The 21st St. Congregation in Oklahoma City selected us to be involved in the work in Malawi, Africa in March of 1966. After much prayer and consideration of going, we immediately made preparations to replace brother Jerry Cutter. We had to obtain the necessary passports, visas, vaccinations as well as preparing our personal things that we would need to be shipped in advance. Brother Edwin Morris and the brethren of the 21st congregation were also busy overseeing the fulfillment of our need for travel expense and monthly sup-port while we would be in Malawi. Congregations were wonderful and encouraging in this' matter, for within two or three months enough money had been sent to us for our monthly support, airfare over and guaranteed fare for return.

We arrived in Blantyre on January 30th, 1967 and were greeted at the Chileka Airport by Bennie and JoAnn Cryer who would be our constant companions for the next nine months. Since Jerry Cutter and his family had already returned to the States, we would be living in the house they had lived in. This was our home for the next 25 months. We were fortunate in that this was just next door to where the Cryers lived.

Malawi at this season was having its daily tropical rains, and the country was indeed a very beautiful sight. Everything was green and the trees and shrubs were covered with beautiful flowers. It was difficult for us to believe we were in Africa.

Since this was the rainy season, I found Bennie busy writing and printing the Correspondence Courses to be used in both English and the Chichewa language. These lessons would also be used in our village studies with the brethren. We were to study the Book of Acts. The course would consist of 10 lessons involving the establishment, history, and growth of The Lord's Church during New Testament time. By studying these lessons, we would be able to deal with many of the problems that existed in Malawi.

The correspondence courses were made available to many other parts of Africa. We often received requests from not only Malawi, but also Zambia, Rhodesia, and South Africa. These are places where we now have many congregations and American brethren laboring.

On March 30th, 1967 Bennie and I went to the Manjolo Congregation about 40 miles from Blantyre where we met the African brethren to discuss and make arrangements for the work for the coming year. Plans were made for weekly studies as well as Lord's Day appointments. The studies would have to be conducted during the dry season while the roads could be easily traveled and all areas could be reached. The dry season in Malawi is from March through October.

Plans were made to have 26 weekly studies in different areas of the country. By having studies throughout the different areas, more brethren could attend. At this point there were approximately 150 congregations in Malawi, but new ones were being established constantly. Bennie and I decided we would try to go into a new area each year for a couple of weeks to start a new work. Generally we left the establishing of new congregations to native preachers, but when going into an area where the church was not known, we felt it best that one of the American preachers start the work. For the year of 1967 we would go to the extreme Northern part of Malawi. Bennie and Jerry had already been to this part and had made contacts with some of the people previously. On our trip to this region eight men were baptized.

Our first study with the brethren was at Chikapa Village located near Zomba. On this particular study, Bennie and I went together. However after this study Bennie and I would take a week about in the bush. When one of us was in the bush, the other one would have to take care of all the correspondence and business of the work in the other areas.

These studies were always conducted through a translator, as few people in the village spoke English and as yet I didn't know the language and hadn't had time to study or learn it. Bennie was preaching some in the language before he returned back to the States.

The brethren in America had provided a caravan to be used in the work. It was a 4 cylinder Austin Van that had been converted for a self-contained caravan. It had been fitted with a propane stove, refrigeration, and a 30 gallon water tank which if used sparingly would last a week. The tables folded down to make a bed. Zella and the children would go out with me when they could. They greatly enjoyed the trip, but it was quite crowded.

At each study we would have a morning and night service. The morning service we would study the lessons on the Book of Acts and at night we would show a film strip on the same lesson. This was made possible by taking a 12 volt battery and a small slide projector to the village. Also, using a battery operated tape recorder we were able to teach many. Usually our crowds at night were so large we had to have them in the open air, as the buildings were too small. We would close the evening service by preaching a short sermon and extending an invitation to those who desired to obey the gospel. During each study there usually would be several who were baptized.

During this time, housing be-came very scarce in Malawi due to the rapid growth of the country. On May 1st, 1967 Bennie and his family had to move out of their house and move in with us. Their house was owned by a company that needed it for an employee. The Cryer's continued living with us until September of 1967 when JoAnn and the children returned to America. Bennie stayed until the studies were finished in October and he also returned to the States.

It was during the time that the Cryer's moved in with us that we contacted the congregations at Lebanon, Mo. and 21st Street about the housing situation. They agreed that we. should look for property that could be purchased for building one or more houses. A suitable plot was found and the brethren in the States supplied the funds to purchase the property. The property consisted of approximately three acres in a residential area very near downtown Blantyre. It is an area that is convenient to both African and Europeans in attending church. Bennie and I visited a local architect to have him to draw up plans, on a modest scale for houses. We would endeavor to keep the cost of building as low as possible, but still meet the specifications of the city of Blantyre. The plans were finished and submitted to the city for approval. On October 25th they were approved and a building permit was issued. Estimates from local contractors to build were obtained, but their prices were extremely high. The congregations in Lebanon and Okla. City were again contacted and it was agreed that it would be cheaper to send a brother from America to build the houses.

We were now in the work alone as the Cryer's had returned to the States. As a replacement for Bennie, Brother L.H. Frizzell was contacted, and agreed to come. Brother Frizzell was an experienced contractor, as well as a leader and worker in the church. We submitted the necessary papers for approval and were anxiously looking forward to their arrival. In January of 1968 we were told by Malawi Immigrations that brother and sister Frizzell's papers were not approved by the President. Reasons were not given and we were very disappointed, but we felt this was God's will. We had prayed that His will be done in all things.

The rainy season was now in progress and our studies had all but finished, so I began to make plans and preparations for the coming year. I had decided to study the Book of I Corinthians, so I wrote and printed a Correspondence Course in both English and Chichewa as we had done the year before. We had to print approximately 800 copies of each lesson at the first printing and before the year would be completed, it would be necessary to print more lessons. I was thankful to have brethren Joe Muyaya, Samuel Matimati, and W.J. Kasenda to assist me in the translating and printing of the lessons.

During this study season we would not be able to have as many weekly studies as we were still in the work by ourselves. Plans were made to have 14 weekly studies in the a village and go into another new area and establish a new work. This year we would go into the Southern Region of Chikwawa. Few missionaries go into this area due to the extreme hot weather and malaria carrying mosquitoes. Also during this year we obtained passports for two of the African preachers to travel into Mozambique where new congregations were being established.

Our building program had been at a stand still up until this point. Since Brother Frizzell wasn't permitted to enter, the brethren at 21st Street agreed for me to go ahead and get more estimates from local contractors to see what the cost of building one house would be. These were obtained and sent to brethren in the States. It was then agreed that the work was at a point, that it was more than one man could take care of. Letters were again written to all the congregations in America of the great need of housing and immediately the response was overwhelming. Sister congregations began to send money for the building program. Within a couple of months we had enough to build the first house.

The contractor with the most reasonable bid was selected to build the building. The congregation in Blantyre had already hired a tractor to do the necessary excavating. We were told by the contractor that it would take at least four months to build the house. We soon found that building in Africa could have many frustrations and it would take more than four months.

Work did progress on the house and it was decided that we would again try to get another family to assist us in Malawi. Brother David Macy was selected and his papers were sent to the Malawi Government for approval. After about three months we received word that his papers were approved. He and his family were scheduled to arrive in Malawi the early part of July.

We began to look for a house for the Macy's to live in temporarily, as the house would not be finished for several months. It seemed almost impossible to find a house, but we continued to pray daily that God might help us in this matter. We had talked to the owner of our house about one that he had that would be available, but there was a long list of people waiting ahead of us. Two weeks before David and his family arrived the man in charge of the house called us, telling us the house was ours. We knew that God had answered our prayers, for this could only come to pass through prayer. I relate this happening to show how we learned to be more prayerful in our work and service to God. For on several occasions things came to pass that seemed beyond human reasoning.

David and his family arrived in Malawi on July 7th. We were happy to have them to help us, as it had been eight months since the Cryer's had returned to America. David arrived in our busy season as the studies were already in progress. The day after their arrival I began the study and work near Chikwawa. This was a most encouraging study. We did personal work and preached at morning and evening services. The week of the study and three weeks that followed we had 38 men to obey the Gospel.

Doing mission work in Africa is different than here in America. It is easier to get people to come out and hear the Gospel preached. They are more receptive to God's word than people here. I still believe that after 20 years the harvest is ripe in Africa as well as in other parts of the world. We must act and make more opportunities to do more of this type of work for the Lord.

David and I continued to conduct the studies until the month of November. By this time the new house was finished and the Macy's were able to move in. We were all very thankful to have at least one house completed. With the high cost of rent we had been paying, the house would soon pay for itself. It was a very comfortable home and was built for much less than it would cost to build here in America of equal quality.

We were to renew our two year work permit to complete our three year stay the 1st of February, 1969.1 filled out the necessary papers and submitted them to Immigrations. I waited several weeks before receiving word that our work permit would not be renewed and that we would have to leave Malawi in about two weeks. We were very disappointed to receive this word, as we felt that we were just getting to the point of being the most effective in the work. We had spent time in studying the language and had learned a great deal about the customs of the African people. We felt that we were just getting into a position to really help them.

When we left Malawi the church had grown to the point that there was over 30 preachers and some 200 congregations in Malawi and at least eight in Mozambique.