MAM Inc. African Mission Update
August 7, 2007

    Once again Malawi African Missions, Inc. has teamed up with Lord's Harvest International for a 22-day mission trip to Malawi (16 days) and Mozambique (3 days). Once again Jesus' gospel of the coming Kingdom of God and the things about our Lord Jesus were proclaimed, as we have done from the very first trip in 1994. It is because of the earnest preaching of the 173 pastors that the work has grown so.

    Team members this year were Dr. Joe and Rebekah Martin, Jaimie Engelbert, Erika Fitzsimmons, Kaitlyn Walters, and Jim Mattison (10th trip). We visited 16 churches and were warmly welcomed. Their eyes shone and big smiles lit up their faces. We were impressed by their great faith in God, their strong hope in Christ, and their love for one another. The work is overseen by a 7-person Board in each country, and each of the many districts is overseen by a Pastor of the distric, such as Bango, Chaka, Sande, Maxwell, Daud, Moyo, Frazer, Namaona, and the isolated church of Machemba, where the 38 orphans are. Five people came forward for baptism, including a Muslim lady.

    Linda Limbe, our "lady Friday," is invaluable as our go-between among the pastors and us. We left money for 4 church foundations that were approved by the boards. When the next step is ready, Linda will give the money needed -- laying the fired brick with river sand and cement mortar, etc. We pay for the cement, roof trusses and the metal sheets, while they make and fire the brick, dig and pour the foundation, level the ground, etc.

    Also, the preaching of the truth is going on over in Tanzania by Jerome Chembe, who updates us regularly. And Anthony is over in the Bible College in Kenya presently, teaching. Several of our ABC students have come from this college, as have Korean students from Paul College in Korea. Don Smith, presently in Botswana visiting contacts, worked in Malawi until February. He was helping Linda establish work among the ladies of the churches through his corporation called Rescue. They teach reading, how to make things to sell, how to do good deeds to the elderly and needy, visiting the sick, having regular times for prayer for the work, etc.

    Another very close friend and family is Rafik and Shamim Valimahommed and their daughter Gazella. We have known them for many years. He is our money changer and served us several delicious meals--especially prawns in garlic butter sauce and cheese!

    Shall I mention our used rented van (and driver Chibwana [big boss])? Maybe it is sufficient to say the bus broke down 4 times, once at night in the middle of nowhere. We thanked God for cell phones. But how can I forget the cracked windshield, no visor on my side, and the side door that was always coming off its rollers? Also, broken timing chain, lost all our oil, electric system went out (twice). The last time a man in white appeared, asked if we needed a mechanic, said there was one just down the side road by us. While a nearby Lodge picked us up, that mechanic had the fuses needed to get us going again, with lights. (When the first breakdown occurred we had to get out and push the van off the road so as not to get hit in the dark.)

    Can I tell you of the pitiful funeral we went to without my crying? We were scheduled for a service at one of Moyo’s churches, but the night before were informed a death had occurred—a 26 year-old man, an elder, who left a wife and two small children. What were we to do? We went to the funeral and sat on chairs provided for us. Along with the 300-400 people sitting on the hillside among the pigeon peas above the very small house there was the village chief in his chair by the house. The service lasted at least an hour and a half There was much singing, several women wailing. We had to wait a long time for the Malawi-type casket to come. Several men took it inside, but wrong end to. The house was so small they had to back out and reverse it. When they came out with it, a mat was placed on the ground and the casket placed on the mat. The poor young widow lay down beside the casket the whole service. I can’t keep from crying as I write this. I couldn’t bear to look at her. So pitiful. At the end, when it was over and she got up to take her place in the funeral procession to the grave I went to her and hugged her. I didn’t know what else to do. They don’t understand English. I will never forget that scene. Team member Kaitlyn Walters, an excellent artist, is going to paint that scene for me.

    So it was a wonderful trip in spite of the problems. God was with us the whole time. I had to ask the team one morning for the anointing with oil and laying on of hands for a breathing problem. That, too, went away. As Psalm 84 says, we “went from strength to strength” through it all. We also met in two “brush arbor” churches that had bricks made ready to build when they were approved. The Boards in both countries have a policy to build only 3 churches a year in each country. Churches now cost around $1200 or more. Dr. Chimoyo gave us his needs. We hope to help him. Because of our giving him many medical supplies though the years he treats the church people free. He lives in Mulanje but recently moved his clinic to Luchenza, where the population to serve is much larger. He received his medical training in England. His first need is $3500 to put with his saved $1500 for a reconditioned car from South Africa. His second need is a laptop computer at the office (which we hope to get him. Linda’s cost $2500.) His third need is to buy land on the highway and build a more well-equipped clinic, with a lab, etc.

    Linda’s new work with the women in the churches is a valuable addition to the work. A number of the women can now read their Bibles, their good deeds have resulted in several conversions. There is a Lazarus school for Machemba’s orphans. She hopes to have a school like this in every church. We don’t call them orphans, but “children of the school.” Thanks so much to you who make it possible to help with this mission work. Any offerings may be sent to MAM or to LHJ.

Jim Mattison