I Get Around...

Wednesday mornings there is a buzz in our home, and Benson inquires (as he does most mornings) “Are we going to town today?”, but on this morning, on Wednesday morning, we answer “YES!”. We gather the diaper bag, the snacks, the empty grocery bags for market, our bag of extra clothes, swimmers, and Huddy's tent and we load into our Toyota Landcruiser Prado.Maxwell opens the gate and we fumble around to find our driving music.

Once the ipod is connected the music starts to flow and I hear the beach boys telling me,

“I get around

Get around round round I get around

From town to town

Get around round round I get around...”

I begin to think about the lyrics as I watch villagers streaming down the mission road, this morning I pay attention to the loads they are carrying on their heads. Some are balancing bananas, maize, fire wood, suitcases, casava, avocados and hoes, while others have equally heavy loads, but also have a baby tied to their back.

There are men (mostly men, but some few women) who ride bicycles. I watch as one man comes cruising down the road, and nearly falls off his bike when he swerves to avoid a massive pothole. I remember someone telling me how impressed they were with how much control the Africans have over their bike – especially when most bikes are completely bent at the frame, wheels, etc

(road works, dug out by hand, and still not filled in)

As we take the turn to the right at “Come Again” Ryan lays on the horn to communicate with a mini bus driver who has forgotten the road was made to share. The trip to Blantyre is dotted with many mini bus vans, each carrying at capacity a load of people (16-20 people per Toyota Hiace van) and katundu (luggage). Bungy cords are used frequently to expand the trunk capabilities of these vehicles, and the fine at the police check points is no discouragement for this practice. These van buses are the vein of Malawian transport. You can catch a bus at Malamulo and ride it to Blantyre for a mere 500MK – or $3US. They will stop wherever you want them to stop on the way, (including in the middle of road), they drive fast and will get to you to town in 1-1 ½ hours. The are a run about option while in town, or for extended trips up to the lake, Mt Mulanje and surrounding countries

(The Thyollo road is peppered with tractors, mostly in use by the Tea Estates)

(we call this truck, "the Banana truck", people piled up on banana leaves)

(I'm guessing this truck had more than 100 people in the bed)

(I'm not sure I would want to ride the bus with the motto, "Nothing But Prayers")

("QUICK PASS DRIVING SCHOOL" the name says it all)

Driving alongside a mini bus in town is an artful roll of the dice, if you give them too much space, you will be stuck waiting for all the vans to merge, but if you get too close, they are likely to bump you. If I were a mini bus driver I would have to adopt the phraze, “no shame, no gain”, as common motoring courtesies are thrown to the wind in an effort to pick up more, travel faster and get in front. I imagine I would also carry a “spare horn” along with my spare tyre and wrench set, since it would be terrible to be without one.

(When your chickens don't fit in the van, just give them a little fresh air!)

(The trunk is tied with cord)

While 80% of Malawi is Christian, and a mere 13% muslim, judging by the mini bus advertisements, one would never know. I would guess a 50/50 split if all I had to go on was what slogan was sprayed across the bumpers. Here is a sample of some of the words written on these vans:

“ALLAH IS GOD” to which the Christians replied on their mini bus, “GOD IS GOD”

“PSALMS 103” and on the back of the same bus, “IT'S A TESTIMONY”

“GOD IS GREAT”, matched by , “ALLAH IS GREAT”

“ALLAH KNOWS”, and probably as a retort “GOD KNOWS EVERYTHING”

“FEAR GOD”, “WITH GOD FOREVER”, “ALLAH IS THE ONE TRUE GOD”, “IF GOD SAYS YES WHO CAN SAY NO?” and many many more.

As I watch people moving around Malawi, I notice that each person is an individual vendor, carrying what is most important to them on their person and ready to sell at a moments notice. A 4am drive one morning revealed hard working villagers walking the road to sell bananas at a town where trucks come to by them. There were 20-30 individuals with bananas each vying for a sale. Ladies walk around town with a plethora of goods on their head, hoping to exchange them for kwacha. Kids hang fried fish and samosa type triangles out on the road and yell and wave to get our attention.

I watch a lady load a bucket of bananas on her head with the help of her friend. I watch her walk and balance the goods. I remember that walking is her mode of transportation. I am grateful for my car.

Driving home from Blantyre I see a small girl, maybe 2 yrs old. She is carefully balancing a small bundle of firewood on her head, learning, watching her mother who walks alongside with a large wood pile on her head. We slow down, wave and I gesture to the mother that I am amused to see her daughter carrying a load. We exchange a friendly smile, I see her face light up and she laughs. The verse, “teach a child in the way she should go...” comes to mind, and I think about sitting on my Daddy's lap and pretending to drive the car, about how I grew up in such a different culture than this young girl. But even though we have differences, we share laughter and the richness of the heart is not measured by what we have but by how we choose to live. “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart;and you shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

(visiting Ryan in the corridor by his office)

(Visiting Samson's village for Church where Ryan was asked to preach)

(The Augustin's joined us for a trip to Cape Maclear, Lake Malawi)

(A boat ride at Lake Malawi, where we saw fish up close and a fish eagle swooping down to pluck fish from the water just meters from our boat)