For me this life feels normal and it doesn’t hit me until I really think about how different and odd this year is. When I do think about what I do each day I just kind of laugh and thank God for leading me to this venturous life.
I love Malawi, I’ve loved Malawi since the moment God put it on my heart four years ago. It amazes me that God keeps leading me back to this country and for what reason? This is a constant prayer for me, I ask him why but still truly don’t know, so here I am seeking and serving.
This afternoon Maggie and I sat on the porch playing cards waiting for dinner to be ready. While we were playing I started to think about how beautiful life is and that our lives are in the hands of the author of the world!
Many times this month I have been overwhelmed with the idea of being home with my family and all that is familiar. On bus rides I would picture my first weeks home and all the people I would get to see and be with. In the mornings I would get excited about the thought of being able to have sweet cream in my coffee once again and talk to the other girls about being able to go on dates with Corbin in 4 months!
But as I sat on the porch playing cards I just smiled because right now I am content with being right here in this very moment and soaking up my time in Africa. My life right now looks a little different than it had before and truly it is my new normal. My mindset was set on the idea that the World Race was just a mission trip where we work ourselves to the bone for a year and come home with mind boggling stories (if you are a future racer don’t mistake this for a mission trip and don’t worry you will have great stories to tell). This isn’t just a mission trip it’s life.
I am living life with 11 other girls in Lilongwe, Malawi serving a great and mighty God. Some days we come home exhausted and beat other days we go to preach for an hour then come home to hangout, cook, do laundry and watch a movie. Its a routine much like one you live but in Africa and with a bunch of other people!
As I was sitting on the porch I began to make a mental list of the small joys in my life right now, here they are;
– waking up before anyone else to have quiet time which doesn't last too long
– the laughter of kids when you tickle them or chase them down the road
– cooking dinner on the charcoal grill for 11 people when the electricity goes out
– riding public transport and getting odd stares by locals, it makes me laugh 🙂
– watching Friends late into the night!
– waiting for the bus and betting if it will be on time or not, its like an on going game
– having a clean water bottle SHOUT OUT to Molly for cleaning all our water bottles
– Hailey’s not so funny jokes
– daily fellowship weather we like it or not
– daily devotions
– the sunsets and the rain!
– the simplicity of life, learning to sit and rest
– FROOMIES (friend roomies, I have 2 right now Annie and Kaitlyn)
– the clouds
– clean feet!
Its the small daily joys that make it worth it. I know that some days I wish this life journey would be over and that I would be on a plane heading home to Arizona but when I stop to count my blessings I realize how sweet this time is and that in 4 months I will be asking myself “where did the time go?”.
There is this super great song called Nothing I Hold Onto by Will Reagan United Pursuit
and one of the lyrics goes
“My life is in the hands of the maker of heaven”
And it is. Why worry about the future when you know who God is and how mighty he is?
This month I have devoted that I will read a Proverb each day and so far I’m three days strong! 🙂 I totally encourage anyone to join me and see what God has for you through that.
