Here is good news from Mike and Kaylen…
We arrived 9 pm in the dark Monday night after getting up at 3 am and traveling all day.  After catching two small planes and getting a rental car in Africa, time does not march on.  Time lingers.  Driving the roads of one of the poorest countries in the world, Malawi, we were constantly feeling the tension in our obvious choices.  Not hitting the many walking Africans on the narrow road, or the numerous on old resuscitated bicycles that traffic the streets, or worse, hitting the dreaded pot holes (not a flat tire in this place–p-l-e-a-s-e!).  So we swerved to miss either a Malawian or two, or the frequent pot holes.  Of course, when it became dark we had another possibility–not colliding with other “old” cars and trucks coming in the opposite direction at us almost always having one headlight out.  Omg.
  
Even with these challenges, along with the annoying mosquitoes flying around us during malaria season, Malawi is beautiful.  Especially because of the people in it.  My heart is so full after being there and seeing the people responding to Jesus. Seeing Rhoda, Oliver and their team reaching out to the muslims is inspiring.
 
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at rhoda’s house sharing truths about Jesus to motivate…
I must say that when God brought Rhoda and Oliver into our lives in 2008 it has become an incredible gift.  When we were told that there are works for us to walk in that Father God has planned from the beginning, this relationship with Oliver and Rhoda is significant. 
Rhoda told me four days ago that before she met us in South Africa, that she had been an elder in her church in Malawi.  Several years later she told her pastor that she knew “about” Jesus but she did not follow Him.  She told her pastor she did not know Jesus in the way that transformed her daily life. Rhoda is a passionate follower who is full of faith, seeing many healings and deliverances, inspiring so many others around her.
Being away from my family is one of the hardest costs of obeying Jesus.  I struggle at times, cry, even mope, then repent for aching for family and friends.  Then Jesus surprises us by giving me this incredible memory last week of ministering with our son, John, and seeing his stature in the Lord and how he is blessing other nations like Malawi.  What a memory of family time together.  I was “whats-apping” my daughter, Mary, in Lebanon when we were there.  Mary said “tell Rhoda I desire to come with Mom and Dad and see the work in Malawi even more than a beach vacation.”  Rhoda laughed at that, but Mary was serious.
Seeing our son, John, rising up and stepping into his destiny, encouraging this movement in Malawi, and imparting wisdom and Jesus culture to this team, was a highlight.  He is very close to Olive and Rhoda. He went on a 3 month outreach with them when He was trained in 2011 right in Mangochi, Malawi. He was leading the team and was ministering with Oliver and Rhoda as they discovered the openness of the Yawo tribe.
 
mtn village.jpg amazing group here of Muslim men and women healed and delivered in a very poor mountain village. horrible drought this year, no crops, eking by, but loving Jesus.
Sunday April 24, 16 muslims were baptized in Lake Malawi. We were witnesses of this amazing time.  We broke bread together afterwards and commissioned the baptized to share with others. Words can not express the joy of the Lord that was there.  Oliver and Rhoda and their leaders led this event but asked us to share some words.  John took time to share and remind them of what Jesus asks of them, to love God, to love others, worship, pray, forgive, share communion, and go and make disciples. WOW.  They were so hungry for Jesus and His word. Some had been healed of a physical sickness. Some had been set free of an evil spirit. Sitting before us, one older Muslim lady turned to us and spoke in the Yawo language.  She had only been a believer for one month said and Rhoda translated,” You must not fear, you must never stop sharing.  You are bringing something that is changing our lives.  Don’t stop.”
 
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the men were baptizing and we told rhoda, “no, the women must baptize their disciples. break the Muslim culture.  Rhoda said “ok. watch this” she had women baptize men in Muslim culture.
 
Another Muslim lady said,” When I was a Muslim all I cared about was cleaning the outside of my body to be able to pray.  But now, Jesus has come and i am clean on the inside.  He is changing me and my desires.”  This lady is named Mary.  Mary loves to share the good news to many in various villages. Recently she travelled by bicycle up the mountains (20 plus miles away) into Mozambique and prayed for an 86 year old man who had cancer.  He had gone many times to the Sangoma’s ( witch doctor) for healing and spent all his money as they would cut his body and perform rituals.  He never recieved healing by doing these things.   Mary came and prayed for him and he was HEALED!  He was so touched by Jesus that he went and prayed for all the sick in his village and they were healed. Isn’t that just AMAZING?  Just like in Acts.
 
katuli.jpgthe eighty six year old is standing next to john
Oliver, Rhoda, and Mary arranged for Mike, John, and I to meet with him.  He is so hungry for Jesus and wants all the villages in Mozambique to know about Him.  When we met him Mike shared with him about Moses and how he was over 80 when God called him to set his people free.  Mike spoke over this man that God was calling him to walk in great anointing to share Jesus to his muslim villages.   What was so great about meeting was the verse in 2 Tim. 2:2  about discipleship.  We initially taught Rhoda and Oliver, who taught Mary, then Mary taught this 86 year old. As in 2 Tim. 2:2,  We entrusted faithful men and women who were able to teach other faithful men and women, who will teach other faithful men.  Hallelujah, my spirit inside is jumping up and down. 
This has been our heart since we were called to South Africa.  To experience it so powerfully together last week is indeed one of the greatest blessings. 
There is not just healing and deliverances happening in Malawi among the Yawo.  Our Father is pouring out wisdom on His children there.  A few weeks ago Rhoda sadly lost her oldest daughter in childbirth.  She was telling me when she showed up to bury her daughter, that people began to describe to Rhoda the terrible things the mother-in-law did to her daughter during the actual childbirth. The in-laws and husband had apparently mistreated Rhoda’s daughter for some time.  When the labor became critical, they refused to go to the hospital.  And interfered with the birth.  Basically by what she did to Rhoda’s daughter it caused her to die.  
The village people from Rhoda’s side of the family all rose up in anger and they were coming to retaliate against the mother-in-law and even the husband of Rhoda’s daughter.  Rhoda stood up and said, ” I am in more grief than all of you.  For she is my daughter.  You will not lift a hand against this family.”  She stood between them, and they could not continue their violence.  
In the middle of the grieving time at the funeral, Rhoda felt like she wanted to pray for her daughter to be resurrected. But someone came up and begged Rhoda to pray for a woman who was almost dead. The family was wailing and they came and got her.  Rhoda told me, “Here I am in grief over my own daughter, but they asked me to pray for this one that almost dead.  I prayed for her and I knew for this one it was demons.”  She prayed for her and the women rose up healed.  She went back to her own daughter and cried out to God that she would be resurrected.  She felt God had asked her to pray this.  Her daughter was not healed.  But Rhoda said, “I am a changed women because of that prayer.  I feel God gave me a greater gift of faith.  I am full of faith.  As I rose up after praying for her, I was changed.” 
 
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in oliver and rhoda’s back yard with them. they love to grow food.
I thank God for these times in Malawi and the times we are living in right now.  We are not to live in fear.  The Muslim lady said to Mike, John, and I , “Do not fear.  GO, because we are being changed.” These are the days of the Harvest!  Praise His Name.  I could not wait to tell you of this amazing time.  God is faithful, He is Good, He is powerful, He is the Deliverer, He is the Healer, He is our life and Salvation.  I am so Full of the Lord.
Much love to you,
Kalyn and Mike
I met Rhoda and Oliver a few years ago and they were the most unlikely of people (by human appraisal) for God to use as His emissaries. How could he? Their marriage had exploded and the pieces were laying all over Masi, South Africa. 
His ways are so different than ours! Instead of writing them off or just patching them up, God said, “I’ll set these captives free and heal their marriage; then I will send them out among their own Malawi people and just let them glow.”
What a global missions strategy! May we catch this vision for ourselves and our native people.
Amen
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