All Is Well!

It's Michael here, and I have just left the team in good hands at
Ekwendeni Mission Station. Everyone is in good health and in good
spirits! As I was leaving, the team was meeting with young people at
the Community HIV/AIDS Center, which offers a variety of programs and
service, including a meeting place for after-school activities
designed to keep kids in safe places and out of situations that could
lead to promiscuity, etc. They also provide testing and counseling
for those infected by HIV. Clay is wowing everyone with his saxophone
playing skills, and had a chance to "jam" with the band and the
community center. They only play songs with three or four chords, so
he is hoping to adapt, as well as teach them some new things about
jazz, etc.

Today we also met the General Secretary and his staff, Rev. Levi
Nyondo, as well as visited the Livingstonia Synod AIDS Programme.
Everyone is adjusting to the "pace" of life here, which is quite
different from back home. Tomorrow they will visit the hospital so
Lizzy can get situatied, and on Wednesday they will head out to visit
some community programs designed to educate young people about
HIV/AIDS. The staff at the University of Livingstonia is looking
forward to the students arriving to the Plateau on Friday, and so the
schedule is coming together quite well.

Those who are trying to call the team are encouraged to do so on
Saturdays/Sundays. We are not charged for incoming calls. Text
messages from skype are coming through as well, but we are having
difficulty sending texts out of the country. If you try and call and
no one answers, please know that it is because they are in some sort
of activity at the moment and you should feel free to try back a bit
later.

That's all for now! I leave in the morning for Lilongwe on a bus
(should be exciting!) and arrive home to Tulsa on Thursday evening.
Until then, we have been encouraged to adopt the same posture as the
Apostle Paul from Acts 20:17-24, where he reminds his closest friends
that he served with humility, with tears, and with his presence. At
the core of his message was one of repentance (re-thinking, turning
around) and faith in Jesus Christ, through the rich message of God's
grace. Grace and Peace to those at home!