Saturday: Just back from the lake. Last night in Malawi.

Hi friends, it's been a few days since our last post and I apologize for it. We just returned from a couple of wonderful days at the shores of Lake Malawi where we went to unwind and refresh ourselves while reflecting about our mission, what worked and what didn't, and already beginning to discuss next year's trip. We were joined there by our MOH host Dan and his beautiful wife Rabecca as well as Felix, our fierce and talented driver.

The drive up to the lake from our hotel was long - about three hours, mostly on paved highways, thankfully but the last half hour was more bumpy dirt road.

Arriving at the lake front was a sight for sore eyes. Imagine the whitest sands and the bluest waters you've ever seen, but in an otherwise landlocked country with no oceanfront land. Lake Malawi is more than 300 miles in length and more than forty miles wide, separating Malawi from Mozambique and Tanzania to the East and North.

The beach is gorgeous - like a travel magazine cover.

Not only was the beach beautiful, it was empty! Our team had the place mostly to ourselves, with only a couple of other guests at the hotel.

it was great to kickback with friends, enjoy a cold beverage and just enjoy great fellowship with one another.

The water was as warm as bathwater, and fresh, without the usual saltiness we'd expect to find at our beaches back home. It was so therapeutic!

Once we checked in, we walked to our bungalow rooms, all beachfront.

I could not help but notice a lot of movement in the overhead trees as we walked from the main house to the rooms, along the edge of the beach. Looking up, more carefully into the trees, I noticed dozens of monkeys playing, jumping from branch to branch and tree to tree, some even carrying babies with them as they climbed. It was such a wonderful sight!

We went for early morning sunrise walks on the beach, exploring the nooks and crannies of the hotel property as well as journeying next door, to another lodge/hotel where we enjoyed lunch and shopping at their gift shop. We met a few guys at their wood market who loved drumming as much as Keith, so it was decided to seize the opportunity for an impromptu concert. It was so much fun!

We said goodbye to the beach and Moses, the Hotel Manager Saturday morning and drove back to Lilongwe and back to our home-away-from-home, Cakes Lodge where we'll spend one more night before heading tot he airport Sunday morning.

It's with decidedly mixed emotions that we prepare for our departure. While we're excited to come home to our friends and families as we miss you all terribly, Malawi has become a special place and one that becomes harder to say goodbye to each visit.

I will try to post one final update Sunday morning with confirmed flight information for those who may want to visit with us at LCPC Monday when we get back in.

Until then,

Love to all,
Marc