Mandimwi Congregation’s Meeting
Naming’omba Estate, Thyolo District, Malawi
December 1, 2002

(Top photo)
The brethren of the Mandimwi congregation meet for worship in the midst a field of macadamia nut trees located 35 kilometers south of Blantyre on the Naming‘omba Estate in Thyolo. The owners of the estate permit the brethren to use a stone farm building on week-ends for a meeting house. However, as is the usual practice for most congregations in Malawi when they schedule a meeting, brethren set up an arbor for the occasion.

I had been invited to participate in the meeting by being the speaker for the closing service on the Lord’s day. Stephen Kasenda accompanied me and served as translator. Stephen and I arrived at the meeting place about the same time as brethren were returning from having baptizing sixteen people who had responded to the Gospel during the meeting prior to the Sunday worship service.

Brethren from other congregations on the same estate (Naming‘omba is a very large estate), and also from nearby congregations located on other estates were helpful in encouraging the meeting. The preacher for this congregation is Bro. K.K. Dulana. He is the man standing just to the right of the man with the crutch on the right side of the picture. --Jim Franklin