New Canaan Church

Written by Martha Klyn and Shelissa Verwoert

Visiting the New Canaan Church (Church that Gerrit and Gretchen attend regularly) on Sunday was a very special experience.

We were warmly welcomed in the church yard by the Reverend and his wife, as well as other friendly church goers. Many Malawians must travel a long distance to church, so they like to hold one longer service per Sunday.

The service began with a few Westminster Catechism questions dealing with the two ways God executes his decrees, in Creation and His providence. One takeaway being that while we rely on materials and time to build a house for example, God created all out of nothing in six days.

The Reverend went on to preach about the Canaanitish women. We were able to follow along as everything was said in both languages. After singing some Chichewan Psalms and listening to the New Canaan Church choir we were invited to introduce ourselves.

Once the service ended we were invited back into the church building to enjoy a warm lunch, as is the custom when guests come to visit. We were uncertain of what exactly we would be eating, but the white rice, cooked cabbage, and chicken were very delicious!

We’d also like to take a moment to thank our welcoming hosts Florus, Janneke, and Bep for making us feel so at home in a land so far away. Your hospitality in picking us up, driving us around, preparing a delicious meal for us when we arrived, preparing the house, debriefing with us, and so much more is all very much appreciated!

At this time we have also completed our first day of Vacation Bible school. We look forward to telling you about it in our next blog post.