Second Day of VBS and Mtsilitza Village

We completed our second day of VBS and it was another success. The kids had a great time playing games, decorating T Shirts, making crafts and eating Snowman treats made out of graham crackers, marshmallows and candy. Yours truly got to dress up like a penquin today and entertain the kids with some moves I learned from the movie Happy Feet.

After we finished VBS in the morning we visited Tazili Village about a 30 minute walk from ABC. Walking thru the village and were greeted by dozens of children wanting to have their picture taken. They also wanted to hold our hands and walk with us. By the time we reached our destination in the center of the village we had over two dozen children of all ages surrounding us. It was an incredible experience. I will try to update the blog with pictures tomorrow. The internet connection is very slow and it will not let me upload pictures tonight.

When we reached the center of the village we helped Children of the Nation feed orphans. After singing songs with the children we helped the kids wash their hands and we served them their one meal of the day.

In addition to feeding the orphans we met a group of widows that are part of an organization called The Widows Club. The Widows club trains widows in trade such as baking or sewing so they can eventually support themselves. When I get back to the States I will post video of today on you tube. You will not want to miss this video. It is very moving. I also have video of Pastor Mark speaking to all the Orphans just before they ate their meal.

Please visit Children of the Nation and consider sponsoring a child. http://www.cotni.org/71-mtsilitza


Tomorrow we are visiting a crisis nursery to hold and feed sick babies.

God Bless

End of Day 1

Hello from Malawi. We are wrapping up our first full day. It was a very busy day. We started with the VBS and then took a trip into the city of Lilongwe to experience the culture of Malawi. Visiting the city and experiencing Malawian culture was an amazing experience. We visited a very busy open market, purchased a live chicken for ABC and crossed a river on a bridge hand made out of wood planks and tree limbs. We rode to the city on public transportation which was a minivan jammed pack with passengers. It was quite the experience.

Malawi is one of the poorest countries in Africa. It is very evident everywhere you look. Despite the poverty and the challenges the country faces, its people are very friendly.

Below are some pictures from today's VBS. I will add some pictures from our visit to the City tomorrow.

Hello from Malawi Monday June 29th 6:00am

Sorry for not updating the blog yesterday. We arrived in Malawi Sunday at around 2pm. We had a very busy day and I could not get connected to the Internet. We received a warm welcome from the Spencer's. (all 10 of them) At the airport they had a huge banner hanging from the balcony welcoming us to Malawi. I will post a picture later today. We immediately felt welcome.

The ride from the airport to the African Bible College took us through some very poor areas of Malawi. It was a little overwhelming. We saw men on the side of the road selling mice on a stick. Yes...I said Mice on a stick. Evidently it is very popular here in Malawi.

Immediately after we arrived at the African Bible College we started preparing for the week. We had some time to visit with our host the Spencer's in the evening. We were very tired last night and everyone got a good night sleep.

It is 1:00pm in Malawi right now. We just completed our first day of VBS and it was a great success. The entire team did a great job and the kids had a lot of fun and the weather has been great. We are about to have lunch with the Spencer's and then we are heading into the local village.

I will update the blog with some pictures later today when we get back from the Village.

Sermon In Shoes by Ruth Harms Calkin

Do you know, O Christian, you're a sermon in shoes?
Do you know, O Christian, You're a sermon in shoes?

Jesus counts upon you to spread the Gospel News;
So walk it, and talk it,
Live it, and give it,
Teach it, and preach it
Know it, and show it,

A Sermon in Shoes.

Update Saturday June 27th.

Cheryl made a new friend on the flight from Dakar, Senegal to Johannesburg.














Mark showed off his Cardinal Jacket, he needed it, the temperature when we landed was a cool 55 degrees.


We took a team photo at the airport while we waited for the hotel shuttle. We just had dinner at the hotel and everyone has retired to their rooms. We leave early tomorrow morning for Lilongwe.
Enjoy the pictures.

Arrived safely in Johannesburg

We just arrived at our hotel in Johannesburg. Thank God that we had no issues. The flight was not that bad. No delays. Baggage arrived in good shape and we made it safely to the hotel. We are all looking forward to lying flat in our own beds tonight and getting some rest after sitting for 16 hours.

I will update the blog with more pictures later today.

God Bless!

President and First Lady

President Obama and First Lady Michelle stopped by the airport for a quick photo opportunity. Mark and Ray took advantage of the opportunity to give him some advice.

Two Weeks In Africa

The Journey Begins

We arrived this morning at Lambert Airport at 4:45am. Everyone was on time. It was a good thing because we had to wait in a long line to check our luggage. The check in process took 90 minutes but went very well.

The only glitch is when we got to security the majority of the group did not have boarding passes so we had to trek back up to the United counter to get boarding passes

Cheryl wants me to mention it was the guy at the counter that messed up on the boarding passes. We really do know what we are doing!

Mark Mehlig is enjoying some of Ray's delicious Barbecue ribs for breakfast. Yes. Ribs for Breakfast.

Our flight to Washington leaves in 1 hour.

Bo, Abby, Nick and Jake.....I love you!

Rachel and Rebecca....Mom says don't forget to pack your swim shoes!

Mark Mehlig just asked if they had FM radio in Malawi!

Leaving in 5 Days

The excitement of our trip has been growing for the last few months and we are now just 5 days away from our departure. The team has worked very hard to get everything ready. Our Journey starts Friday morning from St. Louis. We will travel from St. Louis to Washington Dulles Airport. In Washington we have a 6 hour layover. From there we board a South African Airlines flight that will take us directly to Johannesburg South Africa. The total flight time is 16 hours and 30 minutes. We will arrive Saturday afternoon and spend the night in Johannesburg. Sunday we will board another flight from Johannesburg to Lilongwe Malawi. Total air time from St. Louis to Lilongwe is 22 hours.

While in Malawi I will be doing my best to update the blog regularly.

PLease keep our team in your thoughts and prayers as we embark on this amazing journey.

Brian