Tuesday 11 June 2013

The Warm Heart of Africa

Malawi Report 2012

Andy & Patti spent 3 weeks ministering in Malawi, the warm heart of Africa.
God transformed lives with His Father heart of  love and goodness, released women from a 2nd class mindset to being co-heirs, and shifted the focus from a church to the Kingdom of God. After Patti's teaching, the women now sing this song: 'Deborah was a woman, but she led the men to war'! The pastor's wife said, 'Patti taught us who we are in Christ; we will not sit down! We will do everything the Holy Spirit tells us to do!' The pastor has now made one on-fire young lady an assistant pastor!
These beautiful people, whose lives are totally given in service to God, received us as messengers from heaven - seeing everything we shared with them in the scriptures; Church as family, not hierarchy and control, the priesthood of every believer as glorious sons. The pastor changed the way he deals with people as a result. The men drank in Andy's every word, they saw the love and grace.
We preached the Gospel in the market place, many felt a tangible touch of love from God, one young man was soundly saved, Andy later baptised him and he is now a keen church member with his wife.
A woman was delivered from nightmares, another who'd suffered for a year after a brain malarial stroke slept soundly without pain and was able to sit up in bed for the first time, a 5 week old baby's umbilical hernia was completely healed, a widow whose pastor husband died in disgrace had an anointing of joy, a man felt power like electricity hit him and says he is changed into another person, the children were included as important and received the love of God, the Holy Spirit all over them. Jesus at work.
We treated them all to a feast of chichen & rice, which the women cooked outside over fires.  We bought Nashohn and his family some sofas (they sat on the floor), some mattresses for their wooden bunks and a heater - it's cold in their winter! Nashohn and his wife call us their spiritual Mum & Dad. Patti has been mentoring them by email for over 8 years. We send them books and CD's, pray for them and encourage them weekly. We now support Nashohn every month so he can pay his rent, buy food and send his children to school.
We also spent 2 days with a wonderful couple who are part of a team of pators who oversee various village churches in Lilongwe. These dedicated couples are all professional people who fund their projects from their own wages, as we do. They own an enormous plot & are building a multi purpose youth hall, have a banana & vegetable farm, run a feeding programme for children and have a vision for a school and college. They appreciated the grace and anointing they saw in us & asked us to spend more time with them when we return.
We will return in October 2013 for 3 weeks, 2 in Mzuzu and 1 in Lilongwe. Show Your glory Lord!