My First Days in Chiwengo

“Auntie Abanda!” the kids yell and run into my arms now... Christy was a bit hard and luckily I was given a Malawian name by one of the house mothers, Abanda, which means ‘near the waters’ – I like it. You should see this little village tucked away in the middle of nowhere, a small “ gated community” surrounded by miles of maiz fields.

On my morning run, I found a beautiful path through the outer fields, there are the occasional farmers which can be seen half a mile away, otherwise it is just me, God, and the sunrise. It is my only time alone and thus I crave it.

Our days consist of getting to kids ready for school (5:55am!), helping cooking lunch for the houses (grinding flour, etc.), teaching and tutoring the children in the afternoons (I judged the debate teams today!), sports and then devotionals at night, and my favorite….bedtime stories and bedtime songs!

So picture this, kids everywhere, every time I walk out my door they are standing there, they come into our house, we have community wash day with huge buckets near the boar hole (the manual water well pump) and the kids help us wash our clothes and we wash theirs, and you should see me balance buckets on my head these days! I am in heaven – we have the orphans in our orphanage and then we have the village kids who come to our house. There is such a difference in the children we are working with and the village children. It is amazing to see what God is doing in these kids lives how He is healing them and they are growing into amazing healthy kids.

The flip side is organizing and leading 13 women in one house as we all cook, clean, and live together. In addition to leading devotions with them, I answer questions all the time, question that I have no idea the answer to! So some of the quick stories are taking girls to the local nurse which I assisted a minor surgery, it was cut from a bike accident! (actually I just got to hold the blade and clean the wound!), tonight I actually duct taped a piece of the porcelain the size of a both my hands back into the toilet bowl (how does a toilet bowl break?), and we get up at 2:36am to fill buckets with water when the pipes turn on, and the electricity goes off at 6pm in the evenings!

When we keep all of these things in order we still find crazy mishaps, like on our outreach to the village our teams bikes broke: pedals fall off, brake failure, chains falls off, you name it, I was riding and both my pedals fell off! Absolutely hilarious! (Sidenote: at that village I witnessed the tribal dancing and initiation of their king! It was awesome!)

So this is a week and a half into it….please keep me in your prayers! I love you guys!
- auntie abanda


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We are biking down sandy roads to the nearby village of Chipiri. The kids in front of have to keep stopping as we the “aunties” can’t seem to keep up with the Malawian pace. When we get to the village there are men running around dressed in tribal wear. It is phenomenal as their faces are covered with brown spotted feathers, as if there entire heads were the bodies of chickens. Their costumes are clothing strips of multiple bright colors that shake to and fro when they dance. They are initiating a king for the village our gracious guide explains to us. We watch in amazement, I sick that I left my camera back at the house. It seems as if some things aren’t meant to be photographed as they might lessen the effect of the experience. We left not long after our presentation and road our bikes home into the sunset. Despite the occasional falling off of our pedals, we made it home safely.

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It must be too soon to be settled as the distant chanting of “Father Abraham” does not lull me into a nap rather spurs me to put aside my book and write. We (14 girls and I) have moved into the small village of Chiwengo, to the neighboring villages this is seen as a private upscale gated community, home of the first President’s family. The electricity is very infrequent and the water comes on for an hour at 2am every morning. Thus last night, me and two other girls found ourselves dripping water down the halls between the bathroom and kitchen – a ritual which the whole house will hopefully learn to enjoy!

The orphans in the homes here are beautiful – between teaching, helping them get ready for school, and playing sports we find ourselves privileged to live among them. My favorite is story time and good night hugs – there is no feeling like being hugged by 50 children before going to bed.

Mice Season

Now guys, I have seen many a strange hunting seasons coming from the bayous of Louisiana but this out ranks all of what I have seen…..mice season!?!

Seriously, the maiz fields have been harvested and now they are being burned – when they are burned the mice run from their holes into strategically placed nets. The outcome is incredible; there are mice kabobs by the bundle on every street corner for sale. I have almost barfed multiple times just looking at them!

Five days into it and almost everyone has arrived – there are tons of new faces, Chichewa greetings to be memorized and names to be learned. Electricity has gone off and on a few times, praise God I have only had one cold shower so far!

We visited a village church on Sunday, which was unlike any church welcome I have ever received. (the people greeted us all by dancing around us and shaking our hands) and then on the way out we shook hands with each of them.

I leave with my team for Chiwengo on Wednesday which is when we actually begin living within the orphan’s homes – I probably won’t have much email from then on but will try to keep my blog updated as regularly as possible.

Spurgeon said,"God is too good to be unkind and He is too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart."

Lilongwe....

Well we just took a long drive through the village to buy coal - the children was surrounding me as we bargained (when I say we I mean the driver!) they were so precious and I could not understand a word they said, my closest exchange was giving a bottle cap to a 6 yr. old child who was collecting them - he might be my boyfriend now, I wouldn't even know!)

As we drove out of the city, the sun setting on all of the women carrying baskets and wood on their heads. Babies carried on the backs of babies was a sobering sight, but all so beautiful and in a weird way I feel at home here. Wzamba, they call me, which means foreigner but for me, I feel known....I actually feel more safe in the village than I do at the base with our staff.

I will write as much as I can now but once I am in Chiwengo I will not have internet, please just pray for me as I am excited but my heart doesn't feel fully with me...please pray that I will leave in peace, fully surrendered.

Malawi Arrival

All is well, I arrived in Lilongwe last night and with fingers crossed I tell you that jetlag has not been bad at all! 3 flights and one marvelous day in London I arrive in Malawi read for a full day and then slept like a little baby!

I will only be here in Lilongwe for 6 days, my team of girls fly in today, pray as the final count is 15 – we leave for the village in a week. Pray for good bonding and grace as there is a lot to prepare! Other than the children in the village, I have yet to see the orphans and my heart is about to burst knowing they are so near but not in my arms!

Oh, what else!?! I don’t even know! I am having culture shock as too how nice everything is, but soon in the village, me and my bucket baths will be thankful for warm showers. It is very cold here, so pray for that we all stay warm and no one gets sick.

Internet will be harder than I thought so please know that I will try my best to communicate but it may be extremely difficult!

All my love!

Taking steps

The neighborhood kids were playing soccer in the road when I turned into the driveway. I changed my shoes and went outside to play. I noticed they couldn't tell today was my last day of classes and minus two exams I am a graduate….of my Masters. I went for a walk by "the lake" as I call it, I walked around and around it thinking about the last two years of school.

Our professor had let us out of class early this evening and like someone pulling off a bandage quickly, I felt the sting of it all being over. I am supposed to be excited, but this ending has been hard. Things in life are starting to cost more than they did before. I wonder if my title means anything of what I deem worth.

I think about my life, the Africa orphans, I think about the friends and family who have died, I think about saving lives versus saving hearts versus saving souls, I think about what I do each day that matters at all…I think a lot. I ponder jumping into the lake with all my clothes on, because maybe that will mark today different than all others. I contemplating crawling through the drainage pipe because I have never done it before, and I want to live daring.

Instead, I sit and I am still and I watch the water ripple. I think about the quote I read today and I wonder if I could possibly live this way, never actually graduating just taking the next step……


People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered.
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies.
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere, people may deceive you.
Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight.
Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness some may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, it will never be enough.
Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God.
It was never between you and them anyway.

--On the wall of Mother Theresa's home for children in Calcutta

Getting Ready for Africa

It is a month out before leaving for Africa. I am tying up loose ends on the East Coast and preparing to be away for 5 months. In two weeks, I will graduate with my Masters in Counseling from Reformed Theological Seminary.

I will keep this blog updated throughout my trip overseas. Please feel free to contact me by responding to this blog or emailing me at christyav@hotmail.com

In Africa, I will be working with an organization called Children of the Nations - I will live with 15-20 other American girls a village working with orphans.

Please pray for me! Stay tuned for an exciting adventure!

www.myspace.com/liquidlifeline

Hey guys....I know that some people keep up with me on here, which is crazy because I haven't written in so long, but I will continue to write here periodically, but I will be more current on my myspace....so you can also get there by going to

www.myspace.com/liquidlifeline

Getting older....

I spent my birthday indoor paintballing and grilling out with friends!!!

A Picture of Me

I just found out my friend Tran is painting a picture of me, I was so honored!

Back from Africa!

So much to say, so sure that I could not covey all that happened over the trip! It was so amazing. I am putting pictures from the dancing with the tribal women, as that was my favorite. I also want to put the picture of the girl with her drums...she is playing on an empty water jug...now, because of the drought, I found this to be so compelling that such a beautiful sound could come from such a suffering. these villages emaciated by lack of water, yet such a beautiful sound came from their hearts. They sang loud and strong, they sang of the disease that has taken their parents from them. The pain is devastating, the loss great, and the sounds deep, their hearts strong as they take their hardship and from it produce beauty in a song. I was dumbstruck, convicted, and then simply smiled as I was reminded that our God is one of restoration, that even through such pain: a heartbreak, a famine, a disease stricken country, a massacre of parents - somewhere in the depths of these pains, there is beauty founded in those who survive. I don't know how it happens, but I witnessed the silencing awe of determination, of survival.

More, so much more to tell: stories of building fences with branches and twine, digging with sticks in the ground to erect homes, singing and dancing, sleeping in mosquito nets, peeing in squatty potties in outhouse at 2am, aiding the sick, loving the orphans, safaris in Nairobi, cameling crossings in the wild, henna tattooing my nails and arms, and the list could go on!

Memories of a beautiful Africa!

nairobi..asante sana

Jambo!! we have found our first internet cafe and I am not sure that we have much time....so I will try to just hit the highlights! I don't know how I can but I will try - so we have spent the week bringing food to orphanages in tribes and villages that are in the depths of the African desert!!! (that sounds dramatic but I really think it is true!) it has been so amazing! I mean we have danced the tribal dance with the native women, they have let us wear their beads, and taught us dances! we built a house, planted trees and conserved water....we have bathed in buckets, we hung out with the Rhendilli tribe and many more I can't spell! So I could go on and on, I mean there is such an incredible drought and a famine - so our biggest objective has been delivering food until the rain comes (April!!!)

There you go...i will post more insightful, and meaningful posts soon! We are on our way to see a giraffe and elephant safari! Oh yeah, we got stopped by a camel crossing in the desert...way cool!

okay, going find a yellow elephant....we fly out late tonight for home!! oh and we toured London too!

miss you all! Qwherri!

i am safe...in Kenya

more details later...I love this place

Where have I been?

I have been looking for myself for a couple of weeks now....

Life has been so busy, so crazy. I am actually writing this while talking with 6 other people, so I won't be as whitty as normal - I do need to give a shout out to my roommate Toni, it's her birthday, Happy Birthday Toni! So, I started work at Starbucks, and love it! I am traveling like a maniac for the next two and half months....I am seeing clients in the clinic at school, and Autumn is moving here to Orlando this Friday!!! So between three jobs, classes, clinic, and church I have had to make specific time with friends - SO this weekend I was like I need to go camping...and so we did, after work we drove out late to Wekiva Springs and camped out - sitting around a fire with stoogies and fun beverages we talked for hours! The night was eventful, as the bears were active, but alas no, we didn't see one, it started pouring at 3:22AM and we had to run out and cover our tent...early morning we awoke and made our way soaked to the house and cooked breakfast, it was a glorious weekend!

I leave for Africa next week and I can't believe it!!!!

Where the HECK have I been?

Just a quick update, I know I have neglected those I love so far away....okay LIFE: well that is what I am thinking alot about lately living life, what is life, how fully alive am I, what do I dream about, am I pursuing it?? Wheeww...exhausting, in the meantime: I am have started a new job at Starbucks so I am a fellow barista! and I am officially in the clinic and seeing clients during the evenings, going to school a few days a week, eating sushi alot more than normal, teaching spin at La Fitness and YMCA, and getting ready to leave for AFRICA in the next two weeks!!! A little overwhelmed somedays, making it to the beach whenever I can for some sanity, and going camping if I can stay awake long enough to set up a tent!!

Will write more later, but that is my update as of now!

Update....Counting down the days!

Thanks for song picks, it is cool to get to hear some good stuff I haven't heard before. I am looking for stuff that I can use in my aerobics classes too so if you find any fun songs feel free. So okay, I have just finished 9 grad hours in a matter of 3 weeks, I feel like I am going to fall over! But alas, done! and so I am trying to get all my stress out before class starts tomorrow. So I went to the beach and actually got a sunburn and then went to watch a movie with my roommate. So, as life is getting stressful remember to have fun, treat yourself good!

Okay, that was just a little update as I don't want to be all deep all the time! Counting down the days to:

Autumn's Arrival to Orlando - Feb. 17 o 18th?
Africa Orphanage trip - March 9th
Baja Mexico for Laurie's Wedding - April 29th
Grand Canyon Women's Wilderness LT - July 9th

I am SSSSSOOOOOO excited about life lately! Dream big!

Music...

What would you recommend...what are the songs that you LOVE right now or think I have to listen to! Give me your favorite songs.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AUTUMN

When your best friend is overseas and it is her birthday nothing seems to satisfy....so please know I love you and I hope you have a wonderful bday...and I didn't mail your present until yesterday...sorry!

I love you!

If I don't, the rocks are gonna cry out!

So, me, yes, I should be studying Hebrew, which is what I have been doing for roughly 7-10 hours a day.....and though I should be studying more... I am updating my blog. You know that verse that says if you don't praise God, the rocks with cry out and praise Him. (and I am in seminary! what kind of translation is that!)

So....follow me, I take a break and meet a classmate for lunch, on my way out I get a phone call from a guy saying he found an envelope with checks made out to me in the parking lot and he wanted to return them....praise God! so I meet him at a gas station and we exchange "the goods" and the he says, by the way, I wanted to give you some money too for that trip! I am like what the heck, this guy doesn't even know me...but he writes out a check, tells me to be safe and he is on his way!

I walk back to my car. stunned. and I can feel God look down at me, just shaking His head, because once again He has blown me away.


Back to Hebrew....

Aren't we a cute family?...Kinsey's wedding!

Dancin'....I love to live!

Okay, it started with getting up to teach a 5:30am spin class at the YMCA....on my way home, it is still dark and I find myself longing for time with the Lord. As I head back to Barb and Anne's I crawl under there Christmas tree (yes, it is still up!) with my Bible and journal and I pray the dawn won't break, nor the silence be disrupted...the time feels so precious. He is there with me, instantly He calls me intimately, me, Israel, He asks to trust Him. I feel like God has called me to a life that He leads, yet I have definitely struggled, wrestled with Him to control it myself, it just feels safer. It's not safer...no, it is actually overwhelming. So again, He asks would you let Me lead? and again I relinquish and say but....will you be faithful, can you prove yourself to me?

and He does. today, I found out my trip to Africa is completely covered, I am going to Africa to touch little orphans and my heart quickens at the thought, the thought of my dreams coming true in front of my eyes. And when I got the call, I began to weep and He whispered...thank you for letting me, this is just the beginning, don't compare, don't control, I will blow you away with what I have in store for you.

so.....there is much fear in letting go, but now the cost is too high to not relinquish, I am more intrigued in what He has in the future for me than what I could ever dream up.