AP

Today was a really good sample of an African day in my role as the Presbyterian Church of Australia representative figure in Malawi. It was only through the courtesy of borrowing Grace Bandawe’s free-standing fan (plus a comfy bed) that I was able to take 10 hours sleep and shake off completely any effect of world travel. I’ve completely transitioned to the African clock. Almost the entire morning was devoted to visiting Orbus Mission School – a totally satisfying visit. 

The school is on a plot of land purchased about 2005 – land that was a dump-site from a long abandoned tobacco refining plant. There was no habitable structure on this land. The only living things were ants and mambos (snakes). I digress, but I remember 17 years ago, 2006, when as a group of Australian visitors we stood in circle holding hands along with our African brothers such as Colin Mbawa to pray to God about a vision for the orphans and other vulnerable children of Malawi. It was a vision of God. Don’t let anyone put you down for holding to a God-inspired vision. Even when there is nothing to see as evidence. Today there are buildings and a functioning school which provides education for children of struggling parents and takes in orphans and other vulnerable children of the immediate district.

About 535 children are enrolled at Orbus, and they achieved a 90% pass rate at their Form 4 examinations. The Malawian average pass rate is ~53%, so the school is doing well. We can pray for Edmund the school Principal, Wills the school Primary Principal and for Moses the Synod Education Secretary. Moses carries a huge work load. There is a new chaplain appointed, but I did not meet him.

After touring the property and inspecting the newly constructed science laboratory and library, we discussed (and agreed to) their next big need: a multipurpose meeting hall, adjacent to the boarding dorms, which can facilitate conducting examinations, a meeting place for the whole school out of the sun, and kitchen facilities for the campus. Yes, I know I get excited about Orbus Mission School, but we are entitled to be excited. The project started on bare ground with NOTHING. It is now bringing education to 535 children and allowing them to hear of the love of God in the gospel of grace and to respond to Christ. How did that happen? Ask Colin Mbawa. Ask Craig Manners and the hard-working team at Orbus Australia. Ask any of that circle of 15 Aussies who prayed in 2006 (though three of them have passed on into glory ahead of us). Or … come with me and visit.

Or: teachers on LSL – lend Orbus 3 months of your life – you’ll never be the same.

The final blessing of the visit: the whole school Assembly came together under the trees, with a gentle warm breeze to sing, pray and hear preaching from this old Aussie minister. What an awesome experience. It was tough to work out what to say and how to do it – consider there were little ones who don’t yet speak English and school leavers who do … and it was hot. And I had no notes or microphone. And the senior school students were standing. So, I read from Proverbs 30, built a bridge from ants’ God-given wisdom in securing food for their future to us securing security for our future and ultimately to our eternal future and pleaded with them to trust in what Christ has done in dying for sin and rising again for us. It was a lot harder to convey than I’d planned it in my mind because of the conditions (isn’t that always the case?), but it seemed to connect with a few … and, regardless, God takes his Word and secures it in people’s hearts.

It was just such a pleasure to come all this way for this purpose. Let’s remember the work of Orbus in our prayers to Almighty God and seek whether the PCA can rise to the occasion and support the desired multi-purpose meeting hall.

There was an afternoon meeting with the Synod’s Partner Church Committee. It was a pleasure to spend time with the new General Secretary Rev Anderson Juma, and the Partnership convener Dr Davis. It was such a meeting whereby we could discuss what “partnership” means to each other, past failings, and what the future might bring. I stressed what we could hope to see: the re-opening and re-energising of our original vision of the Theological Resource Centre and the offer of Minister’s Refreshment training. 

Sometimes, within the African church “partnership” tends to look like a donor:recipient relationship, which then raises expectations of “trips to Australia”. In the course of such discussion, it was very helpful and enlightening for me to say clearly: “I have paid for my own airfare to reach you this day, and for all accommodation – this is not a church-sponsored trip”. Now, I must qualify this immediately to you, the reader of this journal: I have since been very generously supported in this regard by my home congregation, but the fact remains that what was useful for me to declare, was that I paid for my own costs. I think it has put to bed forever the expectation of “airfares to visit Australia”. Maybe!

I’m not sure when you will be reading this journal. Tomorrow looks to be quite taxing as we head off down to what is referred to as the Lower Shire Valley. Firstly, to Chickwawa and then further to the Shire River to where in the 1850s David Livingstone brought his steam boat: the Ma Robert. Livingstone was exploring the Shire River as to where possible mission stations should be established. Blantyre is on a plateau and so enjoys a slightly different weather pattern from the valley. It is said to be “quite hot” down there. Hmmm! We are providing hundreds of Chichewa Bibles to a church for distribution to members whose homes and possessions and even some their children were washed away in a terrible cyclone about a year ago … and, of course, in the midst of these dear suffering people and among the heat and mosquitoes: I’m to preach, meet and greet, and all else that needs to be done.

– John Wilson