April 24^th, 2023

Today was a hard day for so many reasons. We started off great with our quiet time and our morning devotional time, ending that with prayer before the day.

Ovi came in and did the orientation [basic guidelines to follow] and provided our outline for the day.

Soon after we were off to Mpyupyu. This village is at the base of a mountain, but also roughly about one hour away. The roads to get there have always been in rough shape, but today was intense.

The van will not make it to many villages due to cyclone Freddy, so we have to take two vehicles, Ovis 4×4 and Stanleys SUV.

The main route to Mpyupyu is no longer a viable option to take so there are many side roads [but these are not roads like we have in America, more like paths] and at one point due to the damage to the area we even had to drive on a walking path.

We finally made it to the feeding center, and got to see the start of the new building that has since been put on hold because there is no way for the 2-ton truck HFTF uses to make it to the building site.

This area has always had an oppressive feel to it on every visit. One can almost feel the spiritual forces at work, attempting to drain any joy you have.

We went on a walk to check out two homes that some of the orphans stay in before we got engaged at the site. [You can find these pictures on “Mission to Malawi” @ HPFBC.com.

As always, we gathered a following as we walked the paths. The houses are nothing more than brick sheds with straw roofs, that is the best way I can explain it. The two we visited were so damaged that the little ones staying in them were moved to the refuge camps since Freddy.

So much destruction, so much need. As we were walking back to the church & feeding center a child was in front of me. He was maybe 7ish. Wearing blue and grey checkered pants that were too small for him and torn.

He also had on a blue and white striped shirt with holes in it. No shoes on his feet, and walking along over ground that would stop me from walking if I didn’t have shoes on. Everywhere I looked, people were hungry, starving.

In what should be one of the most plentiful months they have until next April, people are already starving, and they need Christ! I think I will have that image of the child in my mind for a long while.

We made it back and had some fun with the kiddos. Outdoor games, and boy are they as competitive as it gets. After a few very hard collisions and rising temperatures we moved inside for songs and a lesson.

Songs were great as always and we were asked who wanted to teach, instantly Mark said I will, and he walked through a short, modified version of 2 ways 2 live, a great tool for sharing the gospel.

And maybe 10 young men and women stood up and said they wanted to receive Christ. Always skeptical because of the need here, and the hope that we would give something, we took them outside and explained that we had nothing to give but Christ.

We actually tried to talk them out of it, but they all wanted to give their life to Christ! That is when it hit me today.

The journey was hard, the temperature was oppressively hot, the spiritual oppression and attacks in this village are real and palpable. Yet people want Christ.

The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few!

Why is there a shortage of workers. Why is every missionary not having to turn teams aways because they are booked solid? Why is the church universal not outwardly focused, impacting a lost and dying world?

People need Christ, more than they need food, but we must take care of the temporal needs to have time to explain the eternal needs.

Each time I come I am reminded that there is so much to do, the needs are many, the lost are growing and each day that goes by without someone hearing about Christ means more people are used to stoke the flames of hell for all eternity.

Today was a hard day, there are always hard days and always will be hard days until Christ returns.

But even in the midst of those days that make me want to breakdown and cry at the lostness, the oppression, the starving, God opens the hearts of those He puts in our paths to let us know He is working, and He has a plan.

I would gladly endure days 10x worse, if it was Gods way of opening the hearts of the lost and dying around us.

Tomorrow is another day, another opportunity to tell someone about Christ, you don’t need to be here in Malawi, Go, tell your neighbor, your friend, or the person you meet in the supermarket.

None of us are guaranteed tomorrow.

Blessings in Christ,

Brother Ed