Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Christmas Eve dawns dim and misty. We go to the nursery and work until noon, then celebrate with the staff Christmas party. Rice, “beef”, boiled rape leaves, chips (fried potatoes), plus ice cream and cookies with a Coke. The staff loves it!! We give them each a 5 lb bag of rice. There is lots of singing and dancing. The babies love the commotion. Paul leaves early to put in an appearance at the church Christmas Eve service—a 4 hour marathon of choirs singing and elders preaching.

I am so looking forward to the arrival of Bob Louer, a PCUSA missionary who was in our orientation group and who is now stationed in Zambia (next door). He should arrive around 4 pm. At 5:45 I walk home from the party (still no Bob) and Paul will follow in the car when he finishes up.

Uh Oh! The door is locked with the top lock (the one that doesn’t work)?! So no matter how much I fiddle with the bottom lock, I can’t get in. My sister calls from NJ while I am fussing with the lock, so I give up and talk to her for about 20 minutes. As darkness falls on the African landscape, I am starting to relax.

Suddenly, the gate opens and Paul roars in followed by the nursery truck with the Anna the nurse, Veronica the supervisor, Augustine the administrative assistant and Hilda, a 14 month old who is having a grand mal seizure. “We couldn’t get you on the phone” Anna says. “Get in”. I tell my sister goodbye and jump into the truck. As we pull away I shout to Paul that we are locked out.

Hilda has a raging fever and is unresponsive. I put my hand on her burning head and pray hard. “Dear God, please save her”. It takes 15 agonizing minutes to get to Central Hospital. She doesn’t seize any more but she’s really hot. The last time something like this happened, the baby died, so Anna wants us all there, just in case.

The hospital is wild. Hilda is examined in the hall, right away, by the clinical officer on duty. He does a quick assessment and then we take Hilda to the lab for blood tests. Malaria! We go to a treatment room, and I wrap her up and restrain her as they put an IV in her tiny hand. They shoot in an antibiotic and start a quinine drip.

Next we go to the pediatric ward which is over- full. Parents and children are everywhere – on the beds, on the floor and in the hall. There is no bed for Hilda until a parent volunteers to vacate the one she is using (caretakers must stay with patients at all times). We pick our way over the bowls of food, piles of blankets and groups of children as we make our way to Hilda’s bed. It has no side rails and is high. Veronica will stay with her until we bring a caregiver from the nursery. The caregiver will prepare food and feed and bathe Hilda during her stay. We will bring food daily from the Nursery as each nanny works 12 hours. Nothing is provided in the hospital.

I get to go home now. Augustine will take the nanny and supplies back to the hospital and pick up Veronica. I offer up another prayer for Hilda as I ascend our driveway.

Meanwhile, Paul has gone to our cook’s house and procured our top lock key, which he keeps “just in case”. Smart man. As I waltz in, the power is on, the Christmas tree lights are twinkling, and Christmas music is playing. We have a peanut butter sandwich with tea and try to call Bob. It is 8:45 pm.

An hour later Bob texts us (the phone network is down). “I’m here” the text says. So we go downtown and pick him up. How good to see him and hear his New Jersey accent!!! He gets in and tells us there are 2 young women who are being harassed by cab drivers. We invite them into the van. They are medical students from England. At 10 pm it wouldn’t be safe for them to continue their journey. We take them to a rest house where the guard comes out in a knit hat carrying a bow and arrow!! “Closed” he says. We try another lodge and Paul negotiates for a room. They’re in!

At home, I break out the home made chocolate chip cookies and Bob’s eyes light up. WOW! He says. I’ve been saving American food for Christmas and he loves it.

It’s raining and 75 degrees. Crickets are chirping and the night bugs are trilling. Is it really Christmas Eve? But here we are in Malawi, our 2 foot tree illuminated with 19 tiny white lights and the Christmas music playing.

Christmas morning finds Hilda’s temperature down and she is able to take a bottle. Our prayers are being answered.

Church is three hours on Christmas day, with Paul preaching one of the two sermons. The highlight is the Sunday School Christmas pageant. Mary and Joseph even had stars in the heavens in the form of the littlest participants. They sing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” as they march around the crèche and out the door. It was great!

Holidays are hard here, so far from the family and friends we love. But we cling to each other and fellow missionaries that are also serving Christ here in Malawi. And God sustains us.

Darlene and Paul