To an outsider, Malawi seems like a country full of opportunities to serve. It regularly ranks as one of the poorest countries in the world by gross domestic product. HIV/AIDS, malaria, and poor access to clean drinking water all contribute to an average life expectancy of just over 60 years.*
But Malawi is also a place of unparalleled beauty. The people are welcoming and kind. Their history is mostly peaceful. And 77% of Malawians are Christian.
Combine all these factors and you’ll find no shortage of non-governmental organizations (NGO) working in Malawi. In fact, there are over 500 registered NGOs in the whole country. From nonprofits focusing on agricultural aid to religious organizations caring for orphaned children, there’s no shortage of “help.”
Which then begs the questions:
- What does effective help really look like?
- Who gets to decide what help is actually needed?
- And how can we help share the gospel if so many people already know Jesus?
Chances are good that if you have more than three members in your church, one of them will be touched by domestic/dating violence during his or her lifetime.
Sadly, most of these hurting parishioners (both women and men) will never find their way to your office and receive the spiritual nurturing they so desperately need.
I was eating french fries when I had my first challenging conversation about faith.
Now I’ll be honest, before this moment I thought I was completely prepared to talk about any aspect of my faith. I was fully convinced that, if challenged, I would be able to spew forth such a brilliant argument that even a die-hard atheist would become Christian. I should also mention that I was only 14 years old and full of that youthful “immortality” mindset that made me believe I could conquer anything.
One of the people in my friend group at lunch asked if I believed that the flood actually happened, to which I responded, “Yes.” Immediately I was met with a hailstorm of questions.
As coordinator of the Health and Wellness Program for Kingdom Workers, I am often asked,
“How does your program connect people with Jesus?”
The truth is that health and gospel proclamation go hand-in-hand. In this post I'll be sharing how our program in Chile connects health and identity with sharing the gospel message, and how you can do the same in your own life.
