Inspiration and Intercession

On Saturday and Sunday, our missionary hosts took our team to see some of the sights of Malawi. Even though Malawi is one of the poorest nations in the world, it is abundantly rich in natural beauty and splendor. To able to spend uninterrupted time in the midst of God's creation and to marvel and the works of his hands was truly a blessing.

Our first stop took us to Zomba mountain to overlook the original capital of Malawi. The mountain ended up being shrouded in clouds, so the view was limited but we were still able to see the gorgeous waterfalls that cascade their way down the side of the mountain. To see the lush green mountainside and to hear the sound of the water as it made its turbulent journey to the valley below was quite humbling. To consider that God loves us enough that we would create this Earth for our enjoyment leaves me speechless. Exactly how does one express gratitude for such a magnificent and generous act of love?

Our visit to Zomba was followed by a trip to the Liwonde National Park, located on the banks of the Shire River. Almost immediately after we arrived, our group went on a game drive in 4-wheel drive vehicles. While there are none of the big cats in this park, we did see plenty of hippos, monkeys, baboons, wart hogs, impalas, water bucks, elephants, exotic birds and crocodiles. One of our team members, Richard, described it as an "out of body experience." Never in his wildest dreams did he ever think that he would be on a safari in Africa.

We spent the night at the lodge in the park and the next morning offered an optional walking safari at 6:00am (most of us passed on this in favor of additional sleep), followed by breakfast and a boat safari on the Shire River. We were able to get up close looks at hippos and crocodiles. And when I say up close, I mean UP CLOSE.

At one point our boat eased up to the bank where several crocs lay basking in the sun. We were particularly interested in one big croc who was about 18-20 feet long. Our guide warned us not to make any sudden movements so that we would not startle the crocs. By this point we were probably only about 6' from the croc when he leaped into the water at the bow of our boat. As he tried to make his way under the boat he bumped us...hard. While we were never in any danger of going into the water, our boat did rock somewhat and we all suddenly took a very keen interest in our guide's instructions.

We returned to Blantyre late Sunday evening, ready for a week of hard drilling. The time away from Blantyre was beneficial for our team and our wonderful missionary hosts. It allowed all of us to further bond as a team as we continue with the task that God has set before us.

As we prepare for the next five days, I have some prayer requests to share with you:

1. Drilling supplies: we need to find additional square tubing that will be able to withstand the rigors of the drilling process. Ask God to provide the tubing - or the solutions - that will enable us to continue to dig as deep as we need to go to find water.
2. Women's work: Kim and Deanna will soon begin working with the women of the village. In order to do so, there are arrangements that still need to be made for translators. Please pray that the necessary translators will be provided.
3. Local workers: On the second day of drilling, five young men from the village came and joined in with the drilling. While there is a language barrier, the men are eager to help and to learn the skills necessary to begin to provide for their families through this vocation. Pray that our team will be an example of what it means to be a Christ-follower to these young men and that they will desire to honor our Savior in all that they do.
4. Team health: David is experiencing some GI issues but we are hopeful that they will be resolved very soon. Please pray for his rapid healing. Meanwhile, while the rest of the team will be drilling tomorrow, I am headed to see a Malawian dentist on Monday. It seems that I have some sort of impacted tooth that has caused some swelling and discomfort since about Wednesday. I finally swallowed my male pride and decided something needed to be done. As far as a specific prayer request, I am going to see the dentist in Malawi, need I say any more?

Soli Deo gloria,
Michael