Life after covid....

 Hello everyone,

I am shocked that I haven't updated the blog since November 2021 and its already February 2022.  A lot has happened in the last couple of months.

December was very busy for me with work.  I was involved in seminar with the heads of departments of the three guilds - women's, men's and youth, the Community Schools Co-ordinator, the Deputy General Secretary and the Sunday school director.  We were learning how to plan to make a strategic plan for each department.  We did a lot of work but also had a lot of laughs too!

Deputy General Secretary,  Community Schools Co-ordinator, Youth Co-ordinator, Women's Guild Co-ordinator, Men's Guild Co-ordinator and Sunday School Director!

Group work

School holidays are in December and that is when I have a chance to spend time with the teachers as we learn together about how we can help our young children in their development.  I have a great bunch of teachers from Southern Presbytery who I have been working with for some years now.  This time we were joined by two new teachers as we hope to re-open our ECD centre at Kabwata in Lusaka in the near future.

Home made jigsaw puzzles

The group of teachers were presented with Attendance certificates on the last day by the General Secretary, Rev Sevatt Kabaghe.

It was lovely to be invited to a Girls' Brigade Enrolment service at the congregation of the Youth Co-ordinator who is also the GB chaplain!  A wonderful service that was quite long but full of joy - much singing and dancing!  I really enjoyed being a part of it and seeing all the officers and girls so excited to follow Christ.

Rev Naomi Daka, Youth Co-ordinator and GB Chaplain

After all of these activities, it was a rush to get things organised to set off for Malawi where one of my Malawian 'sons' was about to get married.  I had to get documents for the vehicle and of course a covid test with a Government certificate to present at the Malawi border. I travelled with a friend and we headed off on 27 December.  Everything went well (except for a visa hiccup at the border - now the Malawi visa is all done online and there was an issue with my friend's visa..we eventually got sorted) and we arrived in Karonga the day before the wedding.  I had the privilege of taking the photos for the couple so it was a busy day for me, but lots of fun as I saw a lot of people I hadn't seen for years!

I just love the children in the background!

We had a bit of rain....

The cake....

After the wedding, we went down the lakeshore to stay at Kachere Kastle in Chinteche for a couple of days before heading back to Lilongwe to get our covid tests for the return journey!  The lake is as beautiful as ever - we had some mega thunderstorms but it is the rainy season!  We also had lake flies which are not so nice, but only on the last night thankfully!

Choppy lake..

Fishing

lake flies... very dramatic

casting the net

my new friends...

taking the cows out for a stroll - just like at white park bay!!

Unfortunately when we reached Lilongwe, I had a sore throat and sore ears and my covid test was positive.  I was told I would have to quarantine for 2 weeks in Malawi!  Eventually I talked to someone who said if I was driving I could cross the border with a positive test and quarantine at home.  So, we got through the border and I drove to Lusaka.  I was not feeling great after all the driving - between the covid and the tiredness but after a couple of days I started to feel a bit better.  Two weeks later I was still positive so had to get some medicine which helped to bring me back to almost full health - I still get very tired easily!  My friend has not been so fortunate - she is now almost a month in hospital because of covid which she probably got from me....- she is improving but very slowly so I hope and pray she will get out of hospital soon.

Schools were delayed opening until 24 January because of covid which gave me time to recover a bit.  The next few months are quite busy with meetings, and training and I am also teaching three lessons as part of the Youth and Children's ministry course at Justo Mwale University in Lusaka.  I am very excited by this opportunity!

While I was not feeling great the rains started in earnest.  We had a dry spell all of December and it was not looking good for the crops.  Then in January rain started and we have had good rains for the past few weeks.  The heat and damp and humidity is all great for fungi so I have been enjoying taking photos of them as they appear.  Some of them are edible, but as I have no idea which ones, I am just leaving them alone....having covid was enough, don't want food poisoning too!!

Also the birdlife in this garden is fabulous - I even managed to get one of the rather large Spotted Eagle Owl - beautiful bird!

So, thats my update for now.  I am currently preparing for a seminar with Head teachers that I will tell you about on the next blog!

Until next time...blessings,

Diane x