At first glance it would appear I was somewhere in Scotland, or perhaps a scene out of Lord of the Rings. I have found myself asking, ‘Is this really Malawi? Am I in Africa?’
This month I am living in a part of Malawi called the ‘Shire Highlands’. I learned that tidbit thanks to a quick google search to find out where the heck I was. After a 6 hour crammed bus ride from the capital city of Lilongwe I had absolutely no clue what part of the country I was in. I simply knew the nearby town of Zomba sounded a lot like the dance workout craze that is popular among some girls on my squad.
There are 11 of us on a team this month because we have 4 ‘Exposure Participants’ with us for July. World Race Exposure Participants are people who wanted to experience the WR for a month, so they live with us and do ministry right alongside us. It’s truly a crash course into the life God has us in this year.
Our afternoons are filled with hikes into the local mountains to share the gospel with people in the surrounding villages. There is a message, lots of singing and praising…and you have to be ready at a moment’s notice for when you get called on to share and encourage. Each morning we fill with something different. Sometimes it’s time in the word, playing soccer with the local kids or doing prayer walks in the surrounding community. We definitely have to be proactive with opening our eyes to the chances to love people that are right in front of us each and every day!
My favorite part of the month is my Malawi Mornings.
I set a goal this month to spend time reading the bible and in prayer every morning. Nothing too extreme, just 5 minutes of reading scripture and then praying for a different member of my squad each day. When this trip started back in January I did really well with making a habit of starting my day off with the Lord, and the last couple months I’ve noticed that habit had slipped.
Malawi is helping me recapture that start to my day.
I wake up in the morning at 7:00 and hike the mountain behind our house. It is a great workout and then a teammate and I sit on the top of a massive rock overlooking the city. I read my bible and journal. We pray over the city of Zomba and all the people in it starting off their day. Sometimes I play worship music, other times I spend time in silence listening to the sleepy town come alive for the day.
My Malawi mornings are beautiful. They are powerful. God is using them to continue to connect with me on a more intimate level.
You may not have an incredible mountain in Malawi to climb every morning, but I promise that you can start your day with the same devotion to your relationship with the Lord. It’s like starting your day with a step in the right direction and the wind at your back.
He wants more. He wants you. Set aside that time for him each morning to start your day and let him use it in ways beyond that 30 minute window.
Fill up each and every day. It’s impossible to pour out from an empty cup.
