Parents,
Please note that the updated flight information is as follows:
United Airlines flight 402,departs Washington 9:17am and lands at Terminal 3 at 12:15pm on Friday, April 5.
Karen
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Leg 1 of Return Journey
Hi Everyone,
The team has safely arrived in Lilongwe. The drive was long, but apparently the spectacular scenery made up for it! They are at the lodge where they will spend the night with our hosts (who traveled with them to Lilongwe) and hopefully they will all have a really good sleep before the long journey home.
Karen
The team has safely arrived in Lilongwe. The drive was long, but apparently the spectacular scenery made up for it! They are at the lodge where they will spend the night with our hosts (who traveled with them to Lilongwe) and hopefully they will all have a really good sleep before the long journey home.
Karen
Monday, April 1, 2013
Departure Day at MCM
Hi Parents,
Kevin returned home yesterday after yet another truly inspirational week in Malawi. He only had wonderful things to say about your children - their hard work, their passion, their compassion and so much more. God has done what we have asked of Him...and one of our primary desires as trip leaders was to see our TKA kids changed. I am convinced through the stories relayed to me and the blog, that God has answered that prayer! Your kids will come home exhausted, somewhat shell-shocked as they re-enter what is so familiar (and yet has been so removed from them for 12 days). They will have many stories to share, and I'm sure there will be some tears.
Please pray for the team as they wrap up today and say goodbye. It is a very hard day - more so for the students than the kids at MCM. These children are used to constant change, saying goodbye, losing friends. For our students, however, there will be the hard realization that some of the kids they have fallen in love with, will continue with their hard lives and there is no guarantee that they will meet again. There will be tears and a sense of emptiness, ... but my guess is many of your children will come home changed with a new outlook and possibly a whole new perspective on what their future looks like.
They will spend tomorrow night in Blantyre and then they will face a very long and hot journey (between 4-7 hours) traveling to Lilongwe on Wednesday, where they will spend the night before flying back to Johannesburg and on to the US on Thursday. Their scheduled arrival time at SFO is 11:20 on UA999 ON FRIDAY, APRIL 5.
See you at the airport!
Karen
Kevin returned home yesterday after yet another truly inspirational week in Malawi. He only had wonderful things to say about your children - their hard work, their passion, their compassion and so much more. God has done what we have asked of Him...and one of our primary desires as trip leaders was to see our TKA kids changed. I am convinced through the stories relayed to me and the blog, that God has answered that prayer! Your kids will come home exhausted, somewhat shell-shocked as they re-enter what is so familiar (and yet has been so removed from them for 12 days). They will have many stories to share, and I'm sure there will be some tears.
Please pray for the team as they wrap up today and say goodbye. It is a very hard day - more so for the students than the kids at MCM. These children are used to constant change, saying goodbye, losing friends. For our students, however, there will be the hard realization that some of the kids they have fallen in love with, will continue with their hard lives and there is no guarantee that they will meet again. There will be tears and a sense of emptiness, ... but my guess is many of your children will come home changed with a new outlook and possibly a whole new perspective on what their future looks like.
They will spend tomorrow night in Blantyre and then they will face a very long and hot journey (between 4-7 hours) traveling to Lilongwe on Wednesday, where they will spend the night before flying back to Johannesburg and on to the US on Thursday. Their scheduled arrival time at SFO is 11:20 on UA999 ON FRIDAY, APRIL 5.
See you at the airport!
Karen
More from the Students
CBSD letting you know that we don't have time today for picture uploading, but here are some more updates from the students!
Dear parents and other viewers,
I've been having such an amazing time here in Malawi. At the feeding center, I've fallen in love with a seven year old girl named Alepha. Mom and Dad: do you think Bubba would approve of a new little sister as a late birthday present? I'm joking of course, but if one of my bags turns out to be more than 50 pounds, be prepared to have a new member of the family. In all honesty, it's been so much fun loving on these kids here at MCM, and I don't think I can come home, sorry! I'll just live here at Annie's Lodge(our inn) for the rest of my live and play with the kids. Besides going to the center everyday, on Sundays we've gone to church and visited pediatric wards at the Queen Elizabeth General Hospital. I remember the first time we went it was so hard seeing the kids staring blankly into space instead of being bright eyed, ready to take on the world. We gave each child and their caretaker a bar of soap, a jar of vaseline, and a beanie baby. We also prayed for each of the kids and their caretakers and it was really encouraging to see how much faith these women had in Christ. I've been suffering from the worst sore throat and an unbeatable cough, so prayers for healing would be muchly appreciated. Thank you all for your encouraging comments and I hope to see you all soon. Mom, Dad, give Hershey a big squeeze for me and give Bubba a giant hug. I tried calling him on his birthday, but I guess he didn't recognize the number so I left him a voicemail and I really hope he got it.Onthe other hand, I think through this trip God has been able to reveal what He wants me to do in life, and I think He's calling me to become a teacher. Before the trip, I prayed for God to send me a very significant sign on what He wanted me to do with my life, and I think I received that sign today. I don't think I'll personally be able to leave another note on the blog, so I'll see you all when I return.
Much love,
Emily.
Hello friends and family!
Malawi is such an amazing place! It will forever be in my heart. Going to Malawi Children's Mission every day has been such a blessing. Every day I meet new kids and grow closer to others. I cuddle with preschoolers and play ball with the older kids. I have fallen in love with a little girl named Agry and a preschool boy named Davey!!! Mom and Dad...can I take them home with me??? I am really going to miss these kids, and it's going to be hard to say goodbye to the kids at MCM. I love you guys and miss you and I will tell you more about my trip when I get home :)
With Love,
Ashley (Peanut)
p.s. happy birthday Chad!
Aright soooo.. truth is.. we're not actually in Malawi. We didn't make it to Africa, our flight took us to Hawaii instead.. Soo here we are on the beach, photoshopping ourselves into pictures with little african children... what? HAHA GOT YOU! April Fools ;)
We are in Blantyre, Malawi, Africa (crazy right?!), and it is the sweetest and most amazing experience i've ever had. As you can see in our (non-photoshopped) pictures, we have fallen so in love with these beautiful creations of our God. We have gotten to meet these kids who have become our joy everyday. Just waking up with the knowledge that in acouple hours we get to cuddle and love on the kids, is the greatest joy God has blessed me with. He has shown me his heart and his burden for his people. Acouple days ago we got to visit villages, and it was probably the most extreme, intense, and most heartbreaking sight i've ever seen. The "houses" were built from tarps, sticks, bricks: pretty much anything that could possibly be used. It was a hard but good experience. God has truly layed his compassion into all of our hearts. He has broken us and is beginning to make us new and build us up with his love. The faces i see everyday going to the center, are ones i will NEVER forget. I will be reminded of them everyday, and i will continue to pray for them, just as you all are praying for us continually everyday. Thank you so much for those prayers! They have truly come through. God is blessing us so much and revealing his indescribable nature everyday. HE IS SO GOOD, always, in our happiness and in our pain. God is always good. Anyways, i got to go. But i can not wait to tell all my stories when i get back.
Family if you're reading this, i love and miss you very much :) HAPPY EASTER! and Happy April Fools ;)
Yours Truly,
Veronica Coverson<3
Alex says:
Hey Mom, Dad, friends, and family. This week has been nothing short of absolutely crazy! If you have read the other postings by people, you kind of get a feel for what it's like here. Words cannot really describe my time here. I feel like we have been here such a short amount of time, but also, I feel like we have been here a very long time. Like, my life at home stopped and transitioned over to here. The simple but amazing life style here has made me appreciate the simple things in life. I feel as though I could stay here forever; these kids have a way of stealing your heart. Within the very first day, everybody had kids that were attached to them, and we were also attached to each of the kids that we met. I cannot really describe what it feels like to have your heart stolen from you by small kids in Africa, but it is a weird feeling. My heart also was left behind in the hospital that we visited today and last Sunday; the sadness and hopelessness makes you want to cry, but we brought Jesus' love to each of the patients we visited while over there and I truly believe that they enjoyed our visit. I am SO excited to share all of the life changing experiences that I had here when I return home! I know that God has plenty in store for these last couple of days here in Africa, and I know that although I don't want to go home, God has a plan for me, and He will lead me where I need to go. I'll see you guys soon! I may not be the happiest when I come back, due to jet lag and my left behind heart, but I promise that I will share everything when I return. Love you guys, God Bless!
Anna Moreno says:
Hey, everyone! We have all been doing great, and thank you so much for keeping us in your prayers. I have to say that this has been a life-changing trip so far, and I am so excited for the last couple of days we have here. The kids at MCM are incredibly adorable and have taught me so much. Today, we visited Queen Elizabeth General Hospital, which proved to a really hard and challenging experience for me. Walking into the hospital seeing and hearing people cry and wail over a child that had just died, made my heart pound and increased my fears and anxieties about what I was walking into. I really did not want to go in, but I squeezed Joanne's hand and prayed as we walked in. God is truly good! He calmed my fears and was with me as I prayed and gave stuffed animals, soap, and vassaline to the kids. I gave a two year old girl a stuffed animal lizzard, and as soon as I gave it to her, she was off her bed, smiling and playing with her new toy. These kids have blessed me so much more than I could have blessed them. It has been hard seeing these precious kids suffer so much, but I believe God is helping me understand why, along this journey. Thank you all so much for your prayers and support!
Hello family,
Thank you all for your support of this trip, especially to the prayer warriors who continue to uphold God's work here before His throne! As always, it has been exciting to see God's work unfold, yet while in Malawi, God has evidently been challenging me more abrasively than usual--a great praise! As well as the privilege of establishing both stronger and new relationships with the kids and staff at MCM, the opportunity to go back to Queen Elizabeth Hospital and minister to the patients there (perhaps the most life-changing experience I encountered last trip) was yet again incredibly moving--to talk with them about Christ amidst some of their deep struggles. Please continue to pray for the team here as we wrap up our time in Malawi. Praise God for the growing unity of the team thus far, and pray that as God continues to draw us individually closer to Him, we would collectively model the Gospel to those we meet. Pray for the children at the center, the children in the hospital, and the people in the villages; for those who are suffering, those who have experienced the joy of salvation, and those that "need no repentance;" pray that in all of these the work of God would be shown strong, to His praise and His glory!
Daniel de Villiers
Rev. 4:11
P.S. Thank you so much Dad and Mom for the card you sent along; I've probably spent way too much time looking at the painting on the front, but I really appreciate it and love you lots! Look forward to talking to you guys this weekend.
Dear parents and other viewers,
I've been having such an amazing time here in Malawi. At the feeding center, I've fallen in love with a seven year old girl named Alepha. Mom and Dad: do you think Bubba would approve of a new little sister as a late birthday present? I'm joking of course, but if one of my bags turns out to be more than 50 pounds, be prepared to have a new member of the family. In all honesty, it's been so much fun loving on these kids here at MCM, and I don't think I can come home, sorry! I'll just live here at Annie's Lodge(our inn) for the rest of my live and play with the kids. Besides going to the center everyday, on Sundays we've gone to church and visited pediatric wards at the Queen Elizabeth General Hospital. I remember the first time we went it was so hard seeing the kids staring blankly into space instead of being bright eyed, ready to take on the world. We gave each child and their caretaker a bar of soap, a jar of vaseline, and a beanie baby. We also prayed for each of the kids and their caretakers and it was really encouraging to see how much faith these women had in Christ. I've been suffering from the worst sore throat and an unbeatable cough, so prayers for healing would be muchly appreciated. Thank you all for your encouraging comments and I hope to see you all soon. Mom, Dad, give Hershey a big squeeze for me and give Bubba a giant hug. I tried calling him on his birthday, but I guess he didn't recognize the number so I left him a voicemail and I really hope he got it.Onthe other hand, I think through this trip God has been able to reveal what He wants me to do in life, and I think He's calling me to become a teacher. Before the trip, I prayed for God to send me a very significant sign on what He wanted me to do with my life, and I think I received that sign today. I don't think I'll personally be able to leave another note on the blog, so I'll see you all when I return.
Much love,
Emily.
Hello friends and family!
Malawi is such an amazing place! It will forever be in my heart. Going to Malawi Children's Mission every day has been such a blessing. Every day I meet new kids and grow closer to others. I cuddle with preschoolers and play ball with the older kids. I have fallen in love with a little girl named Agry and a preschool boy named Davey!!! Mom and Dad...can I take them home with me??? I am really going to miss these kids, and it's going to be hard to say goodbye to the kids at MCM. I love you guys and miss you and I will tell you more about my trip when I get home :)
With Love,
Ashley (Peanut)
p.s. happy birthday Chad!
Aright soooo.. truth is.. we're not actually in Malawi. We didn't make it to Africa, our flight took us to Hawaii instead.. Soo here we are on the beach, photoshopping ourselves into pictures with little african children... what? HAHA GOT YOU! April Fools ;)
We are in Blantyre, Malawi, Africa (crazy right?!), and it is the sweetest and most amazing experience i've ever had. As you can see in our (non-photoshopped) pictures, we have fallen so in love with these beautiful creations of our God. We have gotten to meet these kids who have become our joy everyday. Just waking up with the knowledge that in acouple hours we get to cuddle and love on the kids, is the greatest joy God has blessed me with. He has shown me his heart and his burden for his people. Acouple days ago we got to visit villages, and it was probably the most extreme, intense, and most heartbreaking sight i've ever seen. The "houses" were built from tarps, sticks, bricks: pretty much anything that could possibly be used. It was a hard but good experience. God has truly layed his compassion into all of our hearts. He has broken us and is beginning to make us new and build us up with his love. The faces i see everyday going to the center, are ones i will NEVER forget. I will be reminded of them everyday, and i will continue to pray for them, just as you all are praying for us continually everyday. Thank you so much for those prayers! They have truly come through. God is blessing us so much and revealing his indescribable nature everyday. HE IS SO GOOD, always, in our happiness and in our pain. God is always good. Anyways, i got to go. But i can not wait to tell all my stories when i get back.
Family if you're reading this, i love and miss you very much :) HAPPY EASTER! and Happy April Fools ;)
Yours Truly,
Veronica Coverson<3
Alex says:
Hey Mom, Dad, friends, and family. This week has been nothing short of absolutely crazy! If you have read the other postings by people, you kind of get a feel for what it's like here. Words cannot really describe my time here. I feel like we have been here such a short amount of time, but also, I feel like we have been here a very long time. Like, my life at home stopped and transitioned over to here. The simple but amazing life style here has made me appreciate the simple things in life. I feel as though I could stay here forever; these kids have a way of stealing your heart. Within the very first day, everybody had kids that were attached to them, and we were also attached to each of the kids that we met. I cannot really describe what it feels like to have your heart stolen from you by small kids in Africa, but it is a weird feeling. My heart also was left behind in the hospital that we visited today and last Sunday; the sadness and hopelessness makes you want to cry, but we brought Jesus' love to each of the patients we visited while over there and I truly believe that they enjoyed our visit. I am SO excited to share all of the life changing experiences that I had here when I return home! I know that God has plenty in store for these last couple of days here in Africa, and I know that although I don't want to go home, God has a plan for me, and He will lead me where I need to go. I'll see you guys soon! I may not be the happiest when I come back, due to jet lag and my left behind heart, but I promise that I will share everything when I return. Love you guys, God Bless!
Anna Moreno says:
Hey, everyone! We have all been doing great, and thank you so much for keeping us in your prayers. I have to say that this has been a life-changing trip so far, and I am so excited for the last couple of days we have here. The kids at MCM are incredibly adorable and have taught me so much. Today, we visited Queen Elizabeth General Hospital, which proved to a really hard and challenging experience for me. Walking into the hospital seeing and hearing people cry and wail over a child that had just died, made my heart pound and increased my fears and anxieties about what I was walking into. I really did not want to go in, but I squeezed Joanne's hand and prayed as we walked in. God is truly good! He calmed my fears and was with me as I prayed and gave stuffed animals, soap, and vassaline to the kids. I gave a two year old girl a stuffed animal lizzard, and as soon as I gave it to her, she was off her bed, smiling and playing with her new toy. These kids have blessed me so much more than I could have blessed them. It has been hard seeing these precious kids suffer so much, but I believe God is helping me understand why, along this journey. Thank you all so much for your prayers and support!
Hello family,
Thank you all for your support of this trip, especially to the prayer warriors who continue to uphold God's work here before His throne! As always, it has been exciting to see God's work unfold, yet while in Malawi, God has evidently been challenging me more abrasively than usual--a great praise! As well as the privilege of establishing both stronger and new relationships with the kids and staff at MCM, the opportunity to go back to Queen Elizabeth Hospital and minister to the patients there (perhaps the most life-changing experience I encountered last trip) was yet again incredibly moving--to talk with them about Christ amidst some of their deep struggles. Please continue to pray for the team here as we wrap up our time in Malawi. Praise God for the growing unity of the team thus far, and pray that as God continues to draw us individually closer to Him, we would collectively model the Gospel to those we meet. Pray for the children at the center, the children in the hospital, and the people in the villages; for those who are suffering, those who have experienced the joy of salvation, and those that "need no repentance;" pray that in all of these the work of God would be shown strong, to His praise and His glory!
Daniel de Villiers
Rev. 4:11
P.S. Thank you so much Dad and Mom for the card you sent along; I've probably spent way too much time looking at the painting on the front, but I really appreciate it and love you lots! Look forward to talking to you guys this weekend.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
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