It all started in 2004, when 3Ci had a mission trip to Blantyre. My wife, Tania, and I went felt we should go along. We were going to a time of ministry with New Covenant Ministry International (NCMI), who’d set up base there in a large tent, along with a very basic kitchen and a covered dining/meeting area for conferences.
All that was needed for the conference was enough “slaves in Christ” to ensure that the more than one hundred delegates were served breakfast, lunch and dinner for the ten day gathering. Cue Tania and I – and boy did we have fun! But it was also a time God to form our character.
It was on our return from that trip, that God told us, in no uncertain terms, to go back three more times. And each time He spoke clearly. “Lord, why are You so present in our midst when we’re in Malawi, and not so when we’re back in Pretoria?” I asked.
“Your mind is so busy with material considerations, you are so preoccupied with your activities. You are so tense, so aware of others and what they think of you. You thrive on anxiety; fear is the norm for you. How can you find time to connect with my Spirit while rushing to church on a Sunday?”
As we allowed His Spirit to renew our minds, and followed His instructions to scale down our standard of living, He focussed us on not wasting our “God-given time.” We began using each second of the day to “uphold, as in a mirror, His glory,” asking ourselves questions such as who is our neighbour really, and when would we be prepared to become good Samaritans? And did we fail! But little by little we grew too.
As usual, God in His sovereignty, started bringing things about. We seriously investigated business opportunities in Madagascar and Swaziland but they never transpired, while Malawi on the other hand was a sure possibility. Rattled by the call to go, and given an opportunity to export grain from Malawi to South Afirca, we did a trial run in December 2009, exporting one truck of soya beans. It proved profitable, and we went back in February 2010 to register a company in Blantyre.
My son, Quentin, ran the company successfully in Blantyre until the end of December 2010 but then had return to South Africa for personal reasons. My South African partner, an experienced grain trader, left the company in the middle of 2010, and was replaced by Tania.
We exported 25 trucks of bran, soya beans, sugar beans and sunflower seeds, weighing in at approximately 30 tons each. Against all odds, not only did we break even, but by the end of 2010 we’d made a small profit. God again showed his favour, and I took this as confirmation that Malawi was His plan for us.
Earlier this year, we felt it was the right time to make the move to Malawi as a family, and fit in His battle as best we could. By then, the main obstacle to moving as a family had been taken care of. My son, Victor, who was in Hatfield Christian School, finished grade three in December 2010. Tania had never felt the desire nor had the strength to home school Victor but by December 2010, God had completely changed her heart.
Hatfield Christian School recommended we use a school called the Heritage Online Christian School, which is based in Canada. The problem is that they could only take Victor from grade 5 due to their school year commencing at a certain time. Once again, God orchestrated things, so that we had the necessary support from Hatfield Christian School, who assisted us in getting Victor to complete grade four in six months. He can now start grade five in September 2011, which is the start of the school year in the northern hemisphere. Even more importantly, Victor loves home schooling and has adapted so well.
By then, God had also put Charles on my path (we’ll call him Charles M so as to avoid any confusion with me), a North Malawian who is part of the 3Ci family. I was introduced to him by Rob, one of my friends in 3Ci. Charles M was inspired by our vision, and wanted to be part of the Malawi team. He was the son of a poor farmer, and although God had blessed him by giving him the opportunity to come to South Africa and work here for the past 13 years, his desire was to be with his people and help uplift them out of poverty.
God also provided us with a client who makes peanut butter, and was very willing to buy the Chalimbanas (Malawian peanuts) on a monthly basis, providing that the peanuts’ afla toxin levels of were minimal. Such toxins can cause cancer and cannot be more than ten part per billion in a 25gr sample.
The client even gave me training me at their laboratory on how to test the peanuts, which we would eventually buy from the farmers in the north, sell to our client in South Africa, and invest the profits in the communities involved in supplying us with the Chalimbanas.
These farmers should somehow benefit from their hard labour, but at present the rich Indian traders they usually do business with keep them in slavery, and do not invest in their community. We’re trusting that God will show us how to use our profits to eventually contribute to the upliftment of the community. Showing His love and feeding the hungry is a good start to spreading the Gospel, which is our vision.
Not having enough experience, wisdom or faith to tackle all this, we humbly remain at His feet and open our spirit to hearing from Him. We’ve left to spy out the land in the North around Mzuzu, the land of the Chalimbanas. Charles M has taken two weeks leave to assist us.
We’ve taken our motorhome, the trailer and all the necessary stuff to live there for a few months. We’re leaving the where and how to God. But we have a vision in Him, and at this point in time we believe it’s enough to steer us in in the right direction.
May God be glorified as He challenges our faith in Him and may He help us.