Tuesday's Village Visit and photos from our MCM days

We have spent four days in Malawi thus far and each day has been so special.  Each of our teams is going out once this week for an authentic village visit.  Much like the hospital, these visits are hard and heart-breaking.

I joined Auntie Debbie's team yesterday where we drove for a while and then walked in on a path (through the long grass) to meet Delia and her daughter, Stella.  Delia is probably in her seventies and is HIV positive.  She is not well, but cares for three small grandchildren as her daughter died, and her son-in-law ran away with another woman.  They welcomed us like royalty laying down grass mats and plastic bags for us to sit on in front of their mud brick shack.  They shared a little about their daily lives and we asked them about their challenges on a daily basis....and were quieted and humbled as a result.  This dear lady has experienced a failed harvest which means they will only have about 3 bags of maize (a three month supply of food instead of about 12-15 bags).  She and the children sleep on the mud floor on plastic bags as their mats have fallen apart and their one and only blanket is torn.  She covers the children and herself with a piece of fabric.  In spite of this, she started by saying that in spite of challenges and hardships she is so grateful to God for taking care of her grandchildren and allowing them to be part of the MCM feeding program.  Our last question was initially going to be to ask what these women dream about, yet it was an impossible question to ask as dreams are not part of one's reality when one is striving to survive moment by moment.  Our students have been impacted by these visits and we all leave wanting to know how best we can make a difference.

The team is working so well together.  They are constantly in demand by the kids at MCM, wanting to play a variety of games and they are throwing themselves into the tutoring program and doing a great job as teachers!  Here are some more photos from our MCM days ...