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Three Weeks of
Beginnings
We’ve
been in Malawi for 3 weeks now. The
question we keep getting is, “What are
you doing now?”
In
short, we’ve been starting our life and
ministry in Malawi. Here are some
of the things that have been filling our
days:
Learning
about Daily Life
 Since
arriving, we’ve learned where to buy
groceries, how to exchange money, and
where to get the car repaired.
We’ve also figured out basic things like
laundry, drinking water, driving, and
local wildlife. We’ve learned a few
things through trial and error, but the
best way has been making friends that can
answer our dumb questions like: “What is
the dial tone on the telephone SUPPOSED
to sound like?”
Finding a
Vehicle
We
spent a few weeks studying the bulletin
boards around town, making calls, and
asking around. We thank the Lord
for providing a great vehicle for us: a
1991 Toyota Hilux Surf. We bought
it from a missionary woman who is leaving
Malawi in a couple weeks.
Until then, we’re
borrowing the Biedebach’s VW
van.
Looking for
a House
The
house hunt is still on! Like cars,
houses are mostly sold by word-of-mouth,
so we’re asking around and ready to rent
as soon as we find something!
Jumping
into Ministry
Three
days after we arrived, Brian Biedebach
(our ministry partner) flew to South
Africa to rejoin his family until the
birth of their 4th child (due on the
12th!) That gave Matt six days to
organize the next Sunday’s service,
including finding musicians and a
worship leader, and
reworking the audio system. Since
it was our first week, we didn’t know
many people, let alone people with
musical aptitude! But it gave us a
great motivation to make friends quickly,
and we’ve been grateful to find people
who are willing to help serve.
Between the two
of us now, our involvement is already
growing. It includes:
-
Weekly Adult Bible Study
-
Weekly Women’s Bible Study
-
Youth ministry
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Mentoring
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Visitation
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Counseling
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Organizing Sunday services
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Coordinating a women’s event
- And
lots of miscellaneous things!
Overseeing
Construction
We’re
currently staying in the Biedebach’s
home, which is
still being
finished. It’s fun to see
daily progress on the
house and
landscaping! Matt
spends a good part of his day
giving direction and
helping acquire tools and supplies.
Construction workers are busy finishing
the church office, which adjoins the
house.
They’ve finished the
tile floor, and soon
we’ll be moving in the office furniture!
Adjusting
Ourselves
 After
3 weeks, Malawi feels more like home
every day. Besides a few small
challenges, we’ve had a very smooth time
of transitioning here. We’re
thankful to God for being so gracious to
us as we’ve slowly pieced together life,
ministry, and our new
location.
Thanks!
We
are so thankful for your support and
encouragement! We have loved
hearing from many of you via email,
Skype, and Facebook messages! The
Lord has blessed us greatly, and we know
that He has answered your prayers for our
support and transition to life in Malawi!
-
Matt and Rachel
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Floreen
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