Dear Friends and Family,

Thank you for all your love, support, and encouragement! We are having the adventure of our lives and experiencing the most remarkable things! Our interactions with the children and families here in Malawi is changing our hearts and minds. Everyone here on staff at the Acts III Children’s Home has supported us greatly in accomplishing our goals. The classroom is half way completed and we start teacher training with 8 women on Wednesday.

Our classroom is beautiful, with hand-made shelves, colorful mats on the floor, Malawian baskets holding all the Montessori materials. We forgot our sandpaper numerals, so Lindsay, with the help of our carpenter, is making a set. Kim Yeager, who made all the Montessori cultural curriculum, bought beads to make more colored-bead stairs for math even before we left.

With Kim and Rose’s energy, we should be setting up four classrooms (smile). Here are some of the things I will never forget.

Watching Caitlin and Rose interact with about 15 young Malawian children outside the Children’s Home gate at dusk. Caitlin had the children draw pictures in her journal and write their names. Rose took pictures and showed the children what they looked like. (We have never seen a mirror yet. Many children have never seen their own face.) As the sun set, Rose brought out glow sticks-neon red, green, blue, yellow- and handed them to the children. You would have thought we had given them money. They laughed and waved them in the air in the dark. So grateful for the little gift.

I will never forget Lindsay and I running down the dirt path (my first jog in Malawi). Weaving through bikers, cars, and women carrying huge baskets of sugar cane. What a brave soul you are Lindsay! Thanks! No one exercises in Malawi, because their whole day is spent in hard labour. Yet they are the most gracious and grateful people. I will never forget Josh Yeager and his interactions with Gabrielle, the three year old son of Bosco, one of our pastors overseeing the project. A gentle hand upon his little shoulder. His gentleness, love, and guidance was so moving. You are a great big brother, Josh! I am so proud of you. Josh Jolly and Brice, laughing and hanging out 24/7 and hanging off the side of every truck-Eating sugar cane everywhere we go and still having room for pizza and icecream! No to mention all your hard work moving bricks and bringing sand up from the river. Patty Underwood reading the book of Joshua outloud to me when I was lying in my bed with a backache. Falling asleep to Joshua. Patty, you are the most beautiful soul! Thank you for all your acts of love.

The team planting a garden at the top of the property. The expressions on Jean, Eileen, Laura, and Sarah’s face as we walked through the town of NDirande( our neighboring town)and talked and laughed with the throngs of kids that surrounded us. Beautiful children, six year olds, carrying their baby sisters and brothers,so thin,with torn clothing and no shoes. They did not want anything, but to be with us. That was their joy. Their names- Owen, Charles, Gift, Promise, Esther, etc. There are 20,000+ orphans in NDirande. It is heart breaking when you see their beautiful smiles. Seems to me like we can do more in America to make a difference for children everywhere. We have accomplished much so far as a team.

Our plans for the next week is to finish the classroom, begin teacher training on Wednesday (6 days in all), visit schools in the surrounding area, go out to the children on the street and put on plays and do puppet theater, and start soccer games. Everyone in this community has made us feel so welcomed.

Thank you to all our American family and friends for your love and prayers. We seek to make you proud and accomplish much for the children.

Love, A Proud Team Leader, Maribeth