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Malawi Devotional, Saturday, November 7, 2026

Today was the first day of our Malawi Mission trip. We had the honor and privilege of visiting several of the different Opulence programs.

We started at the permaculture demonstration farm in Madisi. The farm serves as training a location for local farmers to learn about creating a sustainable organic permaculture farm that will feed their family and can generate income. As a side bonus, it also serves as a proof of concept that permaculture can work long term in the area. Historically, farmers plant maize/corn for their crops. If pest that attacks corn, they can lose their entire crop. With this program, farmers are growing different fruits, vegetables and herbs to diversify their drop. Like tomatoes, onions, papayas, passion fruit, sweet potatoes, bananas, okra, sugar cane and so much more. In as little as six months, farmers can the fruits of their labor. This benefits their families by providing variety in their diet. I was really inspired the lack of waste in this structure. A few examples are: An empty jug can be a way to slowly water a new tree. Maggots become chicken feed. Bodily waste is composted to fertilize the crops. Once a farmer completes the training, they train others in their village. Building up their community and improving life for everyone.

Our next program was the village savings and loans. We were greeted with singing and dancing. It was so fun to dance and sing with the ladies and children. We were able to observe a business meeting where they paid and collected loans. I wish more business meetings had as much music, love and joy as I observed today.

After lunch, we went to the community library. The library offers books, computer classes and support to the local schools. Books typically in English, French or Chichewa. We were able to bring some books to help fill up the library shelves.

Our final destination of the day focused on the water program. Water is a scare resource for the people of Malawi. Women sometimes need to rise as early as 3 am to walk many kilometers to the closest source of clean water. If they don’t have access to clean water, they have a high change of getting cholera. The people shared how grateful they were for a closer source of clean water. Life changing was said several times. They have seen a significant decrease in the cholera outbreaks in areas that have benefited from this program.  We of course had to sing and dance with them to celebrate. It was a privilege to meet the people of Malawi today and hear their stories. More to come on day 2.