Hello friends and family,
I have currently been living in Malawi for about 2 months now and I am loving every minute of Africa! I want to update all of you on my heart, what I am learning, and what you can do to pray for me and my team as we will depart for the Philippines in just 3 weeks.
First, I want to share a quick story.
This past month I was living in Blantyre, Southern Malawi. I had to amazing opportunity to live with all of the men on our squad and do ministry with them. On one of our off days, a few friends and I got the chance to climb Mt. Malanje, the second highest mountain in Africa. We prepared, got our packs ready, and set out the next morning to ascend the summit. It took all of my strength and all of my endurance to finish the 8 hour hike to the top. But, amidst the pain of my burning legs, I was rewarded by the most breathtaking journey I have ever experienced in my life. As I was descending from the hike of my life, I couldn’t help but consider the comparison we have with our relationship with the Heavenly Father.
When he calls us, purely, without any foundation of our pride supporting us – but solely into intimacy with Him, is it not raw, uncomfortable, and perhaps painful?
This is what I am learning.
Christ’s call for us, wholly, is to live according to His purposes and to die to ourselves, letting Him live through us, ridding us of our flesh. And, with that said, my mind automatically compares this journey with Christ as a “Climb”
It takes endurance, strength, and reliance on the community around you, but along the way you will find hidden treasures that are most satisfying. I feel as if my previous blogs have been about a certain moment in time where the Lord has spoken to me about something specific – It is always exciting when that happens. But, I think I have found this certain blog to be a lifestyle he is truly calling me into and not necessarily a “moment” of time to consider.
A climb, a journey with Him, where sacrifice of my old ways has opened my eyes to see new treasures that only He can give me. He is teaching me to dwell solely in Him, and the rewards of that are altogether satisfying. One of my mentors wrote in my bible before leaving this trip, “Everything will fade, decay, and disappear, but The Word is eternal, glorious and altogether satisfying. Find God and find yourself in this book! God is here. You are here. Life is here. THIS is your great treasure.”
That is a great representation of one of the “treasures” I have come to find. The sacrifice of old ways, pride, a sense of security. This sacrifice hasn’t been a sacrifice at all, but a rewarding trade. Because when we come together to dwell on the Word of God, giving Him the desires of our hearts, and free reign over our lives, He gives us more than we need to be satisfied in Him.
I have found this trip to be an experience that has given me the eyes to see what missions and my relationship with Christ really should look like, a beautiful, enduring, sacrificial journey with Him.
Currently I am back in Lilongwe doing local door to door evangelism and church planting. As I finish the last leg of my journey in Africa, pray for the ministry to be fruitful. That my team would have endurance and joy for the people around us and that the people would actually find Christ and truly see His love. Also, pray for the ministry in the Philippines, our journey there, and the new team I will be placed in.
Thanks!
Ethan
