The Malawi Journals P2

It's 10:54pm over here and I'm so tired that I'm copying and pasting a text I just sent to my family! Today was one of my favorite days I have ever lived! Here is one of the MANY beautiful stories from today:

We walked around a village where no white man has ever ventured before. Wide eyes everywhere. We went out two by two, each with a translator. Duncan was our translator. He is a gentle man with kind eyes and a vulnerable laugh.

It is custom for Malawians to honor any guest that comes to their home, so we would walk up to a hut, say "wawa" (hello!) and the people would walk out of their hut with a wooden bench or their own sleeping mat for us to sit on.

The first hut we went to belonged to a sweet family. The grandmother, Tabitha, her daughter, Katherine, and then Katherine's kids all sat down with us on the ground and we sat on their mat.

I asked our Duncan to ask them if I could share with the family the greatest news in the whole world. News so important that we traveled all the way from America to tell them! They nodded. (Praises for that😜). So I shared the glorious, powerful gospel. They were listening so intently. They said they have never heard anything like this, but they believe the words I shared with them are true and want to be saved. We prayed together and welcomed them to the fam!!!! 😭💃🏽💃🏽💃🏽😭😭💃🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽

THEN

We went over to the dirt road to find another hut, and we came across this really old, lovely woman (pictured here) And all those kids gathered around us as we sat on this road and shared the gospel with her. She had never heard either....and SHE GAVE HER LIFE TO JESUS TOO.🙌🏽 then Katherine (from the first hut) comes up outta no where and whispers to me and Duncan that she had been suicidal and had been wanting to kill herself and said she was so happy we came to tell her of Jesus.

I'll never forget this day! How unspeakably beautiful is YAHWEH??? To have written today from the foundations of the world...for Katherine, Tabitha, their children and children's children, for Yeli, and many others to belong to Him and we got to carry His news of love and peace to them. Tell me if there is something better and I don't think I could believe it! 

The Malawi Journals

Today has felt like five days somehow meshed into a 24 hour period... (In the best possible way🙃). Our team stayed the night in Johannesburg last night before making the trek to Malawi early this morning. We landed in Malawi and hopped on a bus to journey three hours to Esther's House where we will be spending our time here.

We were riding along the dusty road bordering Mozambique, gazing at the incredible mountains and land formations, enjoying the nice African air in our faces, all the while trying to stay awake from the long journey behind us....(48hrs of traveling confuses one's body that's fer sure). After nearly two and a half hours, we found ourselves (all 27 of us) walking in a single file line (LOL) back to the nearest town to find another form of transportation because of an ill-timed bus breakdown. We walked for a little while and stumbled upon a police station of some sort out in the middle of a few villages.

It was around 5:30 pm by this point. The sun had just begun to set and we were still looking for a way to get to Esther's House. Some curious lil kids from the village wandered out to observe what one earth we were doing. Some went over to try and communicate with them (which is always humorous). I tried to ask if they had a 'football' (⚽️) and pretended to kick an imaginary one so they would better understand. (I think the only english the kids knew was "yes" and "no" because that is all they kept saying 🙈😊). Instead of trying to communicate with words, we grabbed an empty water bottle and started kicking it around. Within 20 seconds we had an entire game going. We made goals from rocks and sticks and 5 minutes into the match another village boy ran over with his football for all of us to play with.

Laughter was all over the place. Love beyond language. The typical (and breathtaking) african red sun was setting off in the distance. Some women and their little ones from the village came over and watched the pick up game with some girls on our team. It was so unexpected and so beautiful. I loved every moment of it. I think Eunice, Joshua, Corence and all their buddies did too.

After a few hours, our replacement bus showed up and we made it to Esther's house. We ate like we were giving up our birthrights. Potatoes have never tasted so good in all my life. We are so stoked to be here!!!

Tbh I don't really know what day it is or what time it is on my body clock, but I do know I'm point 7 seconds from being unconscious. 

-ht

Mikey Believes

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” [galatians 2:20]

Mikey believes. We rejoice!!!!!

He plays futsal with Thad. First heard about Jesus as he talked with Thad about him in Malta last year… (probably only a minutes away from the place Paul got bit by the snake in acts twenty eight). He has been hanging out with the last leg of #teambarnabas this week and taking part in #axiomuk. We have been holding Camp of Champions at preston park this week and each day between games, the young kids sit with their leaders and hear stories of Jesus. Mikey chose a group to sit with and listen in as the leaders from the short term mission team led their groups. Today was the last day of camp and the leaders asked the kids if anyone wanted to pray and accept the glorious love and grace of Jesus Christ and make Him Lord of their lives.

Mikey raised his hand.

At some point during the day, he wrote his name with His cross on our chalkboard.

The old mikey has gone. The new has come. I hear him outside my door as I type this. His journey of faith and love for Jesus will change the generations to come. (and prayerfully this entire nation will be changed as a ripple effect of his faithfulness to this glorious gospel that we live to proclaim)..

And it all starts today.

Blessed be the name of Yahweh