Yesterday was a 13 hour day. The last two hours were spent driving after dark. Daytime driving is scary enough. After dark? Just crazy. Some cars run with their lights off or very very dim. With pedestrians all along the road, you’re always threading a needle between oncoming traffic and those along the road.

But after a great night’s sleep its a new day. My friends were late in coming (African time!) we got to church a bit late, but so did everyone else!

So this morning we worshipped…2 hours or so. I spoke…1 Thessalonians 1, modeling our faith for others. “How much can your friends learn about Jesus from you?”

Now were headed to Gray’s house. Dinner at home. And more conversation about ministry here.

All in all, an easy day!

Ngokwe is located 4 hours of crazy driving northeast of Blantyre. You can throw a stone from there to the Mozambique border. Lake Malawi is just to the west. Two hours of good road, two hours of roads so bad you can barely call them roads. We got out to check a number of bridges for safety.

The church there meets under an open thatched roof. It’s led by Pastor Francis, a young convert who clearly loves his people.

We were surprised to be visited by the village leader, as well as the senior chief for the region. They’re both Muslim but heard there was a white American in the village and came to check it out.

They were both very kind. The senior chief actually asked if I could help the church there buy roofing for their building. He said, “we can make our own bricks, but they need help with the roof!” Imagine a Muslim asking for help for a Christian church!

Sixty pastors in that area have learned of our training and are asking to be trained. No shortage of opportunities here!

Perhaps it’s time to buy a place in Malawi?

Out the door early this morning…5:30 am. We had a 6:00 am start time. When I climbed in the car they asked “American time?”

Ngokwe is 4 hours northeast of Blantyre…heavily Muslim. But they have asked to hear more of this Jesus. Initial conversations have been very encouraging.

So today we go to further establish a church in this region.

It’s cool this morning…mid 60’s.

What a way to spend a Saturday!

Evelyn was the wife of Pastor William, a large gregarious soul who laughed easily and was carried along by the desperate needs of his congregation in Nchalo.

Pastor William died September 22, 2012 of a heart attack. Evelyn then went with her two children to live with her mother.

Yesterday her mother died. Today as I spoke with her, Evelyn was without hope. Her nearly two year old son continued to nurse even as we spoke. Food is scarce so she continues to feed him.

I spoke of loss and sadness and grief and how it consumes our soul. All she knows is that all hope is gone. The church there can’t support their pastor, much less the wife of their previous pastor.

What will become of her and her children? Time will tell. Perhaps we will help her start a small business. It’s hard to speak hope in the face of such loss.

Philippians 2:27 NIV
[27] Indeed he was ill, and almost died. But God had mercy on him, and not on him only but also on me, to spare me sorrow upon sorrow.

May God somehow spare Evelyn more grief and provide for her in ways that renew her heart.

The Alendo Hotel is in downtown Blantyre. By African standards it’s a find. $55 a night buys you a queen bed, a flat screen (with Aljazeera the only news and lots of soccer channels) a mosquito net, no a/c, free breakfast, and HOT WATER! The wifi is pay as you go and it doesn’t like Apple products (so far).

Marthias, the manager has an eye for meticulous service.

It has a school of tourism attached so man of the staff are students, clearly working hard to learn the tourist trade.

The leftover influence of the British leaves a sense of pride and propriety and eagerness to serve well.

As I gave thanks for a generous breakfast of fried eggs, sausage, French fried potatoes, baked beans and coffee, I was struck by HOW generous it was in light of the overwhelming poverty I’ll see in the villages today.

1 John 3:17-18 NIV
[17] If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? [18] Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

The path to the care center/orphanage winds uphill between countless buildings in various stages of decay.

For four years Simon has responded to the crushing poverty in the Delandi slums of Blantyre. His students are orphans, ages 1-8.

His school is five rooms including a tiny kitchen. Square footage is less than 800 feet. Even so he and five teacher/caregivers educate up to 100 children at a time.

Although they don’t get breakfast, they get two ‘meals’ a day…if you can count a ground corn paste called sima as a meal. Still it fills their empty stomachs.

Somewhere in the last 18 hours of flights I asked myself why I keep doing this.

The kids I saw in Delandi today are a huge part of the reason. We can’t make life better for all of them. But we sure can for some!

The skycap took one look at my bags and asked…”really…all these bags are yours?” Yep…all seven of them. Filled with shoes, clothing, cell phones, training books, and snacks. Six of the seven bags are shoes and clothing donated by generous hearts at GCC.

Fortunately, they all got checked through to Blantyre, where I’ll have help handling them.

This is a trip of blessing, for blessing.

It’s been three years since I’ve seen my friends. Can’t wait to see them and whatever God chooses to do as we visit many of “the least of these”.

A week from now I will be landing in Blantyre, Malawi. That afternoon I have two very important meetings: First with the caregivers of our children’s center there. Secondly, I will be meeting with the Presidential Advisor for Religious Affairs, Apostle Timothy Khowiva. Please pray for these important opportunities.

We also still need used cell phones. Our pastors there are far apart. Phones help them communicate.

If you have an old phone and charger, bring it this weekend or drop it off at the church office.