Joyfully, we go.

 

Joyfully, we go.
by Julie Arman

The morning sunlight sends its glowing streak through our mosquito net, I can hear the loud birds outside our window. The fan is on and half on us. Still half conscious I feel like this must be another dream: I mean for over 10 year this was our morning wake up call at around 6am. This is my first morning back in Malawi after 2 years. We are both exhausted after 2 days of travel, there is no hot water coming from the shower and a smoke smell is coming from outside our window, welcome back to the warm heart of Africa! This doesn’t sound too appealing to some but this is part of the TIA (This Is Africa) moments! I was so so grateful and elated to be back that none of these even fazed me.

When we left and transitioned back to our home base I never imagined I would come back. It was a struggle to adapt to this chaotic American life. I felt like I had lost my joy. I, most of all, missed our life in Africa. I’m not sure I would have said that 15 years ago when we first left -but that’s a story for another day.
I miss the simplicity of this life and the slowness of it all. I miss going outside in our backyard. I miss the trees and the Southern African birds (yes even the annoying crows on our roof!)
I miss the colorful Chitenje Cloth and the unpaved crazy roads and potholes, it is almost the end of the rainy season after all.
Looking out the car window, the chaos is back, full of  passing over packed minibuses on our left trying to avoid bikes and pedestrians. Driving here isn’t for the faint of heart and it’s always an adventure. I didn’t get to drive this time around, not sure I could drive on the left side of the road ever again! And I always thought coming back to Malawi was easier to drive than on the right side in the states! Ha!
We are meeting our group of people at the post office for evangelism. My husband is preparing the sketch board and a group of people is forming around under the beating hot sun! Phew we are back in Malawi!

We were able to bring a young Bible College student with us. Kyle heard missionary stories about Malawi from last BC semester where my husband taught and he told him he wanted to come visit. He was able to come and experience the colorful spicy foods of Malawi! TIA!

 

P Matt and Lisa Sliva were able to travel with us as well as Pr Renaldo Brown which were all such a blessing to all of us.
Then came our annual conference, Malawicon and graduation. So a busy week overall of preparations, outreach, lake visit and conference sessions during our last weekend there. 

 

The day after the conference we travelled to Namibia with the Slivas and Pr Obrien and Tlhoki Britz who had travelled many days to Malawi to be with us. They were able to fly back which took only one day as opposed to a week of travel! This couple is our hero of the faith! We got to meet names and faces we had heard so much about! One of them is a lady named Janet. Her husband traveled by bus with the Britz to our conference! Our first Namibian at Malawicon. These new believers came from one woman who met the second summer harvest team that visited Namibia. Back in 2022, a summer harvest team led by Pr Renaldo Brown was doing outreach. Jesse and Kaylee Feyers witnessed to a woman who had been having a hard time in her job and family. The Holy Spirit led them to Patience who was ready to begin walking with the Lord. She came to the first Bible study, and any time anyone would visit, she would be there to meet them. This was until Pr Obrien and Thloki moved permanently to Namibia. Patience brought her friend Janet and everyone in her extended family. The majority of the 20 person church is from these two friends.

Jeremiah 17:7-8  “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”