So it has been a good while since my last blog and I have had some requests. So hear it is…there was so much this month that I can’t pick just one thing. So I am going to tell you tid bits of all the amazing things the Lord did with my team here in Malawi.
Our contacts name was Blessings, and his name describes him perfectly. He was a man of the Lord who had more love, hope, and joy inside him than anyone I have ever met. He had nothing. No money, no real paying job, an unfinished house, and no car but that never stopped him from pursuing the plan and purpose God had for him and his life. He was truly the warm heart of Africa.
We lived with a woman Faith and her four-year-old David for the month. She knew Blessings from Tuesday night worship at the city center where she worked. Somehow the Lord brought the racers into her life and for an amazing reason. I can admit I was intimidated at first, I honestly thought she was going to kick us out but the Lord put a love for her in my heart. By the end of the month she became a great friend. We shared laughter, had deep conversations, and wished we didn’t have to leave. I will miss her and of course our little minion David who was obsessed with cartoons and sweets!
Our ministry consisted of preaching the Word, sharing our testimonies, and loving on the Malawian people. When I first heard we had to speak I wanted to take off running. I hate public speaking and always have and the enemy told me over and over that I am not good enough or worthy enough to share the truth and love of God to anyone, but I showed him! We preached to widows, churches, workplaces, and soccer teams on a weekly basis. The first group I preached to was an amazing and beautiful group of widows out in village. I shared with them about insecurities and how even God uses people just as He did Moses when they feel insecure. The Holy Spirit just took over my mouth and all the nerves and timid-ness was gone. The Word was spoken and the women were overjoyed.
I have shared my testimony a few times but never did I really think it actually made an impact even though I have heard over and over again that it did. The Lord knew my heart and showed me just how powerful our stories are. One Tuesday night I shared my testimony at the city center, by this time I have shared it so many times that I had it nailed. At the end of the night the owner of the store stood up and with tears flowing down her face she said that my story was what she was looking for. She said that the story of God’s restoration in my life and my families touched her so much because she was going through things with her family. Tears welled in my eyes too knowing that God knew I had doubts but in those moments He awaked me to His Truth. Let that be an encouragement to all of you. Your story has purpose and is special and unique. Even if it doesn’t seem crazy or “good enough” like others, know that others are in the same boat and need to hear the truth of God!!! Never be ashamed of your life!!
Not only did the Lord grow me in speaking, He also began showing me more and more of Him. There is a practice in the world race that is quite known and used. It’s called Listening Prayer. Everyone knows that I hate listening prayer more than anything. It’s where you sit and listen for God to speak and share for yourself, your team, family, squad, or whatever else you choose. I have never been good at it and it always made me nervous and embarrassed. I never got anything of any worth the past times I have done it and that just brought doubt and insecurity. One night during my team time I was going to have a worship night where we could all either worship, read the bible, pray, or journal. I had intended on reading the bible but two hours go by and I had a message from the Lord for every member of my family, my boyfriend, and my best friend back home. I was like “NO WAY.” I read them and thought those are not my words, I can’t believe this. I heard from the Lord, I’m not an awful Christian. I shared with my family and from that moment on I am no longer afraid of listening prayer because I learned to be silent and actually listen!!
“ The Blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news proclaimed to them.” –Matt 11:5
The Blind see… I got to experience this miracle this month. Our first week we visited a group of widows just down the road, and the leader of the group began to share that she can only see a little bit of color but nothing else. The Holy Spirit turned in my heart and instantly I asked if we could pray healing over her. So I put my hand over her eyes and we all began to pray. Nothing happened but I knew she would be healed. The next week we all prayed again and still nothing but I still believed. The last week I walked in and I just knew. I could see a change in her eyes. I was already rejoicing when she stood up to speak. She said she had a dream that she was going to be healed and the next morning she noticed she was walking without stumbling. She then asked her friend for paper and pen and she began writing and realized that she could see the words she had written. Her sight was being restored! I have never experienced healing or being the one to just know it would come. The Lord has given us authority and we had the Faith to believe. We experienced so much healing this month as a team and know there is so much to come!!
This month has been my favorite month of the race. So much growth in so many facets of my life. I will miss feeling like a celebrity when we walk through a village and kids come running and yelling “Auzungu, Auzungu!” I will miss feeling the love of children as they cling to me and remember my name. I will miss Blessings saying “mmmhmmm” during every conversation and making us feel known and loved. I will miss the joy and laughter and watching the Bible with Faith and David. I will always remember the time we were tear gassed at the bus depot and my first African Massage (but not really). So many memories were made and I will never forget spending Christmas and month 6 in Malawi!!
