Overall, I was fortunate enough to get 2 extra days in the villages; one doing Malaria and HIV clinics in Madzanje, and one going along with my team mate Tim to visit his sponsor children Dinah and John. The way that the two teams were split indicated that my team would only get to go hut to hut evangelizing one day, but God had other plans.

I felt at home walking the dusty paths from hut to hut. Although the afternoon sun beat down relentlessly as we went, I felt refreshed and alive as if I had just jumped into cool water. This I believe was the adrenalin which coursed through my body as I readied to accomplish God's work.

Walking up to complete strangers in a foreign land where you don't even speak their language and telling them about Jesus whom they have never heard of and why he came to die for them, is at the very least, a humbling experience. All of the factors which needed to align in order to make these moments occur were certainly a feat of God. Just as my mind is boggled when I think of the earth that we live on spinning through space titled at the just the precise angle...going just the perfect speed...keeping us all grounded by just the right amount of gravity to be able to walk and jump, but also not float away...God knows his stuff and he had some very specific appointments for me to go on in Malawi.

Today we were not only going to evangelize in the villages, but we were going to stay in the village for lunch which meant we had to bring our own food and cooks from Esther's House so as to not get sick from the water....and it meant that we were going to be without a bathroom for about 8 hours...oh joy!

Our buses arrived at the home of the local village chief. We all piled out and stretched a bit as we waited for further instruction.(the ability to be spontaneous is most definitely a requirement for missionary work). Eventually I was paired with my team mate Al. Now Al and I are very much alike; quiet, soft spoken, self conscious....JUST KIDDING! Al and I are very much alike; bold, outspoken and assured of who we are in Christ. I thought to myself, "This is good, I know we will both be confident, but we are so much alike I am not sure if we would be the best team". As soon as the thought finished running through my head, Al said to me, "Wait, how about if we switch partners? Why don't you go with Eric, and I will go with Lauren?". "Sure", I said, knowing instantly that this pairing was what God had in mind. Immediately I felt at peace again.

Eric and I set out with our interpreter Alyson (I honestly have no idea how to spell his name but it sounded like the female name here in America Allison). We must have looked funny, the two men were about 6 foot tall and me 5 feet one inch on my tippy-toes...we set off down the path towards the village. As we walked through corn fields and dried out creek beds, I was careful to lift my long skirt as to not get snagged on the dry branches that lay on the ground. The sun was hot and our backpacks were heavy with water for the day, bibles, evangicubes and snacks...

After what seemed like a very long time, we arrived at the first home. An older man dressed in a striped dress shirt and pants wearing eye glasses and carrying a bible came out to greet us! (this was the first time that I saw someone there with glasses or a bible, not to mention such fancy clothing). His family scurried into the house and brought out their furniture. In other huts that I had visited a large reed mat was offered for us to sit on, or if someone were particularly wealthy, a basic wooden chair....but this house had large heavy wooden seats with arms on them and a wooden bench and sofa. The family just kept bringing furniture out until I was certain that everything that they owned was now sitting in the front yard.

They called for the neighbors who came and took places on the furniture and the ground, and before we knew it, we had a full blown audience. (It was amazing how people just gathered everywhere we went...it truly reminded me of how the bible portraits Jesus' teaching; he would show up and people would come and listen).

The man with the glasses and the bible, now had a pen and paper and he took the seat in a chair just to the left of me. Eric was to my right and Alyson was next to him. I had absolutely no idea what we were going to say and quickly prayed for God to lead us. We introduced ourselves by name and explained where we were from and why we had come. We asked them if they knew of Jesus? They did (the mere fact that they actually had a bible in their home where some churches didn't even have one had given me hope that they did). Not only did they know who Jesus was, but He was their Lord and Savior.

I wondered why God had sent us here...This group was predominately men...everywhere else we went it was mostly women that we spoke with, this was highly unusual and a great honor to speak to so many men in one place. I asked them what we could pray about for them. They spoke about hardships and lack and also had great concerns about the next generation. I couldn't help but smile...here I had just read about both of these things while spending time with God doing devotions that very morning! I got my bible out of my backpack and knew exactly where to turn! (Amazing provision from a detail oriented God who is not random or fictional, but knows every thought and every heart of every man every woman and every child everywhere!)

First I addressed the concern about hardship with a scripture God had shown me from Habakkuk 3:17-19 "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the field produces no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights."

The men shook their heads in agreement. I told them that the word "rejoice" in the original language literally means to spin around for joy! And that despite what things appear to be, we can always count on who God is, on His character. Like Habakkuk, our feelings should not be controlled by events around us, but by our faith in God's ability to give us strength. When nothing makes sense, and when troubles seem more than we can bear, we need to remember that God gives strength. I said that we need to take our eyes off of difficulties and look to God. Our humble host got out his pen and quickly wrote down the scripture and what I had said, nodding in agreement. I looked around and all of the men were praising God and saying "yes, yes, it is true".

Alyson told me that they were greatly encouraged. Next I told them that God had taken me this morning to another scripture about the next generation and so I thought that I was supposed to share it with them too. I asked Alyson to read all of Psalm 71. This is a rather long post, so I will only quote part, but you really should go read it on your own, (it's a keeper!)

Psalm 71:14-18 "As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more. My mouth will tell of your righteous deeds, of your saving acts all day long - though I know not how to relate them all. I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord; I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone. Since my youth, God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds. Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all who are to come."

Immediately the man was writing. They looked teary eyed. They were touched by the compassion of God to send such a specific word to them. We all praised God together, and thanked Him for sending me thousands of miles to exactly that place, that village, even that house, at that moment in all of time, with His word for them. You see God's word never comes back empty. It always accomplishes the purpose for which He sent it (Isaiah 55:11"So is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what i desire, and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.")

Yes God had made an appointment for me. I was exactly where I was supposed to be. He had given me the words to say and had used me to water seeds that had been planted by people that I may never meet until we are all worshiping together in heaven. I don't know which touched my heart more, leading new believers to Christ or encouraging these weary brothers and sisters in Christ. We are meant to do both. We are commanded to do both. I was blessed beyond expression to be an ambassador sent with the most beautiful gospel truth....such a marvelous mystery is God's word!

As if this encounter were not Spirit Filled enough, it ended even better! When we were through I asked if they had anything that they wanted to tell us...any words from God to share and encourage us? Our host leaned forward and looked directly into my eyes, "I want to thank you", he said, "because unlike Jonah...You came the first time that God told you to GO." My heart jumped...how did he know what to say? He couldn't have known the back story to my coming to Africa....I had to tell Him how God had just used him in a mighty way. I leaned forward smiling and began speaking, "My dear brother in Christ, you need to know something....when God first began calling me well over a year and a half ago to go for Him, it was during a small women's bible study that I was doing on, (YOU GUESSED IT: JONAH!). During the study, God began by asking me to 'Arise', then 'Move', and eventually, 'Go'. For weeks I waited and prayed and waited some more, and eventually God made it clear that 'where' He wanted me to go was right here, in Malawi. If I wasn't certain before this moment, I am sure now, that God's hand has been leading me and guiding me all along." I thanked him for the encouragement. He was smiling, I was smiling....we all smiled such big smiles, we couldn't contain the joy of being used, of sharing, of knowing God well enough to hear what He was saying, and loving Him enough to do whatever He asked...


And this was only the first house....more to come tomorrow :)

Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God." - Psalm 100:1-3

Sunday....Church!

Oh my goodness, church in Malawi...how can I ever attempt to describe church in Malawi?

Well, you know how in America, even in the best services with the best music, the nicest cushiest seats and the most amazing pastor, there are still people who start looking at their watch after an hour as if to say, "It's must be time to go"..."Right?"...Not in Malawi.

Church there was the most raw, organic form of church that I have ever witnessed. Church in Africa is what I have imagined church was in the book of Acts...people who live in close community, gathering together in one small building, sharing everything; their joy, their hopes, their dreams...worshiping the Lord with everything that they have! 

We began by gathering in a very small building. Instead of stained glass windows, the roughly framed windows had no glass at all, allowing the sweet morning air to enter the building to praise the Lord along with us. Instead of ornately carved wooden doors, the door frame stood empty as well, a constant reminder that anyone was welcome to enter. Instead of plush cushioned seats, the rough hewn stone benches rose like mountains from the floor to gladly make room for the many village parishioners. Instead of children in a playroom somewhere, families sat together, united as one.

Soon after gathering we were instructed to separate into groups; men, women, teens and small children for Sunday school. Sunday school was held all around the property....The men remained inside while the children and teens arranged bricks into seats and sat immediately outside of the building to the right and the left. Further down from the building, the women sat in a tiny corn field. We all had on dresses and some of the corn stalks were broken off so getting settled was a little dicey, but we eventually got seated on the ground ready to be taught by our fearless leader this day; Jody.

I was fortunate enough to know the back- story to the lesson planned for today, as Jody and I had become fast friends. God had been guiding her for quite some time to speak about "the vine and the branches"..."I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit, apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned." - John 15:5-6...Jody spoke about staying connected, abiding in Christ, leaning on Him and trusting in Him. Her lesson was powerful. She used visual aides and spoke with clarity. It was awesome to see the local women responding, but greater yet to see our team being nourished as well. Jody works with the youth at church, but God had plans to stretch her talents and spiritual gifts on this trip....she was amazing!

After the lesson, one of my most cherished memories from the trip was our prayer time with the women. We stood in a circle and held hands in the corn field...the crisp morning air hung like a shawl around our shoulders, uniting us. We prayed, each with abandon and heartfelt praise...thanks to our interpreters, we were able to hear the strength and power of these Godly women, our sisters in Christ...even now I want to cry. I am so moved that with all that they endure, their faith is genuinely deep and pure and their joy is beyond expression.

When Sunday school was finished, we filed back into the building for worship and the word. Worship went on for hours! We sang, the men sang, the women sang, the children sang, then we all sang some more. The men danced and stomped and used every once of their strength to praise the Lord. Sweat rolled down from their foreheads and mingled with their beaming smiles...The widows danced in gentle rhythmic circles, each more graceful than the next...the children's voices were pure and beautiful, most likely the closest thing that I will hear this side of heaven to an actual angel's song! (We sang too, but honestly, in comparison....well, there is no comparison, they worship with their body and soul and they are filled to overflowing with joy.

When we finished singing...then we sang some more :)....seriously!

Then Pastor Joe gave a great message from the book of Romans. It was what all of us needed to hear...and God completed the morning with truth for all of us to stand on. We left fortified and filled, ready for whatever came next, the way that one should leave church. 

You see church is not about the building...it isn't a country club where we go and hang out for an hour every Sunday...Church is a body of people who have one very special thing in common; Jesus is their Lord and Savior. No matter if we were from America or from Malawi, we all were one family, one body, in Christ...Church is a place to worship God. Church is about Him and focusing on Him in joy and thanksgiving, as a result He blesses us, but we are not the focus, He is! It's never about us, it is always about Him.We were meant to praise the Lord...that is what we are here for. 

They do a lot of things right in Malawi, church is most definitely on the top of the list! 

Widow and Orphan Day Part 2

As fortunate as I was to have had a very personal experience with the widows as I blogged about yesterday, I was equally blessed by what God had planned for me to do with the Orphans.

Orphan Day was led by some amazing young women in our group. Brianna was in charge of the day as a whole and Sarah was in charge of the infamous story number 27 (see last blog post).

I genuinely did not have a role for Orphan Day as far as the team was concerned, but God had other plans (as is usually the case!)

Let me back up a bit. At my church we have small groups called community groups. These groups are comprised of people who all live in the same community, who meet for worship and discussion about the sermon that week as well as a little food of course and just some good old down to earth friendship. This group becomes like family and does all kinds of different things together. Of course we pray together and study the word of God together, but more importantly, we effect our community for God's kingdom. A community group searches out organic needs in their community and with the love of Christ, finds ways to address them.

I live in Ambler Pennsylvania. My community group is fairly new and we had been praying for some time about where exactly God wanted to focus our efforts. Over the duration of quite some time, I had begun to feel a pull towards the Upper Dublin High School (and at the time I had thought separately) to St. Mary's Villa. 

I will try my best to explain....About a year ago I went to prayer walk the newly constructed high School in Upper Dublin with a dear friend. While we were there God spoke some very specific things into my heart that really didn't make much sense at the time. I had such strong feelings that I decided that the high school needed prayer daily, and as my son is a student there, began to pray every day after I dropped him off at school.

Every morning Jackson would walk up the steps to school and I would begin to pray. As I prayed over the months to come God pointed out particular students and urged me to pray for them. I continued to follow His Spirit's leading...day by day I bathed the building and the students and the community in prayer. To this day I am still praying for the high school and it's students and teachers...

Now I also started praying for the kids at St. Mary's Villa around this time. St. Mary's is a sprawling Mansion built on acres and acres of land in Ambler. It was once owned by a wealthy family and was then purchased by the Catholic church. At that time it was an orphanage for boys. After many years St. Mary's became a D.H.S. placement home for youth both male and female. They house up to 80 some children each year. The children are pulled from inner city homes for varying reasons and placed here in the middle of a wealthy suburban community. They are forced by the county to attend our local high school with in 48 hours of their arrival at St. Mary's.

There are some special needs children who study on campus, but the rest of the kids go to Upper Dublin High School. This infusion of inner city predominately African American children into a school filled with affluent suburban predominately Caucasian children has caused a few big clashes over the years.

The community does not understand the hardships that these kids have had to endure and over all treat them a bit like thugs who have set out with no reason to be violent and unruly. In reality, these kids are hurting and scared and abandoned , some abused in so many ways...and God loves them and wants them to know it.

There was a highly publicized fight between a group of St. Mary's residents and other kids from the community...there were "Town meetings" and "newspaper articles" honestly, all kinds of incoherent ranting going on...this is when God asked me to pray. To be honest, I began praying for peace between them all, but for protection as well. All of the stories flying around had said that the St. Mary kids were being violent and had attacked the other kids...but it didn't take long before God had me praying specifically for the St. Mary's children. He made my heart love them, He wanted them to know Him...He was longing to heal them and help them, to comfort them and make their lives abundant. God made it very clear what He wanted and I knew that He wanted me to be working with these kids.

To make a very long story still pretty long (hahaha see what I did there?) I ended up contacting St. Mary's in an effort to see what I could do. I told my community group that this is where God wanted me and I also thought, where he wanted us. Another member of the group and I went to meet with Carolyn Johnson the person in charge of new programs for the kids at St. Mary's.

Carolyn turned out to be a young vibrant loving woman with whom I instantly bonded. It was clearly evident how much she loved the children and she immediately made me and any ideas I had about working with the kids welcome. I got all of the paper work needed for my community group to get back round checks and child safety clearances to begin serving there in a volunteer capacity.

Some other time I will write more about what we are doing there because it is awesome what God has planned, but today I am writing about how He planned to get us started...

As I met with Carolyn I mentioned that I was going on a mission trip to Malawi Africa and asked if I could do a power point presentation when I came back feeling that the kids would connect to these orphaned kids in Malawi. Immediately she asked, "What can we do?" I gave her some items that we still needed to take over for the children there and we talked about a project that the St. Mary's kids could make. I went home praying, asking God what we should make...all that kept coming into my mind was "fabric and puzzle pieces...fabric and puzzle pieces". I called my friend Pat (a quilter, and basket weaver) and told her what I was thinking about. Before we got off the phone we had decided to make a quilt where the kids would decorate and write on some of the lighter quilt squares and then Pat would assemble the quilt without batting, and they could hang it in Esther's House in Malawi. I loved the idea of a unified gift which still had individual messages...perfect!

Our community group was gathering for a picnic that weekend, so Pat brought fabric. We picked out some fabric patterns and ironed and cut squares for her. When we were done we had made enough squares for two quilts. I made arrangements to go and work with the kids at St. Mary's.

We arrived and I explained where I was going and why. When I told them about the kids in Africa they sent them messages of love and encouragement...it was really beautiful. Kids who didn't normally let down their walls for good reason, began to soften as they worked on their project for others.

I am not really sure how it happened, but we realized that we had extra squares already cut and thought it would be a great idea for me to take squares over to Malawi with me so that the children there could send back messages to their new friends in America. 

While in Malawi I presented the finished quilt to the children of Esther's House. Every eye was glued on the quilt as I told them through the interpreter of these other children with out families in America who had made this for them. Their eyes lit up and they leaned forward on their seats to see each message as I read them...It was a beautiful thing!

Later that day, Brianna had them decorate their squares. I purchased some African fabric at a local market and brought everything home for Pat who has made a second quilt. My community group will be presenting this quilt to the St. Mary's residents very soon...but first, God had one more thing to do with this project...

As I mentioned earlier in this story, there had been a bit of bad press...articles about the disturbances between the St. Mary's children and the other Upper Dublin students in the local paper. I had told a few people what I was doing and someone suggested that this was such a "Good feeling story" that maybe it was news worthy.

So, for those of you who know me, the next step seemed inevitable...I immediately picked up the phone and called the Ambler Gazette. I got through right away to the reporter and told him my story, how I would carry one quilt from one group of kids thousands of miles to the other group and then back again...connecting these two. He loved it and this Friday I am doing an interview with him about the story. They will be taking the photos from my Malawi presentation and a photo from my St' Mary's presentation here in the U.S. and running the story in the paper.

People from this area will get a chance to see something good that happened at St. Mary's and hopefully start off the new school year with a bit less prejudice and a little more compassion.

Now that God has connected these two groups of children I am going to continue the ministry between them. Each will be hanging the quilt as a banner of love from the other...

This entire thing was God's idea...He is always connecting, always adding, always piecing together, making things whole...making things new! I am the luckiest girl in the world...I get to do His work!

"See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you." - Isaiah 42:9

By Friday night I had finally had a full night's rest. The time difference is 6 hours ahead so most of us were struggling with our sleep habits. As a matter of fact everything was different...no electricity, no hot showers, no mirrors, no make up (this was especially hard for the men Lol), no ice cubes...It was freedom actually. We were freed up to not think about the next text or email... we were freed from looking at ourselves in the mirror, from even really caring what clothes we had on...it was amazing!

Here we didn't diet...we ate gladly whatever was put in front of us. Here we didn't obsess about our shoes and pocketbook matching our outfit, but instead if they would be sturdy enough for the  day's work....it was refreshing to just show up places and be valued for what was on the inside for a change.

I had been having trouble breathing since we had gotten to Malawi ( I used my inhaler regularly) which was a surprise to me because the air smelled so sweet...I later found out that the smoke that rose above Esther's House compound every night was burning trash...In the "burn barrel" they disposed of everything including plastics and Styrofoam...now the heavy feeling in my chest made a lot of sense. As a matter of fact I had to give my inhaler to a team mate who doesn't have asthma because they too were having trouble breathing.

I started today asking God to guide me as I prepared to go into the village. Five of us from my team were going into Madzanje to do Malaria and HIV clinics, but my goal was to share Christ every chance that I got. I told God that I was certain that He would give me opportunities to share about Him...I knew that there were hungry hearts that were ready for Him...souls longing for His presence. I asked Him to give me His words, His guidance through His Spirit, reminding myself at the same time, that I was relying on Him for everything. I thanked Him for allowing me to hear His voice and for loving me so completely.

Lauren, Esimay (our interpreter), and I set out for the village where Esimay grew up. The day before five of us had painted while the rest of the team went into the villages. Today the five of us were going out on foot to a nearby village to give the villagers vital information about Malaria and HIV prevention. It was such a wonderful experience to go with my own daughter and with Esimay who had grown up in this very place.

We arrived at the first hut and I heard God say, "You are welcome here...They want to hear from me", and I felt God draw near to me in power...it was as if the air was charged with electricity...and we began to witness about Jesus Christ. The first woman I spoke with accepted Jesus gladly with complete abandon. We prayed for her and over her new life. As we moved through the village we also met families who already knew Jesus, and told them that you had sent us...that you knew what was in their hearts.

"Lord I love you and praise you, I am your willing servant wanting to do what you require of me...don't stop growing me...I want to reach a multitude for your kingdom", I prayed as we walked. As soon as the words came into my mind I was transported back in time to a prayer that I had prayed with sincerity and power some time ago, "I want to reach multitudes for your kingdom". Some how this trip was the beginning of the answer to that prayer. Whether it was going to be one mission trip at a time or writing a book about my experiences with God and then going around as a speaker (each things that God seems to be suggesting at the moment)...whatever God's plan...He was answering my prayer and I was glad that I had been bold enough to pray it!

I opened my bible and found myself in 2Kings reading about taking the idols out of the temple, and I thought about the things that we secretly leave in our temples...how we rationalize leaving them there just like Saul did, pretending like we don't understand what we have done wrong, or which rules we might have broken....but let's be honest, we know...


Today I got to see my daughter lead people to Christ in strength...I got to lay hands on sick people believing that You would make them well Lord...I got to declare your name and sovereignty and I got to move in the power of Your Holy Spirit...Walking in the intense afternoon sun and dust, my long skirt skimming the ground as I went, all I could think of was what it must have been like to be a disciple in the time of Jesus...walking from village to village in power sharing the truth that would set prisoners free...and this is all that I wanted to do for the rest of my life!

If it were up to me this is how I would most want to live...If this is your will for me Lord I will gladly go to the ends of the earth for you, village by village, walking through the dust in Your power with Your words going where You want me go...but I don't get to choose where I reach a multitude for Your kingdom...I only get to choose to want to reach them! As for me, I will wait for you to show me the next move Lord....waiting and gaining strength for the next assignment from you.

"I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption. He Himself will redeem Israel from all their sins." - Psalm 130:5-8

Day two...P-A-I-N-T-I-N-G... !?!

So here we were in Africa after taking pills to prevent Malaria and shots to prevent Hepatitis..after traveling on four airplanes and two buses and sitting for more than fourteen hours in airport layovers and after day one bringing hundreds of people to Christ, and day two's agenda was : PAINTING...ugh right? Wrong! The most amazing thing about this trip was that 27 people worked together in unity...seriously, no matter what the task everyone had a true servant attitude.

Now everyone got a turn to paint at a different time. While one team painted, another went into the villages...day two for me was painting. I am allergic to Latex so I was put on the other side of the compound completely by myself to do all of the brown trim. As the rest of the team painted with cream and green, the plan was that we would eventually swap places and finish all of the buildings at Esther's House.

We were given all of our supplies and sent into different directions and so it began...At first I felt a bit left out, I could hear my friends joking and laughing together. It would have been easy to feel sorry for myself, but I got my ipod and began. I randomly shuffled worship songs and focused my attention on doing the very best job that I could. After all I was serving the Lord whether I painted very straight brown trim on all of the buildings at Esther's House or whether I was leading someone to Christ. These buildings housed precious little ones who now knew the Lord and had food clothing and shelter. They were well loved and cared for, and now their home was getting a beautiful fresh coat of paint.

The dust in Malawi truly has to be experienced to be understood...it is everywhere! All you have to do is breathe and a swirl of the thick brown dust moves in circles above you. Needless to say we had to scrub each section that we would be painting before we began ( a bit back breaking) but as I scrubbed I thought of how Jesus had scrubbed me clean and how he had lovingly covered me with  His purity...how God now saw me as fresh and new because of His shed blood on the cross.

A cool breeze came from nowhere and refreshed me as my worship swelled in my heart, I was filling up all of the places which had been emptied the day before (I didn't know that I needed it, but God certainly did). Instead of feeling sorry for myself, disconnected or alone, I felt loved, cared for and filled to over flowing by the holy Spirit. I could feel the peaceful smile coming across my face and the tensions of the day melting away...I wanted to stand with my arms raised high, beautiful African mountains in the background,  and praise my God at the top of my lungs...I wanted to stand on the top of those mountains and shout out His marvelous name...I was blessed and I was thankful.

After painting we showered and went to dinner. It was so encouraging to hear every one's stories about the day, but most encouraging of all was that the Lord drew near to me and captivated me with His love. I heard Him nudge me towards His word with a calm warm voice. I was complete in His companionship and ready to go out the next day and share about His love.

God alone knew exactly which hearts would be ready to receive Him...which souls had lost all hope, had no peace, no joy...He would guide me and show me what I needed to know to do His work, and I was filled and rested and ready to go for Him.

Funny thing was that each day when I spent time reading in the bible, God took me to Isaiah 6:8, "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? And I said, Here am I. Send Me!"


Every day He asked me...Every day I answered the same way, "I will go, send me!"
I had come to Africa, I had gone wherever He had asked me to go...I was ready to go wherever He directed me..."Send Me!" my heart shouted, "Send me!"

The first morning in Africa was incredible. After settling into our room the night before (John had turned on the generator for a few minutes - this was RARE! - so that we could find our beds and put down our luggage after two straight days of traveling), we started our time together in Malawi with a nice cold shower at Esther's House.

The giggles of the little residential girls came floating down the long concrete hallway and knocked cheerfully on the rugged wooden door of our room, "Wake up, wake up" their laughter joyfully spoke, "Now is the time to wake up" they seemingly sang in harmony. Jeleah had warned us that the little girls giggled as they went about their daily morning routine at 6:30 a.m. each day. If we were going to get a shower at all it had to be now before they got in there (it was 6 a.m. on the first day).

I gathered my belongings and headed down to the showers. The water came out frigid and strong, splashing on all of my clothes in the corner of the tiny dark stall...I shivered as I shampooed and rinsed. Military style showers are truly a wake-up call...no going back to sleep after that! (A blessing after such severe jet lag)

Next we went to breakfast. To my surprise and delight, breakfast was not nsema and rice, instead our team had prepared eggs and toast...so simple, so satisfying...just like the life style here in Malawi. The simplest pleasure is taken from a smile, a handshake, a song...simple isn't "lacking" like we think of it here in the states, simple is a boiled down concentration of the best of something! Simple is powerful, simple is focused, simple is humble, steadfast, and pure...

After breakfast we met our interpreters. Lauren and I had a young woman named Esimay. She was an intelligent and humble woman. As we shared with each other it was obvious that someone had prayed diligently over who would translate for each of us. Immediately we felt like we had been given just the right interpreter.

God had been prompting and speaking and moving mightily already and we had only just gotten there. We left with our translators on buses for a nearby village. We took two buses down a long and dusty road. Phinnley, our bus driver was amazing...the way he manoeuvred the bus over huge bumps and drops in the road and around people on bicycles and those walking with water and food balanced precariously on their heads was beyond words!

We were told that when we got to the village, our pastors (Abusas), the team leaders and two women, would go to the village Chief to ask for permission to go from hut to hut evangelizing. When we arrived I was excited to have been chosen as one of the two women and was expectant to see what would happen when we met with the Chief.

We walked behind the Abusa up to the Chief's home. A woman came out and laid out a large reed mat on the ground for us to sit on (they always gave us their very best). When we sat down I was expecting the Chief to come out to greet us next. I had assumed that the woman was either his wife or sister, but I soon realized that she herself was the Chief! (Apparently this is a matriarchal society and all Chiefs come from the same family lineage).

The conversation went back and forth between the Chief and the local Abusa. It was slow and respectful, courteous and focused, I watched fascinated as the Chief agreed to let us go into her village...but she said that we had to meet with another under Chief, as a mission-team had already gone into part of her village a few weeks before, and she wanted us to pick up further away where they had left off so as not to miss anyone.

She got on the bus with us and we drove to the next part of the village where we would meet her under Chieftain. This Chief was also a woman (she was very young). She invited us to sit along the brick wall of a home. Her house was made with stucco and had a full porch and had been painted. She sat on the ground, stretched out on her side. She drew in the dust on the ground as she welcomed us to come into her village and share about Jesus. She was a beautiful woman who immediately gave off the fragrance of wisdom as she thoughtfully spoke to us. I could not help thinking of the time in the bible where Jesus wrote in the dust asking "he who was sinless to cast the first stone".

When we returned to our group the entire village had come to see what was going on and hundreds of people were sitting in the field. Our team had already gathered them into groups of children woman and men (we found out later that they would all learn separately even at church...the Sunday school is separated into Little kids, teens, men and women)

I was ushered in front of 60 women with Leslie Jacobs, the other woman team member who had gone with me to the sit with the Chiefs. We were placed standing in front of the group and told to "start". Lol, no pressure...So I grabbed my evangi-cube out of my backpack and began talking about why Jesus came...They wanted to know more and I just kept speaking. About a half an hour later a woman right in front asked me, "How can I know this Jesus?" I told her that she need only ask with all of her heart. She stood in front of all of her peers and held my hands and prayed with me. I led her in prayer, making sure that she knew that she needed to mean every word that she said. We stood together, holding hands in front of all of the women in her tribe. She spoke with abandon, she gave her life to Christ gladly. She had fixed her gaze on me when I was speaking, when I saw her in the crowd, when I looked into her eyes, I had recognized that look, the hunger that she had for peace and joy...before she ever said a word I knew that she was searching...

She sat and listened as Leslie shared a story from the bible, but God kept nudging me to speak with her alone, to pray over her...When Leslie had finished, I asked her (her name was Katie),to go and speak with me and my interpreter privately. The three of us went off to the side in front of a hut. We sat on a brick wall there and began to pray. I told her that it wasn't enough for just her to know Jesus, just like I had said earlier that it wasn't enough for just me to know Jesus, but that I had come thousands of miles to let others know about Him as well. I told Katie that she needed to share what she now knew with other women in her village. Katie told me that she felt different than when she had walked down to the field. She said she couldn't describe it better than she felt peace and joy! ?My heart lept inside me and I am certain I didn't stop smiling for a long time.

Next we were put in front of a group of men. This was a much smaller group ranging from teens to old men. As I spoke, one boy seemed to hang on every word...I was completely being led by the Spirit, never quite knowing what would come out of my mouth next, and this boy just kept looking me right in the eye. He was studying the words that came out of my mouth - not my words, but God's words to him - (Thank you for sending me there Lord) I felt prompted suddenly to share Jeremiah 29:11-13 :

" For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart."

As the translator spoke these words of scripture for me, as I told them that you had plans for them Lord, for each of them, that you loved them Lord... I prayed for them all. After I prayed, I felt like I was supposed to ask if there were any questions or if anyone wanted individual prayer.  The young man got up and went to the interpreter and started speaking...the three of us went back to the hut where I had just  been with Katie earlier. We sat down and he began. He said that he didn't understand what he read in the bible. He didn't have a bible and had only read one a few times. (we were leaving a bible at the Chief's home for this village to use, so now he would have a bible to read whenever he wanted!). He had accepted Jesus a year before,but he was frustrated by the words in the bible, he wanted to know what they meant...he was longing for more.I told him that you would help him Lord, that you would explain your word to him if he asked you for help.  I told him that you wanted to have a relationship with him. I told him that I didn't understand the bible either when I first began reading it and that he would begin to understand. Then I told him that Jesus spoke in parables because people had trouble understanding. I told him that he could look around in nature and see God's truth. I shared the scripture for example when Jesus says "I am the vine, you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." -

John 15:5

As he looked in the field beside us
I could see that he understood!

I told him that most of all, God knew how he felt, and that he had sent me thousands of miles to sit here and talk with him, to encourage him and pray with him. I prayed for this young man fully knowing in my spirit that he will be a great leader, a strong man of the Lord and that he will one day be explaining the gospel to others just as I was on this wonderful day.

Thank you Lord for caring so much about these hearts that you brought us to be there for them, that you allowed me the privilege of being your voice encouraging, your hands holding, your Spirit ministering...

And this was only day one... 

It has been exactly one week since I returned from Africa...and nothing will ever be the same. Everything is different there...even something as simple as a crow. This is a picture of a crow in Malawi...just as common as crows are here. They make the same noises...they fly and eat and nest just like the crows do here in Pennsylvania....but they are different, drastically different....from their appearance to the impoverished world that they endure....nothing is the same!

I wish that people here in the States could see how wrong we have it. I wish that they could see the respect and the gratitude that the people of Malawi have....the sense of community. I wish they could experience the slow pace of their lives which ebb and flow with wonder and joy...but wish as I might, I can't see how anyone here could understand.

 Our world tells us that we are number one that we deserve anything that we want and that we should do anything to get it. Our world prompts us to steal cheat and lie, calling it a necessary evil to accomplish our goals. Our world shuts the door on our neighbors and never welcomes a stranger. Our world is secluded in the arena of technology...cut off from relationship...destined for self destruction.

We hurry along at a pace unfit for anyone...where are we running to? What is so important that we push each other out of the way to get there? Why do we not value each other? Why do we not make room for God? What has been the price for our advancement?

We scurry through each day alone and unfulfilled always reaching for the next "new thing" that will make us feel complete. As we clamor for this infinite brass ring, we step on everyone around us and make "self" an Idol. We worship day and night, forgetting where we came from or why we even exist...

I have many amazing stories to share with you...and I plan to begin sharing them daily starting tomorrow. I needed this time to adjust and to ferret out my feelings about being back. My heart remains in Africa...my soul recognized the natural rhythms of life there, and even though they are impoverished on a monetary level, they are wealthy in all that truly matters. We have much to learn... I hope it isn't too late.

Thank you for giving me some time to re-acclimate...there are things that I do not want to forget...there are things that I don't want to change. I am so grateful for the reminder that we really are aliens in this world. I wait even more eagerly for Christ's return. Until that time I will set my sights on your ways Lord and come into your Courts with Thanksgiving!

A leadership expert once wrote, "The pursuit of my dream has taken me out of my comfort zone, elevated my thinking, given me confidence, and confirmed my sense of purpose. My pursuit of the dream and my personal growth have become so intertwined that I now ask myself, 'Did I make the dream, or did the dream make me?' When your mind accepts a new idea or learns a new truth, it is forever changed. And once stretched, it takes on a new shape and never goes back to its original form."

And so I am changed, stretched, never to be again the same...and that is a very good thing!

The joy is in the journey. My life in Christ is  as full as He promised it would be...


"I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
- John 10:10