"Be exalted, O God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth!"

Because of Jesus, There Can Be Rejoicing in the Midst of Sorrow

2011-09-10T10:44:00.000-07:00

One of the 3rd grade Malawian girls, Alicia, from ABC Christian Academy passed away from malaria, and went to be with Jesus on Wednesday. I received this sweet story this morning from an email that included a letter written by Nell Chinchen:

One of the new teachers Christy [Borders] said she was worried about how to tell her first graders. She said she sat them down in a circle on the floor and told them that Alicia had gone to heaven to be with Jesus. She was astounded when they all began clapping their hands! Rejoicing that Alicia was in heaven! Isn't that amazing that so much faith can be instilled in a little child.

May we, too, rejoice in the thought of being with Jesus, just like these precious children.

Please keep Alicia's mother and the school in your prayers as God continues to comfort during this time of grieving.

Peace for Malawi

2011-07-21T10:38:00.000-07:00

As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. And I said, "O LORD God of heaven, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night. . . Nehemiah 1:4-6

Malawi is on my heart as I've been receiving e-mails from students, asking me to please pray that God would give them peace during these fearful times. For more information about the violent rioting currently happening, read here.
I would ask you to join in prayer with me, pleading God's mercy upon Malawi, that God would bring peace to this country and that He would turn the evil things that have been happening there for His good. . . He Who has most definitely done it in the past is able!! May all find all their peace in the only place in which true peace is found -- in our precious Jesus. . . for he himself is our peace.

O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy. . . (v.11)

The Word of God Does Not Return Void!

2011-07-13T17:53:00.000-07:00

"My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose." Isaiah 46:10

The first missionary to Korea, Robert J. Thomas, was ordained on June 4, 1863, at a little church in Hanover, Wales. He and his wife left in July, sent by the London Missionary Society, arriving at Shanghai, China. His wife died soon after arrival. In 1866, having evangelized for a few months in Korea and learning the language, Thomas rode the American ship, General Sherman, along the Taedong River (where the capital of North Korea is today). The Sherman became grounded on a sandbar. The Korean soldiers on shore were suspicious and scared. They boarded the ship waving long, flashing knives. When Thomas saw that he was going to be killed, he held out the Korean Bible to them saying, "Jesus, Jesus." His head was cut off. Twenty-five years after Thomas' death, someone discovered a little guest house in this area with some strange wallpaper. The paper had Korean characters printed on it. The owner of the house explained that he had used the pages of this book to paste on the wall to preserve the writing. Not only the owner, but many of the guests would come in and stay to "read the walls." This was the Bible that Thomas had given to his murderers. Voice of the Martyrs, August 1997

Please pray!

2011-07-08T14:04:00.000-07:00

Please keep me in your prayers as I consider joining a TIMO team that will, Lord willing, be heading to Tanzania in 2012!

Finish the Mission!

2011-07-08T11:18:00.000-07:00

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Psalm 67:5

Child of God, You Have a Beautiful Portion - a Beautiful Portion FOREVER!

2011-04-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

"Our God is a safe portion, a secure portion. He is a portion that no one can rob you of. He is a portion that none can touch or take from you. He is a portion that none can cheat or spoil you of. God is such a portion, that no friend, no foe, and no devil can ever rob a Christian of. O Christians, God is so yours in Christ, and so yours by covenant, and so yours by promise, and so yours by purchase, and so yours by conquest, and so yours by marriage union and communion, and so yours by the earnest of the Spirit, and so yours by the feelings and witnessings of the Spirit, that no power or policy on earth can ever pilfer your portion, or cheat, or rob you of your portion. He is not only our God for the present, O no! He will be our God for ever and ever. If God be once your portion, he will be forever your portion."

Thomas Brooks, cited in Voices From the Past: Puritan Devotional Readings

Christ, Our Eternal Joy and Hope

2011-04-20T10:25:00.000-07:00

Right now I'm on Easter Holiday in Kenya, visiting Kibera, the largest slums in Africa ( http://old.aimint.org/can/story/mother_of_hope.html)
My mind is processing all I saw today. But I return with a deeper understanding of HOPE. Christ is our only hope. . . Christ is Kibera's only hope!

Our future with Christ transforms how we view the present. Our joy isn't chained to our relational status, television size, or health because we know that this life is a passing mist that will soon be burned away by the glory of heaven. We can patiently endure heartaches and headaches because we know that glory is coming. Thomas Watson said, "Whatever change or trouble a child of God meets with, it is all the hell he shall have." We may have trouble now, but it is all the trouble we will ever have. We may have sorrow now, but it is all the sorrow we will ever have. We may be under pressure now, but it is all the pressure we will ever have. Eternal life is ours, and the prospect of eternal joy fuels our present joy.

--Stephen Altrogge, from "The Greener Grass Conspiracy"

Come

2011-04-17T10:08:00.000-07:00

Come.

I cannot stop thinking about this word.

Come.

It is such a precious and beautiful summon when said by Jesus.

Our Sustenance: "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger. . . "

Our Acceptance, our Surety: "All that the Father gives to me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out."

Our Fountain of Livng Water: "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink."

Our Rest: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

Our Merciful, Compassionate Father: "Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God."

Our Treasure: "Go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me."

Our Crucified Savior: "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it."

Jesus came. . . now sinners can come!

"For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."

Jesus Christ came, and as Spurgeon says: "[God] took the cup of Christ's agony, and he put in there, suffering, misery, and anguish such as only God can imagine or dream of, that was the exact equivalent for all the suffering, all the woe, and all the eternal tortures of every one that shall at last stand in heaven, bought with the blood of Christ. And you say, 'Did Christ drink it all to its dregs?' Did he suffer it all? Yes, my brethren, he took the cup, and 'At one triumphant draught of love, He drank damnation dry.'"

Thank you, Jesus, for coming!

Since you came, I can come to you.

Since you came, let your blood, O Lamb, plead for me!

Since you came, hear me, dear Father - for Jesus' sake - when I come to you!

Since you came, I can hope! Come, Lord Jesus!

"The Spirit and the Bride say, 'Come.' And let the one who hears say, 'Come.' And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price."
Revelation 22:17

“‘Come unto me,’ he says, ‘and I will give you.’ You say, ‘Lord, I cannot give you anything.’ He does not want anything. Come to Jesus, and he says, ‘I will give you.’ Not what you give to God, but what he gives to you, will be your salvation. ‘I will give you‘ — that is the gospel in four words. Will you come and have it? It lies open before you.” -Spurgeon

He is so precious, so priceless. Come to Jesus. Cherish him, adore him, treasure him, esteem him, prize him, pour your heart before him, and hope in him this day and forevermore. By your mercy, dear Jesus, bid us to come.

Take My Life; Self-Examination and Surrender to Christ

2010-12-15T21:00:00.000-08:00

Some really helpful, thought provoking questions that Nancy Leigh DeMoss poses in her book "Surrender." May they drive us to the Cross!

MY LIFE

Take my life, and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to Thee.

Have I ever consciously acknowledged Christ's ownership of my life?

Have I made a volitional, unconditional, lifetime surrender of my life to Christ?

Am I seeking to live out that surrender on a daily basis?

Are there any "compartments" of my life over which I am reserving the right to exercise control?

MY TIME

Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Do I live with conscious realization that all my time belongs to God, or have I merely reserved a portion of my time for the "spiritual" category of my life?

Am I living each day in the light of eternity?

Am I purposeful and intentional in my use of time, seeking to invest the moments of my days in ways that will bring glory to God?

Do I seek His direction as to how I should use my "free time"?

Am I squandering time with meaningless, ueseless conversation or entertainment?

Do I set apart time each day for worship, prayer, and personal devotion?

Do I readily respond to opportunities to serve others, even if it requires sacrificing "my" time?

Do I become resentful or impatient when others interrupt my schedule or when I am faced with unplanned demands on my time?

Do I view my job as an opportunity to serve Christ and bring glory to God?

Have I considered any possible vocational change the Lord may want me to make to devote more time to the advancement of His kingdom?

MY BODY

Take my hands, and let them move
at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet, and let them be
swift and beautiful for Thee.

Am I yielding the members (parts) of my body to God as instruments of righteousness (Romans 6:13)?

Do I use the members of my body to express the kindness and love of Christ to others (e.g., using my hands for serving, for gentle touch)?

Are any of the members of my body--eyes, ears, hands, feet, mouth, etc.--being used to sin against God (e.g., stealing, lying, listening to or repeating gossip, inflicting physical harm on mate or children, listening to profanity, viewing pornography, sexual sin)?

Do I treat my body as if it is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19)?

Am I abusing my body in any way (e.g., with food, alcohol, illegal or prescription drugs)?

Am I willing to be physically spent in serving God and others?

Have I relinquished the right to have a healthy body? Would I accept and embrace physical illness if that would bring glory to God?

Am I submissive to God in relation to what (and how much) I eat and drink, and how much and when I sleep?

Am I morally pure--what I see, what I think, what I do, where I go, what I listen to, what I say?

MY TONGUE

Take my lips, and let them be
filled with messages from Thee.

Do the words that come out of my mouth reveal that my lips and tongue are fully surrendered to God?

Do I habitually verbalize the goodness and greatness of God?

Do I regularly ask the Lord to guard my tongue?

Before I speak, do I ask the Lord what He wants me to say?

Am I filling my mind and heart with the Word of God, so that what comes out of my mouth will be "messages from Him"?

Do I speak words that are critical, unkind, untrue, self-centered, rude, profane, or unnecessary?

Do I look for and take advantage of opportunities to give a verbal witness for Christ?

Do I intentionally use my tongue to edify and encourage others in their walk with God?

MY POSSESSIONS

Take my silver and my gold;
not a mite would I withhold.

Do I treat any of my possessions as if they were mine rather than God's?

Do I give generously sacrificially, and gladly to the Lord's work and to others in need?

Do I own anything that I would not be willing to part with if God were to take it from me or ask me to give it to another?

Am I a wise steward of the material resources God has entrusted to me?

Do I view God as my provider and the source of all my material possessions?

Am I content with the material resources God has given me? If God should choose not to give me one thing more than what I already have, would I be satisified with His provision?

Do I give my tithes and offerings to the Lord before I pay my bills or spend my income?

Do I become angry or upset if others are careless with "my" possessions?

MY MIND

Take my intellect, and use
every power as Thou shalt choose.

Am I "bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5)?

Am I disciplining my mind to get to know God and His Word better?

Am I wasting my mind on worldly knowledge or pursuits that do not have eternal, spiritual value?

Do I habitually think about things that are just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8), rather than things that are unwholesome, negative, impure, or vain?

Am I guarding the entrance of my mind from impure influences (e.g., books, magazines, movies, music, conversations)?

Am I devoting my mental capacity to serving Christ and furthering His kingdom?

MY WILL

Take my will and make it Thine;
it shall be no longer mine.

Do I consistently seek to know and to do the will of God in the practical, daily matters of life?

When I read the Word of God (or hear it proclaimed), am I quick to say, "Yes, Lord" and to do what it says?

Is there anything God has shown me to be His will that I have been neglecting or refusing to obey?

Is there anything I know God wants me to do that I have not done/am not doing?

Do I become resentful when things don't go my way? Do I have to have the last word in disagreements?

Am I stubborn? Demanding? Controlling?

Am I quick to respond in confession and repentance when the Holy Spirit convicts me of sin?

Am I submissive to the human authorities God has placed over me (e.g., civil, church, home, work)?

MY AFFECTIONS

Take my heart; it is Thine own;
it shall be Thy royal throne.

Am I moody? Temperamental? Hard to please?

Do I love Christ and His kingdom more than this earth and its pleasures? Is there anything or anyone that I am more devoted to than Christ?

Am I allowing Christ to reign and rule over my affections, my emotions, and my responses?

Are my desires, appetites, and longings under Christ's control?

Am I in bondage to any earthly, fleshly, or sinful desires or appetites? Am I indulging or making provision for my fleshly desires (Romans 13:14)?

Do I trust God's right to rule over the circumstances of my life?

MY RELATIONSHIPS

Take my love; my Lord,
I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.

Is it my desire and intent to love God with all my heart, above all earthly relationships? Do I enjoy and seek out the friendship of God as much as I do human friendships?

Do I love God more than I love myself? Do I seek His interests, His reputation, and His pleasure above my own?

Have I surrendered to God all my desires, rights, and expectations regarding my family?

Am I willing to let God decide whether I am to be married and to whom?

Have I surrendered the right to have a loving, godly mate?

Am I willing to love my mate in a Christlike way, regardless of whether or not that love is reciprocated?

Have I accepted God's decision to grant or withhold the blessing of children?

Have I released my children to the Lord? Am I trying to control their lives? Am I willing for Him to call them and use them in His service--anywhere, in any way, regardless of the cost?

Is there anyone that I "love" in a way that is not pure? Am I holding on to any friendships or relationships that God wants me to relinquish?

Am I willing to sacrifice friendships, if necessary, in order to obey God and His call in my life?

Am I willing to speak the truth in love to others about their spiritual condition, even if it means risking the loss of the relationship or my reputation?

MYSELF

Take myself, and I will be
ever, only, all for Thee.

Have I surrendered all that I am and all that I have to God?

Is there any part of myself--my plans, relationships, possessions, emotions, career, future--that I am knowingly holding back from God?

Have I settled the issue that the ultimate purpose of my life is to please God and bring Him glory?

Is it the intent of my heart, by His grace, to live the rest of my life wholly for Him and for His pleasure, rather than for myself and my pleasure?

Bible Memory Club Praise!

2010-10-21T19:43:00.001-07:00

I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
Psalm 119:11

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12

Last week I was really blessed to see God working in the heart of one of my 6th grade students in particular. I noticed that she hadn't been acting herself recently, so after class I pulled her aside and asked her what was going on.
"Miss Dinwiddie, I'm just really confused with my relationship with God."
We were both in a bit of a hurry because the next class period was just about to begin, but she said she would go out with me later that afternoon to tell me some more.
We had a really nice conversation. She told me she just wasn't content with where she was at in her walk, and that she wanted to know God so much more. It was such a blessing for me to be able to get a glance of the desires of a soft, precious, little heart being conformed to God's will.
Pastor Tallman always talks about being Bible-saturated, and for a while, I've been thinking a good way to really become saturated is to hide God's Word in my heart.
By the end of our time, we had decided that together we were going to start memorizing God's Word. I have always wanted to memorize Romans and when I told her that, she became very excited. So that's what we set out to do -- saturate ourselves with more of God's Word.

After school the following day, she came up to my classroom to come see me. We started talking about Romans. One of my 7th graders happened to be up there for math help, and she got really excited! She said she wanted to memorize Romans, too. By the next morning a few other girls had come up to me and asked if they could join us. So now there is a group of about six of us memorizing God's Word together! And I'm really excited.

Please pray for us as we hide God's Word in our hearts that much will happen -- meditation, conviction, encouragement, a greater understanding of our need for the Gospel and a deeper love for Jesus!

Humbling Blessings

2010-10-16T01:44:00.000-07:00

I'm glad God is unimaginably more faithful to me than I have ever been with this blog. ;)

It was decided that this year the academy would actually have a mid-term break or "holiday" and it would fall into this past week since we would have Friday (Malawi Mother's Day) off anyway. In one way, Mother's Day is a bigger deal here in Lilongwe than it is in the States. It is actually observed as a public holiday -- no school, and nearly everything is closed! In another way, since I left my amazing mom halfway across the world, it hardly feels right to be observing it without her! (Ndimakukonda kwambiri, Amayi!)

I have been so grateful for these last several days as they have provided for me a time of ample rest and reflection upon all that has happened since I returned to Malawi nearly two months ago.

This year my homeroom class, the 7th graders, consists of all girls! We kicked off the year with a sleepover at my house. We found ourselves enjoying some crazy bonding time with each other as well as some outlandish decibel levels as one can most definitely imagine with a group of ten middle school girls on a full tank of sugar.

My favorite part about teaching has definitely been the joy in forming relationships with the students and being able to share Christ's love with them day-to-day. Each morning during Homeroom Period, I have the privilege of praying with and for them and sharing from God's Word. Sometimes I get so discouraged by their apathy because I know if they would be doing anything else (besides math) they wouldn't lack so much attentiveness. A few weeks ago I had decided to take my girls through some of Amy Carmichael's "If" statements. What a blessing these have been as God has used them to produce some responsiveness and bring up some great discussions about the extent of our own selfishness and sinful desires contrasted with the perfections and righteousness as shown through the perfect work of Christ -- how we need him!
As my eyes were skimming through several of the "If" statements one day, I was quite convicted and humbled by the following:
"If I have not the patience of my Saviour with souls who grow slowly; if I know little of travail (a sharp and painful thing) till Christ be fully formed in them, then I know nothing of Calvary love."
Not only has He been patient with my own slow-growing soul, but He has caused it to grow at all. I guess that leaves me with no excuse not to be patient with the souls around me.
Humbling.

We've been blessed to be able to continue our outreach to the children in the village on Saturdays! A few weeks ago I read to them the humbling account of when Jesus washed the disciples' feet -- an amazing demonstration of his humility, and a beautiful preview of him bearing all our uncleanness on the Cross. I wanted to reinforce the concept and I had remembered my mom washing the feet of my Sunday School class years ago. . . If I still remember, then it seems like a good idea! So Khuzwayo and Chisomo (two of the African Bible College students), Whitney (housemate) and I did just this. We washed all of the feet of the kids in the village and encouraged them to wash the feet of their parents. I'll be honest -- it was one of those really humbling moments for me. Village mud and calloused feet don't faze me. But the thing was, the kids were pushing each other and shoving, fighting over who got to be next. In other words, there were no Peter-type characters in this story. We were having the opposite thing going. "Well, that was one fruitful lesson," I sarcastically think to myself. "I can tell they really understand Christ's demonstration of humility." Yet in the midst of this experience God was teaching me how much more I need to be washed. . . I learned so much of Jesus' humility through the lack of my own . And then I remembered that Jesus even washed the feet of Judas. This was getting pretty intense. I always find it a little bit irritating how as a teacher it seems like I learn so much more than the students in the process of trying to help them learn. But it's one of those humbling blessings.

Another blessing . . . hosting a Monday night small group at our house! The group consists of about twelve members from one of the local churches pastored by an ABC graduate. A couple weeks ago we were talking about how we as the body of Christ can come alongside those who are struggling with various things. Then one of the women broke down and told us that her sister was dying of stage-3 cancer, and she was understandably having a very hard time with it. We decided, as a group, to go visit the sister in the hospital and pray with her. By this time, I should have known that whenever I think I'm going to "bless" someone God quickly humbles me.

Well, I had never been to the city hospital in Lilongwe. . . I honestly thought I was going to vomit when I walked inside. I guess I'm used to hospitals trying to make things comfortable for those who are suffering physically. The bad smell wasn't like the "bad smell" of chemicals in a hospital in the States. . . I'm not sure I want to know what it was. The dirty mattresses didn't have sheets, and there were so many flies. And our friend's sister was laying there, dying, in conditions like this. I didn't even feel like laying in my own comfortable bed that night. I find myself silently praying again and again, "God, do something for her!" I don't know where she is at spiritually. . . who does except for God. . . but oh, if I knew she were one of His little lambs I would have wanted Him to have just relieved her from all of it right then and there.
And I couldn't take it any longer. Here I was going to "bless" this suffering woman and I end up standing by her bed sobbing uncontrollably while her family assures me not to worry. Humbling. Shandell, small group attendee, reminds me "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." And I long for the salvation of souls. And I just long for Jesus. And I try to remember that He is even more broken over all of this stuff than I am.

So, I guess the common theme through pretty much everything I've written can be thought of as the following:
Katie: Lord, I want to serve you.
God: Katie, I'm going to humble you first.
Katie: Lord, I really want to serve you!
God: Katie, you really need to be humbled.
Katie: Lord, I really, really want to serve you!
God: Katie you really, really need to be humbled.
Katie: Lord, then I need a lot of grace!
God: Yes, Katie, but you have all the grace you need. My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in all your weaknesses.

"Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2 Corinthians 12:9

On a lighter note, the chop-chop didn't attack me last night! :)

I kind of feel bad for killing it though.

Of a Promise and Pilgrimage

2010-08-13T16:01:00.000-07:00

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."
Romans 8:28

I'm here, praise God! And it was quite the adventure!

I flew into Lilongwe on Wednesday -- 22 hours later than I had planned. My luggage had been incorrectly labeled for pick-up in Johannesburg, South Africa, requiring me to go through Customs and then re-check everything again. But unfortunately, my flight from London to Johannesburg was delayed for a couple of hours and I had less than one hour to make it through the long, slow lines. After getting my passport stamped and racing through the baggage claim, I located my luggage and bribed a porter to help me rush to the check-in counter as soon as possible with my 66 kg. Unfortunately by the time we got there, the gate had already closed which meant I had not only missed the 10 AM flight but I'd just been separated from my traveling buddies!

I made my way to the British Airways office with my overstuffed backpack, computer bag, and three pieces of luggage. Because of the delay, they were able to change my ticket. . . but the problem was that there wasn't another flight from Johannesburg leaving for Lilongwe that day.
"We can put you up in a hotel until 1 AM this morning. . . then we'll put you on Kenya Airways to fly you from here to Kenya, and from Kenya to Malawi. You should arrive there by tomorrow morning. We do apologize for the delay, but this is all we can do for you, Ma'am."

I envisioned myself walking outside the South Africa airport loading all of my luggage onto a hotel shuttle and then unloading it off the shuttle, into the hotel and then out of the hotel, back onto the shuttle and off the shuttle, into the baggage check-in area. . .close to 1 in the morning? I decided to just wait the 15 hours at the airport. It sounded easier and safer.

And so I waited. . . and waited. . . and prayed. . . .and prayed.

First, I prayed for faith and trust. . . I was coming down with a nasty cold, and my energy level was so drained! I prayed that God would give me more energy and health, just enough for the 12 hours until check-in time so I wouldn't fall asleep alone with my luggage in the Johannesburg airport. And I prayed that everything would just go smoothly this time. . . that I'd make all connecting flights, that I wouldn't get lost in the Kenya airport, that He would enable a way for me to communicate with the people who were supposed to pick me up. . . I prayed for wisdom and safety and protection. . . I even prayed that God would provide someone soon -- someone that I could trust to watch my stuff for just a few minutes while I ran to the restroom! And all of a sudden I realized in a deeper way how much God really cares about me -- even all the small things that kept flowing from my heart that in the grand scheme of things are so teeny and insignificant. And this caused me to plead that He would display His glorious sufficiency through my own insufficiency and dependence!

And I thought on the sweet, sweet promise of Romans 8:28:
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."

All. Things. Yes, ALL things! The cold, the luggage labeling snafu, the delayed flight, my exhaustion, an extra flight to Kenya! I didn't understand why. . . it made no sense to me! I was just trying to get back to Malawi to serve Him by loving on those kiddies at ABC Christian Academy. But there was something so comforting that almost made that 15 hour wait and extra trip to Kenya really enjoyable. . . because even though I still don't understand why it all happened, I had a lot of time to meditate on the fact that God was working all of it together for good. And especially when you feel so little and helpless, it releases huge burdens to be reminded that Someone so Great and All-sufficient is working all things for my good and His glory.

Nobody had any clue that I was in Kenya, but I was able to use my Malawi cell to contact a friend for an airport pick-up once I had landed in Lilongwe!

When I arrived to Lilongwe I had to pass through Customs once more.
Man at passport check: Passport, please.
Me, as I hand him my passport: I made it to Lilongwe!! I'm finally here!
Man at passport check: Welcome back to Malawi, Sista!
Me: Thanks! Wait, I mean. . . Zikomo!!

------------
Please pray for Moana, a girl I met on the plane and had an opportunity to share the gospel with.
Please pray for extra strength for all of the staff as we are getting everything ready for school to start this upcoming Tuesday.
Please pray that God would already be working in the hearts of each student.
Please pray that I would have wisdom regarding how many activities I should take on this year.
Please pray that we as a staff would keep our eyes fixed upon Jesus and seek to find all of our satisfaction in Him alone!

Let Worship Be the Fuel for Mission's Flame

2010-07-31T07:25:00.000-07:00

You should be the praise of every tongue, Jesus.
You should be the joy of every heart!

"Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't . . . Missions begins and ends in worship."
John Piper, “Let the Nations Be Glad”

Thankful for. . . A LOT!

2010-07-06T00:03:00.000-07:00

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Blessed to be back in the States for a summer reunion with the family!

I cannot lie. I genuinely thought God had grown me in patience through a year of teaching math to a bunch of children, through a year of waiting to see changed hearts, through a year of waiting for so many questions to be answered. Really, I thought I had more patience. . . until the trip home! Patience, Katie, patience. :) Flight cancellations, finally five flights, and delays, and layovers, and Customs, missing luggage. . . and NO sleep! But, my family loved the sleepwalking, fine mess that walked off the plane 50-something hours later anyway. And I think then I understood unconditional love a little better. Yes, they claimed me, staggering down the airport escalator with bloodshot eyes, a dazed look -- even with gazillion and three African braids.

The Lost African Girl? No way! I am so found! As broken and stained as I am, Christ claims me: "This one is Mine. I, Who knew no sin, became sin so that in Me you might become the righteousness of God." And so gladly and desperately and with a grateful heart I plead for His promised grace as I hide myself in the cleft of this Treasure, this Rock. I trade my ashes for beauty. . . His beauty. And I smile and cry as He wraps me in His righteousness.

Honestly, I'm overwhelmed.
Overwhelmed because God has given me so much.
And my mind is still trying to process it all. I hope it does the rest of my life.
And as it does so, I'm spilling gratitude and praying that He would give me the grace to be faithful with all He has entrusted to me.

As I reflect on these past several months in Malawi, these are just some things I'm so thankful for right now:

#1 Jesus, my Savior: His life, His death, His resurrection, His love, His power, His righteousness
#2 My Bibles: the living and active Word of God in my language that comforts, convicts, strengthens, rebukes, guides, and encourages me
#3 The Holy Spirit, my Helper
#4 My Education: the ability to be able to read the Word of God
#5 Mom and Dad: the first people that told me about my serious plight . . . and then introduced me to Jesus
#6 Prayer: the opportunity to pour out my soul before my Creator with the assurance that I'm always being heard
#7 My Church: a close-knit family in Christ, fellowship, accountability, sound teaching and preaching
#8 Communion: the opportunity to commune with Him, to intentionally remember the Cross, and proclaim His death and resurrection until He comes again
#9 God's sufficient grace: favor towards me that I could never earn but that has proved itself over and over again a thousand times through
#10 Books and a plethora of Christian resources in my language: resources to learn from and be encouraged by others who are persevering in the faith!
#11 Airplanes: transportation that allows me to see the global church
#12 God's power: the kind that is made perfect in my many weaknesses
#13 Good health and a strong body: the ability to have lots of energy around my kids. . .energy to tell them the greatness of a glorious God
#14 My students: they help me see Jesus as more precious as I try to explain to them the Treasure He is
#15 The babes at the Crisis Nursery: they remind me of my dependency upon Jesus in all things
#16 My three sisters and two brothers: the kind that I can call "friends", too!
#17 Brothers and sisters: my family in Christ!
#18 Opportunities to be used as God's tool in the midst of a hurting world, opportunities to share Him with others
#19 God's impeccable timing: the way He does everything for both His glory and my good, even when it means "wait"
#20 Music: another way to praise and give God the glory due to His name
#21 Freedom: the privilege to talk about the greatness of God and the beautiful gospel message, especially at ABCCA
#22 God's pursuit of me: His intense desire for me!
#23 Hope: eager anticipation and trust -- the kind that carries me through when it's placed in an amazing God who is fully capable of doing exactly what He promises
#24 God's beautiful creation: declarations of His glory
#25 God's patience: the kind exercised as I stumble along and grow -- sometimes so slowly
#26 God's perfect peace: inner calmness and surety in the midst of a storm
#27 The village: a reminder to me that Jesus is EVERYTHING I need
#28 Rest: when all my burdens are taken straight to Jesus
#29 Forgiveness: Jesus' healing and cleansing of all my unrighteousness
#30 Confidence: the kind that is unshakable because it is rooted in the LORD
#31 The sufficiency of Christ: in Him I lack no good thing!

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
James 1:17

Mulungu Angathe (God is able)

2010-06-13T08:14:00.000-07:00

"For nothing will be impossible with God." Luke 1:37

There's a Chichewa song that the African Bible College students sing entitled "Ulemerelo wanu/Angathe" which means "Your Glory/He is able."

I loved it the first time I heard it. . . The harmonies are gorgeous (and the Africans do amazing things with them!), but even more than that, I love the words. They are so simple, yet so big and so comforting to me. I didn't know until recently how the song was translated into English, except for the one part that is actually sung in English at the end: "Our God can do any thing, any time, any way; God can do anything, He never fails."

I think the times it brings me the most comfort are when I've relied on my own strength and then, not surprisingly, feel like everything is impossible. Sometimes at night when my head is on the pillow these words will serve as a lullaby and will sing me to sleep, "My God can do any thing, any time, any way. . . my God can do anything. . . He never fails."

I've known them since I was a child. But, like a child, I need to remind myself more often than I even think to.

God can do anything.

My God can make me see my sin and hate it even more. My God can forgive. My God can keep changing my heart so it becomes more and more like His. My God can keep softening it, molding it, transforming its desires. My God can turn my eyes from worthless things and put them back on Jesus, where they need to be.

My God can change the hearts of my kids and grow them in Him.

My God can save a whole village. My God can save all of Africa. My God can save anybody He chooses.

My God can use a broken vessel to shine His glory in a broken world.

My God can.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately, especially as I think about getting ready to return to the States for the summer. How much He has taught me about my own heart! And how much of a burden He has placed upon my heart for these kids at the school, many of whom I may not ever see again as they will be moving to other countries and attending different international schools. He's placed a burden on my heart for the people in the villages. He's placed a burden on my heart for the world. Sometimes, especially working with children, the fruit just isn't very evident. But God promises me that in the Lord, my labor is never in vain. (I Corinthians 15:58). He can do anything, and His glory will be made known.

Last night my housemate and I had six of the cleaners from the school over for dinner. We were all sitting around the table when a couple of the women started singing praise songs. . . and then they all started singing. . . and one got off her chair and started dancing! And then before I knew it, we were all off our chairs singing and dancing (as much as I could, anyway)! She asked if we knew any Chichewa songs.

"Do you know 'Ulemerelo'?", I ask.

And they sing it beautifully.

I didn't want them to stop. Ever.

I have no reason to ever stop reminding myself that God CAN do anything.

Mulungu angathe. (God is able)

God is able. He is able. He is able. He will not fail.
Mulungu angathe, angathe, angathe; Mulungu angathe salephera.

God can do any thing, any time, any way; God can do anything, He never fails.

Meet (some of) my 8th grade girls!

2010-04-29T08:27:00.000-07:00

We all have different stories. . . but we all are in desperate need of a Savior!

(from left to right: Kaitlin, Yodit, Shannon, Catarina)

KAITLIN (14 yrs)
Where are you from? I am from Nebraska, but I was born in Iowa. I've been in Malawi since 3rd grade (2004). My dad is a missionary doctor at an AIDS clinic here. We are with a mission called SIM. My mom is a counselor.
What do you like to do? I love to swim! I could live in a pool! My favorite subject is math. I love math!
What is your favorite Bible verse? Jeremiah 29:11 because it tells me how God knows everything that's going to happen to me! He loves me that much!
How can I pray for you? You can pray that I would pursue God and draw closer to Him everyday.

YODIT (14 yrs)
Where are you from? I'm from Ethiopia, but I've been in Malawi for six years.
I live in Lilongwe because my dad got a job here.
What do you like to do? I love to hang out with my friends.
What is your favorite Bible verse? My favorite Bible verse is John 3:16 because it makes me feel important.
How can I pray for you? I'm going to Ethiopia during the summer. My family is moving. Pray that the move wouldn't be so hard.

SHANNON (14 yrs)
Where are you from? I'm from Zimbabwe and Malawi. I've been in Malawi for 2 years. I moved away from Zimbabwe because it was corrupt.
What do you like to do? I like to hang out with friends, and I like sports.
What is your favorite Bible verse? I like Proverbs 15:3 because it makes me feel safe wherever I am.
How can I pray for you? Pray that my friends and I won't grow apart and that I'll go back to Zimbabwe one day.

CATARINA (14 yrs)
Where are you from? I'm from Portugal, but I was born in Malawi. I have been in Malawi for 14 years. My dad got a job in Malawi, so that's why I'm living here.
What do you like to do? For fun I like to hang out with friends and go to parties. My favorite subject is recess.
What is your favorite Bible verse? My favorite Bible verse is Proverbs 14:26, because it gives me encouragement to go through life, even in hard times.
How can I pray for you? Pray that I do well at my new school if I have to move.

- - - - -
Please continue to pray for my students and for each one's relationship with the Lord!

Himself

2010-04-24T15:09:00.000-07:00

I was listening to a sermon in which this song was quoted. . . and I loved it. Such a seemingly accurate and beautiful picture of how when we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ our desires shift from wanting the blessings and gifts of Christ to intensely desiring the precious Christ Himself -- and then having the confidence that, indeed, He is our own!

HIMSELF
by A. B. Simpson

Once it was the blessing, Now it is the Lord;
Once it was the feeling, Now it is His Word.
Once His gifts I wanted, Now the Giver own;
Once I sought for healing, Now Himself alone.

All in all forever
Only Christ I'll sing
Everything is in Christ
And Christ is everything

Once 'twas painful trying, Now 'tis perfect trust;
Once a half salvation, Now the uttermost.
Once 'twas ceaseless holding, Now He holds me fast;
Once 'twas constant drifting, Now my anchor's cast.

Once 'twas busy planning, Now 'tis trustful prayer;
Once 'twas anxious caring, Now He has the care.
Once 'twas what I wanted, Now what Jesus says;
Once 'twas constant asking, Now 'tis ceaseless praise.

Once it was my working, His it hence shall be;
Once I tried to use Him, Now He uses me.
Once the power I wanted, Now the Mighty One;
Once for self I labored, Now for Him alone.

Once I hoped in Jesus, Now I know He's mine;
Once my lamps were dying, Now they brightly shine.
Once for death I waited, Now His coming hail;
And my hopes are anchored, Safe within the veil.

"I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine " Song of Solomon 6:3

Happy Birthday, Daddy!!!

2010-04-21T04:49:00.000-07:00

Thank you for demonstrating my heavenly Father's love and wisdom to me in so many ways! I miss you and love you, Daddy! I wish I could be there to celebrate with you, but know that I've been thinking about you and thanking God for you throughout this special day! I hope you have a very, very happy and blessed birthday! My 8th grade class wanted to wish you a very happy birthday, too!

I thank my God in all my remembrance of you. . .
Philippians 1:3a

Point Them to Christ

2010-04-17T12:41:00.000-07:00

We just completed the first week of the last school term!

The kids and I are continually praying for perseverance and endurance as we trek through these final weeks. I would also really appreciate prayer as some parent-teacher conferences are scheduled for next week.

I keep praying, in addition to their understanding the math, that my students would see Christ. I was gratefully reminded by a Paul Washer message that our knowledge and love for Him explains Him with a glory that the superficial does not understand. May we know Him and love Him more so that we may find all our satisfaction in Him. . . but, also, that others know Him and love Him, too, and He gets all the glory!

"Point men to Christ. If you're a missionary, if you're a member of [a] church, if you're witnessing to people in your factory or in your business or in your schools, point them to Christ, to Christ, to Christ! Magnify Christ! That is one of the reasons why you should know Him deeply -- so you can love Him deeply -- and in knowing and loving Him deeply you can explain Him to others with a glory that the superficial does not understand."

For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
I Timothy 4:10

I Need to Be So Utterly God's

2010-04-05T11:12:00.000-07:00

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Romans 12:1

I found this during the weekend and was very humbled and convicted. May He give us the courage and grace to surrender every facet of our lives to Him!

Helen Roseveare, a missionary doctor to the Congo for twenty years, writes:

"To be a living sacrifice will involve all of my time. God wants me to live every minute for Him in accordance with His will and purpose. . . No time can be considered as my own, or as 'off-duty' or 'free.' . . .
To be a living sacrifice will involve all of my possessions. . . All should be available to God for the furtherance of His Kingdom. My money is His. . . He has the right to direct the spending of each penny. . . I must consider that I own nothing. All is God's, and what I have, I have on trust from Him, to be used as He wishes.
To be a living sacrifice will involve all of myself. My will and my emotions, my health and vitality, my thinking and activities all are to be available to God, to be employed as He chooses, to reveal Himself to others. Should He see that someone would be helped to know Him through my being ill, I accept ill health and weakness. I have no right to demand what we call good health. . . All rights are His -- to direct my living so that He can most clearly reveal Himself through me.
God has the right, then, to choose my job, and where I work, to choose my companions, and my friends. . .
To be a living sacrifice will involve all my love. . . I relinquish the right to choose whom I will love and how, giving the Lord the right to choose for me. . . Whether I have a life partner or not is wholly His to decide, and I accept gladly His best will for my life. I must bring all the areas of my affections to the Lord for His control, for here, above all else, I need to sacrifice my right to choose for myself. . .
I need to be so utterly God's that He can use me or hide me, as He chooses, as an arrow in His hand or in His quiver. I will ask no questions: I relinquish all rights to Him who desires my supreme good. He knows best. "

Hungry to Grow

2010-03-28T09:17:00.000-07:00

Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation -- if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
I Peter 2:2-3

School is out for two weeks for Easter Break!

Last week we were given extended homeroom periods to help the students understand why we celebrate Easter. I really enjoyed spending time contemplating and discussing the significance of the gospel with them. They asked such great questions!

Easter gets more meaningful every year as Christ just keeps getting more and more beautiful. But, then again. . .is Christ really getting more beautiful? He has always been that beautiful, and will always be that beautiful -- the type of beautiful that I can't really wrap my mind around. He has always perfectly been about the Father's will, perfectly radiated His glory, perfectly shown unfathomable love to poor, broken, miserable, undeserving sinners. . .
So, it must be my marred understanding of him that is changing as God, in His mercy, grows me and opens my eyes to behold more and more of Jesus. And the more I see, the more I want and need this beautiful Jesus! And the more I want and see my need to grow!

I was really reminded of growth today.

It had been a while since I'd spent time at the Crisis Nursery. I have been thinking of Teresa a lot lately. She was the first baby I held there -- and I will never forget her. She was so tiny, and her eyes so full of fear. It broke my heart. Today I was excited to see the babies. . . but especially little Teresa!

When I walked inside, I didn't see her in the main play area. So, I ran to the room where she usually sleeps. I still didn't see her! I panicked, and ran up to one of the workers, asking if Teresa was still there! She laughed, and said, "Yes, she's in the big room."

I went back to the main play area, and I couldn't believe it! I had definitely seen her earlier, but I had not recognized her because she had grown so much!

And though this is physical growth, it was a beautiful picture of God's mercy and grace in growing his children spiritually. So I praised Him for little Teresa's physical growth and prayed for her spiritual growth! And then prayed that He would grow me more and more in the grace and knowledge of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (2 Peter 3:18)

Mom, what do you think about a 7th child????

Too Wonderful for Words

2010-03-07T12:32:00.000-08:00

Psalm 40:5
You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us;
none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told.

One of my favorite things about reading through Psalms is the way it seems like the psalmists are peeking into my own heart and transforming what I never would have been able to articulate in just plain old words into beautiful poetry. My heart gets so excited. . . "I'm not the only one that has felt like this? It is said so perfectly -- and I didn't know how to verbally explain it, but that is exactly what I am feeling! Amen and amen!"

I came to this particular portion of Psalm 40 today, and my heart became really excited as I resonated with David! Verse 5 struck the chord. . .

During these last few weeks, especially, God's goodness has been driving me crazy! And when I say that, I mean it in a good way. Every morning at school I have homeroom with my 8th graders. . . and every morning I try to share with them just how good and wonderful and glorious is the LORD. I want them to see just how beautiful He is, that they may treasure Him!

But it doesn't matter how hard I try. . . Anything I say, more could always be said. It would really be quite frustrating if it were not so wonderful!

Today I had an opportunity to speak to the women in Maria's village -- same thing! How oh how can I proclaim how wonderful my Savior is when there is more than can be told?

And that's why I love how David states it. In the same way my heart says: "O LORD my God, I will proclaim and tell of your wondrous deeds! I will proclaim and tell of your thoughts toward me! But, they are more than can be told because there is nothing in the world that even compares with you."

And so, it's really wonderful.
Wonderful because that's my God. His goodness can never be exhausted. . .
He is, literally, too wonderful for words.

Maria's Village

2010-02-06T04:12:00.000-08:00

Psalm 1:1-2
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!

To My Knees

2010-02-01T03:59:00.000-08:00

Jesus says:
"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!"
Matthew 7:7-11

Thank you, Mr. Watt, for blessing me with your music once again!
This song has been such an encouragement for me to get on my knees.
May it encourage us all to pray more fervently!

TO MY KNEES
by John Watt

I am but a blade of grass that's blowing in the breeze,
In the sun I'm growing fast but in the dark I freeze;
The sun shines on my time alone spent praying to my Lord,
But darkness reigns when I'm off somewhere to seek my own reward.

CHORUS:
Lord, I am the strongest when my own strength fades away,
I know I see the clearest when I close my eyes to pray,
And Father, I am the tallest when You bring me to my knees,
So bring me to my knees, Lord, today
Bring me to my knees, Lord, to pray.

Often I am overcome with burdens and with fears,
Heaven seems so far away, and I wonder if God hears,
Then I hear a still, small voice that calls me from within,
That says, "I'll never leave you, nor forsake you, even to the end".

Thoughts On the Word of Life, Death, and Putting All Into His Hand

2010-01-30T00:30:00.000-08:00

Every day after school a woman named Maria comes into my classroom to clean. I've really enjoyed getting to know her. Usually I'm grading or closing up the classroom -- and so while we are both doing our jobs, we get to chat for a bit.

The first day we met I had asked Maria about her village. She was telling me about the church in her village. I had asked her specifically about the Bible situation. She told me there were just a few Bibles circulating through the village. She said she was very blessed to have her own, but most of the people had to take turns with them, and not all of the people even knew how to read.

My heart sank. . . The way that Christianity has been spreading through the villages is very encouraging in some ways -- but in other ways it is very discouraging. Many of the villages have combined aspects of the traditional Chewa religion with parts of Christianity. So some of the villages that claim to be Christian are still involved with witchcraft and superstition, not understanding the true essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ. So, when I hear stories about not enough Bibles going around, it makes me feel sick. . . How are people to get understanding unless they are continually being fed by the Word?

I had told her several weeks ago that I wanted to get my hands on some Bibles for the village. Since then we hadn't really run into each other, and Christmas break came up. It had been a while since we'd talked. Yesterday she was heating water in the teacher lounge, and we started talking about the Bibles again. She lit up when I asked her if she'd be willing to go get them with me sometime next week. . . and then told me something that I'm still having a hard time swallowing.

Maria told me that she had mentioned to one of her friends at the village the possibility of more Bibles coming. She said that her friend had just passed away, but she had been really excited. Maria knew she would have been happy to have seen the Bibles! I hadn't even thought of a death occuring in the time period it would take me to find the Bibles. The only thing that brings me comfort is that as her friend waited for the Word of God she was granted her hope in the fullest sense in that she gets to meet face-to-face with the Jesus, the Word of God.

Life is so short. . . Back in December the chief of the village (where we work with the children) passed away. A couple of weeks after that, one of my students wept and wept on my shoulders because her cousin had died from a type of flu that couldn't be treated. After break, another one of my students asked me to pray because her 2-yr-old cousin had died on Christmas Day. Maria's friend, walking on the side of the road and getting hit by an oncoming vehicle. . . Pictures of Haiti's quake and Ethiopian Airlines plane crash flash on my computer screen.

Conviction. He tells me my life is but a vapor! What am I doing with every moment of my time. . . that time which is a gift from Him meant to be spent for Him? What am I holding on to? Am I living first and foremost for Christ, seeking to glorify Him and honor Him in everything during every second? Am I seeing people as dying people and loving them like dying people? Christ snatched me out of the fires of hell. . . So I have to ask myself if knowing this is not even enough to make me love Him so much more and tell everyone that I encounter that they too can be snatched out and saved?

I stumbled upon some more Spurgeon, reminding me to resign all to Christ:

"...Let us learn to set loose by our dearest friends that we have on earth. Let us love them—love them we may, love them we should—but let us always learn to love them as dying things. Oh, build not your nest on any of these trees for they are all marked for the axe. 'Set not your affections on things on earth,' for the things of earth must leave you and then what will you do when your joy is emptied and the golden bowl which held your mirth shall be dashed to pieces?
Love first and foremost Christ. And when you love others, still love them not as though they were immortal. Love not clay as though it were undying—love not dust as though it were eternal. So hold your friend that you shall not wonder when he vanishes from you. So view the partakers of your life that you will not be amazed when they glide into the land of spirits. See you the disease of mortality on every cheek and write not Eternal upon the creature of an hour.
Take care that you put all your dear ones into God’s hand. You have put your soul there, put them there. You can trust Him for temporals for yourself, trust your jewels with Him. Feel that they are not your own, but that they are God’s loans to you—loans which may be recalled at any moment—precious benisons of Heaven of which you are but a tenant at will. Your possessions are never so safe as when you are willing to resign them and you are never so rich as when you put all you have into the hand of God."

Fight for us and with us, O God, that we may love Christ first and foremost and put all we have into Your hand! The fight sometimes seems so hard but You are our strength, the One fighting for us!

The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.
Exodus 14:14

The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation;
this is my God, and I will praise him,
my father's God, and I will exalt him.
The LORD is a man of war;
the LORD is his name.
Exodus 15:2-3

2010-01-26T09:08:00.000-08:00

The second semester is in full swing at the academy! It already seems so different than last semester.

*I now have one semester of teaching under my belt, and I am clued in on some mistakes that, by God's grace, I am not going to make again.
*Some of the students moved away at the end of last semester, but God brought us some more.
*I'm involved in more afternoon activities which is a blessing as there are more opportunities to get to know the kids on a different and more personal level.

I have finished grading the day's assignments, and I am enjoying a quiet evening at home.
All I can hear is the sound of the rain. . . and I love it.
Just last night I was thinking about this passage in Isaiah 27:2-3:
"A pleasant vineyard, sing of it!
I, the LORD, am its keeper;
every moment I water it. . . "

I guess, as I hear the rain I'm not only reminded of God watering the earth, but I am also thinking about something I read recently by Spurgeon in a sermon on the passage I mentioned above:

"He chose us. He bought us. He delights in us. He put His very Glory in pawn concerning us and we may, therefore, be sure beyond all doubt that he will water us to the end. Does He water us every moment? Then let His praise continually be in our mouths. Does He thus care for us? Let us, then, watch for the advance of His cause, the extension of His kingdom, the good of His people. He who is thus watered should water others! If the Lord puts within us a well of Living Water through His Divine watering, then let us give forth to others rivers of Living Water! Yet let not this be our first thought, but rather let us go away crying, 'Lord, make my soul as a watered garden! Saturate my fleece! Fill my vessel to the brim and keep it full forever! Fulfill this Word unto Your servant, upon which You have caused me to hope, and water me every moment, even me.'"

Chanting from the nearest mosque now echoes amidst the noise of the rain. . . and how this makes me more fervently pray that as God so graciously waters my soul, I would "give forth to others rivers of Living Water" -- rivers of Jesus. May all those who don't know Him, know Him -- the All-Satisfying Living Water, the Friend of Tax Collectors and Sinners, the Savior of the World. . .

On this note, please pray for my students, that the Holy Spirit would work mightily in their hearts and turn their eyes to Jesus.
Continue to pray for the village, as well, that God would continue watering the souls of my friends there. Because of the heavy rains we haven't been able to drive the car through the dirt roads for a few weeks. Pray that we would be able to access the village for Bible lessons with the children, soon!
Pray for the college students at ABC, that God would place within their hearts a burden to go into the villages and penetrate them with the true gospel of Jesus Christ. For "whoever drinks of the water that [He] will give him will never be thirsty forever. The water that [He] will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:14)
Pray that God would water us every moment, even us. . .
Pray that the glory of God will be made known more and more throughout the earth!

My Citizenship is in Heaven

2009-12-27T17:25:00.000-08:00

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.
Philippians 3:20-21

If there were one thing I could change on my passport it actually wouldn't be the photo, even though I wish I would have been allowed to smile. :)
I wish it would say somewhere -- and preferably in large, bold letters -- that Katie Dinwiddie is a citizen of Heaven. Anywhere else I am a stranger.

Malawi has been a good reminder that I am indeed a stranger.

One step into a village or market and it's just as if the circus has come to town.
The other week ago my housemate and I were driving our gardener to his hut. When we arrived to his village, a ton of children surrounded our car all saying, "Azungu, azungu, azungu!" (Translation: White people, white people, white people!) They followed us all the way to the hut, repeating this again and again. At some point I decided to have a little fun, and when another "Azungu" came out of their mouths I jerked around, laughed, pointed at myself, and said "Mzungu" (singular form). They laughed and laughed. I'm not sure if it's because they weren't expecting it, or if it's because I sounded funny when I said something in Chichewa. . . or, maybe they were laughing at me for the same reason my "Malawian mother" was -- and I never found out why.

Some of the kids asked one of my friends here if they could see her belly, thinking that since "Azungu" are so pale, they would be able to see our intestines through our skin. :)

And then there was the day I pulled into the petrol station and handed the worker kwacha (Malawi currency) to fill the car and he looks at me like I'm crazy -- "We're out of petrol. I can't fill your car." I guess petrol shortages sometimes happen here? I didn't know. . . and I still don't understand why there are so many different reasons people give when I ask why there is no petrol! Did the president really use it all to fuel his private jet like the newspapers said, or is there a more believable explanation?

And then there was the time while I was teaching math that I discovered that California's thunder is indeed fake. As real thunder cracked the African sky I was a stranger to that, too. My students laughed and laughed at the look on my face while I tried to process what I was hearing: "Miss Dinwiddie, we're not getting attacked. You must be one of those teachers from San Diego. This is just thunder." It was. . . and it was a great opportunity to talk about how even if we were under attack we still would have hope in Jesus, our Righteousness!

Oh, I have more -- you'd better believe it. . . but I think you get the picture.

I'm a stranger. And, since school is out for holidays and I have had a lot of time to spend thinking about it, I've felt a wave of homesickness.

But this is a good wake-up call! These are feelings that should be familiar to me living on earth as a citizen of heaven. People not understanding me and laughing at me -- not necessarily because of culture, but rather because God hasn't chosen yet to shine in their hearts to give the light of the knowledge of His glory in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Cor 4:6) -- so yes, I do seem foolish to them. My lack of understanding -- not necessarily in cultural matters, but spiritual things: now I see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known (1 Cor 13:12). Homesickness -- longing to be with my Heavenly Father in the new Jerusalem. . . .

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." (Revelation 21:2-4)

Lord, because of Jesus I'm a citizen of heaven, so help me to seek the things that are above, where he is. Help me to set my mind on things that are above, and not on things that are on earth. (Colossians 3:1-2)

Stevie

2009-11-28T05:48:00.000-08:00

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! Psalm 98:4

We were jumping rope with the kids at Chitipi Orphanage, and my little friend Stevie turned the jump rope into a mic. He's gonna make a sweet Christian rapper someday! Check it out:

Please pray for the children at Chitipi, that Jesus Christ would be their everything and utterly satisfy them with his beauty and love!

Glimpses of a Weekend in Nkhoma

2009-11-22T08:42:00.000-08:00

"I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth."
Psalm 121:1-2

The LORD, the One who made heaven and earth - who placed the stars in the heavens, who put the clouds in the sky, who created the land we step on, who breathed into man the breath of life - is the mighty, powerful, faithful, and compassionate One who attends to the needs of His own.

This mighty LORD, the God who made heaven and earth, the Holy one, provided a way for sinners to have sweet communion with Him through the gift of His, precious, perfect Son, Jesus Christ.

I lift my eyes to the hills, and am reminded of the Maker of those hills. All the help I need is given to me by Him through the person of His Son Jesus Christ, Savior and Friend of Sinners. . .

This weekend some of the ABCCA teachers went camping with the high school students in Nkhoma, a little less than an hour's drive from the academy. We enjoyed spending the weekend in the middle of the hills, surrounded by His creation.

We hiked up His mountains. . .

Met friends. . . .

Were reminded that He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. . .

Enjoyed being satisfied in Him and all that He is for us in Christ Jesus. . .

"Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mountains of God; your judgements are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD. "

"How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light." Psalm 36:5-9

Thank You, Lord, for Your Word.

2009-11-17T12:26:00.000-08:00

The unfolding of your words gives light;
it imparts understanding to the simple.
Psalm 119:130

Thankful
for the Word of God.

I was so humbled to learn that the village we have been teaching in has only four Bibles.
My heart broke. . . Four Bibles for the entire village. At this point I don't know how many people live in the village, but I do know that we have had around seventy children participating in Saturday Bible lessons. Four Bibles for more than seventy people!

The solution seemed so easy. The village just needed some more Bibles! Then the people could feed their hungry souls and fill themselves with every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. It seemed like a good plan to me. . . until I realized that the majority of the village is illiterate.

This has been so hard to swallow as I think about all the times that I'm constantly being convicted and exhorted and strengthened and encouraged and comforted by the Word of God. We are told that it is pure, it convicts, it sustains, it remains, and hearing comes through it. . .

"The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times." (Psalm 12:6)

"The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12)

"And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD." (Deuteronomy 8:3)

"The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever." (Isaiah 40:8)

"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." (Romans 10:17)

Pray
that we would love God's Word more and more and never take it for granted.
for those who don't have Bibles and/or who don't know how to read.
for arrangements being made for those in the village to attend reading lessons.
that God would be exalted above the heavens, and that His glory would be over all the earth!

-----

A puritan prayer from the Valley of Vision:

O God of Truth,
I thank thee for the holy Scriptures,
their precepts, promises, directions, light.
In them may I learn more of Christ,
be enabled to retain his truth
and have grace to follow it.
Help me to lift up the gates of my soul that he may come in
and show me himself when I search the Scriptures,
for I have no lines to fathom its depths,
no wings to soar to its heights.
By his aid may I be enabled to explore all its truths,
love them with all my heart,
embrace them with all my power,
engraft them into my life.
Bless to my soul all grains of truth garnered from thy Word;
may they take deep root,
be refreshed by heavenly dew,
be ripened by heavenly rays,
be harvested to my joy and thy praise.
Help me to gain profit by what I read,
as treasure beyond all treasure,
a fountain which can replenish my dry heart,
its waters flowing through me as a perennial river
on-drawn by the Holy Spirit.
Enable me to distil from its pages faithful prayer
that grasps the arm of thy omnipotence,
achieves wonders, obtains blessings,
and draws down streams of mercy.
From it show me how my words have often been unfaithful to thee,
injurious to my fellow-men,
empty of grace, full of folly,
dishonouring to my calling.
Then write thy own words upon my heart and inscribe them on my lips;
So shall all glory be to thee in my reading of thy Word!

-----
Mom, forgive me for all the fights I had with you when you wanted me to read more in grade school. Thanks for not letting me win. Now I've seen firsthand why you always said reading was a privilege. I'll tell my kids the same thing, too, someday.

"And I Will Give You a New Heart"

2009-10-31T11:12:00.000-07:00

Ezekiel 36:25-27
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

Hallelujah for the power of God that saves sinners - the power found in the gospel of Jesus Christ!!!
Yesterday God gave me the opportunity to meet some of the people living in one of the villages just a half hour by car from the academy. The chief of this particular village accepted Jesus Christ as His Lord and Savior very recently!
When passing through villages in Malawi it is very common to see gule wamkulu. These are people who perform ritualistic dances that are associated with the religion from the traditional Chewa tribe. They wander about in scary masks and animal skins and/or lots of rags. I haven't tried to take any pictures of them because I hear they may get quite angry. If you google "gule wamkulu" I'm sure you could find some pictures online though.
The chief of the village who just recently came to Christ told the gule wamkulu that this practice would no longer be accepted in the village! And now there is a church in the same place where the gule wamkulu used to perform the ritualistic dances! I love to see the way that God changes peoples' hearts! I love to see how He can transform a whole people group and give them new hearts - hearts of flesh that beat for His glory!!
The people are very new believers and have very many questions. Polygamy is very common in the villages, and this was last week's big Sunday morning topic. If they are Christians, would they need to give up polygamy? And if they did, how would the women be able to take care of the children?
They also want their children to know about Jesus and said they would love for people to come teach their children about the truths of the Bible! Two of the academy teachers, I, and two of the Chichewa-speaking college students from ABC will now, Lord willing, go to their village each Saturday to teach the children more and more about the salvation we have in Christ Jesus!
We met with these precious children yesterday! There were over fifty who greeted us when we arrived. Many of them have never seen an American, so some of them were very scared of us! Others just stared at us with wide eyes. And one little boy plopped himself right into my lap. :) We sang, listened to a Bible story, went through the wonderful message of the gospel. . . Many of the mothers stayed to sing and listen, too!
I am so thankful to God for this opportunity! I thank Him for letting me witness His amazing work and unstoppable power from the gospel of Jesus Christ being displayed in this village! Please pray that God's name would be glorified in this village, in our lessons with the children, in us!
I cannot stop thinking about all the small villages. . . not just in Malawi, but in all of Africa, and all over the world! ALL the villages that need Jesus -some of which have never even heard the name which is above every name! Pray that God would display His power and glory throughout the whole earth!

His Saving Work

2009-10-25T05:04:00.000-07:00

I was reading from Don't Waste Your Life this morning, and this caught my attention:

We Will Not Know Him Fully Outside His Mission
For its own soul the church needs to be involved in missions. We will not know God in his full majesty until we know him moving triumphantly among the nations. We will not admire and praise him as we ought until we see him gathering a company of worshipers for himself from every people group on earth - including all the Muslim and Hindu and Buddhist peoples. Nothing enlarges our vision of God's triumphant grace like the scope of his saving work in history. What a story it is! "I will remember the deeds of the LORD; yes, I will remember your wonders of old. I will ponder all your work, and meditate on your mighty deeds" (Psalm 77:11-12). "Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness!" (Psalm 150:2). "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him" (Romans 15:11, quoting Psalm 117:1)

Please pray with me that we would know God moving triumphantly among the nations and see Him gathering a company of worshipers for Himself from every people group on earth. May His name be glorified!

But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" (Romans 10:14-15)

"The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." (Luke 10:2)

Cookies for Christ

2009-10-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

Romans 10:1
Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.

I love the freedom that we have in Christ to serve Him! Not having to be enslaved to what's "normal". . . not having to be in bondage to what other people think. . . pure freedom to do His will! Freedom to do crazy things for Christ!

It is my prayer that God would place upon the hearts of my students a burden to do anything for Christ! May He place in their hearts compassion for souls - for those who are spiritually destitute. Outside the compound walls are people who need food, who need clothes, who need so much. . . but the one overriding need is a Savior. They need a Savior who will save them from their sins, who will declare them as righteous before a holy God. They need the joy, peace, love, forgiveness, mercy, and hope that can only be found in and through Him. . . They need to know Him and rest in all He has promised His children through Christ. They need the true joy that only comes from doing what man was created to do - to glorify Him and enjoy Him. When it all comes down to it, they need one thing - they need Jesus.

I had invited my 7th-grade girls to come over this morning and make cookies at my house.
We had a blessed time. . . I let each girl have a couple cookies.

Then, we bagged up the rest with Gospel tracts and took them outside the compound!
In Malawi it is very common for men and boys especially to sell things on street corners. . . usually mice-on-a-stick, bananas, chickens, sometimes guinea pigs. . . But we didn't want to sell anything! We wanted to give passerbyers the best news that they would ever hear.
I'm sure we looked funny, which worked to our benefit because every biker or vehicle that passed by actually stopped. OK, so maybe we were the strangest things they'd seen that day, but we had with us the best thing they would hear in their entire lifetimes!
"We have a cookie for you!" Most of the people would kindly tell us that they didn't have any money. "No, no, no. . . we're not selling anything! It's a gift for you! And we also have something SO much better than this cookie - the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's greater than anything else in the world!"
They would gladly take the cookie and the tract, thank us, and then vroom off. When all the cookies were gone we walked back to my house. . . Each girl prayed for specific people we had encountered - that God would work in their hearts and even use these tracts to do mighty things for His glory.
"Ms. Dinwiddie, we really thought you were crazy when you told us we were going to do this, but you know. . . this cookie for Christ thing is so much fun! Do you think we can come over every Saturday and pass out cookies for Christ?"
This made my day!

Please continue to pray for my students as God works in them and through them! Pray that they would have an increased desire to serve Him. Pray that they would remember the lost souls all around them. Pray for all of the people who gladly accepted our cookies and Gospel tracts - that God would do amazing things through them. And pray that His glory would be made known in all places at all times!

Do All to the Glory of God!

2009-10-04T05:32:00.000-07:00

I Corinthians 10:31
So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Please pray that God would use me to encourage all of my students to do math for His glory! Pray that His name would be exalted at the school, in my classroom, in the efforts of the students, in math. . . May He be known, may we be found in Him. . .

I have been so proud of my seventh graders! Many of them have struggled with math, but last week they worked very hard. . . and their tests were a pleasure to grade! We celebrated by having a cookie party after class. They liked that. :)

God has really blessed me just in this last week alone with more and more opportunities to spend time with these students and to get to know them better. Tomorrow several of the girls will be coming over to my house to hang out. They love spending time with and getting attention from people who are older than they are. Please pray that God would help me as I serve. Pray that He would give me a heart for these kids. Pray that He would give me the grace to honor Him by loving and serving these students and sharing with them the treasure of Jesus Christ! Pray that I would know Him more and love Him more - that I would be a good example to these children, and that He would be glorified and magnified and exalted!
My prayer for these children is that they would be found in him, that they would know him, that they would become like him, and that God would break their hearts with the things that break His.

Philippians 3:7-11

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith - that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

God is in Control!

2009-10-02T22:01:00.000-07:00

The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps. Proverbs 16:9

Sometimes I just love the ways we are reminded of things!

Yesterday I was driving home from the market during the most difficult time to be caught on the roads. Around 5 p.m. traffic starts picking up and you not only find yourself in a long line of cars, but most of the people who have been selling produce bike or walk home on the side of the road right next to your car leaving just a few inches between them and you. In addition there are those who are still out selling mice-on-a-stick and bananas. . .and if you get too distracted watching all that's happening on the sidelines you forget to pay attention to the potholes!

I'll be honest! I'm still not completely comfortable with this stick shift stuff, and I still stall out quite frequently. . .especially on uphill stops. So, I'm in the line of cars yesterday on an incline in the traffic I've described. And I stall. And I start feeling just a little stressed.
But when I look out the window I can't help but to laugh from a joyful reminder! On the car in front of me is this bumper sticker that says RELAX in big letters. Then, underneath, God is in control.

The realization that He is in control of all things is always the best and most comforting when it meets face-to-face with the realization that we are not in control no matter how hard we may try to be! Guess we've just got to be broken to be healed!

Aren't ya grateful that He is in control of all things, including our salvation. . . that because of Jesus we have that privilege of resting, or, "relaxing" in knowing that God is in control?

Blessed

2009-09-26T20:53:00.000-07:00

Blessed are the people whose God is the LORD!
Psalm 145:15b

If our God is the LORD, then we are automatically blessed and will be blessed no matter what! It's so powerfully encouraging. I have been comforted this week as I have been constantly reminded of this again and again.

This week has been one of those crazy kind of weeks! As in, it has felt like a year! Not because it was bad at all - God always proves Himself faithful! Just because so much has happened in the last few days - the amount of things that would seem to happen over the course of a year. . . :)

Here's a quick rundown:
Wednesday - Major rat infestation in the house! We have detected them in almost every room, and noticed they've made a mess of our kitchen cabinets!
Thursday - Exterminator falls through my ceiling! He's OK, though he asked to be taken to the hospital because he was experiencing some pain near his ribs. The hole is now repatched.
Friday morning - Fire at school. Everybody is safe, nothing damaged
Friday afternoon- My housemate and I are hit by a flatbed semi at the gas station. We're OK!
Friday evening- I am followed home by a young woman who ends up in our house. The guards are on the watch, and nothing has happened!

So Saturday I decide to let my mind rest a little, and go love on the babes.
They remind me that no matter what happens, in Christ we are blessed! I will trust in His hesed and I will rejoice in the salvation He has provided! So I pray that I'll be more dependent on Him, and we praise Him:

There's a new baby at the nursery:

What a cutie.

So, now it's time for a new week. And I'm blessed! And I will be blessed with all He is, has been, and will continue to be for me.
Why? Because my God is the LORD!

Amazing Love

2009-09-18T15:27:00.000-07:00

Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. . .

Friday afternoon.

School gets out at 1:10.

At 1:30 some of the teachers take the middle school girls to Chitipi orphanage where we have prayer, a Bible lesson, a craft, and a game for the children.

This year we are focusing on the fruit of the Spirit.
Today we talked about love.
We love because he first loved us. (I John 4:19)
And He loved us in the greatest way possible:
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lays down his life for his friends. (John 15:13)
. . . which is what Jesus did. . .but while we were enemies of God!
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person - though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die - but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (Romans 5:6-10)Then God has demonstrated, by sending Jesus to die, wonderful, amazing, unfathomable love, which we are called to emulate:
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:34-35) One of the many reasons I enjoy spending time at Chitipi: I'm always encouraged to see the love the orphans have for one another! It's such a great reminder of what a testimony to Christ our love for one another can be! Last week we were playing a game after craft. . . We were all standing in a circle. I was right next to little Zionee and her friend, one of the girls who suffers from AIDS. We were all having so much fun. They were giggling like little girls do. Then during the game, I noticed they had left the circle. I scanned around for them, and realized they were standing off to the side. Zionee was vigorously scratching her friend's hand. I couldn't make out what they were saying, because they were speaking in Chichewa. As I came closer, I realized little Zionee was worried because there was a splinter in the older girl's hand. She spent the next several minutes determined to get it out, and even sacrificed the game she was playing (and enjoying!) to help her friend. . . It was really sweet! I witness little acts of love like this all the time at Chitipi. . . and it melts my heart!
May we as God's people love each other because He loved us first.
And may others know that we are followers of Christ by our love!

Rejoice in Him, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation! (Romans 5:11)
And praise and thank Him that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from His love in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

Happy in Jesus

2009-09-14T20:37:00.000-07:00

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness. . .
Isaiah 52:7

Happiness. . .
Whenever I hear that word now, I always think of my friend Happy at Chitipi, a home for orphans. He is happy because he has heard good news of happiness! He has been crowned with steadfast love and mercy by his heavenly Father. His soul constantly remembers the benefits of the LORD. The joy of the LORD is his strength.
God's children have so much to be happy for because of Jesus!
Happy has really been a blessing to me, as have all the children! I remember blogging a little bit about Happy a couple of weeks ago and wanted to share this picture of him. Be encouraged and know that you are loved as you remember all of the benefits of the LORD! And as you think of all these, be happy in Jesus!

This Friday a couple of the teachers from ABCCA and I will be taking some of the students to Chitipi again for outreach. I'll be leading a lesson on God's love. Pray that all of us would understand more and more what is the breadth and length and height and depth of the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge! Pray for Happy and the rest of the children at Chitipi, that God would continue working in and through them.

Be happy in Jesus . . . there is none like him!

PALIBE WOFANA NDI YESU. . . There is none like Jesus
PALIBE WOFANA NDI YESU
PALIBE WOFANA NDI YESU
SADZAPEZEKANSO

NDA YENDA YENDA. . . . . . . I've traveled all over
Konse konse
NDAZUNGULIRA . . . . . . . I've gone round and round
Konse konse
NDAFUNA FUNA. . . . . . . I've searched and searched
Konse konse
SADZAPEZEKANSO. . . . . . . Forget about it!

Your mercy flows like a river wide
And healing comes from Your hands
Suffering children are safe in Your arms
There is none like You

In His Care

2009-09-09T19:29:00.000-07:00

Psalm 50:10-11
For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine.
This morning I took attendance. . . Afterwards we always have a short devotional, and then I let the kids share anything on their hearts so we can carry our burdens to Jesus in prayer. I took several requests, and was just about ready to pray when I heard one of the quieter girls. "Ms. Dinwiddie?"
"Yes, Catarina?"
"Ms. Dinwiddie. . ." Her voice was so serious. "The gardener found baby hedgehogs. Could you just pray that God would take care of them while they are so little? You know, just that he would protect them while they are babies?"
This threw me off guard for just a second. I'd taken requests for the students absent because of malaria, friends who had been asked to leave the country, and now. . . baby hedgehogs?
But I had to smile.
Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. And the ravens; they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them!
Surely baby hedgehogs aren't forgotten by Him either.
So we closed our eyes and bowed our heads and we prayed for those baby hedgehogs.
We thanked God that He cares about His creation. We thanked Him for showing us that He cares about sparrows and ravens and hedgehogs because it reveals how much more He cares about His own children who are created in His image! We thanked God for the way He takes care of us - how He provides us with everything we need, because of Jesus.
Later this afternoon I was sitting at my desk, grading stacks of math problems.
"Ms. Dinwiddie?" I look up and see Catarina and her friends walking toward me. "Have you ever held a baby hedgehog?" I could honestly say I hadn't.
Within a few minutes they had carried one up to my classroom and put it in my hands.
Yes, the little hedgehog that God created and cares for.
What a great reminder that, "Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours."

"To Such Belongs the Kingdom of Heaven"; Pictures from the Crisis Nursery

2009-09-05T18:56:00.000-07:00

"Weak and wounded sinner
Lost and left to die
O, raise your head, for love is passing by
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus and live!

Now your burden's lifted
And carried far away
And precious blood has washed away the stain, so
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus and live!

And like a newborn baby
Don't be afraid to crawl
And remember when you walk
Sometimes we fall...so
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus and live!

Sometimes the way is lonely
And steep and filled with pain

So if your sky is dark and pours the rain, then
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus and live!

O, and when the love spills over
And music fills the night
And when you can't contain your joy inside, then
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus and live!

And with your final heartbeat
Kiss the world goodbye
Then go in peace, and laugh on Glory's side, and
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus and live!" (Come to Jesus, by Chris Rice)

...but Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven."

Pursuing a Passion for Christ!

2009-09-05T09:34:00.000-07:00

2 Timothy 2:22
So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.

Note: My kids wanted to greet you from Malawi! If you click on the picture to the right, you may be able to read the notes that some of my 7th and 8th grade girls wrote to you all after school! :)

Passion is the theme in chapel this year for my 7th, 8th, and 9th graders at ABC Christian Academy.
Pastor Sean Kampondeni came and spoke to the children on Thursday. . .
"Kids, what are you passionate about? What do you just love?"
All the middle school girls shouted out that they loved chocolate, and the boys started arguing about their favorite sports teams.
Sean encouraged them to remember 2T22 (2 Timothy 2:22) and to flee from any passions that would distract them from or lessen their passion for Christ.

We have everything in Christ! Yet we continually seek joy in things apart from the all-satisfying, unceasing Fountain of living water that is available to us all the time. Why do we so often just sip when we could drown ourselves in all He is and has to offer! Pray that God would fill us with desires to come to the Fountain and to be flooded with all of the good things He offers to us in Christ!

On Friday afternoons we take some of the students from ABC out to one of the COTN (Children of the Nations) orphanages in Chitipi: http://www.cotni.org
We encourage them to make new friends and share Jesus with them. There are about thirty-five children living at this orphanage, all around the ages of three to eighteen. Yesterday we talked about the fruit of the Spirit with the kids, helped them make posters with verses, and then we played a game.
I spent a lot of time with a little boy named Happy who is happy and never stops smiling. His happiness serves as a good reminder to me that I should be rejoicing always because Jesus has saved my soul and I have everything in Christ!
Please pray for the kids at Chitipi as well as the ones who have a heart to serve there. And pray that God would cultivate in the hearts of all the children a passion for Christ!

Pray that in His timing the children, when asked what their greatest passion is, will unashamedly shout out, "I love Jesus Christ! I'm passionate for God and for His glory!"

Isaiah 55:1-2
Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.

Dependent on Him!

2009-08-30T12:55:00.000-07:00

On Saturday I drove (Yes!) to the Crisis Nursery, a work of Ministry of Hope: http://www.ministryofhope.org/

The Crisis Nursery takes in babies who are at the point of death. Each baby has a unique story - some are HIV positive, some are orphaned, and all of them are starving for attention. Some will stay until they are adopted; others will stay until their parents can afford to take care of them.

Volunteers are welcome anytime to love the babies, play with them, feed them, pray over them. . .
My heart is still weeping. When I arrived to the nursery, there were eighteen babies waiting to be held, all in the same room! One of the fulltime workers handed me Teresa, a 3-week old. She is very new to the nursery. Her mom just passed away, and she will be at the nursery until her daddy can afford to take care of her. She was so helpless! Her eyes were so full of fear. There was no sound from her crying, but big tear drops trickled out of her little eyes, and rolled all the way down her tiny face. I gave her a bottle, which she drank up very fast. Then I hugged her tightly, and she fell asleep on me!

These little babies are so helpless and dependent.
And that's just how we are.

Dependent on our heavenly Father for everything.
Grace? Most definitely.
Love? Positively.
His promises? Yes and amen!
His forgiveness, His mercy, His faithfulness, His compassion. . . His Son, our Savior.
Salvation.

Pray for these babes! Pray for the plight they are in. And while doing so, remember the plight you were in! Remember God's mercy and His love in which 'he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ. . .' (Ephesians 1:4-6)
We're not to be babes in our thinking (I Corinthians 14:20), but we are to depend on Him as a baby would! Flee to Him, cry to Him, pour out your heart to Him, seek Him for your needs. . .depend on Him. He cares for and loves His own!

Mom, what would you say if I stepped off the airplane with, oh, a few little Malawians?

To Him Be Glory Forever!

2009-08-26T13:30:00.000-07:00

Psalm 104:31
May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works. . .

We were made by Him and for Him!

For His purposes, for His glory! It really doesn't get any better than that because He is our joy! We are His workmanship - may He rejoice in what He has created!
And He will, because we are new creations in Christ. The King will desire our beauty because He sees the righteousness of Jesus! He will rejoice in us, too.

This is such a glorious thing to remember all the time.
Some things get boring if you think about them too long. . . But, not this! May this be a life-long, heart-felt prayer: that the glory of the LORD will endure forever and that He would rejoice in His works!

So, that's what I've been thinking about a lot. . . Glorifying Him in all I do! (And rejoicing in the fact that He is rejoicing in me!) Everyone at ABC wears lots of hats - there are a lot of different things to glorify Him in! I've been kept pretty busy here - and I love it! On week day mornings there are staff devotions at 6:45 a.m., which the staff takes turns leading. Then I lead the 8th graders in their devotions, teach math and manage study halls for most of the morning, recess duty on Mondays, and after-school math tutoring in the afternoons. There are also afternoon activities beginning next week. I am one of the beginning swimming instructors for the little children. Bible studies and get-togethers at my house with the middle school girls will start up soon. . . and I just found out I might be needed as a pianist for the college's choir!

The funniest part to me is all the speaking I've been doing! My public speaking professor from college would not stop laughing if she knew all this was going on because I used to get so nervous before my speeches! Between all the lectures, devotions, testimonies, etc., I've probably said more words in this last week than I have my entire life. =) And it's not even scary anymore! So be prepared if I don't stop talking when I return. . . I'm getting really good at filling in extra time!

I'm so grateful for this opportunity that God has given me to glorify Him.
Remember, we were made by Him and for Him!
May His glory endure forever -- may He be glorified through you, through me, through all His works, "For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen." Romans 11:36

Morning By Morning New Mercies I See. . .

2009-08-24T19:52:00.000-07:00

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

Exactly one week ago from today I arrived in Lilongwe, Malawi after a safe 40-hour-long journey! And now, exactly today began my new teaching experience as the middle school math teacher at ABC Christian Academy for the 2009-2010 school year.

Something that I've been pondering a lot today is just how merciful God really is. Because of His mercy I have eternity to spend with Jesus, spared from the fires of hell! And in Christ, I have countless spiritual blessings and an amazing inheritance (Ephesians 1). Therefore, any other mercy that comes to me in this life is a mercy on top of the greatest mercy ever bestowed! So even if God didn't shower me with mercies as I travel, mercies as I teach, mercies of providing for me a God-honoring family, food, clothing, and shelter, etc., He would still be more merciful than I could ever fathom. It really is unbelievable, unfathomable mercy. . . like mercy to the power of infinity! ;)

But sometimes I find myself so ungrateful, or unaware, even, of all of the extra little blessings and mercies around me.
Ultimate evidence: Today my alarm clock goes off at 5 a.m. I jump out of bed, and race to the light switch so I can see. I flick the switch and nothing happens. Flick it again, and still nothing. "Oh great", I think. . . "Of all days -- the first day of school -- for power to go out." And what's convicting? I can't believe I'm more concerned with the electricity than thanking Him for the greatest mercy already given to me: namely, the gift of His Son. . . And while relishing in that, I could have thanked Him for those extra mercies like electricity, the bed that I jumped out of, the working legs that jumped out of the bed, the law of gravity which ensured me landing on the floor. . . the floor itself, my brain which allowed me to think of what to do. . . I could keep going but you'd never finish this blog posting. Seriously.

Another day full of those extra kind of mercies in addition to all that we already have in Christ. . . 7 - 8am: Greet new students and parents -- gracious, friendly people! They love checking out the new middle school building, so I meet several meandering through my classroom!
8-8:15: My classroom is declared homeroom for the seventeen 8th graders. I get to pray with them and help them start their school day! I love the 8th graders. Well-behaved? Yes. Hyper? Definitely. Fun? Absolutely.
8:15-9: 7th, 8th, and 9th graders come into my classroom in separate 10 to 15 minute rotations. First, introductions! I really want to get to know the students. A good place to start would be learning names. I have them write their names on the whiteboard and stand underneath so I can get pictures of faces with names! The thirteen 7th graders are shy as this is their first year in middle school. 9th graders are all tall boys! But, they're OK with that and remain respectful.
9-10: Final school assembly in the gym. . . and then dismissal.

First day of school is already over.
Short day and teeming with extra mercies.
I love the kids already.

May we thank God first and foremost for the Cross and for all the spiritual blessings that we have through Jesus!

And while doing so, may we remember to thank Him for all those extra mercies, too; like, electricity and well-behaved children.

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!

2009-08-23T11:07:00.000-07:00

More from Piper's Let the Nations Be Glad. . .

"The beauty and power of praise that will come to the Lord from the diversity of the nations are greater than the beauty and power that would come to Him if the chorus of the redeemed were culturally uniform. The reason for this can be seen in the analogy of a choir. More depth of beauty is felt from a choir that sings in parts than from a choir that only sings in unison. Unity in diversity is more beautiful and more powerful than the unity of uniformity. This carries over to the untold differences that exist between the peoples of the world. When their diversity unites in worship to God, the beauty of their praise will echo the depth and greatness of God's beauty far more exceedingly than if the redeemed were from only one or just a few different people groups."

Worshiping in another language always reminds me of this. . . and makes me excited!

This morning I visited one of the churches off the compound that has both a service in English, and then an hour later one in Chichewa.
The English service was very small - maybe fifteen Malawians and a few missionaries from the U.S., U.K., and New Zealand. We sang familiar songs: "Lord, I Lift Your Name On High", "Shout to the Lord", "Isn't He?", and then there was a short message on Exodus 14:14- "The LORD will fight for you, and you only have to be silent."
I'll be honest with you - I probably understood about half of it, because I'm still picking up the ear for the English here. . .but it is coming, just like driving stick on the other side of the road! :)
After the service I enjoyed meeting new people and watching the children who had set up mats outside and gathered around their Sunday school teachers. They were clapping and singing praise songs in Chichewa - it was precious! Little hearts that love the Lord melt my heart.
When it was time for the Chichewa service I started walking into the building and heard beautiful singing in Chichewa echoing through the church - so many gorgeous harmonies! And I thought about Piper's quote. English worship and Chichewa worship are only 2 of the choir parts.
May all His people, His full choir, blend together beautifully to echo the depths of His beauty this day. . . . and forevermore!

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!
Psalm 67:3

"You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

2009-08-22T14:58:00.000-07:00

During the last couple of days we teachers from ABC Christian Academy have been spending a lot of time in our classrooms, eagerly preparing for the first day of school this coming Monday! Today, bulletin boards were hung in my classroom. I so enjoyed decorating the room for the kids!

I hung math formulas, symbols, and definitions. . .
But, Deuternomy 6:6-9 kept coming to mind:
And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

This encouraged me to write out and hang lots of Bible verses on the walls of my classroom as well, lest the children forget the LORD while we learn about math! And the more I thought about it, I figured it wasn't a bad strategy for good behavior since 'the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.' (Hebrews 4:12)

I was thinking. . . I would love to find Bible wallpaper such that a whole book of the Bible could fit, spread out, onto one wall! Imagine that! I'll take the book of Psalms for my bedroom!
Until I get that figured out, construction paper and markers suffice for the classroom . . . :)

By God's grace, everything is ready to roll. . .and I can't wait to see what God will do for His glory this school year!

In the fear of the LORD one has strong confidence...
Proverbs 14:26

"...and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation..."

2009-08-20T15:07:00.000-07:00

"God is pursuing with omnipotent passion a worldwide purpose of gathering joyful worshipers for Himself from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. He has an inexhaustible enthusiasm for the supremacy of His name among the nations." -John Piper, from Let the Nations Be Glad

My classroom is on the second level of the new middle school building!
Right now the room is full of empty desks, but on Monday, Lord willing, they will be occupied by my math students from 12 different nations: Malawi, Philippines, Cameroon, United Kingdom, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, United States, Korea, Nigeria, Netherlands, New Zealand, and Canada!
Right now I only have names to pray for - I can't wait to meet and build relationships with the children that God will bring to my classroom this school year!

Revelation 5:9 - And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation...."

Praise the LORD!!!!

2009-08-19T15:26:00.000-07:00

From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised!
Psalm 113:3

Since the sun rises and sets at different times all around the world, there will be someone who is awake to praise Him all the time!
African sunsets are gorgeous. . . I love to go right outside my house at 5:15 p.m. to

be a spectator of the heavens declaring His glory!

Note: Photos can't capture the beauty of it all. Neither can we grasp how glorious He is!! Some things are just beyond cameras. . .and us. :)

My First Full Day in Malawi

2009-08-18T15:01:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, August 18th

Just before sunrise:
I am awakened by the droning of a call to morning prayer drifting from the speakers outside the nearest mosque. God's heart is breaking. There is so much spiritual and physical poverty. I don't think there is a better reminder for me than right now to pray for the lost.

Pity the nations, O our God!
Constrain the earth to come;
Send Thy victorious Word abroad,
And bring the strangers home.

8:30 a.m. Pick up the keys to my classroom from the Administration Office. Meet with the curriculum coordinator to go over a few things. My roles (starting the 24th): 7th, 8th, 9th grade math teacher, manage study hall periods, after-school tutor, mentor for the middle school girls (leading lots of Bible studies, coffee dates, frequent get-togethers at my place -- this is actually a part of my job description, and I love it!!)

9:00 a.m. Group devotions on 1 Corinthians 10:31: So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Amen!

9:30 a.m. Orientation for new faculty! We learn about the history of ABC, our internet connection, and important health issues. Time to make a trip to the clinic to pick up my malaria meds.

1:00 p.m. Lunch break -- raided Whitney's leftovers since I haven't gotten to the grocery store yet! First I have to learn how to drive stick.

2:30 p.m. New faculty has been asked to participate in a scavenger hunt at the market. We learn about Malawi currency (kwacha) and how to barter. It's culturally inappropriate to take pictures of the Malawi people without asking first. Sadly, a lot of people don't want their pictures taken.

the local meat market

women selling food at the market

basket vendors

5:00 p.m. Dinner at the Chinchens!

12:30 a.m. Time for bed! Psalm 127:2 It is vain that you rise up early, and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.

Math, Missions, Malawi, and the Sovereignty and Mercy of God

2009-08-07T20:06:00.000-07:00

To you, to you who come to God in prayer, the sovereignty always goes like this:"I will have mercy on that sinner, though [she] does not deserve it, though in [her] there is no merit; yet because I can do as I will with My own, I will bless [her], I will make [her] My child, and I will accept [her]. [She] will be Mine in the day when I make up My jewels." (Spurgeon)

God is merciful! And since He is merciful, I can be glad that He is in control of all things. I can rest in His sovereignty because of His mercy -- for in His mercy He rescued me by seeking me out. He bought me with the precious, priceless blood of Jesus. In His mercy He revealed to me and has proven again and again His wisdom and love and faithfulness and goodness. Knowing that He is indeed all of these things perfectly, I would want no other to be in control of everything.

How convicting it is, then, when I find that I'm not wholeheartedly trusting the One who is so worthy of all my trust! Through the last several months God has really challenged me in this area. Do I just believe in God? Or, do I actually believe Him when He tells me "Katie, I am working out all things for your good and for My glory"?

For the last several years there has been a burden in my heart to "declare God's glory among the nations." Since January I began to actively pursue different mission opportunities. By February I had applied for an internship with MTW to work with street children in Acapulco, Mexico. By March I was told that the ministry in Acapulco was undergoing a lot of transition and for this, my application would be sent to Peru. I waited and waited to learn that the mission in Peru didn't need an intern at that time. My application was then sent to Honduras. I actually flew out to Honduras in May to learn more about the mission there, but decided that there would be a better fit for me somewhere else, in God's timing.

I was getting so discouraged! I wanted to serve God in missions, but I felt that every opportunity for ministry had been closed. Instead of trusting God, I limited Him to the opportunities that had already fallen through. In May I graduated from SDSU with a B.A. in Mathematics. Once again, I questioned how God could ever use math on the mission field.

By the end of July I thought I should be applying for jobs here since it looked like I would be staying in San Diego. I love children, and thought I would enjoy tutoring math. Maybe I could do some sort of "math tutor evangelism." I hopped on Craigslist and searched "math" under "jobs." The first thing I came across was a job opportunity at a Christian academy in Malawi through African Bible Colleges. The academy was seeking a middle school math teacher for 7th, 8th, and 9th grades for the 2009-10 school year! After inquiring, I was encouraged to apply. I then found out that the people I had been in contact with are in the same denomination as I am (PCA), the curriculum that the school uses is the same math curriculum that I used from K-12, and the statewide recruiter lives just minutes away from me!

Things began moving at lightning speed. I watched in awe as God paved the way for me to serve Him in Malawi. And, I began to see how much trust I had lacked during these last few months especially. Every detail had been sovereignly orchestrated in ways greater than I could ever have imagined. In spite of my plans and my questioning and my lack of trust, He has provided me with an opportunity to declare His glory in Malawi.

My heart aches as I'm convicted of my own disbelief in a mighty God, but at the same time it is overflowing with joy in a merciful God who loves me and counts me righteous not on the basis of anything I have done but on the merits of Another Who never sinned-- Jesus, my Savior.

Lord willing I will depart from San Diego on August 15th to arrive in Lilongwe, Malawi on the 17th.

Please join me in praising Him for this opportunity He has provided! Plead with me that His glory would be made known to the Malawians and that the message of the gospel would penetrate many hearts! Pray that I would be able to build relationships with my students and their families that would lead to many discipling and witnessing opportunities for His glory.

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

Ephesians 3:20