Stipends...

I have never ever had to budget my money before. I was always a saver with money I earned or was given for Christmas or my birthday, etc. But making a specific amount of money for groceries and other essentials last a whole month at a time? I’ve never really had to worry about it. I always had money when I needed it, since I was always saving and never needed a lot. Now I’m in Malawi, living off a stipend, and not wanting to spend my entire savings on food because I did not use my stipend wisely. 

So we went shopping. We needed a few food items and such to last us a few days until we could go to another store with better prices. So there I was, standing there looking at the shelf of toilet paper, searching for the best deal. Money-wise I got it. And boy did I get what I paid for. Honest to goodness sandpaper. Okay, that’s an exaggeration, it’s actually not bad. What was I expecting to find in Malawi? Charmaine super soft 4-ply, complete with the picture of a cuddly bear on the package? Haha, not quite!

Coco Pebbles? Never again. There was nothing “coco” about it. It tasted like a bland cereal, like really bland - so I added hot chocolate powder to it. Chocolate milk just helps everything. :)

Getting to know the currency here, kwacha, has been difficult. I have a difficult time converting to US dollars in my head and then decide whether or not it’s a good deal without taking FOREVER. So far Laurel has dealt with most of the cash part of shopping and whatnot, but I think I’m finally getting the hang of it. Oh, and it looks like we are doing just fine with our stipends :) I admit, the thought of spending my savings on groceries was completely ridiculous…

Driving. The driving is weird and all mixed up! The driver sits on the right side of the car and drives on the left side of the road. Thankfully, I am not expected to be driving while I’m here. We have people who can take us to the places we need to go, or we can use the mini busses. This past week four different people offered to take us along when they went grocery shopping. The other missionaries here are so nice!

I have to keep reminding myself that I’m going to be living like this for the next nine months and not just one. At camp this past summer I got used to moving around to different camps and different locations for a little over a week at a time before moving on, and I’ve never gone somewhere with a COMPLETELY different culture. Most of the time I forget that I’m not just on a month vacation and am actually going to be living here for the next nine months, which is so cool because it will give us a chance to actually get to know the people here and share experiences with them.

The avocados here won’t be really good until December, so here is a picture of the baby avocados that will hopefully be taking a journey through my digestive system before Christmas!! Thank for your prayers and support!!