Starting a New Chapter…

In some recent posts, I’ve let slip a little bit of news that I have yet to make “Facebook public”–

my family and I are moving to Malawi.

Yes,Malawi–the Warm Heart of Africa and one of the poorest countries in the world.

My husband, Tim, and I–along with our two sons, of course!–will leave for Malawi sometime in the next six months or so. Next month, we’ll be attending orientations and trainings with the Presbyterian Church (USA)–whose mission arm, GAMC, is sending us–to prepare.

Why Malawi?

Well, it’s like this.

Ten years ago, a friend from college went to a country that was so beautiful despite its terrible poverty and found great satisfaction working there.

Five years ago, I found myself bursting into tears one night after dinner telling Tim about a story I’d read on a midwife’s blog, where a woman had died giving birth because she hadn’t had enough to eat during her pregnancy.

Two years ago, I read with interest about a boy who managed to build a working windmill out of scraps and provide electricity to his village.

And a few months ago, a friend sent us the link to an advertisement asking for an Old Testament/Hebrew Bible Ph.D. to teach at Zomba Theological College…inMalawi–the place where the boy built a windmill, where the midwife blogged her stories, where our friend went almost on a whim.

And so we applied…and so we are going.

While in some ways I’m beginning to feel all the mix of feelings anyone feels when facing transition, the truth is that I’m really looking forward to going. I have loved working with the folks at GAMC/World Mission and eagerly look forward to knowing them better, and to meeting our neighbors in Zomba.

As for what I’ll be doing in Malawi (besides all the same things I do right here, like write, take care of my kids, cook, garden, and eat…), well, I’d very much like to stretch my little doula wings and attend as many births as possible, to learn what birth is like in that culture.

I suspect I have much to learn. And I’m looking forward to learning it.

Now, dear regular readers, you probably have questions. Fire away!