Rain

When it rains in Mulanje...

...it pours

We had some intense rains here a couple weeks ago, with rain most of the day and night for about a week. It's been a long time since I walked through puddles to use the chim or get to school. Luckily most of the heaviest rain fell in the afternoons or evenings, so my classes were not disrupted. If it is raining hard, the pounding of rain on the metal roof pretty much stops class.

We had an intense lightning storm on the second day of the rains, which caused the electricity to go out. The rain was so intense after that that it took them over a week to fix it. Luckily my charcoal cooking skills are improving, so I was still able to cook during that time. But keeping my phone charged was another matter. Solar chargers do not work well during Rainy Season.

Still, I love the rain. Rain means it is so nice when everything is green and lush. Rain means cooler nights so I sleep better. Rain means bathing with cool, refreshing rainwater everyday. And rain means spending my afternoons having a cup of tea while sitting on my porch and watching the rain clouds over the mountain while reading a good book. It's definitely a nice time of year.

Praying for Rain

"Upon us all, a little rain must fall..." --Led Zeppelin, The Rain Song

After a late start in December, the rains stopped just as suddenly as they began. Since the New Year there has only been one or two real solid rains in my village. The maize is starting to dry out, as you can see in this photo.

It's not just dry either. It has been hot and windy as well, further drying the maize. A common past time here is looking at the dark clouds in the distance, and hoping for a thunderstorm. But other than a few overcast and muggy days, the clouds haven't produced anything significant for us.

The kids and I prepared my garden bed for planting this week, and now I'm just waiting for a little rain before I get the seeds in the ground. I could just water them in by hand, but the linthumbu (red driver ants) are roaming around in large numbers, and with it being so dry, I'm worried about creating a little oasis that might attract them to my yard again. So I'm waiting for one good storm.

It's crazy to think that last year at this time, there were floods in southern Malawi. People died in high flood waters, rivers overflowed, bridges washed out, and many people lost their homes and crops. Now we are in danger of the other extreme. But it's not too late yet.

So here in Malawi, we're all praying for rain.