March 18, 2023

Where to even begin?

I visited a few of my kids Friday after Bible study. The roof caved in on some, but the house was still standing. One of them has 7 children and her husband is up in Blantyre. The part of the village closest to us had less flooding. All the houses within 3 kilometers of the river were flooded. One of the men in our church decided not to leave his home because he said the river had never flooded near his home, but it did this time. Thankfully, he is safe.

Walking through the village, people were still smiling and greeting us. We were walking to sit with them, and smiled and talked – even with their homes falling apart in the background. I have so much to learn about contentment from them!

Today we went to the nearby village, Phokera. I almost didn’t go because I was exhausted, a kid had a minute meltdown, I needed to wash several loads of laundry, put together my Bible lesson for tomorrow…but I decided that, even if I don’t get anything else done, I would go. I always feel encouraged after witnessing and my life feels like it has more purpose. So we went.

We walked by one house completely gone. We were told that the lady who lived there was safe. We have visited with her twice and she has made a profession.

The first house we came to shared with us about a lady who tried to cross some water at a certain spot with her two children tied to her back. Both children were swept away by the waters. I did not think I would be able to refrain from weeping! The lady has been coming to our Bible lessons on Sundays and her kids come to my children’s lesson. She says she has trusted Christ. My heart just breaks and my mind began picturing all the kids that come out. Oh! We truly don’t know what tomorrow holds! May we use every opportunity the Lord gives us to be a witness!

Pastor Nelson’s wife went to the other side of the street. There was a lady who had asked her to come back and talk with her. All those houses were gone.

Everything looks so beautiful now! It’s hard to imagine all that has taken place. Roads are still washed out in many places though.

We were sent a video of a pastor using a boat through a little city about 30 minutes from us. It has dried down now and Eric was able to go there today to buy some drinking water, a little plastic for roofs, and one bag of corn meal for us to give out. He said he could only find one bag, and it was very expensive because the trucks are cut off and can’t get to us. He was able to get some diesel there too, but they said it would be gone within a week. We are also cut off from the bank. But the Lord knows all of this! He sees every sparrow that falls! He knew before we came everything that would happen and has us here for such a time as this! Pray that we will use every opportunity He gives us and that people would come to Christ before it is too late!

The first picture is of our village. You can see the mountains of Mozambique and it is gorgeous! The rest are in Phokera today. We always have a group of kids who tag along. Brother Shadrick had Anna and Lydia pull them aside and sing with them while we witnessed.

I am going to try to post videos of our village in the comments.

March 16, 2023

The rain has finally stopped and we saw the sun for the first time in at least a week. It feels like it rained forever!

It has also been 3 weeks since we had running water. I feel like I should be making marks on the wall to keep track of it. Due to the storm, we have been without electricity too. It feels easier when you know what to expect and you’re ready.

It seems like such a small thing when we know that many in our village are now without a home. One of our workers had to move his family as flood waters were coming up to their house. Another pastor shared that his nephew’s house fell on them, killing them. We’ve also received videos of people being swept away by water. We heard there have been over 200 deaths from cyclone Freddy. It is truly heartbreaking.

Flooding has washed out the roads to both cities, in 3 places on the way to the city we get many of our supplies from. We are locked in with no access to stores, drinking water, pharmacies, hospitals…thankfully, Eric was able to stock up on most things. We are already trying to figure out how we will handle getting clean water if we can’t get to town.

I wasn’t sure how many kids would come out Wednesday for services, but when we opened up the church door, in came a large group of kids! My heart felt like it would soar from being so happy to see them! I was relieved to hear that none of my kids who came Wednesday had lost their homes. I had hoped to visit others this weekend to see if there were any needs, but with the roads washed out, I’m not sure there is anything I can help with. I pray the Lord will give us wisdom in how we can help.

Looking over my nice, sheltered yard and home, it would be easy to not be moved by the devastation around me. Over and over it has caused me to think of the security we have in Christ. How easy it is for Christians to get comfortable with being safe and secure, and be blinded to the lost world around us! May we not get too comfortable that we can’t be moved with compassion for those without this sweet peace!

March 11, 2023

“I shall never, never, never learn the Japanese language. You may put it on my tombstone: expired in despair. I am in the middle of my language lessons, and have stopped short to tell you so…it is more important for me to warn you to send out no more missionaries to a land with such a language, than to go on longer trying to learn it.” Amy Carmichael, written when she was a missionary in Japan

This made me laugh out loud and made me feel like I have found a friend! To know there is another missionary, a highly respected one, who felt as dramatic as we do sometimes. I wouldn’t say that I’ve quite felt the same despair as Amy, I’m not learning Japanese either, but it can feel so slow!

Mudzi, m’modzi, madzi, mwazi…say that 3 times fast.😆 One of those means water…one means blood, so definitely don’t get those confused! They have a few like that. One little change, and the entire meaning changes. One I just recently learned was that if you accidentally say “it’s raining” incorrectly, it could mean instead “I’m undressing”. Eek

I think language can be one of the most frustrating things for a missionary! There’s not only the construction of sentences, all the forms and prefixes, suffices, etc, which change who you are referring to and tense…but also you have to try to stop thinking with your English understanding of how to construct those sentences. I have also mixed these up. Coming home from the church plant in the other village I was trying to talk with one of the ladies. She pointed at a house. I said, “Your house?”…at least, that was what I was trying to say but accidentally said, “My house?” She understood and acted like she didn’t even notice.

A few Fridays ago coming out of Bible study, a gentleman greeted me differently, so I just replied with what I know. Then he said something else. I got a confused look on my face and looked over at Shadrich. Everyone started laughing and he scolded the smiling man, then told me I had answered fine….the man had purposely greeted me in Sena then Portuguese (we are learning Chichewa)! It made me feel more at home to know they were comfortable picking on me!

I don’t get many opportunities to practice, except with the children because it seems like wherever I go, I’m always with the children. But I have found that they are the perfect ones to practice with and are always willing to help teach me how to say something. Some evenings, when I’m not too exhausted from my duties, I sit on the porch while they all play with the outside toys. There are toy dishes and food. And I practice a few words or phrases as we “cook and eat.” 

Learning a new language is definitely a humbling and, at times, frustrating process. But may the Lord open our mouths that we may speak and give us understanding!

(The kids with our language teacher.)

March 7, 2023

Saturday morning we went to the nearby village. Our Saturday soul winning group only seems to get bigger and bigger each week. After splitting up into groups, we started our walk through the village – the same direction we went last time.

As we passed by one of the houses, the lady begged us to stop again.  She made a profession last week and has a desire to know more about God, but cannot read, so was discouraged about that.  She shared that she has had her son read to them every day.  We encouraged her that was a wonderful way for her entire family to hear the Word of God!

After spending a little time with her, we continued on to houses past hers.  We were welcomed by a woman who quickly pulled out chairs and mats.  Within a few minutes, we had a large group of women and children who listened as I presented the Gospel.  Before going to the next house, they asked if I was American.  They had heard that Americans only have 2 kids and thought that I must be European because I had more.  (This question was actually asked at a few different houses.) The conversation that followed was so fun!  I also learned that it is considered taboo for your husband to deliver the baby.  There is something about going out telling people about Jesus that is so refreshing!  God always blesses it!   

Every time we go out, we meet people who are feverish and sick with symptoms of malaria.  Many tell us that they went to the clinic and were sent away because medicine wasn’t available.  We are able to send them to the doctor to treat them.  When you meet so many people dealing with this and know that many others have it who you may not meet, it gives even more the urgency to get the Gospel out for you really don’t know if you will have another opportunity to share it with them.

Sunday morning I taught at our village church.  It is always such a blessing!  As I was teaching, a little one came to the front by an older sibling.  In his hand was what looked like a big, green toy cricket…except it wasn’t a toy!  It was a locust!  His sibling took it for a second and started pulling its legs off.  It made it just a little difficult to keep my focus!  They are a common thing for the kids to play with here, but we still aren’t use to it!  Later in the village, kids were passing around one during my lesson.  They were going to pass it to Anna, but her distraught face and moving away let them know she didn’t really want to play with it.

We have now been almost 2 weeks without water.  Eric has been innovative and rigged up a bucket with a hose sprayer so we can take regular showers.  We have gotten in a better system for drawing water that has helped us keep up with household cleaning.  The laundry is probably the most difficult.  The kids said they’re just going to sit and watch the washer spin once we get water again.  We will all be very, very thankful for it!

Bible college opened up here on Monday.  Eric, Pastor Nelson, and Shadrick all have different classes that they are teaching.  All but one of the students are pastors who just haven’t had previous Bible teaching.  Praying the Lord uses this to train them for the furtherance of the Gospel in Malawi!

Life here is very full…sometimes it feels too full…but it’s such a privilege that we get to be a part of it!

March 4, 2023

As we pulled into the nearby village today for witnessing, kids were already gathering. Even though Brother Shadrach had told them we would be doing lessons only on Sundays, they still gathered when they saw us. After we told them we’d be having a lesson tomorrow, we started down the paths. House to house, they would yell their welcome to us, then scramble to find seats for their “guests of honor”. It is always humbling to sit on their few seats while they sit on the ground!

As we got ready to leave, I said, “Stay well!” (a common goodbye here.)…well, at least that’s what I THOUGHT I said. What I actually said was, “Sindili bwino!” instead of “Tsalani bwino!” So instead of “Stay well!”, what I actually said was, “I am not well.” I quickly caught and corrected myself. 

We continued walking house to house. Some had buckets of water out with little ones washing dishes in them. Others were sitting on cane mats cutting and peeling food. But all welcomed us.

As we continued, our little group grew as kids continued to join our group. They walked with us and sat to listen at each house. 

When we finished and just stood around waiting for the other groups, the kids gathered around us. One mischievous little girl scooted very close to me. I felt a little tug of my hair and glanced down. She had one little strand and was trying to pull it out! I nonchalantly pulled my braid to the front of me and continued talking. She glanced down at her pinched fingers, now without my hair between them, with disappointment.

Sunday after our services, we went back to the that village for the Bible study. We started under the big tree with the adults so Lydia could play guitar and Brother Shadrach could lead singing. He does a very good job leading singing. Then we led the kids to the tree in front of the chief’s for their lesson.

I tried using my flannel graph, but it was so windy that the flannel graph pieces flew off the board. After chasing them a few times, I just held each piece up while teaching. It was a little difficult, and a couple times my notebook with my lesson fell to the ground while I was teaching, but we made it through! We ended the day with ice cream.

We have been without water for a few days and we’re not sure when it will get fixed. They worked on it all day Friday, but were unable to figure out what was wrong.

Thankfully, the electricity has been working more so we were able to get water from the pump outside. Eric filled buckets and Rubbermaid containers with water and carried it to the house. That is usually the women’s work – to bring the buckets of water. I’m sure the ladies all watched in shock to see my husband doing it instead!

The girls got their first experience with hand washing. They started out all smiles, but we were all exhausted by the end. Because the electricity stopped working weren’t able to finish, but I think the kids were happy about that…and surprisingly still had plenty of energy to play. I, on the other hand, was about to drop. The man who works on it will come again on Thursday to try something else. If it doesn’t work, we may have to order parts from South Africa- which would mean a month before it could be fixed. We’ve been making it, but I’m praying that’s not the case!

March 4, 2023

Days here seem to pass SO quickly!  I feel like I blink, and they pass!

We went to the Bible study/church plant last weekend. It is always fun to see the kids anxiously waiting for us! They always look for Isaac, my puppet. As we get out of the truck, they look for my big, black bag. When they spot his big smile peeking over the side of the bag, they excitedly whisper to one another, “Isaac! Isaac!”

The Lord blessed our time. They sit pretty well throughout the lesson, but get a little unruly when it’s time to say their memory verse. They’ve also started messing with the girls’ hair and pulled a little out. The girls said it didn’t hurt, but I may have to separate them at the village. They sit with the other kids at our church, and they really want to at the village too…we’ll have to see.

Eric made it to the city on Tuesday! Then when he got there, he almost wasn’t able to buy ice cream because it all looked sold out! Finally he found two cookies and cream … and two mini containers of vanilla for me, since I can’t have gluten. Everyone was excited! We’ve had a hard time not digging into it, but I try to space things out purposely so we can enjoy them. I think the kids are dreaming that Eric will come home with a cooler full of ice cream so we can have it every night.😆

The other thing that has been a favorite treat is pickles. 🤷🏼‍♀️  The kids were talking about how funny it seems to space out things like that, because in America we had a Dollar General just down the street. Now, we have to drive 4 hours for a jar of pickles or ice cream.

Speaking of food… Mercy was out playing with one of her little friends, Wells.  She pointed at some ngoobies (termites, which are commonly fried and eaten here) and asked,

“Do you like to eat ngoobies?”

Wells replied, “NO!”

Next she asked, “Do you like to eat ants?”

Again he replied, “No!”

She then proceeded to pick up an ant off the ground and pop it in her mouth, which got the reaction she was hoping for…

A big YUCK from Wells!

I’m not sure what I’m going to do with that girl! Haha

I have had a couple times now when I’ve felt a heaviness/discouragement.  The first time was Wednesday.  Another lady was supposed to teach, but she didn’t feel well so I taught.  I prayed all throughout the song service before we were dismissed and the Lord brought peace and joy again.  Even though I felt like I couldn’t teach, it was exactly what I needed!  And at the end, a young boy raised his hand for salvation.  Today, I have felt it again.  I know it’s from Satan sent to discourage me before church times.  I know he would love to hinder the ministry here.  The verse the Lord brings to my mind frequently is, “And David was greatly distressed…but David encouraged HIMSELF IN the LORD HIS GOD.”  1 Samuel 30:6

I know I have shared this verse before, but, Oh! What a blessing this verse has been to me over and over again!  Sometimes I can feel so alone, with no one to turn to…but I am reminded, I need no other! Only the Lord MY God!  He alone can bring encouragement to me!

I want to encourage you to memorize that. You may not be in the middle of a strange land with truly no one…but Satan doesn’t look at our circumstances when he sends discouragement. You could be surrounded by loved ones, then hit with a heavy loneliness. In those moments, the only thing that will help is to encourage yourself in the Lord your God!

February 21,2023

“You may have left much to follow Christ, you may have believed on Him, and worked for Him, and loved Him, and yet may not be like Him.

There are two wills, two interests, two lives. You have not yet lost your own life that you may live only in His.” Hannah Whitaker Smith

Recently I have thought on this fact often.  Yes, I have “given up much” to follow His direction in our life…but I still so frequently notice my own likeness and interests.

A missionary friend told me once that the mission field can show you what you’re really like.  It brings out things you didn’t know were there. And she was right.  Testings always bring forth the faults, just as the fire brings forth the dross.

You would think that by surrendering as a missionary, you would be even more spiritual than others.  But, we are only human as well and this journey only seems to show just how much.  Little things that we might not have noticed, suddenly appear blatantly obvious when our surroundings are changed. Amy Carmichael wrote about this very fact.

“Wings are an illusive fallacy.  Some may possess them, but they are not very visible, and as for me, there isn’t the least sign of a feather.  Don’t imagine that by crossing the sea and landing on a foreign shore and learning a foreign lingo you ‘burst the bonds of outer sin and hatch yourself a cherubim.’”

No. Missionaries are far from saints!  We have so many of our own interests that often become more noticeable on the mission field.  We like our coffee a certain way, particular spices, specific shampoos, toothpastes…and when we no longer have access to these, we can get grumpy or depressed.  We like to bring over what we can to make things familiar – foods, household goods…

Just the other day, someone here shared about one of their friends.  They talked about how beautiful his home was.  And said, “He’s building a heaven on earth for himself because he believes after he dies, he will come back and live in his place.”

   We laugh and think that sounds silly, but it made me think – is that the appearance I give?  Do I put too much into creating my little home?  Making our homes a heaven on earth has always been seen as a good thing…but are we seen as settling in to this worldly home and neglecting looking ahead to our heavenly one?

Amy Carmichael wrote,

    “We profess to be strangers and pilgrims, seeking after a country of our own, yet we settle down in the most un-stranger-like fashion, exactly as if we were quite at home and meant to stay as long as we could.”

Again, my heart is torn!  Oh, how I love to create beauty in my little home!  I have enjoyed getting the handmade, wicker things made locally.  They are very inexpensive, but so beautiful!  But then my heart is torn…is it wrong to get pretty things for my home? Or invest time in creating a beautiful home?  What about doing little things like occasional face masks or painting our nails?  What would the Lord have me do?

Then there are the immense needs all around me.  And my heart again feels guilty…”Is it wrong to have things when those around me have nothing?”

Only questions my Lord can answer. But I know that within me still lies many of my own desires and interests, that may not necessarily be my Savior’s.  I cannot compare to another and say, “But Lord, You have allowed them to do such and such or have such…” because who am I to tell the Potter what the clay should be made into and used for?

My prayer must be,

“Lord, enable me to regulate this day so as to please Thee! Give me spiritual insight to discover what is Thy will in all the relations of my life. Guide me as to my pursuits, my friendships, my readings, my dress, my Christian work.”  Hannah Whitaker Smith

What a difference in each of our lives if this was our prayer!

And may I eventually be able to truthfully say,

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:” Galatians 2:20

February 18,2023

The rains have come and with it, slightly cooler weather. It still gets pretty hot, but we’ve had a couple of days in the mid 80s. The humidity is still high – 80%-90s.

   The water is a blessing because the people live off of what they grow.  Last year people faced starvation because of the drought.

The only problem with this much rain is that the rains are washing out some roads, making them impassable.  Eric is supposed to be going to the city this week.  When he mentioned that he might not be able to because of the roads, the kids said, “But we need ice cream!”  Ice cream is not available down here.  In fact, most of the kids here have never tasted it, and we were told most probably wouldn’t know what it was!

A road in Blantyre 

The power still goes out frequently. I think the time it bothers me the most is at night as it wakes me when it goes off and on…and it gets warmer when it’s off. I’m okay almost all day without it, but it would be nice to have it during meal times so I can wash my hands as I’m cooking, and just enough to wash the laundry. That is, IF I could run the electricity. But, things don’t always go according to my plans.

Every time the power goes out, you can hear the kids say in unison “aawww!”…and again when it comes back on “yay!”  I thought it was just us, but we had to hold back the laughter at church one time when all the agogos (elderly) had the same response when we lost electricity.  The agogo women like to come sit on the mats under the ceiling fans.

Church services are never dull between losing electricity, trying to hear the preacher with the loud rain pounding on the tin roof, and even animal visitors. Wednesday was especially exciting as Milo decided that she would visit church. We heard a noise in the office beside us and there was Milo! I asked Eric if I should get her, but we didn’t want to disturb the song service. A few minutes later, she was walking behind the song leader! A few people tried to catch her, but she was able to dodge each of their attempts. She eventually went out a window and as we were walking the kids to the children’s church area, we caught her and brought her home.

As we were walking, we heard a noise and looked. In the little building where the teens meet on Wednesdays, there in the doorway was a big donkey! I didn’t find out how they got it out. In the children’s church area it is not uncommon to have chickens or ducks. And the other week as I was teaching, a big mouse poked his head out in the wall right beside where I was standing! Thankfully I was able to refrain from screaming.

The other week, when Eric was doing a Bible study in a nearby village, they saw a woman walking with a handmade door on her head, and on top of that, handmade hoes.  Walking beside her were her little children. One of the girls had a baby wrapped to her back.  They had walked 50 kilometers to try to sell their goods!  Can you imagine walking that distance WITH a door on your head and your little ones just to make possibly $30?!  It is humbling!

The Big Tree we meet under for Bible Study 

There are two things I am learning:

First, I am so blessed!

Secondly, we will never be bored living here!

February 4,2023

We are just getting back to normal after a sickness we picked up last week. Because I was home with a few sick kids and unable to go to the village, Lydia offered to teach a lesson to the children that would be waiting for us there. I heard she did a wonderful job! 3 John 4 came to my mind…

“I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth”

To see their servant’s hearts and joy serving is the greatest blessing!

Today we headed out once again to the village, singing hymns as we pulled in. Kids ran along behind the lori (truck) and adults waved as we arrived. When we got out and started walking towards the big tree, some ran ahead of us, while others fell in step with us. They are always looking to see if I brought my puppet, Isaac, with me. When they spot his happy face peering over my bag, they often point and whisper excitedly, “Isaac!”

A few men carried the benches from the lori to the shade, under the tree. Brother Shadrick had one of the young men run to borrow a shovel from a neighbor so they could clear the area of manure and any other unpleasantries.

Following the lesson, we always work on a memory verse. I put it to song to make it easier to learn and hopefully help it to stay in their hearts. We split the kids into different groups to say the verse to our helpers. While the kids were saying it, a group of ladies gathered around me and asked if they could earn a lollipop for saying the verse as well. I said of course! I directed them to the group leaders to say it. They started laughing (in their cheerful manner), saying those groups were children’s groups. They wanted a women’s group. So I waved over one of the helpers and said they could say it to him. They giggled nervously and said they couldn’t say it, and needed us to teach it to them. 

So, I began just like I do with the children…

❤️”Vesi yoloweza pa mtima!” 

(Memory verse from the heart)❤️

Except I messed it all up, of course, which only brought lots of giggles and I’m sure helped relieve some of their nervousness. 

I began saying the verse section by section, having them repeat after me…but forgot what was next. I paused, and started singing it to help me remember. Then I was able to help them again.

🍭One of the first ladies to say the verse held out her lollipop triumphantly after, bringing lots of giggles.

Before we left, the ladies began asking me if I would be coming back Sunday for the Bible study, which Eric started last week. I couldn’t say no. I was unable to go last week partly because of the kids still recovering, and also we have been concerned that it will be too much for me. I usually teach 2-3 hours on Sunday mornings with temperatures around 100°. On Mondays we have noticed that my blood pressure is dropping low and causing problems, dangerously low one day. We think it is probably due to dehydration. Pray the Lord will give us wisdom. Pray that I will do only what the Lord would have me do. Lastly, pray for this new church plant!

February 4,2023

Our days have been filled with ministering and language lessons-besides the regular schooling, housekeeping, and meal preparation. Recently, we’ve been learning some interesting differences about the Malawian culture.

One thing we knew even before we came, was that they are extremely honorific…almost to the point of frustration sometimes! (Like calling me Madam.🤦🏼‍♀️ Thankfully there are a couple people who do not address me in that way or I think I’d go crazy!😆)

Two other things we’ve recently learned are: First, fathers have no say and are unable to discipline their children. That responsibility belongs to the wife’s brother(s). If a child is misbehaving, the parents go to the uncle and tell him. He then will deal with the child. The preacher who shared this with us said it causes many problems in the homes. He shared that his family follows the Biblical plan for families, and he was thankful that their families respected that.

The other cultural difference that we learned was that of the relationship between in-laws. Son/daughter-in-laws are not allowed to eat or be in the same house as their in-laws. When a son-in-law (or daughter-in-law) meets his mother-in-law somewhere, he crouches down and does not make eye contact as he greets her. He walks, crouched like that until he is out of her sight. If there are bushes, they will crouch behind those. When a couple gets married, they must live near the wife’s family, unless they’ve been given permission by – you guessed it- the wife’s uncle.😉

Whenever you move to a different area, whether from the north to south in America or to a different country, the culture can seem strange and funny. We have a tendency to think that the way we grew up doing things, what we are familiar with, is the best way. Some of the cultural differences are beautiful. Some feel strange. If we’re not careful, we can go on a mission to change things. But that should not be our focus! Our focus must be on sharing Jesus Christ, and the salvation He offers! Both of us must examine our culture in light of the Bible, whether it is Biblical or not. 

The girls and I are wearing the cultural wrap skirts for our area. The pastor and his wife had bought me one before we came and Eric recently bought each of us girls one. Even though one of the ladies showed me how to wrap it, I have yet to get it to stay in place for very long. Thankfully it is always worn over your clothing.