Missions

New Experiences While Serving in a Bible School in Malawi

While this was my third time to teach at Great Commission Bible School in Malawi, there were still new experiences to enjoy. Some were brand new, and others were repeats but enjoyed with new people. My second week was a full and busy one. It began bright and early on Monday morning. The school had devotions at 7:00 am on Monday and Friday. When I was planning my trip here, I felt like I needed to demonstrate to the students…

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What One Does on a Weekend in Lilongwe, Malawi

We came to Malawi to teach at Great Commission Bible School which is in the capital city, Lilongwe. Our classes began on Tuesday. I taught two periods a day, the first and the third periods. The good news is, I was done by lunch so I could then take a nap in the afternoon. My classes went well, and I enjoyed working with the students. After four days of teaching the weekend arrived. Saturday morning I did laundry. Having been…

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First Days in Lilongwe Return

This summer’s adventure begins with a return visit to teach in Lilongwe, Malawi. It was my third time to Malawi, but this time I did not travel alone. My pastor and friend Jeff Horton traveled with me and taught as well. It’s a different experience to have someone to travel with that’s not my wife. However, it feels less stressful to have someone there through the long journey.. Our flights to Malawi from the US were pretty routine but long.…

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Experiencing the Joy of Church Life in Monrovia, Liberia

My purpose in going to Monrovia, Liberia was not to see the sights. Instead it was to teach a class in church history to men and women who were seeking ordination in the church. The goal was to check off this class so they would be one step closer to their ordination. I arrived late Friday. I arrived then because I knew I would be preaching on Sunday, and I wanted some time to catch my breath and adjust before…

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Teaching Leaders in the African Country of Togo

I retired from teaching over five years ago. However, teaching is still in my blood. Since retiring I have twice gone to the African country of Malawi to teach in the pastoral training program there. At the end of August this year I went to another African country to teach, Togo. When I told people I was going to Togo, they would typically look a little confused. I would have to explain to them that Togo is in West Africa.…

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Four Sundays in Malawi, Four Unique Churches: Part Two

During my time in Malawi I attended four different churches. Last week I shared about the first two churches I attended. The third Sunday started a bit earlier than the other two. That week rather than stay in Lilongwe, we went to a church in a rural part of the country. We also took along all the Bible School students to observe the church service. So 16 of us piled into the van and headed out. We didn’t get very…

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Four Sundays in Malawi, Four Unique Churches: Part One

When I visited Malawi in January of 2020, I was only able to visit one church, the one on the school campus. This time I wanted to make it a priority to visit different churches so each of the four Sundays I was there, my friend Bern and I visited a different church. Let me say some things in general about churches in Malawi. First of all as a visitor, the churches always treated me very well. They gave me…

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The Challenges of October in Lilongwe, Malawi

The first time I visited Lilongwe, Malawi was In January of 2020. I enjoyed my visit and had a great experience. This time when I visited Lilongwe, my experience wasn’t so great. It was not the people or the activities I had that made it less enjoyable. It was really aspects of the weather. In January I arrived during the rainy season, and it did rain. However, I am used to rain living in the Seattle area so it didn’t…

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Man on a Motorcycle in the Dominican Republic

When I arrived in the Dominican Republic in 1974 to teach, I was able to get around pretty well with public transportation. To get to school and back, the school provided a van that picked up the teachers each morning. However, after two years, the school decided to leave the transportation to and from school to the teachers. That was a bit of a hassle. A motorcycle seemed the answer. I wished that I could afford to buy a car,…

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Church Life Challenges in the Dominican Republic

In 1974 I moved to the Dominican Republic to teach in a school. However, my presence there was under the guidance of the Free Methodist Church so being a part of the church was an expected part of my responsibilities there. It was in the church that I really encountered much of the cultural challenges that I had in the country. While teaching I worked mostly with American adults. At the church I was with Dominicans. I had much to…

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