Blog 2

Psalms 98:4-6 NIV

[4] Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth, burst into jubilant song with music;

[5] make music to the Lord with the harp, with the harp and the sound of singing,

[6] with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn— shout for joy before the Lord, the King.

Today we had the privilege of joining the Dzaleka UMC congregation in praising God. There wasn’t a harp, but the drums, singing and dancing led to a heart moving experience. The people embodied the spirit of praising God with jubilant song and dance. Their enthusiasm was contagious, putting rhythm into the feet and hands of our own group.  That brick building, nestled on a dirt street in the middle of a refugee camp, provides so much hope. Hope that could easily have been buried beneath poverty and food insecurities. Instead that hope and the light of God shines throughout the building and into the streets. The main message was provided by our very own, John Patrick. He impressed us all with his ability to give a full message in Swahili, leaving the translator to translate into English for us. I left the church with love in my heart and a new image of how it looks to praise God with your whole heart, mind, and soul.

Our next stop was back to the hotel to use the bathroom and eat our PB&J sandwiches. Once those were consumed, we hopped back onto our pink bus and set off to meet with the Opulence team. We were met with a warm and friendly welcome song. The team was waiting for us on the front porch of their beautiful community library.

The Opulence team blew me away (I feel safe in assuming the rest of the team felt the same) with their presentations and projects.  Their dedication to the community and the people  is outstanding. We learned about Food Security, Permaculture, Village Savings and Loans, Solar Village for Quality Education, the start of their early childhood development project- Nurturing Spaces, and their new community library. So much is being done, my mind is having a hard time wrapping around it. I look forward to becoming more educated on all of the topics tomorrow.

As I write this, the southern cross constellation is above me, the bumpy dirt road is below me, and new friends are  surrounding me.  I am truely blessed to be here, in Malawi, surrounded by the greatness and goodness of God.

https://bible.com/bible/111/psa.98.6.NIV

Video_2