Lewis VanAusdle, a recently ordained minister, was asked to go to the southern African nation of Malawi for his first pastoral assignment. At the beginning of 2017 he moved there with his wife, Lena. Some time ago they both discussed how they could best serve the Church. They decided as individuals, and together as husband and wife, that they would serve God in any way in which they were asked. They both assumed that this meant they would just do simple things like lead songs, set up chairs for services or mop the floor. Neither expected that Lewis would be asked to be a minister. God definitely had other plans for their lives.

Many times ministers are placed in areas where there is a need, where there is a flock that needs a shepherd. But this assignment was much more than just about teaching—it was about connecting, about establishing relationships and about developing friendships that will last for a lifetime.

I had the opportunity to go to Malawi and spend some time with Lewis and Lena to see how things were going for them there. While I was there, their year-long assignment was coming to an end, and they were just starting to prepare for their return to the United States.

Living in a foreign country can change your outlook on life and how you see or understand the world. Lewis said that this past year helped him become more confident in pastoring. His experiences made him more independent in organizing a congregation and counseling with members. 

“I like to think that if we didn’t do anything else while in Malawi, that we have visited people,” said Lewis. One of the biggest aspects of their time in Malawi was focused on getting to know, visit, help and connect with the people.

Twice while I was in Malawi visiting the VanAusdles, we randomly stopped at church members’ homes and stayed and talked for an hour or two or three. Once we made plans to visit with a member, and another time we invited members over for a dinner. While at church services it was evident that everyone was excited to be together to talk—like God’s people in any country. It is very important for both members and ministers to make an effort to spend time together, to get to know each other and establish these relationships. “There is something very beautiful about a group of God’s people who are able to come together to learn and to teach, to fellowship and work together,” reminds Lewis.

While I only spent a week and a half visiting Malawi, I was able to talk and connect with the brethren to learn a little bit about them. It has also been nice to be able to stay in contact with them since being back in the U.S.A.

Juliana Kachali, a young adult from the Lilongwe, Malawi, congregation, says that it has been great getting to know others from other countries when they come to visit. It put a different perspective on her life and helped her build her faith in God. Juliana said: “When you spend time with other people you hear how they managed to hold on to the truth and set the right example, and it has made me to be a better person than before.”

Wiza Temwani Mkorongo, another young adult, said that being connected to Church members has had a great impact on his life. “I strongly believe that God is a family, and at this time my churchmates are my family since we all have one goal and are led by one Spirit,” he said.

He further explains how important communication is and how he tries to call, text, visit and fellowship when he can with others. It is good to get to know other people from the Church, whether it be on Facebook or Whatsapp—helping each other to grow and help each other to look to the Kingdom of God.

Wiza explained to me that his knowledge of the truth came to him through an interest he had in a girl. Although this made it difficult for him to be a part of the Church at first (because many thought he just wanted to run off and marry her), he stayed strong in the truth and proved his devotion to God. He soon felt the urgency to be baptized. He said: “I know God’s laws, what He did for me to be reconciled to Him. I noticed God wants to use me [to] serve in the Church so I saw it fit to get baptized and live in that newness of life where God can begin His work in me.”

He said that with Lewis and Lena’s help and counseling they helped him realize in-depth what it is to live a Christlike life. This also helped others see the potential in him, and to see that he was willing to serve and be a part of a spiritual family. 

Lena adds how impressed she has been in the faithfulness of the members and how many of them have been a part of the Church for decades. They have sacrificed a lot to hold fast to God’s truth. This has had a huge impact on her.

Regardless of the hardships many live through in a developing country, it is so important to hold fast to God’s truth. To do so we need to build each other up and stay connected with the brethren who are part of God’s spiritual family, whether these people live next door to you or live on the other side of the earth. If you cannot visit Malawi or be in contact with the people, you can pray for them.

About prayer, Lewis said this: “Pray for encouragement. Pray for growth, both physically and spiritually. Pray that they do not lose heart in doing what is right. Pray that God brings up strong and loving leaders from within the congregations here. Also, pray that people [can become] self sufficient, to be able to provide for the needs of their families independently so they can focus on more important things, like staying close to God.”

These are important aspects to pray for in your congregation as well. This is universal because, although we are very different in personalities, cultures, upbringings and ways of thinking, there is one thing we have in common. And that is the truth. We all have the same goal in this life.

Lastly, Wiza said this about what he wants others to know about him: “What I would like everyone to know about me is that I am human just like them, doing all I can to make it to the family of God and reign with Christ. This can only happen if they are able to see beyond the obvious and acknowledge I need them as a Church to grow and serve God. That’s the ultimate goal; the rest are secondary goals.”