Dear Friends,
Thanks so much for your prayers and for continuing to ask about and follow my journey. It has been a full three weeks since we arrived in Malawi, and while living in the capital city, Lilongwe, we have served in a local school (teaching music, Bible, art, and playing with the kids), worked at Chisomo Children’s Club, and preached, share testimonies, and worshipped with local churches.
It has also been a stretching and growing time for me. My two months in Thailand were delightful and extraordinary. In particular, our team of girls bonded together so well. We shaved our heads, we learned how to care for each other, and we challenged each other to grow in our faith. Additionally, our hosts in Thailand (who asked us to call them “Mom” and “Dad”) were so encouraging and provided an incredibly joy-filled environment for us. I found a perfect spot to spend time with the Lord each morning and every night, the sky would fill up with stars. Our ministry was ever changing; we worked in rice fields, harvested cassava, lead English camps, learned how to bake cheesecakes, prayed over lepers, preached and shared testimonies at church, and learned a traditional Thai dance to perform at Christmas parties. Our hosts taught us what it means to live life “on mission,” sacrificing time, money, and their lives to serve the community around them. When it was time to leave Thailand, it was a tearful goodbye.
When we arrived in Malawi I was put in charge of a group of 6 new women. While adjusting to a new country, new hosts, and a new ministry brought plenty of discomfort, adjusting to a whole new group of girls and very different dynamics has been the most challenging piece for me. I’d be grateful for your prayers. God continues to use this gap year to reveal to me how much I look to others for approval. I am constantly reminded that I need to do what is right, love people, honor and respect them, but not worry about how they feel about me. That’s been incredibly hard. I know that my identity should be something I receive only from Jesus, but sometimes it’s hard to keep that perspective.
Thankfully, despite the adjustments we have had to make as a team, there have been times of great fun and joy as we served at our new ministries. At Achiever’s Primary School, we’ve found that a plethora of silly camp songs have come in handy. We teach music, art and Bible class three days a week to first through eighth graders. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, we hang out at Chisomo Children’s Club, a Christian organization that takes children out of vulnerable situations and helps them catch up academically, teaches them life skills, and works with their families to figure out their next steps. We have the opportunity to get to know them, swap fun games and act out Bible stories. Sundays have been filled with long church services and surprising opportunities to share in front of new congregations. The worship is always filled with passion and the Holy Spirit; exciting to be a part of and always a sight to take in! Most days end with kids running to see us as we hop out of the minibus, chanting “A-zun-gu! A-zun-gu!” (meaning “white person”). It’s impossible to get to the house without giving a few hugs and high fives.
Africa has been filled with new experiences, smells, bumpy roads, and smiling kids. It’s also been a difficult month, but there is growth and rest in the Father even when everything else is hard. Thank you for your continued prayers and interest. I’m grateful for the community God has placed around me even if I’m not currently in it!
Love, Skylar
