Christmas Day – Malawi Style, 2008

Note: 2 posts today. Whoo hoo!

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We not only didn’t get to listen to Silent Night last night before we went to bed on Christmas Eve, we didn’t have one either (a silent night that is). The neighbors had an all night party with an emcee and music blaring all night. This is fairly common in our area. We live amongst the Malawian people so we get to experience the true Malawi. They like their music and they like it loud. I don’t mean loud, I mean LOUD. And as Ray puts it, “They only have about six songs that are popular here in Malawi” so they keep playing the same songs over and over and over. So about 6:00 AM, the music stopped. It started up again about 5:00 PM on Christmas Day so we knew we were in for another all-nighter. This was the loudest it has been yet. And there were multiple parties going on with lots of fireworks. The LOUD music stopped about 2:00 AM but other parties continued until morning.

We woke to water this morning. Halleluiah! When you find you have water, you immediately take a shower or a bath because water will go off again soon – that you can count on. So we both got to get clean this morning, then about 30 minutes later, “Welcome to Malawi – no water”.

For breakfast on Christmas, our family has kiski, a polish dish made with ground meat and barley. We usually eat it with scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, etc. Well this morning Ray had his usual bread with margarine and jelly since he can’t have his cereal because we can’t keep milk cold with no fridge and I had Kamba Puffs. (By the way, milk here comes in either plastic bags or cartons that are not refrigerated.) I pretended the Kamba Puffs were kiski and we laughed about it. Kamba Puffs are the equivalent of Cheetos. Now mind you, this is my breakfast of choice. I am not a cereal or toast for breakfast person so I prefer Kamba Puffs, crackers or something non-breakfasty.

We visited the orphanage today and spent some time with the kids who are still there. There are only about 30 or so kids left at the orphanage at the present time as most of them have been sent home on “holiday”. The school term for this year ended a couple of weeks ago and the new school year starts mid-January so the kids should be back by then. We have decided that since all the kids are not there, we would wait until they come back to have some type of Christmas celebration with them.

For lunch we needed something that needed no refrigeration so I made egg salad sandwiches. No, eggs are not refrigerated here. They sit out in the open at the markets and even when I purchase them at the grocery store, they are not as cold as we think they should be. So I sent Evance up to the corner market for eggs and made egg salad. I happened to have an unopened jar of mayo in the cupboard.

About Christmas dinner………..I made the mostacolli noodles and opened the canned meatballs. The meatballs were in beef-type gravy so I made more gravy (chicken because that was all I had) and we ate the canned meatballs with beef and chicken gravy over noodles. I am not sure what type of meatballs they were. The can said there was no pork in them. We think they were mystery meat and Ray said he was really glad the meat was a mystery because he really didn’t want to know what it was. It was ok but not my first, second, third, fourth or even fifth choice for Christmas dinner. We laughed a lot during dinner tonight.

Please do not in any way feel sorry for us and the experiences we are having. We love it here and wouldn’t trade these “experiences” for anything. The things we are going through now are going to give us lots to talk about when we get old(er). We are learning so much about the culture and the people that is priceless. We are also learning a lot about ourselves. We are also learning that we need to have a sense of humor about many things and we need to be flexible as things change here on a regular basis.

I woke up this morning with the song, “Happy Birthday Jesus” in my head. Ray said he woke up with the same song in his head. It reminded me of a Christmas service several years ago at Our Savior’s when Katie K. and Katie H. sang Happy Birthday Jesus. They were both very young – maybe 6 or 7 and it brought tears to our eyes, it was so precious. I still get teary when I think about it.

Happy Birthday Jesus - Hallelujah to the King, our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. A quote from our favorite book. We hope you enjoy it.

“The Birth of Jesus
1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to his own town to register.

4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
The Shepherds and the Angels
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."

13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 "Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” Luke 2:1-20 (NIV)


Merry CHRISTmas!
The Smiths in Malawi