Another stand-out morning was my shift spent in the Madisi ARV (Anti-Retro Viral) clinic. During this time, I was able to shadow the clinician as he counseled and evaluated HIV-positive patients who have been determined to be sick enough to begin ARV therapy (the drugs are free, but only the sickest are eligible). While I spent my clinical visits at school this year working in the Pediatric AIDS clinic in New Jersey, this experience really put into focus how vast the need is to work on the HIV-AIDS issue worldwide and work for prevention and a vaccine. There was a constant stream of people all morning and it was hard to know that while ARVs will help their quality and length of life, there is still no cure. I really applaud the staff here for the thorough job they do trying to provide counseling and support for the patients. I can only imagine what is going on in the patients’ thoughts as they face this illness. Next week I’m planning a HIV preventive health lesson for the RiseMalawi kids, so my up-close experiences at the hospital have surely ignited my passion for sharing this message with them!
Thanks for all your kind words and support-Have a blessed week!

Pictures-Visiting with Gibozi and the SafeHaven boys and me trying to lead the kids’ first paper mache` experience during arts & crafts time

We saw both afterschool programs and visited SafeHaven (the orphanage for 11 boys). They were a silly group of guys. Most of them have lived there for the four years that SafeHaven has been in operation, and so you could tell that they are all close friends. We also had dinner with Maggie and her husband, Gilbert, who are Urban Promise International’s main contact at the African Bible College for recommending interns to enter into the program. She is actually taking a leave of absence to get a PhD at Eastern University (just outside Philadelphia). She and her husband will be coming to America at the end of August and will stay with Lindsey and I until an apartment is found. She had many questions for us; however, her main fears of freezing to death in America’s winter were put to rest.

Unfortunately we have not been successful in completing our trip without a hitch. Last night, while the four of us dinned down the hall from our rooms in the kitchen, Kristen’s shoulder bag went missing. There were multiple theories flying about, ranging from morphing lizards, to tiny hippos; however, it appeared most likely that someone had opened the window and reached through the bars to snatch what they could. The officials were notified, and shortly after six camo-sporting military men carrying an assortment of large semi-automatic weapons arrived on the scene. After some investigative work, they got their lead and sped off into the night, not before asking for gas money though (That’s just how things work, here in Malawi).

Incredibly, due to the tireless efforts of Malawi’s military, and the staff here at our hotel, especially Fred, Kristen’s hero, the bag was recovered with most of its contents. It has been an emotional 14 hours for Kristen, but the police kept reassuring her that they would get her bag back, and they did! So, we all tip our hats and give a gracious thank you to Malawi and the dedication they have shown us. This could have been a real trip downer, yet it has turned into an amazing story, with a happy ending. When we were relaying the story of what happened and the efforts by the police and hotel staff to the car rental people, they quickly laughed and said with a big smile, “that is why Malawi is the warm heart of Africa!”

The adventures continue as we head to Dowa in a few days to visit Za and Tinashe at RiseMalawi. I am not sure of the internet availability up there; yet, I will do my best to update in a few days.

But now we have said our goodbyes, and although we are staying in Lilongwe, we are moving on to YouthCare Ministry, where we are meeting up with Gibozi Mphanzi. YouthCare has been established for five years, so it has had more time to grow roots and extend its branches. Lindsey and I will also meet up with Roger and Kristin Nielsen, who will be traveling with us for the remainder of our stay. That means we are at the two week/half-way marker of our visit. Traveling is funny, because there are so many new experiences, the days seem full and long, yet ‘time flies when you’re having fun’, so the weeks go fast. We will continue to soak up each and every moment.