Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.
Today was one of the most unforgettable, humbling experiences of my life.
Remember Maria?
God blessed me with the opportunity to take Bibles into her village!!!
I love how He chooses to use us though He doesn't need us. . .
It makes me feel like the little kid making a mess in the kitchen who wants to help with the cooking so badly! "Oh, please will you let me have a part in this?"
My housemate dropped me off at the side of the paved road closest to Maria's village. Maria and I walked together to her part of the village. She insisted on carrying all of the Bibles herself all the way, and in the way most Malawians carry things -- on top of the head!
On our walk over, Maria told me that the people were waiting for me! When we arrived, they all began singing! I couldn't understand what they were saying, but Maria told me they were welcoming me and rejoicing:
Maria's husband had everyone sit down. He said that they were all so grateful to have a copy of the Bible! Then, the pastor of Maria's church led us in prayer.
Afterwards they asked me to please say something to them. . . and so I did! And I got to remind them of how precious and powerful the Word of God is.
Maria's husband called everyone up individually, and asked me to hand the Bibles out one-by-one.
This is a picture of Maria and the pastor:
And some pictures of those who received the Bibles:
And here's a video clip of them dancing and singing with their new Bibles. Maria told me they were singing that they once didn't have a Bible, but now they do!
Would you please pray that these people will feed upon the Word of God and grow closer and closer to Him?
And may we also be so joyous that God has indeed given us His Word!
Dear Katie, the clip of the celebration over the Bibles brought me to tears. How precious is the Word. Thank you for making the effort to provide the village with Bibles. We will pray that the Word will bring the Light of Life to these dear people.
ReplyDeleteKatie, this is amazing! It reminds me how blessed we are to have multiple Bibles at our fingertips, and how we take that for granted.
ReplyDeleteGod is blessing your work in Malawi!
I agree with Bethany: This is AMAZING! Where did the Bibles come from? (By the way, we are unable to view the videos.)
ReplyDeleteThese may be the most moving video clips I have seen in my life! Thank you so much for sharing these!
ReplyDeleteObviously, we "fixed" the video problem. : )
ReplyDeleteKatie, praise be to God! How mightily and speedily He answered all prayers and supplications. Now we'll pray that the Bread of life would eternally satisfy their hunger and that He would eternally quench their thirst with His living water. We miss you much here in SD. We prayed for your upcoming decision and will continue to do so. So encouraged to hear of your faith and work. Great is the Lord!
ReplyDeleteWow! God is doing amazing things through you, girlfriend! Thanks for sharing the blessings with us through this blog. The videos and photos are wonderful!! God is good! What a powerful reminder this is to praise Him, praise Him, praise Him for his Word!!
ReplyDeleteHUGS!
Katie, how humbling to be brought your reality from Africa contrasting how I tend to take the availability of the Bible for granted. You are on the cutting edge, I thank God for the open opportunities He is giving you. May this give ME courage to travel next door and literally across the street to my neighbor who needs the Word of God. I love you dear sister.
ReplyDeletePraise God! He does amazing things. Praise Him that He chooses to use us, like you mentioned, Katie. We will pray for His guidance in whether to stay for another year or not. We were looking forward to seeing you this summer, but maybe God has other plans.
ReplyDeleteDear Katie:
ReplyDeleteThank you for your "delight" for it is also our "delight" & thank you for posting so much of it , i.e. God's Word, in your blogs. We continue to be thrilled with the ministry that God has given you.
Phil & Mary
Katie:
ReplyDeleteMy name is Pastor Steve Braselton of Calvary Chapel Lilongwe. My wife, Nors, & I are Missionaries from California and are living in Lilongwe. Our son in Ca. saw your blog & forwarded it to us, thus our reason for contacting you. Our work in Malawi invloves our School of Ministry as well as Nora is the Program Manager of Ruth's Shawl, a ministry to widows & orphans. We would like to meet with you sometime if you have an interst in doing so in that we can have fellowship & share about the things we are both doing here in Malawi. Our cell # is 0999200795.
Hope to hear from you,
In Him,
Pastor Steve Braselton
Hello Katie,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed coming across your site and the video clip of the singing and rejoicing. I had the pleasure of visiting Malawi last year. My brother and his family are currently ministering in the mission village of Nkhoma, and my other brother and I visited for several weeks last year. Seeing your pictures and descriptions brought back a lot of good memories for me. From being surrounded by masses of excited children to worshiping and singing with local Christians to touring the countryside and witnessing the need for the transforming power of the gospel, I was transported back to the wonderful time I spent in Malawi. I will be in prayer for you.
Katie,
ReplyDeleteWhat an incredible experience to be able to give a bible to each villager. They were so happy-seemed as if they had been practicing the song for a long time. I loved watching the woman in the front with the baby on her back. Just knowing that she will be reading the word of God to her child as he grows up must be incredibly gratifying to you.
Great Work Katie,
Love, Cherilyn