Author Archives: Matt

And We're Off! Trip 1 to Malawi!

by Matt

Matt and I have traveled to and from a lot of places, but the trip we begin tomorrow is unique. We’re going to Malawi for a week – to get to meet the church we’ll be working with, to let me see Malawi for the first time (Africa for the first time!), and to do some scouting so that we know better what we need to do before we move there permanently. Please pray for us as we travel, and praise the Lord with us for the great opportunity to make this pre-move trip.

In some senses, it’s round 1 of moving. I keep thinking – what can I take now that I would really want to take next time but probably won’t have room for? Q-tips? Contact solution for Matt? Some things made the cut, and others just didn’t. With 4 heavy bags, we’ll be taking plenty of our things and a few things for other people. (I heard the Biedebach kids like fruit leather!)

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And anything that doesn’t make the cut this time or next, we’ll be fine without. Because I married Mr. Ingenious and we’re all caught up on everything we need to know from The Swiss Family Robinson.

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In case you’re trying to interpret the look on his face, it’s “she made me do this.” Ah, he’s so sweet. =)

Vote Yes for the Buffalo!

by Matt

I want a buffalo!  It all started a couple months ago… Matt was talking to Brian Biedebach, mentioning that both Matt and I love pickles, so we might need to plant some dill and garlic in Malawi to make our own pickles.  Brian said we’d be better off making cheese than pickles.  What?  No cheese in Malawi?  Well yes, they said, there is cheese, but it’s really bad.  Uh-oh.  How are we going to make pizzas for the youth group?  And what about Mexican food? So we started thinking about cheese.  Somebody has to make the cheese, so we should be able to do it, we figured.  After seven gallons of curdled milk down the toilet, we finally had a pound of good mozzarella.  Visions of gouda and colby jack cheeses… But mozzarella was a good start. 

Now to make it the best mozzarella.  Ever heard of Mozzarella di Bufala?  Yep, that’s buffalo mozzarella, and it’s good!  If you look in a cheesemaking book here in the States, they pretty much say “Oh, it’s good.  But you can’t make it here because you can’t get a supply of buffalo milk.”  BUT – they have buffalo in Africa!  Water buffalo. 
The Wildlife & Waterfall Tour 1141

So began the desire to get a water buffalo.  And here are my additional circumstantial justifications:
1)      The African Water Buffalo is on the endangered species list, so someone needs to look out for them.
2)      I could sing the Veggie Tales song and it would be true, so long as mine is slow.  But I can only sing it to you if you get your own water buffalo, and yours is fast. 
3)      I think it would be great for making friends in Malawi! 
4)      Matt and I are both lactose intolerant, so we can have buffalo’s milk, but not cow’s milk.
5)      They can fight off lions.  Really.  National Geographic said so. 

I keep telling Matt that these – in addition to cheesemaking opportunities – are great reasons for getting a water buffalo. He’s not convinced. Yet. But he said maybe I should get some feedback from the blog. So now it’s up to you. Yea or Nay on the water buffalo?

Meet the Biedebachs

by Matt

One of the blessings we’re looking forward to in Malawi is being able to work in ministry with a family that we love. Meet the Biedebachs! Brian and Anita, Ami, Bradley, and Benjamin.
Biedebach 2008 September Web

The story of the Biedebachs and the Floreens is a fun one. Matt first met Brian and Anita in South Africa in the summer of 2001, on his way to Mozambique for a missions trip. Then, a few years later, an opportunity opened up for Matt to go to South Africa as an intern to work with the Biedebachs and the church there. So Matt spent all of 2005 with the Biedebachs, learning about life, construction, ministry, and everything in Africa. Move to ahead 2007… the Biedebachs move to Malawi to work with a church in Lilongwe and the ball starts rolling for the Floreens to go join them in ministry.

As we are heading to Malawi, we have thanked the Lord over and over again for this family. One of the incredible graces and joys we’ve been experiencing is that the Lord, even now, is putting on our hearts similar burdens and desires for ministry. As a small for instance, Matt and I are reading through the book of Acts right now, and we’ve been talking about Christian fellowship. A few days ago, Matt and Brian were talking, and Matt mentioned what he and I had been talking about. Brian’s been thinking about it too! He is just starting a preaching series through the book of Acts. And it’s been excited to see many other examples of God providentially leading us in the same direction as He prepares us for living and working together. Please pray for the Floreens and the Biedebachs, that the Lord would continue to knit our hearts together for ministry. It’s so exciting!

If you want some more info on the Biedebachs and what their life is like, you can click on the picture above to see their blog and learn more about them.

And Hi Biedebachs! We can’t wait to come see you!