The week ahead

Hey guys

Thanks to Nikki for updating the blog yesterday on our recent activities. We had a really great time down in Nsanje - it was a fantastic priviledge to be able to help the two pastors (Rogers and Maxwell) distribute the bibles that they have worked for 15 years on translating into Sena and making them accessible. The truck was heavily laden with bibles (imagine the effect 500 bibles have on a car that already has worryingly low clearance....bumpy roads...great African combo!!) and it was all rather conveniant that the vehicle waited until AFTER we had finished distributing the bibles to break down and give up.

All things considered, the break down scenario could have been much worse and we were recovered by a pick up and towed back to Nsanje (at points we were being towed faster than we had been driving the previous day!) .... let it be noted that it was 'Pasty Paul' (Pastor Paul...our new name for Paul, he clearly is NOT a Pastor but we didn't want to offend Pastor Maxwell and challenge him on this!) that broke the vehicle. Fortunately another group from Cardiff University (rather stupidly called 'STORM') are out and they happened to be in Nsanje ready to leave for Blantyre with a nice 4x4 and a pick up on Saturday morning. So we all got a pretty cushy ride back to Blantyre leaving Alex and Paul behind to wait for the original recovery vehicle (same old story...was meant to arrive at 10am...turned up at 3pm...)

Anyway we are all back safe and sound. On a personal note, I found my first poisonous Baboon spider in the dining room on Saturday night. Paul and Alex tried to convince me it was one of the harmless ones but to no avail, I grabbed the doom and courageously...made Alex kill it. Then did the even more unholy thing of squishing its guts all over the floor. good riddance.

Coming up, we have a nice day off tomorrow driving to Majete game park. Wednesday we are heading back down to Bangula where there is an orphanage, TMC, which we will stay at until Thursday afternoon. A few of the cardiff team (sorry, can't quiite bring myself to calling them storm) are there at the moment and so it will be nice to have some people to show us the ropes so to speak! Friday we have a day to sort kit etc as on Saturday we head up to Keith Moller's in Namwera. We'll be away for a week then before returning to Blantyre for our flights home on the Saturday morning! Time seems to be going by so quickly...

Will try to get back and update the blog on Friday and we will try and upload some photos as well whilst we're at it. Prayers gratefully received, and we're all a bit knackered but looking forward to the rest of our time here. We just pray that God will continue to guide us and protect us on this fantastic journey.

love to all

xxx