What can I say about Malawi. This month my team and I spent every day giving the word out at schools, church, widows, orphans, door to door, etc. Sometimes you would think hmm maybe today will be different and were just playing with them, but no matter what a word/testimony was always given. In Africa there really is no schedule and you just wake up and see what the day brings never really knowing what is going on. You also never know when you will have electricity or water and when it will go out. Like I shower once a week (maybe gross but you get used to it) and most times you would find yourself cooking over coals as in the middle of preparing dinner the power goes out. I also got used to just using the outhouse outside because without water you can’t really flush the toilet. It was so smelly though that you would save it if possible to just use a nice toilet in town ha.
If you’ve read my other teammates blogs Alicia wrote a really good one about the ‘rat’ and Dani wrote a really good one about the minibuses. Those buses literally beat you up and I spent more time on one then anywhere else that month. You get squeezed in like sardines and sometimes you don’t always end up with the best seat…possibly one with just the bar. Now the story with the rat….it was sunday night and we had watched an episode or two of Arrow before bed. Two hours later when we all were in deep sleep I felt something fall on my face when I leaped up screaming. The whole room (the 3 other girls) leaped up screaming. I was half blind so I thought they had seen something. The light was switched on by are host which by this time I was at the end of my sleeping pad in hysterics about a rat falling on my face. She was trying to soothe me but I was not having it. I already had enough of rats in Vietnam. Luckily I calmed down and soon enough it became quite the laughing matter, as all the girls thought it was so illogical to be screaming but yet they did. Its been decided I’m the alpha female as the screams happened in chorus with mine and only happened because I had been screaming. Even the neighbors heard. In the event of that no one had seen the rat and we did have chunks of cement that would fall on us but there was no cement where my head slept so I swear it was a rat. Even though in the moment it was terrifying its become one of the best memories of the race so far.
What I learned in this month is to ultimately trust God with everything. Trust him with your future and trust him with the words you will speak over a crowd. I’m literally terrified of speaking in front of large crowds, but towards the end of the month I was no longer shaking as badly as I was at the beginning. Still scared but I just have to trust that what I have to say is from him. I don’t need to be long or eloquent. I found that it’s best to be yourself because God will use you the best in that. So in that I’m sweet and to the point. I don’t miss the shot if I give it to God in the first place. Another way to spread Jesus around is not just in your words but in your actions. Being loving to others goes a long way in showing who you are. Like getting out and dancing with the Africans at church or playing sports with the street kids. Literally two of my favorite things this month. Take every moment you got and show your love in your actions. Actions speak louder then words. Sometimes you never realize how much it really speaks out about you and Jesus and your not even using many words. Example at a school we went to 3 times (my absolute favorite place) I played the Malawi Bawi board which is kind of like a marble game back home but much more complicated. All the kids were surrounding the chairs and helping me out. In which case I beat the ‘Rhino’ who always wins 0-4. It was so much fun and the next time I saw him he remembered me and we bonded just because I played games with him.
wifi never seems to work with showing pictures so I apologize you’ll just have to look on Facebook for them.
Sincerely,
General Tabby
P.S.- Pastor Fiskan the one we worked with ended up giving me that name one day because I handled finances. First it was General Treasurer but then it became just the General maybe with tabby occasionally. I was introduced with that name on many occasions, which was always funny.
