These church-owned buildings provide a consistent home for our weekly Sabbath services. Two will serve as festival sites as well as a venue for youth camp and otherevents such as training seminars. Financing was provided by international subsidies, Good Works, LifeNets and local tithes and offerings. Much of the labor was donated by our brethren.

Each of these buildings has a unique history of planning and construction. We first assessed need, location to our brethren’s homes and availability of transport. Most of our brethren must use public transportation to come to services. The outcome has been most encouraging as the buildings provide a place for worship and a venue for church activities. Since the locations are in high-density population areas, the buildings are noticed and become a notable part of our church identity where people can find literature about our beliefs and accessibility to our church leaders. This has been most encouraging to all of us!

At each of my dedication addresses I referred to Solomon’s consecration of the original temple in Jerusalem in 1 Kings 8. In his prayer he first blessed the assembly of Israel, which is the living temple of God. Then he prayed for God to be present to answer the prayers of His people. Then he prayed that the temple would become a place of interest for the “foreigner,” the outsider. It would be a place an outsider could be drawn to hear about and see the example and fruits of those obedient to God. Finally, Solomon gives the dedication and consecration of the building.

On this visit to our congregations and leaders in South Africa, Malawi and Zambia, we were most encouraged by the growth of our congregations and their leadership. In the past two years we have sent Darris McNeely and Steve Myers as teachers to do training seminars that are paying off in the development of servant leaders. While many subjects were presented, most appreciated the teaching of the Bible and further explaining of our Fundamental Beliefs.

The building in Lilongwe, Malawi, was part of a broader LifeNets project that includes a line of storefronts called the LifeNets Business Center. It includes an Internet café, a grocery and a beauty salon. These employ a number of our brethren.

In Mufumbwe, most of the people are within walking distance of the church. A valuable borehole for drinking water and irrigation was donated by another Sabbath-keeping church in Portland, Oregon. Before the hall was built, the congregation met “under the mango tree” for several years at the orphanage run by a member, Joseph Kapatula.

Hopefully, next year there will be one more building to dedicate in Manyinga, Zamiba, about 60 miles west of Mufumbwe.

We are thankful to God that we have been able to see these four projects through.

Other highlights of this visit was spending time with our congregational leaders at their homes. We spent time with Jason and Monique Webster and Arthur and Gail Fisher in Johannesburg, South Africa; Brennan and Michala Hilgen in Lilongwe, Malawi; Gracious and Loney Mpilangwe in Blantyre, Malawi; Filius and Chowise Jere from Chipata, Zambia; Nawa and Felicia Talama in Lusaka, Zambia; Derrick and Cherry Pringle in Kitwe, Zambia; and finally Vivien and Cathy Botha in Cape Town, South Africa. 

For more details on the Kubiks’ travels in Africa please see Mr. Kubik’s travel blog: http://kubik.org/travelpod-blog-africa-march-april-2018/.