You know you're in Malawi when...

You know you're in Malawi...

When the best rental car's brakes grind against the rotor

When you cram ten people in a Pajero

When kids run all the way up the street yelling Azungu and wave! 

When you've tried every variation of PB&J possible

When random fires on the side of the road don't bother you anymore

When you can't fill up on gas because the power is out 

When all the women here can out-lift the guys on our team 

When a baboon steals your hamburger... Twice 

When you're excited that your car starts 3 days in a row

When the produce stand comes to you  

When dust is an additional food group

When your "milk" has a shelf life of four months

When a fresh loaf of bread costs less than 50 cents 

When a live chicken is in the offering basket 

When you really do wonder why the chicken crossed the road 

When you say a prayer of safety every time you drive over a bridge 

When you signal the blinkers and the windshield wipers turn on

When you cram 30 kids in the bed of a pick up truck, and it's legal 

When you experience pure happiness and joy every time you drive through the gates of the Passion Center 

July 29, 2013

     Had such an amazing time at the Reform School this afternoon! Every visit is always filled with joy!  The day started off great with two of our Passion collage kids, Prophet and Musa stepping up to MC the entire day! They spoke with such energy and worked great together! It was sweet to see the growth of these boys over just one year!

     Today Austin, who is the head of the Community Health Network, shared about HIV and AIDS. He talked about the spread of the disease and multiple ways to prevent it. He shared stories of tradition village initiation ceremonies where the activities increase the spread of HIV significantly. Please be praying for the villages and children involved in these ceremonies. 

     After Austin shared, we passed out coloring sheets to all the boys. We will be leaving these letters with the Passion Center to later be delivered to children in the hospital to provide encouragement and prayer. 

   I can't express how enjoyable it is spending time with the boys here at the school. We will be back soon this week to continue with the fun! 

July 28, 2013

The three week team will be leaving Malawi today, and it is definitely a sad goodbye.. We have become so close as a team, with everyone bringing special and unique characteristics that helped to form this special bond between us. Us left behind will miss them very much.. Please pray for safe travels for the team. I'm sure you will all see them very soon and hear many wonderful stories! 

"It's sad to leave the Passion Center today. Driving down the now familiar dusty roads for the last time made me think of our first days here. I was unsure of what to expect. . . Everything was new and unknown. Now after just a few short weeks, Zomba feels like home. The villagers were always welcoming to us, the children would run from their homes and wave to us as we azungus drove by, and we were always greeted with a warm smile and "muli bwanji".  I will miss that terribly. Even more I will miss the Passion Center kids who were content with nothing more than for us to hold their hands. They are such special kids. And then there is the Passion staff who all are so committed to the kids, the community and God's kingdom. They fully live their faith without hesitation. They are selfless in their commitment to the children and I feel blessed to know them and have them as a part of my life. I will miss them all!" -Kathy

"Wow. What an amazing time in Malawi. I am extremely sad to leave. God's hand is absolutely at work here. With a heavy heart, I leave but I know these kids are in good hands. The staff are unbelievable God fearing people. The thing that I believe I have learned the most is how amazing The Lord is. His provision is amazing and he cares for his children. So many testimonies of God simply providing for every need because this is where His heart can be found. The tears I have poured out fade and I realize this is not a forgotten place. God will always care for his children." -Marc

"What a wonderful experience! 

It was a blessing to see how the staff had a heart for God and to know that his little angels are in good hands." -Desmond

July 24, 2013

Every single morning I thank God for being able to wake up in the most beautiful place here in Zomba! The mountains, city, and skies are a sight in itself.. Buts it's the children and the people here that really shine bright. This week has been a little slower pace, but has given us all the time to just enjoy being with the Passion kids. 

On Tuesday we held a large scavenger hunt where the kids had to come up with creative items that symbolized words like forgiveness, love, and peace. I was amazed by some of the kids findings. A lot related the words back to scripture they had memorized!  

Wednesday we visited the Reform School which is guaranteed to lift your spirits. The Reform School is some-what of a juvenile delinquent center for young boys. However, the crimes vary from serious acts to back talking a parent. There are about 70 boys that live in this facility where they are not allowed to leave. Through just words, it may sound like a depressing atmosphere, yet it is quite the opposite. The boys are filled with smiles, laughter, and joy. They are some of the most well behaved kids I have seen, always acting with respect. A lot of this credit goes to their headmaster, who is a woman of strength and kindness. 

     During out visit, Desmond shared his testimony which was so powerful for these boys to hear. It was about how Desmond had died to his old self and found his new identity in Christ. The boys were all engaged and soaking in his words. However, about half way through one boy actually pulled out his headphones to listen to his music, but it was sweet to see his friend next to him yank out the headphones and point him in the direction to listen. 

     After Desmond shared, we split the boys into groups and had rotations on various subjects. Lynsie taught French, Kelly demonstrated a few chemistry experiments, and Daniel explained the natural food chain. I was so impressed by the questions and interest all the boys had! They were even saying "Bonjour" and "Je m'appelle" throughout the day! 

     After all of the rotations we played a game of capture the flag. We only had time to stay for one game, but the moment we told them we would leave the "flags" (aka oven mitts) for them to continue playing, there was an uproar of excitement! 

Every single time we visit those boys, I leave with a feeling of peace. God says that He will never leave or abandon us even in times of trials. During those times we can rely on Him for our strength. I can only imagine the trials these boys have been through... Yet they are thriving here at this school. I know that God is there with them and will never forsake them. Please continue to keep these deserving boys in your prayers.  

July 16 - Blantyre Trip

Early this morning we made our way down the Plateau to meet up with the Passion children,  some in secondary school and some in college. Lynsie,  Daniel, and Alicia joined the bus with the kids, also dubbed the peptobismol bus for its pink coloring.  We made our way to Blantyre for an educational and inspirational field trip.

Our first stop was at the Malawian cultural museum. It was amazing to see how the kids clung to every word the tour guide said.  We then drove to a park where we ate lunch and received a spirit filled message from Desmond and Alicia.  It was powerful to see how the spirit moved through both of them as their messages complimented each other, both speaking on spiritual importance of friendship. We then drove around Blantyre to various colleges and business centers,  inspiring them to dream big for the endless opportunities available to them.  While enjoying conversation in the car we made our way to shop rite for ice cream.  Alicia and I enjoyed a powerful moment as our new friends Precious and Peter eyes widened as the creamy ice cream reached their tongue... "it's so delicious" they exclaimed.

As the day was coming to a close,  it was time to board the peptobismol bus once more for the two hour ride back to Zomba.  These two hours were filled with singing,  screaming,  laughing, and crowding from all sides.  All in all a successful day,  another blessed day in the beautiful Malawi.
- Lynsie

July 16

Today was the final training day for the teachers. The lesson was all about the anatomy of the human body and various ways to teach and explain it. We started with singing "head, shoulders, knees, and toes" which they all loved! We then showed them all the materials we brought like stethoscopes, skeleton models, flash cards, and puzzles. It was the best and most energetic day of training! Everyone was engaged and enthusiastic! We were also able to make many connections and contacts to move forward with the ministry in years to come. We will be bringing back a list of suggested donation items if you feel called to help in this deserving ministry, as their needs are so great.. Every step we take in helping the teachers, carries over to helping the children. 

Later in the day we also distributed blankets to each of the Passions kids and their families. These are the children that live with either one parent or a guardian in local villages.  A portion of the money fundraised went towards these blankets, so I also wanted to extend an extra thank you to everyone who has supported this team. Each child received two thick blankets that will help keep them warm at night.

July 11

We met down at the Passion Center and split up into two groups for the morning session. The village bible study I heard went well as two different cultures came together to worship one God. The Community Health Network session was enlightening. The Malawian people of the CHN came together to update Dr. Tracy about how the community's health was over the past year. It was mostly good news and most are in good health, but there were a few people who had some serious health setbacks. They started the session with a couple songs of praise and it was amazing to hear their beautiful voices sing out to our heavenly Father. After the update, we gave them supplies and shared conversations over bottles of Fanta. It was awesome to communicate with them and learn some Chichewa. 
     Once the session was finished, the few of us who went with Tracy to the meeting played a small game of pick up basketball with some of the Passion kids until we left for the afternoon session. It was so cool to connect with them through sport and have a good time. We spent our afternoon at a Child Headed Household and put on a mini VBS for their community. We shared the story of salvation by making bracelets with them, each color of the beads representing part of the story. We provided paper and crayons to color, painted fingernails, and played with balloon animals. Uncle Titi shared the story of one household of CHH kids (James, Moses, and Patrick) and how he provides food for them so they can go to school. It was very touching and heartbreaking to see their living conditions, but inspiring and exciting to see their joy from the mini VBS.

July 12

Today I helped with our first ever teacher training seminar. We met right after the graduation ceremony in one of the classrooms of the Mulunguzi Primary School. Forty-three teachers sat patiently as we explained all the uses for the math materials we brought, as well as a lesson on pulleys. It was hard to tell if anything was making sense until we broke into groups and let the teachers explore the materials on their own. That was when the conversations and questions started happening.
 
Later we were able to answer questions, some of which just seemed like personal health questions. Then I got to teach a lesson on phonics and beginning words. Tammy taught more advanced English lessons like making sentences and writing essays. Kathy made a solar oven out of some boxes and we cooked s'mores. It was their first time seeing marshmallow, so we may have started a new trend. We ended our time today with a round of the song, "I like to eat apples and bananas, " which they seemed to really enjoy.
 
It was interesting to hear the challenges the teachers face with classes of sixty to one-hundred children. With no computers and very little training available to them, I hope what we brought will inspire them to figure out new ways to teach all the students in their care. 
-Michelle

July 13

Today was absolutely incredible and beautiful.  We had the chance to bless and play with the Passion kids at the Passion Olympics. It's a day where we prepare six different events that the kids compete in, resulting in one champion in each event. We played games like, a foot race, crab walk, and bean bag toss. As the day went on, more and more kids poured in. Towards the end, there was probably about 250 kids participating! 

Not only were we able to spend time with the Passion kids, but also the Child Headed Households. This was a day where they could let go of all their responsibilities and have a chance to actually be a kid, when they never had a chance of a childhood. 

My favorite part of the day was walking around the field hand in hand with Blessings and Maliko. "Ten thousand reasons" started to play in the background over the PA system. 

"Bless The Lord oh my soul, oh my soul. Worship His holy name. Sing like never before, oh my soul. Worship His holy name"

As I walked I saw Gods beauty in the blue skies, rolling hills, but mostly in the laughter and smiles of the kids. There was a certain joy that was radiating from the field. Our team was filled with energy while the staff had a chance to relax and play games as well. I can not explain the feeling of pure joy as we walked worshiping the name of our Lord.

-Becky

July 10

Wednesday we hit the ground running. When you're on a short term missions trip every day counts. That's one of the first lessons you learn. In the morning, the team took a tour of the Passion Center and got to meet a lot of the staff. Everyone is so kind and welcoming. Especially the kids. As we were touring the Mulunguzi Primary School (which is next to the Passion Center multipurpose room) the kids would just flock around us, hold our hands, and want us to take their picture. The next lesson we learned was that taking out a camera means the kids will swarm toward you. Simple things in more developed countries, like getting your picture taken, are a special treat for them. And it's required that you show their picture to them afterward. They love seeing their picture.

One of the things you learn while you're in Malawi is that things run on a simple schedule: the morning and the afternoon. Everything starts when the sun comes up and stops when the sun goes down. It's weird to look back on the first day and realize how much we did, but how slow things went. It's really nice to be able to take your time at each activity, especially the widows visit.

During the second half of the day we took two teams to two different groups of widows and got to share some testimonies and short bible lessons. It was a beautiful moment to see the cultural divide bridged as a few of our team shared their personal stories. The first thing you notice about the windows is their eyes. You look in their eyes and can see the depth of their experience, pain, and strength. It was a blessing to also bring some care packages of nutritional food and some cooking materials. The Passion Center team was extremely thoughtful in putting those bags together to make sure the widows got the materials they need to survive. We got to pray over individual widows and hear a bit of their stories. Just to be there with the Community Health Network (a group of people from Malawi who travel around the different villages to gauge and assist in the health of the community) visiting with the widows was a powerful experience. It will be great to continue to see the ways the Passion Center is being used by God to bless the children within their walls and the rest of the community.
-Nathan

July 9

After 36 hours of travel.. We are all here, safe and sounds in Zomba! We were very lucky in that we made all of our very tight connections! We also made it with only one bag left behind, hopefully it will turn up within a couple days! 

From the moment we left the airport, we were overwhelmed with the beauty of Malawi. Some first thoughts from the team were... 

"The beauty is amazing! The colors, hills and puffy clouds! It's a beautiful country! But the amount of poverty was hard to take in.. There is a huge contrast between the classes.." -Kathy 

"I got a really good concept if how the villages are from flying over them. They are grouped together in such tight communities" -Tammy

"I had a rough awakening when we landed in Blantyre as the pilot missed the landing & landed on the bumpy dirty road. We tilted back & forth feeling like we were going to tip over; and by the Grace of God landed safely!

I saw a girl whom I greeted before getting on the pink bus & I told her she was beautiful. I sat by the window & she was still standing outside looking at us with droopy eyes. Our team doctor handed her a bag of raisins, it was then I realized she was a 'silent beggar' She turned around & she had two holes in the butt of her shorts. She walked barefoot to the side of the road where she met her young siblings. My heart went out to them. It was crazy to drive through the township of Blantyre & see all the little villages on the side with women tilling the crops, carrying water basins on their heads with babies on their backs, & washing clothes against the rocks in the streams. Children were walking along the streets sometimes alone, no shoes mostly, & playing in their villages. There were lots if stands with crops, coal, & pots the Africans were selling...

Seeing the women & children in the villages touched my heart. 

I was Awestruck by Gods beauty as we drove up the mountain to where we graciously get to stay in Cottages in the midst of the forest. It's captivating to see the lushness of Gods creation! I'm so thankful to be here now" -Lisa

"Upon arriving in Malawi for my 16 month stay, the first time I touched soil I got this computing feeling of 'this is home.' Not because I do not enjoy what I left behind, but because I knew God was here. The smiles, the warm hearted people and the welcome that I received- I now know why they call Malawi the warm heart of Africa." - Daniel

"Praise, honor, and glory to God for traveling mercies and good health; we asked God and surely He provided!  I am honestly astounded by the beauty of this country and the generous hearts of the Malawian people." - Lynsie

"First nite devotions and prayers were felt. Amazing spirit among us       Feels great." -Annita

I just want to thank everyone for all of your prayers of travel mercies!

July 7, 2013

Today is the day! We leave for Malawi in just a few hours! I can not begin to explain how excited I am! Well, maybe except for the two days of travel that is ahead of us... But we're all prepared with our neck pillows, books, and Tylenol PM! 

This morning we had a wonderful church service joined together by our family and friends in prayer and worship. I want to thank everyone for all the support and love you have given us all! 

The verse we have been focusing on these last few months is Psalm 68: 1-11, 
"May God arise, may his enemies be scattered;

    may his foes flee before him.
² May you blow them away like smoke—
    as wax melts before the fire,
    may the wicked perish before God.
³ But may the righteous be glad
    and rejoice before God;
    may they be happy and joyful.

⁴ Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,
    extol him who rides on the clouds;
    rejoice before him—his name is the Lord.
⁵ A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
    is God in his holy dwelling.
⁶ God sets the lonely in families,
    he leads out the prisoners with singing;
    but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

⁷ When you, God, went out before your people,
    when you marched through the wilderness,
⁸ the earth shook, the heavens poured down rain,
    before God, the One of Sinai,
    before God, the God of Israel.
⁹ You gave abundant showers, O God;
    you refreshed your weary inheritance.
¹⁰ Your people settled in it,
    and from your bounty, God, you provided for the poor.

¹¹ The Lord announces the word,
    and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng:

It starts by painting a picture of God's people rejoicing before Him. Then His people are called to sing songs of worship and praise.  God is explained as the father to the fatherless and a defender of the widows. These are all examples of reasons to praise God.  He is mighty and merciful. Then in verse 7, it explains how God went before His people, the earth shook and heaven poured down.  

I know that God has gone before us on this journey.  He is there working through the Passion Center and people of Malawi.  I know that He is with us now, and will continue to be in every single step of the way.  He is taking care of the orphans and widows at this very moment. And very soon we will have the chance to sing songs of praise and worship together!