does africa know a song of me?

As my time in Malawi is drawing to a close, I am not renewing my internet account here... and it expires next Thursday - 3 March 2005!  So... please don't use my laura@malawi.net email address any more, as I will not receive your messages!  Please use laura.smith@utoronto.ca instead.

To sum up - DON'T USE laura@malawi.net.  PLEASE USE laura.smith@utoronto.ca.

... seems to be the phrase of the day these days.  Good glory is it warm!  Besides the fact that it is VERY uncomfortable, many people are worried that the rains have stopped.  This is not good news - the maize is drying up (has already dried up in some areas) and people will be very hungry if they don't get good harvests.  If you could pray for my friends who are worrying about that these days, that would be lovely.  Yewo taonga chomene!

I got another package from my lovely church family today!  You people spoil me!  Yewo taonga chomene.

So, when your little brother comes to visit you in Africa for only 1 week, you have to cram everything in.  We have done so much!  We visited one of the hospital's mobile clinics, saw lots of farmers' fields, got chased by an elephant, went snorkelling in the lake, heard live music... and to top it off, we think Jim broke his toe.  Nice.  And now he is going home again!  So quick.  Jim says it feels like he's been here for a month.  I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not :).

And now the countdown is on!  I am for sure in the home stretch.  It will be hard to leave this place, but I am looking forward to getting back to my home and native land.

Yes, Jim has arrived safe and sound.  My goodness - I was so glad when he stepped off the plane.  I didn't know what I was going to do if he was stuck in Jo'burg or something!!  The drive up to Ekwendeni yesterday was very long, but we had some good chats... And then we had dinner with some of my friends last night, which was nice.  Thank you for all of the prezzies that you sent with him, you TPCers!  I have enough Skor bars to feed the neighbourhood :).  And thank you for your lovely notes as well.

Today, when Jim wakes up, we are going to go for a walk around Ekwendeni, and to the hospital to meet the people with whom I work.  Should be fun.

Well, my friends, I received a package today that was mailed from the beautiful town of Thunder Bay on 2 July 2004.  Thank you very much, Uncle Jim and Aunt Lisa.  I honestly thought it was lost for ever, but lo and behold - the Canadian/Malawian postal systems did not fail me.  So now I am the proud owner of some new magazines, and a lot of Skittles and chocolate.  Nice.

I know I am being a delinquent with this website - honestly, things are really busy here these days.  And things will continue to be busy... my brother Jim arrives on Sunday - very fun - and then some of my IDS friends are coming to hang out on Lake Malawi for a few days with our Co-op Supervisor - Cath.  Should also be fun.

Hope that you are all keeping well and warm.  Not long now until I join you in the frigid north :).