Field Trip
14th – 21st November 1994
The following is a report of a field trip completed by two disciples of the Lord. The purpose of the trip was mostly a teaching experience to see how the Lord can bless those who are willing to give of themselves completely to His will.
It should be carefully noted here that we would be foolish to try and test God.
A trip of this nature should never be undertaken without careful and prayerful consideration. Everything which we do must be born out of the seed of prayer. God will speak to those who are willing to listen and will teach those who are willing to be manageable in His hands. Often, our hearts desires and strong wills, prevent us from hearing the gentle voice of the Spirit.
After praying around the subject of this field trip for about two months and receiving various confirmations from others who had no idea of our intentions, it was decided that we should leave on the morning of 14th November up to the Northern part of the country. The rules for the trip were simple: No money, food or transport. We were not permitted to contact relatives or friends wherever God sent us, but had to stay where He led. We were not to share our needs with anyone unless specifically asked.
In obeying these ‘rules’, we understood that wherever we ended up, or whatever we received, it was because God had ordained it. If we could bear the conditions, it would mean that God would be able to use us as He saw fit. (Understand, God’s will – will be done, whether we are willing to be used or not!).
This field trip would be unique in many ways but more especially because one of us is a Malawian (Titus), and the other, a white South African (Raymond). Our full names are not important, as we desire that God receive FULL glory and honour for the miracles of this trip. We felt it not necessary to mention the names of specific churches for the same reason.
There are many differences between cultures. Man has many theories of how peace may be brought as people come together. Prayerfully, after reading this report you will see the only solution to true peace through all cultures.
Monday, 14th November.
We were dropped at the industrial area of Kanengo just outside Capital City, Lilongwe. It was about 8:25am. A taxi driver gave us a lift to the airport turn off and we were able to share a bit with him in the 15 or so minutes that we were with him. We told him that Jesus would be coming soon to collect His precious bride and that this would be one ‘taxi’ that we should not miss. He was quite amazed at what he heard and said he felt he should start praying to the Lord.
After waiting a time, a pick up vehicle belonging to a transport company stopped to give us a lift. I explained that we were going to preach the gospel in the North. He said he was going to Kusungu and told us to get in. Climbing in the back we found two other people who were being given a lift. As the driver screeched off, (no matter – it is a ‘company car’), we began to be concerned for our lives at the way he was driving. By God’s grace the driver stopped a short distance ahead to load in more passengers.
I then explained to him that we had no money to pay for transport. After consulting his boss, who was seated in the passenger seat and obviously a partner in the ‘taxi’ business, (undeclared income to the company no doubt!), we were told to get out. It would be easy at this point to believe that God had already forsaken us because we had lost the lift. Instead we thanked Him for taking us out of the hands of that dangerous driver. The scripture said, “…the dust…we wipe off in protest against you, yet be sure of this, that the Kingdom of God has come near”.
We know that men will face God soon and be charged for rejecting Him saying they did not know. God will cite examples such as these and in that second, fear will fill their hearts as the truth is recalled. No second chance!
We walked a distance of about 3kms and rested as the sun beat down on us. My ‘mzungu’ (white) skin was already showing signs of burning. As we rested, a group of young children going home after school were halted by their curiosity. They stopped to see what we two men were doing on the side of the road and joyfully received an hour sharing about the Lord through Titus. How wonderful to see that God takes advantage of all circumstances.
No sooner had Titus finished sharing in Chichewa, and a car stopped (God’s timing!).
This time I clearly explained that we had no money, but God had touched the heart of this man and he gave us a lift. He was on his way to a clinic with his friend who was slumped over in the passenger seat. He turned off the main road and allowed us to get out.
We thanked him and asked if we could pray for his friend. Puzzled, he agreed. We laid hands on the sick man and prayed. Immediately, he literally sat up straight and began smiling. Thank you Lord!
We then stood for some hours waiting for the next lift. It was important for us to remember that it was by God’s will and for His purposes alone that we were where we were. To become despondent would be fatal. We had to wait for God to send to us those whom He wanted us to share with. We needed to keep thinking of God’s purpose, not our comforts. This encouraged us greatly.
After receiving what we felt were two ‘non eventful’ lifts, we were on our way to Kusungu at 4:15pm. The Lord had told us that His word would be preached to many by our testimony. By our actions, hearts would be deeply touched. Even though we spoke no words to some, we trusted that God would do the talking. Sometimes God needs us to talk, but mostly He needs us to DO.
We arrived in Kusungu and were led to the home of a Reverend. After explaining our situation, we were made most welcome. Other members of the small community were called to come and meet us. What a joy as we were greeted with warm, albeit suspicious, puzzled hearts!
One of the challenges of a trip of this nature is that those who receive us have a fear because they do not know us. When we explain that we do not belong to a denominational church, the fears understandably increase. From our point of view, we never know where God is going to allow us to end up. It really becomes an exercise in trusting the Lord for both parties – the precise outcome of God’s purpose in our lives. If we receive our situations in this light, we are soon easily going to become overcomers.
“…Time with The Master…”