June 2004

Dear Friends,

Earline returned from one of the Women’s Guild meetings with a story. She said, “A young lady prayed to God to give her a husband. No, not just a husband, but she told God the name of the man she wanted. God answered her prayer and gave her the husband she asked for. After their marriage she discovered that he was an alcoholic, an abuser, unfaithful, and came home too tired to make love. After a few years of this the lady prayed again. This time she prayed, “Lord, please take this man, and next time Lord, please give me what I need and not what I ask for.”

Since December 2003, the religious leaders of Malawi have been praying to God to send them a good and right man to be president of the country. Well, the elections were held Thursday, May18, and Mr. Bingu Mutharika (Moo-thy-ra-kar) was elected—the very man they had said they did not want, because they claimed that he was a member of the corrupt ruling party and was hand-picked by the outgoing president. Mr. Mutharika and his party, while campaigning, gave money to individuals and companies to influence their votes. The Nation newspaper reported in April that Mr. Mutharika had given 5,000 Kwacha ($50.00) to all the ministers of one Presbyterian synod to influence their votes. In his inauguration address Mr. Mutharika thanked the religious leaders for their prayers and for asking God for a good and right man. He told them that God had answered their prayers in that he was the good and right man they had prayed for. Most of the clergy are not yet convinced. Often we too are guilty of praying for something that we really don’t want when we get it. So be very careful about what you pray for, you just might get it.

Malawian Christians are a praying people. They afford themselves many opportunities for prayers during every worship service. They collect themselves daily for morning and evening prayers. Every Wednesday morning and evening there is preaching and praise singing in addition to prayers.

May 21-30, 2004, was the season of Pentecost in the Central Church of Africa, Presbyterian. During this time Presbyterians met nightly in houses for praise and worship. Individuals took turns leading worship, selecting hymns, reading Scripture, praying and preaching. Some of the laypersons blessed our souls with their understanding of holy Scriptures. They saw the first Pentecost as a time when the early Christians received power to testify, developed a willingness to sacrifice, a readiness to serve, a steadfastness to stand, and an openness to suffer for Christ. We ended our nightly meetings and the season of Pentecost with the words:

“Come, Holy Spirit come; Let Thy bright beams arise, ispel all sorrow from our mind, all darkness from our eyes. Spirit Divine, attend our prayers, and make our hearts Thy home. Descend with all Thy gracious powers, O come, great Spirit, come!”

Otis and Earline