April 23, 2019

Conference Collaboration - Malawicon 2019





We wanted to thank all of you for your thoughts and prayers for our regional conference this past week. We asked for the event to be bathed in prayer and it was felt behind every detail.  As with anything, the more one does something; the more one improves.  This was our 2nd year holding the our regional Conference in Malawi and we definitely improved in a number of areas.  In the lead up to the conference we could see that it was going to be amazing.  We felt opposition, but it seemed a lot like a mosquito nipping at our heals.  For example, the night before the conference began, we were bringing our pulpit and other supplies in to prepare the hall.  Upon arriving we saw a large truck removing almost all the chairs.  After questioning the driver, we found out that the government requested the chairs for a political event.  That meant that we would have to rent chairs as an added expense to what we had already paid for the hall.  The problem was that the rental of the hall included the rental of the chairs. Thankfully we had the presence of mind to only make half payment to rent the hall (I’m sure by the Holy Spirit), we used the other half payment to guarantee that the renter of the hall would rent us chairs.  Once he brought us the rented chairs, we released the 2nd half of the payment.  So many of those instances in which God covered us, were so apparent.  In the end, we had over 100 visitors from all over the region and beyond (Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Congo, South Africa, England, Hungary, and the United States).  Our Conference was the biggest it has ever been.  Graduation Day had over 700 people in attendance with an amazing 172 graduates of Certificate, Diploma, and Degree courses.  In order to keep the graduates marching and not spend all night, we announced the names as if we were in a boxing match or wrestling match.  By the end, our voices were gone, but it was truly amazing.  As we looked around, we wondered at how all of this has happened and 1 Corinthians 3:6 came to our minds: One sows, one waters, but God brings the increase.  We as missionaries sow seeds of the Gospel; all of you are watering with prayer, love, and support; and this motivates God to bring in the increase.  To see so many of our Malawian graduates, that normally would never have the money to graduate from a Seminary, crossing the stage cheered on by their family, was overwhelming. We also housed and fed our 100+ foreign guests, which naturally could be seen as a burden; but the Fellowship of God’s Church made us not see any heat of details.  Every guest was so gracious without one complaint, we said to ourselves that we are hosting God’s royalty- Kings and Priests Revelation 1:6. 



Mateo one of our Children of Grace Orphan graduated!!!

Preparing to Go. Also in the Conference we had an amazing Ordination time. 5 men were ordained.  3 of them were ordained as a preparation for missions. The other 2 were ordained to take the place of the men leaving.  So we see God’s expansion as we promote the Grace message in the country of Malawi.




Again we ask for your prayers, we have another month left in our Bible College Semester before traveling to Baltimore for another conference.  Please pray as we feel we have found the right piece of land for our church.  We have asked the owners to wait for us to raise the money.  So far we have raised 70% of the land, but we want to be sure it is from God. Our church lawyer has OK’d the land as being legitimate, so we are waiting on God to finish the process. Please also pray as we have begun Bible studies in the Eastern City of Salima under Pr. Matt and Lisa Sliva. Coming up in September they plan to be there every weekend to begin a church.  Pr. Albert has ordained a pastor to take over his church and he plans to move with his family and his other assistant just over the border to pioneer a church and Bible College in Chipata, Zambia.  And we continue to make trips into the northern city of Mzuzu as we have a pastor who will make monthly trips there and put a church in motion. 




1 comment: