COTN and Widows (by Ruby Tovar)
So here we are sitting, waiting for our devotion to start listening to Jeremiah play some acoustic music. Waiting is a common theme but there is purpose in that. I find myself awakened, more alive in the waiting that occurs in Malawi. There is a strengthened value in people and everyday life that time is not an obstacle. A few days ago we went to Mtsiliza Village, the village I had worked at all summer last year with a few other interns and I was in awe of the amazing welcoming from the children at the village that we played with and laughed with but most importantly to feel at home with the widows from the COTN Widow’s Ministry.
As we pulled into the village I hopped out of the car and headed towards the red brick building where I had last seen the widows last summer and my heart starting beating fast, tears filled my eyes and all I can feel was like I never left and I was at home with them. The waiting between the time I left and now has been a time of change and transition but in that the relationships that began in Malawi from 2005 and last summer have remained and it was amazing to experience how deepened those relationships had been and are. The widow’s faces were filled with smiles and they started chanting, laughing, and singing with real excitement and happiness. Then the dancing began and the many hugs all around the room, truly a moment that will always be remembered.
After some time we all sat and Mrs. Chipofia, the leader of the widows, shared some words on behalf of all the widows then I shared a little on behalf of our team and the interns from last year. It was a short visit but fulfilling with a time of celebration and prayer. It was exciting to see the whole team just jump in and dance, sing and clap with all the widows. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Adam, Jeremiah, Jay well all the guys being pulled in all different directions to dance! The reality is that this moment was a reminder of the relationship Flood has with Malawi and well more specifically COTN. I cannot explain the many feelings I experienced as I heard the widows talk about their progress, their spiritual commitment, and the growth within their ministry. It is truly God’s divine purpose that this program had started and that I was able to be a part of it through COTN and Flood. To see what God brings us to and the challenges we face is really where we develop our visions and passions and live with purpose in life. I have now understood that concept that I actually learned a while back. I pray that we all continue to seek and submit to the challenges we are presented with so that we do not lose sight of what God has created us for. In the waiting we can grow, learn and experience God.