Madalo Kalima and I &  Rabecca Brown (10yrs), with a big beautiful smile!

Peace To You All!

Missing you all! Working though the issues with wifi here at the project.  Now I am beginning to respond to all your emails so please give me time to catch up. I have so much to share so this is a long update!

It is tropical and rainy here.  It is a beautiful time of year, but I have to watch all the time for incoming clouds or my laundry will get a second rinse cycle on the line. When it rains here the heavens open up and the sound of the rain is like a freight train.  It can rain this hard for an entire day.  It always amazes me at how we do everything here in flipflops- run, hike, jump over creeks, climb hills, wade through mud. We definitely break all shoe safety rules in these flipflops.

Our maize is almost ready for harvest. Mangoes and avocados are in season and plentiful. I am eating better because my new American missionary friends, James and Claudia, who are living on site, keep inviting me to dinner after we practice Chichewa.  They really are a blessing to have around. They are very calm and patient, easy going.

There were many beautiful highlights from last week. I am learning Chichewa. I am surprising myself and my friends. I sat in the gazebo with our guard’s granddaughter, Shakila, who is three years of age and talked with her for 30 minutes or more. I think she really thinks I can speak Chichewa. She decided to hold a church service with just her and I and had me get up and sit down and repeat “amens”.  She told me when it was time to pray and I had to sing a chorus and dance too. She was so beautiful as my little pastor for the afternoon.

My real pastor, Abusa Aubrey Kalima, and I continue to discuss details around the church and ministry. We are in one accord about all of it. I am blessed to have the friendship of him and his wife, Madalo.  They are exceptional people. Aubrey is an outstanding leader and a wise man of faith. He has the respect and trust of people in the church and our community.  He is the lead pastor for the ministry we are committed to registering here in Malawi.

God has definitely had me still in a waiting zone about establishing the ministry. We definitely do not have all our ministry team yet. So we wait. I am uncomfortable in this place. He has given the “green light” on so much, but keeps asking me to wait about this. Establishing a ministry will take four to six months once the paperwork is submitted. It isn’t a difficult process, but it will take money and time to do it well. With an official ministry, I will be able to reapply for a 2 year visa and also have a legal entity with which to purchase property. Please continue to pray for me as we have a number of programs running (school, Africa ABC, trainings, etc.) and no official Malawian ministry yet.

Now about the Acts III property acquisition and the Christian Leadership Training Center development. There will be more clarification and details this week to sort out as the director from Acts III Georgia, Randy McEwen, meets with the lawyers, planning commission, etc.  Please pray for him.  He is confident that all the legal issues can be sorted out which would make the property free and clear for a purchase. I know God wants us to build on this hill. If it is His will, He will make a way. Isaiah 2:1-4

I am spending half of my time at the school- advancing and updating the curriculum and materials and training the staff and the other half designing the next series of workshops and the next phase of the internship program.  Feb 22^nd-25^th Leadership and Education Training, March 8^th-11^th Training for Pediatric Nurses, March 22^nd our Lakeside Team will be training parents and specialists working with children with physical challenges, and we are planning a Parenting Workshop for April.  I love the work and our team. Every day the staff gets together to sing and pray and then we let the children in to begin their day. At our staff meeting last Friday, after I had everyone list each other’s personality strengths and gifts, each of us shared two areas we wanted God to develop us in.  I definitely asked for more trust and patience as well as for God to make me more gentle and soft. As my brother in law, Cort, says, “Take five deep breaths, Mary.” The great thing about Malawi and the people here is that they have a way of making you gentle, sweet, and more patient.

God continues to confirm the vision for the Christian Leadership Training Center here. It is up to Him to make it happen. This is a site that could house multiple ministries and bless the children and people of Ndirande in a multitude of ways. And also be a great landing zone for international missionaries and those called to make a difference here.

 Thursday, I went to the government hospital to pray over one of our teacher’s brother in law who was dying of AIDS. He was so thin, barely taking shape under the blanket. He had lived a life of drinking and infidelity and no longer could speak or move. My heart was breaking as we prayed because little by little with every choice we make it would be easy for any of us to end up just like Kenson. I felt a sadness that he had been so deceived by darkness.  It made me angry too. Who was there to bring him back- to go after him when he went astray?

After Abusa Kalima read scriptures to the man’s father and we prayed, I said that we must claim him for Jesus. His eyes were closed and his father said he couldn’t hear, but I didn’t believe it. I said that even though he could not speak for himself, we would carry his faith for him. We would intercede for him, speak on behalf for him, and surrender him into the hands of God, who is so merciful and forgiving. I place my hands on his head and others his small body and we prayed.  After a minute or so he regained consciousness and opened his eyes. I spoke to him in Chichewa and then I sang to him about heaven in Chichewa as he kept his eyes on mine. I told him of the promise of heaven and that he belonged to Jesus. His eyes never left my face.

I know that this is what I was designed to do. To claim back the territory, to redeem what has been broken, and to love people into the kingdom of God. Nothing will ever take more importance that this. How will people know that our God is good, unless God’s people show them? One person at a time. 

Friday, February 5^th, at this moment the staff of the Malawi Montessori Christian School is having a parent appreciation tea, where the children will demonstrate their learning and the parents will be recognized for their service to the school. I have forced myself to stay in my room, even though I want to see all the wonderful things that are happening. I can hear the children singing praise to Jesus in Chichewa through my window. I know the parents must be so proud.  My heart is filled with pride for the staff. I am hiding here in my room, in charge of making the tea, so that my staff will see yet again, that they do not need me. If the parents see me, they will think this school is happening because of me.  Let me assure you it isn’t. My Malawian brothers and sisters in Jesus are doing it! This is yet another opportunity to practice the leadership skills they already possess. I know they can do it, this is to make sure they own their own leadership and accomplishments.

Our Income Generating Activities (I.G.A.s) :  Anyone who has had the patience to listen to me talk about Malawi for five minutes has heard me talk about IGAs. Foreigners developed  a culture of Malawian dependence upon their outside funding.  Malawi is rich in resources and in motivated people, who just need a little training and encouragement.  And then my friends, Watch out! God told me that I cannot ask Malawians to develop their own IGAs to support their own ministries and community based child care centers unless I AM WILLING TO DO SO! Lead by example.  So we are. Our workshops are provided for both a scholarship and private paying clients. And God just downloaded a fantastic idea to fund the Malawi Montessori Project in Malawi and at the same time increase early childhood literacy.  There are no books in the homes in Ndirande. Not one. Yet. More later on this project.

A special peace to my friends coming back from World Mandate!  I was up all night on my Malawian Friday night thinking of you all and praying for you!  To Scott and Laura in Mozambique too!

And a special thank you for my family and friends.  I miss you guys and love you and I am so grateful for you in my life! xxxooo from Malawi!

Love, Mary

He will keep His promises!

“Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”

Jeremiah 33:3 

God says this and I say, “Bring it on!”

 I am missing you all! I am solving the internet issues this week!  I promise!  I am using James and Claudia’s (missionaries here at the project) internet and it is fantastic!

We had an amazing week!  Especially with the staff of the school and Africa ABC Project.  Finding people of character is challenging here. Deception is common here for a number of reasons, so I am grateful for my small but committed Malawian staff! At our staff meeting on Friday, Abusa Kalima, our lead pastor, shared a message with the team and Tisu led us in beautiful praise and dancing to God.  Then we ate chicken, rice and greens.  After our meal, I led the staff in two team building exercises. God showed me so much in these two hours with the team. I had each person write down the most important attributes in people they work with and then each person shared. I told everyone that everyone will share-100% participation always, no exceptions. People like to hide out here in Malawi- be quiet and not give input because they are scared or think they are not important.  After that I had each person write down their goals for 2010- personal, professional and spiritual. Everyone was so focused on their list and took much time. They loved the activities.  The sharing drew us together. The quality of their answers showed deep reflection.  It was beautiful!

 It was a great time of laughing, encouragement, teasing, honest sharing, and relationship building. What I learned is that in this society everything is about community before individual.  Now there are very important qualities to this, but at the same time people don’t learn each other’s names, even after knowing of someone for a long time.  The value of the individual person as a person distinct and special is not highlighted. So they were so encouraged about learning about themselves and each other as individuals.  It was very exciting for them.

I am grateful for so many things! Mary O’Neill and I are approved and funded to provide a training to the Pediatric Nurses at Queen Elizabeth Center Hospital regarding the Role of the Nurse in the Pediatric Ward.  Mary will be taking the lead on this and I will be providing a piece on Child Psychology and practical application on how to communicate effectively with children.  This will be the week of March 8^th. In addition we will be holding the Leadership and Educational Training the week of February 22^nd for both private pay clients and teachers within the community based orphan care centers.

We had to reapply for certification as a Private School due to the change in ownership of the school. We are approved by the regional education office and I go to Lilongwe this week to submit the application at the state education department.  Yahoo!

I could go on and on regarding the miracles God is doing here and what He is showing me about the future.  He is bringing me very good people to work with and keeps encouraging me as I go through the challenges.  Last Thursday after a tough day of no water or electricity and tons of rain, Abusa Kalima calls me to come outside to see something. I walk up the stairs and face the Ndirande Mountains, which are covered in green. And there spreading over the mountains right in front of me is the largest rainbow that I have ever seen.  Like God created it just for me.  To remind me of His promises.  I take Him for His word.  He will finish what He started. We place a stake in this ground for God on this hill.  We will train up leaders in the faith here and they will make a difference for this nation. And people will know that it was not built by man, but by God.

Love, Maribeth

God Is

I am beginning a personal study on “What God is Like”. ( Thank you Annie Herman!) I thought you might all be encouraged by the introduction to the study. Malawi Update below!

God Is

God always has been,

He always will be!

His eternal existence is powerfully

Expressed by two words:

God is.  

I miss you all!  Thank you for your love, prayers and support!  Cindy and I have had a very full 10 days. I thank her with my whole heart for her encouragement, prayers and support. She is heading home now! Here are the highlights of what God is up to in Malawi.

Malawi Montessori Christian School

The children are learning with velocity and joy! Tisu Mwanza  has been hard at work leading the staff. We will be hiring another teacher in the next couple of weeks. Please pray for our discernment. With the additional materials, we are looking like a true Montessori Teacher Training Center. Rock on! The school and training center which was gifted to Acts III in June has been gifted back to us.  

Teacher Internship Program

In two weeks we will start up this program again. This practical week of teaching experience and supervision we will offer as a scholarship to the teachers from the local community based orphan care centers and to private paying clients as well as one of our IGAs.

Africa ABC Project

James Machila has done a brilliant job of leading this project. He has gifts in leadership and administration. He makes me to-do lists!  I love it! Now that the MMC School and Africa ABC Project are working under the same leadership both programs are energized! The blending of spiritual gifts and capacities is making for a great team. What is happening in the orphan care centers can only be explained by the power of the Holy Spirit.  James and I agree, it is unbelievable the transformations that are taking place! 

Property Acquisition – Christian Leadership Center

We will rent space here at Acts III until the property transfer is secured, then we will purchase the property. Randy McEwen, the director of Acts III Global Ministries, arrives February 3^rd. We are praying that as a team we can assist him with removing the obstacles to a purchase.  We are praying for his wisdom and that he can use the authority God has given him to address the not yet resolved issues. We know God is going to do it. He told us He would so we are preparing for a transition.

Ministry Development- Malawi On Mission

God is bringing our Malawian partners forward and we are moving forward with ministry development with our key leader, Abusa Aubrey Kalima, who is a brilliant and humble man. And most importantly he and his wife, Madalo, don’t mind me knocking on their door a zillion times a day to discuss problems and solutions.  We can see the instrumental role both the current church and the local churches of Ndirande will play in the function of the ministry and the development of the Christian Leadership Center. We will be running multiple ministries from this site and requesting the support and partnership of the local churches and other Christian organizations.

Playroom Development at Queens Hospital

Mary O’Neill (who is a business woman, Montessori Credentialed teacher, Nurse, as well as an inspiring Irish Malawian) was asked to create a playroom for children who have life-threatening illnesses at Queens Hospital, the government hospital in Blantrye. She has asked for my partnership. Bring it on Jesus! We are busy designing this room which will encourage and bring hope to these precious children. We are working with the doctor of palliative care, Zoe Palmer.  She asked us to develop the room, but Mary and I are going to create a plan for the development a program to reach the children in all the pediatric wards and train the pediatric nurses in the role of the nurse in the pediatric ward. The amazing part is that are church has been going to Queens twice a month to minister to the sick.  Spiritually speaking, Queens feels like home territory.

Future Trainings

February 22nd-25^th  Leadership and Montessori Teacher Training (4 day)

March 8^th-11^th      Pediatric Nurse Training (4 day)

March  22^nd-26^th and 29^th-31^st Lakeside March Impact Team Trainings for Parents & Specialists working with Children with Physical Challenges (Team composed of educators, Occupational and Physical Therapists as well as media specialists). We will video tape and create DVDs for the training sessions.  Malawian organizations assisting us in the trainings: Cure International Hospital, Queens Hospital,  Feed the Children Orthopedic Recovery Center and Chikondi Orphan Care and Disability Center in Ndirande.

Other Highlights!

Miqlat: Visited the Fair Oaks Presbyterian effort at Chiradzulu village and had a tour of a completed village orphan outreach program at Kagoya.  Miqlat Malawi is working with F.O. Pres on the establishment of a Hope Center at Chiradzulu. Excellent village program! They are doing good work. When we drove home, I held Cindy’s hand and cried. There is so much work yet to be done for the children. Miqlat, which American headquarters is housed in San Diego, is sending two teachers out from SD in Feb.  Hope to meet them and see what God is up to with this new connection.

Ndirande Church: Children’s Church Program and Outreach Ministry is expanding under the leadership of Simon Kambala. Our kids at our school are developing a play about a story in the Bible to present each Saturday to their friends. Our kids take invitations home with them on Friday to invite a friend for Saturday. Wish you all could have seen Jonah and the whale!

Chikondi Center:

Friday we took pictures and recorded a profile on 43 children with disabilities at this center in preparation for the March Team. This center staff and parents are ready for an infusion of leadership and training. This center would be ideal for a vocational center for the 16-23 year olds with disabilities.  The space is available. They do not have trades people or teachers or a plan yet. God told us to help them find business people who would rent out their spaces, apprentice their young people and pay the young people a stipend. What do you think about that!

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRAYERS! THE GROUND WAS PREPARED FOR US! OPEN DOORS EVERYWHERE WE TURNED!

Love, Maribeth

Dear Friends and Family, 

Cindy Dickson and I arrived safely in Johannesburg, South Africa last night and will travel onto Blantyre, Malawi this morning.  Our 8 bags of school materials were checked all the way to Blantrye and we are so grateful for all of your prayers and all the people who helped us along the way. As special thank you to Singh and Gaye at United Airlines for your care and commitment for our mission and our bags! May God bless you abundantly!

Cindy and I were too excited to sleep last night so we proceeded to talk the entire night about our lives, God and Malawi.  We are calling it our slumber party!  And we have promised to stop talking and get a good night sleep tonight.  We spent the night planning the next 10 days, reviewing the next five months plans for the ministry, and planning my summer. So it was an inspiring and productive night in Joburg!

We have great plans for the next 10 days, but despite the many tasks to be accomplished, our focus will be on being with the people we love. Relationships are the priority. The Malawi Montessori Christian School staff and the Africa ABC project staff as well as the Abusas and James and Claudia have been working very hard to continue to make a difference in Ndirande. We cannot wait to see them and thank them and encourage them.

Thank you all  for your love and encouragement!

Love, Maribeth

P.S. We heard from Dan Gillespie with Miqlat- the Fair Oaks Presbyterian partner working with the village at Chiradzulu. We have Malawian staff contact number and are hoping to visit their project about 30-40 minutes from Blantyre next week. Right on!

For unto us a Child is born, For unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ~Isaiah 9:6  

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. ~John 3: 16-17

He keeps His promises.  Merry Christmas & Zikomo. Thank you for making a difference for the children of Malawi! Love, Maribeth

To My Beautiful Friends & Family, Thank you for your prayers and support!  I am in awe of what God is up to for Malawi.  He is bringing together people who have the same commitment to making a difference for The Warm Heart of Africa.

Today I spoke with Sharyn Curtis from LitNet in Montana who has been working with her husband on teacher training and an early literacy curriculum for Uganda. Sound familiar? As Sharyn shared at her church about LitNet and her recent connection to me, a woman told her that she has been praying for Malawi for 20 years and now she knows why. Twenty years ago God put Malawi (a country that many people don’t even know exists) on her heart and she has been praying ever since. Sharyn and David Curtis are sending me their curriculum to take to Malawi. It is my hope that they both can visit Malawi soon. Please check out their website link. www.litnet.info You will be amazed how similar the work they have been doing inUganda is to the Malawi Montessori Project.

This week, Pastor Jeff Kreiser and I met with Senior Pastor Kirk Bottomly and Mission’s Pastor Paulette Lambertson from Fair Oaks Presbyterian, a neighboring church 30 minutes from Lakeside. Fair Oaks Presbyterian is working with an organization called Miqlat to empower local villages in Malawi to better care for the children who have lost parents. Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church is now drilling a well and soon to build a Hope Center in Chiradzulu, Malawi, 30 minutes or so from our project in Ndirande, Malawi.  Thank you Paulette and Kirk! I am forever grateful for you both and your church! I look forward to seeing your project in Malawi and seeing how we can help!  You can check out what they are doing on the section for blogging to the right on this website.  Miqlat is listed as a link too. www.miqlat.com

God is still searching the earth and looking for anyone who is willing to stand in the gap for those He loves.  How long will it be acceptable for us as Americans to eat, when other people go hungry? To go to school, when others have no access to education? To sleep in comfort and peace, when others live in fear of their safety? And as Christians to know the love and grace of God, when others live without hope?  And how will people know about our God and His goodness and His power to make a difference in their lives, unless we go and tell them and show them that He does indeed care about them.

In the Bible there are letters written by people who worshipped God and His Son, Jesus Christ. One of these men, named John, wrote this, “But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?” 1John 3:17

Thank you for your your prayers and love for me! Thank you for sending me to Malawi! We can make a difference - together.

Love, Maribeth

Dear Friends and Family,

Thank you for your love and support! I leave for Malawi on January 4th. I will be gone 5 months. Please pray for me and for my Malawi Core Team Members as we seek God’s direction, wisdom and strength to deliver on the vision and the plans.

“For with God nothing will be impossible.” Luke 1:37

We believe God is calling us to fulfill the following plans for ministry in Malawi in 2010.

January 2010

• Establish a non-profit ~Malawi On Mission
• Malawi Montessori Christian School and Teacher Training Center-Continue & Improve
• Teacher Intership Program-Continue & Improve
• Malawi ABC Project-Continue and Improve
• Formal Leadership and Teacher Trainings- Continue & Improve

February 2010

• Purchase the building and land for Christian Leadership Training Center. (CLTC)
• Begin Christian Discipleship and Leadership Training

March 2010

• Lakeside Impact Team Arrives: providing special education training and support for parents, teachers, and school directors of children with special needs. The team will also be introduced to the community based orphan care centers and government education system.
• Construction to begin on site to finish the living quarters of the Training Center.

April & May 2010

• Continue the  physical construction and program development of the ministry and Christian Leadership Training Center.

Please pray for our Malawi Core Team and for our pastors and missionaries currently at the site in Ndirande, Malawi! Please pray for Acts III Global Ministry Director and board who we are in negotiations with to purchase the building and land.

Malawi Core Team: Pastor Jeff Kreiser, Scott Davis, Kelsey Zeigler, Cindy Dickson, Lynn Merritt, Jose Flores, and myself, Maribeth Leineke

Pastors, Teachers and Missionaries Currently On-Site: Pastor Aubrey Kalima, Pastor Brown, Claudia and James Maliscalco (missionaries), Tisu Mwanza, Madalo Kalima, Jane Kaonjezere, Jane Kabambe(teachers), Bambo Weta Weta and Inus (the guard and his wife) .

Acts III Director, Randy McEwen and wife, Julie. Board Members: Pastor Walt and Michael Dant.

Thank you! Love, Maribeth

Thank you all for hanging tough with me this past months as I process through how to live in two different worlds. It is only the power of your prayers and encouragement that has me back on line. When life gets hard that’s when you know who truly you can count on. Who will accept you just as you are.

I was laughing about 1 Corinthians 13: 4 yesterday, because it is about love and we are studying this chapter at church. Verse 4 starts with “Love suffers long…” I think how patient you are with me and it makes me want to be more patient and kind with others.

This Saturday at 401 Morman- the intersection of Coloma and Natoma- infamously known as the Big Dip to some, we are having another garage sale to raise money for the Malawi Montessori Project. Amy and Jose Flores are also going on mission internationally and selling all their beautiful household furnishings for the cause. It will be 7am-4pm and we could use help in setting up early, helping us sell, or pack up which happens around 4 p.m.

This is one way you can continue to support us! Email me at maribeth@theocean.cc if you can help or just come by this Saturday.  We will have the music rocking as always! May God bless you abundantly! Thank you for being there for me and holding my hand through the rough spots. Love, Maribeth, Mar, Mary

Dear Friends and Family,
Thank you for your ongoing support of this project and this missionary! Malawi matters to me. The country and the people wrapped around my heart and I am committed to making a difference for this nation that I have come to love and respect. We raised $533.77 dollars Saturday for the children of Malawi and this inspires me! It may seem like a small amount to some, but this amount can pay for a Malawian teacher’s salary for the year. Or given that most Malawians survive on $1.25 a day, a child could eat for a year and a half on what we raised in a day of selling second hand items. I believe Jesus always gives a simple answer, not an easy answer, a simple answer to the problems we face.

We are going back to Malawi in 2010 to build a Christian Leadership Center and continue to partner with the Malawians to establish environments of spiritual and educational excellence and resource and empower an educational community. It is all about the children. But to multiply the difference you can make for the children, we need to invest in those serving the children.

I learned in my year in Malawi that things built slowly with much prayer and discernment, community and sacrifice, will be firmly established. I am committed to building on solid ground for Jesus Christ. Matthew 7:24-27

Love, Maribeth

P.S. A special thank you to Karen Lindsay for partnering with me on the garage sale! I don’t think you stopped smiling or talking to people all day! To a humble and powerful up and coming missionary to Malawi, Kelsey Zigler for her servant leader attitude! To Terri and Dan Haverty (tons of stuff!), Patty Underwood and your mom, Cindy Dickson, Pam Loomis, and always Annie and Mark Holt- my rear guards in prayer and service- for donations and prayers! To everyone who donated too! To Lynn Merritt, who can see God move better than anyone I know! A special thank you to Janice my neighbor for the special donations!

Next Event: Art Sale! November!