New Experiences While Serving in a Bible School in Malawi

While this was my third time to teach at Great Commission Bible School in Malawi, there were still new experiences to enjoy. Some were brand new, and others were repeats but enjoyed with new people. My second week was a full and busy one. It began bright and early on Monday morning. The school had devotions at 7:00 am on Monday and Friday. When I was planning my trip here, I felt like I needed to demonstrate to the students…

What One Does on a Weekend in Lilongwe, Malawi

We came to Malawi to teach at Great Commission Bible School which is in the capital city, Lilongwe. Our classes began on Tuesday. I taught two periods a day, the first and the third periods. The good news is, I was done by lunch so I could then take a nap in the afternoon. My classes went well, and I enjoyed working with the students. After four days of teaching the weekend arrived. Saturday morning I did laundry. Having been…

First Days in Lilongwe Return

This summer’s adventure begins with a return visit to teach in Lilongwe, Malawi. It was my third time to Malawi, but this time I did not travel alone. My pastor and friend Jeff Horton traveled with me and taught as well. It’s a different experience to have someone to travel with that’s not my wife. However, it feels less stressful to have someone there through the long journey.. Our flights to Malawi from the US were pretty routine but long.…

Four Sundays in Malawi, Four Unique Churches: Part Two

During my time in Malawi I attended four different churches. Last week I shared about the first two churches I attended. The third Sunday started a bit earlier than the other two. That week rather than stay in Lilongwe, we went to a church in a rural part of the country. We also took along all the Bible School students to observe the church service. So 16 of us piled into the van and headed out. We didn’t get very…

Four Sundays in Malawi, Four Unique Churches: Part One

When I visited Malawi in January of 2020, I was only able to visit one church, the one on the school campus. This time I wanted to make it a priority to visit different churches so each of the four Sundays I was there, my friend Bern and I visited a different church. Let me say some things in general about churches in Malawi. First of all as a visitor, the churches always treated me very well. They gave me…

Birds of the World in Lilongwe

It was a sunny Sunday afternoon in Lilongwe, Malawi when Bern asked me if I was interested in birds. His daughter had told him about a bird sanctuary nearby so he thought I might like to see it. Since I had taken him to some activities when he was in Washington, I think he felt a need to show me around Malawi. While I am not particularly into birds, I thought this might be a good opportunity to take some…

One Trip, Four Airports: Seattle, Doha, Nairobi, and Lilongwe

Traveling to Africa from the Seattle area is never direct. I was going to Africa for the third time, and the journey would be long and tiring. The first time I went to Africa I connected through London. The second time I traveled through New York. This time I though I would try a different approach and headed to Doha in the Middle East. While Seattle is my home airport, I was traveling with a new-to-me airline, Qatar, so I…

Travel Inspiration: Movies, TV, and Books

Where do you find travel inspiration? What makes you think, “I want to go there!”? Is it a picture in a magazine or hearing about your friend’s experience? Is it reading a travel blog or seeing some scenic location in a movie? Have you ever been inspired by a book or story? I have, and it’s a great way to gain inspiration for travel. If you think that people are not inspired to travel by such things consider the influence…

Facing the Challenges of World Travel

When I began this blog over a year ago, my intent was to encourage people to explore our world. For me traveling is the best way to learn about the cultures and peoples of our very diverse world. While we can read about places and peoples in books, see travel shows on TV, or watch documentaries or movies from different locations, nothing compares to actually being in a place. Places are more than what we see. They are smells and…

Malawi: Life in a Large School Compound

There are many reasons to travel. This trip to Malawi was not a trip as a tourist. Because of that II didn’t stay in the usual tourist type accommodations. Instead I stayed in a large walled in compound. The compound was originally built for American missionaries. However, there are none in the compound at this time. However, that doesn’t mean it’s not in use. In fact it’s a pretty busy place. The compound is probably about the size of a…