Problems uploading photos tonight :( We will try again in the morning :)
What a wonderful day it has been! Everyone was up on time for a great breakfast which was followed by a 40 minute quiet time. It was so encouraging seeing the students sitting around outside with their bibles and journals and having "space" in their day to be quiet - something that rarely happens at home.
We visited Blantyre Baptist Church where we were warmly welcomed and experienced a wonderful service celebrating Jesus in worship and hearing a Palm Sunday message. There was a very heavy rain shower during the service where the pastor was competing with the rain during his preaching.
Church was followed by a relaxing lunch at the food mall (lots of fries and milkshakes consumed) and then we headed off to the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, the largest hospital in Southern Malawi. While we were waiting and preparing to go in, we were singing and a man in a wheelchair sent a message asking if we would pray for him as he had been in the hospital for almost a year with a fractured leg which had become infected. He had heard us singing outside and was drawn towards us. It was such a God moment being able to pray for him, and he broke down admitting that this was the first time in almost a year that he had gone outside of his ward. After we all prayed for Sam Banda, we visited three pediatric wards which were full to overflowing, where we had the wonderful opportunity of singing to, praying for, and giving gifts (beanie babies, vaseline and soap) to the children and their care-givers. No one can be fully prepared for these visits as one faces the raw poverty and bleakness of many in the hospital who will often not receive the care that we take for granted back home due to lack of resources and funding.
Our students were an amazing testimony of God's love and grace - I was so very proud of them, but for some of them this experience was extremely hard as we heard in our debriefing session tonight. Today's experience has clearly left a profound impact as our students witnessed first hand the extent of the poverty and suffering in this country; and yet the joy and gratitude of these dear people in being prayed for and receiving a small gift.
We are so excited about going out to Malawi Children's Mission (MCM) tomorrow and meeting our kids that we will be ministering over the next ten days.
Love to you all from Malawi.
~Auntie Karen
PS: Tomorrow we will give the students an opportunity to write messages to you on the blog :)
What a wonderful day it has been! Everyone was up on time for a great breakfast which was followed by a 40 minute quiet time. It was so encouraging seeing the students sitting around outside with their bibles and journals and having "space" in their day to be quiet - something that rarely happens at home.
We visited Blantyre Baptist Church where we were warmly welcomed and experienced a wonderful service celebrating Jesus in worship and hearing a Palm Sunday message. There was a very heavy rain shower during the service where the pastor was competing with the rain during his preaching.
Church was followed by a relaxing lunch at the food mall (lots of fries and milkshakes consumed) and then we headed off to the Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, the largest hospital in Southern Malawi. While we were waiting and preparing to go in, we were singing and a man in a wheelchair sent a message asking if we would pray for him as he had been in the hospital for almost a year with a fractured leg which had become infected. He had heard us singing outside and was drawn towards us. It was such a God moment being able to pray for him, and he broke down admitting that this was the first time in almost a year that he had gone outside of his ward. After we all prayed for Sam Banda, we visited three pediatric wards which were full to overflowing, where we had the wonderful opportunity of singing to, praying for, and giving gifts (beanie babies, vaseline and soap) to the children and their care-givers. No one can be fully prepared for these visits as one faces the raw poverty and bleakness of many in the hospital who will often not receive the care that we take for granted back home due to lack of resources and funding.
Our students were an amazing testimony of God's love and grace - I was so very proud of them, but for some of them this experience was extremely hard as we heard in our debriefing session tonight. Today's experience has clearly left a profound impact as our students witnessed first hand the extent of the poverty and suffering in this country; and yet the joy and gratitude of these dear people in being prayed for and receiving a small gift.
We are so excited about going out to Malawi Children's Mission (MCM) tomorrow and meeting our kids that we will be ministering over the next ten days.
Love to you all from Malawi.
~Auntie Karen
PS: Tomorrow we will give the students an opportunity to write messages to you on the blog :)
Thank you for posting about your trip. Reading about the hospital visit brought back a flood of emotional and heart breaking memories for me. While seeing poverty and suffering is difficult, it also allows God to make our hearts more like His. These experiences are laying the foundation for what God has in store for each student to bring him glory among the nations.
ReplyDeleteWhat a powerful story of praying for Sam Banda before you ever entered the hospital. God has gone before you and will continue to guide you.