The Power of the Gospel

I wish I were a good writer because that is what it would take for me to explain last Saturday to you. My words are simply not enough to explain what I have seen in the villages here. A car full of academy teachers and 2 Malawian ABC college students have started a little ministry in a local village only 30 minutes away from our campus. Even though they are just outside of the city of Lilongwe, my roommate and I were the first azungu (white people) many of the children have ever seen. Just recently the chief became a Christian and kicked out the gule wamkulu's from the village. A gule wamkulu is a designated man from the village to practice the Chewa religion. They dress in animals skins, paint, and wear masks. Everyone who I have asked has given me a confused and different answer, but I believe their job is to practice the demonic religion and scare the villagers into giving them food, money, clothes...etc. So after the cheif built the church at the place where the gule wamkulu danced and practiced his religion. This church is only 6 months old.
When we stepped out of the car on Saturday, we were met by about 50 children who were awaiting our arrival. This was only our second time there but we were welcomed with an excitement instead of fear this time. I taught about creation and sin the first week, and Noah and the flood this past week. After, we sang many songs in Chichewa led by our Malawian friends and then played a form of duck duck goose. By this time, I counted about 85-100 kids, women, and teens. After, they made an open circle and taught us how to do their tribal dances. I was shocked by their movements because they weren't far from what you'd see in an American club.
These people are hungry for the gospel. The first week I was very frustrated after I taught the lesson because it seemed boring and choppy with the translator. I thought that surely the kids would not want to come back. What I learned is that these kids are not like American kids. They don't have TV's or video games and don't hear Bible stories everyday at home or even at church. They are facinated by the name of Jesus and someone who came to save THEM! Them? Them in this small little village with no power or plumbing of any kind. Them with lice in their hair and a cloth wrapped around their waiste for clothing? It is a reminder to me what we look like in the sight of God. We are dirty, unhealthy, and poor. God picked us up, cleaned us up, and gave us a new heart. How amazing He is! The hope this village has to become new creations is refreshing reminder to me how amazing it is that we can have the hope of a savior.
The village has much to learn now about the way of Christ but our little team is planning some ways to help them learn. Most do not know how to read so my friend Cooswayo (SP?) will be biking there once or twice a week to give reading lessons in Chichewa. We are also looking into getting them Chichewa Bibles because they only have 4 that rotate throughout the church. Once that is established, we will try to build a church building for them that will be suitable for rainy season which is starting this month. Right now they meet in a straw wall box with now roof. Please pray for our new brothers and sisters in Christ.
Even though we don't speak the same language, there is a lot to say for being related in Christ. I feel like we have connected at a different level with no words being spoken directly.
Again, my words don't do this experience justice, I guess you'll just have to come see it for yourself!

Mother's Day Break

Happy Mother's Day!

October 15th was the Malawi Mother's Day. We got off of school Thursday and Friday and got to play! On Friday I went to Lake Malawi with a big group of missionaries from ABC.

It was nice to get off campus and see another side of malawi. I never knew a lake could be so pretty! I thought they were always infested with alligators and snakes but this one is like a freshwater ocean. There are hippo's in other parts of the lake but not where we were... I really wanted to see one but they're dangerous. I did see wild monkeys though!

They were running around the place we were staying! When we first arrived at the lake we sat under a hut on the beach before we swam. 4 little Malawian girls came and sat with us. Their ages ranged from 11-3. They were really cute and friendly and only the oldest one spoke some English. We soon realized they weren't there to hang out, just to get our money. I find it so sad that they are taught at such a young age that white people mean money, and they need to use their childish charm to get it from us. In return for money they will let you take a picture of them, sing a song, or play a hand game with you. It's so hard because I want to minister to those kids but cannot speak their language and I feel helpless.

Anyway, I just wanted to share another fun part of Malawi. I am happy for the break but ready to get back to work tomorrow. I miss my kids;-)

My Class

I have been promising pictures of my class so here they are! We had reading day on Friday so we all dressed up as our favorite book character! This is Bess and me.

Nathan-Malawian, Carey-Adopted from malawi by American missionary parents, Brandon-Malawian, and Finn-Australian

I had them all bring in blankets and pillows to relax around the classroom in as they listened to stories and read.

Obe One Kenobi, Pinocchio(My favorite), Pocahontas, Belle, Little Red Riding Hood, Little Bo Peep, Little Mermaid

Cinderella, Little Bear, Wizzard from Where's Waldo, Peter Pan, A Nook (from Dr. Seuss)

Fairy, Pink Little Ballerina, Barney, Monkey, Little Red Riding Hood

Alisa-Malawian but Adopted by Canadian parents, Nour- Lebonese

All of the classes had to do a fun picture for the year book. My class took one on a fire truck. The firemen were so nice and let us climb all over it and even ride in it with the sirens on!

Carey-Malawian, Eungi- Korean, Riccardo-Italian, Nathan- Malawian, Finn- Australian

I'm the Captain! I thought the firetruck picture would be appropriate because we have had to learn about fire safety and firemen for social studies this year. We've also had 3 fire drills so far.


I really enjoy my students! It is so much fun to get to know each one of their personalities! Almost everyday at recess now one of them will stay behind to talk to me. I love that time to talk even if it is just talking about their puppies or something. 2 of my little girls talk about living in a village and give me the details on that. They don't have electricity or running water. There's so much to learn from them! When I tell them to get their books from their cubbies, they will usually put them on their heads and walk back to their desks. They don't think anything of it but I always watch in amazement.

On Thursday for Bible I presented the wordless book and explained why we need Christ in our hearts. Not all of them come from Christian homes so I have to remind myself not to act like they should already know the simple things that are taught in Sunday School. Churches around here don't always teach very much of the Bible either. Many of them were very eager to pray to receive Jesus in their hearts so that was exciting!!! I am going to help in Sunday School tomorrow with some missionaries to see what that is like. It will last about 3 hours! I've never been to a 3 hour Sunday school class before but I'm sure it will be interesting!

Please pray that my kids will do well in their school work, they'll be open to Gods word, that I'll be a good teacher, and that I will be able to show Christ to them everyday even when i'm tired and cranky!

<3

P.S. We found a dead rat under the bathroom sink! So gross! But hopefully it is the only one. I'll let you know if we find anymore...

BABIES!

I went to the crisis nursery again this weekend and finally took some pictures! There about 20 babies there ranging from new born-2. There are about 5 workers there at once so needless to say, they need help. We walked into a room with the oldest babies and they were all standing up in their cribs holding their arms out for us to pick them up. SO SWEET! I can't even imagine what it would be like to not have at least one parent that you want to go to. These kids see different faces all the time and don't care who picks them up, as long as it is someone!

This little guy is named Chisomo Joseph. He was the biggest one there and wanted all of the attention! Most of the kids were fine playing by themselves because they were used to it. But he cried everytime we put him down.

This is Theresa. She is about 2 months old but very very small. I think her eyes are
bigger then her little body.













If you stay here for 2 years you can adopt........ That'd be awesome! When we went to the nursery, the workers prepared their dinners and changed diapers. They're so busy and need a break! We took some of them out of their cribs and they had fun just bouncing around.

They each eat porrage in the morning, then porrage again for dinner. These little guys can eat a huge bowl of it! It doesn't have much neutritian in it so they need a lot to be full.

We sang songs with them and they all clapped their hands. I wish I lived here.

Show me your ways, O Lord, Teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior and my hope is in you all day long. Psalm 25:4

rats and fender-benders

Hey!
I have a lot to update you all on this time. I didn't think I was too squeamish until I got to Africa. First of all, we have rats. We noticed rat droppings in our kitchen cabinets and our trash was everywhere about 3 nights ago. The night after we noticed, my housemate came into my room and screamed bloody murder. A rat ran behind my bed as I was sitting on it. Needless to say, we freaked out. Then, she went into her room and I was in the hallway that connects the rooms. She started screaming again and a rat ran out of her room into the kitchen. All three of us ended up crouching on top of the dining room table screaming. It brought my confidence in our outside house guards down because they never checked on us after we screamed for 10 minutes. So the next day, a guy came to put rat poison around the house. He climbed into the Attic and fell through the ceiling into my bedroom. The good thing is that he didn't get hurt. The bad thing is that I came home to rat poop all over my bed. It is hard to wash things here because I don't have a dryer. Anything I wash needs to have at least a day to hang dry.
Next story:
Since the ABC rotation cars don't work very well, they were so nice and bought a new car! It is an automatic so that me and my housemates can drive it! We got it this afternoon and I was so excited to drive it! Katie and I had to get gas on the way to the market so we stopped. While still in park after our gas tank had been filled, a HUGE semi flatbed truck drove right in front of me and took the corner too sharply. I honked when I noticed he was getting too close but then he ran right into the car. all three sets of tires went over the front bumper of the car. It was a frightening thing to see it coming but not have enough time to back the car up. Katie and i were fine and the car isn't in bad shape, but the irony of the situation is great. I got my first experience dealing with Malawian police, truck drivers, and gas station owners.

My class is doing well. I am becoming very attached already. The more I enjoy my kids, the more motivated I am to teaching them well. I am motivated when I see improvement. Thanks for all of your prayers for that!
My roommate Megan might have malaria so keep her in your prayers. My roommate Katie has been having a lot of health issues since she's been here so just pray for our whole house I guess. I have been healthy since I've been here and owe it to Gods grace. It is common to get sick here, especially with malaria, but I haven't had any severe problems. Thanks for your prayers!

Did you know you can put blue food coloring in mashed potatoes and then you have blue potatoes? Try it, it's awesome!

Hey guys!

So this weekend I had to get off campus. I haven't been able to drive and had cabin fever. Its not like college when you can just walk up to anyone your own age and have a conversation. There are 4 single missionaries and girls tend to get a bit petty. I am a girl so I am alowed to say that. So, we took another hiking trip on Saturday. This time we went to Ncohma Mountain. It was so hard! I am not a cross country runner and never should be. Running up rocks is fun until you can't breathe anymore. Anyway, we did that for a couple hours and finally made it to the top. There is something about being on top of a mountain looking over Africa that gives me chills. Gods knows how to make scenery. I used to think the vast nothingness in Africa was dead and boring, but now I think it is beautiful. I appreciate the way the Malawians live such a simplistic lifestyle.

I don't think I ever wrote about the Malawian wedding I attended a couple of weeks ago. It lasts all day for a week but I only went to a couple hours of the first day. It is neat because nobody is rushed. They have bridesmaids and groomsmen but they dance down the isle. Its not like that youtube wedding dance, it is a slow step. Each couple takes about 10 minutes to get down the isle. People are cheering the whole time and scream moving their tongue back and forth in their mouth. I can't do it right. Then After the bride and groom get down the isle, groups of people take turns dancing around the couple throwing money all over them. I got to participate in this but felt a little akward since I stuck out like a little sore white thumb. Here's a picture of the maid of honors dress:

Yeah, its pretty fancy. The groomsman carries the flowers, and the bridesmaids carry the groomsmans coats.

Anyway, I thought it was fun and interesting. For my wedding I'll do the money throwing thing for sure but I might pass on the dress.

One more exciting announcement then i'll end this; I drove on the main roads today!! I went to the market and the grocery store and only stalled twice! haha. I am starting to build up my confidence and will soon be able to venture out without a coach.

I really appreciate all of your prayers! I mean it when I say that I can feel them in my everyday life. I haven't gotten sick or been chosen as a carrier by putsi flies(not cool) yet so I think that is a major success! Love you all! Thanks for your encouragement! It means a lot to me!

Bunda Mountain!

Sorry its been so long since I last posted! I finally have something to write about! I'm amazed with the number of people who are reading this! No pressure!

Something fun:
I've been on the ABC campus the majority of my time in Malawi so far because I'm so busy with work that needs to be done here. This weekend, 7 of us decided to go hiking. Owen said he knew a good mountain to hike up called Bunda Mountain. We get to the mountain and Rebecca and i were a little skeptical about getting up the big rock. It was not the grassy trail I envisioned. They assured us it'd be fine so we went on. After about 10 minutes of rigorous hiking, we got to a giant rock mountain going straight up. I joked about not bringing my parachute but I was actually pretty nervous. I've never been mountain climbing and wasn't prepared for doing it with my bare hands for the first time. Luckily there were 4 guys and 3 girls so they helped us when we almost died. There were moments when I just laughed because my feet were gripping the side of a mountain with the rubber of my shoes, holding on to a little groove in the rock with my finger tips, and not knowing where to go from there. Talk about being scrrrrrrd. I sang songs to make the time a little lighter. I got more and more confident as I went and loved it! Anyway, we got up the mountain in a couple hours and there were about 50 Malawians at the top worshiping and praying to God. Many of them were in tears pleading with God. They paid no attention to us. It was an amazing experience to be looking out over Malawi listening to the Malawians sing praises to my God. My friends got pictures so i will try to post them soon. The funny part of it is that by the time I got up, I looked like I got into a fight with a rabid cat or something. My hair toolie (rubber band) broke, there was dirt all over my face, and my legs were bleeding in 8 places. Haha doesn't get much better then that. But the funniest part is that there was an easier way the whole time (The way the smart Malawians went) so we went down that way.
About 10 Malawian boys met us at the bottom and "escorted" us around the mountain to our car. They were awesome, but unfortunately, I don't speak their language:-(

I went to my first Malawian home today! We ate Nsima (the food staple of Malawi). You eat it with your fingers and use it to pick up "relish." This relish was spinach and peanut butter mixed. Nsima is made of Ufa flour and is kinda like play dough/grits.

I've been here for one month, but am already beginning to think about all of the things that can be done in Malawi. There is a need for so much and such a great opportunity to bring it to them. I love ABC, but thoughts are running through my mind for things I can do next year. I was asked by a college student if I could teach a college ballet class. I wish i had the time!!! I honestly don't have extra time right now.
Anyway, those are my unorganized thoughts spewed out. It seems so hard for one person to make a difference. Especially when I still have so much to learn from the people here. But, I know my concentration needs to be on my classroom right now so I will devote my energy towards that. Please pray that I teach my kids in a way that they will succeed. I'm scared I'll ruin them!
haha Alright, I hope everyone at home is doing well! Thanks so much for all of your prayers! I need them all the time! Especially when I'm scaling mountains and such.

Skype me sometime! Gracefuller218

Whitney