Visit Every City

Monday, April 18th, 2022

My eyes popped open before the sunrise when the chickens woke up and the dogs were being out to bed. I could tell that this was a typical routine in the Ringo household. Who needs an alarm clock when you have a relatively steady sunrise time and animals that know when it’s time to get up. Daniel and his wife Carol (aka Ringo and Ringoness) watch over UCG’s plot of land here in Blantyre. As with most houses and buildings the church hall sits behind a wall with a gate. There are too many people who would try and come in and take whatever they think they might need otherwise. But within these gates there is peace of mind knowing God has blessed His people here for striving to follow Him even as the world changes.

Besides a beautiful hall used for all sorts of congregational activities, there is a set of dormitories and a small house, as well as an outdoor kitchen. The dormitories could potentially be used for housing visitor who might come from far away, or for brethren coming to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. Currently the beds are filled with young men attending various schools in the area. The rental income gives the congregation some supplemental income to help with whatever local maintenance needs might arise. The kitchen is used by these young men as well as by the congregation. The residents are often invited to join the brethren for meals during the Feasts and on the Sabbath. In this way the gospel of the kingdom of God is preached to an additional few.

The UCG Blantyre congregation meets each Sabbath at their hall set on the top of a hill on the edge of what is still considered the Kanjedza Forest Reserve in the southern part of the city. While there are hardly any forests here now, the place still holds a certain beauty. I went on a morning walk with Dan and his three dogs. These animals are mostly used to help secure the property at night and alert everyone if someone unexpectedly enters the gates, but they are also cherished pets of the Ringos. Usually Dan takes the dogs on a morning run before they are fed and put to bed, but I slowed them all down. It was a short, chaotic walk since the dogs had to stop and smell everything. The youngest is just a puppy and has eyes for only Dan. I enjoyed every moment of the walk, being with the dogs and looking out over the valleys below and the mountains beyond.

I feel like we don’t see much of Carol throughout most of the day. She is a busy wife, cooking and cleaning, feeding animals, making sure everything runs smoothly. She has made sure Matt and I, and everyone else, are well fed and have what we need each day. Thankfully she has help with the chores from Dan’s younger brother Steve and their younger cousin, both who stay in the hostels and attend school. Carol made some delicious unleavened bread for breakfast.

Gracious Mpilangwe has many people to help run things in the congregation which includes many preteens and youth. They are thriving and growing. We had planned for a Bible study that would begin at 10:30am. Since Matt and I weren’t able to come for a Sabbath or Holy Day, it was a blessing that our trip fell on a public holiday when at least many of the brethren might be able to come for the study. We ended up with about 38 people which is about 2/3 of the typical Sabbath attendance. I spoke about Israel Crossing the Red Sea and related their situation to our own. Dan translated for me. While most of the brethren in Blantyre are fluent in English and many things are done in English (which is the official language), there are a few who benefit from the translation into Chichewa.

I don’t know if many of you know that Matt is a professionally trained barista. He’s studied many of the technical and artistic details of coffee industry including growing, processing, roasting, and of course grinding and brewing of coffee. He brought along a grinder and some beans to share with our hosts along the way. We shared a pot of French Press coffee with Dan while waiting for Gracious to return. Since Malawi grows and roasts beans locally, he made sure to grab a bag of Mzuzu coffee from the north (sorry Lena but the grocery store didn’t have any whole bean Satemwa coffee from the south). Although it’s not in our schedule because of our limited time and an unfortunate death of the uncle of Loney Mpilangwe, Gracious’s wife, we may be able to at least drive by some of the tea and coffee plantations on the way to Mulanje on Wednesday while out visiting Mr. Ken Maere.

Gracious took Matt and I to visit Mr. Gilton Chakhaza at his home nearby. Mr. Chakhaza began listening to Mr. Herbert Armstrong on the radio sometime in the 1960s. He began receiving literature from the Worldwide Church of God, and studied intensely for several years. In 1970 some elders from the church came to visit him for the first time. He counseled for baptism and was ready to formally commit his life to God in December 1973. The pastor, who was stationed outside of Malawi, told him that he would return the following month to baptize him. Before the pastor returned, Mr. Chakhaza was visited by the local police. They had come to arrest him because he was accused of being some kind of rebellion leader against the government. He was held in prison without trial for 15 months. While he was there his first child was born and he didn’t get to meet her until he got out. He was finally baptized in 1975. From that time in he has continued to faithfully commit his life to God. Sometime in the 1980s Mr. Chakhaza was ordained an elder. He was known by the brethren in Blantyre for always having plenty of church literature on hand that people could borrow and read. Up until recently he has continued to give sermonettes to the congregation, helping to teach, guide, and counsel the next generations of the body of Christ in Blantyre. For at least a year he has suffered from severe pain in his left leg which has made it difficult for him to sleep, and definitely has made getting around very difficult. Thankfully his children and grandchildren take good care of him.

Once evening came Matt and I took a short walk around the neighborhood. The sun dipped below the edge of Mount Soche as the view of the surrounding hills and valleys became dimmer and dimmer. Dan came and joined us on our way back, worried we had gone the wrong direction and potentially got lost or had our phones stolen. Thankfully we were just fine. We settled in for the evening, enjoying another delicious Malawian meal, talking and sharing stories with the Ringos until we were tired. Each night the family gathers for a prayer before bed. It’s a good habit to have and to continue.

– Lewis VanAusdle