September 2015 David & Joanna Morrison Family Update
The Morrisons have had a very exciting season. The Tour Divide 2015 was an epic adventure for David, Patrick, and Daniel. Training began two years ago, and escalated as the day of the race approached. David and Daniel were often up at 4:30 a.m. to get a ride in before a normal day of work in the office and school. Patrick’s training was mostly limited to the Wrestling Team at McMaster University, although, as soon as the snow was off the ground in Canada, he was out on his bike, stretching those leg muscles.
Departure day from Banff, Alberta, was exhilarating to say the least. 150 riders played leap frog to find their position over the first few days. After that, the Dreamriders saw the occasional rider. Some hard lessons were learned early on: 1) 9000 calories is a lot of food, and 2) you cannot skimp on sleep. They set a challenging pace for first timers and set their goal for 30 days. For more stories of the ride, see www.dreamriders.ca . There is a link there to Patrick’s blog.
[The Dreamriders in Banff, Alberta.]
Our joyful reunion took place on the border between United States and Mexico. Rebekah and Caleb Martin (former Malawi Missionaries), together with Kalina and Joanna, passed the guys with about 10km to go and waited at the finish line with cameras ready to capture the moment. The final push took all they had. They wanted to make the border before it closed at 4pm and they did, at 3:55pm. Words cannot express the joy and sense of accomplishment for the guys as they rolled across the finish line.
The joy continues as we are back in Malawi and seeking out Dreamriders Scholars. These are young men and women who have been selected to Secondary Schools in Malawi, but cannot afford to go. Their excitement is contagious, as they quickly pack what little they have, and buy a few supplies, so that they can catch the bus to their future. It has been our joy to send 20 young people to Secondary this year. The Scholarship will cover their costs for the next four years. Next year we will add more first year Scholars.
[David “Mo” interviewing a boy named Daniel at his home in southern Malawi, together with his parents, assessing whether or not he has qualified for the scholarship....Yes he did!]
For us as a family, there has been quite an adjustment to make after the excitement of the ride and then a wonderful month together as a family all under one roof. Leaving Daniel in Canada to complete his final year of high school was heart breaking, although he has settled in well and continues to thrive. Patrick is back to the grind of engineering classes and the relief of wrestling practice. It is good that the boys are living together and can encourage one another.
Kalina, Joanna, and David, struggle to adjust to a family of three. Food goes a lot further. Cookies and cake last a long time. Our hearts often turn to Canada, calculating time differences, and chatting about what the boys will be doing now. Our choice is still to trust God, who called us, and remains our Father in heaven, whether in Malawi or in Canada. Thank you to all of you who have helped our boys settle so well in Canada. God’s family is truly inspiring.
[I (David) captured this picture when I was out in the village the other day. I was wishing that I could be one of those kids trying to jump on the back of the cart. Oh what fun! I am glad that the Lord brought us to Malawi.]