Spiritually Rich in Malawi, Africa

Cindy Foster, Moms In Touch Prayer and Events Coordinator for South Carolina, visited Malawi during the summer of 2009. Malawi is a country in southeast Africa with almost 14 million people. Overwhelmed by the unfathomable dichotomy of the two worlds of America compared to Malawi, Cindy's faith was deeply tested. Could she stand among these people who have literally nothing and claim God's Word,  “So do not worry saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ... Your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ... But Seek First His Kingdom and His Righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” (Matthew 6:31-34)   Cindy wrestled with the Americanized version of Christianity where they tend to categorize 'these things' as material needs, whereas Malawians demonstrate that the most important gifts are spiritual. Interfacing with the Malawians was a lesson in the Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). People, young and old, personified love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. It was clear that Malawians are storing up for themselves eternal treasures. As Cindy thought over her time there in Malawi, there were several things that came to her mind: the depth of poverty, the filthy clothing which was the only thing the Malawians owned, and her time at a village that was mourning the death of a young mom who left behind her infant son, a husband and many family members. She was especially touched by the children as she looked into their beautiful faces while they patiently waited for their only meal of the day. She watched the 'older' girls (only 10 - 12 years old) carry their younger siblings on their backs without complaining and was moved when the 'older' boys made sure their younger siblings were fed first.  After being a part of Moms In Touch International for sixteen years, it was an incredible blessing for Cindy to share the MITI steps of prayer with caretakers at the Crisis Nursery in Malawi. Moms and Grandmas themselves, these women love and care for the orphans who are brought to the nursery after their mothers have died during childbirth. After talking about the importance of gathering together to lift up these kids to the Lord, the women fully understood and embraced the need to pray for these orphans and their own children. They know they can't give these kids a legacy of material wealth, but they can give them a legacy of prayer which is priceless and eternal.  Cindy's final words about her mission trip ... "May I never forget Malawi. It has changed my heart forever." “If God has been generous with you, He will expect you to serve Him well. But if He has been more than generous with you, He will expect you to serve Him even better.” Luke 12:48 (CEV)