Lilongwe, Malawi … As Lameck Bizala prepared to leave the property he turned and said, “None of us have seen God face to face, but He is always here. He is omnipresent. He comes to man to help his fellow men. Believe me, I have encountered God through Action for Progress.”
It started with Mr. Mkandawire who came to Action for Progress for help with his mobility issues. He was successful in obtaining help with a mobility unit. Others at work noticed and a colleague’s father sought information about where he obtained the assistance. He was pointed to Action for Progress. The father, Lameck Biala, arrived along with Mkandawire and presented his medical report. He explained how he had lost strength in both legs in 1999 when he was 30.
As it is in most rural areas, farming is a way of life, and it was Bizala’s livelihood. However, since 1999 it has been extremely hard for him to get to the field to work. Bizala looked sad as he explained, “Many of us face communities that have the wrong perception of us. Even though we can do many community or church leadership functions they see only the inability to use our legs. It is sad when they look down on us, thinking we cannot perform other duties.”
Bizala’s desire for help and belief that God could provide it did not betray him. He said as he was coming to Action for Progress, he was praying to God not to let this gift pass from him. His face brightened as the team gave him, not only a new mobility unit but also a new Chichewa Bible. He could not restrain himself as he sang, “Hallelujah, hallelujah, Hosanna.” It was then, just as he was about to leave, that he declared, “Believe me, I have encountered God through Action for Progress. Therefore, I am going home not the same as I came, because He has given me these two precious gifts.”