Washington D.C. to Africa. It was not easy to leave my family after being separated for 4 months and being able to see them during a 20 hour layover in the states, but I had to press on. It is that time in the race when you are so far in yet so far out as well. It was a bitter sweet moment. When we touched down in Malawi (the heart of Africa) I was excited to start our next month of ministry, but I had no idea at the time how God would impact my heart in the heart of Africa.
We worked with Pastor Ronald Sabow and Harvest Life Missions church. We walked village to village, house to house, door to door to spread the love of Christ. I was able to preach to a village of 40 people and several received Christ. Our team purchased rice and beans and were able to feed children in three villages. These children do not get meals like this but only so often. They eat their staple food Sema which has little to no nutritional value. I prayed for so many people dealing with various trials. I prayed for hungry children, for wives whose husbands had left them, for lost souls, for demonic oppression. We walked into a house to pray for a woman suffering from Malaria. The very disease that I am taking medicine to prevent that only cost me so little, a woman is dying from. So much poverty and so many needs and I felt helpless, but everyday the people greeted us with a smile, a smile that held so much joy.
My heart was most affected when we arrived at one hut where we asked four ladies if there was anything to pray for them about. One woman motioned to me and said she had a sick child in her house and asked if the pastor and I would pray for her. I had no idea what I was about to walk in on. There was a young girl about 6 or 7 lying on the grass mat in the dirt floor. She was moaning in pain as I knelt down beside her. Her mother uncovered her arm and there were third degree burns from her fingertips to her shoulder. The sight of it took my breath away. It broke my heart to see such a little girl in so much pain. I began praying healing over her and as I did tears began to fill my eyes. I wanted to take her pain away. I wanted to bandage it and help it feel better, but in and of my self I could do nothing. I had to trust and leave it in Gods hands.
It was hard to see those situations and circumstances, knowing I could do nothing for these people, but I serve an almighty God who can. My heart was broken for these people and especially for this little girl. Why do some people live in poverty and some live in riches? Why do some hurt while others are healthy? How can we serve God when we see pain like this? I thought of Job and how amazing his faith must have been. He praised God in the midst of his struggles. He said,”the Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Who am I to question God?” There are times when I don’t understand and I question why, but God is a sovereign God in control of all lives circumstances. Our world is fallen and under sins curse and with sin comes pain. But the good news is Christ has already defeated sin, it is crushed, it is vanquished. Christ has promised us new life with no tears, no pain, no poverty. I may feel helpless in the midst of it all, but I have the ability to share this good news with people in the hope that they will receive it. Who knew God would use the heart of Africa to break my heart for what breaks His?
