We spent our last month in Malawi which figures among the least developed countries in the world. This was our last month in Africa and like every other country on the continent, it is filled with natural beauty and beautiful people. They call it “the warm heart of Africa”.
Our ministry was based out of a hostel named Butterfly Space, located in the shores of lake Malawi in a town called Nkhata Bay. There we were surrounded by puppies, monkeys, ants, spiders, slugs, and the occasional hippo swimming in the lake. Unlike every other ministry we’ve partnered with before, they received volunteers from any and every type of background that were willing to help and love the people of the community. This promoted a very diverse living and working environment that kept us busy for a while.
Throughout the month we got the opportunity to build relations with the staff, the volunteers and every other traveler or local that came through the hostel. Every interaction was taken to share the love, joy, and wisdom our Daddy has already shared with us. We also got to visit their nursery and school each day and spend time with the kids teaching them English as well as other skills and simply having fun with them. But my favorite part of the month was what happened three times a week in the afternoons for an hour each time. We got to share our faith, hope, and light with a group of inmates in the local prison and I have to say that it has been one of the most life giving experiences I’ve had in my life.
Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday we would start our walk towards the prison at 1:40pm to get there by two. Once we got there we would wait at a small shack outside the prison for one of the guards or the prison Chaplain to walk us in. Often times we would spend this time playing “Baw”, a local game played with marbles over a wooden board, with some of the guards that were in their rest hour. Many good friendships were established this way.
As we were walking in, the singing would start and we could hear it before even reaching the inner yard where we regularly met. A group of 20+ prisoners on fire for God were waiting for us and were excited to share with us in His presence. Some of them were more mature in the faith than others. Some of them were new convicts that joined the bible study group in search of hope, answers, and comfort. No matter where they were in their spiritual and life journey, they were there for and because of the Father’s love, and so were we.
Together, throughout the weeks, we learned about the love of the Father, our identity as sons and daughters of God, the Kingdom of God and His will for us, the Church as a community of believers, our dreams, callings and hidden potential as well as themes like hardship, sickness, and witchcraft. Through our and their stories, alongside with the Bible, we learned so much from each other and so much heavenly fruit was brought forth into the lives of everyone involved. I loved it.
It was near the end of our month in Malawi when God pointed out to me a very interesting reality. Many if not most of the community that lived in Nkhata Bay, where we were staying, were trapped in their own lives. Wether it was drugs, alcoholism, abuse, anger, resentment, greed, lies, gossip, loneliness, hopelessness, confussion, lostness or whatever it was. I don’t know why but I think that the fact that Nkhata Bay is one of the most touristic places in all of Malawi has a little bit to do with this. But, on to the point. God highlighted to me how many of the people that enjoyed “freedom” on the outside were really prisoners of their own lifestyles, while these “prisoners” that were inside of the jail were one of the most free people I’ve ever met.
This was a pretty cool lesson on what true freedom looks like and how we can, through deception, believe that we are free when in reality we are not. What does freedom look like for us? Can anyone of us say that we are trully free? What is holding us down? What is controlling us? What is keeping us or slowing us down in the journey of seeking, pursuing and achieving or true purpose? These are all questions that have popped up for me from this experience and I share them to you because I think that when we earnestly seek for truth we will find it.
A little heads up, don’t be disappointed nor lose heart once you find out that you do not possess this freedom I’m talking about. There is nothing we can do to acquire this kind of freedom but luckily for us, He who holds the keys of the universe desires to set us free so that we can run to Him. He loves us and wants to spend eternity with us. Let us not reject that uncomparable gift out of guilt, shame, pride or fear. All we have to do is say “YES” to Him and open our hearts to receive His Spirit which sets us free.
