Family Forest

As soon as I stepped down the airplane steps, back on the African soil it felt as if I had never been gone. Because I worked the day of my departure, I was pretty tired and slept quite a few hours during the night flight across Europe and Africa. After dropping off some luggage my friend and I went straight to Nyenyezi Ministry.

The sound of the never ending choruses of birds, crickets, dogs and drums. The taste of sand in my mouth and the dry dust clogging my nostrils. The bright and hot sunlight streaming down on me. It was all so familiar that I almost didn't notice how different it actually was from the day before. And then meeting ‘family’, the people I shared life with while living in Africa. There is something about it which cannot be explained.

At Nyenyezi Ministry it was busy as usual, children, teachers, mothers, guards and builders (who were busy building a new kitchen). And a new BIG multi-purpose hall. Which came into handy….it started to be filled up with kids and kids and more ….kids!! We counted 1100 that Thursday afternoon. Children’s Bible Club continuous to teach lessons from the Word of God in various ways to the kids of Chinsapo.

left the classrooms, right the new big hall

It was good to have a board meeting and exchange words of appreciation, advice, concern, vision and decision. I also met with Nyenyezi staff, as school was on holiday. We studied Scripture and discussed educational topics like differentiation for slow, medium and fast learners. We practiced with some of the materials I brought. I took them out for a day to a game reserve which they enjoyed very much. I met lots of old friends. We talked as if we hadn’t been separated.

Nyenyezi Teachers Teambuilding activities

The women ministry organized a day of fellowship and Bible teaching. We looked at the life of Mary Magdalene, how her life used to be, how Jesus changed that and how she was the first one to meet the Resurrected Christ. A beautiful story with many applications. Some ladies decided to write their name on the paper cross I brought, to express their desire to follow the Lord. They gave me one of their beautiful homemade doormats.

The moment they stood up and sang Psalm 23 really touched my heart. I felt so united with them. How divers our life circumstances and environments are, through faith we are one in HIM! This is what makes a family. An African proverb says: “A family is like a forest, when you are outside it is dense, when you are inside you see that each tree has its place.” Africa is a dense, vast place…once you get inside you will be blessed to experience unity in all diversity.

psalm 23

music team

Puzzle practice

Name on the cross

Bible study

Tea time

Staff

So far Nyenyezi Ministry Malawi......................Next post will be on Word of Hope, Tanzania!