Celebrations and Dedications

Dedication of the borehole well built with support from St. Philip.

by Abusa Kelly

Over the weekend we had multiple worship celebrations.  On Saturday, we gathered with Mponela Parish, Bishop Bvumbwe, several choirs from Lutheran Hour Ministries Evangelism Team.  We gathered to dedicate the bore hole well and the feeding center.  What a celebration!!  Three hours of singing, dancing, speeches, drama, thanksgiving and so much praise to God!  The people of Mponela are so very thankful for good, clean water.  This will greatly reduce the amount of disease coming from water borne illness.  They are also so thankful for the feeding center; it will open in October to feed many children from the area.  Some of the church youth did an absolutely hilarious drama, with a powerful message of caring for the well and the feeding center.  Such a gracious and gifted people!

On Sunday, we worshiped for 6 hours - no joke!!  But it was a magnificent day!  Worship included the ordination of three new pastors in the ELCM.  I processed in with the other pastors, which felt just like we do in the ELCA when we gather together for synod assembly.  One of my colleagues translated the service for me, but apart from the difference in language everything was the mostly the same.  We follow the same liturgy for the order of worship.  We pray the same creed.  We say the same Lord's Prayer.  The pastoral candidates even said the same words of promise that I said at my ordination.  I got teary-eyed as I pondered the incredible gift of the one body of Christ - across the street and across the world.  God is good, all the time; all the time, God is good (they even say this same phrase here in Malawi!).  We processed out to a song based on Romans 8 - "Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus."  That's a great theme for this trip - both because of our connections to the people of Mponela but also because of our continued connection to all of you back home.  We are all one body of Christ and we cannot be separated from God - ever, for any reason.

Today (Monday), we spent some time with Chitenje Congregation - part of Mponela Parish, where we had helped build the vestry on Thursday.  Today I led a bible study with the congregation, then we had a Q&A with one another.  As a sign of the oneness of the body of Christ, which had been the focus of my bible study, we all sat together in the congregation (usually visitors are placed in a seat of honor at the front of the congregation).  Such great questions - both from us and from the people of Chitenje!  We learned so much about each other - how life in the USA is different from in Malawi but also how it is the same.  A fantastic way to end our time with our sisters and brothers in Mponela Parish.  They gave us gifts to share with you all when we get home.  But mostly they have given us the gift of the love of God in Christ Jesus. 

Thank you for your prayers while we've been gone.  You all are in our prayers as well.

Mulungu akudalitseni (God bless you!)

Peace+