First Impressions of Malawi: Through the Eyes of an Outsider
After a long but uneventful flight we arrived with our wonderful group, in Malawi at last. We settled in our hotel, went for a delicious dinner with expats from the area and had a gezellig evening. Sunday morning we split into two groups and attended two separate churches.
Our first glimpse of Malawi is that it is absolutely stunning, very green and lush right now and everywhere you go, people line the highways walking to and fro, carrying bundles of sticks and pots and you name it on their heads and many mothers , including very young women carrying their babies on their backs. It was all an amazing first impression of Malawi, true African style!
Our group attended the Mbulumbuzi Ebenezer RP Church and upon arriving, the children swarmed us, asking our names and offering to carry our things. As we walked to the church we could hear voices singing their hearts out. We found our places in the back, close to an open window and were thankful for the slight breeze in the very hot and humid weather!
Pastor Tselgu spoke with a thick accent first in English, followed by a Chichewa translator. He first gave a short explanation on original sin during the catechism section and then spoke about Eutychus who was asleep under the preaching and compared it to how that we are spiritually asleep and in peril of death. The same word we hear at home, but here far away, a message to the heathen too!
At some point we were asked to go upfront for introductions and to sing a few Psalters for them. We ended with 'Seek ye First' and the entire congregation joined in with us. Powerful moment! Marian told them she had 10 grandchildren and the room erupted into laughter...they couldn't believe it!
During the service the children come in and out as they please, some show up half way through and we really noticed that they all take care of each other in small ways. A little girl was falling asleep and another older girl laid her on the concrete floor, put a little sweater over her and then proceeded to fan her face for the rest of the service. The Children would stare at us and their face would brighten every time we smiled at them. The pastor had no problem telling anyone off if they weren't listening, too!
At one point a few boys who had walked out started to whistle at us behind the window where Denise and I were sitting. We turned around and the boys gave us a thumbs up and couldn't stop grinning!
After church, we saw this little girl (her name was Joyce), and she had walked a LONG way to church this morning. Apparently, she usually bikes to church, but her dad had to use the bike to bring her Grandma to the hospital, and since she still wanted to go to church, she walked the long way herself. As we were driving by, the pastor (who was also getting a ride from us because his motorcycle was broken) asked if we were ok to drop her off at her place. Absolutely! She jumped into the back and was so proud to be driving along with the 'white people'
We spent the rest of the Sunday together, listening to a sermon later on in the afternoon and enjoyed delicious meals by our wonderful hosts, Leneke for lunch and Gretchen for dinner. The families here went all out for us and it was very enjoyable to spend time with them.
Written by James and Sarah
