Dzaleka Refugee Camp – Final Stop in Lilongwe

Pastor Nkosi was very excited that we were able to stay through Sunday and attend the church service at the Dzaleka Refugee Camp about 30 minutes outside of Lilongwe. He has been working with some of the refugees and the congregation there since 2003; we’ve had an official GCI congregation there since 2007. These refugees mostly come from the Congo and most have been there at least 6 years; the camp itself has been there for more than 10 years.

I think I’ve mentioned it before, but whenever we experience something new, Kayla and I try our best not to have any expectations because things are always so different. This visit was the same; I tried to prepare myself for what it would be like to visit a refugee camp, but it was still different than what I thought it would be like. I was expected makeshift homes, tents and other things set up, but what we actually saw was more like a rural village. They had a primary and secondary school with classrooms for each Standard. One of the classrooms was our meeting place for services. The congregation had a keyboard and speaker to use as well. Pastor Nkosi did tell us that even though everyone looked nice for church and were dressed up; those were the only nice clothes that they have. If we were to visit on any other day, they would be in very worn and ragged clothing.

It was also sad to hear that some of the people at the camp were opportunists, rather than refugees. There are some who come to the refugee camp in hopes of being sent to Australia, UK and other wealthy countries. Some of the young adult members of the church approached Kayla and I after services and were talking about wanting to come to visit and joke with people in America or Australia and I didn’t really understand why until the Pastor explained it to us. One gentleman actually wanted to marry Kayla and said he would learn English and she could learn French. When Kayla told him she was attached, he asked about me. That was definitely an interesting part of the day, but overall, it was another wonderful worship service – similar to my experience at the Lilongwe service, it was beautiful to see and experience their worship of God. The children’s choir (about 30 children) got up and sang a few songs; the adult choir sang a few as well as the women’s choir. It was fun to worship as a whole congregation as well because we all got to dance & sing together.

It never ceases to amaze me how often it is people who society looks down upon as having nothing can worship and give the most of their lives and possessions to God. I have been so humbled by the faith and positive attitude of all those I have met who seem to have so little, but who worship God and trust in His faithfulness; wherever they are at and through whatever comes their way.

We were only able to stay for a couple of hours with the congregation before heading back to Lilongwe to catch our bus. We enjoyed a nice lunch with Pastor Nkosi and the youth leaders; getting to share our highlights from the weekend and do some more planning for the youth camp. When they took us to the bus station, they waited with us to make sure we departed safely which was very nice of them. They had to wait an extra hour with us as the bus was delayed, which meant that we didn’t get back home until after midnight on Monday morning. It made for a very long day, but overall, we had a wonderful weekend and we were glad to be able to get to know more of the youth leaders and share some time and ideas with them.

Prayers & Praises:

-       Please pray for the Youth Camp. They did receive some funding from the JWF to help support the fees for some campers, but this weekend, Kayla and I realized that there is still a LOT that needs to be done before the 16^th of December gets here and we’re not so sure it’s going to happen. I know that we have our ‘American’ timelines of when things should happen & get done and that is often very different from Malawi’s timeline, but even still, some of the things that need to happen are making Kayla and I a little anxious about whether the camp will actually take place or not. I think part of the reason is because this is the first time that they have let the young adult leaders plan the camp; many of whom are inexperienced with all of the planning & background info that goes into making camp happen. I am still hopeful and Kayla & I are both doing all that we can to help them make this a wonderful camp experience for everyone! J

-       I’ll write more about it in my next post, but it has been fun to be back in the classroom this week with the kids – it seems like it has been longer than a week since we’ve seen them & it was great to be with them again

-       We are still looking into a couple other internet options for the rest of our stay here in Malawi. Please pray that we’re able to figure out whether they would be cost effective for us in the long run so that we’re not spending more than is needed just for a few more minutes of time online.

-       Thank you for the cool thoughts – it worked! J There is a wonderful breeze this evening (Tuesday) as I type this post and it is supposed to rain Wednesday & Thursday; cooling the temperature by almost 20 degrees! Here’s hoping that the warm thoughts I’m sending made it to you all as well.

-       I love the way God works and I am so thankful His plans are so much higher than mine! I have had the opportunity to take an online course while I’m here in Malawi and I have learned a lot about myself and how I can better serve God and His people. I almost didn’t sign up to take a class this semester because I didn’t know if it was going to work or not, but I think I have actually grown more because of taking the class here in Malawi. I have had more time to read, study and process the lectures, assignments & readings than I probably would have allowed if I were taking the class in the US.