Automobiles and Houses
Matt 7:7-11 tells us how our Heavenly Father gives good gifts to those who ask Him. We’ve seen God answer our prayers in some very specific ways in the last 6 weeks. Here’s two:
First, we told many of you that we were trying to find a vehicle. Since Malawian roads are often rough, and become very muddy during the rainy season, we were advised to find something with 4WD. God provided us with a great Toyota Surf to get us around in all kinds of weather and all kinds of roads (including places without roads!) An extra blessing is the diesel engine, since diesel is usually cheaper in Malawi. We’ve been thankful for this vehicle so many times already, and are constantly reminded of God’s goodness as we drive it!
And in our last newsletter, we asked you to pray that we would find a house. Since our church rents the Sunday meeting place, our ideal house would have a big living room and enough parking for us to have people over for midweek Bible studies. We wanted our home to be open and available for all kinds of church events. But as we looked around town, all the homes we found were either extremely small, extremely expensive, or extremely poorly built (e.g. a kitchen with no room for a fridge!) So we waited, prayed, and kept looking.
Then one day a friend from church stopped by and said that their family had just decided they were moving to Zimbabwe-- did we want to take over the rental of their house? We almost couldn’t believe that the Lord had dropped this fantastic place in our laps! The living room can easily hold 30 people! The parking area can hold 13 cars! The rent was within our budget! And it’s a 10 minute walk to the church! We were stunned at how God provided a home so much beyond what we had hoped and prayed!
The current residents will be moving to Zimbabwe at the end of August, so we’ll probably move in September. We already had the opportunity to house-sit for them July, which was a great chance to get to know the house and the landlord. We’re so thankful that God has given us a house that will be more than just a home, but a great tool for ministering to others. Thanks to all of you who were praying with us!
The Gospel at Work in Hearts and Lives
In ministry, the last month has also been very exciting around here! Here’s some of what we’ve been up to:
Church Life
With the Biedebachs back in the country, we’ve finally seen what “normal” church life looks like with all hands on deck. Matt is enjoying working alongside Brian again. It’s exciting to see how many of the ministry needs are in same areas where we love to serve. It’s a constant reminder that the gifts God gives us correspond with the work He’s prepared for us.
Women’s Event
At the beginning of August, Rachel organized a women’s event with guest speaker Katie Bartlett. Katie and her husband Ryan had been missionaries here in Malawi, and Ryan had been killed in a car accident in November. Katie returned briefly to Malawi, and her testimony to the goodness, grace, and faithfulness of God during these past 9 months was a great encouragement to all the women.
Salvation
In October 2008 when we came to Malawi to scout out what life here would look like, Rachel met a lady who had just started attending IBF. She was not a believer, but it was very evident that the Lord was at work in her life. We’ve prayed for her over the months, and have been able to get to know her in the weeks since we moved here. Just two weeks ago, she gave her life to the Lord and trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation - Praise the Lord!
First Team Visit
A short-term team from Nebraska arrived on August 2nd. They’ll be here until the 17th, so we’ll write more about them in the next newsletter. They’re busy working at medical clinics, helping with construction, and running VBS. We’ve really enjoyed having them around!
Thanks!
Thanks for being part of our team, for your prayers and encouragement! We know that this is not something we do on our own, but that we have the privilege of being a part of the body of Christ. We are so blessed to serve here, and cherish your prayers all the more in these coming months!
- Matt and Rachel
Floreen Newsletter Update
