Malawi Day 5

6/23/13

            I have been learning what rest looks like, a slower pace of life where taking Sabbath is not frowned upon. The guilt I feel for resting will hopefully fade away eventually. Sleep, reading a good book, taking a walk, and having a lingering meal with someone are things I have come to appreciate.

Yesterday we went to a Medical College in Malawi and were told to go through the women’s dorms and make some friends so that’s exactly what we did. Flood Malawi is looking to host some Sunday night worship services at this Medical College during the month of July, so we were supposed to make some friends and see if coming to an on campus Flood service would be something they’d be interested in. I loved just walking up to girls and introducing myself, a few of them thought my name was a foreign language but once we got past that, college girls are the same all around the world. I eventually felt like I was just chatting with some of my girlfriends about life and school. Luckily for us everyone we talked to was really excited about Flood coming to their school.

Today was our first time attending a Flood Church service. The congregation meets in an old Chinese restaurant called “The Green Restaurant,” the name of the place didn’t reflect their paint choices at all, so that is still a mystery. It was an amazing service that felt a lot like home. We were asked to go up to the front and introduce ourselves, after the sermon many people came to meet us individually. I sat next to a young man named Owen who had just started coming to Flood church and seemed shy but very in love with Jesus. He told me he had been to Flood six times. He came alone and didn’t seem to have any friends or family with him, he told me he didn’t live close and that he took a bus to church which is a common form of transportation here. Please pray for Owen, I hope to see him a church in the coming Sundays.

After church I was introduced to a guy named Harry that looks about my age and is a fashion design student so we already have a coffee date in the works. He showed me the handbags that he had just started sewing himself and I loved them so much, I bought one! He invited me to the church’s entrepreneur ministry/group and I am so excited to go and hopefully help some people with their business plans since I just finished writing my own! I am excited to talk to Harry more and maybe help out his business, or partner with him in the future.

There was an adorable little girl at church that couldn’t have been more that 2 years old and she was wearing what looked like a princess costume dress. I went over to say hi to her after she smiled at me from afar. I ended up on the ground with her playing patty cake and loving every moment of it. I tried to talk to her mom a little bit but was having a hard time understanding her. I realized a few minutes later that she was repeatedly asking me for money. Its times like these when I wish I just had a pot of indispensible money that I could pass out to these people that need it much more than I do. I am so internally conflicted with one side of my brain telling me that if I gave her money I would have to give it to everyone around me who needed a little extra to get by. Then there’s the other side of me that knows that I am so well taken care of, and that really wants to make her day. I thanked her for letting me play with her daughter and slowly walked away.

A few minutes later the interns and I were walking out to the car and as I went to shut my door I see a little boy standing there with his palms open asking for money. I know that I am an easy target because I am a white person but as if my heart hadn’t been through enough this morning I again had to just shut the door like my leader told me to do and I think a little piece of my heart broke. I wanted to help so badly and I know that there is a way I can help the street kids on Malawi without just passing out cash. I was talking to one of the Malawi interns that is at Flood San Diego for the summer named Tim and he is actually starting a clothing company with a friend that wants to provide beanies and socks to the street kids of Malawi. I will hopefully be able to take part in that. I hated having to walk away from needy people today and I still feel like scum for doing it, and maybe I am, but I know for sure that I am a daughter of Jesus but also a sinner. Today I feel like I sinned in my heart but I am constantly praying that God will use me to do His work in ways that use my unique talents. Passing out Kwacha is not a talent. Using my Fashion Merchandising and Business degree to help people create businesses that really do Clothe the Naked is a talent and one that I will use to glorify God and provide for his people.