I am telling this story on behalf of one of the most amazing people I have ever met. My World Race host for the month, Pastor Blessings.
His story deserves to be told.
The first day he met us at our hostel to discuss the program for the month, he had walked 20km ONE way or roughly 3 hours just to welcome us. And after our thirty minute conversation he did the same thing. He did that every day for three days. He walked because he couldn’t afford a bus. A bus which would have cost about .25 cents.
In our short time here, he has loved us and served us as if we are his very own daughters. He is a local pastor here and he could have very easily used this month to solely benefit his own congregation. And I wouldn’t have thought twice about that.
But no.
This is not the way of Blessings Mtete.
Because his concern isn’t about promoting his church. His concern is promoting THE church. His priority isn’t on expanding his congregation. His number one focus is expanding the Kingdom of God.
So instead he has taken us to love and encourage widows. I could write a whole separate blog about them. (Maybe I will). We dance with them and we sing with them and we pray with them. These women have now become something greater than acquaintances: we are sisters.
He has taken us to an orphanage. He has taken us to schools. In both places we have been overwhelmed with the pure and boundless love of children.
We have gone To a village church that had never heard of Jesus until he travelled there. Also, this village is 40km away, which takes about two hours by car. However, Blessings often could not buy the luxury of transportation to the village. So, he walks. He walks 40 km to the village because none of them owned bibles and if he doesn’t share the Word with them, who will?
(I use the past tense “owned” bibles because now thanks to you, they do own bibles. The chief of the village has called to say that now his village is rich. Also, our team blessed him with a brand new bicycle. So he will be able to bike to the village instead of walking.)
Everywhere we go, the people are so incredibly grateful for him. They thank him for sharing us, for bringing us to their need. Most of all, they tell us the wonderful things that he does for them ALL the time. You see, he hasn’t just taken us to these groups because he has heard that they have need. He has taken us because he knows that they have need. And he knows that they have need because he is with them daily, not just when he hosts teams.
Every single day he is giving to his community. He takes the widows food and clothes. Just yesterday, he and his wife invited our entire team over for dinner. All ten of us. And he took note of all the food and drinks we asked about passing through the market all month and he served them all, explaining each dish, even the field mice (it was actually delicious, fur and all) The day before that I heard him give a testimony to a church that he regularly goes without because the 3500 kwacha (less than ten dollars) that a bag of n’shima costs, which would feed his family for a month is too expensive. Even though some nights he goes to bed without eating anything and maybe the next day too he feeds and gives so generously to everyone around him.
He has been a living, breathing picture of selflessness and humility.
Now, I would like to tell you what challenges these pillars of virtue stand against. Why it impacts me so greatly that he doesn’t strive to build the numbers in his own livelihood.
Pastor Blessings has never earned an income. The offering from his church often barely covers the expenses. His PA system burned and recently all money has gone toward fixing that problem.
The place his family calls home is a cozy, two rooms. Habitat for Humanity built his home. Sounds pretty great right?
Nope. Prepare yourself (I hope this enrages you like it did my entire team)
Habitat for Humanity identified Pastor Blessings as one in need of a home in their project to build homes for needy pastors in Malawi. He thought that was wonderful. He was told he only needed to pay for the land. It was a stretch but he knew with the Lord’s help he could make payments and eventually pay it off. Well, once the house was being built things changed and more pastors were found in need. So Habitat told him he would have to pay for the house. He had to walk to town to make payments. (Remember this man has no income).
When he failed to make payments, representatives came to his home and removed the windows and dismantled his front door. Now there are just sheets of thick metal and fabric where windows once allowed in the sunlight.
Can you imagine? Working as hard as this man and watching while someone removes your windows and takes down your front door?
Yet, not a trace of anger or bitterness can be found in him. He trusts God with his whole heart and asked us to pray that God will make a way and they will be able to expand their home and afford their necessities.
That’s why I am passionate about telling his story. About sharing it with all of you back home. Because he needs our prayer. In fact it is an honor to intercede for someone like Blessings. So I ask you, share this blog, share his story with your friends. If anyone would like to offer support whether financial or an email of encouragement I would love to connect you with him. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
That is all for now. I love you all.
