“…I am with you always, to the end of age.” Matthew 28:20

What a wonderful Easter weekend I have been blessed with while here in Malawi, my first holiday away from home and my family. It started yesterday with a trip to the Boma (City Center) where our group was fitted for dresses and suits to be made for our swear-in ceremony on May 7th where we become official Peace Corps Volunteers. Along with being fitted we were also expected to find the material that we would like our outfit to be made from. This piece of fabric is called a “chitenje” in Chichewa and literally has 101 uses (skirt, towel, bag, hot pad, blanket, baby carrier, head wrap, material for a dress….the list goes on and on). This experience also allowed us to use the Chichewa language we have been practicing for the last month. (YES, I have already been here for a whole month…time flies). We were expected to ask prices and bargain in Chichewa, a skill that we will certainly need over the next two years so that we aren’t given the muzungu price (white-person price). Also while at the Boma some of the volunteers made it a priority to find somewhere to get a cold beer. Honestly, at this point a cold drink of any sort would have been a blessing, but the vote was beer….it’s been a long month of training haha. And let me tell you, it was probably the best beer I’ve ever drank in my life. Enough said about that J

After visiting the Boma, the assignment for the day was to get from there to the Msike (market) in Bua, a 30 kilometer distance between the two. This again, was to allow us to depend on our Chichewa skills, but this time in terms of transportation. The reality is that in a month we are going to be expected to do these sorts of things by ourselves, so it’s important to get somewhat of the experience beforehand. We were put in pairs and literally dropped off on the side of the road to find transportation. There were a few options; mini-buses or hitching a ride in whatever sort of vehicle would pick you up. My buddy Corey and I didn’t waste anytime and were picked up by the first truck that we waved down. We told him in Chichewa that we were headed to the Bua market and he told us it’d be K500 (the equivalent to a dollar in the States) for the ride. Next thing I knew I was hitchhiking in Malawi. I guess I can check that off the bucketlist J The visit to the market was a good experience as well, and I know we felt accomplished in getting there without the help of Peace Corps vehicles.

Today, Easter Sunday has also been a blessing from God. I started my day with the usual bafa (bucket bath), but then before I knew it I was making 15-20 simple braided bracelets with colored string for my entire Malawian family (and possibly family friends…I honestly still couldn’t tell you who for sure I am related to). The smiles that were radiating from these little kid’s faces have easily been the best gifts I’ve received so far in Malawi. Knowing that something so simple could give joy to so many people has really made my Easter one to remember.

Easter is the day that Jesus gave His life to save the sins of the entire world. This statement is so powerful that it gives me chills. Jesus didn’t just die for the believers, He died for the non-believers, and that is part of the reason that I am here in Malawi. With the work that I will be doing for the next two years I have the chance to share something that has completely changed my life, the love of Jesus, with the country of Malawi. And if I can radiate this love, even only to one person who’s heart has been prepared to build a relationship with God, then I want the chance to share that amazing gift.

This morning in church, after making so many little bracelets, I was asked to read aloud a passage from the book of Matthews. Chapter 28 talks about the story where Mary Magdalene and other Mary came to the tomb of Jesus, only to find His robes and no body. And in verse 5 it is stated by the angel to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. His is not here, for He has risen.” The church services I have been attending in Chisazima are given in Chichewa, so today to be asked to read my Bible aloud in a language I fully understand and which the community may not, I felt honored. By being able to do this it also allowed the other volunteers who were there to hear a piece of the Bible.

Church here in Malawi has been an amazing way to integrate into this culture. The singing and dancing that takes place is wonderful, and the joy that these people have is from the Holy Spirit. After being here a month, I think that myself and the other volunteers who go to the same church that I do, can proudly say that we are starting to learn the dances and even a little of the Chichewa songs. The smiles on the amayi’s faces are filled with love, and it is obvious how much they appreciate us being there.

Although not with my family in the States, this Easter has been a huge blessing, as this holiday as a whole will always be. And it doesn’t matter where you are in the world, Jesus will always be there. I am so grateful to have been taken in by such an amazing Malawian family, and can only hope that they know the love that has already grown in my heart for them. At the end of the book of Matthew we are reminded of God’s eternal love, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Happy Easter :)

#peacecorps