| The sieve has many uses here in Malawi. We use the smallest to remove weevils from flour. The next size up is good for removing bugs from the paddling pool. One step removed is good for removing rocks from sand. This last one is ingeniously made by poking holes in a piece of tin with a nail, big enough to let the sand through and hold back the rocks. I have been thinking about all the ways and means God uses to purify us, to sift us, to draw us into a deeper relationship with him. | ||
| Ministry in Malawi is like the sieve for removing rocks. It is not gentle or mild, but rough and crude, making quick work of rocks we have lived with for a long time. Take for example self-reliance. At times I might have been fooled into thinking I could manage on my own, but not here. Daily, hourly, sometimes minute by minute, I face my inability to cope, and turn to the Father to say ‘how?’ or ‘what?’ Here’s another one – language. How much of my world revolved around how well I could express my view or understand another view, even the Bible’s view? Take English away, and I find myself looking for simpler ways, excusing my rough translation, my baby talk, and laughing at myself as I make mistakes. It is humbling, which is never a bad thing. |
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| The awesome thing is that as the rocks are removed, there is more room for grace, Jesus’ life in me. As a family, we went away to Zomba a few months ago now. Zomba is a beautiful mountain plateau where it always cool, and where there are wonderful hikes to take, and delicious berries to eat. | ||
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We had a marvelous time discovering waterfalls, and enjoying the quiet. On the way back, I asked God for something to love in Bangula. I didn’t want to come back. Only a week later, I called together some of the pastor’s wives. I asked them if we could meet as a ‘leadership group’ on Tuesday afternoons, so that I could teach them, and then they could fan out and teach the women in each branch. These women cannot read, and yet are called on to lead all the time, because they are pastors’ wives. I wondered how I could teach them the Bible, so that they could teach others. | |
| I had written a couple of songs with the kids to help them remember Scripture. I began by using those. Week by week, I have been adding new songs. It hasn’t been a battle, or a strain so far. The songs seem to come. They are not master pieces, but simple melodies to keep Scripture in our minds. Some work better than others, but slowly we are adding Scripture. I started with ‘I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.’ We take turns thinking of new things we can do through Christ….like cooking, cleaning, caring for children, and learning to read. | ||
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At the Bible School, construction seems to be an endless task. We have been waiting for our second dormitory to be completed so that we could run two classes concurrently. It was completed just in time for this term of classes, and we were able to hire graduates from the past two second year classes to teach the first year students. It is so encouraging to see the fruit in these men’s lives. They are the shining lights, and we could not have managed the teaching load without them. |
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| Two Orphan Houses are well on their way. The walls are climbing, with window and door frames in. Our desire is to receive 12 boys and 12 girls in June. We have a Malawian couple to live in the Boys’ House, who will be married soon. Pray with us for a second Malawian couple to work in the Girls’ House. In these homes we want to model for our pastors what a home with all those children might look like, as many of them will take in orphans if they have not already. These children will show us the way into the Kingdom, because it is theirs. We are looking forward to meeting them, and knowing them, and loving them. |
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| > I (Jo) had a real gift in God’s perfect timing in the visit of a very good friend from home, Meredith. Loneliness is very real here, especially because most of those who are educated or speak English are men. I was in need of companionship and conversation, and Meredith’s family sent her to me. It took a lot of organizing and trusting, and the trusting part continued throughout the trip, because she left her two children (and her amazing husband) at home. We arranged for the hottest of hottest weather while Meredith was with us…52 degrees at least one day. We headed out into the bush for a women’s conference two hours south on very bad roads. We were greeted with songs and smiles, and hands outstretched. We were ushered into a courtyard along with chickens, and many very dirty children, outside a mud brick house and a small church. I prayed that we would be allowed to stay outside, as inside would be really hot. There was some debate as to whether the men would be allowed to stay, and then further debate about the children. |
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Finally, we were left with the women alone, women who are so often unheard, and uncared for. We stayed outside, and suffered the smoke ‘so that the women cooking could also hear.’ We spoke on God’s love story….the Bible. From Adam and Eve, through Abraham, Isaac, Jacob….and on through Jesus, God calls to us, ‘I love you.’ We choose to hear and respond, or go our own way. After lunch we talked about how we say ‘I love you’ to those around us. It was so good to work with Meredith in this, and to have her perspective as we headed home. | |
| Meredith’s return home seemed to run right into Easter, which we spent in Ntcheu, in the central region about two hours north of Blantyre. We took the kids and stayed in a ‘guest house’ a short drive from our host village. Unfortunately, we did not arrive at the guest house until dark, as greetings always take longer than anticipated. We unpacked in the dark, set up bug huts in the dark, ate supper in the dark, and went to sleep, hoping that everything would look better in the light. I had some misgivings as Mo went out for the evening meeting and I knew I could not contact him (no cell service in Ntcheu). Trust God!! The next morning we awoke to the competing sounds of pastors worshipping, and radio blaring at 5 a.m. Light did not do much for the guest house. The door without a lock, and without a handle on the inside (should you want to get out in a hurry). | ||
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However, we headed out to the meetings, set up the sound system and called in the masses, well the crowds, well some hungry folks. They were weathered and worn, straggly, without much conviction. But, I saw something beautiful….I saw older mums really loving their little kids, holding them close, laughing with them. I hadn’t seen this much in the south. It was good to see the good, and ask God to grow it stronger. It was good to see an old lady whose sore legs we had prayed for dancing the next day. It was good to hold Victoria’s hands and see hope beginning. |
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Ntcheu was our first showing of ‘the Passion’, and Nchalo (the next weekend) our second. If you can imagine what it would be like to live without pictures…no story books, no advertising, no television, no mirrors even…no pictures at all. Now, imagine seeing ‘the Passion’ as your first picture. Some of our pastors thought it was the real thing. Everyone who sees it grasps the story more fully. Where much of the Bible is ignored and a few stories are told again and again, it is good for people to catch a glimpse of that last week with Jesus. To grapple with the physical cost of our sin is a good thing. To see the awesome love poured out even in the midst of tremendous suffering, amazing!! People need to know about this love, and to see it played out really helps where so many do not read. At the end of each showing, people were quick to respond to the message Mo preached and came forward to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. With arms stretched up to the heavens and hands wide open, hundreds cried out to God in repentance and welcomed Jesus. Those who often experience hunger and suffering knew that God had not forgotten them and were so grateful that we came to visit their villages. Now, word is getting around and many other villages have requested that we come to share this movie and gospel message. They too are hungry to know this Jesus. Months previously I had mentioned to a new doctor friend in Blantyre how much our neighbours would benefit from a CMDF (Christian Medical Dental Fellowship) Outreach, as they have little to no medical care…..and it came to pass. We had a team of nine, some students and some doctors, who came to serve, and care, and show the love of Jesus to their own people. It was wonderful. On Saturday we took them into several villages to run clinics. Of course, they were overwhelmed. In Jambo village, there were hundreds of old women whose bodies are simply worn out, but who have no time to rest, and no medicine to ease their pain. There were many young women suffering with STDs because they are so desperate for money, they turn to the truck drivers coming through from Mozambique. And of course, there were so many who are HIV positive. Our pastors accompanied the doctors and prayed for people, as well as providing crowd control where needed. |
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I was particularly moved when Maggie, one of the doctors on the team, mentioned a man she had met at the clinic. His hand was so swollen she thought he would lose it if he didn’t receive care in the next 24 hours. She wanted to go back, so we hopped in the Pinzgauer and went back with Jim Harrison (our friend who stitched up our son’s finger and put his wrist back together). We pulled up at the Chief’s house to discover that this young man was his son. God is up to something all the time! He sent for his son, and we persuaded him to let the doctors open up the infection. You could see the fear, and hear it. We prayed. He relented, a little bit. It took a lot of coaxing and we had to pull up the Pinzgauer for lights as the daylight faded. Kids sang from a safe distance, and had a great laugh when Mo danced in the shadow of the moon for them. Maggie was patient and kind, and so persuasive. She knelt infront of him in the dirt and pleaded. I was struck by God’s great love for us. This infection was so bad, and yet he was so reluctant to submit to the doctor’s skill and wisdom. So often that is the way, isn’t it? Worship on Sunday in English was a time to treasure. We got the good watering we needed in his presence, with his people, in our language. That’s one of the things we look forward to most in our visit home which is fast approaching….more of that. Along with Swiss Chalet, ice-cream, apple pie….well yes, we plan to roll back to Bangula. We’ll be seeing you soon! Thank you so much for your ongoing prayers and support. We love you all! |
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