Your will be done

Update #2

"Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."
I Corinthians 12:27

The conference has been completed today. After months of preparation
and a week of application, we can breathe.

Just to offer some specifics, the issues discussed were: child rights,
gender-based violence issues, education, and property grabbing. Legal
and counseling aid and information was all tailored to those specific
topics. On the final day, it was planned to offer individual
counseling opportunities. The Malawian Human Rights Resource Center,
local police, Victim Support Unit and the Village Heads and Chiefs all
collaborated to take the conference from being an idea to a reality.
Those resources, as well as hundreds of adults and youth from the
village were present.

I wish I had the opportunity to sit and share the joy in the
experience, but I will do my best to communicate.

The goal, as mentioned before, was to provide sustainable means of
informing the village of their rights and offering them aid to meet
those needs. As, an American team, have no means of staying
indefinitely, it seemed lofty. However, the Lord does far more than we
could hope for or imagine.

As we have spent time living and walking with the local African Bible
College students, our awareness of God's kingdom only extended. This
group of students, initially asked to be translators, became the
bearers of truth in the conference. Our team was able to observe
transformational empowerment firsthand. These students, at first timid
and slightly apprehensive about their role, have become
justice-offering forces. The most exciting part is that these students
will continue to visit the village every Friday in order to empower
the locals in hopes to maintain an encouraging relationship.




My counterpart is a wonderful man named Timothy, more commonly known as "Peaceman," because he offers God's peace in all situations. As the counseling piece progressed, it became evident that the men and women be split in order to tailor the info to fit each group. I, a young, single, American woman, could not give the Domestic violence cycle and male affirmation to hundreds of Malawian men. Peaceman steeped up. He not only tackled the cycle, but also shared coping strategies, conflict resolution and safety strategies. Although I could only observe from afar, his passion and charisma echoed. I do not believe I have ever been so proud of anyone.

In summary, the conference was supported and praised by those that
attended and seemed to spark communication between the people in the
village. Individuals were reminded of their worth, and lasting
relationships were established.


I want to leave you with a story. A young man stood up and asked a question on behalf of a young woman in the school. He said, "Girls in the village ar scared to go to school because teachers are sexual with them. What do we do?"


This story is often true. These girls are then ripped of their education and never given the opportunity to embrace their skills and worth.


So we, I, will continue to work to fight this.



"I would have lost heart had I not believed I would see the goodness
of the Lord in the land of the living. Be strong, take heart, and wait
on the Lord."
Psalm 23