31st January 2026
Sabbath morning came more quickly than expected, or rather by the time I had to get out of bed I felt like I needed more sleep. I went to bed expecting one phone call sometime in the evening but received two. I also received a text message with news of a miracle. I couldn’t be upset about that. Since the church hall is close by I had time to enjoy a second cup of coffee, go over my notes, write a while, eat breakfast, and even get dressed. By 9am we were headed out the door. As the men left for setup the women (which by this point also included Dalles and Rachel) finished getting ready and weren’t far behind us.
Before services, after opening the building and bringing in some equipment, Cephas and I had a chance to chat with Howard Elia. He was very early, relaxing in the shade, waiting for his family to arrive from Lilongwe. He’s a teacher that has recently been stationed somewhere nearby, although it still took him some time to get to the property. On most occasions when I speak and Howard is at services he translates for me. I appreciate that we can work together usually smoothly. His pace is faster than some translators which helps me maintain my train of thought.
We really did try to start services on time, but with more than 90 people in attendance there were a few more moving parts than usual. Additionally there were a few cars full of people on their way who were stopped by traffic police who have been out in full force along the highway recently. At some point we had to start. And at some point the few people on their way arrived and found seats. The hall was definitely full!
Services went along smoothly. The song leader was Aubrey Chingota who I last saw when I could say he was still a boy. He’s well into his adult education now, along with many of the young adults from the Lilongwe congregation who I first met as children or young teenagers. Now they are adults, driving, getting ready to find jobs, and eventually will be starting their own families.
It was really nice to hear the sermonette from Wordsworth Rashid, although when he began his topic and turned to his first scripture I wondered if he would take my material. Instead our messages, both focused on promoting unity within the body of Jesus Christ, complemented one another very well. After announcements there were four special presentations. First some of the children from Nkhwazi recited Bible verses. After them we heard a hymn played on the violin by Uchindami Elia. I remember carrying that violin halfway around the world on a previous trip. I’m so glad he keeps up with it. We also heard two choir performances, first from the men’s and women’s choir, next by the women alone. Both beautiful pieces done a cappella.
After services were finished we all enjoyed a delicious lunch before gathering back up again for a Bible study. The idea of the study came about nearly at the last minute, and the topic definitely came in at the last moment. Thankfully the topic (the calling of Cornelius and Peter’s vision from Acts chapter 10) fit in with the messages in certain ways. The topic and the study also prompted some further discussion about defending the faith and standing up for our beliefs. We have a few teachers in the crowd who sometimes face contradictions to the Bible and challenges to their beliefs in the curriculum they are told they must teach. They have to find a way to help their students through their classes while standing firm in the truth.
After the study there was plenty of time for brethren to fellowship, take pictures together, talk, play together (the children obviously), and even enjoy some tobwa. The three pastors (Cephas, Haiton, and myself) had one private counseling session before the day was really over. One of the challenges and pleasures of being a pastor is the opportunity to help people work through challenges in their spiritual walk.
The day was definitely a success! It felt like the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles since we had to all head home and say our goodbyes. Thankfully I will still have a chance to see at least a few more brethren in Lilongwe and various other places in the region over the next few days.
-Lewis VanAusdle
Leave a Reply