Zambezi Evangelical Church
The following Sunday came very fast and Kristina and I were really excited to go to church! I started the day off making a water run for the kitchen at 6AM in the morning. Its always a fun thing to do especially when you have to wait about an hour before the women actually allow you to pump your water. Kristina and I had a discussion about how we didn't really believe that we would end up at the African Abraham church but that wherever we ended up that it was where God wanted us to go to Church for the day. We took a van into town and surprisingly we got into town very quickly… normally matolla rides are crazy because you never end up at your destination on time. God has really broken me of my obsession with always having to be on time. We grabbed breakfast at a shop there and asked a bike taxi to take us to African ABraham church. They told us that they knew where it was and that they could take us there. We arrive at the church and what does it say? Zambezi Evengelical church. We both looked at each other and said well this isn't really the church we expected to end up at but okay lets do this.
We sat on the church's steps waiting for people to start arriving. The first woman that walked up to greet us was actually the pastors wife; next the actual pastor of the church walks up to us and says okay so who is going to preach today? I looked at Kristina and of course she accepts the challenge because that is just who she is. She decided to preach about faith without deeds is dead. We went into the church and they had us sit up front on the stage. We were blessed with a translator that spoke very good english so that she could take what Kristina was saying in english and tell the congregation what she was saying chichewa. We even had the opportunity to sing a song in chichewa that one of our friends in Senga Bay had taught us. At the end of the service I was trying to duck out and leave right away because we had a time limit and it 2 hours until we had to be back. We didn't want to be late because of transport or anything else like that. But before I could sneak the pastor's wife invited us to her house to sit down. I thought to myself oh crap here we go again I'm gonna have to eat another meal. But I couldn't disrespect her and leave. We had nsima, greens, and the best part goat intestine. I just sat there confused as to what the meat was that she had put before Kristina and I. So of course I had to as the question what kind of meat is this… I haven't had it before. She then proceeded to tell me that it was goat intestine. And I had to wait to watch her eat it first so that I didn't make a full of myself eating it. Because it looked confusing to eat…. a cylinder, rubbery piece of meat with a hole through the middle of it. I did actually eat it and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The pig intestine I had in the Philippines was worse.
Surprisingly it was one of my favorite days in Malawi. I wish that I would have found Zambezi earlier on in. Because it is such an amazing place and God is obviously moving. A week later I went back because they had invited us to their youth group. We played games with them and sang songs. It is so beautiful the passion the young adults at Zambezi have for God. Its the simple things like getting up and going to town or walking around that I'm going to miss. Even though I had originally thought I didn't really like Malawi. I do, looking back on all the fun times, the hard times, the ups the downs… I wouldn't trade it for anything. I have learned so much and I'm going to miss this. I'm going to miss this lifestyle of relaxation here… of hospitality, of living simply.
