Adjusting

Well once again we are coming to the end of another month. The only difference is that next month will be my last. As of today I have 16 days until I leave Malawi and 17 days until I arrive in Canada. I have been trying to process and prepare myself for returning to Canada and just so I can prepare you all for my return and process what I will probably have problems with I though that I would write down a few of the things I think that I will have "culture shock" with:
1) driving - since Malawi was and British Colony they drive on the left side of the road and the right side of the car. This made confusion for when I came here and I'm sure at least once I will get in on the wrong side of the car in Canada.
2) speaking English - since I wanted to learn Chichewa so badly I made a conscious effort not to speak English whenever I could, however, this is going to create problems when it comes to returning home. Two words I think will be the hardest for me to change: Zikomo kwambiri (thank-you very much) and Pepani (sorry).
3) wearing pants and skirts shorter than the knee - right now I am at SLC and since we are only Azungus I have been wearing pants (which I am started to get used to) and skirts sometimes. However, still when I show a knee I feel as if I am scandalizing the world.
4) shopping - here we don't really have any major supermarkets so I buy a lot of things on the road or at the market. I really enjoy this experience and I think that I will have a hard time with the lack of priority put on socializing in the shopping process. It will also be hard to not have certain items or certain items at such a low price.
5) time - GMT (General Malawi Time as we like to call it) is definitely a better time! I know that I will have troubles adjusting to the time change but also to the change of piority on time. In Malawi if we are meeting at 10 then I will try to leave my house sometime around ten. If I (or they) are 30 mins late that is standard and ok.

On the other hand there are things that I am very excited for! They include:
1) seeing family and friends
2) eating Ice Cream and other dairy products
3) the sun!!!

There are probably more things that need to go on both of these lists but I cannot think of anything else right now.

Running Crazy

Well Liz has officially left and is on her way to England so I am by myself for the next two weeks until SLC and then just after she comes back (SLC is our Spiritual Life Conference in which all the SIM Malawi Missionaries get together and spend time together). So far the month of June has been a little strange. I have been in Blantyre and most just working at Cure Hospital since Joseph is MIA. I have also had great opporunity to work on my Ethnography which I thank Gor for. On Monday I went to Running club with Liz and Ryan and after the run I made a comment that I will forever regret... "I fancy running Chilomoni Ring Road sometime." Now for those of you who don't know, Chilomoni Rind Road is a road that goes right around my house and has quite a few hills which makes running difficult. It is about 5km long. I have been avoiding it since I have been running, and for good reason too! However, after I made that comment Liz told Ryan and I ended up getting up the next morning (Tuesday) at 5:30 to do this run. During parts of it I thought that I was going to die, but after finishing I felt so proud of myself and that I really accomplished something. However, Yesterday I did almost nothing, just computer and book work in the house so I was feeling quite lazy today even after walking the hour back from Cure so I made the mistake of asking Ryan if he wanted to go for a run tomorrow. So it looks like I will be running again tomorrow morning. Another early morning... before I left Canada I never thought that I would be getting up early, not mention for running. I really am going crazy!
On other notes I have one week (next week) left of ministry and then I have SLC, a week of babysitting some MK's and then a closing week. Can't believe it will be so soon that I get to see you all. Wow!

Give Me Money

Many times throughout my time here in Malawi I have been begged from. Sometimes politle by little children or older people saying, "Thandizeni, Mama, Thandizeni." Which mean Help me please. This has been very very hard for me but since I live in the area and we are encouraged not to help children stay on the streets usually I do not help them. Sometimes I give them some food or something.
Other times children use a phrase that for some reason almost all of them have learned even if they don't speak English and it is, "Give me money." This is said extremely rudely and I really don't like it. Even children that I have created relationships with will sometimes say it which hurts me. However, I hadn't heard it for a while until this morning.
As I was walking into town I had been greeted so nicely by the ladies on the way to town and then I passed by two elderly ladies and I greeted them and they smiled and thanked me continually. It was so sweet. At that point I was thanking God saying thanks for a great start to my day, when a guy (probably 18) came up to me and said, "Give me money." Very rudely. I was extremely shocked that in the same country that I was just praising God for how nice the people were my joy was shot down. It was really hard to not let it affect my mood, but I tried to concentrate on the good things that had happened this morning.
How do I deal with people that say things like that to me? I have been her over 4 months and I am still looking for a response!
How do I not allow it to affect my mood? Yes I know that it is just satan trying to get my down because God had blessed me and I was thanking him for it, but it still affects me.
God please help me to bring joy into other people's lives and not allow satan's attempts to affect me. Please use me for the six weeks that I have left however you want. Thank-you for this opportunity. Zikomo kwambiri!