Merry Christmas and Happy 2014!

Well, Advent is over, the new year has come, the 12 Days of Christmas have passed, the celebration of the 3 kings (or wise men, aka Ephiphany) coming to visit the young child Jesus is here and we have yet to wish you a merry Christmas! 

Thanks to some friends, we had a "Malawian" Christmas tree this year! 
It was twice as tall, but we had to cut it down and used the greens for
the final Advent wreath and decorating around the house - very fun!

So, Merry Christmas!  We have thought of you often through this season of preparing for the celebration of Christ’s birth.  We’ve thought of the snow many of you enjoyed (or despised), the gatherings held at our home churches, the decorations you shared with us through pictures on Facebook or via email or postal mail.  We’ve enjoyed receiving your Christmas cards and newsletters (always beginning with my Aunt Angie and Uncle Dave – never to be beat!).  And we treasured the time we got to Skype with both Jonathan’s and my families as well!

Christmas was different this year.  We’ve been here a year and a half and are getting into the rhythm of the tropical climate, etc.  The Jesse Tree was something new in our household this year, centering our thoughts throughout the season on God’s love and promises throughout the history of the world, culminating on Christmas day with the arrival of Jesus on earth. 

Jesse Tree Ornaments

Our First Jesse Tree

This brief daily devotional walked us through the symbols of the Jesse Tree for this year.  The kids loved being able to hold the ornaments while we read and taking turns hanging them on our tree!  I enjoyed making them and may add some finishing touches to them as the years go on, but for the first year, they were quite sufficient!

Stump of Jesse, world, apple & snake, Noah's ark, Abram's tent & camel

TOP: Isaac's cradle, Jacob's ladder, Abraham's sacrifice (ram) [should
be switched with ladder], 10 commandments, Rahab's red rope
BOTTOM: Grain gleaned by Ruth, Samuel's horn of anointing oil,
Elijah's altar to God, Queen Esther's scepter, Hand of the
prophets (used instead of rose)

 

TOP: Wolf and Lamb, Jonah's big fish, Daniel and the lion's den,
Bethlehem, Zechariah & Elizabeth
BOTTOM: John the Baptist (instead of baptismal shell),
Mary's heart for God, Joseph's tools,
Sandals for Joseph & Mary's journey to Bethlehem,
Star of Bethlehem

We (especially I) have become more involved in our church home here in Blantyre (Blantyre Community Church) while Jonathan remains available to preach at BIC churches when called upon.  In addition to being on the Sunday school teacher rotation, one way I’ve begun to participate in church life is through assisting with planning worship.  Since I am so passionate about Advent, I offered some ideas this year.  As many of you know, when you offer ideas, you’re likely to do them...although it took a lot of energy, I really enjoyed offering myself in these ways!

Advent Wreath & Children’s Talks

Advent wreath on Christmas Day

Lighting the central Christ candle on Christmas morning!

Scripture Through Symbols 

With each Bible reading of the Christmas story throughout the
Christmas Day service, a child brought up a symbol to represent
that part of the story:
1: Hand of the prophets pointing to Jesus' coming
2: Luke 1:26-33 Angel visiting Mary
3: Luke 2:1-7  Jesus' birth
4: Luke 2:8-16  Angels visiting shepherds who visited Jesus
5:  John 1:10-18  Jesus among us today! (pictures of people at BCC)

Symbols of Advent (a mobile)

Having just moved to a new meeting space, we thought it'd
be neat to utilize the 3 flights of stairs up to the sanctuary!
A new ring with symbols and words for that week of Advent was
added each week - not pictured is the final Christmas ring.
(granted, much more interesting in person)

A close-up of the first week of Advent's ring:
Symbols: Stump of Jesse, Angel visiting Mary, First candle
on the Advent wreath, Hand of the prophets
Words: God's Plan, Hope, Promised One, Expectation

It is a joy for me to help people understand the Biblical story, not only through the written Scriptures, but also through visual representations and songs.  Children are especially known for catching ideas through visuals, but they can be very powerful in the midst of the fast-paced demands of adult life, too.  So, even when things are done in the name of the kids, adults can glean a lot as well! 

Some may call it too “high-church” or too reminiscent of a certain tradition, but honestly, I just find it downright useful in understanding the reason why we celebrate Christmas.  It pulls me back to the center of Christ, God’s love given to us, how the whole story of history is knit together by our heavenly Father and how much He sought to save us – and still does!

Continue living God's story!

Advent 2013

It is hard to believe that we are halfway through Advent 2013!  I have "written" many blogposts in my head, but regretfully have not gotten them down on "paper" to share with you in the past few months.

We've begun to decorate our tree!  Rachel is much more interested this year
and enjoyed trying to fit as many ornaments on one branch as she could!

As we did last year, we wanted to share with you some of our family traditions.  One distinct part of my Advent experience every year up until we moved to Malawi was that of helping out with my family’s Christmas tree business.   Ever since I was in middle school, I helped make wreaths and decorate them for customers.   

The Advent wreath was always one of my favorites as it helps us walk through Advent, remembering why and how Jesus came to earth to live among us, teach us and eventually give His life for us to be forgiven for our disobedience towards God and live forever with Him!  I delight both in the symbolism behind our traditional Christmas decorations as well as finding new ways to symbolize the reason for our joy at Christmas!

 

Advent Wreath
Week 1 of Advent

 For the first week of Advent, I made a wreath from the same materials I found last year with an addition of the oranges (keep reading in week 2, I’ll tell you about it).  For the symbolism of the wreath, seed pods and red leaves, revisit last year's post here.  The first week's candle represents Hope.  As we wait throughout Advent, there is an expectancy to our preparation - a hope of the good news we receive through Jesus, beginning at His birth!

I really enjoy using the seed pods we find around here!  Although
evergreen cones can be found, these are much more plentiful!

My wreath making station this year.  Instead of the bamboo
wreath ring from last year, I made one of metal so I can reuse it.
I also added wire to hold up the candles.

As week 2 of Advent rolled around, however, the greens in my wreath were not so green anymore, browning a week ahead of last year's pattern.  So, I set out to find some other green options with which to make a wreath.  Here's what I came up with!

A close up for my Dad so you can really see the leaves :)

This week's candle represents Love.  This week we look at the oranges on our wreath!  One of my Malawian friends here told me that a lot of Malawian churches will use oranges to hold the candles on their Advent wreaths.  Why?  The orange is round, representing the world Jesus was born into and the candle is the Light he brought to that world.  The light of truth!  Jesus is the Light of the world!  And that is who we celebrate at Christmas!  

As I said, I enjoy new symbols to use in our Christmas decorations.  This year we added the orange!  I remember receiving an orange each Christmas at church as a child, but never quite knew why.  Perhaps this was part of the meaning behind that gift.

Spring has Sprung!

April showers bring May flowers...right?  Well, maybe in Pennsylvania!

Some cactus like plants in our yard, staying alive through the
dry season.  We enjoy having a few aloes (right)
for when we get sunburn!

In Malawi, the hard rains of the rainy season have not yet arrived, yet flowers are bursting from trees all over!  It is springtime in Malawi (since we're in the southern hemisphere) and it's beginning to feel sort of normal in this second year of experiencing seasonal weather here.  While our friends back home in PA are shivering in the 30's (Fahrenheit) throughout the night, we wake up to a "chilly" 78° most mornings and effortlessly climb into the 90's by mid to late morning.



We eagerly anticipate the coming of the rains and all the green grass, avocados and healthy crops that it brings, but as we wait, we enjoy the BEAUTY of...

(I wish I knew the names of all these beautiful trees and bushes, but I only know one!)

 

The Flamboyant or Flame Tree

 

...and the TASTE of...

Papayas

Straight from the tree!

 Bananas

We usually buy from a road side stand such as this one.

Mangoes are coming into season.  They come from the hotter parts of Malawi first, then ripen here in Blantyre a bit later.  They range from 5- 10 cents each!






Litchi (or Lychee)

Litchi fruit was a new one to us upon arriving in Malawi.  We turned many street vendors down at their attempts to sell them to us at first, but then caved in to curiosity and bought some.  The kids LOVE them.  I (Becky) say they're okay, but are incredibly work intensive...but then again, so are mangoes!  Here's what litchis are like:

They have a hard, textured outer shell -  you need a sharp knife to open without too much squirting.

Here you can see how big it is
compared to a 5 kwacha piece
and a U.S. quarter

Outer shell of the litchi

The shell and pit, removed

The inside is squishy with a hard seed/core. 
The taste and texture resemble a green grape -
tart and sweet.

Rachel likes to play with the shells and pits, fitting them back together again.

Strawberries

These are commonly purchased on a flat box from a street vendor.

In the midst of the hot, hot days of a Malawi November, we appreciate the beauty that has sprung up around us, even when rain is scarce.  It can remind us of God's mercy and faithfulness to us even in the "dry" times of our lives - the times when we wait in expectant hope of what is to come.

From Clutter to Food

Last week when my househelper opened a cupboard to put away some empty food containers, as she often will do after washing dishes, she was met with an avalanche.  Yes, I had intended to tidy up that cupboard for some time now, but instead, I simply tossed each new empty peanut butter jar, milk liter bottle or margarine tub in and closed the door quickly.  After all, I just might be able to use those containers someday, but didn’t have time to organize them right then…Can anyone relate? 

Indeed, I have used milk caps for homemade game pieces, yogurt tubs with a few beans or buttons inside for shaker instruments and dish detergent bottles as squirt guns for the kids, but do I really need all that filled my cupboard? 

No, I don’t. 

So, I offered some of those containers to my house helper who had gladly taken empty containers before.  She eagerly accepted and we filled two grocery bags full.  Today I asked her what she did with all of them.  She smiled and said that she sold them.  I was glad, as I assumed this was their fate.  Upon the end of her work day today I commented that I needed to do some cleaning up and would look for more containers for her to sell.  I glanced up at a shelf in my kitchen and found around 15 empty spice jars.   

I have been at a loss of what to do with them since they are glass and I don’t want the kids throwing them around in their pretend kitchen, so I asked her if they were sellable. 

House Helper:  “Yes, madam, they are expensive!”

Me:  “Who wants to buy an empty spice jar?  What do they do with them?

HH:  “Take-Out restaurants buy them to put salt in.”

Me:  “Oh, that makes sense.  How much can you get for one?”

HH:  “Oh, they are expensive….100 kwacha”

Me:  “Really?!”  (this amounts to about half an hour of work in common wages)

HH:  “Oh yes!”

I proceeded to pass 11 jars down to her, keeping a few for my own homemade spice concoctions, cinnamon sugar shaker, etc.

HH: “Zikomo kwambili (thank you very much), madam, you give me food!”

Me:  “Zikomo (you’re welcome)!  And how about the other containers here?”

HH:  “The 2 liter oil bottle is 30 kwacha, the 5 liter is 50 kwacha, the tin can 10 kwacha.”

Me:  “Well, as I clean the garage and pantry, I will look for more containers for you!”

HH:  “Zikomo kwambili!”

As our language teacher told us in a lesson about Malawian culture “Everything is useful!”  Things we are likely to throw away without a second thought because they are broken or empty are likely to be useful to someone here.  As a mother of preschoolers, many things like toilet paper tubes are indispensable for making dinosaurs for my dino-crazy son as well, but to learn that my cluttered cupboards can help feed a family is something else altogether!

Hand Outs

500 Kwacha = $1.52

On one week's shopping trip in Blantyre, we arrived at the meat store 15 minutes before it opened. While we waited in the truck, we noticed a very nice car parked at a ramp in front of the store.  There was a small Malawian flag perched on the front left side of the hood.

Becky :  Who do you think that is for?  It's a very nice car.
(as a couple of nicely dressed people put things in the car)

Jonathan: It's probably the owner of the store.

Becky:  No, I think it's someone with the government.


A man dressed in fine Muslim clothes came out to the car and people started flocking to him, running from all over the parking lot and reaching to him.

Becky: What's going on?

Jonathan:  Maybe it's a Muslim giving alms.

Becky:  Really?  No...

The man slipped into the car and was driven away.  The crowd dispersed, everyone smiling and some laughing at the spectacle of what just happened.  As one man came to his car parked next to us I addressed him from the truck window:

Becky:  What just happened there?!?!

Man: That was -----.  He owns the store (chain) and is a minister of Parliament.

Becky:  Oh...we were both right!

Man:  He was giving out money -- 500's.  It's not good, though.  Handouts kill people.  They get lazy and can't do anything for themselves.  Why does he do that?  If he has that much money, why doesn't he just hire more people?

Well, there we heard it straight from a Malawian!  "Handouts kill people."  What a powerful statement.  Each time someone begs for food or money we have a decision to make.  Sometimes we give.  Sometimes we don't.  Sometimes we feel like we've been taken advantage of.  Sometimes we feel regret and selfishness.

We don't have the answers to the problem of poverty or unemployment.  Undoubtedly at times we are part of the problem, even unknowingly.  But we are challenged because Jesus did not directly teach on handouts.  In fact, He gave some himself!  When I felt bad after giving to a beggar at our gate, Jonathan said "I'd rather err on the side of generosity than stinginess.  Jesus said to forgive 70x70...are we to give 70x70 as well?"  Where's the line?  What's the balance?  These are difficult questions that have become almost daily for us.

I'm sure we haven't and won't respond to each person and situation perfectly, but we pray that God's light and love will shine through us and that His name will be honored by our actions and inaction...words and silence...Lord, give us the wisdom we need in each moment and the courage to obey.