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Hello everyone!
(This was written on Tuesday and sent on Wednesday when we finally made it into the office)

Due to some undesirable circumstances, I am writing you this afternoon from the hotel room we call home. Yesterday I started feeling a little groggy, and today I don't feel well at all! So Bekah left with Picard and Emanuel for Katzecara(sp?) to pass out the HIV/AIDS buckets we put together on Saturday. So you get to hear from me today.

Yesterday(monday) was quite uneventful. We spent most of our day in the office. It began with a SOM Staff meeting, where we were given the opportunity to meet Chet Burns, the missionary from Washington state living here in Ntcheu. He comes through the organization "Action International" we learned. He didn't stay long but we will be having lunch with him on Thursday to learn more about his family and the work they do here.

We forgot to mention in our previous email about our worship time on Sunday. We were SO encouraged by the opportunity to worship here with the CCAP (Church of Central Africa Presbyterian) in Ntcheu. They have 2 services one at 8am in English and one at 10am in Chichewa. We elected for the 8am service:) It was nice to hear a service in English as it was much easier to follow and were quite familiar with most of the service. As we arrived at about 7:55 we were welcomed by the man unlocking the doors to the church. We proceeded into the dark (no lights) sanctuary that was filled with rows of cement benches. We took a seat pretty much right in the middle. Then a man stood up and lead a few hymns, he kept encouraging the students to sing louder. Then he asked all the students in the back to move forward. We were now in the complete back of the crowd, still in the middle row. During the second hymn we were singing, everyone stood up and stopped singing! The elders and pastors entered in the front of the sanctuary, and the place started filling up. We later realized that this man was just giving us some practice for the songs we were going to sing, and following the grand entry of the elders the service began. It was at about this time that the sanctuary was beginning to fill up when I noticed I was not only the only white man in the sanctuary but I was the only man on the right side of the isle! The sanctuary is divided in two and the men sit on one side and the women sit on another. After singing some hymns/prayer the visitors of the church were invited to the front. We hadn't filled any "paper" out (as we didn't know we were supposed to!) but were still called to the front, for some reason they could tell we were visiting! :) We proceeded to walk up to the front to a sea of snickering where we were given the opportunity to introduce ourselves/where we were from/what we do. It was overall a great experiance and were so blessed by the passion of the MANY students and the church as a whole.

God willing tomorrow we will proceed back to Katzekara to pass out the other half of the buckets. Pray that my health improves and i am able to take this journey. Then Thursday we will have a day to pack and say goodbye to our friends in Ntcheu before we leave for Salima. Like we have said before it is so crazy that our time here is nearing the end.

It feels like only a few days ago we left the Winterfest team (Youth from IL/WI/IA) and were dropped of in Ntcheu. Once again we ask you to pray for safe travels back and forth to Katzekara, as some of you may remember is where we had the 4 flat tire day. Also pray that as we hand out these buckets the Lord would encourage these patients that so desperately need hope in the midst of suffering.

Blessings friends!
Nate and Bekah