God Uses Charisma Magazine
to Birth "Bread of Life" in Pastor’s Kitchen
(PRLEAP.COM) How many would starve that very day? And could he do anything about their plight?In the fall of 2002, Pastor Rick Tunis stood in his kitchen reading and re-reading a little one-page overview in "Charisma" magazine. It related about mass starvation yawning across Malawi Africa.
The president of World Relief set forth in that piece that African crops failed from lack of rainfall. He elaborated that famine would spread mercilessly unless an immediate, mega-assistance effort swept across the country within 6 months.
Tunis said, "It felt like God tapped me on the shoulder and said, ‘I want you do something about this.’"
First off, Tunis had to locate Malawi on his map. Then he earnestly set himself to prayer — about everything. "Lord, do you want me to go there personally or am I to give what I raise to some help-organization? Lord, if you want me to go, then how is this all supposed to come about? I need contacts over there who will give me a home base and help me navigate these uncharted waters. Lord, I don’t speak Chechewa. Can I buy food over there or do I have to ship it in? What kind of food should I get …oh, and Lord I’m going to need a big truck and friends to help me! Lord help me to raise enough money to see through Your will."
Pastor Rick began fund-raising within his own congregation at Living Word Fellowship in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Over the next 6 months, he and his wife, Nancy, wrapped huge coffee cans in bright orange construction paper, the cans reading FAMINE RELIEF FOR MALAWI, AFRICA. Then they cut a rectangle in each lid, distributing the cans to nearly 20 pastors who would in turn ask their congregations to contribute.
Contacts in Malawi unfolded because of some phone networking with Elim Bible Institute, the Missions Department for the Assemblies of God in Springfield, Missouri, and one Spirit-led phone connection to Canadian missionaries Arn and Elsie Bowler.
Within 6 months, Pastor Tunis was on a 16-hour plane mission to Johannesburg, South Africa, where he would make a final connecting flight to Malawi to meet his new contacts. All by phone, a home base was found in Lilongwe. Many questions were answered and lasting friendships sealed with missionaries from the Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada. They introduced Rick Tunis to Steve Chetepa, a forth generation Zulu who is the current General Superintendent for the Pentecostal Assemblies of Malawi. That gentleman proved to be God’s provision for the hour.
Steve not only helped Pastor Rick obtain tons of food, a large truck and willing crew, but also guided Tunis into some of the worst hit areas of crop failure and famine. There they trekked across the southern tip of Malawi near the Mozambique border. Further, Tunis preached the gospel in 10 villages with hundreds and hundreds of hands in the air — hearts earnestly praying, imploring Jesus to forgive them. They were seeking the Savior to enter their open hearts. It was amazing to behold.
Steve had at least one pastor and congregation within each village receiving the food relief truck. The Lord was also providing the local infrastructure for new believers to mature in Christ. Many lives were rescued in soul and body.
But in the summer of 2003, the big question for Rick was "Now what, Lord?" Rick and Nancy were praying together about these urgent matters in their kitchen when the Holy Spirit engulfed them. It was all so real, so definite. This dynamic encounter with the Lord resulted in the small beginnings of a new non-profit food relief effort named BREAD OF LIFE INTERNATIONAL.
By the end of the year, BLI was registered as a non-profit organization, had a small board of directors and was blessed with little funds! Rick planned another mission to Malawi in June, 2004. BLI desperately needed a financial boost.
As late as March, 2004, the Lord opened another door for Pastor Rick. Through a recommendation by Pastor and Evangelist Steve Hill, Rick located a guest spot on Daystar TV’s flagship show "Celebration." By the end of that month, he was Marcus and Joni Lamb’s guest. On the day of that telecast, Daystar presented BLI with a check for $2,000. Other donations came in from as far away as Hawaii because of the challenge going out.
A caring Christian from California, Donald McCardell, phoned Pastor Rick to promise his assistance with food relief. He also offered to film the entire mission trip. He kept to his word to see through both opportunities. WDC Media, the public relations firm representing Trinity Broadcasting Network, phoned to donate their services as well as mailed a donation.
The Lord was providing for another trip to Africa. Again the need was overwhelming. Malawi, especially in the south, had received about 50% of its badly needed rainfall. Even though their harvest time for corn is in April and May, by June, many villages had already consumed what little they were able to grow.
Pastor Rick and Steve Chetepa again headed south with 17 metric tons of corn meal. Bread of Life International provided food and the good news of Jesus to 13 villages which included one community in Mozambique. There Tunis came upon some native women shredding corn husks and corn plant leaves to boil because they had nothing else to eat. Close to the border of Mozambique, Tunis could see more signs of hunger such as children with extended stomachs and discolored hair (an indication of malnutrition). Most villagers, with welcoming smiles and native singing, ran out to greet the large truck and Steve’s SUV.
Nearer the border the poverty was even more severe. An old man was walking along the road with no pants or shoes, just a rag shirt that to cover his front. He gave hand signals to stop the SUV; yet at that point the SUV and food truck were in between villages. Steve and Rick were trying to catch up with the truck that had gone ahead. But they stopped for the man, discovering that he was desperately pleading for food — anything!
The ‘road trip’ food that Rick and Steve bought for themselves, like cookies and fruit, were gone. Searching around in the truck’s cab, in the front seat they came upon an "almost empty" can of Planters cashew nuts. Steve had the man cup his hands so that Steve could pour the nuts into his waiting grasp — 5 nuts total. The elderly man with no trousers grinned from ear to ear, thanking those in the truck, just as if he had been handed an exceptionally expensive gift. Truly, "little is much when God is in it."
In that part of Africa, all of the people’s food problems are compounded by "the sickness." The natives of Malawi won’t say its AIDS. It’s "the sickness." It takes away both Mom and Dad, leaving every village with too many wandering orphans. Soon numerous communities become mere clusters of children only — no parents, no home, no security, no food.
The extended family of grandparents, aunts and uncles are all too often overwhelmed by the added burden of more children in their small grass-covered huts. So when their crops fail for lack of rain, they can’t feed themselves, let alone feed the growing number of orphaned children clinging to them. Collectively they’re often facing stark starvation with no Plan B.
We who are North American Christians must come to the aid of the gospel call. We must roll up our soul sleeves to do a lot more to show the world that Jesus really cares. Or at the very least, we can search around our proverbial cab seat for that hand full of nuts.
If you sense God leading you to help Pastor Rick Tunis feed the poor and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in Africa, please send your donation payable to:
Bread of Life International
P.O. Box 3237
Bethlehem, PA 18020
Or contact him by phone as well as visit his web site,
610 866-6108
www.breadoflifeintl.com
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