In Malawi On Mission
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 3rd. 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-25th Leadership and Montessori Teacher Training (4 day)
March 8th-11th Pediatric Nurse Training (4 day)
March 22nd-26th and 29th-31st 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
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