mother's day

Today is Mother's Day in Malawi. I love my kids. Here are a few photos of  JJ and Georgia in our yard. The beauty of the campus is something we really appreciate. There is a mango tree in the front yard and papaya trees in the back.

student life and returning graduates

Last friday the junior class sponsored a singing competition. The sophomores took the prize. It was great to hear Malawian popular music as well as some traditional Chichewa songs.

I sat with new professor, Limbikani Kamlongera.  Limbi is an ABC graduate who is finishing her doctorate in Education from a university in the US. She is so helpful to me as I adjust to Malawian culture, and gracious to answer all of my questions.  I'm thankful that God has so quickly brought me a friend.

Please pray for Limbi as she has made incredible sacrifices to return to Malawi and SERVE.  It's not always typical for students who study in the US to return. What a blessing to have her back.

 Limbi and I enjoying the concert

 JJ with the student body

 Freshmen Class

 Joseph -jazz pianist

 Linda conducting the seniors

Reading Day

JJ is in a 4 year old reception class.  This past Friday was "Reading Day." Each child dressed as his favorite storybook character. We brought a Captain Hook costume, but as you will see from the photos, JJ changed his mind. (he found a book about baseball....and dressed accordingly)

 a baseball player

 ABCCA Reading Day Assembly

 little spectator

 JJ's Class

Brian, Luntah, and JJ

Happy Birthday

Yesterday was Jonathan's birthday. We ate amazing indian food and celebrated with friends. This picture was taken before our conversation about all the cobra encounters on campus. If possible, our faces were even more white after that. (thanks kelly)

Music Theory

I never loved learning music theory in college, but it has been a JOY to teach. I'm sharing the class with my colleague, Kelly. He teaches 1 day of written theory and I've been doing 1 day of ear training. Over 40 students are registered for this course.  Their interest in learning to read and notate music comes from a culture with rich singing traditions, and yet for almost all of them, college is their first introduction to formal music training.

Kelly and I are pushing them. We start with lines and spaces-but are moving at a decent pace for beginners. It's thrilling to see them compose, even on a small scale.

I am learning some Chichewa music- so as to give them a context for their solfa (do, re mi, etc..) but am also sharing from the western music tradition.  It's especially sweet to see their eagerness to take what they learn to their churches. Many direct or participate in church music where they are considered the music "expert" because of their education at ABC.  Our relationships with the students are growing closer. Please pray for us as we encourage these young Malawian believers.

3 hours on a cement slab

This morning we traveled to Madisi. Anold Saka, a sophomore at ABC, is the pastor of this CCAP(church of central africa presbyterian) congregation. Jonathan and I both have him for classes. He pastors over 6000 congregants in 26 different "prayer houses"  Jonathan was invited to give the sermon for the communion service, which followed the 3 hour morning service. 

The church building couldn't hold all the people. There must have been close to 1000 packed into this cross shaped sanctuary. We squeezed together, sitting on cement "curbs" for pews.  We heard the Lord's Prayer and the Apostles Creed professed in Chichewa. What an incredible feeling of unity to be surrounded by Malawians who share our faith in Christ.  Four choirs sang, including a children's choir of over 70. 

The communion service felt like an early church experience. Some were dressed in all white, and there was quiet singing of  hymns throughout.

There are multiple challenges facing the CCAP, some of which I mentioned in the last post. Please continue to pray for congregations such as these, whose needs are staggering. Please also pray for Pastor Saka and his family who are serving so sacrificially.

Georgia exploring Pastor Saka's house

(yes, that is an egg )

She found the chicken

inside the packed church

JJ and Janelle after church

nsima, rice, and beef

Enock(an amazing bass singer and junior at ABC) taught us how to open bottles without an opener!

outside the church

Jonathan walking back for the afternoon communion service

new perspective on AIDS

Our neighbors, Connie and Kelly Dehnert, were invited by a former student and pastor to come and lead a marriage seminar for his village church elders and their wives. The following is an excerpt from their latest update letter:

"...we met at the dining hall for lunch today(with the village pastor) to discuss issues that they struggle with in their marriages and had some fascinating information presented to us...."  

     "There are a number of traditional religious practices that make for many problems.  Among those is the view that if parents engage in sex when their daughter is pregnant (the entire pregnancy) she or the child may die in childbirth.  In addition, if a couple has hens and the hens are sitting on eggs, the couple should not have sex, because this will hinder the production of the hens. As you can imagine there is a significant amount of going outside the marriage by the man and partly because of this, Malawi ranks quite high in the HIV-AIDS scourge. "

     "There are many fears people live with here, based upon these beliefs. We hope that the gospel and biblical teaching will be a comfort to them."

Jonathan and I are traveling with the Dehnerts to visit this village church on Sunday. Jonathan will be preaching for the communion service. Please pray for this CCAP (Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian) congregation, that they would know the power of the gospel and will move from fear to freedom in Christ.