Simon's Trip to Malawi Part 2

Having said good bye to the pastors on the Saturday we prepared for a drive to one of the rural churches the following Sunday.

We drove about 40km south of Lilongwe and then left the main road. Maston said that this was where he would normally start walking! 10 km later we arrived at the church, which I would like to call the "church on the hill".

Maston told us how the church came to be there. He had been trying to start a church in this village for many years. However there was a lot of traditional witchcraft etc in the area and when they used to meet in the village only a handful of people would ever come to the church. So he was close to giving up when he decided the solution was to build a church away from the village up on a hill. Maston went there for a few weeks, set up a kiln for baking bricks and built this church with his own bare hands. Soon the church flourished and when we were there it was packed with about 160 people.

We helped to lead the service there. My fellow travellers from South Africa Ike and Praise separately prayed about what to share with the people. Praise and I both received Psalm 103 as I found out when I asked her just before I was due to stand up! Its a beautiful Psalm the first few lines I will put here.

Bless the Lord O my sould and all that is within me
Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all of this benefits.
Who forgiveth all my iniquities
Who heals all my diseases
Who redeemeth thy life from destruction
Who crowneth me with loving kindness and tender mercies
Who satisifes thy mouth with good things so that thy youth is renewed like the eagles.

In the church !

It was a wonderful time and musically very vibrant and entertaining. They used a "guitar" fashioned from a an old tin can and wood and a sort of bass cello also from a larger tin can and wood and with just a single "string". The quality and noise was wonderful.

Praise and myself after the service.

All in all it was a very impressive time and you could see what a service to the community this church brings. AIDS is also a significant problem in these areas and several people asked for prayer against it.

Having left my computer at someone's house I am unable to finish the posting so will do so later in Part 3. But I will leave you with a beautiful Lilongwe (capital of Malawi) sunset. Lots of love to you all.