Mission Report: March 30 - April 12

Between March 30th and April 12th we had the priviledge to host a team of Brothers and Sisters from the US. They came to serve alongside us and be a blessing for the ministry in Malawi.

Our guests came from First Baptist Church, Jackson, Georgia and stayed with us for 14 days. Our time together was spent as follows:

They arrived in Blantyre on the 30th of March. After having lunch, we headed to Zomba, the town where Hope for the Future has the mission house.

Time is precious and on the very next day we went straight to battle; we had organized a one day camp in the village of Muheriwa. In this place we have a church and recently had a water well dug for the people. Building on what we already have there, the Evangelistic camp was a success and many children made a profession of faith.

The next two days were spent in another village, Mpyupyu, doing the same thing: proclaiming the Gospel and inviting the children to give their lives to Jesus. In Mpyupyu we also have a church as well as a Feeding Centre where we feed orphans and malnourished children. A good number of the villagers in this place are Muslims and even their mosque is very close to the church. That, however, does not and cannot stop the work of the Lord, quite the contrary, we saw how He worked in amazing ways.

Sunday, April the 3rd, was spent with two churches. The morning service was in Kachere, village where again we have a church and a Feeding Centre/Orphan Care, and in the afternoon we visited a new church in Likangala. With all these pastors we are holding our Annual Pastors Conferences.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (April 4-6) we organized the 3rd Annual Pastors Conference for the local pastors in Malawi. More than 30 leaders of churches came. Pastor Keith and the rest of the team served by teaching and preaching the Word of God in sessions. The pastors' wives were being ministered to also and I've seen how well and successful that was. Women in Malawi are generally overlooked when it comes to any type of ministry. With those that were not scheduled to teach we visited our weekly children clubs from around the town of Zomba.

Thursday, April 7, we visited the two Feeding Centers we currently have. The team has the opportunity to serve among these children and spend precious time with them. We have also visited some of their houses and made some commitments to improve their conditions at home. In Kachere we also met with the kids' guardians and we spent some time speaking to them about how to better care for their children. In Mpyupyu we also met Siyeni, the ill boy that is now admitted in the hospital in Blantyre.

Friday, April 8, we organized the very first Sports Camp of Hope for the Future, something unique in Zomba. We had a good number of participants and John and Austin spent some quality time with them. They've learned new games, competed against each other, had fun but also heard the Word of God proclaimed. Many were saved that day!

Saturday, April 9, was a sight seeing day. We visited the National Park in Majete. Although it was a rainy day, we managed to see some wildlife and relax a bit after days of continuous hard work. Even here, God had a plan for us, and on our way back we met a mother and a child stranded in the middle of nowhere, away from any town or village. Their car broke down and they were sure they would have to spend the night in the vehicle, in a dangerous place. God saw them and sent us to take them home!

Sunday, April 10, we visited no less than 3 churches. In the morning we went to Sadzi, about 3 miles away from Zomba. Right after lunch we visited Mpyupyu for a short service and then we went to Thundu for the evening service. Although it was a tiring day and we had to drive on rough terrain, we were blessed to fellowship with our Brothers and Sisters. At the end of one of the services, the church showed their love by giving us gifts consisting of: fruit, vegetables, maize, groundnuts and a lot more!

Monday, April 11, was our team's last full day in Malawi. It was a day of preparation and souvenirs shopping.

Tuesday, April 12, the visitors boarded their first flight for the long journey back home.

The ministry with our guests brought a lot of fruit for the Lord and we know He was glorified. More than 400 came to know Christ in these 2 weeks and many believers re-dedicated their lives to serving our Savior. Our guests saw again God's amazing work here in Malawi and I hope and believe that their commitment to continue partnering with us is stronger than ever.

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