“Slow…, but Sure!”

The name of a Makanjila tea room, “Slow but Sure”, characterizes our work of building  trust, carefully teaching God’s Word and patiently facing challenges. A colleague suggested that, to successfully reach our resistant people group with the Gospel, we should be on the “thousand year plan.”

We affirm the value of living in relationship as a means of modeling our message of grace more than merely disseminating information, a weakness of some western approaches to evangelism. We have had challenges of access (see pictures of three Makanjila bridges on page 2), a chief’s delaying the start of a believers’ group, and, recently, a priest’s stopping a group.

We believe that, because of (not despite) the investment of time and love, the work is progressing on sure footing.
Well placed sandbags and rocks enable us to reach Makanjila where, in Village 4 (V4), 27 are ready to learn about the birth of the Savior and, in V5, a keen learner has been inviting his neighbors and teaching them about the Fall. New believers of V2 are committed to meeting. They recognize the fears of their chief and plan to ask for a neutral meeting place.

In V3, a couple of believers have offered their homes as venues outside the clan area of a retired priest so that their group can continue to meet. Hearers in V1 understand that people were amazed at Jesus' teaching as one with authority, the demons' obedience to Him and His ability to heal leprosy because He was God! A secret believer there is also asking significant reflective questions. A believer in V7 has started to use the audio lessons and has an attendance of eight twice a week. At V6 attendance jumped from 4 to 16 and, for the sake of the new people, we reviewed the basics of why the penalty for sin is not prayer or good works.

Please pray that God will help us to patiently persevere so that He can draw people to Himself. (See John 6:44)

Makanjila Bridges

On our way to Makanjila, a remote corner of Malawi along the east side of the lake near Mozambique, we cross approximately 100 bridges or culverts. Heavy rains caused strong river currents which washed out three bridges. This prevented our traveling to visit groups there for over four months. Local people constructed temporary passage ways across the rivers, now at lower levels, and we resumed our bi-weekly trips in April.

In addition to the need for steady navigating through water, the roads also require alert maneuvering around many potholes and through some sand patches. It takes approximately 4 hours to drive the 80 miles one way on the mostly dirt roads (1/3 paved). Traveling that far and teaching in two villages makes for a long day.

Please pray for safety in our travels there, as well as divine appointments with hitch-hikers along the way! (See Acts 8:27)

Firm Foundation Question

Give careful thought to the following question and try to answer it on your own before reading the answer below.

A new believer recently asked this question:
If John the Baptist’s baptism symbolized repentance and since Jesus was without sin, why was Jesus baptized? (Mt 3:13)

Vision Trip & Retreat Highlights

We hosted Jake and Nancy Shenk, John Brubaker, Greg Funk, Nate Yoder and Corby and Jennifer Burkholder April 29 after their tour in Mozambique and on their way to the BICWM Africa Missionary Retreat at Macha Mission in Zambia (4/30-5/3).

We had sessions on the theme “Planted by the River” and toured the hospital, Malaria Institute and mission grounds.
Afterwards, the Malawi team traveled to Choma, Livingstone and Sikalongo, where the Ginders used to serve.

Opportunities

1. Aaron Bond, leader of Jonathan and Erica Lloyd’s MOST team, has agreed to recruit a two week Work Team of people skilled in electrical, masonry or carpentry to complete renovations on the Mpalume Village Mission House in August or September. Email: anrbond at verizon dot net

2. Our SIM colleagues have a similar yet more extensive need  to help in the construction of two houses and a workshop. Email: davidpotts64 at africa-online dot net

Character Corner: Tolerance

Tolerance vs. Prejudice
Acceptance of others as unique expressions of specific character qualities in varying degrees of maturity

Make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. (Phil 2:2, NIV)

A retired priest who is also a clan head in an area where we have a believers’ Bible Study group recently stopped the group from meeting. We felt tempted to become angry with and to judge this Christian leader for hindering people from hearing the Word of God. We thank God for helping us to understand his genuine concerns and to offer prayers for God’s blessings in his life. Even though he has stood his ground, we pray that he will eventually support us.

FFQ Answer

Answer: To show His identification with us, though not with our sin, His approval of John’s work and His identity as God the Son. The context in Matthew 3 helps us to understand. John announced that Jesus was greater than him, would baptize us with the Holy Spirit and fire, and judge all people. (See vv. 11-12) When Jesus came to be baptized, “John tried to deter him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’" (vv. 13-14) Jesus said that it was proper “to fulfill all righteousness.” (v. 15). “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." (vv. 16-17)
NIV

Upcoming Events:

June 16 : Mangochi Missionary Gathering
June 29 : Doug's Birthday
July 8 : Sara's 18th Birthday
July 16 : EBCoM Term 3 Begins
July 23-25 : Reg. Admin. Jake & Nancy Shenk visit Malawi
July 30 : Doug & Barb’s 24th Anniversary
August 2-5 : BIC General Conference

Download PDF version of this newsletter from http://www.malawi-mission.org/millers/news/jun2007.pdf
Visit Evangelical Bible College of Malawi at http://www.ebcom-malawi.org