People.
Last Saturday, 45 youth (“youth” is a broad term in Malawi, being anyone who is young at heart, though in this case they were between around 15 and 25) from the Dzaleka refugee and Dowa community gathered at our There is Hope ministry center for a poetry workshop! Between the refugee camp and the Malawian host community, there are at LEAST 15 different countries and 13 different languages represented. Wowza, right? In order for everyone to be able to express themselves naturally, we selected the 5 most commonly spoken languages and divided everyone up into groups that would be translated into… Read more >>
Stories.
I’ve had the gift of starting the year “getting to know” people. Seriously, that’s been my job to get to know our work, our team, learn more about Dzaleka refugee camp, and develop relationships. There have absolutely been days when I’m antsy, as I learn to network and live life here, but the days I have spent with new friends, have been beautiful. As friendships begin to develop, I’ve had the honor of sharing conversations about home, life as it is, and dreams of the future. Refugee is a commonly used word, recently, as we hear about the influx of people crossing borders for safety. And,… Read more >>Hope.
It’s officially 2016 in Malawi, friends. I’m welcoming the new year with gratitude and a giant side of relief. It’s been an incredible year, which I’m also totally okay with being over. It was filled with God’s provision and goodness. But also with awkwardness, uncertainty and grief. (Please don’t hear complaints, I am immensely grateful for this year!) As I’ve been thinking about the year to come, this week, I also finished my last book of the year, Becoming the Answer to Our Prayers. In the book, Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove discuss three different prayers and how we can… Read more >>Awkward baby.
Friends, learning to live life in another culture is awkward (fun and exciting, but awkward, nonetheless). And let’s be honest, I’m a little awkward to begin with. It doesn’t seem to matter how prepared you are (or think you are) for the changes and adjustments you’ll make, it doesn’t come without its challenges. A friend once compared cross-cultural living to a baby learning to walk, talk, etc. for the very first time. You’re not always sure where to step, what to say, how to act. You have to learn where to buy your food, how to find a car or place to live and then figure out where to buy… Read more >>