Sunday! I think each of us was looking forward to this day. We split into three groups, and headed to three churches in the area to worship with our brothers and sisters in Christ here in Malawi. It pretty much blew our minds!

Pastor Harrell, Pastor Mark and another team member from Dayton spoke at the churches. Since I could only be in one place, I'll give you a little glimpse of what worship is like here. First off, time means nothing! The service was scheduled to begin at 10, but by the time they beat the slab of metal hanging in the tree to announce the start, it was 10:30. The men and women walk to church on a dirt road, no shoes, or shoes that have been worn to the rubber. It would break your hearts to see the shoes with their tops cut out so that their feet could stick out since they had long outgrown the shoes, but as a luxury, they are unwilling to throw them away. The mothers carry their little ones strapped to their backs with a piece of fabric, the child's little face peeking over the shoulder. We were greeted so warmly, and visitors were asked to sit in the front, facing the audience, in the place of honor. The church pews were stone slabs, the floors dirt. There was no glass in the windows, and in the background we heard the roosters. But as soon as we walked in, we knew we were in the presence of people who loved our Lord.

Then came time for the worship service. Group after group danced to the front, praising the Lord in their language, as children beat on the drums. They then invited us to sing, and we sang a couple worship choruses (much, much more reserved than theirs!!!) They loved it when our group sang an upbeat song we had learned in their language, including the motions! Don't worry, Matt captured it on video!!!

After that was time for the offering. A boy came forward with three bowls, and it was a sight to behold as EVERY person walked forward from their row and dropped coins and bills into the bowls. To give you a glimpse of what this means, these church members have so little. Most of these people have no jobs, and if they do, they are making no more than $30 a month. But every person gave. It may have been a timbahla (a coin worth a fraction of our penny) or a kwatcha (1/150 of a dollar), but they gave from their hearts. If I was this blessed, I can't imagine how it blessed the Lord.

The song service continued for about an hour, as a children's group came forward to sing, followed by various women's groups and another trio. They sang a couple songs in English, and one song I hope never to forget. The words were sung acapella, "The name of the Lord is precious". Then it was time for Pastor Harrell to speak. He shared with them from Genesis 1 where it says that God created the sun, moon... and He made the stars also. And that same God who made and named the stars, cares for each individual, no matter what continent they live on, or the color of their skin. Tara shared her testimony on God's faithfulness, and Chris shared his testimony of God's forgiveness. It was such a sweet, sweet time from start to finish.

When the service ended, the pastor asked us to line up outside the church, and each and every member of the church, from youngest to oldest, shook our hands and thanked us for coming in their language. After that, the pastor invited us back in, where we shared cokes and a bread roll, a tradition they reserve for their honored guests. These people who have almost nothing to their names, are so very gracious.

Then it was back to the cabins for lunch, and an afternoon of rest…and gearing up for VBS tomorrow! It's sure to be an amazing few days ahead of us, and your prayers are very appreciated!

Pastor Harrell would like to say how much the team missed being with you all today at church, and how much we appreciate all your prayers for our team.

This is something you just have to get over here and experience for yourself!!

—Brooke