I set out on 28 October 2013 with my Mother, Carla, a Registered Nurse and herbalist, and Phyllis Brown, a mid-west farmer from Michigan to impact one village area with the Gospel of Jesus Christ and potentially life-saving projects. Our goal was to continue what I started in August and get an herb garden planted and do a brief conference for pastors and their wives on the "Healing Oils of The Bible." Despite known delays, we also hoped to dedicate the much needed well in Kaloga Village.
We quickly realized that things would not go as planned on this journey, but what God had determined to accomplish was not even on our radar as we took to the skies to trek to the other side of the earth. Humanly, we wondered what would come of the plans as we endured multiple breakdowns of vehicles and logistical issues...but we are servants of THE ALMIGHTY!!!
IMPACT:
In the end Our Heavenly Father multiplied my feeble plans into four project gardens planted in two villages and a fifth one supplied, three research gardens planned, two "Healing Oils of The Bible" conferences taught, three other organizations encouraged or partnered with, two hospital maternity wards evangelized and about 50 newborn babies clothed, four village project committees and chiefs trained, 100 little girls clothed in new dresses, one pastor's bicycle repaired, one missionary car repaired, two miraculously/instantly healed from severe malaria, and three American lives forever transformed by watching the Blessing of The Almighty on this journey!!!
Day One on the ground was planned as a day of rest and preparation for the rest of the journey. We slept in a little bit and started our day I guess about 6:00 am. Naomi Chidiwa, our host and founder of Malawi based SWOF, told us about giving some of the mature plants to a nearby village and the opportunity to visit the Ntcheu Hospital. We all felt rested from travel so we jumped on the opportunity. What a blessing it was to share the love of Christ with he young mothers and their families. Although I had the intellectual knowledge, you are changed upon seeing young mothers laboring on a rock-hard concrete floor and trying to feel out motherhood in the first moments in an open bay ward! Mother, our nurse, having spent the majority of her career in Obstetrics seemed amazed and most sympathetic to those new mothers. She was even more honored when asked to name one of the newborns. Her name, Anna, meaning "Grace"!!!
Still pressing through day one we visited Kondota Village where the Basil plants were given. Unsure of what to expect, knowing the culture, I approached that visit with my guard up a little bit. I was, however amazed at the intense passion for this project and sense of ownership that we met. This group of ladies had taken it on themselves, with the help of one man, to care for the needs of the abandoned and destitute children of their village and now the herbs. While the one man worked to build fences, the women started two thriving gardens and carefully tended them while waiting for further teaching! They desperately love the Lord and it is obvious in their dedication to others in the "survival" culture which they live! That proved to be the our last visit to Kondota this trip, but it served to encourage us the rest of the time! We had the privilege of distributing "Little Dresses" to some of the children cared for by this group of ladies about dusk...then off to the house for supper and a warm bed.
Day Two, Friday, started slow to finalize plans then we whisked off to Dondi Village where Naomi's Grandmother began caring for orphans in her home prior to her death and a young teacher caries on the legacy today! About a dozen little girls and nearly as many boys sit in lessons all day striving to excel in their studies, each with a high goal in life. This stop beyond Tsangano Turnoff, about half way to Kaloga made "Little Dress" distribution number two. In the same area, we visited Hope Village, established by Hope Endeavors and visited several years ago by Phyllis...what a blessing there! Mother remained at the house to prepare for the Pastor's oil class in Kaloga Village. We all met back in the boma for lunch at Grey House while awaiting the delivery of Bibles. The one delivering the Bibles, Pastor Clement Jere, was delayed by detouring and breaking mini busses, but completed the mission nonetheless. Our team missed him altogether that day due to our own break down, but our dear sister Riana met him while Mother taught the Bible Oils class and Naomi and I handled logistics for new transportation! Lesson learned: If you're going to destroy a water pump of your car in the bush without tools and parts, have "Plan B" in place! Plan B and C worked beautifully!!! God Blessed the ministry and perseverance and we all came out with only a little dust in the lungs and tremendously encouraged by these village pastors.
On Saturday we were delayed more than anticipated by waiting for the rental car to be delivered from the Capital City...nonetheless, Plan B was coming together! We ventured out to visit a remote hospital about 45 minute drive beyond Kaloga Village into the bush. We had the privilege once again to share the Gospel to young mothers and their families and bless them with much needed hat and blankets for their newborns. On the way back, to Kaloga we paused for lunch at our guide/translator/advisor's (Joshua Kololo) Grandmother's home. What a blessing to visit with and minister to her...we have prayed for her since learning of her pain disorder and amputation about two years ago. What a blessing this beautiful Agogo is!!! With some minor difficulties and delays en route, we met the Kaloga project committees and gave a brief introduction and secured plans to resume on Monday and invest our day in them...they had already proven to be amazingly committed and hungry to learn!!!
Saturday night I received a call from Abusa Jere, my "Bible Courier". He shared with me that his wife was suffering with Malaria and still getting worse after two weeks of active fever. The last time she had such difficulties, they lost there unborn son, and nearly lost her to death as well. He feared the same now...two years later. We prayed for her and I gave him some instruction for herbs that I knew he would already have in his home and made plans to be waiting for him when church let out in the morning. After I skipped church to arrive in Blantyre early Sunday, Clement told me that his wife, Ruth, had been instantly and miraculously healed the night before. She was healed so drastically that she was up early and out the door ahead of the rest of the family to go to meetings before normal church time!!! The natural medicine was implemented, but when you are nearing death, instant healing and energy, without fatigue from depleted blood is un-natural...it's super-natural! En route back to Ntcheu, I saw another young lady instantly healed in a similar manor on the bus...I, and other passengers were concerned for her life. Is this a good time to plagiarize Carmen's lyric? "...Where there is a miracle, there is a GOD..."!!! Numerous within an earshot on that bus received the gospel from me and in the joyful praise and worship that resulted when Chifundo was instantly healed! She was still praising The Almighty God via phone and text as we departed Malawi Friday.
Monday and Tuesday were primarily spent planting the two gardens and educating the committee in the cultivation and use of the herbs and evangelism! Our instruction to them was to sow back into their project, sow into the facilitating ministry, and sow into the needy in their own village. In that a portion of the crop will go to seed. When Basil, for instance, goes to seed, the plant dies. So why would you want to kill 10% of a crop? To present the Gospel of Christ, of course! If that plant does not die, you cannot retrieve the seed. If you have no seed, you have no new life (or preparation in case of a diminished crop). Simply, the sacrifice of ONE plant yields much new life to anyone who cultivates the good seed. Likewise, Jesus' sacrifice for us has yielded new life for all who will receive him! He was destroyed for our transgressions. But if we will believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that Jesus Christ is LORD, we SHALL be saved!!! That means eternity after death in the luxury of HIS kingdom instead of eternal torture in hell. We are planting more than a few herbs in Central Africa, we are planting indigenous missionaries!!!
Wednesday, our last day of scheduled, structured ministry kicked off the "Bible Oils" class in the Boma. Once again, it was very well received by the pastors. After the Pastor's conference we headed out of the Boma toward the village of Bwanje to drop Abusa Kololo at home and share a meal with his family. What a blessing to visit with these dear friends again and see The Lord's blessing in the year-old church plant that has already built a large building and needs only a roof for rainy season! God is moving mightily in that area...the chief, his wife, and numerous others were saved on the first day of evangelism a year ago which started the congregation that has hand made all bricks and necessities for construction (except the metal for the roof)! Pray for the Kololo family and the saints of the Bwanje area for care and provision for this rainy season and continued spiritual growth!
Thursday we finished packing up, spent some time, for the first time, in the big market in Ntcheu before heading to Lilongwe. En route we enjoyed a stop at the Dedza Pottery Lodge for a rest, research, and lunch. We enjoyed, as usual, a little time in the curios market, and then a mildly eventful evening finding lodging when plans A, B, C, and D unraveled before our eyes. But God provided a Lovely friend of a friend to be our guide and get us settled into the best possible option...for a fraction of the anticipated cost! The Titanic Offshore Lodge was a beautiful stay, gorgeous facilities, and five-star service for a two star price. Definitely a good recommendation for anyone who has a Malawian to make the arrangements and pay for them as they DO have "Azungu Price". A great night's sleep and slow morning allowed us to take our time going to the airport to head for home!
This blog is way too short to give much detail of the blessing of this journey, but, for more information to hear an educational talk on this subject you can e-mail me via this page or inquire at Wadhams Baptist Church, Kimball, MI or Hart's Desire Herb Alliance, Alliance, Ohio for scheduled presentations in those areas.
