More than just a movie...

It is hard to believe that it’s already March. Only three and a half months until I am home! The closer it comes, the more eager I am. One of the things I’m most excited about is sharing the stories that I’ve witnessed here with all of you. Writing just cannot quite convey the depth of these experiences.

In the last couple weeks, I have felt less motivated and a little of a burn out. This isn’t a constant feeling, but I just have felt lacking in my abilities and purpose. Teaching is a very difficult profession- it is hard to always be giving and pouring out. But I think the biggest problem is that I find myself relying on what I can do and my knowledge. This will always eventually run out. The source of my strength should always come from Christ. Sometimes I get caught up with grading papers, writing lessons, and the never-ending list of tasks to complete. Yet it’s the simplest, smallest experiences that remind me of what is truly important.





The kids at Children of the Nations (COTN) are a testimony to what God is doing here in Malawi. The more time I spend there, the more I see God’s hand. One Saturday night three of us teachers here packed up a laptop, the Disney movie Frozen, popcorn, and cookies and headed to COTN. As usual, the kids were thrilled to see us. They always yell out “Auntie Dani!” and run with open arms towards us. Dinner was prepared for us; Malawian culture is very hospitable. They are eager to serve and make guests feel comfortable. Before beginning the movie, the kids participated in their nightly routine of singing praise songs and praying. I don’t know if there is anything more precious than listening to child, on their knees, praying to God.





After this, all the children gathered on the rug and scooted around our laptop screen. They were enthralled by the movie and loved the snacks we brought them! The language barrier made it difficult for them to understand the plot, but they didn’t care. However, sitting and watching the movie with them made me want to do more. How would they react if they could watch this on a big screen? How could we provide more for them? I kept thinking how amazing a projector would be in this situation. I mentioned this to my family, who discussed the idea with my church. Immediately, they offered to buy and send over a projector! I am in awe of how God works. My faith is so weak and my trust in him falters, yet still he provides. A movie may seem so insignificant to all of us who are blessed. Nonetheless, to these kids it is more than just a movie, but also an expression of love.





Since this experience, I have realized that I have limited God. If I do not ask, how can I ever receive? So, I am going to open the opportunity up to all of you to give. The COTN kids greatly need shoes, underwear, socks, and school supplies. Each of those thirty kids could use a backpack with supplies inside and a new pair of tennis shoes. There are about ten kids between the ages of 5-10, ten kids who are 10-12 years old, and ten kids that are 12-15. In addition to these, there are a hundred village children that come to our Thursday outreach in urgent need of shoes and school supplies.





On April 15^th, a crate will be sent over from Mississippi to ABC. On this can be placed any items I would need for the coming year. If any of you are willing to put together a small gift for one of these kids, now is the time! It is much cheaper and easier to send a box to Mississippi than to Malawi. All you would need to do is address the package to:

 

ABC (Africa Bible Colleges)

5343 Clinton Blvd. Jackson, MS 39209

…and then just put somewhere on the box: Danielle Jenson Academy Fourth Grade

           

 

God calls each of us to care for orphans and widows. James 1:27 solidifies this purpose,

          “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans
            and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”Helping these children is a ministry that is pure and righteous. Showing them love in the smallest of ways makes a huge impact. Pray and see what God is leading you to do and more importantly, pray for these kids- that their hearts will continue to be open and sensitive to Him.

Thank you for all of you who are reading these stories and praying for me. I am so grateful for the wonderful partnership I have with all of you in America. I am only an extension of the hearts, prayers, and love of people back home.

The Only Thing that Counts

I know it has been a very long time since I have written. It’s not that I haven’t thought about it or wanted to write, but more the difficulty of forming my thoughts, interactions, and experiences into written words.




My life here in Malawi has fallen into a routine of sorts. Experiences that were once foreign seem natural and normal. Driving on the opposite side of the road, seeing women carrying buckets atop their heads, and buying a dead chicken, bananas, and phone minutes in the same transaction on the road side are not unusual. I never could have imagined the turns this year would take and the unbelievable things I would encounter. Malawi has such beauty and yet, at the same time, so much darkness and poverty. Why does this poverty exist? How can there be money wasted while children are scrounging for food in trash cans?

Since I last wrote, I had the privilege of traveling to South Africa on a 38 hour bus ride and spending time in the beautiful city of Cape Town. While there, I was able to go to places like movie theaters, delicious restaurants, beaches, wineries, malls, coffee houses, etc. It was so relaxing and enjoyable! Although I loved my vacation in South Africa, returning to Malawi was a reality check and caused me to reevaluate myself. What investment am I truly making in Malawi? Am I just here to hang out for a year, take some pictures with African kids, bargain in the market, and call it good?



I have realized that I want to make an impact here in Malawi. I want to be intentional about helping those in need. The future of Malawi lies with the kids like my students at ABC and Children of the Nations. In order to truly leave something behind, I have to invest my time, money, and resources into these kids. A few weeks ago I was at the market when a little girl named Mary approached me asking for money. This is not an uncommon sight, but something about her struck me differently. I bought her a meal and, with the language barrier, attempted to ask about her life. Her mother and three siblings beg for money. She has no father and lives in a nearby village.

 

Mary then lead me to where her mother sat, in front of a bank, hand outstretched, begging. Lisa (her mother) was almost smaller than eight year old Mary. She held a baby in her sickly arms and smiled up at me. Something about this family stuck with me.  The verse that comes to mind is Galatians 5:6 “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” In life, what truly matters is loving others. All I can really leave behind here is Christ’s love. Nothing else I give will ever be enough without that love.





All this to say, I think that I am called to express my faith through expending my energy and devoting my time to helping people. I only have four months left here! After everything I have seen, I don’t feel like one year is enough. Thus, I have made the decision to return next year!

I appreciate and need your prayers and support. There is no possible way I could be here without all of the people back home. I will try and update more often and share more stories and lessons I am learning here. Each day I am reminded how much I need Christ.  I am growing so much in my faith and learning to look beyond the comfortable. Thank you to all of you who are sharing this adventure with me!