Step into joy

The evening before our departure for Malawi already had an African feel to it. Amanda was in the shower, praising the Lord for the wonderful hot showers in the Netherlands. She turned on the tap and… only cold water came out. We had to laugh. The water pressure in the boiler turned out to be too low. We were already getting a taste of Africa.
So we praised the Lord for a working kettle and washed ourselves with a cup of hot water from a bucket.
God encourages us to be thankful. Not as a tedious duty, but as a way to protect our hearts, so that we can live our lives in freedom.

Several curious people wonder what it’s like here in Malawi.
To begin with, everything is very familiar to us.
For example, the smell of charcoal that you regularly smell. The overcrowded, rattling minibuses that transport people like sardines over the dusty, bumpy dirt roads. The wooden huts that serve as small shops along the road. Here and there, radios blaring African music. The unusual bird sounds in the morning. The giggling people when an azungu (white person) says hello to them. Well, it’s all part of it and it makes us smile. We are back on African soil.

Upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed by Byson and his wife. They had prepared a meal for us, which we were expected to eat alone. They themselves sat somewhere else to wait until we were finished. As a down-to-earth Dutch person, this made us feel uncomfortable, but it is an African custom to show respect. Fortunately, we were able to break this custom after a few days.

Byson is the leader of a small church and will be spending the next few months with us, traveling and translating. He is a friendly, humble man and eager to learn. So he is very enthusiastic about the time we will be spending together.

Last Sunday, we could share the word in his small church. In the morning, you find yourself climbing a mountain along a winding goat path, passing small houses until you reach Byson’s small church with its thatched roof. The people were very honored that white Christians came to visit them in this poor part of town.

This week is still relatively quiet for us. We are taking this time for further preparation for the conference that starts on Saturday and to get to know Byson better.
We are also still waiting for our luggage. Unfortunately, due to overbooked flights, it seems to be common practice not to put all luggage in the airplane. Together with 10 others, we waited in vain for all our suitcases. So now we are temporarily living with what we have, one set of clothes and a toothbrush.
Well, there’s another practical lesson in gratitude. What do I choose? Do I step into joy or do I let myself be guided by circumstances? Are circumstances getting the better of me, or am I getting the better of circumstances?

As far as we are concerned, we choose God’s way and the freedom that comes with it. And just as the now popular song says:
I’ve got JOY!! (click here to listen to the song)

Remain in My peace, remain in Me; My Word must be in you, that makes you free.