| A few weeks ago I did something I have been longing to do since coming here. I washed the feet of the women in my Bible study. Their feet are so worn and scarred. Their toe nails, ragged and torn if not missing altogether. I brought out a comfortable chair and had them sit while I washed their feet with soap, and rubbed cream into their calloused and cracked feet. They didn’t mind. They enjoyed it. They seemed content to sit while I served. They are worn down by the ordinary cares of living, and don’t have energy to spend questioning who should serve who. I had planned to teach on John 13, and we did read the story, and I asked my carefully crafted Chichewa questions. However, I have no doubt that I learned more by acting out the parable than they did from the study. ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit’ because they are not worried about appearances, and they can receive the loving attention of the Saviour without trying to go it alone. Did you ever notice what Jesus says to Peter: ‘If I do not wash you, you have no part with me.’ There is no place for independence in Christ. It is all in him. | |
| This is something we are learning as we come to the end of our physical strength. Each day is morethan we can handle on our own. The Living Word speaks to the needs of the day in very practical ways. This morning I read in Philippians: ‘My one desire is to know Christ and the power of his resurrection, and to share his sufferings in growing conformity with his death, in hope of somehow attaining the resurrection from the dead.’ Again, I asked the Lord to give me an undivided heart, to let go of the things that keep me from a single- minded pursuit of him. It is that kind of heart that will see changes in Malawi, and wherever you are. |
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Life here is a little easier at the moment because there are sweet potatoes in the gardens, and the rains have come. That said, we still feed 1200 families a month. I took our visitor, Pam Willard, with me to see the distribution. It was good to see things through her eyes. Those eyes quickly filled with tears, at the crowds of suffering widows and children. I talked to some of the women. One woman, with her maize on her head, cheerfully told me that tonight she would not go to sleep hungry. What of the other nights? Others around us could not see the bright side, only the dreary struggle. |
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I visited a handicapped man who is a tailor. I marveled at his handiwork with a hand driven machine. His face lit up. ‘You see my store’, the porch of a house down by the road. He was thrilled with business, but anticipates a hard time in January. I encouraged him to save up for the lean time coming. Planning for the future is a difficult concept here, as most people live from day to day, without a thought for tomorrow. |
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| Our second year pastors have been studying hard, and learning much. It is good to see how much they have learned since their time with us last year. Many of them seem to be applying what they are learning in their daily lives. We had an interesting discussion about what it means to ‘love your wife as Christ loves the church.’ This is very challenging in a culture which does not encourage affection between husbands and wives. Though you might often see two men or two women walking hand in hand, rarely will you see a husband and wife walk together let alone touching. The question is which traditions are in conflict with the Gospel, and how courageous are you willing to be? As we graduated this class, we acted out the foot washing and the Last Supper. It was a very moving time as the teachers washed the pastors feet, served communion, and anointed each pastor with oil. Again we are calling for courage as we call the pastors to serve their communities. Where the title ‘pastor’ carries a lot of prestige, it is hard to let it all go in the name of being a servant. |
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The village kids have been round more with Pam’s arrival. It is good to have extra hands to look after them. The hard thing is to give to them without being trampled on. Whatever we give, more will be asked. If I invite the kids in to draw today, tomorrow they will expect to come, and everyday after that. If I offer crayons one day, they are expected the next. I struggle with how to give without encouraging dependence. |
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As many of you know, we had an accident in December, while traveling back from the lake to take Pam to the airport. A seven year old boy ran out on the road in front of us. Though Mo took us off the road and down the bank, we still hit him. When Mo reached the boy, he looked to be dead. We all called out to Jesus. Mo noticed that he was alive, and as a crowd was quickly gathering, we bundled him into the truck, and left for the nearest hospital. Three villagers came with us. We spent the rest of the day waiting in the truck while Mo talked with doctors, and then police officers, and then visited the site again to take measurements. It was a long and difficult day for all of us, and especially the kids. However, at the end of the day, the police allowed us to leave in time to get Pam to the airport. |
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This story is a miracle. The boy’s head dented the front bumper of our truck with his head. No bones were broken. By the time we left the hospital, he was unconscious, and remained that way for three days. Ten days later, he had been released and is now recovering at home. Wow!!!! Mo has had several good visits with the boy and his family, and they are interested in knowing more about this Jesus who heals!! Who wouldn’t? This is an amazing example of something intended for evil, turned around for good by our Father in heaven. We are so thankful for God’s hand in our lives, watching, and guiding, and protecting. |
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The week before Christmas saw the Morrison family sorting huge piles of clothes into various sizes, counting out small piles of crayons and wrapping them with ribbon, and creating an assembly line to put together 400 gift bags for needy kids around us. This effort was the result of a friend in Canada collecting toonies (and more) for Christmas gifts for orphans. On Christmas Eve we got up early, and loaded the bags and the boxes of clothes onto the flat bed truck. By 9 o’clock we were pulling into the first village, where we were greeted warmly by the chief and many widows and orphans. As we called their names, each child came forward. We sized them up for clothes and gave them their bag, and they walked around to the boys who gave them a pop. Each bag contained two exercise books, crayons, a pencil, a pen, a toy car, some cookies, soap, and a few candies. The kids were thrilled. The only hard part was that only those we registered were able to receive. |
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At the next village we added a message about the ‘greatest gift of all’, Jesus Christ. We covered five villages before noon, and then headed back to the Bible school. We were all tired but happy. As the kids and I headed home, the heavens opened and the rain bucketed down – great timing for the maize shoots that were shriveling in the hot sun, and for our work in the morning which would have been difficult in the rain. |
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Christmas the next day was a bit of a let down, as we had hoped to have moved into our new house. The old house was a bit bare and the new house was not quite ready. We spent the day going back and forth between houses. Stockings and cinnamon buns at the old, presents under the one dimensional thorn branch Christmas tree (an improvement over last year’s umbrella) at the new, lunch at the old, and a movie at the new. New Years’ Eve we moved in without power. New Years’ Day the power was finally hooked up (after waiting 15 months), and we were so glad to be home. Our new home is wonderful, with high ceilings so that the heat rises to the top, and windows carefully placed to ensure and almost constant breeze. The school room even makes school more enticing! Thank you to those who came to build, and those who gave money so that we could build, and to all of you who prayed for power. |
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The road is very bad at the moment. Every trip to Blantyre entails a serious workout for the back, and shake up for the body. It is exhausting contending with many, many bumps, along with the goats, cows, bicycles, and people. One trip recently, Patrick had to get out part way through, and Mo’s cell phone fell into the grass where we stopped. We had bounced along for an hour before we realized it was gone, so back we went (in the dark), and searched the spot. Incredibly amidst the grass, we found the cell phone. What was God up to? It had that feel about it. |
Our new house! |
Perhaps we were avoiding a drunk driver, perhaps we were encouraging the kids who helped us look. Who knows? All we know is that God is in control, and his ways are perfect.
We have now welcomed a new group of second year pastors. Already two have gone home for health reasons. Please pray with us for these pastors and their families. We want to see them grow in faith and love and purity. Let nothing hinder their coming and their staying. Sorry this update is so late in coming. Bless you all!
