Malawi!

In 14 sleeps, I am on my way up a mountain in the small country of Malawi in the south-eastern part of Africa! I'll be serving with Emmanuel International (http://www.e-i.org/index.html) for 3 months doing a water sanitation project.

I have finally come to the point where I am excited about going to Malawi. A lot of people thought it'd be a no-brainer for me because I have the opportunity to travel and work in Africa...I mean, who WOULDNT want to do that? Well, surprise surprise, I didn't want to! Don't get me wrong, I joined the Engineering Faculty to get people water (and to treat wastewater) and I love seeing new areas, but when the opportunity came to do a water sanitation project in the poor country of Malawi... I was terrified! Living in a third world country again, not understanding the language, living in 'unique' conditions wasn't exactly how I wanted to spend my summer.


But God is active! Seriously! I couldn't even slip under the radar!


God told Jonah to go to the city of Nineveh. Jonah didnt want to. Jonah decided not to go and ran. God got a fish to swallow Jonah. Jonah obeyed. Fish spat Jonah out. Jonah went to Nineveh.

I'm very thankful my friend Liz said to me: “Be obedient, Kathleen, it's better for you to willingly go as opposed to God dragging you in a whale's belly to do so”.

God told Kathleen to go to Malawi. Kathleen didn't want to. God got a friend named Liz to remind me of Jonah so that I didnt have to be swallowed by a fish. Kathleen obeyed. Kathleen going to Malawi. Kathleen excited about Malawi!

Lesson learned: I always thought that if God wanted you to do something or go somewhere, He would put that desire on your heart, and then you would know. But this past term, I learnt something big. In the past when I've felt God call me to do something (like go to China, go into Engineering, etc), God had put a desire in my heart to WANT to do these things, which made being obedient 'easier'. Question: when God doesnt give you the desire to do what He wants you to do... will you do it? God taught me that the whole of obedience is following Christ despite the cost. He might call you to do dirty work, to go to parts of the world that you don't want to go to, to befriend someone you dont like... whatever the call, the best and safest place to be is where God wants you and the best thing to do is what God wants you to do.


While I was struggling with being obedient and going to Malawi, I remember telling myself "If I'm going to go all the way to Africa, God better teach me something big this summer!". God is good. He's already taught me something huge that I needed to learn, and I'm still in Canada!

So friends, I'm going to Malawi! I am due to fly out June 9 and return in early September. I am still raising support.


Please check out Emmanuel International's website: http://www.e-i.org/index.html, and if you would like to donate, you can go to: http://www.canadahelps.org/CharityProfilePage.aspx?CharityID=d17895and just click on Kathleen Jarvis (Malawi) under the 'funds designation' section!


Thanks so much. I'll do my best to update this blog throughout the summer!