Mwadswala bwanji! ("Good evening" in Chichewa) It's Rachel Main, fulfilling her blogging duty.
I must first thank all of you, those I know and do not know who have been diligently praying for me and the rest of the team. One thing I have seen clearly this trip is that God indeed answers prayer.
From earlier posts you will have read that I travelled with Alli to Salima for a "School-Leavers SCOM Conference." The conference is for Form 4 students (equivalent in grade but not necessarily age to a senior in high school) as they prepare to leave school, either for the work force or college/university. The teachings encourage students to have a Christ-centered approach to life after school. For instance, the theme of my conference in Salima was "Defend you Position", related to the story of Mary and Martha and our need to place ourselves first and foremost at Jesus' feet. From the same gifted speaker we also heard a talk about opposite sex relationships. By hearing the specifically directed messages, we were able to better understand the struggles of Malawian teens.
In addition to learning from the conference, Alli and I had other great experiences this weekend in travelling apart from the team. We were able to do things that a 20 person group can't do, like ride on the back of a bicycle as a form of a taxi. With such experiences of devotionals starting at 5 am, nearly getting lost by the lake (I'm fine Mom, I promise), and spending 20 minutes learning how to work the toliet, shower and sink, we had an eventful and fun weekend. I was so blessed to spend time getting to know Alli better, the oldest UIUC girl with the youngest.
short side note: going near the lake is interesting as the Muslim influence in Malawi increases. (possible prayer request for you)
Now, we are back. A day earlier than we believed. I'm anxious for the rest of the team to return so we can have a big share fest. I enjoy those, as those of you who know me might guess. I like talking.
Thanks for reading. We love hearing from you in comments!

Prayer Requests:We leave for South Africa Friday-praise God for being Himself, for being so good to protect us and fill us with good experiences and lessons until the very end of our time in Malawi. Pray for a safe flight, luggage retrieval and happy times in South Africa for processing what we've learned in the past month and what do with new knowledge
The SCOM staff rocks our socks-Praise God for the work He is doing through this organization for the sake of His Glory in Malawi. Pray for your brothers and sisters in Malawi, the students as they grow in faith, the staff as they seek financial support and growth of their ministry.