Maonga Church Meeting
September 29, 2002

The Maonga congregation had a week-end meeting and scheduled me to be the speaker for their Lord’s Day service on September 29, 2002. Stephen Kasenda was the translator.  This congregation was established about two years ago by Brother Duncan Ntila.  This occasion was my first visit with the congregation.  We had a number of visitors from other congregations in the area, but the congregation is still one with a good size membership. In the lower right hand side of the picture, standing on the outside, is the UDF Party chairman for the area who visited the meeting. He is not a member of the Church.  Standing to his right is Chief Maonga who is also not a member.  On the right of the chief is Duncan Ntila, the preacher for the congregation. 

Maonga Village is located about 60 km east of Blantyre in Mulanje District, Malawi.  Note the soil.  This is a dambo area.  When it is dry, the ground is hard and cracks open.  When it rains, it becomes a quagmire.  Land that is good for farming is scarce in Malawi.  The density of the population is such that people must use whatever land is available to try to raise enough food to eat, even when it is a dambo area. --Jim Franklin