Project Malawi
November 8-13, 2008
Our mission is to serve the poor by caring for orphans through recreational development and assist with construction projects.
Latest From the Journal
Would you walk across this?
Dave Schmidgall · November 20, 2008 · 5:47 PM
Here’s a shot of a typical make-shift bridge that is continually used by those traveling to and from villages. It’s difficult enough during dry season, but during the 4-month rainy season, several are killed as a result of powerful rivers.
James and his team at Servants of the Nations are building small concrete bridges, and are making a big difference in the lives of many in local villages in Malawi. The team had the opportunity to invest in some of these bridges that are being built.
Beyond the Trip
Dave Schmidgall · November 13, 2008 · 10:15 AM
The team spent the evening discussing tangible ways to further serve the ministries of James, Frera, and Isaac on the trip and after they leave.
There were some funds left over because of several financial blessings over the course of the trip, and they felt strongly that God would like them to divide it equally and give it to them to use for their needs.
Also part of the discussion was setting up a non-profit organization to fund MOLIMA when the team returns to the States. Be on the lookout for that! That could be one way to get involved here at NCC!
Overjoyed
Dave Schmidgall · November 12, 2008 · 2:11 PM
On Monday morning the team woke up and had breakfast, then traveled back to MOLIMA to share gifts with the children. There were eight HUGE suitcases full of all sorts of supplies, clothing, and games that were brought and were delighted to begin unpacking them. They met the kids and sang songs with them. Colleen also had a chance, through Isaac’s interpretation, to thank them for having the team and to share a message of Christ’s love.
Then the fun began!
They gave each child a new backpack, sweatshirt, pen, and pencil. They were overjoyed! Ponchos were provided for every kid, as they must sometimes walk to work during the torrential rainy season, which will begin just a few weeks after leaving. Then came the volleyball, football, baseballs, a badminton set, and about a dozen frisbees. The entire grounds of the orphanage then became a giant playing field for many different sports.
The weight of the smiles and joy was overwhelming.
Like Nailing Jell-O to a Wall
Dave Schmidgall · November 11, 2008 · 5:32 PM
Arrived in Dedza on Sunday evening after a long drive through the countryside of Malawi. Dedza sits in the western part of Malawi, near the country’s border with Mozambique. Frera (another amazing man) and his family live there, and the MOLIMA Family Home is there, as well. This home is owned and run by Isaac Bonda and his family. They began by reluctantly taking five orphaned children into their home.
Over time, God began calling them to take in more and more children. Five more… six more… five more. The family now has thirty children living in the home. Isaac also chooses the children based on need; that is to say, he travels to the most destitute of villages in and around Dedza and takes in kids who are in very poor conditions.
The mission of MOLIMA (Mission of Love in Malawi) is to raise the children, provide food, clothing, and shelther to them, allow them to attend school to obtain an education, and teach them about the message of Christ… that they are beloved children of God. The Bonda family has stunned the team. They are redefining what it means to be humble, to trust God, and to love Christ with their whole being.
Unfortunately, several of our rooms were given to other parties, but we managed just fine. Paul, a frequent traveler to and former resident of Malawi, even made light of this (in regards to making firm plans in Malawi/Africa): “It’s like trying to nail Jell-O to a wall.”
Suffering Seaside
Dave Schmidgall · November 11, 2008 · 4:38 PM
Today the team heads off to Dedza to work at the Molima orphanage. At the moment, they are “suffering seaside” at Lake Malawi.
It is beautiful!
Area 25
Dave Schmidgall · November 11, 2008 · 11:25 AM
Saturday was spent in Area 25, a group of villages in Lilongwe. One of the primary reasons for the trip was to visit the site of a bridge that the community is building that will span a 6-feet-wide river. During the rains the make-shift wooden bridge washes away. So far at least five people have died trying to cross the river during the rain. Servants of the Nation helped to organize the community and get the materials locally. Construction on the bridge should begin on Monday if the ground is dry.
They are using concrete, stone, and wooden planks for construction. If all goes well, it should be done in a week, just before the rains begin.
The predominant need in the villages was for wells. Many were in disrepair and at least one was highly contaminated. Many of the elders and others in the villages suffer from bloody diarrhea among other things. The women could not boil the water because of a lack of firewood. Those wells that were broken will be fixed next week. The contaminated well will be shocked with chlorine soon. In the meantime, the village will have access to potable water from another well about a half-mile away.
Bold and Simple Message
Dave Schmidgall · November 10, 2008 · 1:00 PM
We must love our neighbors.
James’ wife Brenda shared a bold message to the village: [that] as God loves his people, his creation, so also does James love the people of Malawi. Indeed, this is the heartbeat of Servants of the Nation. And what a challenge to us: to live as “imitators of God”—Ephesians 5:1. James then spoke to the village members, and his message was simple: we must love our neighbors. Who are our neighbors? Those in need. We may have different homes, statuses, or skin color, but God calls us to reach out and to serve others despite our differences. James and his team usually spend six to seven days a week meeting with villages, hearing and understanding needs, and doing their best to provide what they can, as acts of mercy and examples of God’s abundant love.
In response to the village’s previous request, the team was able to help Servants of the Nation show love through action and provision by passing out packets of salt to the people of Chilota village.
Salt is an expensive commodity, and the people often suffer from iodine deficiency when their diet contains no salt. It was both a great joy to provide this need and a heartbreaking, sobering realization that we could not to more at that time. We left the village and returned to the lodge for the evening. We stayed up late discussing the events of the day, praying for the people of the village, and thinking about how we might be able to serve them and help Servants of the Nation this week and in the future.
What was the Purpose of Coming? Part 2
Dave Schmidgall · November 10, 2008 · 12:50 PM
On Friday afternoon the team visited Chilota village in Lilongwe. The people of the village greeted warmly, with songs and rushed to shake hands. After a gracious and accommodating introduction by the village elders, everyone sat down in chairs as honored guests. Meanwhile, the village men sat on mats to the left, and the women and children on the dirt in front of us. The children sat separate from their parents but behaved for the entire meeting, which lasted several hours. Our team was amazed by how patient and well-behaved the kids were and by how the parents were not overbearing toward small interruptions they may have caused. Only towards the end of the meeting did one of the younger men come over to sit with the children and help calm them down.
Several village elders spoke first. They spoke in Chechua, the common language of Malawi, and though lacking understanding, it was clear that they were sharing the village’s needs with James and the team. One man spoke of the need for a school in their village. Though there was a school some distance away, the young children could not attend for fear of abduction by witch doctors, who kill the children to harvest body parts for sacrificial purposes, can easily capture children who are not tall enough to see above the land’s maize stalks and not quick enough to run away.
This message, a chilling and horrifying introduction to Malawian culture, highlighted that there are both basic needs and complex problems for their people.
What was the Purpose of Coming?
Dave Schmidgall · November 10, 2008 · 12:39 PM
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God. —Micah 6:8
As the plane descended to Kamuzu International Airport early on Friday morning, the first sight was taken of the Malawian countryside. Though the land showed many signs of life (trees, huts, cars and people), team members were struck by how sparsely scattered these items were across the land. James Nyondo and Shadrach of Servants of the Nation greeted the team at the airport and were transported to the Kuka Lodge, the residence for the first several nights, in the mid-morning. The mission of Servants of the Nation is to minister to villages throughout Malawi, providing basic needs (everything from food to supplies to shelter), teaching them about the love of Christ, and challenging the chiefs and leaders to live as servants to their people.
While the team ate lunch, Pastor Paul challenged them to ponder the question: what was the purpose of coming?
One answer to this question would become visible just a few hours later when traveling to a nearby village…
Exceeding the Limit
Dave Schmidgall · November 09, 2008 · 1:15 PM
How cool is this, upon checking in at Dulles, several of the suitcases were over the 50 pound limit, but, upon seeing the contents of the luggage (supplies for an orphanage), the check-in attendant decided to “overlook” the extra weight!
On landing in the airport in Nairobi, Kenya, the team met up with NCC members Tyler and Lydia Lund. Another answer to prayer, the two provided transportation to and from the airport, as had a short overnight stay before our flight to Lilongwe. Tyler is working for Global Partners, an organization that teaches business principles to people in Nairobi and the surrounding areas. Lydia works for First Love, whose mission is to minister to women in the slums in Nairobi. The organization, in addition to loving the women through their presence, provides them with opportunities to sell hand-crafted goods (cards, clothing, artwork) in local markets. Through this, they have income to purchase food and basic necessities for their families.
After a short night of fellowship with the Lunds in Nairobi, the team was back off to the airport and on there way to Malawi.
