Transition: I need it. Change had always been my friend. It always keeps me on my toes. Life doesn’t get boring. I’ve been told that it’ll all change one day. I’ll need to settle down……that’s for another day. The point is that we moved once again.
Kim and Kelton arrived back in Malawi from their return trip jaunt down through Mozambique and South Africa. They were traveling for 10 days to bring back our rental car and organizing our next months agenda and service locations. Meredith, Michelle, and I stayed back in Magowi to continue our ministry there and met up with the others in Lilongwe (the Capital) the day before our travels to our next site.
We headed half way up Lake Malawi (third largest lake in Africa) to a small fishing village called Nkhotakota to meet up with a gentleman named Harrison who served with an organization called Harvestors International Ministries. This would be our home for the next 8 days. Our first order of business was to come up with a “program” of sorts as they call it over here. We organized our days; where and whom would teach and preach, which villages we would evangelize, basically organize ourselves so we could get the most out of our time here.
Day One: I wake up to my camera, toiletries kit, and my beautiful Keen river sandals missing. Some crafty individual opened my tent and rummaged through my pack as I was sleeping. I give him high praise for his sneakiness and skill, but also a prayer for his sin and deception in which his life is being lived.
It was a hard day to stay focused and truly enjoy myself. I walked about the fields of an area off the beaten, dusty road where we left our truck with two pastors whom we’re working with. We went door to door among the settlements and met a man who is a charm worshiper. He was a gentle and understanding fellow. His wife was an Anglican Church goer and he was a battling soul searcher. He had been converted Catholic and then Anglican, and then slipped back into the charm worshiping.
After a brief greeting and introduction he was sharing that one cannot serve two masters and then his story and beliefs came out. He wasn’t hiding anything. I could tell that he was seeking. He was glad and excited that we came along today and had a few questions for us as well as eagerly anticipated what we would share with him. He wanted to know more about God and what it meant to truly follow and trust God. He shared that he had been hurt by the church in the past and had a not so healthy view of it. When the Anglican Church started up they were looking for a leader and that started a series of events in which people backstabbed one another, gossip and rumours started and a separation of the people happened. And so I was able to share with this gentleman.
First off I apologized on behalf of the church, the body of Christ in how he was treated and how the others behaved. I was sincerely sorry to hear those things and felt a heaviness in my heart at the thought of the many churches that have split back in America on similar accounts. I was deeply touched at his sincerity and openness in this all. He knew there was something more. He knew that God was on his side. He didn’t make any decision or anything, but I know that the seed that planted oh so long ago was watered once again. And for that I thank God for the opportunity to share more about His love for the man.
The pastors which we are working alongside this week are all trained young men whom have been saved through the H.I.M. crusades or outreaches and are now going out to the people around them. The area in which we are serving in is dominantly Muslim and therefore we are heading straight into the enemy camp. We are taking this battle seriously and going for al we’ve got. In fact we do have VICTORY, but it’s not that easy. In order to be the effective army for the Lord that we are desperately wanting to be we must be united. That’s essentially why we sat down and planned out our week together as locals and visitors alike. This first day brought me to a place in my journey following Christ that I’ve never been before; a true evangelist going to the lost and sharing what the Lord puts on my heart. And not just going to the meandering lost people, we are in the thick of a Muslim dominated area. When I say dominated I mean 96% Muslim. That’s what Satan has bound here with his deception, and he’s doing all he can to hold on. But today Christ has come in us. We stand united as a body led by the Spirit and it’s been intense so far as my teammates can testify.
These pastors I have been telling you about are Baptist, Presbyterian, Anglican, and others. I’ve asked them many questions and one I was curious about was if they ever had problems with Doctrine and theology. To these men none of that matters. The only thing is that Christ is the center of your life and you walk confidently in Him alone. It doesn’t matter if you’ve baptized by full immersion or sprinkled. I doesn’t matter what heavenly realm is next for us or how it’ll happen. All they care about is that Jesus is shared with all who will listen and that they must be united to do that great work. I was thinking it would be good for us in the American Churches to start considering this ourselves!
