Ministry of Hope has opened a Crisis Nursery in the northern town of Mzuzu that has a capacity of caring for eight infants. The new nursery opened its doors in late August and is being run by the Langdon family of Washington State.

“Our saga started about a year ago when we visited Malawi for the first time with friends of ours who have been coming for about three years,” said Andy Langdon who moved to Malawi with his wife Lisa and their six children in June.

“We came for one month to help them out in the Karonga area and during our time here we saw much suffering and need. James 1:27 has always been prominent in God’s plan for our life: "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction."

“In our travels, we met Nancy Dimmock who planted some seeds by showing us the Crisis Nursery in Lilongwe.”

The Langdon’s found a large house in Mzuzu that was ideally suited to start a home nursery with two extra guest bedrooms. They met with a social welfare officer in mid August and had their first baby, five-month-old Mphasto, on August 28. Several more orphans soon followed, and the Langdons are now caring for seven infants.

The Langdons have had their hands full in making the transition to life in Malawi. Andy and Lisa’s six children are all adopted. They range in age from 5 to 16, and are all home schooled. Shortly after the family set up house in Mzuzu they were robbed.

"They made off with our two laptop computers, digital camera, all the childrens shoes, and Lisa’s bible," said Andy.

Fortunately, no one was hurt, and Andy said that the event brought offers of aid from neighbors and actually helped the family build relationships in their community.

"During the weeks that followed we were blessed with several new friends that helped us get through, said Andy. "We were offered other places to live temporarily until security at the house could be beefed up and several new friendships were the result - what man intended for evil, God used for good. ”

We give praise that the Langdon family has opened the way for Ministry of Hope to serve the children in the northern region of Malawi as our projects to date have revolved around Lilongwe in the central region. God willing, one day we may also have community based orphan care centres in the villages around Mzuzu.