Church on the Rock

Photo Cred: Joshua V.

This past week Sarah, Josh and I traveled to the feeding center that is found on top of a giant rock. It is quite the sight. Even as the rains made an appearance, the children were calling 'Azungu' and running down to greet us. It never ceases to amaze me how happy they are to see us every time. There weren't many children at first when we arrived. The ones that were sitting were giving us the quizzical look that were asking 'who are you and what are you here for?' I don't blame them. We are three Azungus who don't speak much Chichewa and who are clearly happy to be there even still. We decided to break out our cameras to break the silence and take some pictures of them while we were waiting for the children to arrive for the program. 

Here are some pictures of this attempt to get them to smile:

Photo Cred: Joshua V.

Photo Cred: Chantal M.

Inside the church I saw that the widows were arriving. Some of them looked like they had already had an exhausting day in the hot sun. I was hoping that they would be fed not just with food but also with more of God's word. They all needed something to hold onto. We greeted each of them and saw their smiles make an appearance as we showed them honor. The cooks were also busy getting the food prepared. I greeted each of them as they saw me and made contact. Truth is it is hard to imagine how hard they work just to be able to help others get fed. They always eat last. It reminds me of the truth that in the kingdom the last will be first. These women remind me how important it is to serve and put others before yourself. They always look so happy to serve. It is a beautiful sight. Here are a few of the ladies at the program who help out:

Photo Cred: Chantal M.

As the children shuffled in and Sarah began to introduce us I started to see that some of these children were also carrying younger ones with them. An older sibling has much more responsibility here in Malawi than in Canada. These older children not only watch the younger ones but carry them everywhere, share their food and make sure their younger ones are behaving. They are a second mother and father. These older siblings are weighted with a responsibility that most Canadian children don't have even as they grow up. I am always humbled when I see an infant carried on the backs of a sister as she still participates in the program, in the games, and as she eats. Here is a great picture that shows what I mean:

Photo Cred: Joshua V.

God has been working in the hearts of these young children. They constantly memorize scripture and are being taught from the bible by their teachers (who are volunteers). It is amazing to see so many children excited to learn more about Jesus and the bible. We gave them all candy at one point after a skittles object lesson. Seeing them each cherish their gift was a blessing for us. One piece of fruity gum made each of them smile from ear to ear. The widows, cooks, and volunteers were all smiling. Everyone at the center left fed and satisfied. Each person was grateful for our visit. So much gratitude.

Outside as we were getting ready to leave I saw some children who clearly wanted to say "Bo (Hi) "to us now that they weren't as shy. I decided to take a picture with one of them. As soon as the other widows and children saw the camera they all wanted to join in. I went from one child to a multitude of people surrounding me. It was wonderful. Here is a picture of all of them excited to pose:

Photo Cred: Joshua V.

Josh also experienced the feeling of being part of the multitude ;)

Photo Cred: Chantal M.

Afterwards, I wanted to play with them. So I decided to initiate a game of tag. I acted as if I couldn't run far and then tickled children. Each child saw this and began to laugh and they understood. After a few minutes I had caught a few of them and some of them even hid. It was so cute. Pictures are shown here:

Photo Cred: Joshua V.

Photo Cred: Joshua V.

This church on a mountain is clearly full of Christ. It is not going anywhere. The people are faithful, and hungry for more of Christ. I am so glad we had the opportunity to meet with them. It was a wonderful day and I left full of gratitude and love. The scenery is a huge bonus ;)

Lost Sheep

Some of you have asked or wondered what I see as the purpose of being here in Malawi. Truth is up until a few days ago I wasn't sure myself. I was looking for something concrete I could do here. I wanted to know I did something important and left the people with something significant. In all honesty, I wanted to be seen as someone who did amazing things for God while I was here. As much as that is not a bad thing, God wanted to deepen my perspective.

He brought my attention to the parable of the lost sheep. God started whispering to my heart as I would look out the windows of the minibus onto the red, dusty streets of the region. He whispered,

 “You see the ninety-nine, and you easily forget to look for the lost sheep. They all matter to me. Every single person here matters to me. Not one is less significant than another.”

     This caught my attention. My God cared about every single one. No wonder how overwhelmed I was when I saw all the hurting and the hungry. He has given me compassion for every single one. God loves all his sheep each one of us. We are all equal to him. He came and found me when I was lost and hurting. He rescued me. 

How then could I not go and help rescue his lost sheep? How could I ever again sit idle?

     The ride up yesterday to one of the villages felt lengthy. The sweat upon my brow was nothing in comparison to the heat of bodies crammed into one average-sized van. The many stops to grab more people gave me time to really look at what I could see outside my window. I noticed some women carrying produce on their heads, produce that they would sell in the scorching sun throughout the day. I noticed men arguing on the side of the road by the mini bus across the street. I noticed children laughing in the streets in their torn up skirts as they walked past the mini bus that I was on. They could have been laughing at me but it did not matter. They were laughing. It was a joy to see. As we drove, I noticed women who had no shoes walking along the hot, rocky road. Along the way I saw young boys herding goats. Were they one of the lost sheep? How can one tell who is lost?

     A short while later we arrived at the Gomeya Feeding Center. We were immediately greeted by the pastor and were told to sit inside. He was beaming. As we entered the darkened room I saw many faces of the widows and children intent on figuring out who we white folk were. Each child was attempting to focus on the teacher in the front of the room who was talking about the story of Noah. Our translator had not yet arrived. I couldn't understand what was being taught and we were just sitting there waiting. So of course, I went back to wondering who were the lost...

Who did God want to rescue today?

     I stepped outside feeling discouraged needing a moment to think without being a distraction. I was struggling. Need was all around me. All Malawians need something. They either need more food, more shelter, more medicine, or more definitively more money. Everyone seems to want something from us. I cannot meet every need. I know that. Yet, I couldn't help but feel discouraged. I didn't even know the language. How much could I really accomplish here in Malawi?

Again God whispered, 

“I care about every one of them. I will send you to the ones that I want you to reach. You will be responsible for giving them my love and the message that I came to save them.”

At once, a peace washed over me. I looked around and I realized God was taking us missionaries exactly to where we needed to be. He would use us wherever we were. He would touch whoever we met in the way he wanted to. We would be making an impact simply by being obedient and sharing his love with people we came across. He would give us words to speak and his strength to go and complete the mission.

I started to realize there outside the tiny church building that God wants me to be obedient and be present where I am. He would fulfill the need. He would do the rescuing. I just need to be willing and obedient to his call. 

Soon our translator arrived. We began to pray with the coordinator. We prayed over the center and all the people in it. We prayed that God would have his way there. I was then blessed to be able to lead a lesson to the children and widows about the heart of our Heavenly Father. I shared with them the love of God and asked them if they would like to receive Him and his love into their hearts. I know that many in that room received Christ. My heart was full of joy. We all started to dance and sing and I could tell that angels were rejoicing with us.

God clearly was glorified. My team and I were seeing the fruits of the lesson. Seeing the joy on their faces gave us encouragement to keep going. Every child is worth it. Every widow, pastor or person in that room was worth it. I’ll never truly know the impact we had on them and what God was doing in each of their hearts. However, it felt good to know that God was using us to be His witnesses. There’s no greater purpose than to be used by God in whatever capacity. It is a true blessing.

All the sheep were taken care of that day. 

No one was left behind.

Almost a Month Here in Malawi

I have almost been here in Malawi for a month now. Can't believe how much I have done in a month and I haven't even listed everything. I am excited to share with all of you who are supporting me on this journey and following these updates. 

To update you here are some things I have done while I have been here (not listed in any order):

• Eaten termites-- They were crunchy and salty. Enough said.

• Been sick.--Turns out eating two meals of local food (pumpkin leaf relish, nsima termites, and eggplant) could put my stomach to the test.
  NOTE: Nsima is a staple food here and it is like a sticky dough that fills you up but has no real nutritional value. People eat it because it can fill you up for two or more meals. They have also eaten it since they were young, its what they have with every meal.
• Enjoyed warmer weather despite high temperatures. --The heat can sometimes be difficult to withstand. The rain showers are a nice relief sometimes. 
• Eaten a mango like a Malawian (peeling it with my teeth).

• Enjoyed learning about Malawian culture.
• Enjoyed visiting and working in the multiple feeding centers that Action International Ministries has up and running. It has been a blessing to see children hungry for God's word.

SIDE NOTE: 

Sarah, Amanda and I are picture here on the left at one of the smaller feeding centers in the village. We had just finished hearing them sing a song. They wanted a picture. Notice how many of them are not smiling. This is common. Some of them have never seen a camera. They don't know what to do in front of one. 

• Experienced heart break when I have seen children waiting for their ration of food for the day knowing they might not even eat the whole thing. Often times, it is shared with their family back home or children they meet along the way who are like them, starving. Some children that come to the centers haven't eaten properly for days.
• Visited local churches and joined them in their praise and worship. --Canadians would be seen as very stiff and boring in comparison. Here in Malawi everyone sings in harmony and must dance. No exceptions ;)
• Taught lessons to the children in different villages with help from wonderful translators.

• Learned a Chichewa song and some local greetings.
• Met pastors and had deep conversations with them about ministry and God's love and provision.
• Celebrated a pastor's child's birthday with my family here at the compound. It was an amazing time of sweets, Fanta, music, and a movie. Everyone enjoyed their evening :) It was a blessing to be a part of the celebration.

• Rode in a minibus crammed with many people who were of course curious to why we missionaries were in Malawi.
• Survived a torrential downpour. (Picture seen below)

• Seen lizards, huge bees, and various types of insects and animals and have been safe :)
• Truly deepened my relationship with God and have seen a gradual transformation already taking place.
• Been blessed and have been used to be a blessing in many lives here in Malawi.

It has been a privilege to be here and to be used by God in various ways. My team and I are praying and thanking God for his people's hospitality and compassion. We are constantly thanking Him for giving us the resources to bring food to the hungry orphans and widows here in Ntcheu and the surrounding regions. I am thrilled to say so many children have been fed this month with food and with the gospel. I am learning that sometimes what we can do is just be there. We can learn from the people. We can love the people.  They are constantly teaching me and showing me grace, humility and compassion. They are loving and very warm-hearted. Truly, God is doing something amazing here and I can't wait to see what He has planned for this next upcoming month. I love you all back home and miss you. Please keep praying for us as we are witnesses, and as we are hands to help reach the lost, hurting, and hungry.

Blessings,

Chantal

Joy Is Their Strength

February 5, 2016

The sun blazed hot on my neck as my team and I walked to the mini bus station where we would be starting our journey to one of the villages where the feeding center was located. On the way up I couldn't help but wonder... What we would see there? Would we be faces the people of the village want to see? Would we be able to give them something they need? How many children were going to be there? Would these children know we care about them? We got to the minibus station and filed into the cramped bus as we waited for the last passengers to fill any remaining space. We made a few stops and picked up more passengers and then we eventually made it to the depot where we would get off and start our day in the feeding center. We were greeted by Tinga, friend and translator for us. He welcomed us all and we headed to the village road. Children across the way realized we were there and started calling “Azungu” and I already knew we were wanted. They followed us and it felt as though we were celebrities. The children and adults respected us and were curious to why we were there.

Along the way we came across a young boy lying in the field barely moving. The children, Tinga, and the rest of the team approached him to make sure he was okay. As soon as we saw him we knew that he was really sick. He told us he came back from the journey to the hospital. He was so worn down and struggled to make it home. I asked him if he would like us to pray with him. He agreed and I started to pray for wholeness, for strength, and for complete healing. No boy should have to endure such pain. To think he went to the hospital by himself made my heart ache for him. We walked with him and he set off seemingly stronger and able to make the journey home. I still believe God will restore the boy to full health. That is afterall the desire of the good Lord we serve.

We made it to the feeding center just in time to start the program. They we are sitting nicely waiting to find out who we were and what we were there to do. We greeted the widows as they smiled and welcomed us and greeted the hardworking cooks at the back and sat down. We were introduced and then we participated in some songs and dances with the children leading us. It was a lot of fun! They sure know how to dance :) Afterwards, Sarah taught the children a lesson about sin and it looked like the children loved it. The next part of the program is handing out the food. This is where we saw the great need for the feeding center ministry. We washed and help serve meals of rice and veg to over 300 children. Some of them looked like they hadn't eaten for a while. Their distended stomachs and their eager bodies trying to squeeze into line for their portion spoke for them of their intense hunger.

"And do not be worried, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and your stronghold." Nehemiah 8:10.

I can't truly explain how much I wished I could just hug them all and tell them everything would be alright. I wished I could say they would never hunger again and that they would not have to be afraid that they might not eat that day. The feeding center usually has enough food to serve the 110 names on the list. However, the feeding center has grown so popular that now it has over 300 children coming daily. We managed to feed all the children as the portion sizes were smaller to account for the great need. It was tough to watch though as children waited for other children to be done eating so that the next group could have their fill. Yet, there were still smiled seen on the children as they entertained themselves and made faces at us “Azungus”.

We must pray for these children that they may come to know their Heavenly Father and His love for them. We must pray for a harvest season in which helps them all recover from last year's famine. We must pray for these children to be strengthened in their times of waiting and when they fear for their lives. This is a burden that the Lord showed me today and I cannot ignore or turn a blind eye to it. As Christians, it is our duty to help feed the poor, love the widows and take care of them. Homelessness and poverty are in every country. I challenge you to ask the Lord to show you how you can help meet the needs in your community.

I leave by saying today was bittersweet. I witnessed great joy from the children laughing and dancing. Even on empty stomaches they were praising God and willing to learn more about him. There is truth that the joy of the Lord is our strength. Truly, I have witnessed God's hand working through us and through the feeding center ministries to reach these young children and fill their stomaches and their hearts. My heart is full of love for each one of them. The Lord has given me great compassion for every child and widow here in Malawi. My prayer life will change. It must.

Embracing the Discomfort

I am just going to be blunt and say that it is not easy to embrace times of discomfort. Change is often difficult and always brings one to a place of uneasiness. It may not be a quick transition.  For instance, the other day I was walking outside (desiring for some time alone) after a day out of the compound when all of a sudden there were some locals who wanted my attention. To be honest, all I really wanted to do was keep on walking. However, I am learning quickly that it isn't always about what I want, especially if I am to be in ministry. Often times loving people like Jesus requires us to actually be around people especially when we don't want to be. This means that we must greet them, eat with them, talk with them, mourn/hurt with them etc. It means that often times it can feel like an inconvenience.

Despite the fact that I have learned some local greetings, I hadn't learned much of anything to say to these people in Chichewa. I smiled and said "Muli bwanji" (how are you), in which they replied "Dili bwino kaya inu" ( I am fine and you?). I replied, "Dili bwino" and bowed in respect. It is something so simple and yet it made the woman smile and she hugged me and said thank you. It was a precious moment that stemmed from a seemingly uncomfortable place. The next time I greeted a local in the feeding center I messed it all up and he hugged me and said Azungu "White person/wanderer"  and laughed... I was a little more embarassed... but I am starting to see that making an effort is better than not trying even if I do not get it right...

Little did I know, God would start to bring me through more uncomfortable places this past week. He would challenge me to embrace the discomfort. I have walked in the hot sun to get to the soon to be crowded mini bus so I can get to the ministry just to wait for the mini bus to fill up for over an hour... I have to get used to possible sporadic rain showers. I am adapting to different environments (market vs. church) and I am trying to get used to having limited personal space. I have embarassed myself countless times as I try to greet the local people and share with them. I have walked in mud, and work my Chitenge (traditional local skirt) wrong, and have had people laugh at me thinking I was so cute for trying to not butcher their language.

The lesson I have taken from this past week: God wants us all to embrace the uncomfortable places. He will not always make things easy. Sometimes we will have to have faith, endure, and rely on Him to get us through. Now I am sure that I will go through many more adjustments including culture shock, and will experience more discomfort (using the local toilet) hahaha... but I know that God is really more concerned with my attitude through the discomfort. So, I will hold my tongue and smile through and keep pressing onward.

Please pray that I connect with the local people and that the joy and love of the Lord is shared with the people despite the language barrier.

Reminded of 1 Corinthians 13... Love is difficult to truly live out in our lives and to give but it is essentially what makes everything else good that we do such as ministry truly matter. Without the love of Christ we will not make a difference. So loving in the uncomfortable places truly does reveal the heart of a person. I am striving to be more loving and more humble.

I challenge you to join me in challenging oneself to love someone this week in a practical way (despite any inconveniences or discomfort that may arise)

More to come..Talk soon.

Chantal