March Update

In case you don't get my update emails, here is this month's.

Dear My Wonderful and Cherished Friends and Family,

Six months to go.

Six months left to share my life with the African people.

Six months left to tell someone else about Jesus here in Malawi.

Six months left to hold orphaned babies, eat nsima, & speak Tumbuka.

Six months until my life is turned upside-down again.

Please lift me up to the Father these last six months. I know they will be incredibly hard, rewarding, exciting, and tearful. 

Please lift up my gardener's family and night guard. It seems like they will never come to know the True Way, but I know I can keep Asking for them.

Please lift me up as I start to consider my life after Africa. What to do? Where to live? These are weighing heavy on my heart.

Please lift up the Ngoni people that we work with each Sunday. Ask that they will grow in their Walk with Him and that they will be a growing body of Followers.

Praise Him that I've gotten to talk more with Maureen.

Praise Him that I got to share the Good News with a lady at my gate. 

Praise Him I have recovered from another bout with Malaria.

Praise Him that I was allowed to fellowship with over 150 other M's last week...to hear all the AMAZING things HE is doing all across Africa! Praise Him!!

School continues on with the boys, and it so encouraging to see how much they've grown. Jeremy is now reading, Joel can write in beautiful cursive, and Nathanel is a multiplication whiz! 

Some of my dear, dear friends left this month. They were an older couple who helped run and manage the Crisis Nursery. They invited me over to their house when I first arrived for movies and cookies (made with chocolate chips and brown sugar!) but also to listen as I shared my fears and my triumphs. They were so incredibly encouraging. Darlene was a member of our tea group, so her presence will be sorely missed. They have gone back home to spend time with grandkids. You can be lifting them up during their time of transition: Paul and Darlene.

I have also found that you mark your time here by events...things to look forward to. The thing that we have been looking forward to for months now is Annual Cluster Meeting! (in other words, all of our company's "m's" from the surrounding countries get together for a week at the lake and talk about what He's doing). There were volunteers from the US there to lead us in worship and teach us the Word in ENGLISH! In fact, I can say that is the most I've been "fed"  since I've left the States. It was wonderful! The bummer part was that what should have taken us just a simple 8 hour drive turned into a 36 hour trip...it has Griswold written all over it. A case of Malaria, 3 breakdowns, lost keys, and so much more! Here's the blog about that one.

Lisa and I have started a Co-Op with the two South African families that live here. Once a month, we get together and do school-oriented activities with our students. We've had our very first one this month, and it went so well!

This month's snippets:

• I've been pursued by more men than I EVER care to...so I wear a fake engagement ring when I go out in public now.
• I rode a camel on the beach with the mountains of Mozambique in the background--AHHH-mazing!
• Drove 2 1/2 hours to get to church, met in an all-grass hut that was packed with Followers, and had one awesome chicken and nsima meal afterwards. I love Sundays like that!
• Drove 2 hours to try to find a church we heard was there, but found out they disbanded some time ago. So while the Laffoons went off in search of the old church leaders, I stayed back in the very small town and played with kids, talked with women, and just got to share time with them. An hour later, I had a lot of new friends, and hopefully brothers and sisters in Him in the future! I love Sundays like that!
• Pretty sure I was given the ribs? or something around where the chicken heart is...because I had to eat around some awfully large arteries or something. It was pretty interesting. I let Anna Marie have the heart. :)

Love you all incredibly much.

Love to hear from you and would love to know how to lift you up!

Live each day for Him.

See who you can show the Son to today.

Love,

Lauren