2010 Results & Update –Thank you Jesus!

“For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

From Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. (1 Corinthians 3:9-11)

2010 Results

• Established Malawian NGO -Zikomo Yesu (Thank you Jesus) Enterprises
• Established Malawian Ministry- Wa Yesu (For Jesus) Ministries
• WE ARE SELF-SUSTAINABLE!  IN 9 MONTHS! ONLY JESUS DOES THIS!
• Moved School & Teacher Train Center to Feed the Children, Nyambadwe, Blantyre
• Malawi Montessori Christian School serving 45 Children daily from Ndirande
• Held Three Formal Leadership and Montessori Training Weeks led by Malawian Leaders- Trained 109 teachers from private schools and CBCCCs at our Teacher Training Center.
• Taught 19 Teaching Interns through Practical Week of Teaching Program
• Africa ABC Project serving 370 children at the Community Based Child Care Centers (CBCCCs) weekly.
• Africa ABC Project empowering 17 teachers at local CBCCCs in Ndirande through teacher training on their centers weekly.
• Painted five CBCCCs with educational artwork & assisted in material development
• Addition of Five New Malawian Staff Members to our Ministry
• Hosted March 2010 Occupational & Physical Therapist  & Media Team (Team Results: 2 Parent Trainings &Training Videos for parents and rehabilitation specialists who work with physically challenged kids.)
• Africa ABC Project sponsoring four parent leaders and one coordinator to continue the work with the children with physical disabilities at Chikondi and Feed The Children Rehabilitation Center.
• On-going Partnerships formed with Strategic Malawian Organizations: Guthrie Bible College, Feed the Children, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, & Chikondi Center for Children with Disabilities
• Jesus gets Maribeth a job in Malawi! Serving children with learning challenges at Phoenix International in morning & Executive Director of Ministry in afternoon! Praise God!
• Held Christmas Outreach Project for the children of Ndirande in partnership with Guthrie Bible College (9,000 illustrated books of John 3:16 distributed to the children! Amen!)

Happening Currently (Please Pray for Us)

January 2011

• Kelsey Zeigler and Becca Dague arrive to serve as part of Africa ABC Team at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital

February 2011

• Montessori Early Childhood Diploma Program begins. I am training three of our Malawi Montessori Christian School teachers and three private paying clients for a year.
• Last evaluation by government board for certification of our school this week.  This has been a very, very long process. Please pray for us for completion.

March 2011

• Selecting New Board Members for Board of Trustees
• Possible visit by my cousin (smile) and doctor to review our project
• Development of our Ministry’s Five Year Plan

April 2011

• Lynn Merritt and Cheryl Ramage from Lakeside Church arrive for Easter Outreach +
• Redesigning Financial and Business Systems
• Easter Outreach to 10,000 children in Ndirande

June 2011

Possibly a visit from small team of Montessori teachers

July 2011

• MB Home to U.S.

September 2011

• Adding additional participants to diploma program

Future Goals (More prayer!)

• Addition of Board Members
• Purchase Land & Build Nursery, Primary and (eventually)Secondary School
• Expansion of Services to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital
• Continued Self-Sustainability
• Begin accreditation of Teacher Training Center (early)
• Final certification of Wa Yesu Ministries
• Final certification of our school
• Three of our Teachers receive their diploma Feb 2012
• Literacy Project (which is very close to my heart) is On Hold until we have a staff member to coordinate it.

It costs between 2,500-2,800 U.S. monthly to run our ministry (salaries, rent, and programs & projects.  I will add our financial accounting for 2010 this week.

We, the staff of Wa Yesu Ministries, thank you for making a difference for the children of Ndirande, Malawi. We thank you for your investment in Malawian leadership. These results would not have been possible without you!   I am forever grateful!  Love, Maribeth

Thank you all for your prayers! 35 Participants completed our 4-Day Leadership & Montessori Teacher Training Level 1 Course this past week. And as my new UK friends like to say, “It was brilliant!” And it really was! I am blessed with 10 amazing leaders who run our Malawian ministry and non-profit. They are servant leaders, who do whatever it takes to get the job done.  No job too small or too big for them. Our participants have helped us meet our December 2010 goal to become a self-sustainable Malawian non-profit in 9 months. It is a miracle.  9 months my friends! 9 months!

God keeps His promises. We will continue to fund the operations and programs of our ministry and non-profit (budget, salaries, rent, etc.) from Malawian kwacha with God’s wisdom and provision. Why? Because He said so.

Thank you to all our supporters in the U.S. and participants for your prayers, love and generosity!  We are blessed by your continued partnership! God has big plans in 2011! Let’s take it up a notch! Be bold and faithful! Reach out to those in need and those who are hurting or lost with God’s truth, grace, and love. That is what He said to do.

Jesus said, “You did not chose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.”  Zikomo Yesu!

35 Participants sang & danced & learned about leadership & teaching with great focus and intention!

My Peeps have become professionals! Zikomo to Simon Nkhambala and Abgail Napuwa for their service to the Kingdom! We could not have done it without you two! Simon is leading the outreach to 9,000 children in Ndirande on Christmas Day. Emmanuel means God With Us!

Hilda Mandota, our Paw Paw (2 1/2 to 5yr old class) Teacher demonstrating Color Box II to teachers in a small group. The teachers experienced learning with partners, small groups, and whole group. They loved it! FULL PARTICIPATION! As I like to say, "Nobody gets to hide out in our classes!"

God bless you James Machila for your service to Jesus! James Machila, Director of the Africa ABC Project, delivering our Leadership Section.

Jane Kabambe! I love you! Jane (on left) with a participant. Jane led sections on First Aide, Health and Safety, Cultural Studies, etc and demonstrated lessons in all areas! This woman rocks!

Hilda (on left) demonstrating math lesson to the whole group! Love you Paw Paw Girl! Your love for those little kids is so amazing! God bless you!

Abgail, Paul, Jane Katera (newly married!) Zikomo! I love you guys! Paul, thanks for all your humor and shenanigans (as we say in Cali) and Jane and Abby for your consistent and humble service to our ministry. Abgail, Paul and Jane serve on Africa ABC Team and go out to the five community based child care centers in Ndirande as well as Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital pediatric wards. My heart is full of appreciation for your love demonstrated to those children!

Zikomo Abusa Aubrey Kalima for leading the section on employee and employer rights and for sharing the Word!

Small group discussions of leadership principles and Montessori philosophy and methodology were very productive!

Jane Kabambe explaining object boxes, picture boxes and moveable alphabet as part of Montessori Language series!

Tisugane Mwanza! You rock! Tisu explaining Montessori word building series and grammar symbols. It was my greatest joy to be a part of this training with her! Tisu is the Director of our Malawi Montessori Christian School and Teacher Training Center. She leads our Teacher Internship Program, where participants experience a practical week of teaching in the classes with our children.

Reverand Althea Meyer from Guthrie Bible School, is our Advisor on our Board of Trustees of our ministry. Zikomo Althea! We love you and we value your wisdom and partnership!

Tisu and Althea!

Dear Friends and Family,

Your investment is growing in Malawi! Our staff is growing in leadership, faith, experience and training.  And they are investing in the lives of those in our community and in the lives of our children. I can’t think of a better way to invest in a country! Here are some pictures of the children.  Please pray for us in the following areas:

• Next Leadership & Montessori Teacher Training-Dec. 13,14,15, & 16 -for plenty of participants & great joy and learning!
• Christmas in Ndirande-Children’s Christmas Book (John 3:16) distribution to 9,000. Yes, that is 9,000 children in Ndirande. Led by our Children’s Ministry Leader, Simon Khambala, in partnership with Guthrie Bible College and their Children’s Ministry Workers. A project this size has never been done for the children in our town. We need your prayers!
• Third Income Generating Activity- Children’s Books Sales. This activity was put on hold until January 2011. Please pray for our provision. We are committed to be self-sufficient. All funds to sustain the ministry generated from inside Malawi.  Only Jesus can make this happen in 9 months!
• Please pray for incoming Women on Mission from Lakeside Church – Kelsey Zeigler and Becca Dague arriving this January 2011 to work as part of ourministry’s outreach to the children in pediatric wards at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital.
• Lastly, we dream big enough to be looking at land to purchase. Every week on Friday we pack up the school (all three classrooms) and store it in a 10 by 10 space and then set up the school every Monday morning. We are so grateful for our space that we rent, but the shifting does not provide continuity in our programs nor the ability to expand our programs to the weekends. We would love to invest in a place of our own instead of renting. Please pray for us as we discern about land of our own to build.  I will put pics of the land we have identified in the next update.

Zikomo!  Here are our kids!

Botany - Study of Flowers Unit

Botany, botany

We love our library!

Our Kids performing dance for their parents and guardians at monthly parent meeting. We are a Parent/Guardian Participation School. The first of its kind in Malawi.

Tisu leading our Montessori Practical Week Internship Program

Dear Friends and Family, 

Our ministry staff and kids have been working very hard these past five months! I thought you might want to see some inspirational pictures of what they all have been up! (Tee, your camera is still working so great!) We also have a few prayer requests which I will put at the end. Your prayers really make a HUGE difference here.  We have had many breakthroughs and blessings in our projects and work this past week. Thank you for interceeding for us! We have passed through some challenging situations as a ministry these past six weeks, but God has given our leaders profound wisdom, love and power to be effective. God gave me this scripture a week after I landed. This may help you with what you are facing in life. Big things are ahead for us here and we would appreciate your continued prayers for wisdom and provision and unity and love.

“You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are on you. Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the Eternal Rock.” Isaiah 26:3-4

August 2010 Leadership & Montessori Teacher Training! A Full House!

Small Group Practice!

Demonstration Lessons! Tisu, leading brilliantly!

Exploring the materials!

Discussion of Leadership & Teaching Concepts in Partners!

Full Participation! They were a motivated group of learners!

Sensorial Practice! Pink Tower!

Practicing Leadership Concepts: presentation, communication, etc

James led Leadership Sessions with excellence, enthusiasm, and joy - as usual! He also was taking so many pictures of everyone else, that he neglected to get one of himself! So here he is as master of ceremonies at a wedding!

There was lots of joyful learning!

Enthusiasm! Thank you Jane Kabambe & Hilda Mandota, two of our teachers and now trainers! Zazikulu!

Every member of our staff helped and participated! Great teamwork!

Thank you Simon for all your hard work behind the scenes & Pastor Kalima for the prayers and teaching!

Thank you Paul! You are a servant leader just like Jesus and leading well with Africa ABC!

Recognition of Participants Ceremony - Thank you Rev. Althea Meyer for your participation and on-going counsel to our ministry! We value your guidance and leadership!

Pictures are really worth a thousand words! Thank you all for launching me back to Malawi and supporting our efforts here! You are making a difference here and it matters to Jesus and to me too! Zikomo! Love, Maribeth

Thanksgiving for my four little mangoes! Maya, Sage, Chandi & Luke!

Thanksgiving for my Sibs & Mom, Christina (Tee), Mike, Mark & Joan!

Thanksgiving for Cort, my brother-in-law! Thanks for your love, support and my haircut!

Thanksgiving for Angel, my sis in law, for your love, gentleness & commitment to family. You are a blessing to me!

Thanksgiving for Melissa, sis in law, for encouragement, support & the bag!

Thanksgiving for Lisa, for you always asking what I need!

Thanksgiving for my beautiful & faithful friends that I don’t have pictures of! Julie for your constant love and wisdom! Cindy, Pam, Anne D., Salwa, Kara for your prayers and encouragement! Annie Holt for your faithfulness in prayer! Annie, Bob and Holly! Lisa & Denise, send Mexican food! (smile) Jeannine C, Jacqueline, Lynn!  All the prayer divas! And my luggage packing helpers! -Eun Mi!  Jim and Deb, I am on line because of you two! Deb Doss, number one mover and shaker! Antioch Charter Academy 1 and 2! Thank you Kathy Estrada for your on-going support and relationship with our school. Thank you for the donations and pen pal project! For Michael and Jerry, for your love, humor, encouragement! Yahoo! For more amazing friends and supporters than I can list! Thank you for your financial giving to this project. It is sustaining our operations as we become self-sustainable. We count every Kwacha! I am praising God for you!

OEM Radicals of the Faith

CMP-Shingle Springs! Love You Guys! Zikomo!

Allison Montessori! Zikomo!

Jim, John and Salwa! Couldn't have done it without your help! Thanking God for your gift of love and service!

Linda, you rock! And Buckeye Special Educators! Zikomo for the materials!

“Defend the poor and fatherless; Do justice to the afflicted and needy.”    

       ~Psalm 82:3~

  That is what He said to do. So we are going to continue to do it.

Dear Family and Friends,

Thank you for your support! You know who I am and you know what I am committed to! God designed me for a purpose. And that purpose is to serve in Malawi and make a difference for the children of the nation.

So it is time to take it up a notch!  My two year immigration status has been approved! I leave for Malawi November 3^rd.  I will return when the mission is complete. I am asking for your continued partnership in our effort there.  

Your financial giving will support our staff salaries, budget for school and ABC Project. It will help pay for the materials for two of our teachers to obtain their Montessori Early Childhood Credentials. (Never would these women have this opportunity!) It so rocks! Your giving will support our literacy outreach project and help us to become self-sustainable by December of this year. It will enable us to purchase Montessori materials for 5^th-7^th grade and expand our school. It will enable me to transport Montessori materials to Malawi this November. Ok, I am crying now, because it really, really, really, matters to me. Please see all the ways you can support us below.

Please let me know if you are committed to:

___Pray

___Give money (Have a garage sale! Sell something!)

___Give resources (We’d love Montessori Materials!)

___Come to Malawi in 2011

___Send others to Malawi in 2011

___Share about Malawi and our effort with others

___Support the effort in some other way: _________ 

To give you may go to on-line giving at www.lakesidechurch.com or send a check to Lakeside Church with Maribeth-Malawi in the memo line.  Your giving will go to support our ministry and NGO in Malawi. We are counting every Kwacha! (It is tax deductible!  Right on!) Beginning this fall, I have become a Strategic Partner with my home church, Lakeside Church. A special thank you to them for their continued love and support of me and God’s work in Malawi.

God has placed me in a very strategic position, giving me a paid special education position that is full-time – half day, beginning this November in Malawi. This will allow me to stay in Malawi without ongoing fundraising for my expenses. I will spend my mornings at Phoenix International School, a walking distance from our Malawi Montessori Christian School and Teacher Training Center. At Phoenix, I will set up and run their special education program at this elementary school and train local Malawians to be teachers in special education as well. And as you probably can guess, the money I make in Malawi will be invested in the ministry and our efforts to make a difference for the kids! Yahoo! Each day, in the afternoon, I will join our Malawian ministry staff and complete the day with them.  It is an amazing opportunity!  I am still amazed Jesus did this!

Most recently we established a Malawian Ministry (Malawi Wa Yesu) and a Malawian NGO (Zikomo Yesu Enterprises) to empower the Malawian leaders whom we have trained in leadership and teaching, lead the school and outreach programs to the hospital and community based child care centers (CBCCCs).  I return to support the Malawi Montessori Christian School and Teacher Training Center, our ten ministry staff members and to expand our services to children with special needs. I will be training local Malawians how to teach children with disabilities including learning challenges. We will also be developing inexpensive children’s books in English and Chichewa for distribution in Ndirande as part of our on-going focus on early childhood education. Kelsey Zeigler, a certified nurse’s assistant, will be joining me in January for ayear and Becca Dague, for two months to support our effort to reach the children in the pediatric wards at our local government hospital- Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital. Kelsey and I hope to host three impact teams from Lakeside in 2011 also!

These are our goals for 2010-2011! With God’s help we will meet these! 

Expansion of the Number of Children at our School – Currently accepting & screening applications of neediest kids

Formal Leadership and Teacher Training Week –  August 9^th-12^th  It rocked!

Africa ABC Project Expansion – Currently painting CBCCSs with new educational artwork

Business Development Program for Women- It has begun! Yahoo!

Community Wide Literacy Project- Launch by October 2010 Beginning Now!

Financial Self-Sustainability by December 2010

Second and Third Malawian Missionary! Yahoo! Kelsey Zeigler and Becca Dague are on their way! – January 2011

Credentialing of Two Staff Members – December 2011

Expansion of Services to Queen Elizabeth Hospital – February 2011 

Prayer Requests! Of course about all of the above, but for the next few weeks:

• That God would continue to guide us, love us, give us wisdom, protect us, and help us in all ways!
• My financial provision and the financial provision of all aspects of our ministry and projects
• My peace, focus on Jesus, organizational, planning and management skills (smile).
• Teams forming for 2011 trips to Malawi. We are in planning stages – It seems that God is launching a multidisciplinary team to impact Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital. We have women interesting in making a difference for the pediatric wards through patient care training of staff and outreach to the children. We also have a social worker who would like to contribute her expertise in working towards the protection of children to reduce abuse. Woo Ha! Please pray for team and for my spiritual discernment of what God wants to do. As you know my past Malawian leadership & educational training partner, Mary O’Neill is a Montessori teacher and last year renewed her nursing credential. Interesting, huh!
• Please pray for my housing situation in Malawi, which will be strategic to supporting teams visiting and my safety and ease of myself and Kelsey Zeigler and Becca, arriving Jan 2011.
• My Family- That they may know God’s overwhelming love for them and my love and gratitude too!
• I have been offered a book publishing contract for a children’s book I wrote in Malawi. Please pray for my discernment.

What we are doing in Malawi and our commitment to become self-sustainable in 7 months has never been attempted before. It is a Malawian effort to impact the education system for Jesus Christ. Our structure, processes, and goals have never existed or been attempted in this way before in this country. We have designed everything to honor God and empower people. We appreciate your partnership! We promise that your investment will grow!

Love, Maribeth