Day two of VBS! Today Moses led the Israelites across the Red Sea, and the children loved it! In Malawi, churches do not offer programs for children where they would grow up hearing the Bible stories. So, for many of these children, this was the first time they had heard of the crossing of the Red Sea. Rob and I were the teachers, and we both walked away so blessed by the way the children listened so attentively and learned their Bible verses. At the end of the story, we shared that the same God who sent Moses to rescue the Israelites from Egypt, sent His son, Jesus, to rescue us from our sins by dying on the cross. It is our prayer that the seeds that were planted will be watered after we leave, and these precious children will come to know Jesus as their personal Savior.

After VBS, we grabbed a quick lunch. We've had a lot of peanut butter and jelly on this trip, and we realize that back home, we are so blessed to have so many options of what to eat. It's now a joke when we ask what's for lunch! But, even eating PB & J every day, is far better than what these children have. They eat collard greens, zema (a ground corn mush) and beans every day. It's a treat to get boiled chicken. We watch these children mix their food with their hands, since there is no silverware. And when they're done, they lick their fingers, wipe it on their clothing and run off to play. And not one word of complaint…mainly because many of them can remember when there was no food to be had, so even having the same plate of vegetables every day is far better than going hungry.

Then it was time to play! It was so precious to hear the children reciting their Bible verses with the motions and singing their VBS songs as they jumped rope and played ball…they loved "Pharaoh, Pharaoh" and "Father, I Adore You". While Drew, Rob, my dad and I stayed behind to play with the children, the rest of the group (minus Andy & Matt…who were back at the residency center sawing and drilling away!!) headed off into the villages for another Bible study. They were able to share their testimonies, sing songs and pray with the people, and like the week before, the village thanked them over and over for taking the time to visit with them. They told the team they were honored to have them, and yet it was our team that walked away having been blessed.

There were also medical screenings of the Passion Center's children going on at the same time. Erin joined Jim, Gabby, Jamie & Tracey (team members from other states) as they measured, weighed and took the children's vitals. The overwhelming need is dental work. With no dentist in the area, many of them have poor dental hygiene, which often leads to other sicknesses. It's heartbreaking for this team when we realize that many of these things could be so easily fixed, and yet, without a dentist, they remain uncared for. These children only see doctors when they are very ill, and routine check-ups are unheard of, so having people in the medical profession on this trip was a huge blessing. Many of the children were apprehensive, but once the team brought out the stickers, the children were satisfied.

It's hard to believe that we are looking at our last two days with these children. I cannot begin to explain the way these children have walked right into our hearts. They call Malawi the "Warm Heart of Africa", and we can see why. When we drive through town, children in the villages run to the road to wave at us. Strangers raise their hands in greeting. People kneel or bow when they meet us. At the beginning of of our trip, we asked God to let us see these people as He sees them…people who need Him. Jesus came to earth and died for them, just as He did for us. And just because we are going to get on a plane, head back to Columbus, and drive to our homes, while they remain here in their huts, doesn't mean He loves them any less. He loves us all the same, and if each member of our team could write to you, they'd say the same thing. God answered our prayers. It wasn't long before we could see beyond the open sores, dirty faces, bugs flying around them, and see the precious children who are so dear to the heart of Jesus. I guarantee that if we could, we would be flying home with 2 or 3 children each! I wish each of you could see what we have seen. It's my prayer that one day you will. The faces we've seen on television are now etched on our hearts, because we've held their hands, played their games, held them on our laps and listened to their laughter. I pray we're never the same because of it.

Continue to pray as our trip nears its end. And yes, I'm still writing that you have got to come experience this for yourself!

Love to you all
—Brooke