Malawi

For our trip to Malawi, I needed a book to read, so I went to our bookshelf, which has collected many books from the various missionaries who have lived in our house over the years.  I had heard of “Hinds feet in high places” by Hannah Hurnard but had never read it.   As I traveled, I found it was apropos to the journey we were on both physically and spiritually.   The book, an allegory of Christian traveling to the High Places, came alive as we spent 4 days traveling in the mountains (there are 56 peaks) of Mount Mulanje.

We had the opportunity to visit with fellow missionaries and embark on a great adventure.   The fellowship was wonderful, the task was difficult but rewarding.   It didn’t help that on leaving Zambia I got a GI bug.   The evening we arrived we met to celebrate Doug Miller’s birthday at a Chinese restaurant and all I could hold down was a bowl of soup.   After a night’s rest, I thought I was better, and we started up the mountain.   We began at about 2400 ft and started our 4-day journey to summit on day 3 at 9,849ft/3002m after about 26 miles/42km of hiking.   It started out well as we crossed the first river and took some pictures, but by lunch, I was again unable to eat and feeling ill and weak.    After 8 hours of hiking upward and making the crest of the first mountain, everyone encouraged me that I looked much better and had some color in my face again just and as I sat down and emptied my stomach of the 2 crackers I had had earlier at lunch.   We made it to the top, ascending 4000 feet in one day!   My body rejoiced as we headed down hill to the cabin, we would be staying in but my mind cried out, “But what about tomorrow when you have to return to the main path going back up this long hill.   We were losing ground”.

Fortunately, I awoke the next morning and was really feeling much better.   With some oatmeal in my stomach, we began the hike back up to the ridge and I walked easier and was able to enjoy the spectacular views.   The rest of the day was a pleasant walk up and down hills on the plateau, surrounded by various mountain peaks in the near distance with beautiful wildflowers lining the hills.   Even the Protea (national flower of South Africa) was in bloom.  

After a shorter and more pleasant day, we arrived at the base camp before our summit the next day.   We enjoyed chicken curry and relaxing with friends.

  Day 3 we got up before the first sun to summit.   The 5-hour trip took us 7 hours, but the young folk waited patiently for us older folks at the several vantage points where we were all able to rest and enjoy the spectacular views.  After scrambling over boulder fields and through some caves the peak was in site.   It was just across a valley up a sheer rock cliff.  Yes, again we had to descend before ascending again to reach our goal of the summit.  Yes, again my body cried out: “why are we going down when we really want to go up?”   But our experienced guide knew the way, carefully guiding us down into the valley and then back up through the difficult terrain.  Often reaching out a hand to pull us up or across a deep crevasse.   At last, we reached the peak and could see far above the clouds as we looked down over Malawi to the west and Mozambique to the east.  What a view!   The way down was more pleasant, and we even stopped to “frolic” in a heather field nestled on the plateau.    That night we ate well and rested even better.  

Day 4, we descended to the bottom enjoying a dip in a cold mountain river with cascading waterfalls to ease our sore joints.   

After returning to the base of Mt Mulanji we were greeted by beautiful tea plantation and more spectacular views

After leaving Mt Mulanji we headed north to Mangochi and spent time visiting with fellow missionaries, enjoy some fellowship and rousing games of pickleball.

Just a 2 hour drive from Mangochi we traveled along lake Malawi and enjoyed more time of fellow ship having dinner on the beach and enjoying all the water sports lake Malawi offers (snorkeling, boating and swimming)

We returned to Lusaka and prepared to head back home to Macha.   At our last stop before leaving the capital our car was broken into and my laptop and Maggie’s backpack were stolen.   We praise the lord our money and passports were not taken, and the things lost can be replaced …but what a feeling of loss.  Which made me remember the chapter in the book I had read called the “Valley of loss”.   It reminded me of the feeling I had when I was descending into a valley on Mt Mulanje knowing full well, I would have to retrace my steps uphill just to get to where I was currently.   It made me remember the feeling I had after spendings days and weeks trying to get our x-ray machine working only to have the team pronounce it was not repairable and would have to be replaced.   Right now, I feel we are walking down in that valley here.   Things that seem to be going well, just fall apart.   Hills that have been climbed only lead to another valley of loss. 

I am also reminded that when “Much Afraid” (the main character in the book) was going down in the valley of loss it was bearable and yet even pleasant because the Good Shepherd was walking with her.   Just like on the top of Mount Mulanje, times in the valley became enjoyable as we were sheltered from the wind and could see the heather and wildflowers blowing in the gentle breeze under the sunny Malawian sky.  Life is filled with hills and valleys and sometimes they are not enjoyable and most of the time we don’t even know why the Shepherd is leading us in the way He has chosen, but we know that he loves us and is leading in the exact path He has meant for us and that He walks with us all the way.

Please pray that God will help us see His purpose and when we don’t see that purpose that we will feel His gentle hand as He walks with us.  The needs like an x-ray machine and so many other things are great.   There are very few missionaries here compared to days gone by and sometime the work is burdensome and the lack of fellowship even more so.  Pray the Lord will send others to help in the ministry here.   We are excited to have some plumbers coming in the next couple months and for the work they will do and the fellowship we can enjoy while they labor with us.  We look forward to having more student coming this fall as well.   We hope and pray that even some of you will consider coming and joining us here either for a short visit or maybe even full time.  A hospital needs all kind of workers to function well.

We pray that were ever the Shepherd is leading you will know his presence whether you are walking on a hill top or traveling through the valley.  May we all learn to walk in his presence.

“The Lord God makes my feet like hinds’ feet and sets me upon the High Places.”                                                                                                                 

-Hab 3:19, Psa 18:33