Celebration & Mourning (once again)

At church this weekend, we had a special service with members from surrounding congregations around Blantyre including Minimini, Naminjale and others (I can’t remember all the names). It was wonderful to hear some special music from the different congregations; it still amazes me that they just get up and sing acapela without seeming nervous at all. Even though I don’t know all the Chichewa words, it is a beautiful thing to hear the praises of my brothers and sisters in Christ, knowing that He knows what they are singing to Him. J

I was also blessed this weekend with the opportunity to share a short message with the congregation. Pastor Nihaka asked me if I would like to share and I was delighted to say yes! It wasn’t until after I said yes that I started to get a little nervous. ;) I talked a little bit about the Thanksgiving Holiday, when & how it started and how it relates to real thanksgiving (Giving thanks to God in all circumstances, 1 Thes. 5:18). I haven’t given very many sermons in my life and this was the first time I had a translator by my side, but I enjoyed being able to share some of our history with them. I was also very encouraged after services because various members thanked me for the message and said they would remember it for a long time. I was humbled by their acceptance and glad for the connections we were able to make.

I almost forgot the most special thing about Saturday! Kayla and I invited Dorothy’s children, Atupela, Falia and David, to join us for breakfast & church this past weekend. We had some Christmas presents to give them and this is the last weekend we’ll have with Kayla & I both here. Kayla and I got up and made French toast and fried potatoes for them, which they seemed to really enjoy. After services, we gave them the presents (notebooks, pencils, pens for the kids & a mosquito net for Dorothy) and took some pictures of the family. The children’s English is not as good as Dorothy’s, but it is amazing what a smile can convey. We were so glad to spend some time with them because we don’t get to see her kids often (this was the first time on this trip & we only saw them once last year) even though we hear stories about them every day. J

Sunday was another special day – Kayla and I were able to attend the Christmas party at Yamikani House (orphanage). There were so many people there & so much food – it was a blast to see all the children laughing and having so much fun. We were also able to leave some presents with them – which the Project Trust volunteers (Ashley & Charlotte) said they would wrap for the children – so they’ll have something to open on Christmas Day. One of the adults also had a Santa suit, so she came out as ‘Father Christmas’ and passed out little treat bags to the kids. They had a jumping castle to play on in the front yard & a dessert table with a large variety of goodies! Hopefully, my pictures posted on FB so you can see some of the decorations & fun that the kids (and us) had.

Pastor Nihaka had intended to join us at the party, but he had another funeral to prepare for. The deacon, who I had requested prayers for last week, passed away on Sunday morning. As I posted last week, there had been improvement and we were hopeful for a recover. On Saturday, though, we were told that he had started vomiting and they didn’t know why and they had moved him to another hospital. Since this had been our last update, I was not surprised to get the call from the Pastor on Sunday morning, though I was saddened to have lost another friend here in Malawi. The deacon (forgive me for forgetting his name) had come with Pastor Nihaka to welcome us back to Malawi when we first landed in September and he was always smiling and chatting with us when we saw him. The funeral was today (Monday), but due to space, Kayla and I remained at home; which was a mixed blessing because we were not looking forward to another all day funeral, but we did want to show our support for his family. It is not the way that we had hoped to start our holiday, but I am glad that the deacon is no longer in pain.

Prayers & Praise for the week:

-       Please pray for the deacons’ family & friends as they grieve his loss

-       Camp starts on Friday!! Things are slowly, but surely coming together and though I know it will be different from anything I’m used to, I am looking forward to the opportunity of serving the youth and sharing God’s love with them. J

-       I probably won’t be able to post anything until camp is done (Dec. 23^rd), so you may not here from me until after Christmas…. MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone!! J May you and your family have a blessed Christmas as we remember the true gift of Christmas, our Savior, Jesus Christ.