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 :)