I GOT INTERNET!!

Wow!  This has been difficult ... but an adventure!!

 

Greetings from Ekwendeni, Malawi,

 

We have now been here over a week and a half and must apologise for not sending news any sooner.  We struggle with internet connection, and time to wait as things load ... :)

 

We are all well.  God has been gracious to us in our health, and we are so grateful for this.  The weather also has been in our favour.  Cool nights for sleeping and warm, sunny days to be out and about. 

 

I will start by giving a little information about the OVC (Orphaned & Vulnerable Children) Home we are helping to build.  Our project is to help two sisters who are in their late twenties to early thirties.  They are caring for 11 children (8 belonging to them, and 3 belonging to their deceased brother).  They are currently in extremely small mud and stick homes with thatched roofs.   They live a few feet from each other.  The home we are building will be much like a duplex.  It is one level, with each having 2 bedrooms, a small storage closet and a small "living room".  This year, we are also participating in the purchasing of the equipment and supplies needed to construct the home.  We are grateful to have our friends here to help us negotiate for the purchase of hoes, buckets, water drums and wheel barrows.

 

The children are beautiful.  We have been enjoying playing, singing, dancing and taking many pictures.  The children -= and the adults - love seeing themselves on the small screen at the back of the camera.  The giggles and laughter that erupts is like music to our ears. 

 

These two families live with about 3 pots, 2 buckets, 2 straw sleeping mats, 4 blankets, and enough clothing to last 3 days or so.  There is no footwear to be seen, but on one adult - and they are a plastic shoe.  It is a beautiful thing too as we watch the children being bathed a the end of the day to remove the dust from the day's activities.  The children sit on the casing of an old car battery as the eldest sister scrubs their legs, arms and feet with a stone and warmed water from the fire.  After their bath, they stand quickly and shudder in the cool night air as they then run across to their home for a shirt and bottoms to sleep in.  I just love it here.  The joy these children express warms my heart. 

 

But so much breaks it as well.  These children are not receiving education for many different reasons.  One is that they are needed to help at home with chores for the day - fetching water a few times a day, for example, from a fair distance away.  These children have no hope for a future, but to continue in village life.  There is no opportunity.  Nothing.  Plain and simple.  It brings me to tears of joy thinking that we can at least give them a dry place to sleep at night, thanks to so many of you - our friends and families.

 

We are spending our days being busy running to and from the village, our guest house, the nearby city for supplies and food, and visiting with Maria as she heals from her accident.  This woman amazes me!  She was in hospital for about 3 or 4 days and upon the first day home - with a sever head injury - she wakes each morning to visit a very sick friend who has large open sores, to pray for her.  Maria has quite a story of her own.  One of which involves being on her death bed in the hospital for a third time in her life, and when she reports of entering into heaven, it was so beautiful, she wanted to stay.  But she was told she was needed here in Ekwendeni to care for the people by loving, praying, and helping them.  This is her life's mandate now.  And she is determined not to let God down, even with a head injury.  I believe she is healing miraculously - more quickly than is reasonably possible - as God shows her grace and mercy for her dedication to Him.  I wish I could bring her to Canada for everyone to meet and hear her story.  Lord willing ... one day!  :)

 

We have been meeting friends from last year and enjoying our reunion.  We are making many new friends fast this year.  It is so awesome!  God is really using this trip in amazing ways.

 

Trevor has travelled this past Saturday to Lilongwe in Central Malawi to run a workshop for pastors.  He is quite thrilled to have this opportunity.  Please remember to pray for him as he leads many pastors in this beautiful nation.

 

One very pleasant surprise we have discovered is the Malawi equivalence to Starbucks!  It's the only one I've ever seen - The Mzuzu Coffee Den.  This is where I am now at an internet café - trying to beat the clock before my time runs out.  :)  This shop is actually a coffee grower's cooperative that makes the most amazing cappuccinos!  We have taken our friends for a coffee - for one friend this is her 3rd time in a restaurant ever!  Her second time was the other night when we took our friends from the hospital for a thank-you meal before Trevor left for Lilongwe.  And her first time in a restaurant was when I took her in 2011!!  She just is tickled pink every time.  Can't think us enough.

 

We are looking forward to a week filled with the distribution of donations from all of you!  Glasses, clothing, sports equipment, school supplies, and the list goes on and on and on ... People are so thankful for each and every thing we are giving.  Thank you everyone for you extremely generous support and gifts for our friends in Malawi.  I know that they would love to thank each of you personally .... perhaps one day you will join us so that they can.

 

Julie for the Team

 

ps - excuse all grammar and spelling mistakes - it's a race against the clock.  :)