Imagine being invited to present to the key leaders in your area of greatest experience. You will speak to them about topics you think about every day. This is your life’s work, and you’ve learned many lessons the hard way. You often wish you could help younger leaders avoid your mistakes. Now, at last, you have the opportunity to pass on some of the lessons you’ve learned.

Now, imagine those leaders are doing the same things you are doing, but with much less training and many fewer resources. They come hungry to learn and eager to take every bit of information you are giving. At last, some of the many lessons you’ve learned will benefit others in your chosen field.

If you can imagine this, then you can imagine my great joy in being asked by my friend, Pastor Chuck McArthur, to accompany him to Malawi, Africa. Our team of three will train 250 pastors in two different sessions using 1 Timothy. These sessions will help these pastors to see how beautiful a careful study of a passage of scripture can be. Of course, there is no better book of the Bible for church leaders! Additionally, we will have time with about 15 leaders who attended last year’s session. We will equip them to take these same materials to others. These pastors will, in turn, train many, many others with these same tools.

I’m thrilled and excited to be able to bring some of the lessons I’ve learned, many of which are clearly brought forth in Paul’s letter. How I wish I’d followed Paul’s instructions more closely! Paul’s letter addresses many of the unhealthy tendencies which leaders there observe in their churches.  We will have time to meet with these dear fellow workers individually during the two conferences.

While the elders of Grace have graciously allowed me time off for this opportunity, I expect us all to be paid back in full. You see, no one culture has the corner on the knowledge of the gospel. Each one brings different insights to which other cultures are blind. My experiences in the past have taught me that I will return home having learned more, and been blessed more by other believers beyond anything that I gave. I expect to come back with a heart full of stories and lessons from our brothers and sisters in Africa.

Of course, you know that I need your prayer and yes, I will need to raise funds for this trip. Prayer is key because I’m traveling to a new place where there are more concerns about health issues, and where the needs are so great. I want to be able to fully devote myself to the Lord and to these pastors. I want to be ready to learn from them as well. If you will join me in prayer, please email me and I will include you in prayer updates.

Funds are an issue because it is expensive to travel to Africa. Additionally, my teammates and I are raising funds to feed the 250 conference participants during the stay.  These brothers serve the Lord with full hearts, but few resources. I have a few ideas (some fun ones) to help raise the funds, but if you are inclined to help, any check made out to Grace Community Church with MALAWI in the memo line will be received with thanks.

You can learn more about the sponsor organization here.

Thanks,

Don Ward