We finally had a decent night’s sleep last night, and woke up fairly refreshed. The Chapambas are wonderful hosts and have been so kind and generous with us. Providing a safe and comfortable place to sleep and delicious meals each evening.

Today was another day of visits, but more local (in Lilongwe) than the day before, so we had time to visit three different individuals.

First we met several brethren, including our elder, Haiton Thungula, at the Church hall in Mchesi (a neighborhood in Lilongwe). From there we took Mr. Thungula’s truck since some of the areas’ roads are difficult to navigate in a truck, let alone a sedan. But he asked Lewis to drive.

Our first stop was with Mrs. Elizabeth. Mrs. Elizabeth is 92 years old and is a longtime member of God’s Church. She also used to be a nurse, and she lived in Blantyre. In recent years she moved to Lilongwe to be closer to some of her children. We had a lovely visit catching up with her.

Our next stop was to see Mrs. Njewa. She is a sweet lady that lives with her daughter and grandchildren, and some great-grandchildren. They take excellent care of her. She remembered Mr. Thungula and some of the other visitors, but she didn’t quite remember Lewis and me. Mrs. Njewa has been a faithful member of God’s Church for many years, we’re not entirely sure how old she is, because no one ever told her what her birthday was. The best guess is she is in her late 70’s, possibly early 80’s. We chatted for a bit, shared some biscuits (cookies) and prayed with her, before helping her back to the front porch where she could watch her great-grandchildren, enjoy some sunshine and fresh air.

Our last stop was to the home of Mr. Chitsime. Mr. Chitsime used to live quite far out in the bush (and still has a home in the village), but his memory is not so good and he has some ongoing health concerns so he has moved to Lilongwe to live with his sister. His sister made us a lovely meal of nsima, pumpkins greens, and fish. A fairly typical meal in Malawi. We chatted, prayed, and shared some cookies before taking our leave.

Malawi is called the “warm heart of Africa,” and the hospitality that we are shown every where we go shows the moniker is deserving.

Our ride home to the Chapamba’s was epic, and instead of write another four pages to cover it, I’ll link to a video I made here: Africa 2024: Day 4 (July 5) – Driving in Malawi. I’m trying new things.