(SOUTHERN AFRICA) I have always enjoyed biking around the city of Lilongwe on Saturday or Sunday afternoons. It is a great way to discover the nooks and crannies of this interesting but somewhat puzzling city that we now call home.
Last Saturday I took a ride through a “low-income,” informally-settled neighborhood called Mtandile that is near to our house. The ride involved at least one treacherous river crossing and the occasional near-collision with drunken bar patrons, but other than that was a great way to see a part of the city that you cannot see properly any other way. Many foreigners avoid this area of town because it has a reputation for harboring thieves and other unsavory sorts. For me, it is a place that is full of life and vitality: a mass of humanity living in close quarters. I found the sounds and the smells of people surviving and thriving to be comforting rather than threatening.
This is what is known as a “poor neighborhood” or for some it could be called a “slum.” It is true that people in this area are living in very poor conditions. I have also heard from people who live here that conflicts between neighbors can be quite difficult, including petty theft. Alcoholism is also a huge problem in poor communities such as this in Malawi. But in spite all of this, we must restrain our natural inclination to define the residents of neighborhoods such as Mtandile as “poor people.”
We all suffer from forms of poverty. Poverty of spirit. Absence of community. Loneliness. Addictions. Separation from nature. Separation from family. Broken self-images. All of these are forms of poverty that we as Christians are called to address.
World Renew hopes to bring about a transformation in communities that addresses all forms of poverty. We also hope that in our communications and interactions with you that you also gain a better understanding of global poverty and how it exists in North America and in our own churches and communities.
World Renew’s new Church and Community program in northern Malawi will address communities in peri-urban areas similar to Mtandile. Please pray for our newly-trained church leaders as they return to their communities following this training. Pray that they will internalize the holistic message of the Bible and will take it to heart with passion for renewal in their churches.
Security in Malawi
We continue to pray for our new government leaders in Malawi who took office just last month. As is sometimes the case with political transitions here, the security situation in the country has deteriorated as opportunists take advantage of the uncertainty of the new leadership. Please pray for all the new politicians and ministers as they “learn the ropes.” This on-the-job training causes the residents of Malawi much concern.
Blessings,