Visiting David Livingstone Christian Academy - by Ron Neels
March 20, 2024
In the few days that I’ve been here one thing that has come clearly into focus is that Malawi is a study of contrasts: wealth and materialism (in a small minority) on the one side, vs. abject poverty and despair(in a large majority) on the other. Wait! Did I say despair? That’s not true. From our perspective, for a large majority of Malawians, it seems to be gloom and despair, but not from theirs. I see unthinkable poverty and a futile, non-existent hope for the future. They see that today is today and tomorrow is another day. There is a quiet resilience to their existential struggle that makes me jealous. How quick we are to throw our hands up when things get difficult. First world problems can really get to us! But that’s not true here.
This was especially evident in our school visits today. A clear theme in conversations with students was the centrality of the Christian religion in their lives and their calm acceptance and quiet confidence that the future is in God’s hands. I know I can learn from that. Maybe we all can?
Today we visited the Mbulumbuzi Child Care Center briefly on our way to David Livingstone Christian Academy (DLCA). It was really special to be able to connect in English with the students at DLCA. It was here that we were able to hear from their own mouths about their hopes, dreams, and ambitions in regard to their academic and work futures. But it was also here that we were more than once left touched by their answers. When I asked a 17 year old boy about his plans for the future he assured me that the future is in God’s hands. “I will do what the Lord wants me to do.” When asked who and how she was provided with food and supplies a student replied with all solemnity: “Jesus.” Another instance: when pressed for an answer on what makes the Timotheos schools a great place to get an education many of the answerers stated simply, “The Bible.” I wonder how many of us, never mind our 13 year old children, sincerely believe that the best thing about our schools is the Bible? Food for thought. Again, like earlier this week, the bond between teachers and students was self-evident everywhere we looked and speaks to the Christian love with which our teachers do their work.
I’ll end here. It’s not my intent to inflate simple Christian expressions into a confession of faith. It’s not my desire to leave you with the impression that Christianity in Malawi is something to emulate at home. It has a whole host of its own problems. Like in Canada and the rest of the Western world, Christianity in Malawi ia desperately in need of true revival. Additionally, the handful of children we are able to reach through our programs is like a drop in the bucket. My intent is simply to highlight some significant differences that our visit today exposed. If God will bless the work of Timotheos in Malawi to the salvation of souls and to the extension of His kingdom it will not be because of Timotheos, nor because of simple faith expressions that lack context, nor because we think it should happen, but because of His free and sovereign grace alone. May God bless His Word in Malawi, in Canada, in the Netherlands and in the whole world!
Ephesians 3: 20-21. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly* above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.
