Divine Possibilities

A Letter from Cheryl Barnes, serving in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe

Spring 2023

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If I had to give one word that describes my call to mission, it would be “possibility.”

This one word describes not what is, but what can be. This is a perspective that I have fully yielded my heart and mind to. To walk with God in the path of mission partnership requires that I remain much more than optimistic, I must continue to genuinely imagine how things can be. This is how our dreams mirror the mind of God, whose very being represents limitless possibilities. This is how we deepen our experience with God and how we understand that life is not just to be lived, but to be discovered.

I am in awe at how consistently God has answered my prayers and supplied some urgent needs. We all have some measure of faith, yet when our dreams become reality we know in the seat of our souls that God is real.

I shared in a recent newsletter, “Beautiful Things,” the need of young students at Chimwala Primary School, to have an enclosed shelter to call a classroom. Students being educated in classrooms in the Western world is often taken for granted. Seeing such a need in Malawi, touched me to my core and I lifted a silent prayer. God touched the heart of one individual, who unselfishly, from the goodness of her heart, fully met the need for these students. One person, submitting to the voice of God, is bringing hope and light to hundreds of young learners. Divine possibilities.

Through God’s provision, this past December, the CCAP transplanted over 3,000 tree seedlings to the Masula village and Chimwala primary school. The seeds and materials for the tree nursery were donated to the General Assembly by Anne Hallum and her organization, Alliance for International Reforestation, Inc. The seeds were planted in tubes, hand watered during the dry season, and lovingly cared for by our gardener, Mr. Dowd Green. As I witnessed the emergence of seedlings on the grounds of the CCAP General Assembly office, I once again felt connected with the mysteries of divine possibilities. The transplanted trees will provide income for the village, help prevent soil erosion, provide shade for the school children and address some of the challenges of climate change. 

Because God’s blessings are not obstructed by man’s limitations, our needs receive God’s full attention. For instance, the CCAP office space was in need of a security fence. The office was regularly vandalized and I, along with the female staff, was vulnerable to uninvited and unwelcome persons coming onto the grounds and into the building. A generous congregation seized the opportunity to position themselves as God’s hands and provided the funds necessary to assist in the construction of a security fence. Once again, I encountered God and came face-to-face with divine possibilities. Individuals do make a difference yet, one cannot discount God’s hand in supplying this need.

These are a few examples of individuals who have accepted the call to actively live into the Matthew 25 initiative. The text of Matthew 25 is about much more than feeding the poor and clothing the naked, it is an expression of providing for and supporting the needs of disenfranchised communities who cannot imagine hope for themselves. The Gospel of Matthew 25 has to be put into a context that reflects the cultural needs of the dispossessed. These needs often go unrecognized and unaddressed. Communities thrive when infrastructure and physical structures are built and developed. This is one of the primary ways that communities flourish. In my assignment as education facilitator, I must contemplate what is necessary to uplift the quality of life of children, and consequently, also improve the quality of education for these children.

The CCAP continues to face challenges that require economic empowerment through income generation.  The completion of the security fence will provide the opportunity for another divine possibility. The newly enclosed space can be used for the planting of an outdoor event venue suitable for ceremonies or social events. I believe that the prayers for the funding necessary to develop an events garden on the grounds of the General Assembly will be answered.

Partnership that seeks to empower communities and address systemic poverty demands unwavering faith that disrupts fear. I am passionate about advocating for those who are marginalized, and I am privileged to make this passion a vocation. As a result, I have experienced freedom, wholeness and holiness. As I travel this spiritual journey, walking in divine possibility, I am encountering God along the way.

I extend my sincere appreciation for every prayer and for every dollar of financial support.

Zikomo (Thank you)

Rev. Cheryl Barnes