Look Who's Comin' to See Me!

They are here safe and sound!

Now it's time to pray for jet lag... it's a killer!!

Well... If you ever read the comment sections of any of my posts, you probably picked up on the fact that my mom and dad are coming to visit me!

In fact, they are in the air right now, zooming across the Atlantic on the world's longest flight (no joke... 18 hours... Washington DC to Johannesburg).

I am really excited to be able to share some of my experiences with them and have my mom do some cooking for me!!

Please keep them in your prayers as they travel. Pray that all their bags will arrive so we don't have to worry about that.

Welcome to Malawi Mom and Dad!!

The Kids are Coming Around...

Odd stares...

Whispering among themselves when I walked by...

The predictable burst of tears and cries of terror when I would reach a 15 foot radius of the smallest of them...

These are the things that I was experiencing day in and day out with the kids that live on our compound.

I mean... it was really starting to get to me. I have always been one of those people that's really good with kids. I love kids. They usually love me. Things just weren't adding up.

It's one thing when I'm out in a village where kids don't see white folk that often and a little kids screams in terror... I can handle that. I would probably do the same! But, it's a completely different thing when the kids that see you every single day for months on end still look at you like you just slaughtered their cat!

Since I'm usually all about conspiracies and such, I was pretty much convinced that these kids were being fed lies about me by their parent's or something. I just knew that each night before they went to bed, they were told horror stories about a crazy white man chopping up little kids and eating them for breakfast, and then they would flash pictures of ME in front of them!!

It became this running joke between me and their parent's. I would ask them in a joking way what they were telling their kids to make them hate me so much that I can't even tell a family member hello without making a kid go postal on me.

I started strategizing a few weeks ago about how to break through this problem. It pretty much became a mission for me!

One thing that came to mind was my funny little hat. I wear this hat quite nearly every day... the only exception is Sunday or if the President is coming to visit my house or something... other than that, I'm sporting my little Castro-cap 24/7! So, maybe the hat freaks out the little ones? So, I started some experiments... remove the cap when approaching child. STILL... nothing!

Finally... I came to the point where I could find my identity in Christ and I just didn't need the approval of children any longer. So what if they think I'm the spawn of Satan... I'm sure there are plenty of little white kids back home that think I'm the stuff (or at least tolerate me).

Then, last weekend after church, it was a beautiful day. For some really odd reason, I got this foreign urge to initiate a football (soccer for Americans) kicking (*not really a game... just kicking it around... so I'll term it "football kicking") with some of the kids that live around here.

This may come as a shock to pretty much anyone that has ever heard of my existence. I'm just not really the sportsy type. I mean... for those of you that get off to that kind of stuff... good on ya... but, it ain't me... I ain't no fortunate son.

But, after spending like 3 hours in our backyard just kicking the ball around until my bare foot was blood red, I began to notice something. The kids were acting as if they had been released from some white boy hating prison! It was fantastic!!

I would say something in Chichewa to them and they would all start giggling and mocking me and stuff... so, I would just run up to a little kid and throw him over my shoulder and run around the yard. Then all the kids would start mocking me and I would have to throw them all around. Fun times...

But now... 5 days later... those kids still go crazy when they see me coming. Just today, one little smart alack 5 year old started mocking me the same way they were doing on Sunday... so, once again... I had to throw him over my shoulder and run around the yard with him screaming.

So... I'm pretty much on cloud 9 now that the neighborhood kids don't think that I'm Cruella de Vil's husband.

Mission accomplished... now, on to curing the world of AIDS!

Bush is in the air...

I'm not sure how much the US News networks are really covering this amidst the election craze... but, GW Bush is touring Africa ... and according to an informant in the comment section of my last post, he is clogging up the African air space a bit!

Read what nationals from the countries he is visiting have to say about his visit...

It's always interesting to see what people living in other parts of the world (particularly the parts of the world that are highly effected by US foreign policy) think about America and its ideals.

Either way... Welcome to Africa Mr. President... I hope you enjoy your stay.

**Some people may be wondering why Bush is waiting until his last few months in office to visit Africa (although as much as it hurts me to say... he has reportedly done more for Africa than any previous President)... However, if like me, you think that it is a pretty big deal for the President of the most powerful nation on the planet to make Africa a priority, Click Here to sign a pledge asking the next elected president to visit Africa within his first term.**

***A concluding report by the BBC

"What's wrong with the world, mama? People livin' like they ain't got no mamas..."

There have been a few things since I've been here that have absolutely amazed me... and caused me to think.

One of those things is the sheer amount of weight that one lady can carry atop her head. But, we won't discuss that right now.

The other is the crazy power to transform societies and people that music possesses.

There are few things in this world that you can travel the world over and never escape... 1. Coca-Cola 2. Music (particularly, whatever is at the top of the charts in the States).

I have found people in the remotest of villages that will have their battery operated radio cranked to the max, jammin' out to "You're way too beautiful girl... that's why it'll never work... you have me suicidal, suicidal...". Or my personal all time favorite by Mr. Mims himself... "This is why, this is why, this is why I'm hot! I'm hot cuz I'm fly... you ain't cuz you're not!"

Sometimes I just sit there and wonder to myself... does that rapper or singer or whoever have a fat clue that people the whole world over are memorizing every word that they put forth? Do they realize that kids are singing their songs in villages in Africa, slums in India, the plains of Mongolia?

As I've thought about this, I've just been a little frustrated.

Because these pop stars are so popular around the world, you've got girls in Blantyre trying to act like Beyoncé, and guys thinking that they are Master P.

Maybe it's just me... but, of all the things that we can be exporting from America, why's it gotta be trashy songs that have already infiltrated the minds of American youth and rooted themselves in our society?

There's just something about art that can transcend all cultural lines and touch the heart... cause people to think... change mindsets.

In a time when our world is filled with so much crap... I just wish that more people would realize the power they possess at their fingertips and use it for good.

Just imagine how different societies would be if, instead of being pumped full of trash that says that "the world owes me everything", that "I'm better than everyone", or that "I can knock up a bunch of girls and not worry about stickin' around"... songs were full of messages that speak truth? Speak justice? Speak respect? Speak love (deep, committed, Biblical, sacrificial love)?

It's just funny to me... we (USA) throw a whole heck of lot of money around the world, trying to "make things better" (or so they say), yet, I submit that some of the greatest obstacles that sit in the way of "making things better" are being shipped from within the same borders (and music is just one small piece of that puzzle).

These are just a few observations... I'm not necessarily trying to start a revolution with this or anything. I'm really not even one of those people that are die-hard anti-rap music. In fact, there's just something about a lot of R&B/Rap music that just gets me going. It's great.

But, something about walking around in a village and suddenly hearing sounds from the Bronx just causes your head to turn.

The title of this post is the first line of one of my favorite R&B songs. Where Is The Love? by the Black Eyed Peas.

A Profile

Abusa (Pastor) Prince Stazio

A young guy in his 30s

Overseeing numerous churches in the district of Chikwawa, Malawi

Husband and Father of 2 (Yanko and Prince Jr.)

Living in a small, but adequate house in the town of Chikwawa that is never lacking in traffic.

Church members throughout the denomination drop in to see this man of God on a regular basis.

After picking Stazio up last week and accompanying him to a remote village, I got to know a little bit more about this man.

Each week, he has the responsibility of looking out for a number of churches within the denomination that have no pastor.

On this particular instance, he was hitching a ride with us in order to visit a church member that had recently lost one of his young children.

He is one of those guys that just makes you smile when you around him. You would never assume that he is a man of importance.

Over a meal of goat and nsima, I figured I would try and get to know him a little better.

"Stazio, what were the circumstances of you realizing that you were called to be a pastor?", I asked.

"Well," he replied, "after receiving my education in Blantyre, I was a businessman working down in Nsanje. I was doing pretty well, but as I was going to church, I realized that God was wanting me to be a pastor. When I told my family that I was going to go to Bible School, they were not very happy. I was the responsible person for all of my extended family. I was about to go from a well paying job to the small salary that a village pastor receives."

Yet, he was faithful to the Lord.

Even though this decision meant certain sacrifice, he knew that when you are called by God, you don't just say no.

Sacrifice for a pastor like Stazio means, hopping on a bicycle on Saturdays and riding at times up to 50 Kilometers to get to the church where he will be preaching Sunday morning

In a country that does not have a church on every street corner with 5 staff members and the majority of the people sitting in the pew possessing enough Bible knowledge to be a leader themselves, such sacrifices are simply necessary.

When he was asked whether the demands of his job ever discourage him, he replied:

“I’ve been chosen by God, so I can’t resign.”

Hip-Hop...Hip-Hop-Anonymous

Yesterday, as I was returning from a morning in a village down south, we decided to take a short stroll through a nearby game park.

This is actually one of the worst times of the year to actually see animals. Because of the rains, the the bush is very thick and green... and there are plenty of water holes for animals to find a drink. It's best to go during the dry season, you are almost guaranteed to see animals at one of the few water holes.

Nonetheless, we were driving by, so we thought... what the heck.

When we got to the gate, we inquired about the price to get in... and it was not to my liking. I gave the guy a hard time for charging too much... then reached in my pocket and complied because I wasn't just going to turn around after all that effort. Then of course, you have to pay for a guide... and a map... and a car fee. So, after I was close to broke, he opened the gate, and in we went!

After driving for quite a while and only seeing crickets land on our windshield, we looked at each other and said, "If this was a tree safari, it would be amazing!"

Then, we rounded a corner and bam... there they were...

A group of Elephants!

Immediately, I yanked up the parking brake and jumped out of the car with a huge camera as my only shield.

Our guide, who moments earlier I saw dozing off in our back seat, suddenly started yelling at me to "Get back in the truck!! These are very dangerous animals! If they start charging, they will crush the truck!!" For a guy carrying an AK47, he sure was a little weenie!

So... I snapped a ton of pictures until they started staring me down a little more and I turned into a little weenie and decided to move on.

With my adrenaline out the roof, we started down the trail again... then, around the next curb... we saw this...

As we got closer to them, I was able to stop just a few meters away from this magnificent creature and watch him pose for me...

Suddenly, I was no longer thinking about how mad I was that our guide fell asleep on us or that our car was making funny noises. I was pumped!

Next stop was the Shire River.

**Side note: For all you Lord of the Rings fans out there... Tolkien was actually inspired to write the series while he was staying in Malawi. And the Shire (pronounced: shir-ree around here) would later become the Shire in his books.

Anyway... when we drove up to the bank of the fast moving river, we saw a nice group of Hippos just bobbing in the water. Actual wild hippos. I was really stoked!

I was a little aggravated that our guide once again was forcing us to keep our distance. Although, in this case, I was a little more willing to comply, considering Hippos are one of the most man killing animals in Africa.

But, then our guide gave us a chance to break free when he turned around and started peeing in the bush. So, we got a bit closer and were able to get some cool shots!

Although this isn't something that I see everyday here in Malawi, it sure made my day yesterday!

You can check out some of the other pictures that I took of these guys on Flickr.

♫ It’s A Beautiful Day ... don't let it slip away

This morning, as my eyes took in their first image of the day, I noticed things looked different.

My room was a bit brighter than normal.

It just felt different.

For the last month or more, day in and day out it has been overcast... if we're lucky. Most of the time it just rains.

Today, I knew when I woke up that it wasn't like any other day.

As I walked to my front door and peered through the window, I almost lost it.

Blue sky and sunny!

It was a perfect early spring day. Not too hot. Breezy. Sunny. Perfect!

So, as is my tradition on Saturday morning, I made myself some pancakes, scarfed them down, called my friends and headed to the pool.

We spent the entire half of the day just laying by the pool, reading and refilling my dehydrated sun quota.

I have been giddy all day.

It's really weird how that works... In the middle of November, when it had been months since I had seen water falling from the sky, I had the insatiable craving to just stand out in the open as rain came pouring from the sky. I would have given anything for just one small shower. Now... as the rains have come and won't leave, that same craving has been replaced by the sun. You just long for one afternoon when you can sit outside and just enjoy the moment.

So, today, that's what I did. I just enjoyed the moments.

Tonight, I go to bed with a red chest and a huge smile across my face!

Wait... But I Always Thought...

It seems like more than any other place on earth, Africa has more mystery, depth and stereotypes.

The more and more I talk to people about my experiences in Malawi, I frequently hear something like... "Wait... but I always thought..."

Many people's only perception of the continent has come from Walt Disney or National Geographic.

Needless to say, the first thing that comes to most Americans mind's about Africa is Tarzan, Timon and Pumba, or fierce Zulu warriors.

So, I thought it would be good to expand our horizons and mindsets about this wonderful continent...

First of all... Africa is a very large continent.

It is comprised of 54 separate countries... but for some reason many people speak in general terms about Africa. We don't really do that about any other region of the world, but when it comes to Africa we think differently. The reality is, Africa is no different than Asia, Europe or South America... within each continent, there are a great variety of countries and languages represented.

Within the small country of Malawi alone, there are several different people groups and languages represented. Although they share many cultural attributes, they all have very distinct ones as well. This is magnified much more when you're talking about the differences between people from Malawi and say, Ethiopia. Between the two, there are as many differences as America and Germany.

However, one of the great travesties of our history happened when the white colonizers pulled out a map of Africa while sitting in their European palaces and just started drawing lines. You see, in pre-colonized Africa, there weren't really any "countries". There were simply many many groups of people living next to each other with very different customs. Some lived next to each other peacefully, others opposed each other.

But, when the colonizers picked up their maps and pencils, they took none of this into consideration. They drew lines right across territories of people, placing 1 group of people in several different, newly formed countries. Some groups of people that had been in opposition for centuries were now under 1 government!

The reason for many of the wars across Africa were not because people in Africa are violent, primitive beasts... many of them were simply an inevitability of what happens when you put different people under one roof.

There is also a widespread belief held by Westerners that Africans are all mired in poverty and living in mud houses. I will be one of the first to step up and take the blame for perpetrating that one.

For years, one of the most alluring and mysterious things about Africa was the thought of adventure and getting back to your roots or something.

The less reported and somewhat less alluring aspect of modern Africa is the fact that not everyone lives in huts and runs around naked. In fact, there is a growing trend for people to move to cities like the one I live in and start businesses. In Blantyre, there are several big buildings, and Malawian business people dress way nicer than I ever do!

Another funny site is to see the amount of people that use cell phones here. There are a ton of Malawians that are always on their cells.

It's really easy for us to just buy into everything our media feeds us in the West. But, I really think it's essential to open our minds and check things out for ourselves. Western media is never going to report accurately on Africa. It's sad but true.

So, next time you hear about some war among "primitive" people in Africa, take a second to really look into the story. I think it would be surprised what you find out.