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Malawi

1996

We arrived at the airport in Lilongwe, Malawi and rented a car. We drove to Senga Bay, which is located by the beautiful and huge Lake Malawi.

Our hotel was one of the best in the world I must say. We were tired from other African crosswalks on this trip so we rested a few days at the start. We visited went to a special water hole swamp area where hippos live. It was just splendid to view them and the area.

We had come to Malawi to carry the cross and that we did. I would carry the cross and Denise would drive up ahead and wait for me. Crowds would gather around her and the car. Often she drew a bigger crowd than me! She gave Jesus stickers and gospel material to the gathering crowds and when I arrived I would preach.

It was so thrilling to be walking with the cross and look up the road and see people running from the fields to the road to be there to see the cross and hear the message of Jesus.

One of the most heartbreaking things was the devastation of AIDS! Almost every day we met funeral processions of men, women and children marching down the road to bury a family member. Many of the people from the ages 25 to 45 are dead from this disease and the very young and the old are raising the children.

The people were eager to hear the message of Jesus and we saw so many give their lives to Jesus. We
preached and carried the cross all along the way back to Lilongwe. An appalling thing was to see the land striped clean of all wood. The trees and bushes were cut for firewood leaving the land wasted for miles. The rains eroded the soil and it was total disaster.

We saw many missionaries and aid workers in the area.

I can say this was a walk of sadness and joy at the same time. These are beautiful people living in disaster.

God bless and have mercy on Malawi.

Pilgrim followers of Jesus,

Arthur and Denise Blessitt
Luke 18:1