Extravagant Caring

Sugar is a staple of life in Malawi, or at least it has been. Many times I have teased my sons about how much they uses in their tea and both have commented that it is available because it is grown here and it makes life much sweeter. In the midst of the hardships of life, a little sweetness is a good thing. Malawians are addicted to their sugar. When the church zones come to visit the manse, in their regular package of care are ten 1kg packets of sugar

But all of that is being reexamined in light of the current economic struggles. This time last year a packet of sugar was MK79, or about 53 cents at the exchange rate at that time. In February that same packet was MK210 or $1.27 at the present exchange rate. But at the beginning of March, sugar became scarce.  The reason is unclear. Some say foreign exchange shortages, some say fuel shortages, some say export priorities. Only the company knows the whole truth. But sugar supplies have been dwindling. Three weeks ago most stores rationed the purchase of sugar to two packets per customer. Then for about a week, there was no sugar at all in the stores. This week, people are alerting one another when sugar is being delivered to a particular store, so friends can get in line to purchase their two packets at MK500 per packet or about $3 each. Sugar has become as precious as fuel, which is equal to $10 a gallon at the pump or $30 a gallon at the black market, the only place it is generally found these days and people sit in line to purchase it. Now we are standing in lines for two to four hours, just to buy 2 kgs of sugar. The police are sent to the stores to keep order.

When the manse visit for this month was scheduled, I figured that if there were two packets of sugar, I would know the depth of commitment the congregation has in giving to their pastor. With the scarcity and the cost, any giving of sugar would be extravagant care. Last evening, the zones assigned to Manse B (Manse A is the senior pastor’s home and Manse B is my house) came with their monthly gifts. I was overwhelmed when they presented me with the usual 10 packets of sugar. This is extravagant caring! At least 5 people stood in long lines for untallied time to purchase sugar at a king’s ransom for their pastor. This is in an economy with more than a 50% inflation rate in the last 6 months. People are struggling to make ends meet and these generous people showered love on their pastor in the form of sugar packets. I am humbled by their extravagant, sacrificial caring.