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.

Wow, we have been home for two weeks, a whirlwind of activity catching up on things while we were away but I feel like it is important I close out our final days in Malawi with a “quick” blog post. These two weeks at home have seen me busy with the final preparations for the VBS team that is currently on route to Malawi and before they start blogging their experiences I thought I would finish sharing our final days in Malawi.

Monday, July 1st was a incredible meeting day.

We had some wonderful days with our family and the Oomens – special for Ben and Gretchen (cousins) to learn more about each other and spend time together! The children enjoy playing together too!

Saturday we went out for the day with the Oomens – they took us to the wood market, the Blantyre market, People of the Sun store and to get some groceries and we treated them to a little KFC! It was a great day spent together and we ended the day meeting with all the expats and visitors in town for a welcome dinner at a mall food court. This location was chosen so that all the children could join and enjoy as well!

guest blog written by Ranen Korporaal…

Yesterday morning, we went to the center for the last time this trip. As you know we have been working on collecting data for sponsorship updates so we returned to gather data from any children who were absent the previous two days. Most of the Standard 8 children also came yesterday as they have been on holidays while they wait for their exam results!

I am feeling exceptionally blessed to be able to experience Malawi with both Ben and three of our children.

They have all been supporting a child since 2017 and today Katie got to meet hers! What an incredible experience. Beyond words. In 2018 I met Esnat for the first time, an incredibly timid preschooler sobbing on the nursery room floor, exhausted and clearly bothered by something. Today she ran to us, recognizing me from previous trips, with a large hug and incredibly warm smile. So, so special!

“Come on a safari with me.” After an intense week with so many conflicting emotions and mental gymnastics it was good to relax and just be a tourist. Our last organized group event was a safari experience at Mvuu Lodge. The facilities were amazing, the wildlife reserve setting was beautiful, and the creatures we encountered were unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.

What to write? How to express what has all been seen and heard? It’s really not possible. Impressive, beyond comprehension, humbling, and inspiring are just a few words that come to mind.

A Sunday morning church service at the Nunkuyu Reformed Presbyterian Church of Malawi…

Well the ladies have been EXTRA, extra busy in Malawi… with close to 600 children showing up each day for Bible classes and activities they have been busy trying to keep things running smoothly and in an organized fashion. So because of that I am going to add some extra words for them to the pictures they have sent over. We hope they will continue to write a blog approximately every other day but also find it important that the ladies prioritize their well-being as well.

After a few months of planning, we have finally arrived at our destination.  We thank God for travelling mercies till so far.  My sister, Wilma and I met the two other volunteers, Kendra and Kate at the airport on Thursday morning, and from there we took 3 flights from Toronto to Blantyre. 

A long awaited day for Wilma, Karin, Kate and Kendra (l to r).

Please pray for travelling mercies and a blessing on the work they hope to complete.