The Kasasa Sugar Estate dominates the villages of Dwangwa and Matiki. Some 750,000 hectares are planted with sugar cane. The sugar is also processed on the estate. Many of the people in the region are employed on the estate. The Kasasa Club offers a golf course, swimming pool, clubhouse with a bar and restaurant, and self-contained chalets to stay overnight.
Upon arriving at the estate on March 1, our bus passed through security and delivered us to the Club. We checked in to our rooms, rested a few moments, and returned to the club for dinner.
The meal was wonderful. Beef, chicken, and chambo fish (liked even by those who don’t like fish) complemented by vegetables and rice provided something for everyone. Ice cream and cake rounded out the meal.
But as wonderful as the food was, the company was even more so. We joined members of Matiki Presbyterian Church and the Dwangwa Presbytery for the meal.
The Rev. Kondwani Gondwe and Justin Dzinkambani had recently visited The Presbyterian Church of Chestertown, MD as part of a partnership exchange and so knew Bob Schminkey. Other brothers and sisters in Christ met for the first time.
For the rest of us it was a moment of meeting strangers and family at the same time. We did not know each other and we were a part of each other. We asked each other questions and answered as well as we could. Smiles were abundant. Laughter frequently punctuated the conversation. Cards and contact information were exchanged. Pictures were taken as the evening came to an end.
We had broken bread together, and Jesus had met us there.
Photo by Kyle Kittrell.