September 20th

Friends, family and supporters,
Everyone was up early and excited about our first Sunday in Malawi. We did not have Escom so Grace boiled water over coals and she and Sheila made mush. We had plenty of juice, bread, butter and jam God is good and He cares for us.
We left the house at a little after nine o’clock and arrived just before the 1000 start time. The choir was in full swing and I met and hugged many members who I have grown to love and miss when not here.
On the way over Rackson asked what I wanted to do preach or teach. I left it up to him as it is his pulpit. After introduction were made and everyone was welcomed the choir sang 3 songs and we had prayer and Rackson announced I would be teaching Sunday school, all the children departed to their classroom and Taylor was their teacher along with a young native named Don who was his interpreter.
As I took the platform with Rackson and made my remarks about being back at home I looked over the sea of faces and was over whelmed at how many were in attendance and they were still coming in as I was teaching. It was obvious I was in a
Baptist church, start time is only a target not the goal. They continued to arrive all through the service. Very many of the members have a long way to walk to get there. At the close of my lesson over two hundred were seated and ready for the remainder of Sunday worship service. My text was taken from John 11:1-44 the point being we were all dead in sin and Jesus raised us from the dead as sure as He did Lazarus. After a short break service reconvened with much singing, prayer and the tithe was taken up. When it was time for the man of God to preach Rackson announced that he had decided to preach a lesson other than to one he had prepared for that day. He said while he was interpreting for me God gave him thoughts on what I was teaching and he went on to preach John 11:1-44 with the point being, we have to remove the stone and when called out and when loosed and then go forth, it was outstanding in all respects and good to be there. After shaking hands with about 350 brethren, the place was SRO for service we departed at 1330 and got home to a meal of cold rice, cheese, pickles and Bologna as we still were without power. After some much needed rest it was decreed we would go out for a meal, one there was little to eat that would not need to be cooked and two Grace said it was every man for himself as far as she was concerned so we went out. On the way back from town we were involved in a very big traffic tie-up so Rackson did some very creative off road driving and we got home just as the power came on. Only warm water as the geezer (like a water heater) was off all day but with the heat, wind, dust and road dirt it
was wonderful. Tomorrow, Monday we will be getting prepared for the conference and have a lot of shopping to do and I will let you know how that went in the next installment of the Malawi adventure.
Because of the Cross,
Bro. Chuck and team Bible Way