Rainbow kids at the Lake

Last week our family was blessed to travel with Rainbow and a few of the Rainbow kids to Lake Malawi for the day.  Most (if not all) of these children had never been to the lake.  The awe and delight in their eyes as they played in the waves and rolled in the sand was indescribable!  What a wonderful and blessed day we all had.  Thank you, Lord for allowing us this ministry to pour our hearts into.  

Views from Rainbow

Our family has fallen in love with Rainbow Children's Development Center, an orphanage on the other side of Lilongwe where 50 beautiful children live.  Here are some random pictures that I took from around the orphanage.  I'll post more soon.

There is a huge garden with another one being planned for the near future.  They grow their own veggies including maize and beans.

It's harvesting time for the maize

Inside the girls dorm....here are the girls lockers/closets

One of the three rooms housing the girls.  There are 8 girls per room. 

Jeremy talking with Lucas.  Lucas is a missionary at Rainbow from Louisiana.  It is so nice to visit and get to hear some good ole Southern drawl!!!  It feels like home!  Lucas has already started two churches in the local villages as well as mentor the new believers in the Word.  He's only 22!

A view of Rainbow

SM playing Duck Duck Goose with the girls

AJ and SM chatting with the girls.  CJ is on the dirt mound in the background playing with the boys!

Our house for the first year

Here are some pictures of the house that we will be renting the first year we are in Malawi. The family that lives here will be home on furlough in the States and we are blessed to help take care of their home while they are gone.

Our Purpose

I must admit...I'm a blog stalker! Ok, there, I've said it. I'm truthful and open about it though. About once a week I go to the sidebar of my blog and check in on all of the blogs that I follow. I put that sidebar over there mainly for my own use to be honest. It's easier for me to follow my favorite blogs that way. However, I do hope that many of you follow some of them as well. When the Lord called us to a third world country as missionaries I figured that I'd try to learn as much about the jobs, people, and culture as I could. Well, what better source than the actual missionaries who are there (or who have been there). So, I began stalking. I really think it's a harsh term. I mean, isn't that why a blog is there in the first place? Nonetheless, I love learning about ABC and Malawi.

I just stumbled upon a GREAT post by the Carlisles family. The Carlisles just moved to Malawi this past August and they are serving in the ABC Academy (where I will be teaching). They just wrote a wonderful entry on what they are doing in Malawi and the purpose of us being there. I thought I'd share part of it with you:

"So, I've been wanting to let you know what we do here--both how we serve and what life is like.I remember the first time as we were referred to as "missionaries." It seemed really strange. It still is, as what we do isn't what I think of missionaries doing. We have not yet had an opportunity to visit a village or go evangelizing like my sisters talk about from their time in Uganda. (Though we're going to a refugee camp later this month). That's not even what we're primarily here to do. I guess you might say that we serve in a support role. I'll explain.Malawi was evangelized by Presbyterians long ago (the Dr. Livingstone you've heard of). So many Malawians will call themselves Christians. There are many, many "prayer houses" all over the country. But there are very, very few pastors. Most pastors here cover a number of these small churches and may have thousands of parishioners. Of course they cannot preach in 20 places each Sunday, so when a pastor is not present anyone may "say a word." As you can imagine, with the level of education, particularly theological education, here, what is said may not be AT ALL Biblical. So you end up with lots of dangerous mixtures of old superstitions and religious beliefs. (Baptisms being thought of as magical, lots of health and wealth type gospel. There was even one church--or anti-church that was telling people and Jesus was just for white people and a new type of religion was needed for Africans). This was why African Bible College was begun, to train pastors and lay people in theology and communication, so that as they go out into their country they are leading others in the right direction, whether as pastors, teachers, leaders in their churches or in businesses, or government (and ABC graduates are everywhere here and being a positive leaven wherever they have influence--I know, I teach with one). So, then those who were teaching and running the college needed to have somewhere to send their children to school. Local schools were not a terrific option. Home schooling was going on, but there were getting to be a lot of children and so a school was begun. At first it was only children of ABC missionaries, but soon there was a desire that it be serving Malawi as well. So, now each class is kept at 50% Malawian and 50% Non-Malawian. Now, this is where we come in. This is where in begins to make sense for us--Brian and Scharlie--to be here. Brian's been working in schools for over 10 years and has had a lot of different experiences that help him with this one. I like teaching and being a part of a school community. Education, and yes, Christian education is something that's been important to us for a long time. We're really encouraged about how self-consciously Christian this school is. It knows it is Christian and evangelical. There are (of course) nominal Christians mixed with true ones, and there are also a few atheists, Muslims, and Hindus sprinkled in. We respect that their beliefs are different, but students are not excused from Bible classes, or chapel, or Scripture memory. So, in that sense, we are evangelizing, just not in the same way. I love being so free in the way I'm able to pray and speak about the Bible. Brian's Bible class had a pretty good discussion recently on the problem of suffering. I'm thankful He's their teacher. He made those older kids think. This brings me full circle, I guess--We don't always understand why we have difficult things to go through. We don't always know why God calls us to certain places at certain times or away from others at times, but we can know that He is good and that if we are in Him, he has our best in mind at all times. We are glad to be here. There are hard things (though, not really in the areas you might imagine or we expected). But, just pray for us. We will learn what we are supposed to from those things, I trust (sometimes)."

I am thankful that the Lord has called us and that He is providing the means for us to follow Him to Malawi, Africa. I pray that we will be able to glorify Him in all that we do. God bless!

Jill

Missions is Optional? Missions is a calling for some?

As Jeremy and I were feeling the Lord's call in our lives this past Spring we were looking into different missions opportunities. One of the groups was through the North American Mission Board involving families and short term trips that they can do together. I still get the emails from this organization occasionally and this is the one that I received today:

It is with great sorrow that I write to notify you that the North American Mission Board has decided to eliminate the ministry of Families on Mission. This decision has come as a result of dramatic changes that have been and will be made for the future of NAMB. As of November 8, all programming will cease immediately.
The work we have been able to do in the last two years has been significant. ...

This is sad to me. It's sad that missions organizations are cutting back their missions opportunities. It's sad that there is no support for missions from our fellow Christians.

In his book, Radical, David Platt says that "the purpose of the church is to mobilize a people to accomplish a mission." We are here to serve a purpose and all that we do should be directed towards that purpose. The church, the Lord's people, all are called to this purpose. The Bible doesn't say that "some" are called. Matthew 28:19 is not a call to just the disciples. It is a call to all who know and proclaim the Word of the Lord. "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." David Platt goes on to say, "but where in the Bible is missions ever identified as an optional program in the church? We have seen that we were all created by God, saved from our sins, and blessed by God to make his glory known in all the world. Indeed, Jesus himself has not merely called us to go to all nations; he has created us and commanded us to go to all nations. We have taken this command, though, and reduced it to a calling- something that only a few people receive."

Where in scripture do you find that anything is more important than proclaiming His name throughout the world? Leading others to saving grace through Christ Jesus is our main work while we are on this earth. Luke 12:34 says, "for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also". Where is your heart? Where are your treasures? And compare them to the treasures you are storing up in heaven. What's your priority?? Are our priorities tied up in birthday parties, going out to eat, and relaxing at home with our pj's on? Is this what it's all about?? What missions opportunities have we missed recently because we chose the world and it's comforts??

David Platt ends his book with these words, "...the key is realizing-and believing- that this world is not your home. If you and I ever hope to free our lives from worldly desires, worldly thinking, worldly pleasures, worldly dreams, worldly ideals, worldly values, worldly ambitions, and worldly acclaim, then we must focus our lives on another world. Though you and I lived in the United States of America now, we must fix our attention on 'a better country-a heavenly one.' Though you and I find ourselves surrounded by the lure of temporary pleasure, we must fasten our affections on the one who promises eternal treasure that will never spoil or fade. If your life or my life is going to count on earth, we must start by concentrating on heaven. For then, and only then, will you and I be free to take radical risk, knowing that what awaits us is radical reward."