This report is from Ed Marshall about his two visits to Malawi. Ed the Pastor of my local church and an active member of Eagle Wings Christian Family.
“On my trip to South Africa in 2009 I was able to visit Malawi to connect with pastor Julius Damson who has planted a church in Manyowe Village, a suburb of Blantyre.
Crystal Hawken provided good food and a very comfortable cottage in the garden of her home.
Julius Damson introduced me to his family and the church at Manyowe. He is a humble and godly man who wants his village to come to faith in Christ and have a life that is full in every way.
The church is growing under Julius’ ministry and he is faithful in serving the Lord. The service I attended was very lively and was typical of zealous evangelical services I have attended elsewhere in Africa with much singing and dancing.
Julius is very popular among his colleagues in other denominations and is well accepted by them in the weekly prayer meetings.
Water is a great need in the village and is available from sellers who buy their supply from the Blantyre Water Board. For people who are some of the poorest in the world, buying drinking water represents a significant cost. A group of Christians in Brisbane thought it would be good if they could have a tube-well drilled. Upon investigation, I discovered that the main water line of Blantyre Water Board was laid not 10m from the church building and that for a very small cost a connection could be made. “
Ed took a video of women and young girls waiting all day for water to seep out of a hole in the ground (which I can only assume is the polluted Mudi River in the dry season), so they could fill their buckets.
On Ed’s second visit to Malawi in 2011 he took the three local missionaries and their wives to the lake.
For Julius and Hassan and their wives it was the first time they had seen so much water or been to Lake Malawi.
“I met our three partners in the gospel at Lilongwe Airport and we traveled together to Lake Malawi at Salima. We were later joined by their wives, who traveled independently. It was good to meet them and share with them the joys and challenges of the ministry."
Pictured below are:
Julius and his wife Elida, Ed, Kestinah and her husband Stephen, Flocy and her husband Hassan and baby Hanna.
"Johan and Marie at the Zehandi Missions Lodge at Selima provided accommodation and were extremely helpful to us.
Julius Damson is continuing the ministry in Manyowe Village Blantyre. He has expanded his ministry to the prison at Zomba and is working with the leaders of the churches he has planted in the area.
Steven Silungwe is the “new man” on the team is from the Northern town of Mzuzu. He is a well-educated man, having worked as a government land-surveyor before leaving all to serve the Lord. He comes across as a man of substance and a very clear thinker theologically.
Hassan Stanbuli is from Lilongwe, came to faith in prison and now has a large church of 300 people and an extensive ministry in the prisons.
All three are involved in church planting in and around their place of ministry.
In Malawi Jails depend upon relatives to supply such items as soap, sugar, salt and clothes. All three of our partners in ministry, felt that if they were able to supply even a small amount of these articles, it would greatly ease the distress of the Malawians awaiting trial prisoners without families.
While I was in Malawi, I was told that the period between the last harvest and the gathering of the current maize harvest was a period of great food scarcity. I noticed that at that very time mango trees were fruiting prolifically and that avocado trees were also bearing fruit. The possibility exists for us to help people to support themselves by planting mangoes and avocados.
Bibles are very sought after as they are very expensive for the average Malawian to buy. There is a need for Bibles in the prisons.
My visit to Malawi in December 2011 was very helpful. It was to see the situation for myself and the other members of the committee. There are great opportunities for the Gospel in Malawi with about 70% of the population being nominal Christians.
The model we are promoting is to allow the Malawian pastors to do what they believe is best for their situation, and to provide their basic needs such as housing and food.
The results so far are very encouraging in terms of people coming to faith, being built up in the faith and church planting.
I wholeheartedly urge anyone with a vision for mission to consider supporting Eagle Wings.”
Judy Burns and I would like to thank Pastor Ed Marshall for taking the time to visit Malawi and encourage our local missionaries. His advice and help was invaluable in allowing us to set up a tap, providing free safe water in Manyowe.
We are also blessed to have three very faithful and hard working local missionaries, who are willing to sacrifice their own comforts to help others in their villages, hospitals and prisons.
Shirley Charlton
