Lessons That Will Stay With Us
Can you imagine being five years old and walking an hour to school each day? Over the past two days, we caught a small glimpse of what daily life is like for many children in Malawi.
Thursday, Zoey and Sophia started the morning by sharing two engaging Bible lessons—Joshua at Jericho and the story of Job. Then Pastor Tsegula joked that we needed to blend in with the local women by buying traditional African wrap skirts.
We happily trekked the long, dirt road to the bustling market, supported by a few staff members to make sure we wouldn’t get lost. Standing in front of an immense array of vibrant, African wraps, the pastor and teachers waited patiently while we took forever to decide what print we wanted and how many.
On Friday, Ruby and Ella shared Bible lessons about David becoming king and the man at the pool of Bethesda, bringing our week at Namitambo to a close. We wrapped up our VBS program with high fives and props from the children.
We were kindly invited to visit both the foster home of 16 children and a home in the nearby village of a beneficiary child who attends the Namitambo child care centre. These visits gave us a deeper understanding of the circumstances some families in this community face and the important role the child care centre plays in supporting them.
We were surprised to learn that nine family members shared the small home. Their hospitality, joy, and gratitude despite challenging circumstances left a lasting impression on us. We pray that this reminder and the importance of gratitude will stay with us when we return home.
Some Timotheos children held our hands and sang with us as we returned to the centre for a staff week closing meeting. The pastor ended the meeting by reading 2 Kings 6 about the borrowed axe falling into the water. He reminded us that our lives are borrowed from God and that we all need the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts to make us strive to live our lives in thankful service to Him.
It was difficult to finally say our goodbyes to the staff and children, especially since we have been so blessed this week by their kindness and commitment. We ended our time together by taking group photos and it was fun to see everyone's enthusiasm for taking photos from every possible angle!
We are thankful to God for giving us patience and strength for the work He called us to do at Namitambo Child Care Centre. We are encouraged to know that God’s Word will continue to be shared through the staff at the centre as we have seen evidence of their dedication and love this week.
It’s been a very exciting and eventful week!!
Written by: Ruby and Sylvia Keuning