Here is a video (used with permission) that was shot at Church of Central Africa Presbyterian that we visited on a Sunday morning for worship. It was an incredible experience and I have two other stories to post next about that morning. But first, here is a short video of the women singing. I cannot explain to you the absolute joy in their faces and voices as they sang. It was one of the most beautiful spectacles I have ever seen and one of the most profound experiences that I will NEVER forget. I had chill bumps the entire time they sang.
video © copyright Dr. Dick Butler 2009. Used with permission
Labels:
CCAP church,
Malawi 2008,
music
Labels:
art
Here's a couple of funny shots... as most people know, those pesky insects by the name of 'mosquito' carry malaria, a disease that makes people very sick, and can ultimately lead to death if not treated. The mosquitos of Malawi do carry malaria. Luckily, we travelled there in their wintertime, when mosquitos are on the low side, BUT, we still saw plenty of them. We did have to sleep under mosquito nets and we made sure to put on repellant with DEET if we went out at dusk or after dark. Here is one shot of the bed Ryan and I used, and one of Ryan with his 'hat-net', which was more of a joke than anything. We all got a good laugh out of him!
Labels:
Malawi 2008
I wanted to share these two videos shot by Dr. Butler (he has given me permission to post these!) while we were working at the feeding center of Chimwangombe. One video is the secondary kids singing to us, the second is the younger kids singing. Their singing is absolutely incredible- it filled the center and was so harmonious. They must sing with wider tonal ranges than we do here.. it is hard to describe... but there is something so lovely about the way they sing. The videos do justice, but I tell you, being there experiencing it first hand was the most amazing blessing. Still gives me chills listening to it even now!
both videos © Dr. Dick Butler 2009
Labels:
Chimwangombe,
Malawi 2008,
music
I figured I should post an image of the Malawi team... here we are! I've been mentioning everyone's name in past posts... now you can put a face to a name! A passerby took this for us in the Johannasburg airport.
copyright Dr. Dick Butler 2009
from left to right: Ryan, Brooke, Mary Beth, Beth, Andy, Susan, Jenny, Emily, Dr. Butler
•Mary Margaret and Greg are not in this picture- they were already in Malawi, but they were definitely a HUGE part of this mission. They will be in my next post.
Labels:
Malawi 2008
This is a story of joy, of heartbreak, of tears and praise. It is also a testament of incredible faith. Ryan's second cousin April and her husband Ben had a baby girl, their first child, on April 29, just two days after our Luken was born. Their baby's name is Sayla Marinly and she was born with a brain tumor. By the size of the tumor, the doctors did not expect Sayla to make it through birth. She did make it through birth! and by God's grace, all the tumor was removed, but she has been having some complications. She most recently started having seizures again, almost 60 a day, but with steroid medication, they have dwindled down to less than 5 a day, as of now.
Sayla needs prayer. April and Ben, and all their surrounding family need prayer. Please pray for them.
You can read their story on the Caring Bridge website. Their posts go back to just before Sayla was born; I encourage you to read everything... their reliance and faith in God is incredible!
I was perusing a Family Circle magazine and came to a teeny tiny article (it was only one paragraph long; I almost looked over it!!) about a website called joinmyvillage.com. What caught my attention was that I saw 'Malawi' in it. Turns out, CARE and General Mills have collaborated on creating this awesome program in an effort to fight global poverty. General Mills plans to give up to $500,000 to nearly 75 villages in Malawi. Best of all, ALL funds go toward educating and training local girls and women.
There are several ways you can help: you can donate your own money, and GM will match it dollar for dollar, or you can take a 3-question quiz about Malawi- and $3 will automatically go towards your team, or you can simply tell a friend about the site. I registered to the site to be a part of Team Tembwe, I took the quiz and I got all 3 of my questions right. woo hoo! I must know a little something about Malawi! It only takes a few minutes to register, and then another few to take the quiz. You can take the quiz daily, and raise up to $3 a day. That $3 a day will add up quickly. Every little bit will help!
So sign up, take a quiz every day, tell friends about it, and/or donate your own money! Click HERE to see the website home page and browse at your liking or click on the Tembwe Team link below to help out my team!
Tembwe
Team
Posted using
ShareThis
Ryan and I were watching TV one night (I'm pretty sure it was E entertainment-- a show we NEVER watch!!?? We are NOT into Hollywood gossip at all, but God wanted us to see it that evening!!) Anyway, a highlighted topic to come was about a photographer who went to Sierra Leone with a medical mission group, Lighthouse Medical Missions. Of course we were glued to this segment. I was excited that this apparently famous photographer went to a third world country and is now using his talents and gifts to help raise money for this mission group to continue their efforts. All proceeds from this book are going to Lighthouse Medical Missions! How awesome! The photographer's name is Mark Steines and you can request a book HERE. The last email notification I received said the book will be ready for purchase in October. To see Lighthouse Medical Missions website, click HERE.
This has given me inspiration to work on a book of my images from Malawi. The proceeds could go toward Ministry of Hope and seminary for my hubby! Ideas, ideas.......
Kwamba. This was the last feeding center we worked at on our mission trip. It supported the most kids- hands down, and definitely had the most need.We arrived sometime mid-morning, and for the time we were there, kids just kept coming. The entire center became filled with curious wide-eyed children, as well as adults who wanted in on what was going on. From looking at the images below, you can see that they sit very close to one another, shoulder to shoulder and knee to knee, barely room to move. It is unbelievable how many people (combined kids and adults) heard the good news that day! Praise God for getting us there to share the good news... and praise Him for bringing in listening ears. I can only pray that those listening ears HEARD. "He who has ears, let him hear." Matthew 13:43b
Just like the other centers we worked at, we did a medical mission- Dr. Butler saw the kids and Jenny saw the older people. Mary Beth was able to work with Dr. Butler, and Emily and one of our translators, Dyton, wrote workups of their current symptoms before they were seen, which made it easier and faster to get people in and out. The more people that could be seen, the better. There were so many physically hurting people. We presented a hygiene clinic and passed out soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes. Susan read scripture and prayed with the secondary age kids, and Jenny presented the VBS story. We also did the crafts that went along with the stories. It is truly amazing at how God provided all the craft supplies for this center. We were so worried that we wouldn't have enough of anything... medicine, craft supplies, soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes... with this being the last center, a chunk of everything had been used and/or given out already, and now we were presented with an ENORMOUS amount of people that we wanted to provide for. God provided for them; every child there went home with a tube of toothpaste, a toothbrush, and a bar of soap. And they were able to make kites that went along with one of the bible stories!!
Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see:
All I have needed thy hand hath provided
Great is thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.
To see God working is a beautiful thing! To see His hand in everything He set us out to do in this beautiful land, spreading His word and the truth of Jesus Christ to these beautiful people was glorious. And the glory be to Him! It took this mission trip for Him to show me how He works... in everything and through everything. I get so used to our routine here at home that I forget to look and see Him working, even in the smallest of things. He showed me on this trip that everything is in His time, that He alone provides, that He cares and loves us, everyone of us. His children. When Ryan and I arrived back home, we prayed together that the Lord would continue to use us for His glory. We have seen Him working in our lives and opening sooo many doors for us. It's exciting and terrifying at the same time. We will go wherever He takes us; we pray that we will obey. So, here we go, down the path God has prepared in advance for us. Where will He take us next?? And what will He have us do?? I can't wait to find out!
Labels:
Malawi 2008,
Ministry of Hope
Posts
