Thirst Quenching Episodes
Chorwe, Malawi
August/September 2011
There is nothing like going on an adventure that has a Godly purpose and direction. Going to this village of Chorwe, where there is a WMI water purification system already being established, being able to meet the community/church leaders to discover there is also a spiritual thirst there. But not knowing exactly how God wanted to work, since His ways are not our ways, we went to Him in prayer. God knows these dear people and what He has in mind for them, pure water for their daily lives and the Water of the Word for their lives in Him. It was discussed together with the community/church leaders and decided that the Jesus Film would be shown one night soon, followed up with evangelistic training using the Chichewa tract, “The Four Spiritual Laws” with an additional four day conference to include teaching/ training Pastors, leaders, women, youth and children.
This brought to mind the passage in John 7:37-38. Jesus on the last day, that great day of the feast, stood and cried out to all who were gathered (Lev.23:37); “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” Here were some thirsty people! It was a joy to be warmly invited to return to present the Jesus Film, teach the Scriptures and even asked to please bring Bibles for the Pastors/leaders….they put their names on a list to be sure to receive a Bible when we returned to Chorwe.
Bibles - Chichewa Bibles were given out on the first day of the conference to the 19 men on the original list. These were the Pastors and leaders representing 10 local churches. A total of 25 Bibles were purchased and distributed, so 6 more attendees (5 of them women) who were not present at the first meeting, received a Bible to use during the 4 days. The Bibles were distributed every morning and collected at the end of the day to ensure that there would be Bibles on hand for all the actual teaching and training sessions.
At the end of the conference, all the Bibles were left as a gift to the attendees. There is an enormous need all through Malawi for Bibles in the villages … even many rural pastors do not have a Bible.
Their consistent attendance and promptness was such a blessing, maximizing the time we had together. What joy to see them searching the Bibles for the specific lesson verses, taking pages of notes, paying close attention, sitting on the bare concrete floors for hours, making strides to learn and ask questions. They were drinking from the wells of salvation. “Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation” Isa. 12:3 “I spread out my hands to You; my soul longs for You like a thirsty land.” What a privilege to be sent to love and serve His very own Malawian treasures.
THE MAN ON HIS KNEES- He came in the building at the end of the morning session just at the lunch break on the third day. Drunk, dirty, in such poor disarray and promptly went down on his knees in front of Pastor Steve and Wisdom, the interrupter, asking, “I need help, I’m a drunkard, I’m drunk now.” The Pastor asked, “Do you really want help or are you just feeling sorry for yourself?” The man took the Pastor’s hands and said, “No, I need help to stop being a drunkard, I need the Lord’s help.”
For the next 15 minutes or so, the Pastor spoke the truth in love to this man (about 50 years old) whose life is being destroyed by his sin. He stated that he realized that he had no power to resist drinking or to change himself. He is separated from his wife who is living in another village. He drank every word of Scripture, every word of compassion and direction with pleading eyes and clutching hands. He never left his knees; he was a man in great despair. The prayer that was offered brought an encounter with the reality of the Lord’s power to do thru him what he cannot do for himself. It was such an incredible experience to witness the man rise from his knees and into the Pastors embrace before he walked out the door with the hope of a new life in Christ. We look forward to following up on him as we will return to Chorwe and because his brother is one of the village Pastors.
THE YOUNG WIFE- She was faithful to attend every session, very pregnant and due at any time as the baby had dropped. Yet, she was sitting on the hard floor along with all the other women, taking notes and participating in the Q & A’s. The last day, she came forward and asked for prayer, as she was leaving the next day for the clinic to wait for the baby’s birth. She was concerned about the birth as her first child was a stillborn, she then had a son and now she is having her third child in three years and fighting anemia. A darling young woman who is 22 yrs. old who is married to a Christian man who is 24 yrs. old. She says with a big smile he is good to her. We prayed with her for a safe delivery, a healthy child and a quick recovery from her anemia. We said good bye, hugged each other and told her that we would see her and her new child when we return.
THE FORGIVEN WIFE- She came forward the first day wanting to pray for God’s forgiveness as she had been unfaithful to her husband during his long absence. She was convicted by the Word and Spirit of God which brought her to His loving arms and courage to face what she had done. She severed the relationship with the other man and returned to her husband, expecting rejection, but found forgiveness instead. She asked that God would give her the love to love her husband and that she would be a good wife for him. She seems to be a very dear, contrite woman (about 40 yrs.) and so thankful for the cleansing blood of Jesus for her freedom to be able to live the life that pleases God.
She was also asking for prayer for God to open a door for her to use her gift of singing to glorify Him somehow. She knew one of the consequences of her sin (it was public, not much is hidden in the villages as they live so close to each other), was that she cannot belong to the church choir. It was a joy to remind her that every time she sings,no matter where she is, in her house, her garden or walking down the road; that she can glorify God...to the audience of one! We encouraged her to let Him decide what doors to open in the meantime; not to be impatient. She smiled …and stayed for the whole 4 days.
It is the hope that these short episodes, mere snapshots in the lives of these whomsoever’s, bring glory to the Lord and an increased knowledge of His intimate compassion and love for all who are thirsty.
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