I’ll tell you, it’s downright chilly at 55F without central heat. You certainly need a blanket at night. This season a donation of quilts was much appreciated. The quilts came here to the Lutheran Bible Institute through a special courier, my brother, who had come to visit.

Andy lives near Washington DC. When WELS member Edie Hintz heard that her friend Andy was coming over to Malawi, she decided to send over a batch of quilts from her congregation. They were to be given to our ministerial student families.

Edie wrote to me and threw out a request. Could I possibly pick up some colourful African cloth for the quilting ladies at church? I responded, “Yer talkin’ to the right guy.” I spent half of my childhood crunched between my Mom and an old black Singer (the other half was spent at fabric stores). The interest wore off on me. I would enjoy picking out some cloth.

Andy and I went deep into the local market to the ladies who sell cloth. These two meter pieces of printed cotton are used for skirts, baby carriers, and a hundred other things.

We spent what was a delightful hour for me of joking around in the local language and making nearly half of cloth vendors very happy to have a big sale. Thanks to Edie & Friends for keeping our student families’ warmer and giving Andy and I a fun task to do as well.