Will You Help Me?

How many times do you see a face that speaks louder than words themselves?  In Africa, you see one every day if you just open your eyes.

Her name is Linda, and her plea is the same as those that came before her, and it will remain the same as those who come after her - "Will you help me?"

It is easy to see the faces and hear the cries - then turn a deaf ear with our own words like: "Why can't they help themselves?" or "That is their problem, not mine." or "There is always somebody needing help; we can't do it all!"  I suppose these statements have a bit of truth to them, but then I read where Jesus said if someone asks you for your coat, you should give them your cloak also.  Or something about true religion is when you help the widows and orphans - the ones that really can't help themselves.  Or worse, the words that tell us that when we see someone in dire need and we refuse to help... well, you get the picture.

Linda lives in an orphanage with seven other children.  These children have lost their parents to the AIDS pandemic.  They have nowhere to go, no one to look after them.  If it weren't for the orphanage they live in, they might very well be living on the street, sleeping in a back ally somewhere, and begging on the street for their very existence.

This orphanage is struggling to put enough food on the table for these eight children, not to mention clothes, school fees, medical attention, and school supplies.  Life here is "back to basics", the extreme basic of enough food to live today.  This orphanage receives a small amount of financial assistance on a monthly basis, $300 USD.  This may sound like a lot, but it is the total monthly support for ten people, one house, utilities, food, clothes, school fees, uniforms, and supplies.  Three hundred dollars does not stretch nearly far enough.

The orphanage is fortunate in that they own about 5 hectares of land, which is more than enough land to raise food that will sustain their lives.  But they have not raised any kind of crop for the past 3 or 4 years because there was not enough money to buy the seed and fertilizer to plant.  Hopefully, this year there will be a turn-around for this orphanage because today they are planting enough maize to have food for the coming year, maybe even enough to sell some and thereby generate a small amount of income.

Maize is the staple food of Africa.  With it you can live; without it you will die.  If you miss one planting season, you go hungry all year long.  Thanks to the generosity of one person this orphanage is planting life in the ground today, and with God's blessings they will be filling their stomachs tomorrow!  Most people who are "down on their luck" will tell you, "All I need is a helping hand!"  God has answered their prayer with a "helping hand" today.

 

 

 

With this garden these children have a good chance of not having to go to bed hungry this year.  The only problem is that this crop will not be harvested until sometime in April of 2009, so their struggle is not over yet.  Maybe you would like to help in some way.  Again, we can say that this story is repeated over and over again here in Malawi, and there is always a face that is speaking louder than words ever will!

I Love Sundays!

Each Sunday is like a new adventure for Fredna and me.  We have been in Malawi now for 31 Sundays, and I have preached on 21 of them.  The other Sundays were taken with guests from the USA (teams & individuals), making airport runs, building two churches, and visiting the General Superintendent's church.  Whew! I am tired just writing this!

We have discovered a few things about Sundays that I would like to share with you.

1. There are FEW smooth roads in Malawi.
2. According to Fredna, travel time to the church on Sunday is also her amusement park time (bouncing in the car).
3. ALL Sunday School classes are in Chichewa.
4. Announcements in church get equal time with the sermon.
5. Visitors have to stand and give their name, where they are from, and the reason they are in attendance that morning.
6. Tither's get a special prayer; then those who give in the offering are next.
7. If you happen to go to sleep in church, someone might just walk up to you with a stick and hit you with it.
8. If you preach, then you might get a coke or juice when you are finished.
9. At the end of the service, you get to shake everyone's hand as they leave the church.
10. People here are hungry for God.
11. If you preach, they will treat you like a king.
12. You get to go home with the pastor and his/her family for lunch.
13. Malawi traditional food is some of the best food you will ever eat.
14. Churches are so packed that you can hardly breathe or move about.
15. Did I mention that there are FEW smooth roads in Malawi?

Yesterday we were blessed to minister in Gulliver Salvation Assembly of God Church (aka Gullisa).  Gibson & Irice Sambo are the pastors of this church.  These are three of their children enjoying ice cream after lunch!

Fredna taught Sunday School, using an interpreter.

There were not many in the percussion section, but boy, do they have fun!

Then it was time for preaching.

Sundays are wonderful here; I can't wait until next week!  Buckle your seatbelt, Fredna - time for another ride.

Two New Churches

Two new churches have have been built in the Nkhotakota District of Malawi!  Lozi Assembly of God, and Sani Assembly of God.  Construction began about the middle of September and was complete last Friday.

Sani A/G is located on the south side of Nkhotakota in a small trading center by the same name.

  

  

Lozi A/G is located on the north side of Nkhotakota in a small trading center by the same name.

  

  

Each church will now place window and door frames as well as finishing the floor.  Their work will be difficult, but the greatest part is finished.  Each congregation is extremely proud of their new buildings!

How Hot Can It Get?

Okay, I am hollering, "Calf rope"!  As they say in Malawi, "It is too much hot".  Oh, the actual temperature is not that bad, less than 95 degrees.  But, the humidity has to be above 85 percent.  By the time you get dressed your clothes are sticking to you - EVERYWHERE!  Below is a picture of Pastor Ndovi and his wife of Dwangwa Assembly of God.

Sunday we visited this church in Dwangwa, Malawi.  Dwangwa is a trading center located on the northwest shore of Lake Malawi.  The heat and humidity was absolutely oppressive!  If the heat was not bad enough by itself, the church is in the middle of a construction project.  The new building is being built around the old building.  Once complete, they will remove the old structure.  Do you get the picture?  The walls of the new structure are blocking any air that might be moving from entering into the old building.

  

When we were escorted in the back door you could actually feel the body heat radiating from the already full house.  That was the coolest moment of the entire service.  Long before I took the pulpit for ministry my clothes were literally wringing wet!  There was not a dry spot on me.  My glasses would not stay in place, and all I could taste was salt from my own sweat running down my face.

  

All of that said, it was an incredible time just being part of the service!  The people of this church were on fire (no pun intended) for God.  The building was totally packed, and at the end, when I gave the altar call, it was not possible to move beyond the platform.  Each one that came forward had a heart of anticipation, a heart that was yearning for God to work in their life.  They were not disappointed, for surely God was present to touch each of them!

  

Please keep this church in your prayers.  They have struggled so much to get the building finished.  All they lack now is the rafters and roof sheets.  It always amazes me how far a group like this has come... but how much farther they still have to go!  Surely the Lord will help them to accomplish their dream.

  

  

Under This Tree

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.