Well Month 1 is over already and we’re in Malawi already. Weird! I apologize for the lack of blogs last month! The longest we were stationary was only 5 days in a village without my computer or internet access. The 3 teams in Chipata collectively decided to save all of our days off to do 3 days at a safari lodge at the end of the month. Needless to say, I haven’t had much time to even gather any thoughts for a blog.
I already really miss Zambia! Our contacts were the best people ever and we were taken into their church community like family. We also met a family of American missionaries that moved to Zambia 11 months ago. We were sooooo blessed by them! Janice and Dan took us in like their own children. They let us swim in their pool, take hot showers, use their wifi, did our laundry, fed us American meals and packed us sack lunches for our travel day to Malawi today! They are amazing people and we all needed mother/father figures right now. It was well timed.
I learned a lot in Zambia. I learned more about my strengths and weaknesses. For example I’m learning that God wants me to be a strong encourager and I already have it in me, but I lack confidence to speak up.
I’m also learning more about what injustices in the world break my heart the most. Obviously the poverty and living conditions break my heart. It’s hard to be brought to tears when the people living in those conditions don’t feel like they lack provisions. Their trust and dependence on the Lord is so inspiring. It also makes it a lot easier living out of a backpack knowing that I have more in this pack than most of them own at all for their entire families.
The injustices that have moved me to tears are the things like domestic violence. Domestic violence in America breaks my heart and I won’t do it the injustice of saying it’s any less awful than Africa. But in Africa a woman is the property of a man. She is bought by the husband. There is no protection for her. Often times her family won’t even intervene, forget about police.
We had the opportunity to pray for a few women in domestic violence situations. The hardest part is not being able to do anything for them but pray and tell them it is not their fault. It’s not God’s will. He loves her so much and this is not what He wants for her. His heart is breaking for her. But how do you get an African woman out of that situation when we only have a few days in her village? Where else can she go if her own family won’t intervene and her husband is her sole provider? It’s heartbreaking and frustrating to not be able to do more.
I keep thinking of how blessed I am to be able to do ministry almost every day, and I am SO blessed, but it’s no different from home. We are all called to be missionaries even if it’s in your own town. Need is everywhere, not just in Mtenguleni or Chipata or Madzimoyo. Please don’t wait until you’re in Africa or some other country to encourage and pray for those in need. They’re right next to you every day.
I have pictures to upload but they aren’t working right now! Safari post to come. Let’s just say I got charged at by an elephant and it was equal parts hilarious and terrifying.
