#9 So, What's Next?

Dear friends,

It’s been a couple months since we got back, but the time feels like it’s flown by. Malawi seems like a dream and a world away, and yet, we find ourselves regularly replaying in our minds’ eyes vivid memories of our experiences in this far and yet now familiar place. Since returning, the team has been scattered, returning to our churches, families, homes, universities and workplaces changed, tired and invigorated all at once. We felt it would be worth sharing some final thoughts with you, and looking ahead to what may come next.

This June and July, we met many faithful believers. They come from all parts of Malawi - Chitsime to Mlonde; Nansongole to Lauderdale; Ulongwe to Liwonde; and Ntaja to Machinga. You probably don’t know about these towns or villages. You probably haven’t been to any of them. They are very far and remote places. In fact, most of these people live a life that we would struggle to live. But they share something special with us, something eternal. You know what it is. If you don’t, ask any believer, and they’ll tell you.

One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us. - Acts 16:14-15

In Acts 16, we meet a lady named Lydia. Through the power of the Spirit, she responds to the message she hears from Paul and the Lord opens her heart. How amazing is this short story? It is a great reminder of the power of the gospel and how it brings us together in ways that go beyond our understanding. Lydia goes from a stranger to a believer, and she welcomes Paul and Silas into her house, showing them hospitality.

Our Malawian brothers and sisters in Christ have welcomed us with open arms and shown us how much the good news of the gospel means to them. They have prayed with us. They have opened God’s Word with us. They have sung with us, and they have broken bread with us. These very people have prevailed upon us to spend more time with them. And we have. You know why? We have valued and cherished fellowship with these people. We have seen their love for Christ and hunger for God’s word. And we ourselves have been convicted and encouraged by their love and kindness towards us.

Some of us might not make it back to Malawi. Some of us may take 5, 10, 15 or 20 years to get there. When we do, these dear believers may not be there, for any number of reasons. But as we left, we were sent off with the assurance: “We will see each other again. If not in this life, then the next.” We long to see them in eternity. We long to sing our Saviour’s praise alongside them with the multitude from every tribe, tongue and nation. We long to see and hear how they shared the gospel with their neighbours, friends, children, spouses and many others.

But until then, we are reminded that we too have that same task. We were in Malawi to assist our brothers and sisters in their gospel service. We must not forget our own gospel service now. Paul and Silas go to prison after the conversion of Lydia. They are beaten and continue to suffer for the gospel. But how great is their joy when they see people respond to the gospel? How amazing is it when they see many people put their faith and trust in Jesus? How wonderful is it when even the hardest of hearts believes?

There was clearly a great hunger for the word everywhere we went, and a great reception by local pastors, evangelists and congregants with obvious joy. We knew the gift we were carrying, but we were surprised - and challenged - by just how deeply it was appreciated, even by church leaders, who said their eyes had been opened by the new ways we taught to see and understand the Bible. Many churches and individuals were eager to commit to regular Bible studies and we were greatly encouraged that the word will continue to be taught, heard and read. We have been in contact with friends from along the way who assure us that this has been the case.

To our beloved donors, may I whole-heartedly thank you for your financial contributions which have not only provided Bibles and hymn books, BUT have sown seeds of spiritual revival and transformation in the hearts and lives of people. I once again, thank you for your quick and timely response to our plea. As scripture says in Isaiah 52:7, ”How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news who proclaims peace, who brings good tidings…” (NKJV). Your efforts have brought good news, participation in worship and joy everlasting to our Presbyterian churches in the Synod. Out of over 8,826 bibles you sent and 2987 hymn books, over 5,000 chichewa bibles and 2,000 hymn books were placed in the grateful hands of Malawian Presbyterians. - Colin Mbawa

Friends and family have asked us what our highlights are, and how the experience has changed us. Life in Malawi was so different to life in Melbourne, and we have had to hold tightly to how God has worked in us not to forget and settle into our old routines. If you happen to chat to any of us, we’ll each have our own experiences to share, but there are a few things to highlight.

Our return home was a shock to the system. During our mission, the team struggled with minor sicknesses, headaches, rashes, ulcers, coughing, and other such physical challenges - but nothing we couldn’t bear at the time, and we never felt hard done by. At the airport, many of us were surprised to find ourselves exhaling deeply in relief, and a few of us came down near instantly with high fevers and stomach bugs. For others, jumping right back into work, studies and service without time to rest properly in-between left us tired for weeks. Navigating a foreign culture, language and land with single-minded focus and a large team had taken more fortitude than we’d thought. But the most shocking thing was how quickly we forgot the gaping disparity of life here and there. It was far too easy to put aside the abject poverty of those we worshipped with each week, as we re-embraced the wealth and comfort of first-world living. One team member, reflecting on their own reaction to a night at a hotel during a longer-than-planned stopover, was sobered, ashamed and repentant at this. It was a humbling experience, and an example of how God uses all circumstances, even a cancelled flight, to draw us closer to Him. We each felt incredibly thankful to sleep in our own beds the following night, and when we catch ourselves complaining about the cold, electricity, internet speeds, or any such luxury we are reminded of the blessing it is to even have what we do.

Speaking of such things, we have each been challenged in our own personal reading. How many Bibles are in your household? Count them up - on your bookshelves, on the counter, in the car - most of us have at a least a couple, sometimes a few. How often do you sit and open the Bible, privately, to spent time in reading and prayer? What a privilege it is that this is so easily accessible to us. What a contrast to how inaccessible this is in Malawi. This has deepened our own appreciation of the Bible, pushing us even when tired or forgetful or busy to pick it up and read, encouraging us not to take for granted the blessing we have in God’s written Word even for a single day.

The mission has also created opportunities for evangelism at work and uni. As reflected above - the return home means continuing gospel service, not putting it aside. Friends have asked us where we’ve been, and been deeply interested in why we went. Many of them have been surprised to hear of a thriving church in Malawi, and amazed at what we did. In a particularly secular environment at her university, Bec was able to share a documentary of the trip with her class and teachers, with classmates remarking on how beautiful it was to see faith bring together people from different cultures and races. It’s been an incredible conversation starter and proof that we are taking our faith and the mission we’re called to seriously.

A long term mission trip to any one of the communities we visited would be amazing - the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Our mission, though in isolation only a short trip, struck us as but one snapshot of a much deeper connection between our two churches. In the lead up to the trip, some of us had wondered at what we could truly achieve without taking the time to stay, to learn language and build relationship. The welcome we received and the familiar faces we were met with all across the country assured us that these relationships have been, are, and will continue to be built.

Yet, the wonderful thing to remember is that while we really only had brief encounters with people and only sowed seeds to encourage people in their personal walk with the Lord, God can continue to work in people's lives, growing them in their faith in better ways than we can comprehend. It is a joy to ponder this and a comfort too. These precious people are God's children and He loves each of them and knows their need more than we understand and He can continue to work in their lives growing their knowledge and faith in Him. God's work is far bigger than our humble and clumsy efforts.

Visits to churches and schools also clearly showed us the great practical needs of these communities. It will take wisdom and discernment to help in a manner that is sustainable. As a team, reflecting on what we could do at the time, we came to the conclusion that the greatest and most lasting gift is the Word of God, and would be our singular focus for this trip. Yet, considering and providing for these practical needs is still important, and it seems unloving not to do what we can, as limited as that may be. Two such cases are the Orbus Water Reticulation Project and Njale CCAP roofing project, mentioned in previous posts, both now underway - plans are drafted and fundraising has begun. These projects would both welcome your continued support.

So, what’s next for us?

There are 5000 more donated Bibles ready for distribution with Colin Mbawa, who continues to travel and deliver these as he can. However, one man in his spare time cannot match the vigour of a full and dedicated team, and these Bibles are still not enough. We’ve mentioned it before, but we cannot forget the words of the pastor at one of the first churches we visited: “You could bring a million Bibles to Malawi, and we would still need more.” In our time there we barely scratched the surface. We’ve already received requests from the Mwanza, Chiradzulu and Nchalo Presbyteries for visits - there needs to be another trip. Perhaps another one after that, and perhaps another again, if God wills it.

Each of us must consider our own capacity for future missions. Some of our team felt at the end of this trip that they were reaching their limits health, age and commitment-wise. Some give a standard reply - ask again in a few months, after some time to process it all, and they’ll see - but they suspect that they would. Already, some will cut you off before you’ve finished asking with a firm Yes! We would do it again in a heartbeat.

As we look forward to a potentially new team next time, we are so grateful for the team that God brought together this time. It was so incredibly valuable having a range of pastors, elders, young and old, men and women on the team, each with their own giftings and contributions. We learned so much from each other, and it was a joy to see God working through each one of us (despite our individual weaknesses) to share wisdom, come up with ideas and put things into action. It was a reflection of the body of Christ, and if any one of the team were missing so much may have just never happened.

We praise God for the opportunity to serve in this way. It's been an extraordinary privilege to be part of a mission to place Bibles in hands of people who are hungry for the bread of life. To God be all the glory!