Letter to the Congregations: 9th April 2022

Our Dear Brethren,

(To see photos and videos that accompany this letter visit this link to my travel blog: https://visiteverycity.travel.blog/2022/04/08/storms-before-the-calm/)

The sun was completely obscured by the cloud cover on that January day in 2017. Stepping out of the airport, the air wasn't nearly as warm as I had expected it to be, although the humidity level was not surprising. January is in the middle of the rainy season in Malawi and often brings overcast skies and heaving rainstorms. Lena and I were met by Aaron and Michelle Dean, as well as Haiton Thungula, at the door. The modest airport was a bit of a contrast to our last few moments in South Africa. We managed to squeeze all of our bags into what would come to be my favorite vehicle in Malawi, the "Blessed Bongo" (as we affectionately called the Mazda Bongo). Haiton, who was a deacon at the time, gave me my first African driving lesson in that same minibus not long after our arrival.

I have a very vivid memory of sitting in one of the middle bench seats of the Bongo, surrounded by suitcases, trying to crack open the window enough to let the fresh air in, but not wide enough to let the rains pour in. It rained most of that day, very heavily. The rain in that part of Africa is a blessing from God that brings growth to the crops and thus sustenance to His people. While the sunshine eventually did return, we considered the rain a welcome to us from God as we began a new adventure, living in Lilongwe and traveling to other parts of the region to visit our brethren.

One year later, with only essential winter clothes which we had managed to grab from our storage unit (we were technically homeless at the moment), Lena and I parked in the lot behind our hotel in Long Island City. That part of Queens was filled with taxis, trucks, cars of all kinds, and the subway line running several stories overhead. It was cold and the roads were dusted in salt. Thankfully God had held off the "bomb cyclone" of 2018 until we were safely within the borders of the city that would come to be our new home. In the following days we trudged through snow drifts in thin leather boots as we searched for an apartment.

It was the last day of our search and we hadn't found anything yet. We were supposed to be headed out the next day when the snow was supposed to be nearly gone. I woke up that morning very early and took one more glance online, giving ourselves any last chance to find a home before we would have to leave town. There was a new availability and I quickly sent the manager an email (it was way too early to call anyone). Later that morning, walking through our new building with the super, we found out that the extreme cold had caused some of the pipes to freeze and burst. To this day, I can't help but wonder if God had brought the cold and snow to make sure there would be an affordable home available for us as we began our next adventure, living in Brooklyn and traveling to other parts of the region to visit our brethren.

In life it seems that at the most crucial moments we often experience the most stress and anxiety. Although our constant adversary, that old dragon, attempts to bring attacks on us throughout the year, for some reason we feel more attacked as the Feasts of God approach. Perhaps this is because we are examining our own hearts, striving to rid ourselves of our sins and secret faults, bringing up old hurts, heightening awareness of ways we can make amends for the offenses we have caused our brethren. Whatever the exact cause may be, we feel the storms before the calm.

In these moments we sometimes question why God has allowed us to experience tensions between one another, illness and death of those so close to us, anger and sadness and feelings of worthlessness because of the trials we are experiencing. In reality, we are the children of God, in need of testing and correction for our growth. In reality the storms we go through are meant to prepare our hearts for greater trials and greater glory.

"My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor detest His correction; for whom the Lord loves He corrects, just as a father the son in whom he delights" (Proverbs 3:11-12, NKJV).

Afterwards there are times of great calm, great refreshing, and great peace that can only come from God.

"The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, and in keeping them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer" (Psalm 19:8-14).

Do we see the storms that come our way as preparation for the calm that is to follow?

Our love is with you,

Lewis VanAusdle

Pastor, United Church of God

NYC, NJ, CT, Malawi, Zimbabwe