55 short days and we will leave for Malawi. Let me spend some time and get everyone up to speed about who we are and what we are about. Many of you know us already, but there are some friends and family that may be unfamiliar with our church and this small country in Africa we plan to go to and minister. So, let me introduce everyone to the church we are a part of, the country of Malawi, how we came into a relationship with this place, who is going, and why we are going there now.
My family started going to Coast Community Church in August of 2003. Coast Community (Coast for short) has been a wonderful church home for us. Coast is a member of the Southern Baptist Convention. We are reformed in our theology, which means we adhere to the doctrines of grace. We currently meet at Thomas Paine Elementary in Garden Grove, CA. Earl Miles is our Pastor. He is a dedicated Shepard of the flock that our Lord has entrusted to him. We all at Coast feel blessed that God has given to us a man who models for us how to look to Jesus for life. He is dedicated to the word of God as the revelation of God to us that leads to eternal life. It is his desire for us to see our Lord Jesus Christ as our hope for joy and satisfaction. If you want to get to know more about our church, you can visit their website at http://www.coastcommunitychurch.com/ .
The missions team at our church became interested in Malawi several years ago when a member of our missions team read an article about a Baptist Malawian pastor that has a heart to reach the northern part of his country into a real faith in Christ. He started communication with this pastor and their relationship grew. As he and the missions team got to know him, they decided that he was definitely someone they wanted to support as he endeavors to add to the kingdom of God. The missions team member is a dear brother of mine in the Lord, Charles Patterson. The African pastor that found Charlie's heart is Braswell Nkhonjera.
Malawi is a country in the eastern part of Africa. It is surrounded on the east, south, and west by Mozambique. To the north is Tanzania, and Zambia borders the northwest. Lake Malawi makes up about 20% of the country's mass. Malawi has a population of approximately 13 million. Modern statistics say the country is 80% Christian, but that is very misleading just as it is in America. Most people are "Christian" by affiliation only. Islam is also making a real push here also. Reality is this country is among the poorest nations of the world, With 80% of the people living in rural areas. Most of these people make their living in farming by planting crops that will feed their families. Official estimates say more than 14% of the population has HIV, but unofficial estimates based on hospital admissions estimate it at closer to 30%. There are close to 3/4 of a million orphans in this country, mostly because of the Aids epidemic. The Child mortality rate is over 1 out of 10. The life expectancy of men in Malawi is 43 years and for women is 42 years. For more information on Malawi go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malawi .
Braswell Nkhonjera is local pastor who has made a tremendous impact on reaching his country for Christ. His focus has remained for the most part on the northern portion of the Malawi, as he lives in the town of Rumphi. He has never been content to just his hometown, but has travelled throughout the north of Malawi where he has planted several churches, and has raised up and mentored several pastors. He currently has 5 pastors that attend seminary classes in the capital city of Lilongwe. Along with those, there are 2 other men that Coast is supporting to go to Christ Seminary in Polokwani, South Africa. They travel back and forth to school where they stay for 2 months of study and then return home for a month to be with their families. To find out more about this Masters Seminary go to http://www.tmainternational.org/site/default.asp?sec_id=13 .
So, several years ago, we on the missions team at Coast had a desire to go to Malawi to visit Brasswell so we could meet him and see firsthand what was going on there and how we could better help him and his heart to further the gospel of Christ. Well, 2 years ago, Christian Bettenhausen, Charles Patterson, and our pastor, Earl Miles got the chance to go and visit the exciting work of the Lord in the "warm heart of Africa". They each got the chance to teach the word, encouraging the believers there and were encouraged by them also. They also caught a vision Brasswell has to create a training center in Betere, which is by his home in Rumphi. They have now begun the classroom block construction and it should be well underway by the time we get there.
The missions team thought it would be good for us to go back again this year to continue to minister to the believers in northern Malawi and to show them our support of the furthering of the kingdom of God there. Charlie is returning and is the veteran of the team. We also have Dan Rupprecht, who is an elder in our body. He is representing the leadership of the body of Coast. I am also going as a representative of the missions team, and also as worship leader. We also wanted to see what other interest there might be amongst the body and we asked the body what interest there was. While many were interested, various conflicts kept many from being able to go with us.
There were 2 young men that displayed an interest and were also not swayed when they were told they would have to be responsible for the cost of the entire trip. These guys are Charlie's oldest son, Josiah, who is 16, and my oldest son, Brian. These 2 have each taken jobs to earn as much of the cost as they can. It has been so exciting to see 2 young men such as these show such interest in world missions and to reach people from every nation. Their lives will never be the same after they see God as work in another part of the world.
Well, that is all I can do for now. If you are still reading then maybe you have caught the vision and heart for Malawi. I hope and pray that this may attract some of you to join us in the work of Malawi. We can use all the prayer support we can get. Please join us by praying for us. We still have much work ahead of us as we prepare to go.
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It is a wonderful sign of growth in our body life that this trip is even occuring. Not too many years ago the body of Christ in Malawi was a virtual unknown to us at Coast, and even I was by & large unaware of what to expect if I ever made a trip to them. Then Christ opened the door and we saw first hand what a testimony of Christ was waiting upon the soil of Malawi. It was such a time of growth for me that I wondered what would be the next step of faith that our Master would lead us on in this relationship.
Well, we now know. And I am so excitied for all of us, not just for those who will set foot overseas, but for all of us at Coast, because this trip is what many of us were hoping and dreaming for, that our youth would begin to catch the heart of missions and grow along with us. But it is not just that Brian and Josiah are going that makes this trip especially joyful, but that so many people are behind them in going, and will be praying for them, not only in October, but even now are doing so. And not just the adults but our youth as well!
There are so many facets in any journey such as this, so many details that have to come together for any team to be able to go be a blessing to another part of the body of Christ, and you our family at Coast are in immeasurable ways helping to fulfill those critical tasks and in your doing so are giving us much hope that in all aspects we will not be put to shame, but that in all areas Christ our Lord will be magnified as we serve Him in Joy in support of our brethren. One day, all of you will stand side by side with our brethren that is the body of Christ in Malawi, whose lives you have helped touch and stregnthen. You will one day see face to face what fruit you have been a part of in your sacrifical praying and giving and in sending, and on behalf of all 5 of us I thank you.
I would like to especially mention to the youth of Coast to log in and write words of encouragement. If you have a scripture that you feel impressed to given to us as we count down these remaining days (what is it now Ric, 54???) we would love to meditate on it. In the coming days we will be posting out prayer requests here as well, so I hope this will prove to be quite an interactive prayer forum as well.
Serving together for the sake of The Name.
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