Double Blessings

As I looked over my last post (Khalani Chikondi), I realized that, although I had praised Live Love Malawi as a group, I had ignored the impact they had on me as individuals.  Well, to those of my Malawian friends who find their way to this blog, this one is for you!

Blessings "C" loses at Bawo - again.

This training was a remarkable opportunity to live almost full time with an amazing group of young people.  Our daily schedule was to join them for devotions at 700 AM.  Each day they took turns leading the worship, prayers, and Bible study, and these sweet times with God really set the tone for the day.  We began training after breakfast, and with breaks for energizers and lunch, we finished around 430 PM.  Then we had free time which typically involved a variety of games.  Susan was always looking for challengers in Bawo, a local game that I never did figure out.  Jon had ongoing Monopoly games with several participants.  And Julie was in the midst of the very competitive football (OK, soccer to you Americans) matches on the "pitch" behind our training home.  And yes, Lifewater, we even found time for some lesson prep! After our third (filling) meal together, our team finally headed back to ABC for team devotions around 800 PM.  Thus, we spent about 13 hours with the participants every day!  Even on Sunday of their weekend off, many joined us for worship at a great local international church and a long, lazy afternoon capped by an ice cream social.

With this amount of time, along with their outstanding English and boundless energy and enthusiasm, we made some wonderful friends.  We were blessed with two Blessings - Blessings "C", Live Love's Director,

James and Chris, who always made me feel young.

and Blessings "M", as well as Innocent, who will be a great preacher someday.  There was James the future journalist and Chris the wise-cracking DJ for ABC's radio station, who constantly joked(?) about moving in with Cindy and me in the US.  Duwa, the loving and wise mother of two who dreams of using her life's story to serve as a missionary to transform the lives of others.  Dorothy, the sweet soul with bold spirit.  Tusha, the rapper and football star with a humble, generous heart.  Richard, Vice-Director and our driver, who cut his honeymoon short to join us.  Fiki, who was the behind-the-scenes organizer and constant cheerleader.  Not to forget Augustine, Sharon, Dyana, Pemphero, and Enelless!  There was no "us" and "them".  We were all peers, all friends, all part of the team.

I think that the hardest thing for me to communicate to my US friends and family about these trips is how emotionally and spiritually close we grow to our new friends in such a short time on these trips.  And this trip was the most remarkable in that regard.  I may be Facebook "friends" with some of this gang already, but I'm also true friends with each and every one of them, for all of this life - and the next as well!

A not-so-solemn graduation ceremony to cap off an outstanding training!