Many of you already know we lost Vitumbiku, a freshmen, to cerebral malaria last week. On Sunday, there was a funeral service at the outdoor Academy chapel. As you might expect, malaria is very common here, but ABC has never lost a student to malaria. This is a devastating loss for our community. Malaria is preventable and usually very treatable. Please pray for us as we support the students and also process this sadness.
Vitu was on the volleyball team, and his teammates wore matching black ABC t-shirts in his honor. About a fourth of the students jumped onto the back of flatbed trucks to escort the body from the hospital morgue to the campus. ABC rented his family a small bus, and when the funeral was over, they placed the casket between the seats where his family sat for the 7 hour ride north to Mzuzu,Vitu's home.
We're living in the "already but not yet." Vitu was a believer and is now in the presence of Jesus. We have great comfort in that. Yet we are eager for the day when Christ will make everything new, and death will be no more.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
Breaking the law
I'm glad I wasn't driving!!
A little note from Connie (My next door neighbor): Just in case you’re wondering, it’s illegal to turn left (we drive on the left side of the road here) on a red robot (traffic light). Um, especially not wise in front of a bunch of policemen. They could chase you down in their truck (who knew? – there are very few police cars) and pull you over and take you to the area 3 police place to pay a MK5000 fine ($28), EVEN IF you didn’t know it was illegal, cuz guess what? It still is! And even if you are in a hurry to get back in time to teach your English class, you shouldn’t be in THAT much of a hurry. And guess what else, if you sweet talk the policeman who climbs in the back of your van to “take you” to the area 3 police station cuz his friends in the truck have somewhere else to go apparently, and he tries to help you find a zippity quick parking place once you get there, it does NOT mean that the police “king” of THAT little parking area of 10 cars will let you park there and so you have to go to the other parking lot where the police “king” of THAT little place will NOT let you park, but you have to go to the first place even when you tell him you can’t cuz that king told you “no” so you go to HIS second choice, you should be careful not to run your van front end over a hidden in the tall grass cement block and crunch it down hard…cuz that would sound terrible and almost make you lose it… And then the nice policeman could be waiting to write your ticket zippity quick cuz you told him you hoped you could get back in time and is there ANY way he could help you?? And so wouldn’t it be funny if while he was helping you he handed you his ticket book to hold while you followed him to the guy with the receipt book…and then Jessica might call her husband and tell him, “CJ got arrested and we are at the police station and we hope we can get back for her class.” And then on the way out the nice policeman could joke with his friends in Chichewa that he was marrying Jessica and we wouldn’t even stop to file a sexual harassment thingy. Wouldn’t all that be something? : )
A little note from Connie (My next door neighbor): Just in case you’re wondering, it’s illegal to turn left (we drive on the left side of the road here) on a red robot (traffic light). Um, especially not wise in front of a bunch of policemen. They could chase you down in their truck (who knew? – there are very few police cars) and pull you over and take you to the area 3 police place to pay a MK5000 fine ($28), EVEN IF you didn’t know it was illegal, cuz guess what? It still is! And even if you are in a hurry to get back in time to teach your English class, you shouldn’t be in THAT much of a hurry. And guess what else, if you sweet talk the policeman who climbs in the back of your van to “take you” to the area 3 police station cuz his friends in the truck have somewhere else to go apparently, and he tries to help you find a zippity quick parking place once you get there, it does NOT mean that the police “king” of THAT little parking area of 10 cars will let you park there and so you have to go to the other parking lot where the police “king” of THAT little place will NOT let you park, but you have to go to the first place even when you tell him you can’t cuz that king told you “no” so you go to HIS second choice, you should be careful not to run your van front end over a hidden in the tall grass cement block and crunch it down hard…cuz that would sound terrible and almost make you lose it… And then the nice policeman could be waiting to write your ticket zippity quick cuz you told him you hoped you could get back in time and is there ANY way he could help you?? And so wouldn’t it be funny if while he was helping you he handed you his ticket book to hold while you followed him to the guy with the receipt book…and then Jessica might call her husband and tell him, “CJ got arrested and we are at the police station and we hope we can get back for her class.” And then on the way out the nice policeman could joke with his friends in Chichewa that he was marrying Jessica and we wouldn’t even stop to file a sexual harassment thingy. Wouldn’t all that be something? : )
Friday, March 4, 2011
February Photos
K is for Kite
The Chipiku bag was a nice try, but this kite didn't fly
T is for terrible two!
This one flies
Front yard fun
Mr. Peacock and JJ avoid snakes in the field while flying the kite.
Intro to Music Education-Taritta and Rachel
Esther, Abusa Saka, and Viscia work on their composition
Foster, Harry and Gabriel learning solfa.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
A Week
Steelers Lost
The kids are on day 6 of a really bad virus
... but we saw a beautiful reminder of God's promise in the midst of it all.
"No, God's war bow was not pointing down at his people. It was pointing up, into the heart of Heaven"-Llyod-Jones
Please pray for us this week.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
wild
Snails-Snakes-N'gumbi-All appear with the rainy season. N'gumbi are flying termites that rise out of the ground in plague like style after the first serious rain. They lose their wings within minutes and then crawl around until a Malawian fries it for dinner. Georgia loves the ngumbi. She didn't eat one, but licked a few!
A few days ago there was a lot of shouting in our neighbor's yard. Their gardener had discovered a mamba. Most Malawians call every snake a mamba. We did some research and it was legitimate. None the less-95 percent of all snakes here are poisonous. Thankful that our children who play outside all day everyday have yet to meet a snake.
ngumbi crawling in the bottom of the pot
ngumbi wings shed on our porch
resident lizard
almost ate one
Jonathan did!
A few days ago there was a lot of shouting in our neighbor's yard. Their gardener had discovered a mamba. Most Malawians call every snake a mamba. We did some research and it was legitimate. None the less-95 percent of all snakes here are poisonous. Thankful that our children who play outside all day everyday have yet to meet a snake.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Christmas Wa Bwino 2010
Merry Christmas!
We consider it a great privilege to be in Africa at this time serving with ABC. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We are truly grateful to those of you who so faithfully pray for our physical and spiritual well being.
One of our favorite carols begins:
We consider it a great privilege to be in Africa at this time serving with ABC. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We are truly grateful to those of you who so faithfully pray for our physical and spiritual well being.
One of our favorite carols begins:
"Thou who was rich beyond all measure, all for love's sake becamest poor."
Thankful for a Savior who entered into the suffering of His people to bring His great promise of eternal comfort.
Love
the Robsons
(the required family christmas photo)
classic Georgia Mae
JJ
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