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By Harry Kooistra, referenced in Summer 2011
The Logos Ministries Center under construction
A good portion of the work Word & Deed does in Malawi is devoted to building projects. During our board visit this past January, we visited a number of these projects, and we were encouraged by what we observed. Several buildings are nearing completion; others are progressing, albeit slowly.
We Westerners are an impatient people compared to our brothers and sisters in Africa, where things move at a much slower pace. Our impatience can lead to problems there. We are results-oriented, and often demand signs of progress very quickly. The slower pace of life on the African continent has to do with culture, climate, and a host of other things. Whatever the cause, we are the ones who have to accept it. We cannot impose our vision of culture on our African brothers and sisters. We have to work with what is available and be thankful for incremental change.
A number of projects have seen progress. It may take several years to get there, but it is progress. It is not at the pace we like, but then we don’t live in that setting.
Word & Deed has funded a number of school buildings in Malawi. These are simple but practical brick structures with corrugated metal roofs and cement floors. There are openings for ventilation, but no glass. Bathroom facilities are usually in a separate outbuilding a short distance away. Most do not have, or need, electrical service. Their main function is to provide instructional space where the basics can be taught. Elementary skills are taught in accordance with government standards, and in these schools, basic Bible instruction is also given. Several of these buildings also function as prayer houses on Sunday. A prayer house is a designated place of worship for people who live some distance away from the main church. Public transportation is lacking in Malawi, and walking long distances to church is often impractical. In the outlying villages, these buildings become the focus of church and school.
 In the Nkhoma area, we visited the village of Chiwanga. On our visit two-and-a-half years ago, we conducted an open-air meeting with the chiefs and students on top of a huge granite boulder. The locals called it the “school on the rock” because the children clung to it like lizards. Today, by cooperative effort, there is a school building and a well with a pump at that location. A dedicated Dutch couple (the VanTilbourghs), a German medical doctor, a South African woman (Marelise Potgieter), an Irish congregation, Word & Deed, and last, but not least, local labor contributed to this effort. Rev. Kachumba, the hospital chaplain, led the ceremony with prayer and thanksgiving, the “keys” were handed over to the local women’s committee, and we all had a turn to speak. Rev. Kachumba broke out in a song of thanksgiving in the local tongue. We didn’t understand a word, but we definitely caught the spirit.
Another Nkhoma project is the storage building, which gave us all some headaches. However, the walls are up, the roof is on and the building can be used for storage and activities. The inside is unfinished, but that will come. On our visit, the guard, Mr. Dixon, proudly informed us that there were exactly 140,511 bricks on site. Tools and other equipment are stored in a shipping container nearby. Dixon’s family lives in a lean-to on one side of the container and he can tell you its contents with certainty. He even calculated the number of bricks that would be damaged in the project. All the bricks were carried to the site from the kiln atop the heads of the villagers.
Rev. Kachumba informed us later that they have developed plans to use local labor and local materials. They have hired a project manager, and the plan appears to be on track, which we are happy to see.
But the physical part of building is only part of the picture. Many activities are planned for this building. We rejoice with them, but we also remind them that while activities are an indication that things are working, the proof is seen in changed lives. If the knowledge of God is not seen or promoted, all our efforts are in vain. Let us continue to pray that God may bless our efforts as well as theirs.
You, our supporters, are building a house, and for that we give thanks. Thank you for all your support and for allowing us to serve.
An additional note: As we go to press, the LOGOS building in Lilongwe has been enclosed. The roof is on, the burglar bars and the front door have been installed, and the interior work is being done. There is much to be thankful for.
“Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stay awake in vain” (Ps. 127: 1-2).
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