Pies for Malawi

I don’t know about you but sometimes I am so amazed by the ways we are able to network and communicate these days…with Facebook, blog, Skype, email, text, Twitter (Daniel’s favorite), cell phones, the list is just endless with how our world has grown smaller. I get made fun of a lot for how much time I do a few of the above each day…but I tell you, I do feel very connected to people, most of the time. I should also admit publicly, there hasn’t been a day in the last year that I haven’t checked my Facebook. Sad, I know. What is really crazy is how many different friends from different chapters of my life have collided into the same Facebook “place”. Anyone else feel the same?

This is where my story begins. About 2 months ago I received a friend request from a childhood friend of mine, Jen. Not only were Jen and I childhood friends, but we grew up together in Okinawa, Japan where our fathers served in the military. We ran into each other again in college when we both attended Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA…that was about 10+ years ago (sheesh, there, I dated myself).

So back to Facebook. Jen requests me to be her friend, I accept. She emails me about life and what I have been up to since college. I reply with a brief life synopsis and ask her the same questions. Of course I mentioned to her that Daniel and I were preparing to move to Malawi, Africa to serve for a year. After exchanging a few emails, we promised to stay in touch.

Last night we received a donation online from Bethel Baptist Church in Phenix, VA. Daniel and I stood there puzzled, as we both had never heard of this church before, let alone Phenix, VA. (yes, that's how it is spelled.) We read the note attached to the donation and I realized that it had been from Jen and her husband, Bob, and their church.

I was amazed and emailed Jen immediately, thanking her over and over again! She informed me that it all started with a simple conversation with her church’s missions committee. She had asked her church to take up a special offering for our cause, but instead it grew into something bigger. The church decided to host a huge cookout at a local festival this past weekend...burgers, hot dogs and homemade goodies! Apparently many of the older ladies of the church baked pies to sell! Pies...50 pies total! I can’t even believe that this little church of 60+ people in southern VA would do all this for Daniel and I. I am blown away by the deep generosity of this small community and the ways that they support and love...even to total strangers. I am touched, Bethel Baptist and Jen! Thank you for serving us so sacrificially in this way!

The pies...I just wish I could hug every single old lady who made these pies! How sweet!


Jen took some of these photos from my Facebook page and made a poster for the fundraiser day and to keep at their church so that the people of the church can be praying for us.