Visit Every City

August 23rd, 2023

The rain that fell in Blantyre while Cyclone Freddy sat above had very disastrous effects. As the rain continued to fall, the soil on the top and sides of Mount Soche (and other mountains that surround the city) began to loosen. In the middle of the night as the residents of Chilobwe — an unplanned district that sits near the bottom of the northwest corner of Soche — hid inside their homes from the heavy rain, mudslides came pouring down the side of the mountain bringing with them large boulders and trees. Chilobwe wasn’t the only spot where homes were washed away or where lives were lost, but it’s the area where the most damage was done.

Gracious picked Nick and me up in the morning, driving through the unkempt streets of the neighborhood. People have lived near the bottom of the mountain in this area for quite a long time. There were already streams in certain places where water flowed down during the rainy season, but the courses of some streams have been permanently changed. Some streams now flow all year round since the trees and soil that once held them back has been removed by the flood waters and landslides.

We stopped in an area of Chilobwe that appears to have been one of the hardest hit, where the largest mudslide happened. Looking up the side of the mountain you can see the change in color from the soil and forests that stayed in place. Now instead of dark green foliage, a trail of sandy-colored soil and stone remains. Even the top of the mountain looked different than before since part of it had come down with the other debris. There’s a church building that sits at the bottom of the hard-hit area. Only some of it’s original walls remain. A few larger more well-built homes that sit behind larger boulders that didn’t move with the water are still intact. Looking up through the newly created clearing, we could see where houses once stood. Some were simple homes built with simple materials. Others were compounds with walls and gates which were completely washed away.

As we entered the area, walking up through a trail past the church and over some of the naturally rocky terrain, we saw a few men clearing the soil of tree roots and stones. Some of the land is relatively flat and can be used for planting crops. Life continues even after the devastation that happened in this place. As Gracious began explaining some of the details of the events of that fateful March evening, a man walked out from behind a house off to our right. David, a pastor of a church somewhere else in Blantyre, was there that night. His family was sleeping but for some reason he just couldn’t. He recounted to us what he heard and saw, water rushing by, what sounded like a train or an airplane very close by as the heavy debris-filled mudslide crashed down the mountain past his home. It was some time after midnight and there were terrible shouts and screams that could be heard over the rushing sounds of water. Many of those voices were silenced moments later. As the rain let up and the spilling of debris slowed significantly, neighbors came out of their homes to dig and help find survivors. David recalled one man named Lewis who was buried up to his neck in mud. The man had prayed to God that his life might be spared for the sake of his elderly mother who he cared for. God heard his prayer and he survived.

Some reports say that 50 bodies were recovered in Chilobwe. While the statistics vary by source, it seems that over 600 bodies were recovered in Malawi with almost as many missing and presumed dead weeks later. The southern region in and around Blantyre was the hardest hit.

After heading back down the hilly terrain through the rough roads of Chilobwe, Gracious suggested we head straight over to the home of Gilton Chakhaza. Mr. Chakhaza is 94 years old. God called him in the late 1960’s and he’s remained faithful ever since. He was baptized in 1975 and served consistently, later being ordained as a deacon. Sometime in the confusion involved in the separation from the WCG in the late 1990’s Mr. Chakhaza was ordained as an elder by two local elders who didn’t continue in the truth. Regardless of the fact that this second ordination was never officially recognized, he was looked at as a leader, a teacher, a counselor, and friend by the brethren here in Malawi. To this day he does his best to encourage the young adults, elders and deacons, and all of his brethren as often as he has the opportunity.

In the last few years Mr. Chakhaza has had terrible pain in his left leg which has prevented him from attending Sabbath services regularly. While his body is overall weak, and he seems to get tired easily, his mind is sharp. He remembers names of people he hasn’t spoken to for a long time, including our names and faces. Mr. Chakhaza also recalled Lena and mentioned an article she wrote and the way she has helped support the brethren in Malawi through her efforts in coordinating the Good Works program. We sat with him as he sat in his bed, recalling the history of the Church of God in Malawi, some of his personal life events, and lamenting the state of the world as we see events leading closer to the return of Jesus Christ. We anointed Mr. Chakhaza before leaving. He has been asking God to give him enough strength to be able to keep the Feast of Tabernacles with his brethren this year. This is something he has been doing for decades and, God willing, will do so until he dies. I walked away feeling encouraged and inspired by one of God’s faithful people.

Dan and Carol, along with Dekha, Gift, and Telvin all headed to Lilongwe for Dan’s graduation earlier in the day. Nick and I were left in the capable hands of Patrick and Steve. We knew we would need some supplies (including more coffee) so after Gracious dropped us off, we climbed in the church pickup and drove to the grocery store. This was my second time driving in Malawi on this trip, but the first time driving a manual in at least a few years. But it was just like riding a bike. With Nick as my faithful navigator, and the traffic not yet too heavy, we navigated easily to ShopRite and Game where we found most everything we would need for the next few days.

For dinner we decided to visit a familiar Portuguese restaurant, Jungle Pepper. They had some delicious fresh cane juice and burgers, as well as some fair espresso. I finished the evening with what they called a Railway Espresso — a shot of espresso poured over an equal amount of sweetened condensed milk. We enjoyed our meal and some evening coffee, and headed home before the mosquitoes really started biting.

In the evening we sat and chatted with Patrick and Steve before heading to bed. Ollie joined us for some of the friendly conversation.

– Lewis VanAusdle