April 16^th, 2023

Good evening from Zomba Malawi. Our day is quickly coming to a close. It is currently 7:45 at night as I type this. It has been another wonderful day here, yet nothing close to what was planned.

Disclaimer: You will find many errors in typing, grammar, and spelling. I do not have Greta, Amy, Karey, or my wonderful wife to review for me, so I ask for your grace as you read my posts.

We were scheduled to go to one village, but it was change to go to another one, then changed back and yet changed again. Nitya 2 was the plan, they are in need of a pastor, and the plan was to lay the biblical foundation for pastoral qualifications [1 Timothy 3].

Something by the way, that we still plan to do. This will allow Ovi to dive deeper into each quality during bible study and educate them when they call a pastor.

My point is, not only did the location change, but the sermon had to change, and on the fly! But God is always so gracious, and always has a plan that is far superior to any plans made by humans!

Today we spent the day in Kachere. What a wonderful time. I did post in “Mission to Malawi 2023” some short clips of the music, the travel there [not the bad part] and various other pictures.

The road actually got so bad, that Stanley and his family, following us, watched the 4×4 we were in and decided to park and walk the rest of the way. I was told it was so bad and muddy had it started raining, we would have had to cut it short in order to make it out.

The sky was dark, the clouds looked ominous, the plans that had been changed many times might have to be altered yet again,  “But God.”

This would be a different sermon that was planned the night before, planned by me to be honest. But none the less, still the Word of God. The Word that is sharper than any double-edged sword, the Word that never comes back Void, the Word that has the power to transform lives, reshape cultures and bring the dead back to life.

There is always a weightiness when one shares the gospel, at least for me and many I have confided in. The weightiness has nothing to do with the audience, but is solely found in what is being shared. The living, breathing, inerrant Word of God.

I have always been humbled that God would allow me to share the gospel, and even more humbled when He lets me see Him work massive changes in peoples lives.

Today I was able to do just that. In one of the longest tenured churches for HFTF, God opened the hearts of four individuals to salvation! I keep thinking what David said, “what is man that you are mindful of him”.

God doesn’t need us for His plan of salvation to work out, but He chooses to use us, to let us participate, to serve. Humanity is in rebellion of God from birth, yet He loves us enough to send His one and only Son to save us. To pay the price we couldn’t afford, bear the punishment we deserve, so we be with Him and praise Him for all eternity.

All of our plans we made today were changed, because God had a plan for three women and one man in a village we were not going to be at. And because [by His Grace] we rolled with His plans; we were able to witness God work in ways that are humbling.

Conversations were had that we would have missed. A church grew, people’s lives were transformed, and there was spiritual growth among the church leaders today. 

Now don’t misunderstand, God would have still accomplished His purpose, had we rebelled. But we wouldn’t have received the blessings we did by being obedient.

When you labor for the Lord, especially on the mission field, things rarely go as planned. I always try to convey that to people on their first mission trip. It’s no time to be upset or annoyed that all your preparation has been for naught.

It is time to get excited to see what God has instore for you and the team. Today was a blessing, not because the LORD allowed me to see Him work, but simply because He allows me to participate.

He calls us all to participate in our own way, using the gifts he has given us, in the way that only we use them. Not by trying to be like the ones that poured into us, not by trying to imitate those that came before us.

We need only be what God created us to be. I still have a long way to go, and many ways to grow, but what an amazingly joyous journey with my Savior.

Thank you for sending me! I don’t know what I would do if I couldn’t “Go”.

Blessings in Christ,

Brother Ed