Happening right now in my kitchen...

Here is my senior college ladies class! We are cooking pancakes for our end of the year celebration! Love these girls! We have grown in our walks with the Lord in our bible study we have had and grown in our knowledge of cooking! What a treat!

Having Malaria and still counting our blessings....

Two weeks ago, Bob got malaria. Malaria attacks your red blood cells and thickens your blood and if not caught in time it can kill.  Sadly - just yesterday a worker here lost their 8-year-old daughter to malaria. While all of it was horrible - there were some amazing blessings that God provided that reminds us how takes care of His kids.  Above is a picture of the mini hospital we have here on campus. We are so blessed to have it here.  It provides care to many here in Lilongwe.  The top right picture is when Bob went for his test (he was very sick at that point) and below is inside of the hospital here as two amazing doctors were taking care of him as he was in recovery mode.  It took about a week and half to feel normal again.  

The blessings came in many different ways but it definitely was God caring for us through His people.  Whether it was a meal, prayers, and notes of encouragement or people stopping by.  It showed us that we are apart of a very loving and amazing community.  Many times in this journey - it feels lonely (mainly because we are in a foreign land) but that is when God quickly reminds us that He has people who are ready to be there in a crisis - surround us.  His loving arms are the arms of people.  He has reminded us that we are not alone and He wants us to see Him through the people He has in your life.  Humbled and amazed - He cares for us so much through the big and small areas of life.  Life has its ups and downs with people, but we would not make it at all without each other.  We survive through the good and the bad – through our communities of people! 

  

Thank you for loving, supporting and praying for us!  We would not be here with out you all!  We could not continue on without you!  

It may sound silly to you...

This is my last Target bag here in Malawi - that I already gave away to a Malawian to carry sugar home to his village about 150 miles away.

 I savor them like they are precious jewels. Silly as it may sound but distance definitely makes my heart grow fonder! The sight of Target makes me happy even a bag. I think am going thru withdrawals. I can taste the popcorn and Dr Pepper, I can see the fun new summer dishes, love all the fun shoes and new pillows.  I miss the cute girls clothes and love seeing boy clothes that Luke can wear one day! I wish i could get some candy, some great cereals, find a new shirt for 4 dollars and so on and so forth.  I won't bore you with all the details.  Just enjoy your Target thoroughly!  It may sound silly but I think God loves the honest heart!   Think and pray for the Stauffacher family as you shop there! Pray that we would give our lives to Jesus daily and encourage others around us!  Pray that we would be able to love on others here in Africa through food, money, prayer, quality time, discipleship and just sharing everyday life together!  That we would be continually transformed by the Gospel.  Target and  the Gospel - 2 totally opposite things but in my everyday life very real!  And I miss it!

Luke's day... Hanging out with friends

Luke has full days of eating, sleeping and hanging out with friends. Here is a a small snapshot of the life of Luke's...

See sissy Tina on Skype in America

Take a nap on friend Tracy from South Africa

Eat some more food

watch a movie with his sisters & Brianna from Australia

watch Analisey try to make him laugh

hang with fellow missionary friend Sam at the girls school...

Swing with buddy Limbani!  

cute boys

Luke on our 3 rd day here with limbani

Limbani comes almost daily to hang out with Luke but he gets teased by his friends that he is going to drop Lukey.  So cute!  He doesn't care what they think.  So cute!  He will even come over and bring all his friends.

Just another Friday!  Hope you have a great weekend!  We will have fun too!  

Loving on people....

We live in Malawi where it is known as the poorest country in Africa. Some days, it is so overwhelming to see the poverty and I just wish I could fix it all ...  I remember when I come back to reality that I can't change the whole world but I can help people one by one.  With that perspective - both Bob and I love to help people that come across our paths. Helping people can be in many different forms- in discipleship, financially or just being friends and praying for each other. Daily, there is usually a need that needs to be met. Here is one example of God bringing someone in need across our paths.

David and Luke

David Banda has 4 children by his childhood sweetheart.  They met in their home village and quickly married when they were 18.  He was unable to finish school past 5th grade due to his parents being poor and he had to find work as a young boy.  He has worked as a gardener his whole life.  He was able to find work off and on through out the years. This last year he was out of work and his wife died of a heart attack.   His oldest is 16 and youngest is 2 years.  He had to send his middle children away as he had to find work and could not pay to feed them or care for them. This last week he came and told us that his 9-year old was sick and had been for the last 2 weeks and since she didn't live with him, he didn't know.  He got a call that she was sick and asked if he could take her to our hospital here and if we could help.  We said of course.  She ended up having malaria and if had waited a couple more days would have been dead. She is all better now after finishing her medication.  What a treat to be apart of their story, he has found work with us and we are able to help provide and care for his family.  He has been able to have his 2 middle children move back home so he can provide and care for them.  He is so happy.  He brought his kids to meet us and I didn't want to get a picture of them the first time I met them, but I will as we go to his house this next week. 

This is one of the many stories we get to be involved with.  We feel it is an honor to love and care on people, as God has brought many people across our paths to love and care on us!  Please pray for us, as we would continue to love and care for others as He has done so amazingly for us!

Update!

Sorry if it is a repeat to some of you...

Hello! Amazing how time has slipped out of my hands.  I am so sorry that I didn't update you last month. It was a full month of classes, everyday life that includes lots of people and visitors.

 

• ·      We had Tina come and visit for 3 weeks.  It was amazing to see her process Malawi (her home) with a new worldview perspective.  She was able to get her 5-year school visa and continue on her journey working towards her MBA!  
• ·      It was so also great to share what we do here with our friend and missions pastor - Mark!  He was able to teach here at the college and the visit the village ministries that we are involved with.  
• ·      We also have some good friends from Ireland visiting this week, which were missionaries here in Malawi while we here before.  It is fabulous to share life again with them
• ·      I have been very busy with a baby boy who has an empty left leg (he eats continually!) As soon as I want to sit and write - he is hungry.   He is now in 12-month clothes and is only 6 months! He is already getting 2 teeth! He is going to be such a tall boy!  He has come alive over these last few months!  The girls adore him and are in competition to see who can make him laugh!
• 
  

Malawi has gone through a major political change over this last week.  Our previous president was quickly becoming a dictator over the last few years. 

Read this for more information : President Bingu  

Over 3 weeks ago- he stated that he could be president forever. Hmmm.  Well- God had different plans.  He died on April 5th from a heart attack.  The vice president took over and is doing great. She has declared that her government will be corrupt free!  This country has been worn out from lack of fuel - there was nothing for 2 weeks! Lack of sugar - People stood in line for at least 4 -5 hours to get one package of sugar, lack of medicines in the hospital - people can't get simple treatment for sicknesses, lack of power- people that are sick on ventilators die- no electricity to run it and no gas for the back generator. At the same time there has been amazing stories that have shown God's faithfulness! 

 

How you can pray for the Stauffacher Family this month:

• ·      As classes continue here at the college, that we would be intentional with our students
• ·      Bob is working on the Masters of Divinity classes that will start in the fall.
• ·      Amy is teaching a bible class the College Senior Girls and helping in the clinic after hour emergencies for x-rays and being mama to many.
• ·      Nya is finishing up 4^th grade, Analise is finishing 1^st grade, Luke is passing 6 months  - They would enjoy life and continue to find Jesus real!
• ·      Life in Malawi is changing - that we would continue trust in the King of the universe.
• ·      Bob and Amy are doing a marriage DVD small group called Love and Respect and have gleaned richly from it.  Pray that we would be able to apply the knowledge we have learned to our silly arguments and our lives would be transformed daily!
• ·      We would find Jesus as our strength and our source of peace during times of change!

Thank you for loving, praying and supporting us as we serve Jesus here in Malawi, Africa.  We want to impact those who God has called us to love and challenge!  It is in the everyday life moments - is where we are to be accountable.

 

Love the Stauffachers!

Lessons learned...

As I sit here for a moment - while Luke is sleeping and in 30 minutes my senior girls are coming over - in between moments- I find that I wish I could share with you what living in Africa has done for our family! There are so many deep lessons that are taught when we get out of our comfort zone!   I am reminded - it is about what God is doing in us!  He stretches and shapes us to continually to make us more like Him.  Some days it is utterly exhausting and other days it is deeply amazing to see the areas where we learning and growing!  So while my moment is slipping away - my lesson learned is this-  

The grass is not greener on the other side.  Tina just recently came back for a 3-week visit to renew her visa.  She was craving home.  She was craving her Malawian culture and all that is included with that.  She needed her food, family, and friends.  She came here excited and so glad to be back.  But as the weeks continued she quickly realized that it is not what she had imagined.  It wasn't bad - it was just different.  Her perspective had changed, as does anyone who lives outside his or her home country.    She realized, that now she needs to call home and plug in, wherever she may be in the world.  Not to think - if I was here or there -I would be happier - But I will be happy where I am.

My moment of clarity came when I was back in the states- sitting on my front porch and after having an amazing Dr Pepper Big Gulp. (I can just taste it)  I had everything I thought that would make me happy.  Cozy food, cozy family, cozy house and cozy friends.  But I was sooooo crabby for no reason.  Unthankful and crabby!  I was talking with Bob about it and realized it's not Africa that makes life hard sometimes (this is was about a month after coming back from Malawi).  It's not the things that I don't have while I am in Africa or when things get uncomfortable.  It is just me!  Me!  I am stuck with my responses and me. So when I find myself getting crabby these days- I am choosing to find things to be grateful for.  It changes my perspective.  It makes me realize that I am wasting my precious energy on my yuck and my bad attitude.  I can tell you that it is not always this easy to do.  But that is what I am doing to grow and change!  Keeping things in perspective.  The grass is not greener on the other side!  I just need to fertilize the grass I have been given!

An answer of prayer...

Amazing!  Things were so quiet and smooth this Easter holiday as our current president died on Thursday and by Saturday night we had a new president.  There were fireworks and excitement from many of Malawians that we spoke with!  This country has been exhausted from lack of sugar, lack of power and lack of fuel.  The people are ready for a change and to feel like there is hope!
Please continue to pray for the land we love and as there is a huge transition process!

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/04/new-president-malawi-second-woman-head-of-state-africa/

Thank you for praying!