outside these walls

I live on the campus of African Bible College and I am very thankful for that. I am surrounded by walls that make me feel safe. I like to feel safe. That is good and right when we're talking about a physical absence of danger kind of safety. The problem that the walls create for me is that I start to feel safe in them, and scared outside of them. Not literally. I mean that I feel safe in my community and my ministry and nowhere else. I shut my eyes and my heart to other things that God may want to use to grow me and use me for His kingdom.

Today I traveled with my friend Lisa and an ABC graduate named Frackson (go ahead say it outloud with a bit of enthusiasm, it's a great name!) to a place a little south of here. She is organizing a team from San Diego to come run a camp for orphans so we went to check out a place. I was struck by the beauty of the country that I've called home for the last year and a half. The sky is so blue, the clouds so white, and the landscape so green. Everything in Malawi is exaggerated. It was a good reminder to get outside the walls. Physically and spiritually.

God takes us out of our comfort zones so that we learn to find comfort in him alone. Please pray for this lesson to take root in my heart.

Merry Christmas from Malawi

Christmas has come and gone yet again. Even though it's 80 degrees and I'm not related to anyone within a few thousand miles, I feel "home for the holidays" as the saying goes. I spent Christmas with the McDonalds again which was a huge blessing and so much fun! I love that family! Here's the run down of Malawi Christmas traditions (it's been more than one year so it counts as tradition).

Christmas Eve: Fried chicken, mashed potatos and corn casserole with the McDonald family, the Jones family and me. Here are the kids getting ready to get their food.

Molly Grace, Sam, Amber Elizabeth, Ford

Sarah Rose, Alice Ann

After dinner we went next door to the Dehnert's house for Christmas carols and wassail. Here is the Robbins family singing away!

Here is the new little guy who has stolen my heart. He was brought to the clinic here on campus when he was about 10 days old. He was born at 32 weeks, they think. He weighed 1 kg (that's about 2 pounds). He is now about 7 weeks old. His name is Clever and is up for adoption. Too bad it's so hard to adopt in Malawi. Please pray that we find him a home and that he doesn't end up being sent to his home village- even though his grandmother already said that she can't take care of him.

unbelievable

I came across this article on my google home page. The question is: How much worse will it get? What a great example of the depravity of man, and the need for a Savior. Please pray for Zim this Christmas season. They need a miracle.

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1867645,00.html?xid=rss-world

Happy Christmas!

We have safely arrived to Christmas holiday. As I look back on the last four months I am so thankful for the way that my class has bonded together and the ways that we have grown to love one another. Here are a few quotes that made me smile.

“Miss Miller, your sound is all gone!” (when I lost my voice)

“God likes all the colors, even pink,” says Michael

“Oh no, my braids will start to stink any minute!” says Lisa after her braids (fake hair) got wet in the rain.

Our memory verse a couple of weeks ago was “The Mighty One has done great things for me, holy is His name” from Mary’s song. The conversation went like this:
Me: Who do you think is talking in our memory verse? It’s someone who is grateful that God has done a miracle for her. It’s someone who is really important in the Christmas story.
Student: Santa!

One of the songs we sang for our Christmas program has a line that says, “without the holy savior’s birth there would be no peace on earth.” One little girl sings it like this, “without the holy savior’s birth there would be a piece of earth.”

Smiles and loves,
Megan