knee, pulled a ring out, and said some of the most beautiful words I’ve ever heard him say. I’d love to tell you what he said, but I don’t remember. I did manage to NOT look at the ring until he finished sharing his heart and I replied with a resounding “yes.” It was a wonderful day accompanied by a wonderful three stone, round cut, diamond engagement ring.

South Africa: My First Hostel Stay

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Jackson) — Fri, 20 May 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Yep! I, Jen, at the tender young age of 33 finally had my first hostel stay. It's not because I've lived the glam life all these years, it's because I haven't done much in terms of world travel.

This then begins my series on my trip to South Africa over Christmas break. I dug into my savings and had quite the adventure. Before I share my tales of shark cage diving, eating Nile crocodile, and enjoying an afternoon snack while suspended 50 meters in the sky, let me begin by sharing a little about my first hostel stay.

My South African adventure began in the city of Johannesburg (affectionately dubbed Jo'burg). Jo'burg is South Africa's largest and most dangerous city. Needless to say we were cautious in our meanderings through the city, so after scouring the web for a safe and suitable accommodation I decided upon on Shoestrings Airport Lodge.

Granted, it wasn't the Taj Mahal, but...

It was secure.

We had a private room and bath to ourselves, with extra pillow upon request.

And I had a smile on my face after a good night's sleep.

The best features were complimentary Wi-Fi, breakfast, and transport to and from the airport and the Gautrain. Seriously, you can't beat that for $25/person a night. There is even a hotel next door with a great restaurant. We stayed here again for our return trip to Lilongwe. I would highly recommend this place if you find yourself staying overnight in Jo'burg, which is quite common if you do any travel to Southern Africa. Contact Rob for a better rate than the one listed on www.hostelworld.com Needless to say, I am now an official hostel fan.

Lilongwe Wildlife Center: It's not just about the animals.

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Jackson) — Wed, 18 May 2011 16:12:00 +0000

The Lilongwe Wildlife Center is a rehab facility for many sick and injured animals. However, not all the animals treated are capable of surviving in the wild and are used for an educational viewing instead. For our visit we learned that the best time to go is at the end of the day when they feed the animals. Here's what we saw.

A lion.

A large crocodile.

A hyena.

Lots of monkeys.

Enough with the wildlife. This place was great for simply taking in life.

I learned that I was hippo height.

How to call people baboons in Chichewa.

And other helpful phrases.

If you're looking for a cig, try the candy bowl.

I live near (almost) crocodile infested waters. Sweet!

You can find a carport almost anywhere.

For those of you who think the Baby Bjorn is a scam...

Let's just say there is more than one way to ~~wrangle~~ carry a baby.

Loading ABC container #1

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Jackson) — Mon, 16 May 2011 09:35:00 +0000

Every year at least one giant shipping container is sent to Malawi with supplies for the college, academy, clinic, and staff. Curious as to what a container looks like? Check out this post by fellow ABC staffers Jill and Jeremy.

In This Life: Loading ABC container #1: "The warehouse before we started loading! Pretty much everything you see must go! Another view from the other end of the warehouse. ..."

Funny Sign Alert!

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Jackson) — Fri, 13 May 2011 19:44:00 +0000

Car Park (parking lot) at Dedza Pottery .

Reminds me of the poster that states "if you leave your children unattended they will be given an espresso and a puppy."

Packing For Africa: Part 4

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Jackson) — Wed, 11 May 2011 10:00:00 +0000

After having lived in Malawi for almost a year, I think a follow up to my pre-Malawi packing posts is in order. This is a lengthy post primarily for future ABC missionaries, but anyone else who might be interested in how my dutiful packing actually turned out may find this post insightful and maybe a bit entertaining.

I'll begin with the following statement.

Most anything you need CAN be purchased in Lilongwe, BUT...

you may not find what you want when you want/need it so patience is a virtue. If you've got something you need or really enjoy owning, bring it with you.
it's going to cost you. Most goods cost between 50% and 100% more.
made in China is not the same thing as made in China, for Africa. I am still amazed at how often items that don't seem like rocket science to make (like a pencil), don't actually work.

Now for a revision of my first list. Larger items are best if you are sending them on the container. Otherwise, it will be too expensive to put them in your luggage. Mailing items is very expensive and there is a chance they won't make it to your doorstep (maybe someone elses, but no one you would know).

Cookbooks with scratch recipes. I have the Joy of Cooking and Betty Crocker. These didn't make it in my luggage, due to weight restrictions. Honestly, I haven't missed them. The Internet comes in handy for finding recipes (when it's working). I suppose it depends on how serious of a cook you are. Then again, ingredient options are rather limited, rendering most American recipes rather useless.
Clothing for pretty much the entire time I am there. It's hot! You can buy second hand American clothing very cheap. However, new clothing is low quality and comes with a high price tag. This is especially true when considering children's clothing. One missionary had a child's onsie come apart after one washing because it was not stitched but glued together. It gets cold here at night during the dry winter"ish" season. Bring warm clothing, too.
Extra socks and underwear as local detergents are harsh on clothing. True.
Shoes (running, hiking, dress, walking, sandals) With all the rain here, I'm considering buying a pair of Crocs. Most of my shoes stink now. Shoes are probably the most important item to bring as shoes here are very poor quality (and very uncomfortable).
All medicines Absolutely! The over the counter selection is very limited. Consider bringing vitamins, too.
Contact lens cleaner solutions, saline (got to love Costco). Haven't checked to see if this is available anywhere here, but if it is it won't be consistently. Plan ahead.
Toiletries If you have certain items you really prefer, then yes. Otherwise, you can buy shampoo, conditioner, etc. at reasonable prices. Exceptions: expect to pay between $10-$15 for a small can of shaving cream, razors are only single or double blades, and travel sized items are nonexistent. Bring any cosmetics you want, especially if you have fair skin.
Tape – all types (random - apparently not readily available) Mystery solved! This is one of those items that is sold here that doesn't actually work. You can find tape (masking, duct, transparent) here, but it doesn't actually stick. Crazy!
Scissors You could skip.
Batteries and chargers – all types You can buy batteries here, just bring specialty items and chargers.
Flashlight I like my small Maglight but you can buy flashlights here.
Camera This is one item I wish I would have spent more money on. I've never taken so many pictures and videos before.
Teaching Supplies (that's a whole other list) Most classrooms are pretty well equipped. Highly recommend dry erase markers and mechanical pencils.
Sunglasses, glasses, extra glasses (good thing my prescription has not changed in the last decade). Yep.
Stamps Haven't used mine yet, but if you need something mailed in the U.S. it helps whomever is carrying it back for you to have postage paid already.
Laptop, printer Both are a must. Include extra ink. Academy printers don't always work, so if you're a teacher this becomes a necessity if you create your own lessons. On the other hand, many teachers don't have a printer and figure out a way to deal. I suppose it really is a personal preference.
Smoke detector Houses do have them, don't bring.
Water filters Initially helps with the taste of the water, but you do get used to it. The houses all have special antimicrobial filters.
Head lamp – power outages average 3X/week Still recommend. However, power outages are almost daily and usually only last 10 minutes or so till the generator kicks on. Note: this only applies if you live on campus. Power outages can last an hour or a whole day otherwise.
Reusable containers, towels, napkins, bags Plastic containers are pretty decent here, towels can be purchased, napkins made (cheaply), and bags can be purchased, too.
One piece swimsuit (prefer one that isn't scary ugly) A tankini is completely acceptable and a bikini is fine in some places, too.
Book day costume (Halloween type costume) I'd ordered one but it didn't arrive on time. I was lame to not have one nor was I really equipped for a make shift costume either. This event is a big deal. There is also International Day. A patriotic themed costume is fun for that. Note: dressing like a pilgrim is a bit frowned upon given the issues with "pilgrims" to South Africa. The use of a costume really only applies to academy staff and students.
Mosquito repellent You can buy that here, but packets or travel sized bottles come in handy while traveling.
Spices Lots of spices here but limited seasoning packets (and they're very expensive if you do find them). Consider bringing taco seasoning and parmesan cheese.
Good hair cutting scissors (nervous about what this implies J) Don't bother. You can get a good and inexpensive haircut here from a few places.
Chocolate chips (~~very expensive~~) Try nonexistent. Bring them. Even if you're not a chocolate addict, sometimes you want something that "tastes like America."
Electric kitchen appliances Depends on your level of cooking expertise. You can find them here.
A good pot and pan (quality is hard to find) You can buy decent pots and pans here now. Then again, if you're a serious cook, you may want to consider bringing them.
Water bottle/thermos bring a leak proof water bottle, coffee thermos, and I would recommend a CamelPak too if you're into hiking. You'll drink way more water here.

Other Items to Consider

Towels and Bedding - This may depend on where you are living. The people that lived in your home before you may have left linens behind and you can use theirs. Contact ABC to see if this applies to you. If nothing was left behind you may want to consider bringing your own. When you arrive after two to three days of travel all you're really going to be interested in doing is showering and sleeping. You probably won't be up for a trip to the bank to exchange money and then shopping for overpriced linens. The other option would be to see if you can borrow this stuff till you can purchase it. I brought my own, but I wouldn't call it necessary. Again, planning is everything here.
Travel sized items & travel friendly clothing - Given that you're in Africa you'll probably want to do some travel while you're here. You'll want a bag that can't fit under your seat on a bus and doesn't have to be checked on an airplane (roll aboards - almost always get checked now). The issue being that if the bag isn't in your possesion, count on someone rifling through it (even if there is a lock on it). Theft is highly likely if you travel through Johannesburg (a.k.a. Joburg). Don't put anything valuable in a checked bag. You can't buy travel sized items here, so stock up (at least on the containers). Quick drying/multipurpose clothing (so you can wash it in a sink) that can be squashed in a bag is ideal.
DVD's - so this genius thought she could download tv shows and movies to her computer to save space in her bag. hahahahahahahahah. Ha! Have I mentioned that the Internet connection here is slow?! A three minute YouTube video can take 3 hours to play. Music and podcasts take awhile to download (but tolerable). The good news is that many people here have a lot of movies, but not much for TV shows. Maybe recommending someone bring DVD's is a bit for my own benefit, but I've got a stash to lend out, too.
Games - Good times when you probably won't have a TV with a satellite subscription.
ebook Reader - This is definately optional, but you may find that once in awhile you actually will have time to read a book. Granted there a quite a few theological books on campus to read, but you may appreciate something from another genre now and then. You can download books to your computer and the Kindle app is great for that. I have a Sony ebook reader that I really DON'T recommend. While the Sony eReader is a bit cheaper than the Kindle (hence the reason I got it), the books cost more, there isn't as much of a selection to choose from, and many can't be downloaded outside of the U.S. If you're going to do this then I suggest the Kindle. Many staff members here have one and love it.
Speakers - I threw a compact stereo onto the container last year and have really enjoyed having good sound. If that is not an option for you, I would recommend speakers that plug into your USB port on your laptop and run off of power from your computer.
Mobile phone - If you have a mobile phone that you love, you can bring it and probably have it unlocked (this may limit your ability to use it in the U.S. again). This is assuming that your SIM card is accessible. I know that some Droid and Palm phones don't have accessible SIM cards, however, SIM cards can be cut to fit the iPhone. Otherwise, a new (ancient style) phone, will run about $20 (heard of these but never seen one for sale) - $60 (more likely).
Compact umbrella - It rains a lot and having a small umbrella that can be stashed in a purse or bag helps. You can buy large ones here that double as canes if need be. (What? You don't need a cane! Bring a compact umbrella then).
Travel packets of hand wipes/hand sanatizer/tissues/mosquito repellent - Sanitation isn't the same here and I haven't seen these items for sale.
Cups and coffee mugs - Cups and mugs tend to be small here (I feel like I am drinking from shot glasses and teacups). This is really a personal preference and more realistically a very American preference. I brought a bigger coffee mug and love it. I will be schlepping another larger mug back with me and larger drinking glasses (acrylic). Sometimes more is more (and better).
Long shower curtain and liner - curtain rods tend to sit a bit high around here. I have heard others note that their shower curtains don't even make it to the height of the tub, leaving quite a mess in the bathroom.
Over the shoulder bag - While I don't feel like people are out to grab my purse, I definately felt more comfortable with an over the shoulder bag when I first got here. The largest bill is only worth $3 and only a few places accept cards. Your going to feel like you just robbed a bank with the amount of cash you'll carry with you and it takes awhile to get used to.
Bibles - Bring your favorite study Bible and a smaller Bible as you'll be bringing it to various events. Those that have brought only a small Bible, to save space for packing, wished they would have brought a larger study Bible, too.

Stuff to forget about.

Binders (and sheet protectors) - I brought them to organize all my files, assignments, etc. Paper is A4 here so a standard binder is just not big enough.

You could absolutely bring only a carry-on and purchase some version of most things you appreciate here. Your American life won't translate no matter how much you bring and that is all part of what makes the experience great. Everything mentioned above is just a suggestion to make your stay in Malawi a bit more comfortable, but you'll be fine without those items. After all, they are just things and don't we all have enough stuff? Additionally, just getting off of an airplane with a carry on is going to make you far richer than most of the citizens of Malawi anyway. Living in Malawi makes you realize how most of what you own isn't really all that important and that you were probably more materialistic than you ever would have noticed otherwise. Granted we are humans and our desire for stuff, comfort, and luxuries doesn't really ever subside, but living here has helped to keep the materialistic side of me in check.

Feel free to email me through my contact page if you have any questions.

ABC peeps share your thoughts and suggestions in the comments section. What do the ABC newbs need to know?

Read more about packing to live in Malawi at the following posts.

Packing For Africa: Part 1
Packing For Africa: Part 2
Packing For Africa: Part 3

P.S. For those of you who read part 2 and are wondering if I wore a fanny pack {shudder}, the answer is no, no, and more no.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Gardening - Malawian Style

noreply@blogger.com (Jennifer Jackson) — Mon, 09 May 2011 17:30:00 +0000

I am going to get a bit morbid for a second, so bear with me ... this all turns out okay in the end. Have you ever heard those stories of massacres in Africa in which hundreds or thousands of people are slaughtered with machetes? If you're like me you may have wondered why in the world would someone have a machete. Let alone the notion that many people have machetes.

After living in Malawi for about a day, you immediately solve the mystery.

Machetes are ....

wait for it....

Catch that?

Precision Gardening Tools

In a place with consistent fuel shortages and a lack of access to power tools, let alone power gardening tools, gardeners use machetes to trim edges, and sickles to cut grass. Most of the grass on campus is trimmed by gas or electric movers, but there are no weed whackers for trimming edges and hard to mow areas.

Where does one buy such precision gardening tools? The markets. Most machetes put Crocodile Dundee's "this is a knife" famous tag line to shame. Admittedly, it's quite intimidating to see people walking around with giant knives.

Anyone seen this before elsewhere?