International Cuisine

Eating away from home is always “interesting”, to say the least.  We have eaten in some of the finest establishments that can be found, and we have eaten what was cooked by the side of the road.  Fredna has even tried mouse-ka-bobs!  Really!!

We had lunch today in a newly-opened Chinese restaurant close to our house.  “Interesting” began when we walked into the spacious room that had been converted to a dining room from an old, large house.  The ceilings were very high, the floors were tile, and it seemed there was nothing between the two to catch sound.  The noise from the crowd that had gathered for lunch was almost deafening. 

“Interesting” kicked up a notch when they brought us one menu.  There were more, but I suppose they felt we could share the one - even though Fredna and I were sitting across from each other at a large table.  The waiter did bring me a separate menu when I asked for it.  The menu was written in  Chinese, but it did have the translation written below each menu item.  One line said, "The paint of a chicken".  Another said, "Warm balls of fish eyes, drain the grease".  Line after line was written as if someone was translating Chinese to English with a kindergarten education.  “Interesting” reached a whole new level when we asked the waiter to describe a certain item.  Now, you must understand that the waiter was Malawian with minimal English skills.  When he was unable to express himself properly, or maybe he just didn't know what the food item was, he called a Chinese person over to help out.  The Chinese person didn't speak Chichewa, and his English was nowhere near the level of the waiter.  But he did try to explain what we were interested in.  The funniest part was when they both were trying to make the other understand what they were saying.  In the midst of all this, I asked if they had fried green tomatoes.  Oh boy! 

After the adventure of this meal I can truly say that I am ready to stay home for a while and enjoy leftovers!  For those of you who know me, you know that I don't like leftovers.

So, what's for supper, Fredna? 

Leftover pizza - African style! 

Oh boy! (said in Hee Haw fashion!)  By the way, can anyone tell me what organ with two large vessels lies just under the skin of a chicken?  Maybe they just said it was a chicken!

Tragedy - on the road!

A couple of days ago I posted a story about how dangerous it is to drive in Malawi.  This truth was brought home to us in a tragic way yesterday.  We received word that the wife of a church elder was killed in a traffic accident on Sunday evening.  This couple are members of one of the churches in Nkhotakota, where we are constructing two new churches. 

It seems that the wife was in Blantyre, the same city we were in on Sunday afternoon, for the weekend "marking exams".  Both she and her husband are school teachers in Nkhotakota.  She was traveling home on Sunday afternoon in a minibus.  The minibus pulled out to pass a truck and was struck head-on by another vehicle.  Four individuals instantly lost their lives - she was one of the four.  Catherine leaves behind a husband and four small children.

If you thought this story could not be any more tragic... it is.  Catherine's funeral was held on Tuesday in their home district and village.  Thirty minutes after the service the husband learned that one of his brothers, who was traveling to Blantyre on Sunday afternoon, was a passenger in the "other" vehicle of this accident.  He was also one of the four who lost their lives.  It would be difficult for me to explain to you why it took so long for the information of victims to be delivered.  Believe me, sometimes it just does!

Please pray for this family: Bosco Manyoni and his children, Miracle, Naomi, Promise, and Omega. 

We all desperately feel their tragedy!

On The Road

This weekend we traveled to the southern part of the country to minister in a church in Luchenza.  Luchenza is a trading center close to Mt. Mulanji.  We had a wonderful time in Luchenza.  The people were great, and the church was packed out.  I love preaching in Africa!

 

Traveling in Malawi is somewhat of an experience - in many different ways!  First of all traveling is somewhat exhausting because you can NEVER just relax and drive because there are so many people walking, and riding bicycles on the road that it is really dangerous.  If this were not bad enough, there is always the broken-down vehicle sitting in the road.  Yes, sitting in the road, not off to the side.  It could be anything from a very tiny pick-up to a larger-than-life 18-wheeler or bus.

 

Sometimes, when there is a breakdown, they will put a warning out that lets you know something is going on up ahead - a tree limb!  No reflectors, no triangles, just a branch from a tree.  But wait, it might not indicate that something is broken down ahead.  It could mean that there is a funeral taking place on that side of the road, or it could mean that the turn-off for a wedding is up ahead.  It could just mean that there is a tree limb in the road.

 

 

 

The roads here are about like old farm-to-market roads in the States - or at least in Texas, where I grew up.  There is NO shoulder and just barely enough room for two medium-sized vehicles.  It can get  very interesting when you are meeting a Greyhound-sized bus or truck, especially when there is someone on a bicycle at that exact meeting place.  Sometimes you just hold your breath but keep your eyes open!  It truly is VERY dangerous.

 

No matter how dangerous driving is, we love traveling in this country.  So we grab another cup of coffee and the road map and plan another trip.

 

Crusade in Matumbi, Malawi

Matumbi is nothing more than a fishing village on the shores of Lake Malawi.  There are many villages just like this one.  Villages filled with people that do not have the luxury of running water, electricity, sewer, or even a cold Coca Cola.  This weekend I thought to myself that if any of the young people of this village ever went to town and drank an ice cold Coke, they probably would never return to the village!  For three days I would have given just about anything for an ice cold Coke myself!  The only relief from the heat of this dusty place was bottled water that was the same temperature as the outside air.

 

Matumbi Assembly of God church is pastored by Amaya Abusa Mayamiko Biza and her husband, Taza.

                         

Abusa (Chichewa word for Pastor) Biza invited us to preach a crusade this past weekend at her church.  As they say in South Africa, "At the end of the day" this had to be one of the most incredible weekends of our lives!  I am not really sure what we anticipated, but it certainly was not what we experienced.

 

The program was to show the Jesus Film on Friday and Saturday nights, followed by preaching each night.  There would also be teaching sessions on Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon.  Then the Sunday morning service.  We knew it would not be possible to show the film inside the church because of size limitations; we just didn't know how correct this thought would prove to be.  Each night there were at least 2,000 people present for the film and the service!

It was absolutely astonishing to look out into the darkness.  As far as you could see there were people standing watching the film.  At the end of the film, when I stood to preach, there was hardly room for me and my interpreter to stand in the midst of the people.  The only way I could give an altar call was by a simple show of hands because there were far too many people to be able to have them come forward.

 

Saturday morning I taught a session titled How To Keep Your Salvation.  This session began about 9 AM, just after the church served breakfast to all who attended.  This meal consisted of bananas and hot tea and was served without charge to hundreds of people.  The lunch meal was the staple food of Malawi, nsima.  Nsima is made from ground maize meal and water.  This is a picture of plates of nsima prepared and awaiting distribution.

                                

Saturday afternoon I taught a session on the Holy Spirit.  The secretary of the church took an actual head count for this session - 1,860 people, not counting children!  Each teaching session was at least 2 hours long.  No one left, and all were very attentive.  At the end of this teaching we prayed for people to be filled with the Holy Spirit.  Scores of them received the infilling of the Holy Spirit!  While praying, I noticed that the local Baptist pastor, who had been present for each service, was also praying for people.  This confused me a bit, knowing the doctrinal differences in Baptists and Pentecostals.  I went over to him and asked if he had been filled with the Holy Spirit, to which he replied, "Yes, I have!"  I asked if he had spoken in tongues, to which he replied, "Yes, I have and still do!"  It reminded me of what a minister of another denomination told me when we first arrived in Africa.  He said that denominational lines become blurred when you combat the forces of darkness that we face in Africa.  I have grown to understand what he meant.

                        

Offering time during these services is a very joyous time for all.  They dance, they sing, and they give to the Lord.  This is a picture of their joy.  Some of the ladies took Fredna by the hand and included her in their dancing - what an experience!

                       

If all this were not enough, the Lord added a truly great emphasis to this meeting.  The village head man or chief attended every service.  This is not unique in itself, except he is Muslim.  The first night of the service he spoke to the group and told them that God had chosen to bless them beyond measure.  That a white man would come all the way from America to the Matumbi village to preach the Gospel was truly a miracle.  This meant that they must all change and begin going to church.  The very next night, the chief came to me just before the film and asked me how to become born again.  I had the privilege of leading this chief to the Lord!

He told the people the next day that he was no longer Muslim and that he and his family would begin going to the Assembly of God church next Sunday!  Here is a picture of the chief, some of his family, and us.

Between sessions Fredna and I felt what Jesus must have felt when he walked among the people.  Everywhere we went there was a huge throng of people, both children and adults, following us.  It was even difficult to walk at times.  Many of the small children could not keep from touching us!  We were the first azungus (white people) that many of them had ever seen!  Someone told us that some of them were afraid of us at first.  They didn't know if we were humans or animals!  By the last day they had grown accustomed to our presence, some of them even began to mock the way we speak.

I suppose only time and eternity will reveal how many people were saved by the power of God this past weekend.  They told us they would never forget the day that the white man came to their village to preach about Jesus.  I know we will never forget the day we went to Matumbi to preach about Jesus!

 

Nkhotakota Crusade

 

In 1840 an Arabic trader named Jumbe Salim Bin Abdalla, established a post in Nkhotakota for the purpose of trading slaves. During the height of his power, Jumbe transported between 5,000 and 20,000 slaves through Nkhotakota annually. From Nkhotakota, the slaves were transported in caravans of no less than 500 slaves to the small island of Kilwa Kisiwani off the coast of modern-day Tanzania.  Nkhotakota, Malawi has been an area of strong Muslim influence for a very long time.  There is a national monument in Nkhotakota today - the tree under which David Livingston met with Chief Jumbe in an effort to get him to stop trading slaves.

 

According to the national leadership of the Malawi Assemblies of God there have been evangelistic efforts conducted in Nkhotakota, but there have never been more than 15 people won to the Lord at any one time.  Until now!

 

The Nkhotakota crusade was held from Wednesday night through Sunday morning, with a multinational crusade team.  The Malawi Assemblies of God, along with the missionary team in Malawi, Strategic Missionary Resources headed by Mike Powell, and a ministry team from Northplace Assembly of God Church from Sachse, Texas led by Pastor Bryan Jarrett joined forces with the theme "Nkhotakota for Jesus".  The crowds at night ranged from 1,500 to 3,000 people.  Sunday morning over 500 attended the final service.  In the four days of ministry well over 300 people accepted Jesus Christ as Saviour.

 

                             

Just after lunch on the third day of the crusade, nine expectant mothers arrived at the crusade site.  They said that they had heard there was a crusade, and they came for prayer.  It seems that all of them had been admitted to the local hospital awaiting the arrival of the babies.  The pastors of one of the local churches told me that when she spoke to them, she realized that they were not saved.  She then told them that they were lost without Jesus and that they needed to ask him to forgive their sins.  They did!  All nine accepted the Lord that day.

 

 

The team from Northplace held a medical clinic during the day and ministered to people's physical needs.

 

                           

 

A Sunday morning service, including Sunday School, was held with over 500 people in attendance.  The village chief was in attendance for this special service, lending great credibility and favor to the church.  Just like the night services, the altar filled when the invitation was given.  Since the crusade two weeks ago, the local church has seen an increase in attendance of over 50 people.  A construction team from Cornerstone A/G, Nashville, Tennessee will arrive next week to begin construction on two new churches for the Nkhotakota area.  We thank God for the outpouring of His Spirit upon the people of Nkhotakota, Malawi.

 

The tree still stands, but now the Gospel is going forth!