A letter from Kay Day in Malawi
Oct 3, 2012
Dear Family and Friends,
Greetings from colorful Western Pennsylvania. This is the last leg of my travels in the States before I return to Malawi Oct. 22. It has been a wonderful time of renewing relationships and of refreshing my mind and my spirit in this beautiful country. I have had the privilege of traveling through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, and of traveling to Kentucky, North Carolina and Colorado. The countryside is so varied and refreshing, literally from the ocean to the plains, to the mountains.
The greatest delight has been renewing friendships face-to-face and making new ones as I have spoken in churches and met with small groups. In some meetings, like the Malawi Network meeting in Colorado, the knowledge of and support for Malawi was high. In other places, like Wooster, Ohio, and Quincy, Mass., the knowledge of Malawi was less but the openness to engage was high. One of the other great delights has been connecting or reconnecting with Malawians here in the States. That has happened in a number of different ways. The Malawi Network meeting was a wonderful time of reconnecting with long-standing Malawian friends who have made the States their adopted home. We shared leadership of workshops and enjoyed fellowship at meals. In Champaign, Ill., I met three ladies who are living in that area now. I had dinner with one and we met the other two outside their workplace and had just a brief time for prayer together. What a great blessing to be united in Christ, regardless of the time to develop the relationship. In Quincy, Mass., I met three families residing in the area who are guiding forces in their church developing a partnership in Malawi. We shared nsima and chicken at an International Dinner and shared with the congregation a vision for partnership with the church in Malawi. In Pittsburgh I joined in welcoming and later bidding farewell to the team of 28 Malawians from Blantyre Synod who formed the partnership trip this year from Blantyre to Pittsburgh. What a delight to welcome friends from my home in Malawi to my home city in the States.
In each of these encounters I was reminded that it is not the country from which we come or where we live that binds us together, but it is the blood of Jesus that makes us brothers and sisters in Christ. In Him there are no geographic boundaries, no nationalities. These connections may introduce us, but it is Christ who makes us one, regardless of county of origin or country of residence. We are his children, invited to serve him together in his church. That is what we will celebrate this Sunday with World Communion Sunday. What a joy!
In the next 18 days I will be finishing my travels and preparing to return to Malawi. Please pray with me that the connections and reconnections made will develop as God wants for his kingdom, and that I will make good use of the time that remains to prepare for returning to Malawi and ministry there. I pray that we will all continue to be bound together in Christ’s love, regardless of our location.
Yours in His Love,
Kay (Cathie to family)
The 2012 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 106
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