Independence Day, and the day after it, in Malawi

We the people of the United States .... who are here in Malawi serving Jesus ... have come together to form a more perfect union of servants dedicated to the idea that the name of Jesus will be magnified and proclaimed on this earth.

The 4th of July brought a lot of firsts for Team Malawi. It was our first full day of work. From 7:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. the students were hard at work on the African Bible College campus and in the local village, building a church building and ministering to hundreds of local village kids through songs and Bible teaching. We were especailly excited about the opportunity to tell the kids about Adam and Eve and the nature of sin, as well as the story of Moses and the 10 commandments. Later this week we'll have lessons on Jesus' life and the nature of salvation. Pray for that wonderful evangelistic opportunity.

After the day at work was finished, it was the first time any of us have celebrated Independence Day outside America. The Biedebachs and a few other missionary families hosted a 4th of July celebration on the campus of African Bible College. Our team enjoyed a great barbeque, and some high quality fireworks which may be impossible to find back in the States. At the party there was another first. Jenny Chung twirled a sparkler for the first time in her life. Ironic that this staple of every American's life was first experienced by Jenny IN A FOREIGN COUNTRY. :)

The 4th of July was also the first time the power went out at the Floreen's house. It only lasted a few minutes, but it was enough to disrupt the Internet. Thus, my first day not blogging!

Yesterday after a hard day of work our team gathered together to reflect on what God is doing on this trip. The team had a great, almost two-hour discussion tonight. One of the common themes that came out of this discussion was the privilege of ministry. God doesn't need Team Malawi to accomplish His work here. We get to worship God with our service. That theme has dominated many conversations this week and we are excited to see how the Lord works in our hearts as the trip continues.

Right now, our team is getting ready for Wednesday's day of work. Today we will be continuing our different work projects, then tomorrow Brian Biedebach has an exciting new ministry opportunity for our team. Stay tuned for more details!

Please pray for the continued health of our team (so far so good!). Also pray for our four ministry projects, particularly the opportunitty we have to share the gospel with people in the village. It's thrilling to think that the Lord could use our team to draw someone to Himself.

Until next time,
In Christ,
Corey