Don Ward and Rob Rupe are back from an eventful and incredibly rewarding time in Malawi. As you remember, our main mission was to train 51 pastors in Bible Study Methods, and then equip 35 of them to go out and teach the same material in the southern region of Malawi. However, ministry in Malawi is often about so much more. We visited rebuilt homes, observed damaged homes still needing repair, gave 2 pastors bicycles, and observed a village watering hole where there is no clean water.
Getting to Malawi was certainly eventful. Due to several glitches, Don’s passport arrived on the very last possible day before travel. Our flight from Lilongwe, Malawi to Blantyre (a mere 140 miles by air) was over 2 hours late and included the experience of starting our taxiing to the runway, only to have the engines shut down. We were all moved on a bus for an hour…then we started all over. We boarded the plane again and headed out - after a weight and balance problem was solved.
We preached in two churches on June 23rd, and on Monday the 24th we toured many of the homes repaired through the support of ELI Malawi donors. Eventually you’ll see some wonderful interviews on our Facebook page and our ‘soon to come’ YouTube channel. We had the unique privilege of meeting the Matope village chief. He asked us to pray for the problems of the village (2 wells for 2000 people - one of which is troublesome as of late; a damaged bridge in the middle of the village, food issues, etc.), so we had the blessed privilege of seeking God’s blessing on this leader who is very concerned for the needs of his people.
A government conference center in Blantyre, Malawi was the site of the four-day Bible Study Methods conference for 51 pastors. Twenty pastors from the village area (Phalombe) stayed at the center overnight and received three very fine meals each day. It was an ideal location for a conference where the pastors were asked to do a good deal of study and reflection.
The pastors learned how to grasp the message of the biblical text “in their land”, measure the “width of the river” between their world and ours, cross the “bridge of timeless truths”, and grasp the meaning of the text in our world (application). They worked very hard using their new study Bibles to go through this process. They had many questions and were very engaged throughout the four days.
A highlight of our time together was the acapella singing of the pastors. The beautiful African harmonies in that conference room filled the room to overflowing, and our hearts were filled with joy, and yes, Don shed the occasional tear at the beautiful sounds.
Just as is the case here in the states, the fellowship among the pastors was of great mutual benefit. Each day they were working in small groups to work through the four steps of the process. This was a beautiful thing to watch and enjoy.
At the conclusion of the conferment, the pastors were presented with certificates for the completion of the course. They worked very hard all four days. I know they came away with at least five good, bible centered sermons from the study they did. The last pastor to receive his certificate came forward and broke into song and dance - we all joined in!
We made our way back to the crossroads village of Migowi, Malawi to get ready for our big evangelism outreach. Saturday June 29 was taken up with much great singing from the choirs of two churches, along with corporate singing. Throughout the day, Don preached three evangelistic sermons and Rob gave his Christian testimony to the group. More than a handful came forward at the end and we talked with them and prayed for them. Several were taking a serious step forward on the journey of discipleship. It was a joyous and full day, and we were privileged to meet the parents of our good friend Rabson Chilewa. That was a real treat and honor. Rob enjoyed it especially since Rabson’s parents were educators in the past.
We had more sermons to preach on the 30th, and enjoyed a nice restful Sabbath afternoon. Monday was the training of 35 pastors who have taught ELI courses in the past. The lunch that day was goat. Ask us about just how fresh that was! Maaaaa! Once again, the pastors were working in teams to practice teaching the material to others. We struggled through a few communication problems, but by the end of the day, some insights were being gained.
The next day on our way back to Blantyre we stopped to see our friend Pastor Hosea as we wanted to see the damage to his house. His house is in ruins - a pile of broken bricks. Hosea and his wife are sleeping on the floor of the church he built. We shared a joyous moment as Hosea demonstrated the proper playing of a drum (the sole instrument in his church). We experienced sadness as we saw the watering hole that supplies Hosea’s village - what in Virginia we call a “borrow pit” - a stagnant water supply created by a construction project. We interviewed a local woman about the water concerns of that village. She was very animated, and declared that she wanted God to do a miracle in bringing water to that village.
We finished our mission on Tuesday with a meeting of key Malawian volunteers with ELI, where honest and helpful feedback was received. We are in agreement about pursuing a certification program for Malawian pastors. The Malawian government is exploring requiring such a program, as is the case in several other African countries, and in India.
If you are on Facebook, please join our ELI-Malawi group so you can see many pictures and videos of this action-packed time in Malawi.