The Mzuzu House
An African Adventure
by
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“Daddy, Daddy, come look!” Alicia’s voice was both excited and insistent as she rushed into the room.
“Come, see what we found in the backyard!” Brittany was right behind her. Both of them grabbed their father’s arms and pushed and pulled him out the door.
“What is it?” He tried to get an explanation for their obvious concern, but they only answered, “Come and see.”
They led him to a grassy spot about fifty feet from the back corner of their house.
“See,” Megan exclaimed, pointing to a spot on the grass.
David stooped over and peered closely at the grass. At first he saw nothing, then suddenly he discovered a swarm of ants.
“Army ants!” exclaimed David. “Girls, be careful. Don’t get too close.”
Watching carefully, he observed a trail of ants about six inches wide. These were not the same huge black ants he had seen crossing the road out in the Vipya; they were a smaller cousin, light red in color, but they were army ants in any case, and they were just as dangerous. Along both sides of the trail soldier ants stood guard, their threatening mandibles joined together to form a defense against any intruder. In places they even created a canopy over the trail by locking their bodies together. Inside the safe corridor a swarm of worker ants carried eggs and small white larvae as they scurried along in one continuous stream. The trail originated from somewhere down on the lower part of their property, or probably from beyond, out in the indigenous forest. The leading edge had reached the middle of their backyard, and it was headed straight for their house. If the ants reached the house they would immediately swarm all over it, and the Montgomerys would have no choice but to abandon the house until the swarm moved on.
David thought quickly about what he must do. He ran to the house and retrieved two cans of insecticide. He sprayed a generous amount all over the back and front porches, giving special attention to the threshold. Then he sprayed along the edge of the house all the way around. Finally, he took the twenty liter can of petrol he always carried in the kombi and poured a trail in front of the ants and around to the side, hoping he could divert the column to circle the house and continue their trek on across his property and out into the uninhabited area beyond. He lit the petrol knowing it would burn a line in his grass that would be there for a long time, but it was unavoidable, and a small price to pay if it saved their house from invasion.
The ants were thrown into confusion as they encountered the flames, but only for a short time. Soon they began to reform their column and continue their advancement, but, exactly as David had hoped, they stayed clear of the burned area and circumnavigated the house, continuing their relentless march toward some unseen goal. All the rest of that day the trail of ants streamed on, but not an ant entered the house and the next morning they were all gone.
“Thank you, Lord, for that,” David breathed, as he examined their yard the next morning. Not finding any ants left, he declared the place safe for the girls to play in again.
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About the Book
David Montgomery is a missionary who has just made the difficult decision to uproot his family once again and move into an uncertain situation in the remote northern region of Malawi, East Africa. As he gathers his family and heads to Mzuzu, David realizes his challenges are just beginning.
David, who has reluctantly ignored his heart’s calling to serve in a more urban setting, struggles to find fulfillment as a bush missionary and wonders whether his new mission is truly God’s will. While he tackles the formidable task of building a missionary residence for his family, he must battle army ants, malaria, and seemingly endless frustrations. In the meantime, his wife, Katherine, homeschools their three daughters and teaches religious instruction at a nearby girls’ school. Not to be deterred, David finally completes the house—just before his family leaves for furlough. After they return to the States, David and Katherine pray earnestly for God’s guidance as they contemplate whether they should return to Mzuzu. But as a health scare looms, they have no idea that God is about to answer their prayers in a way they never imagined. Based on true events, The Mzuzu House shares the continuing, heartwarming, and at times amusing tale of a missionary family’s African adventure as they serve God in a faraway land.
About the Author
Gene Meacham served as a missionary in Africa for ten years. He has been pastor of several west Texas churches and Director of Missions for the Caprock Plains Baptist Area. He served as an adjunct instructor in missions for Wayland Baptist University and Logsdon Theological Seminary. He now lives in Plainview, Texas with his wife, Lavonne, where he enjoys preaching, teaching, writing, and keeping up with seven grandchildren. This is his third book.