Today I visited Mtondoko Baptist Church, in the village of Sikinala 2, as part of my every other Sunday visit of a new church here in Malawi. As you already know, these are the churches that send their pastors and leaders to the Pastors' Conferences that we organize every year.
My visit in these churches has the purpose of getting to know the people who the pastors serve and be able to be a blessing and an encouragement for them.
Although it may sound crazy or adventurous, but the truth is that many of these remote villages are so far away from towns and civilization, that people here don't have roads and have never seen a car or a white man. My very presence there gives them hope, because I make sure to always tell them that there is a God in heaven who knows them, cares for them and wants them to pray to Him.
There are many challenges and problems in these villages, but the good news for them is that God is still on the throne. By saying those words, we are by no means closing our eyes to the material needs nor do we stay indifferent, but we are emphasizing the spiritual needs and that our eyes need to be focus on heavenly things.
God's local church in this village is the only one for miles away. Although very rare, I have seen another building used by the Jehovah's Witnesses cult. From what I know, their members are few in numbers and we pray they will go down to 0.
Our Brothers and Sisters in Sikinala 2 (the name comes from the english word "Skinner") are simple and poor, but with a big heart for the Lord. As you can see in the pictures attached to this article, their church building is extremely dilapidated; the $1-2 they gather each week in offerings will almost never cover the expenses of fixing the roof or the walls.
Nevertheless, the people are gathering here, not for the building, but for God. It is a place of worship, a place where people meet to have fellowship with one another and with God.
Sikinala 2 village (there is also a Sikinala 1) is located about 22 miles away from Zomba town. The road going there is mostly rough. Our 4x4 is the perfect and only car that can take us there.
Our day today was blessed, even though the road was hard and the temperatures in the village were high. These people were happy to see me and I was happier to see them faithful to our Lord.
Although they live in very remote areas, these are the people we work with. Most of them have never been in town, have no idea what internet is and have never seen a car, but one thing they have just like the rest of us is this: real love.
