First week of training

On the back of a bicycle taxi, we bump along dusty paths through a village on our way to the school where we have rented a classroom to train eight church leaders from this region. Along the way, people wave warmly at us. Malawi is known as “The Warm Heart of Africa” because of its welcoming people. It’s true, they are indeed a friendly folk.
We find the men still sitting with the local pastor having breakfast of boiled sweet potatoes, so we wait a little longer. Patience is a virtue in Africa. A white person has a watch and an African has time.

The men are eager to learn what God wants to teach them through us this week. When we asked how they came to faith in Jesus, we notice that about half of them had had a dream from God. How extraordinary God works to reach people.
Two of the leaders don’t have a Bible of their own yet and gratefully receive one on the first day. Now they can read and teach the words of God themselves.

The lessons we teach are simple, with many everyday examples that bring a lot of recognition. The lesson about God’s love for them and their value resonates deeply. More and more, they are beginning to see their value and that they were not designed to be beggars, but worthy sons of God. God the Father has good things in store for them. The weeds of poverty mindset are pulled out and the good seed of God is planted in the hearts of these men.
It also turns out to be a big eye-opener that, as children of God, it is not right to use magic for a good harvest. The men are deeply moved by this and together we ask God for forgiveness. And then a beautiful African polyphonic song of praise echoes through the small classroom.

During lunch, we are expected to eat only with Byson in the local pastor’s house, while the men eat outside under a tree. This is a form of showing respect in this culture. But it doesn’t feel very comfortable for a Westerner.
Sitting on a rattan mat on the floor with various bowls, you eat a mountain of nsima with delicious freshly caught fish from the river and a kind of spiced endive with your hands.

The lesson continues. Two of the leaders were baptized in water during the conference last week, and now everyone wants to receive God’s gift of the baptism in the Holy Spirit. After prayer, God touches them powerfully, and they praise the Lord in a new prayer language, just like on the first day of Pentecost. Their gratitude is radiant.

In addition to the Bible lessons, we also teach about working the land together with God.
Most of the population owns land and grows their own corn. Corn is the staple food in Malawi. It is ground into cornmeal and used to make ‘nsima’ (a kind of doughy ball). Nsima is eaten twice a day. With a little fish and vegetables, if available. What does nsima taste like? Well, in our opinion, it has no taste at all.
But just as the people of Madagascar ‘haven’t eaten’ if they haven’t had rice, the Malawians feel the same way about nsima. They consume a large amount of it and therefore have a rather unbalanced diet.

Unfortunately, the harvests of these church leaders are very poor, and without a job, they cannot buy expensive fertilizer and therefore cannot properly support their families. God wants to change that too.
So in the afternoon, we cover the windows with some cloths and create a primitive cinema. With our mini projector, we then show videos of Farming God’s Way.

This method originated years ago when a farmer in Zimbabwe had very poor harvests. He asked God for a solution, and God showed him how He, as the Supreme Farmer and Designer, intended it to be done. This man started doing it God’s way, and his land soon became fertile again, and the yield increased enormously. What a blessing! This experience led to the creation of Farming God’s Way (see video).
Many poor farmers in Africa have already started applying this method, and it has been proven to increase soil productivity by up to 40 times. Poverty is not of God. He is the ultimate Giver. He gave everything He had, His Son Jesus, so that we might have Life in abundance.

The men are enthusiastic and impressed by the new, simple method. We all go outside and, armed with a homemade measuring cord and African hoe, we show a practical demonstration. There is much laughter when Arjan, the azungu, digs holes in the hard ground for the first time with the unfamiliar tool. Everyone joins in. One person fetches ash and puts it in the hole, another throws in so-called manure, another covers it and ‘plants’ the three corn seeds, and another looks for leaves to cover it. We have fun.

The end of the week approaches and everyone proudly receives a beautifully printed certificate with their name on it.
In various speeches, the men express their gratitude to God for loving them so much and sending us to give them tools for spiritual growth and a start to get out of poverty. Hallelujah!

It really must be said, these are courageous men, because they have heard many new things in a short time, but are very open to change, both spiritually and naturally.