We have now been in Malawi for 14 weeks. As we move toward winter in the Southern Hemisphere it is getting cooler and that is a blessing. Beth is teaching 2nd grade full time and it is truly a time-consuming job but she is enjoying being with the kids.
Beth gets to be on the “front lines” of ministry as she interacts directly with the children in her class. There are several nationalities represented by the children in her class including Malawi, Korea, India, The Philippines, Zimbabwe, and the USA.
It is certainly keeping her busy but she enjoys being with the kids and she says that some of them give good hugs. Stephen is one of only two children in the class who live on the campus of ABC. The others all live in the surrounding community. She does enjoy being with the kids and she says that some of them give good hugs.
My role is a bit farther from the “front lines” of ministry but I do believe that the finances are a foundational piece of the ministry and it is important for the financial management to be sound so that other parts of the ministry can effectively be carried out. However, this week I’ll have some additional opportunities to interact with the college students as this next week is Spiritual Emphasis Week. Today, Monday, is a national holiday (Labor Day) but on the other weekdays, the normal college schedule is suspended and the college students and staff will be engaged in worship, prayer, and hearing the Word preached by Bob Botsford, pastor of Horizon Christian Fellowship Church in San Diego. People from the community are also invited to attend the evening services. There will be daily morning devotional/prayer times and I will be hosting one of the group’s (of about a dozen students) in our house for these times.
Davie, the guy with whom I work most closely with in the office, is a young Malawian man who is getting married to Constance on Saturday. This will be our first wedding in Malawi (or anywhere outside the Unites States for that matter) and ought to be an interesting experience.
In March, Kelly Dehnert, the music professor here at ABC, led a group of students on a musical tour in the United States. The group is called “Mingoli” (meaning “beautiful sound” in Chichewa, the language spoken in Malawi). This was the first time ABC had done something like this and it was very well received. It was a great opportunity for some of these African students to share with churches and other groups and to challenge the perception of Africans as being only needy and in want and having nothing to offer the world. Certainly there is great physical poverty in Africa but the people are made in God’s image and they have many gifts and talents. This tour was a neat opportunity for them to glorify God by sharing some of their musical talent.
These are some direct quotes from some of Kelly Dehnert’s updates over the last several weeks:
So, on return we now need to work through some of the angst it creates to go into another country that is not your own. One comment upon return was that they didn’t know their country was so “backward”. The first reaction is to simply hate your own country and see only the good in the newly experienced country and no good in your own. It is hard to process through the failings and strengths of both countries…because they both DO have failings and strengths. It once again brings me around to the recognition that we cross cultures to bring the gospel to bear on both our own culture and our neighbor’s and it challenges us both. It also helps to remember this world is NOT our home.
After this tour I became all the more convinced of our need to stand beside our brothers and sisters insisting that God has made them and they have abilities and talents that come from Him. It is not in their best interest for us to become their paternal providers. They don’t need more of that from the West. They need training and encouragement. Their talents were really on display on this tour!
One of the Mingoli members is currently working to raise the funds necessary to start a piano studio for children. She is a fine musician and is seeking to fulfill the cultural mandate God has given each of us. She is not seeking handouts, but “working with her own hands what is good” that she can provide the only such music training in Lilongwe. It is very exciting to talk to her and see her eagerness to be trained to apply the gospel to all she does.
If you are interested in hearing what Mingoli sounds like, follow this link and if you choose to purchase any of the tracks the proceeds go to benefit the ministry of ABC. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/Mingoli
Finally, there are several positions for which we have need. If you or someone you know is feeling God’s call to missions, please pray about the possibility of serving at ABC.
· Elementary school teachers for next school year
· A facilities/maintenance manager
· Doctors (options for both short-term and long-term service are available)
· Mass Communications Lecturer
· Athletic Director (starting Fall 2011)
If God is calling you to missions but none of these positions seem like you, contact me anyway. You might be surprised how God will use your gifts!
Prayer Items :
Praise
· For God’s continued work through the various ministries of ABC, especially for the successful Mingoli tour to the United States
· For Beth’s adjustment back into full time teaching after a lot of years off
· For the good way that the family has adjusted to life in Malawi
Requests
· For God’s blessing on Spiritual Emphasis Week – that students, staff, and members of the community who hear the Word would be blessed
· For Davie and Constance’s wedding on Saturday and their marriage – that the wedding would go well and that they would model a biblical marriage
· For a strong finish to the school year for Beth and the kids as well as the college students.
Thank you for your continuing prayers and support.
Missionarily,
Dan ~ For the Trumble Family
Beth’s 2nd Grade Class
Trumble kids with the banner for Spiritual Emphasis Week
Ever wondered what happens to a glass Fanta bottle if left in the freezer for too long?
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