I can’t believe that I’m already writing about another week. This one has gone by so quickly, meaning that it was a great one seeing as good things always happen quickly. It was also very busy and I’m sure that helped with the speediness of the week. We had a great speaker named Kobus from South Africa come and speak to us staff members. It was great to pick at his brain and see what he has pulled from his DTS experiences. He’s been with YWAM for a while and has let/staffed a couple different DTS’s in the past. The great thing about him is that he was very easy going about times and also just about what we talked about within his teachings. Though he always had things some whatly planned out, he was always willing to answer questions or go off course for things. He was also very good at keeping us engaged in what was going on with asking us questions and just having general discussion on a topic. Which for me was so great seeing as I can’t just sit and listen to someone lecture to me about things. He also never minded my random doodling in class either.
Though we did a lot this week, I can’t really recall much of it. Most of the things I was doing were little practical things around the base. More cleaning and prepping to start my recording studio and just running about picking things up and fixing other things around the base.
But yesterday(Saturday) was a crazy and hectic day. Had some meetings in the morning and then had to go pick one of the students up (Norman) and do some other shopping. We had the first rain fall of the season while I was out and about. So much rain came down so unexpected and really early for the rainy season. It was also really interesting to see how everyone just seems to stop what they’re doing when it’s raining. They really just don’t want to get wet but also they just don’t care about time at all. Time here in Malawi isn’t very set in stone like it is in the Western world. It’s much more chill and relaxed and people aren’t planning everything out minute by minute. Which is rather interesting since the DTS is very time structured, but I guess with school like things you need to be.
Today was the day we finally kicked things off. All the students are here with the last one just showing up in the last hour or so. We had our “registration” this afternoon with some financial stuff, getting to know eachother/name games. Also had dinner together and now most people are just kicking around laying some games and relaxing after a busy afternoon. It’s rather interesting sitting in this room; I’ll see how well I can paint a picture for you instead of actually taking a picture. I’m currently sitting in the corner of the room at my own big table with my back facing the outdoor where our class room is. The big table across from is alive with laughter and the sound of marbles clanging together as two Malawians teach one of the school leaders, a middle aged women from the UK, a typical Malawian game that I lack the name of though I have played it before. At the other end of that table, more directly in front of me sits three Malawians and a girl from Switzerland. Here is where most of the laughter comes from as it seems they are playing “UNO” with a normal deck of cards (we do have UNO cards somewhere though). Across the room sitting on one of the 4 couches is Norman reading a book while a Malawian and German, who have known each other for a couple years, discuss how the DTS will work. During this whole time Andy and Anna have been running in and out looking for Daniel, trying to figure out if they will be leaving to head to Worcester to be doing there DTS lecture phase there instead of here. It’s a very lively and dynamically different place.
Earlier during our time of getting to know each other we briefly mentioned how we got to be here on the DTS. Now sitting here looking at the people that I’ll be living so tightly knit with for the next 5 months it amazes me that God has planned this since before we ever could think of it. In my mind I can go back about 6 years and clearly see how God’s hand was part of this, and I’m sure others can go back a ways. But every little thing has come to play perfectly for us to be here, living together at this moment in time. There have been doors that have had to open and we walk through, doors that are opened that we look through but may not enter. Doors have closed with our fingers grasping onto the door frame not wanting to leave, as well as doors that we have burst with joy, excitement and possible even fear for what was happening. But each door has served its purpose and made us to be who we are and bring us to this place today. There will different doors opening and closing during and after the DTS. Even if we never see each other again in the future God has placed us here right now, this moment in time for His purpose and serve His Kingdom.
I’ll leave those thoughts of opening and closing doors with you to pondering on.
Area’s of prayer:
-That this first week of the DTS will run smoothly and that each student will feel welcomed and will find their place here.
-Andy and Anna as the idea of them leaving is lingering and needs to be sorted out soon.
-As a base we are struggling financially. Some of the students don’t have their full lecture payments and the price of our rent is possibly going up as well.
-There has been a bad sick bug going around lately. So pray for God’s healing hand upon each of us and that this bug won’t spread now that there are lots of people here.
Thanks again,
Much Love
-Trav
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