Wednesday, September 3, 2014

From Him I'll Gain My Fondest Dream

August 25, 2014

Sorry my email is super late today. We had a zone activity that lasted all day and it was the happiest thing ever. We took a road trip as a zone to an animal reserve called Kuti National Park where we drove around and saw a few zebras and a couple giraffes. It wasn't the African safari that Kenya had, but it was still fun to have a change of scenery and get to see the country side of this country that is becoming so dear to me. Then we got to drive to LAKE MALAWI! It was so amazing. Be still my heart. We got to the shore and it felt like we are at the ocean because the horizon was so vast and no other shores were in sight. I love my zone--they make me laugh so much. And it was just a perfect moment of joy as we drove blasting African gospel music and soaking in every mud house, thatched roof, and finally the sunset. One song that is kind of classic in our sister flat is a gospel song that is essense says "Let it rain. Open the flood gates of heaven". As we listened to that song and drove with the windows down through the beautiful hills of Malawi I felt like the flood gates were open. Christ has given me my fondest dream and continues to pour out so many blessings. How did this happen? I am the happiest little child on the planet. I can't even handle how many blessings are coming to me. Next week I will send pictures of our safare/lake adventure but for now I barely have time to write this email.

As I sit in this little email shop, I am close to a man called Bright. Last week right after I emailed home and walked out of the email shop, he stopped me and said he had waited 40 minutes to talk to me because he saw my tag but didn't want to interupt my emailing. Apparently, he was taught by the sisters a year ago but then moved away for a teaching job in another part of Malawi. Now he is back for a 3 week holiday and of all people to run into he runs into us. It was so orchestrated. Little did I know when I gave my farewell talk on the perfect orchestrations of God that I would be extablishing the theme of my entire mission. We got special permission to teach him and he is so ready for the gospel, it blows my mind. He goes back to his job in a couple weeks but will continue to come back every other weekend. And it turns out where he lives is one of the groups of people gathering to try and establish a branch. Malawi is incredbile because even though the Church is relatively new and small, groups are popping up all over of their own accord without leadership or missionaries. It is so exciting to be a pioneer. Oh, did I mention Bright is an English teacher? Yeah, he is very needed in our little branch.

I got a few letters this past week and one was from myself. The day I left for South Africa I put a letter in the mail to myself, wondering when I would actually have it in my hands again. First off, it proved to me how much slower it is to send letters through Zambia (so send letters to my Malawi address always!), but second, it was amazing to read a message from myself and see my before-mission perspective. One line said, "The Lord loves you so much. Now is your time to show Him how much you love Him." It was a good reminder to have perspective in all that I am doing here.

We have been teaching Chisomo and Innocent (our recent converts that come and teach with us often) English phrases as they help us learn a bit of Chichewa. It is the funniest thing to watch them try to comprehend what, "I'm on cloud 9" and "Raise the roof" mean. Some others we've taught are, "You're a chicken, "You've lost your marbles", "take the bull by the horn", etc. 

Four of our investigators got interviewed for baptism yesterday and will be baptized next Sunday. FOUR! WHAT? I am seriously reeling in awe at how much Heavenly Father is blessing and guiding me. One of those that will be baptized is Daniel who is just the goldenest man on the planet. We were teaching him about the ten commandments and the law of chastity and he said he had one concern (which is always a little scary when teaching commandments). So he asked, "I have a question about charity. Does the church believe that giving blood is a good thing?" It was so random but it also immediately relieved tension and I couldn't stop laughing as he ran to grab his certificate for giving blood 15 times. Ha! He will be a powerful member.

Funny detail about Malawi: their favorite word is "busy". That is their excuse for everything. Even if they can't speak English at all they know that word. Except they say it like "bee-zee". Also, when we come to people's houses they always say, "Get in" to welcome us in but it mostly sounds like a command. Anyway, just little tidbits.

Sorry this email is a little shorter but I have only a few minutes and I need to read a few emails. 

Love you all forever and ever,
Sister Michaela Proctor

P.S. The scripture to memorize this week is Jermiah 1:5

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