Hello from Malawi-the warm heart of Africa

We arrived safelyHello from Malawi – the Warm Heart of Africa!

Sorry for the long delay in updates…power outages are very common and lack of internet is also common~ But things are great and everyone is healthy!
We arrived safely in Malawi in Monday morning, and I am so happy to be back! I just felt so much peace and less stress , when we got to Malawi. Tanzania, specifically Dar Es Salaam, has a more high paced, stressful atmosphere, which I don’t really enjoy all that much! There are many more people there as well, so I was thankful to come here where the atmosphere is way more laid back and definitely not as crowded! And the weather – I’m so thankful to not be sweating buckets everyday now! Dar Es Salaam was scorching hot, but here in Malawi, the weather is beautiful! I am sporting some lobster-esque skin at the moment as a result of loving the sun!

It was been absolutely wonderful to see people from last year. After meeting them last year, I wondered if I would ever see them again. So to have the opportunity to once again be here and see them, and serve alongside them, is amazing and something that I am so grateful for! The look of surprise and happiness on their face when they see me, makes me realize why I am here. Many of them have said to me “I thought that I would never see you again, but it makes me glad that you have come back.’ That alone, solidifies why I am back – for the students. It’s to serve them and encourage them. To see people like Gerald and vitu, and Danny, gills, Ginford, Patrick, William – everyone, it’s amazing! Yesterday I got to spend time with my friend Aisha, which was amazing. She is the Muslim friend that I met last year and spend a lot of time with. It was great to see her again and I am excited to spend more time with her over the next two weeks!
Everyone misses the team from last year a lot! They have been asking about all of you and where you are, and why you aren’t back in Malawi this summer! So know that you are missed and thought of often by the Malawi students that you spend time with last summer.
Tim – I had to reveal to the team the secret of the amazing banana muffins and they are all in love with them now too! I have sent your greetings and love to everyone here, and they miss you a lot! They keep asking about you, so you are not forgotten, but often thought of and prayed for!
I also have come to see the fruits of our labour last year. I never really realized that affect that we had on the campus when we were here. But returning to Malawi has given me the opportunity to see the impact that the Canadian team made last summer. Your labour in the Lord was not in vain. The students are still talking about last summer and the Canadians that came. They are pulling out the Knowing God personally Booklets that we gave them, and asking for a new one, because their other one is falling apart from reading it. I wish that each person from the team last year could return and see the impact that they had on this campus. It made me realize why I came back. It gave me purpose and focus for this trip and encouraged me to keep going this summer, because God is using the Canadians in great ways. And I thank all my supporters from last year and this year, because it is through you that God changed lives here at Chancellor College.
The team this year is great! They are getting along wonderfully which is really great! They all have unique gifts that make this time great and really unifies them. I do miss the team from last year a lot, though. And I am trying really hard to not let memories from last year take over my mind. So often I will see something or hear something or talk to someone that triggers my mind to think of last year. Last year we had an amazing team and time – we were a family. So it is kind of strange to be back without them!
We have had a great first week so far! We had hit the campus hard, sharing our faith and God has been our strength, We have seen people come to faith, asking Jesus to be their Saviour, which is amazing! Praise the Lord!! I have been finding it a struggle this year on campus. The majority of the students on campus define themselves as Christians, but a lot of them do not have a full understanding of what it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus, they are Christians, because they attend church on Sunday’s. But another struggle has been, that there are several clubs on campus that the students are a part of. So it’s really hard to get a movement going when students are already plugged into another club. And that is not our goal to create competition between the Christian clubs or to make the students switch clubs. We just desire to see students excited about their faith, understanding their faith and being active in their faith. And I have found that is a struggle this year, so far. So please pray that God would give us direction and understanding and discernment in knowing what to do and that God would stir the hearts of the African students to not be apathetic, but to be active in living out their faith.
I have also found it really hard to find my “place” this year. As an intern, I am not a student, but not quite a staff, so sometimes I feel lost in knowing what my role is. Throughout this week, God has been teaching me that disicipiling the Canadian girls is where I need to be focusing. And that excites me, to be able to build into the Canadian girls. But that has been hard for me – because that means that I am spending less time in the hostels sharing the gospel with girls. But, by discipling the Canadian girls, I am equipping them to share their faith. So I am excited for how God is going to use me, but at the same time, still a little confused! God has definitely been using the time here in Africa so far, to really teach me a lot – about Him and about myself. It has been such a personal growth time for me so far. And Jill (project director) has really been challenging me in my faith and challenging me to take steps of faith and step up in leadership. So I am so thankful for her guidance on this trip. So please pray for that – that I would be in God’s will and listening to His voice, and that I would have wisdom in leading the Canadian girls.
My friend Melissa is here in Malawi with me, and that has been such a blessing. She has spent the last year in Dar Es Salaam on Stint, working at the University. I am so glad that she came to Malawi, because I am so excited to serve alongside her here. She is such an encouragement, And the rest of the staff team is wonderful as well – we get along great and everyone is so much fun! And for all of those peeps back home, having Laura here is wonderful as well! She is doing great and loving it here in Africa! It’s so nice to have someone here from home. I know that God is going to use her in BIG ways in Malawi!
I know that this is a long update and even as I write it, I realize that there is so much more that I wish I could tell you. There are so many stories that I want to share, but unfortunately, I don’t have the time or the internet availability to do so! But know that God is at work and doing great things here in Malawi, and is really challenging me as well, and stretching me as a leader, which I am really happy for! I am excited to grow in my leadership ability and to learn more about myself and who God created me to be. So continue to be in prayer for the team here in Malawi and the other three teams back in Tanzania. God is using 50+ students to impact and change the continent of Africa – be excited about how He is using young adults to change the world!
Although I wish I could convey everything to you, I hope this gives you a glimpse into my adventure in Africa!