What one Gospel tract did in Malawi
A few years ago in Malawi, Africa a man found a gospel tract from Kafulafuta Baptist Mission in Zambia. After reading it the man was born again. He took that one tract to the people in his village, and one by one they too were saved. Soon the entire village had accepted Christ as their savior. The tract instructed them to go to church each Sunday. Since they knew of no church at all, they began to meet every Sunday, to read their tract. This went on for about 8 months. The tract also instructed them to go and share their faith. So the entire village assembled, men, women, and children. They walked to a village nearby and told them what the tract said. Then the people in this village called on Christ. Soon this was repeated in yet another village. Before long over 100 people were gathering every Sunday at the first village – to hear the Bible verses read on that original tract.
After many months of this they began to sell their goats and chickens to raise the money for a bus ticket so that the man who found the tract could find help for them in Zambia, where the tract originated. He showed up at the gate one day and told the missionaries that there were now many saved people who need a preacher and bibles in Malawi. Brian Kaoma went as a Zambian missionary to Malawi. He has started 5 churches, and is training 7 men to be pastors. He also has two preaching points that have yet to develop into a church. This has all been done in 18 months.
When I tell this story people are thrilled. “What a great story!”, they will exclaim. But it is not a great story. Why are a group of baby Christians selling all that they have to get the gospel and to get a preacher? Is not the command given for the mature Christians? It illustrates the ultimate failure of missions: we are failing to reach those who are begging to be reached.
Gospel literature can be produced cheaply in Africa, and any other part of the world. It enables those who cannot go to the mission field to have a part in the spreading of the Gospel. This story illustrates two important facts:
People are hungry for the word of God
Gospel tracts work