Schools in Malawi are nothing like schools in America, Haiti, Czech Republic, or the Dominican Republic. However, like all schools parents send their children to school to gain an education, life skills, and as preparation for university. Malawian schools are similar in that they prepare the children for life with Science, Literature, Math, English, and Agriculture. One class that was surprising to me was the teaching of the Bible.
As we all know speaking about the Bible or Christianity in most school systems would get you banned, not in Malawi. We had CHURCH in school, it was amazing. There was full on worship. I have never seen so many teenagers seek God for themselves. Matter of fact I have never seen adults seek the Lord for themselves the way those teenagers were. It was not about performance or obligation, it was just true and honest worship.
That day we did not teach English, we taught the Word of God. The students sat silently, seemingly listening to every word spoken. One of my squad mates shared his testimony and prayed a general prayer for the class.
At the end we were allotted time to sit with the students and talk with them about whatever they chose to talk about. What we ended up talking about truly amazed me. We did not talk about our favorite band, food, or even what life was like in America. We talked about God the entire time.
One particular conversation I still sits on my heart. A young girl at fourteen years old said something that I forget sometimes. She said “We have to praise God in all things. No matter what circumstance, in all things we must praise God.� Simply stated but hardly lived out. Imagine, having this mindset as a fourteen year old.
I do not know her life but if it is like the majority then it is not full of possessions or even arguably success at American standards. If you took her life and plopped it down in a city in American she would be poor, well below poverty line. Yet, this young girl is really rich beyond measure. Another lesson that I am learning is that life is not about what you have but what you do with what you have. She has wisdom that many people die without knowing.
I know that my prayer is that I will praise God in all things, not matter what the circumstance.
As we all know speaking about the Bible or Christianity in most school systems would get you banned, not in Malawi. We had CHURCH in school, it was amazing. There was full on worship. I have never seen so many teenagers seek God for themselves. Matter of fact I have never seen adults seek the Lord for themselves the way those teenagers were. It was not about performance or obligation, it was just true and honest worship.
That day we did not teach English, we taught the Word of God. The students sat silently, seemingly listening to every word spoken. One of my squad mates shared his testimony and prayed a general prayer for the class.
At the end we were allotted time to sit with the students and talk with them about whatever they chose to talk about. What we ended up talking about truly amazed me. We did not talk about our favorite band, food, or even what life was like in America. We talked about God the entire time.
One particular conversation I still sits on my heart. A young girl at fourteen years old said something that I forget sometimes. She said “We have to praise God in all things. No matter what circumstance, in all things we must praise God.� Simply stated but hardly lived out. Imagine, having this mindset as a fourteen year old.
I do not know her life but if it is like the majority then it is not full of possessions or even arguably success at American standards. If you took her life and plopped it down in a city in American she would be poor, well below poverty line. Yet, this young girl is really rich beyond measure. Another lesson that I am learning is that life is not about what you have but what you do with what you have. She has wisdom that many people die without knowing.
I know that my prayer is that I will praise God in all things, not matter what the circumstance.
