6th February 2026
We planned for an early start so I had to make sure I was ready to go. After coffee but veggie anything else, Dan showed me the water pump that has been in use at the church property here in Blantyre for seven years. There was a short circuit and the backup electrical components shorted out as well. Perhaps a newer system will catch such issues in the future. For now the church hall and the hostel dwellers must rely on alternatives. Public water is connected but it’s often unreliable and more expensive for organizations than for individual households. It amazes me that so many people in such a large city still rely so heavily on wells for their water supply. At the same time I understand that having a well cuts down on costs and helps people to be more self sufficient. Thankfully, even when the rains don’t fall regularly in Blantyre, there is water underground.
Since there was some (hopefully) slight damage to the car from a rather large rock in the road from the night before, Dan and I took the pickup to drop Dekha off at school. I drove. I’ve had another opportunity to switch between manual and automatic as well as driving on the opposite side of the road all while trying not to confuse the blinker with the wipers. Plenty of opportunities.
After breakfast we climbed into Gracious’s pick that has back seats and headed down the road for an area called Manje. When the Hussein family first moved there they didn’t have quite as many neighbors. I’m sure they’re cute of the nearby mountain was even more impressive then.
The road to their house is better described as a muddy footpath. But even before getting to the pathway you have to traverse the busy market where the streets are narrow and crowded and the pedestrians don’t seem to care that vehicles are passing next to them. The mini minibus drivers come and go constantly. It’s the kind of place where the authorities don’t check for drivers licenses or registrations and most don’t have them. Thankfully Dan was driving this time.
We had a nice visit with the Hussein family, even managing a visit from Dannil and Kingsley, two of their ten children. These two young men are married and are out on their own trying to make a life for themselves, Dannil as a plumber and a musician, Kingsley as a motorcycle mechanic. We chatted for a while about life in Malawi, about the challenges and dangers of AI, and about some potential crops for Malawians to try growing. I took a few family photos and then we headed down the road, finding a different pathway back to the market that seemed promising but had its own challenges. We ended up driving between and brick wall and a maize field on a muddy patch. We almost slid into the wall but thankfully, with Dan’s maneuvering and God’s blessings, we made it out unscathed.
Our next destination was in town along a nicely paved road. Osborne Liyawo, a long serving deacon, has a lovely home in town with a front garden that might rival many. The four of us sat for a while, chatting about some of the struggles that the church faces they seem to be universal. We also talked about the hope and encouragement we see when prospective members show up to services and are ready to keep learning, and then they stay around and become part of the body of Christ. Osborne is always good for great discussion topics.
One more major topic of discussion was the topic of grace. We rely on God’s grace but to we truly understand the concept? Sometimes in the Church of God we have a tendency to underemphasize biblical concepts that other churches overemphasize. Grace is one of those topics, but we are learning. When we stop learning we stop growing and become lukewarm. Before heading out for our next visit I took a photo of Osborne in his lovely garden.
It was now my turn to drive. Although the roads were still mostly unpaved and rocky, thankfully I didn’t meet too many muddy footpaths on our way to the Machinjiri area of Blantyre. Peter Kawinga and his family have resided in Blantyre since the 1960s. He has built up his home here, allowing so many beautiful trees to grow rather than cutting them down for firewood or selling them off for a quick kwacha. Across from his house is his farm that sits against a small river. Through the years Peter has built small dams in the river so he could irrigate his garden. He has used a treadle pump mostly. Unfortunately the treadle pump is currently being repaired, and some recent floods broke away most of his dam. Thankfully Peter still gets plenty of pedaling exercise in as he bikes wherever he needs to go. It seems to keep him young.
The dam itself is controversial in the neighborhood since others use the river for washing clothes or for irrigation themselves. Not as controversial is the borehole well that sits in the middle of the neighborhood. The water is shared for free, although neighbors have formed a committee and do ask everyone to chip in a few hundred kwacha (I think per month) for future repairs as needed.
It was great finally seeing Peter’s farm. I’d seen photos of the maize and various other plants before, as well as heard about his treadle pump and his dam. One plant in particular that I haven’t seen too many times in person before was ginger. If you only know a plant by its roots it can be difficult to identify by its leaves and flowers. Before leaving I made sure to take a family photo which included Peter’s wife, one of his daughters, and two of his grandsons. One of his grandsons, Taku, has been improving his drawing skills through the years. He had a few of his drawings posted in his ice cream shop.
We said goodbye to the Kawinga family and headed to our next destination somewhere far across the city (I really do try to keep up). Like most Malawians I know, I first met Dickson Chiwaya in 2017. He was a builder who helped in the planning and construction of the Blantyre church hall. Since then he’s survived a stroke. Thankfully he’s mostly recovered from it by this point. He can still walk a good distance but his left arm is weak. We had the chance to sit and chest with the Chiwayas for a little while and also see some of the wear and tear on their home, some from strong winds, some from termite damage. Malawi doesn’t seem to have home owners insurance so people have to try and repair such damage with what they have as they go along. I made sure to take a family photo before leaving, and take another glance at the beautiful mountain view they enjoy just over their gate.
The next portion of our journey was along one of the most difficult roads I’ve personally traversed in Blantyre. Thankfully Gracious’s pickup (a Hilux naturally) is going strong. We drove up and down hills, through unpaved bumpy and rocky roads, past markets and minibuses until we arrived at the Mapinda household. Mr. Mapinda has been sick off and on recently which prevents him from coming to services. We sat and costed for a while, and I made sure to anoint him before leaving. One of the biggest issues in their area this season is a lack of rain for their crops. It’s amazing that in one part of the city the maize stalks are tall and thriving and will soon be ready to harvest, while in other parts there is greater drought and the crops are failing. We continue to pray for God to bring rains in the right proportions to Malawi.
We said goodbye to the Mapinda family and headed back to Limbe where the church is located. It was relaxing to be driving on paved roadways again after that journey. We had some coffee and juice and relaxed for a while. I had a chance to just sit and talk with Gracious and Daniel for about an hour, attempting to identify and solve more of the challenges that the Church of God in Malawi face. God is still calling people here and helping them to grow. Thankfully Blantyre has some longtime members of the Church of God who are around to teach the next generation of believers.
The rest of the day was relatively quiet. I accompanied Dan and Dekha to buy some snack supplies for tea after services. We also checked on the car. In the evening before dinner we took a walk to the AirBnB compound nearby and walked home again as the sun was setting. We enjoyed another delicious meal thanks to Carol’s culinary skills, settled in for the evening, and went to bed early. We have a busy Sabbath prepared for tomorrow.
-Lewis VanAusdle
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