A Not So Quick Note from Troy

Thursday Malawi Update
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Today at 1:56am

I just want to start off this note by thanking everyone for their prayers from back home. We can feel God moving over here every day and we know that it isn’t just us. You all are making a difference through prayer.

Wow, where do I even start? Since I last posted, God has done so many things. Today, Wayne, John, and Prince met with a bunch of people that wish to be baptized this weekend. They wanted to meet with them and see if they were truly changed by God or if they just were agreeing with what we had said when we asked if they wanted salvation. It is really common in Malawi for someone to profess Jesus as their savior, but nothing happens, so they come back the next day and have to do the salvation prayer all over again. So, we are just trying to make sure that the only people baptized are the ones who are true followers of Christ and have been transformed by the loving grace of God.

Since Wayne was gone, our group was a man short. So, we went into the village this morning to meet people throughout Katahela and talk with them about Jesus. So Andrew, Kristina, Alexa, Tammy and I went in as a group and talked with some people. We were a little nervous at first because we didn’t really know how to act without Wayne there, but after we went to the first house, we broke up into two subgroups like we did on Monday.

Tammy and Andrew went to a house and God revealed himself again. All this week, we have been praying that people would be attentive and have questions so that we know that they really care and are learning the message. This morning, Tammy told me that they finally asked questions about the gospel that was presented to them.

Kristina, Alexa, and I went to different houses in the same area and we could feel God moving, as well. We went to a chief’s house and talked with the chief’s wife, two other women, and three young men. Our interpreter, Checaesar, explained as we were walking up to the house that wives of chiefs don’t usually go to church because it is tradition for them to stay behind. So, I was going to share with her 1 John 2:15-18. It reads “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” I wanted to share with her that traditions of this world are not going to mean anything in the scope of eternity. Nothing is permanent, so we need to come to God while we have the chance.

What was frustrating was that when I had this passage ready to tell her, she got up and attended to some other business. So, I shared with everyone who was there and kept on going. But I just felt such a burden for this lady, so when she came back about fifteen minutes later, I turned it back to that page and read it again and said the exact same thing about this world being temporary and the only eternal existence is of God. We talked for fifteen minutes or so and she prayed the prayer of salvation. I’m not sure whether or not the prayer was for real, but God does. We can just pray about it.

There should be much rejoicing, though. Wayne came in and told me a few minutes ago that 47 people are ready for baptism. They interviewed about 55 people to see if they were ready for baptism. 6 chiefs and 3 of the children from this orphanage are going to be baptized.

There is a little boy here named Chimwewe and he is one of the children being baptized. He is so adorable. Shane taught him the quote from the movie “Remember the Titans”. Shane asks, “How strong are you?” Chimwewe yells, “TOO STRONG!!!” It is so adorable. I’ll make sure I get it on video.

Tonight we are having Malawi pizza for dinner. I don’t know what is in it, but it smells amazing. For lunch today, we had chicken, sema, cabbage, and some fried potatoes. It was pretty good stuff. It’s always a blessing to eat with these kids during lunch.

Keep praying about God reaching the villages. There is a lot of spiritual darkness in the village, not to mention poverty, sickness, and hunger. Keep the chiefs in your prayers, as well. The most important thing that they can have here is godly leadership. God is definitely doing a work with the chiefs in this area and many of them have attended every day of Sunday school.

Shane, Lucas, Andrew and I are in the boy’s room when they are doing Bible study. They always ask some pretty thought provoking questions. Here are a few questions that we answered from the boys from the last few nights. See if you can answer them without laughing. Where was Moses’ brother, Aaron, buried? When Jesus had a crowd of people around him and he decided to get on a boat to cross the sea, did the multitude of people get in boats and follow him across to wherever Jesus was going?

After the Bible study we had our share time and then made some coloring books. A few of us went outside and were looking at the stars. Here in Malawi, you can see stars all the way to the horizon. The sky is so clear and the stars are very vivid and clear.

This morning it is almost 8 o'clock, so I should leave for breakfast and our morning devotion. Talk to you all later.

- Troy(from Facebook)