Well, we arrived safely in Blantyre and I'm having a great time. Thank you to all who have been praying for me. The plane trip to Johannesburg was somewhat delayed, which was a wonderful blessing, since in order to make up time, the pilot went via Antarctica. I never thought I'd see that beautiful white continent, and flying over it was a pleasant experience.
We received a moving welcome at the airport, with a number of choirs singing for us. But another mission team (from the Pittsburgh Presbytery of the PCUSA) had arrived on our flight, so maybe we gatecrashed their party.
On Sunday we all went to Namatete CCAP where Rev Colin Mbawa (known to some of my readers) is the minister. I did the children's talk, and I think it went really well. This was the first time I've spoken with a translator, but Colin is very good, and the children seemed to understand it. (One of the elders told me that he had asked one of the children what they had learned, and apparently the message got through.)
From what I've seen, the church in Malawi is thriving, but maybe Namatete is not a representative sample. Nor is Colin a typical minister. But it was great seeing the catechumens' class of people from non-Christian backgrounds seeking baptism. I also recognised a number of words and phrases in the service, like "intimations" and "disjunction certificate". Perhaps the CCAP is more Presbyterian than it is African.
So things are not nearly as unfamiliar as I expected. The people I've met are not all that different to people anywhere else. I was expecting a great culture shock, and it hasn't happened yet. But I'm definitely enjoying it.
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