"It's a Big Frank breakfast day" Jerry thinks to himself as he opens the pantry door. He pushes aside some Saucettes, Linketts, and Chilli and looks desperately for the can of Big Franks he has stored on the shelf. He raises both eyebrows, puzzled as to where the Big Franks could have gone....
In it's place on the shelf, he finds a note: "Dear Jerry, it's too hot and dusty this time of year, so I have gone on vacation. Don't worry I will be back soon..." Signed, "Big Frank"
Bewildered and slightly annoyed Jerry flicks on his TV, where 3ABN is broadcasting breaking news of "The Roaming Big Frank"...
Newscaster: "Join us as we follow the adventures of "Big Frank" and his letters to his friend Jerry Daly"...
Jerry can't believe what is happening...but he is curious so he keeps watching...
..."Dear Jerry, I hope you're not missing me too much. It's so nice and cool on Zomba Plateau in July. Last night we had enjoyed a roaring fire in the fireplace, and this morning we rode horses in the mountains." Signed, "Big Frank"
"Dear Jerry, today we drove into Liwonde National Park in Malawi. More to follow..."
"Oh Jerry - can you believe I was SO close to wild elephants!! Sometimes we got too close and I had to calm down so I didn't flip my lid!"
"Jerry, the best way to view elephants, hippos and crocs is from a riverboat. Check out this guy munching on the branches at the river's edge!"
"Dear Jerry, I do hope you're not missing me terribly as today I ventured to Cape Maclear, Lake Malawi. I took a sunset boat ride on 'Nirvana', swam with cichlids, sunbaked on the beach and drank orange fanta to my heart's content..."
"Can you believe how beautiful it is here at the lake Jerry!? I like the view from Chimwemwe lodge looking towards Thumbi island. Some-days I think I could stay here forever...."
"Well Jerry, I did have to leave the lake and thought I might pop right open as we traveled on the bumpiest road I've ever seen, the GPS said it was Tarmac, (but every time I looked out the window I just saw pieces of tarmac and a whole lot of dirt and pot holes...) - until we arrived in a village called 'Makwasa'..."
"Jerry - the people are really nice here. Although I'm not sure why they keep calling out 'Azungu' whenever I go past...it's like they recognize that I'm a foreigner..."
"I walked through the village to chat with some folks and they showed me how to live without power and running water - can you imagine Jerry!?"
"Jerry, I don't know if you have ever seen where TEA comes from?...but I have! I went to Thyolo Mountain one day on Satemwa Tea Estate. I watched the workers plucking tea and throwing it into a basket on their backs. The tea fields were so lovely Jerry..."
"And Jerry - if you look closely between the trees, you can even see Mt Mulanje from the picnic spot. The tallest mountain in central Africa! Oh Jerry, I don't know how I will come home after this..."
"I've made some pretty cool friends on my trips J-man. These guys really love me, I mean REALLY LOVE ME!!! They like me for just being me! It's incredible...."
"If there was only enough of me to go around, I think I would hang out with these guys EVERY DAY...J-sauce, these dudes like me anyway I come...plain, in a blanket, hot or cold...they are really not picky at all..."
"J-meister - there was alot of hype about a certain hospital that was nearby, so I made a trip to check it out...maybe you know what I am talking about? Something about the Adventists' oldest mission hospital in Africa...and something about training people to be health workers...oh, a college! yes, a hospital and a college! And I think I saw some badges on a few white coats that said, "Loma Linda". And that made me think of you Jerry."
"I took a bit of a tour around...but wasn't allowed in the operating room because the people that work in there get kind of uptight about this thing called 'sterile field" or something like that...anyway Jerry, the other white coats were all content to let me hang out..."
"My buddies were happy to show me around..."
"Jerry, I really started to feel like part of the family...."
"But you know JD, all good things eventually run out...so I guess I better get home soon. I really hope you're not mad with me, and I have so much more to tell you about when I get back. The villagers all thought this hospital that had the Loma Linda badges running around was a pretty neat thing. Something about people from where you live sending money so that people from where they live can have free life saving surgeries!? Anyways, I wasn't really sure about all the details, but thought you would like to know that Loma Linda branding is everywhere over Malawi...just when you think you're in the middle of the bush, the Loma Linda name surfaces...on coats, on papers, even on cans..."
"Um...Jerry, change of plans. Flight has been cancelled. Don't take it personally, you and I have always been 'open' with each other, so let me just tell you, I won't be coming home." Big Frank.
A few of the Malamulo/BAH missionaries...
.JPG)
"Dear Jerry and team at AHI/GHI,
please know that ALL the missionaries here in Malawi have been nourished and re-energized by your generous donations of Loma Linda 'nutritional supplements'. Thank you to each one who thought of, purchased and shipped these precious morsels of delicious goodness!!"
No comments:
Post a Comment