Meeting Pastor Yosaiah
Abusa (pastor) Yosaiah was a bit of an enigma to me. To be honest when I first sat down to speak with him, I was a little intimidated. I felt like he wouldn't crack a smile no matter how hard I tried to break through. However, even though at times it felt a bit like trying to "draw water out of a rock," I came to see that his black suit and somber, stoic expression belied a warm and sincere man.
I asked him a lot of questions and his answers bespoke genuine compassion, responsibility, care, love, and concern for every soul entrusted to him. The day before the interview I had given him a book as a gift. He thanked me for it and shared that he was already far immersed into it. "Law and Gospel" goes to the core of his preaching, teaching, and evangelizing.
Abusa Yosaiah is a busy man. Step by step he took me through his daily, weekly, and monthly schedule. He is the pastor of a the local Reformed Presbyterian (RP) Church in Chigumukire however he has preaching responsibility for a number of the RP churches in the area. He teaches Sunday School. He catechizes. He gives Biblical instruction to staff and students at our CCC. And he leads a tri-weekly meditation for the agogos.
The Agogos (grandparents) Feeding Program is a Timotheos initiative. The elderly agogos from the surrounding area are invited to our CCC for a meal. Abusa Yosaiah generally opens with scripture reading, a short meditation, and prayer, before the elderly line up for their meal.
I was invited along and received a seat of honor at the front. Abusa read from Isaiah 55:1: Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. I couldn't understand a word of what he said of course except for one term that was repeated again and again: Yesu Khristu (Jesus Christ). That was enough for me. Together with his serious demeanor, his admonishing tone, but also his hopeful gesturing heavenward, I had no doubt this elderly group was indeed presented with law and gospel! Death in self. Death in Adam. Life in Christ. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. Isaiah 55:11. What a responsibility for them also to have heard that Word. Their rapt attention was striking but God alone knows if it was to the saving of their souls.
After he concluded in prayer he asked me to speak a few words to them. Maybe I should have been but I was NOT prepared for that. Impromptu then, I tried to address them as well. I felt it was woefully inadequate, but I did share with them that whether we're Malawian or Canadian we're all sinners and we all need the same thing: Yesu Khristu. Indrukwekkend!
Clearly, through this abusa and countless others, Christ is being preached in Malawi. May God bless that word to the salvation of souls, to the extension of His kingdom, to the honor of His name.
Note: Abusa warned me that the spiritual song they sang and danced for us afterwards was not RPC approved or condoned however it's all that the agogos know. He believed it was some kind of Pentecostal influence from years ago. Viewer discretion is advised.
