update

Sorry we haven't blogged in a while. This is a pic of Mphatso and her swimming pool in our front yard. She made a crown for herself and her dolly.

I (Alice) am feeling better. Finally over the malaria. That was such a strange sickness and I am glad that I am over it.

Mphatso (pronounced mPotso) has a cold and reminds me several times a day that she is sick. She constantly wants to be held but who doesn't when they are sick. I've been keeping track of funny things she says. The other days she was singing Christmas Carols and was singing “Do you hear what I hear?”. For the line that goes, "said the wise man to the shepard boy", she said, “Is a little man better than a boy?". Ray and I just looked at each other and laughed. She is a joy.

The rainy season has started. It has rained every day for the last several days. Yesterday, it rained ALL day. That's great for crops as people are either planting or just recently planted but it is really bad for wet clothes trying to dry. Looks like rain again today. You just learn to work around the rain, the power outages, the lack of running water and lack of fuel for your vehicle. There has been a huge diesel shortage lately with trucks and mini-buses in line for hours to get diesel. The shortage appears to be starting with petrol now as Ray went to three different stations yesterday to get gas and none of them had any. We were able to get petrol this morning, however.

Our Thanksgiving this year will be much different than our Thanksgiving last year. This year, we have a friend here in Malawi who has a friend coming to visit him, who is bringing items we can't find here. I am making Thanksgiving dinner for all of us. I am excited. I enjoy doing this type of thing and I can't wait.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! The Lord has blessed us with many, many things to be thankful for. May the Lord bless you all as he has blessed us!