Beyond the Buzzword

Servant Leadership has become a consultant buzzword.  Books have been written.  Courses taught, and speaking careers built on giving us the secrets of influencing others by giving ourselves for them.  It’s about enough to make the concept lose its edge…until you see it being lived out right in front of you.

Six days a week, Peter Maseko gets up, often before the sun (today it was 4 a.m.) and gets ready for the day.  At 8 a.m. he stands in front of scores of people at Pothawira’s clinic waiting room.  Most have walked miles for their seat in line.  He welcomes them in song, provides instruction about basic health principles impacting the community, and shares about the workings of the clinic so that they can get where they need to go.  He covers as much common ground as possible to give more time with each individual, which is precious when your small, medical team is treating 150-200 patients a day.  Over the last few years they have cared for tens of thousands, each person understanding that the clinic at Pothawira exists for the glory of God and for their good.  And, so it is for the 114, previously-orphaned children living at Pothawira, the churches Peter pastors, the 385 students attending Pothawira’s nursery and primary school, and the 12 teenagers Pothawira sponsors in secondary school…a few of them look to be really good bets to be transformative leaders for Malawi in their own right in the coming years.  Quite simply, lives are being changed here.

Peter is not perfect (though his wife, Emma, may be…we’re still looking for her first flaw).  We all have struggles, and those who accept the mantle of leadership and providing covering for others have more than their fair share at times.  Peter is a servant, and Peter is a leader.  Those of us at GO Project who serve with him have no excuse not to give our all to the call of care of children who need family.

It’s a privilege to love and serve them with you.