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It was an immense joy for me to sit down to break bread for the first time with the young assembly at Saidi this morning.

The Lord has really been blessing the work there. It is thrilling to see the beginnings of a spiritual harvest after years of sowing.

A big part of me would dearly have loved to be present a few weeks ago for the inaugural breaking of bread. However, I remind myself that the saints here have done exactly as I’ve always taught them they should do. That is, to seek to honour and obey the Lord, and to look to His Word alone for their guidance. To value the Lord’s presence above the presence of any missionary. And so I am glad that they did not feel that they needed a visitor’s blessing in order to begin meeting as an assembly. But I would still have loved to have been there!

Just a “large handful” of believers presently comprise the assembly. Recently, seventeen others asked for baptism and to join the fellowship. Brother Goodson has begun the process of hearing the testimonies of those interested. In conversation a couple of days ago he was telling me how impressed he is with the level of understanding of the Gospel. Many others come regularly to hear the Gospel, and today there were several new faces, as there are every week. It was a privilege to be able to share the Gospel with them… Wodala munthuyo wokhululukidwa tchimo lake; wokwiriridwa choipa chake! Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Amen!

Goodson also mentioned that other nearby churches are surprised how many abambo (men) consistently attend the meetings there. Most other churches are mainly comprised of women. However, at Saidi it’s around a 50/50 split. Goodson rightly attributes to the fact that the Lord is at work.

Over the next week, we plan to have Gospel meetings at the site each afternoon. Please pray that this would be a means in the Lord’s had to reach more unsaved, and to establish those who have professed faith. The believers have distributed many invitations.

We praise the Lord for all he is doing.

The Saidi Building project hasn’t exactly been at a stand-still so much as a go-slow over the past few months.

We’ve had an exceptionally wet wet-season, and this certainly put the brakes on the building work. Which wasn’t a bad thing, really. As we’ve reported elsewhere, the spiritual work at Saidi has been growing steadily. Since MGO 2022, more and more children have been coming to the weeking Bible club. Similarly, the mid-week adults’ Bible has been growing, and we now have a Gospel meeting on site every Sunday morning.

Brother Goodson has a lot of responsibility for all of this work, which has been taking up more and more of his time. Recently he organised a program to visit each of the families to get to know them in their own homes.

On top of all that there was the huge task of distributing our 2023 Gospel Calendar – a major effort in itself.

Nevertheless, Goodson and his building team have managed to make good progress on the perimeter wall, which is now much nearer completion.

Goodson’s house and the container bay – with partially completed workshop
View of msasa from south – with block wall to the right (needs raised)
View of site from north with office & print room (r) & block-making shed

Distraction from spiritual work

This continuous work has been an additional burden on Goodson, our de facto building project manager – one which he has shouldered gladly. However, we are all agreed that we must not allow the building project to distract us from our mission. The infrastructure is intended to support the mission. It is not the mission.

Going forward, we will have to find the balance between the cost savings we can achieve by doing the in-house, and the effect that inevitably has on our ability to press on with the spiritual work. Please pray.

Planning the way forward

In the meantime, we have been working behind the scenes. Our local architect, Jackson, is well on with the development proposal for the entire building project. This should be ready for publication shortly – watch this space. Jackson is putting us in touch with a Quantity Surveyor who will help us cost some of the major parts of the project. This will help us have a better idea of an overall budget for the project. We know it’s likely to be significant.

The prolific rains also prevented a drone survey of the site we had commissioned several months ago. Carl was finally able to do it last week when the Lord graciously granted a break in the weather. The results are incredible and will be of enormous help to the planning team. I have included some of the drone images in this article, and hope to share some of the more complex 3D modelling at a later stage.

Area designated for Gospel Hall (top-r)
Entrance to the site – notice the deep gulleys caused by heavy rain

Next steps in the building project

Some months ago we started work on a maintenance workshop and store. It still needs to be roofed and finished internally. We aim to do that over the next couple of months, with a view to using it temporarily as a dormitory when we hold our Bible teaching conference in May (DV). We also need to refit our block workshop for the same purpose.

The building project team will also continue work on the perimeter wall. We want to section off the area where we intend to build a Gospel Hall, in such a way that it will be outside the main perimeter. And the section which runs along the eastern side of the site, next to the main road, needs to be raised with a steel railing on top of the existing block wall.

Apart from that, when we complete the maize harvest, we want to build some simple staff quarters. If we can finish that on time, they will also double as dormitory accommodation for the conference.

SW perimeter wall (looking north)
SE perimeter wall – the staff quarters will probably be constructed somewhere in this area

Brother Harold shared this photograph of the group that turned out for the meeting this morning.

It’s so encouraging to see how the regular Sunday Gospel meeting has continued to grow in number following the two-week series during MGO.

As we give thanks for this, Harold asks that we also pray for wisdom to know how best to take the work forward. Pray too for blessing in salvation as the Gospel is preached.

With each visit, I am amazed at the on-site progress at Saidi. The Lord has been so good!

Recently, we have been working on a new office and printing room, as well as a maintenance workshop and store. Although it wasn’t possible to get these completed in the run-up to MGO 2022, we were thankful that the immediate priority of running water and a working toilet was accomplished – much to the relief of the visiting ladies, and some of the gentlemen too! We’re praying that both of these important structures will be finished soon.

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Brother Stephen values continued prayer for his ongoing visit to Malawi. Much of his time during the week or more since he arrived has been spent around the Blantyre / Thondwe area, reviewing and planning in connection with the Building Project.

On Friday past, Stephen had a site meeting with a local architect, Jackson, who is formulating a proposal to help us further the work. Jackson is a lovely young brother-in-the-Lord, so please pray that this will be a very fruitful relationship.

Give thanks for help to preach each of the last two Lord’s Days – in Chichewa & English, and pray for a blessing upon the Gospel.

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Brother Goodson asks us to continually keep him & his family in prayer. His responsibilities overseeing the building work at our construction site, and Anna’s nearby home construction, mean that he is constantly on the go. This is in addition to to the two weekly Bible studies he runs, and assembly responsibilities at the weekend.

Goodson is conscious of the need for divine protection as the building work on site mean that he and his family are susceptible to attacks from thieves. There is also the constant pressure of dealing with people who look to him for help in their time of need.

Brother Goodson says: “There is a lot happening here at the site. Also, there is also the work with Anna and the Bible studies. We need to be praying for these things so that this work for the Lord will go well.”

Note: Brother Goodson is kept very busy supervising the ongoing building project as well as construction of a house for Anna nearby. He does this work faithfully and diligently while also managing to keep several Bible studies going on site.

ENLIGHTEN | ENCOURAGE | EMPOWER

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