The most innovative person I have ever met.

After checking out of our place at the lake, we head to meet and spend the night with a couple who run an NGO called Child Legacy International. These are people Ray knows so I'm feeling a little weird about the whole thing. We have been told that Jeff came to Africa on a mission trip many years ago and was hooked. He met and married a woman from Zimbabwe. I'm not sure about the chronology, but they have lived and worked in both Boerne, TX and Africa. When they had to leave Zimbabwe, they founded a mission in Malawi and have helped with water well drilling and repair, hunger relief and medical care.

We drive through Lilongwe out to the village of Msundwe. I think we are all getting a little nervous because it appears we are driving to nowhere. It is dry, dusty and relatively desolate. There are dilapidated huts, concerned looking villagers, dense smoke from cookfires, and mosquito breeding ponds. Then all of a sudden we round a bend in the road and see a tall chain link security fence behind which are rows of pine trees, then rows of banana trees, then rows of mango trees. It was beautiful!

Once we enter the compound, the grounds are immaculate, with painted buildings, a giant vegetable garden, a huge tilapia farming pond and fingerling nursery, a mess hall, a clinic and I could go on. And it's ALL WIND AND SOLAR POWERED!!! Including the water pumps, water heaters, and electric lights.

We sat on the patio beside the outdoor fireplace, and listened to the story of Jeff's journey in Africa and in Malawi as we enjoyed a cold beer. His NGO is Child Legacy and in addition to what they have already built, they are constructing a women and children's healthcare facility that should be completed before the next rainy season starts in November. The cook there prepared a wonderful meal, then we had hot showers, and a great nights sleep in comfortable beds. We were all so impressed at what this couple has been able to accomplish since they began there in 2006. Obviously, they have cultivated a lot of support, but still!

Beautiful and claimed from the African bush.

The entrance to our rooms. 

Man made tilapia pond that can hold up to 5,000 fish for harvest.

Morning mist at sunrise in the jungle.

Solar panels, wind towers and beauty.

The patio outside the mess hall.  Nicely done!