In a conversation with a Malawian friend I discovered that he had been off work for two days. He was attending the funeral of his niece. There is nothing extraordinary about this. In a country of 16 million people in an area roughly the size of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, there are a lot … Continue reading Whose Justice?
The other day John Carr made a comment on the Presbyterian Church in Canada Facebook page regarding a post from missional-aries.com . He correctly pointed out that we do not so much bring hope someplace as we are hopeful in a place. Both Vivian and I had been uncomfortable with the end of the original … Continue reading It Used To Be Better Part 2
Here is a piece that I wrote for the WESM newsletter that offers a complementary perspective to the post from yesterday. Who can turn down an invitation like this: “We particularly need people with some experience to volunteer, but we also invite ‘amateurs’ to join in. It is an excellent chance to really get to … Continue reading WESM Game Count 2017
Any kind of theological training in Malawi is tough, lay training especially so. The logistical barriers are staggering. While Malawi’s overall literacy rate of 65.8% is better than some of its neighbouring countries, it is still far below the world average of 86.3% of countries such as Canada who are roughly 99% literate. Most often … Continue reading Theological Training is Tough
Knocks at our gate are quite common. It serves as our front door and people come calling regularly. I normally have some difficulty answering the gate because frequently the visitor does not speak much English and I speak little Chichewa. When a man I eventually came to know as Charles came knocking this wasn’t a … Continue reading Charles and Tidzalerana
As it has been reported in international news I thought it best to give a short reassurance to those who follow us here in Malawi. Since the start of September there has been increasing civil unrest in the southern part of Malawi (the part we are in) surrounding rumours of “blood suckers”. Fear has been … Continue reading Bloodsucker Violence
Here is a new report out regarding the relative purchasing power of different people. It is worth going to the report to see their methodology. Two quick things. First, women and children and the elderly have less earning power and therefore will have a harder time managing the costs of food. Second, Malawi is in … Continue reading Expensive Meals
People here in Malawi want to know, “Where do you stay?” They mean where do I live. I tell them the Blantyre Synod mission grounds near St. Michael and All Angels (the church pictured). Often their response is, “Ah, so you are a missionary.” I smile and nod while my internal response is, “Sort of. … Continue reading The Problem With Missionary
On August 3rd, after selling our house, our car, and most of our possessions, we said some teary good-byes in British Columbia and boarded a plane to begin our long trek to Malawi. When we arrived for our 3-week stay in Ontario, we were greeted by family and a festive sign that said, “The Party’s … Continue reading The Party’s Here
The Bertrand family, late of Abbotsford (British Columbia, Canada), is moving to Blantyre (Malawi) to start new appointments. We will be using this space for more substantive reflections. Bear with us as we get set up. Continue reading Coming Soon
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