The writer writes from the perspective of a committed Christian aged 80. He was brought up in a Christian environment, but only fully realised what being a Christian meant at age 48. At 55, he opened a Christian bookshop in Dalbeattie, Scotland, and ran it for 25 years. He was contacted by a man in Malawi who wrote asking him to send pens and pencils. His family was extremely poor, and could not afford school equipment for his large family. In 1999 Jim went to visit him at his invitation, and found himself preaching the gospel to local natives in the villages near Blantyre. In later visits he gave Easter seminars to the bush-pastors lasting three days, in which he was the main speaker.
An orphanage was started by the native Christians near Blantyre in the year 2000. Back in Scotland, Jim has been the forwarding agent for any funds he can raise for the mission, and started a new charity in 2003 called the Society for the Protection of African Children (SPAC), registered in Scotland. He is helped by trustees and an appeals organiser who works 5 hours a week for the Charity.
In most years somebody from Scotland travels to Malawi to continue the work of assisting the native churches, under the leadership of Bishop M Dimba and his son, Pastor Enock Dimba. At present they oversee 700 churches in Malawi and Mozambique.
Despite living in poverty, most Malawians are keen to receive the preaching of the teams who travel to each village.
