A Busy Summer of Volunteerism

Editor's Note: The summer of 2007 is proving to be one of the most active ever for volunteer groups visiting Malawi from the U.S. By the end of August, teams representing churches, colleges and high schools will have come from California, Arizona, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas and Missouri to minister to and fellowship with the children of Malawi served by MoH.

The following excerpts are from an article by Fran Siems that appeared in the newsletter of Valley Presbyterian Church in Paradise Valley, AZ. Fran is a member of VPC and was part of a volunteer team from the church that visited Malawi this spring. Click on the image below to watch an interactive slide show of their trip.

Malawi, “the warm heart of Africa”, the slogan read. It was the privilege of 7 members of Valley Presbyterian Church to experience the truth of that phrase. Led by the vision of Dr. Ken Root and the Ministry of Hope, we enjoyed breathtaking scenery, beautiful weather, new friendships, learning experiences, but most of all being blessed by the joy of our association with 4000 – 5000 children and their MoH mentors at 5 feeding centers and at the Crisis Nursery

A few observations and reflections of the scope of MoH:Children daily walking up to 7 miles to a feeding center to get their one meal of the day: maize porridge with beans or minnows. Then after a Bible story about the love of Jesus, a 10-year-old AIDS orphan saying, “I know Jesus loves me because He gives me everything I need,” i.e. tattered dress, no shoes, one meal a day, and living in a grass-roofed hut with her grandmother and the goats.

• A Crisis Care Nursery caring for 27 babies where we fed and rocked abandoned and critically ill orphans, where happy 9 month old Stella performed on the drum for us, but another baby died of AIDS just before we left.

• Meeting a few of the 217 adolescents who are able to continue their education past 8th grade because the MoH granted scholarships for them to attend high schools and technical schools. Following a Bible story drama which took place in the dirt driveway of one of the feeding centers, Michael shared how he had experienced God’s love by being given a MoH scholarship. Another young man asked for prayers that he would pass the qualifying exam in order to be placed on the waiting list for a scholarship. MoH is celebrating its first orphan to become a university student at Malawi’s Kamuzu College of Nursing!
  
  
• Seeing the joy of the villagers at the Selengo feeding center as they   worked at a small new maize mill, grinding the grain into flour for porridge, which is an income- generating project and a service to the village.
  

• The grand opening of a new brick chicken house at the Matapila feeding center, with only a few occupants currently but taking reservations for many more, hopefully soon. Goat barn construction will also begin soon. Two water wells are about to be dug in two other villages, as women often need to walk 30 minutes each way to get water from wells. Picture them all over Malawi with tubs of water on their heads.

Many projects are in the planning stages or are in the ‘dreams and visions’ category. Current plans include a yogurt factory, grain bank project, vocational training center, a MoH secondary school and library project. Dr. Ken Root is laying the groundwork for a mobile medical unit which will service the needs of the approximately 5000 children at the feeding centers and the Crisis nurseries.

In addition to medical care, hygiene and basic nutrition will be taught, along with family planning. Project Cure, a ministry of surplus medical supplies and medication with warehouses throughout our country, will be the source for most of the medical needs, and funds are currently being solicited for the medical van. One of the dreams of MoH will begin to be realized in the next year. Funds are available to purchase land in Lilongwe, the capital city, for a new administration building and training center, a third Crisis nursery, and a MoH guest center. $300,000 has been donated from PCUSA churches for this project.

Trip highlights remembered (from some of the team): “Tireless workers who lived at feeding centers and crisis nurseries and gave unselfishly of their time.” “Children who had nothing, but were joyful.” “Getting to know the warm-hearted, gracious, gentle, generous and genuine spirit of the Malawian people.” “The children singing for us.”

Needs observed: “Warm clothes for the children with winter coming.” “Scholarships for the bright, industrious and deserving Malawian adolescents for high school and college, as it is through education that this poor country will rise to a new and better standard of living.”

Blessings received: “People all over the world are working towards making life easier for the Malawians.” “How lucky I am; I could do without so much “stuff” and use these funds for mission.” “Through the language of love we could all communicate.” “Sharing the Good News of the gospel.” “The children who witnessed to us beyond our comprehension about the love of Christ.” “The witness of an 11 year old orphan saying, “Jesus gives me life; Jesus gives me food; Jesus gives me everything.”

Bob Pierce, the founder of World Vision, once said, “I don’t ask God to bless what I do; I pray that He will help me to do what he blesses.” That was our prayer as we worked alongside our Malawian friends to carry on the work there that He daily blesses.