View of Mount Soche From the House

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Mountain

Friday we had a holiday so I hiked to the top of Mount Soche to pray.  The mountain is a mountain of prayer. Individuals and church groups go up the mountain and stop on the side of a hill or in the rock outcroppings and worship, pray, and listen to their pastor preach. When you hike the mountain you can hear people praying and singing the whole way up. My friend, Annansa, and I hiked to the top to pray. I thought you all might enjoy seeing the pictures from the top!

Love, Maribeth

 

On our way up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Almost there!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

View from the Top!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another View!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Going to spend the night up here when I return to Malawi!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last View! Everyone knows how much I love a Great View!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ministry

Thank you for your love and support. Malawi Wa Yesu Ministry is amazing.  We have four elements, each led by a Malawian leader: Christian Leadership and Teaching for Adults, the Malawi Montessori Christian School (June 7^th=serving 60 children) and Teacher Training Center, The Africa ABC Project and Zikomo Yesu Enterprises (our business develop NGO, dedicated to establishing income generating activities to sustain the ministry). These things are wonderful, but what is even more unprecedented are the people. The staff of eleven are gentle, powerful, creative, dedicated and humble Malawians who are committed to what God wants to achieve through them in this community.

The Africa ABC Team, under the leadership of Director, James Machila, have  an additional team meeting weekly. We have just begun Bibles for Kids Program. Simon Nkhambala is leading this as our Children’s Ministry Outreach Teacher. The children are earning their own children’s bible with pictures in Chichewa by memorizing 20 scripture passages! Wakonza! Here is the picture of the team in deliberations (smile). Had to make the ladies smile for the picture! Thank you all for your support! God is doing great things and we are just happy to be on His team. Love, Maribeth

Africa ABC Team Meeting after school. This team rocks!

Thank you all for your love and support!  It really makes a difference!  Love, Maribeth

Watching young people lead fills my heart with great love and my mind with a powerful vision for the future. The Director and staff of the ABC Project are all under the age of 30, two of them under 20 and they are getting a real experience of Christian leadership. Here they present an update and Project Outline for 2010 for the directors of the Community Based Child Care Centers (CBCCCs). We are in partnership with seven centers that serve orphaned and vulnerable children 2 ½ to 6.  Each center serves 45-150 children daily.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our staff trains teachers on site, paints educational artwork on the walls, and now we have a Children’s Outreach Ministry Teacher, Simon Nkhambala that visits the centers weekly to give Bible lessons and teach the children the Word of God. Simon also teaches our children at the school two times a week. He and Jane Kaonjezere are designing our Bible curriculum for 2010-2011! Zikomo!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Since our kids in Guava are developing strong reading and writing skills in English and Chichewa, we are starting a earn your own kid’s Bible program.  Once they memorize 25 verses, they are going to receive an illustrated children’s Bible at their reading level!  Way to go Simon and Jane! We would like to expand this program to the CBCCCs but each Bible costs 8$ so we are starting small.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The children at our school learned about the layers of the Earth and volcanoes this week!  It was an exciting week! We thank Folsom Art Association for donating money for art supplies.  We bought clay and you can see that the children made their own Earths and then cut them to see the layers. We created volcanoes the Montessori way outside.  A big hit and great learning experience!  Then the children drew volcanoes and labeled the parts.  Art is a vital part of self-expression and learning at our school. We weave art into cultural studies.

 

We love our school, but have to pack it up each week and store it on Saturdays and Sundays because we only rent the space during the week.  It is a lot of work, but the kids have started helping us on Fridays and they help with set up on Mondays.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prayer Requests: 

Please pray for our children that they will grow in faith, love, and learning. Please pray  the staff of Malawi Wa Yesu will grow in Christian leadership, maturity, love and unity.  Please pray for us as we take actions to become self-sustainable.  Please pray for our wisdom and administration! And please pray for our ministry partners that they will be empowered to serve the children with great care and intelligence.  Zikomo!  See you all soon!

 Love, Maribeth

Our children are preparing to welcome 15-20 new students to our school this June! We are working with our community partners to receiving referrals for identified needy children within the town of Ndirande. We are going to be adding children from a single parent home or children who are with a guardian because of the loss of both parents.  These are the most vulnerable of the children here, though so many children are in need.

Our Malawian team and I are encouraged by your prayers and support as we seek to develop leaders through love, truth, and a dynamic Montessori Christian education!  Some pictures of our amazing kids this week!