Mzungus in Mzuzu (White People in Africa)
Hello from AFRICA! We are now on month five of the World Race which means a new season and a new continent. After finishing up our time in Romania, our squad spent an entire week traveling to our new location – including three flights, two nights spent in Johannesburg, South Africa and over 84 hours of bus rides to Mzuzu, Malawi! To call the experience stretching woud be an understatement. However, God is faithful and we arrived safely last Saturday to meet our contacts and begin our ministry.
The brightness of Mzuzu’s natural surroundings is equally matched in the personalities of its people. I have never met so many joyful individuals! The church we are partnering with here radiates with a warmth that has nothing to do with the blazing sun outside (it’s summer here). You can feel it in the passionate prayers of Mama Pastor and in the footsteps of the dancers who pound out the pulse of each praise song. It is evident in the whisperings of the women who sit on bamboo mats, their babies swaddled against their backs wrapped in rainbow-colored fabrics, humming away as they lovingly prepare the daily meals. Every conversation is a chance to thank God for His faithfulness and for His blessings. It’s been a good reminder for those of us who tend to take the little things in life for granted.
This past week we have spent several days going out into villages to meet with people and to tell them about Jesus. We have also gone to three different schools to talk to kids about our trip. Everywhere we go we are greeted with the word “mzungu” – white person – sometimes in hushed tones by surprised adults and sometimes in loud shouts by wide-eyed little ones. I have been amazed at the things I have seen in just these past few days: a glassy-eyed, depressed prostitute light up after learning to give her burdens to Jesus; a young girl involved in witchcraft fall to her knees and repent; a twelve year old boy ask us to pray for growth in his spiritual life; and children coming up in masses to accept Christ in front of their peers and teachers. I was in awe that we were even allowed to speak in public schools!
One thing that has smacked me in the face here is spiritual warfare. Africans are in tune with the spiritual realm in a very real way, and many of those we have come across are battling oppressive spirits in their daily lives that have manifested themselves in various forms, including physical ailments, alcoholism and witchcraft. Their willingess to openly share about these problems in front of total strangers – mzungus at that – has shocked and inspired me. These people are desperate in a way that makes them lift their hands in full surrender to the Lord at the chance to lighten their load.
On the surface we don’t seem to have this spiritual warfare problem in America – or at least we would be hesistant to call it that. It’s been bothering my teammates and I as we’ve wondered what makes us so special that we don’t have to deal with it. Is it that we are better educated or have more money? Or do we use these things to hide what we’re really dealing with? We’ve come to the conclusion that American spiritual warfare is simply masked…masked by business, masked by self-reliance and masked by unbelief. Africans aren’t afraid to call out an evil spirit and ask for the Holy Spirit – so why are we? Perhaps we need to stop penciling our problems into our busy schedules and start praying them out. It may be a bit uncomfortable at first – believe me, I’ve had some awkward moments sitting on the floors of huts here in Mzuzu not even knowing where to begin – but the peace that prayer can usher in is well worth it.
p.s. Thank you for your prayers of protection over my health in Africa – so far, I’m healthy! God has even provided refrigeration for my insulin this month. One more thing for which to be thankful 🙂 Please keep the prayers coming!
