Mangochi, Malawi

We leave for the Lake Malawi today. It’s been pleasant staying with the Chilopora’s at their home. We have visited here several times and always enjoy coming here. We feel very comfortable with them. This morning I was able to get Chiku’s computer fixed. We pack up and head to the lake. The Chilopora’s bring all their food with them. They also bring plenty for others. They are very generous people and God has blessed them for it. Because there is so much, Dr. Chilopora asks his nephew to drive some of the items to Mangochi in his pickup truck. It is Friday and as we drive the 100 mile distance we see faithful Muslims walking to their place of worship at the mosque. This area has been Muslim since the Middle Ages when the Arabs invaded this area. It became a primary area for slave trade for several centuries where the inhumane practice of forcing thousands of people into slavery from the villages. Local chiefs were guilty of selling their own people for profit to Arabs who shipped them all over the world, including the United States. We got to Mangochi mid-afternoon and settled in. We are very happy with our accommodations at the Nkopola Lodge. We have a nice round home. We are familiar the setup here and look forward to our stay. We met Bill and Cheryl Jahns who came up the day before and went to dinner with them. We are so blessed to be with these people and in this land. Our plans are to stay until Tuesday when have to get back to Blantyre and stay overnight. We have been invited to stay at the home of a Member of Parliament Mark Katsonga Phiri. As mentioned previously, his wife Agnes is the Assistant Rotary Governor for Malawi, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique and very kind and partial towards us. They will not think of us staying at any hotel and want us to stay with them. We are concerned about how we will get back from the Lake to Blantyre, because there are only four vehicles here at the Feast. Henry Khembo’s camper and our two ambulances and one more family with a car. Agnes has offered to drive us on occasion and I did help them quite a bit last summer when they stayed with us in Indianapolis. We called her and asked if she could send a driver from Blantyre to Mangochi to take us back to Blantyre She obliged and within an hour arranged for a “Peter” from her office at Excise and Customs to come and get the Jahns’ and us on Tuesday. Agnes herself flies to the United Kingdom tomorrow to see her daughter in London.