Our last day at Victoria Falls, December 10th, 2006
It was to be an easy day as nothing was planned. We asked Becky and Katie if they wanted to go with us but they just wanted to hang around the pool. We decided to go off on our own. We went back to Victoria Falls, we still had our entrance ticket from the day before and we wondered if they would let us in, they did. Yesterday we were on the opposite side of the fall, we decided to walk on the other side of the fall where the water was coming from. We saw a young couple with a guide passed us and Alan said they are going to cross the fall to Livingston Island. Guides are all around as we entered to get business, they charge $25 US to take people to the island and back. We watched them and saw how they crossed and then Alan asked me what do you want to do, and I said I want to cross the falls. So he said “Let’s go”. It was an experience I will not forget. I had to take off my sandals and walk along the edge of the dam, under the water there is a concrete slab and I imitated the people who crossed and walking side ways, moving my right foot and then my left foot, one leg at a time, very carefully as I am walking against the currents of water. At the middle of the fall the currents were very strong and there were moments when I was scared, but Alan was holding my hand all the time, and it looked to me that he was having a hard time crossing in the water, at one point he took off his shoes and I think that was not a good idea and he put them back on. When we got through this part of the fall we got on land and we were able to walk bare footed, most times we had to cross shallow water, there was one part where it was too deep for me to walk across and to my surprise Alan carried me upside down over his shoulders. We went about as far as we wanted to and after there was not much else to see we decided to turn back. The trip back was faster as now we were just tracing back our steps. An African man was watching us as we safely crossed the falls again and he looked at me and shaked his head and I just gave him a wave and a smile.
We walked back to the Market place and I sat down for a drink and a rest and Alan went to find a victim. He talked to one vendor, Steven, who became very interested in what Alan was saying and he invited us to visit his village that afternoon. AT 1.15 our tour driver picked us up and we were back at camp for lunch.
At 2.30 we left the camp again this time on our own, Alan thought we might get a taxi but they were charging us double to get a taxi, they said the taxi had to come here to pick us up so they have to charge double. This was at the gate of the camp site and Alan told the guards there, a woman and a couple of men, that we would not have to get a taxi because God will provide our transport. The lady told us that we would have to wait a long time! But we started walking out of the campsite. We said a little prayer to God to please help us get transport. Just about 5 minutes walk a car left the camp and as he passed us he stopped. He asked us where we were going and he told us he was going that way and could drop us there. So our God-sent driver dropped us at Victoria Falls where we were going to meet Steven. Alan gave this driver something for his afford. Steven took us by taxi to his village, Makuni village. We walked around Makuni village and it was such a nice village, there were many mango trees everywhere. Not that this is unusual because we see mango trees all over Africa when we are driving along the road. But here the mango trees are in a different setting. We passed a hut next to a mango tree that had ripe mangos and Steven went over and asked the owner if we could have mangos and they gave each of us one. So we walked on eating our mangos. Do you know how they eat mangoes? They just bite off the skin and eat everything! We met Steven’s wife and we took pictures with them in front of their house. They have two little boys. This village impressed us very much. It was clean and well organized. We saw the clinic they have for pregnant women and we walked to the town where their market was. Steven took us to see his grand-mother who was sick. We went into the hut to pray for her. We gave her some candies and she held on to them. We got a taxi to take us back to the camp for dinner.
After dinner we were walking back to our tent and someone shouted to us and said “I now believe” and alan and I were trying to understand what he was saying, then he told us, remember this afternoon at the gate, I was there, you told the guard, God will provide you the transport …and then, we remembered. We were so happy that what happened was a witness to him. You see, you never know that whatever you do, somewhere, somehow, God is doing something in someone.
Our visit to Hope Village Malawi
Wednesday, Dec. 13th, 2006, we took the bus to Blantyre from Lilongwe and had arranged for Les to pick us up at 2.30 p.m. They took us to their club for a late lunch. Then they had to do their grocery shopping and we paid the bill as a blessing to them. It was an hour ride back to Malawi Village. My first impression on arrival is how hot it was. I didn’t remember it being like this.
We were taken to our room, and we left our bags as Alan wanted to see the orphans right away, we went to the first orphanage house and they were very happy to see Alan. In this house I met Tina for the first time, this is Alena’s little girl, the girl that was pregnant on our first visit here in October 2004. Tina is now one and a half years old.
Thursday, the next day Alan had woken up early and went to the morning prayer meeting. Later that morning, we walked around the village, took pictures of Les’ house which was almost finished, and then we went to Esther and Dave’s house, a couple from Holland now working with Les at the village, they have completed their house with Dave having worked with the builders to have it done quickly. We also went to the clinic, which is at present where Chris, the nurse, lives. Chris is also building her house which is close by, next to Les’ house. I cannot imagine living here and perhaps that is why they have to build such nice houses, with air-conditioners, to be able to live here.
It was very hot and we took morning and afternoon showers. Later in the evening we visited the second orphanage house and the children there all remembered Alan. They were very happy to see him again.
On Friday Alan was invited to speak at the morning prayer meeting. I joined the children at the afternoon daily program and taught them the song again and took pictures.
On Saturday, our last day here, we got a ride with the family to town as they needed to go do all their Christmas shopping and errands. We went our way, walking around town and then I played “bow” with the guards of an office building as I was too tired to walk any more. Alan left me there as he walked around some more. In the evening we all went to the Sucoma sugar estate club for dinner. It was a long wait for our food, and then on the way home we had a flat tire. It looked very much that someone purposely placed something on the road to cause it, someone was waiting to help us! But the men knew what to do. The tire was changed and by now Josh was vey ill and they wanted to take him to a hospital for a blood test as Chris, the nurse suspected that Josh might have caught malaria. So they drove to the hospital and we looked for the nurse on duty. It was pithced dark but Chris and I made our way to where the night nurse was. She said she had to call for the technician to do the blood test and we waited a good while to have this done. Finally someone arrived, the test was done and we went home.So it was a very trying time for all.
On Sunday we woke up early even though we slept very late last night, it was just too hot. Because Josh was not well we didn’t go to church as was planned. So we spent the morning just taking it easy, packed and said goodbye to the orphans and to everybody. Les and Jonathan and David took us to the airport. Our flight was delayed, this was sort of expected, so they left us at the airport and we finally left Blantyre at 5.20 p.m. after spending most of the afternoon there.
It was a good visit, we were glad to see the orphans at Hope Village again and to see how well they are all doing.
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