Craig Gilbert | [email protected]
Jasper’s Stephen Nelson is heading straight for the Heart of Darkness.
That’s not an exaggeration. In fact it might be an understatement. With the southern Malawi village of Mgona as his destination, Apocalypse Now could be a stop along the way.
It’s on the Shire River, which forms the border with Mozambique, he said on Tuesday.
He’s on a Mission from God to carry out Christian caring work in the community which is ravaged by extreme poverty, starvation and disease.
Deaths from Malaria occur there; there was even one fatal crocodile attack in recent months.
Mgona has an honourary place in pop culture as the place where Dr. David Livingstone of “Dr. Livingstone, I presume” fame started missionary work there more than a century ago.
Nelson plans to arrive in the regional capital of Blantyre on May 25 with Dean Karalekas. The people of the village, despite having other urgent needs they could spend their limited resources on, like a school or health centre, want to have a professional documentary done.
“Pastor Steve is the local pastor,” Nelson said. “He said they want someone to go there and make a film and tell the world their story.”
The documentary work will begin in conjunction with a "Festival of Pentecost" in Mgona where the Lutheran Free Church building will be dedicated. Participants in the festival will come from as far away as Mzuzu in northern Malawi.
His arrival will mark the “beginnings of the final stage in the development of the mission,” according to Dr. John Ekstedt. “We have reported on the work of the church and the development of the ‘training-teaching’ gardens. With the documentary, we move to the development of the medical/health centre.”
An experienced journalist who may have even spent a couple of weeks trying to make sense of the Fitzhugh a few years ago, Nelson is a rookie in Christian mission terms and may be putting himself in harm’s way. He said he’s been told local traditional spiritual leaders have cursed Pastor Steve and the mission. He said one had confessed he had been trying to kill the Christian leader.
“I’m not nervous, I’m anxious about getting things ready so I can go,” the Habitat for the Arts volunteer said. “Once I’m on the plane, I’m not anxious anymore. But maybe there are some things I should be afraid of.”
Nelson never intended to become a missionary.
“But there is always the call, certainly at church,” he said. “I never wanted to be an evangelist but these things, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and caring for women and orphans, are not optional.”
Nelson’s parents were Salvation Army officers.
“Even when we were poor, living in townhouses, mom and dad would still give to people who had less than we had.”
He’s also fundraising for the cause. To learn more and to give, visit www.lilamemorialfundformalawi.mydagsite.com.
