July 17, 2012
Today was our first day in the village of Chiwoza , and it was the first Malawi
After we arrived, the children were formed into a circle and sang to us. They dragged Constance Smith into the center with a young girl and got her to dance with them as they sang. And so VBS began… Constance and Jessica led the children in a wonderful and greatly appreciated lesson on God the creator.
Four years ago a team from First Norfolk came to Chiwoza to teach and evangelize. There is a little church there with its own building. On that same trip we had crossed the river to another village, Mtata, on their invitation, to do evangelism. There is now a small church in that village as well.
We broke into teams. The three girls wanted to work together: Allison, Hannah, and Emily. They went out from Chiwoza to a nearby village and found a group of people to whom they could share the story of God’s redemption, a Creation-to-Christ panorama. The goal is to find people who will learn the story from hearing it (remember, this is an oral culture with very few who can read and write) and tell it to others. Oral cultures do story-telling very well. They were able to find some people and begin to tell and teach the story.
Meanwhile, Adam and Steve went across the river to Mtata and met with the chief. He told them to announce the story sessions today and begin tomorrow. They spoke to everyone they could find. Steve shared the Gospel with a married couple and a friend and led them to accept Jesus into their lives.
At lunch I asked how the day had gone. Allison was so overwhelmed that she could not speak of it without beginning to cry. The afternoon was more of the same. The girls returned to their people; the men continued to work down by the river. Steve met a Muslim man and shared the gospel; the man accepted Christ and plans to be in church in Chiwoza this Sunday.
Friends, it has been remarkable. God has answered and is answering our prayers. He has gone before us by His Spirit to prepare our way. As I reminded the team Monday night, “Not by might or by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord.” We are seeing the truth of this play out.
Please continue in prayer that God will further the great work He has begun here in Malawi
Ray Smith
