Proclaiming His Love

Community Health Evangelism (CHE)

2011-09-22T02:52:00.004-04:00

Take a look at the new program we are working towards implementing into our ministry in Malawi. It's called Community Health Evangelism (CHE) and we are so excited about it. Soon, we will be training to be trainers for this program and we will then train others to train others. That is how CHE is multiplied.....and the Gospel is multiplied. CHE is an evangelism and development tool.

You can read more about it on the Global CHE website: click here - http://www.chenetwork.org/whatische.php

Here's a quick description: "Community Health Evangelism (CHE) is a proven strategy being used worldwide by more than 400 Christian ministries and organizations. CHE addresses the root causes of poverty, disease, and spiritual darkness by training local leaders to share the gospel and mobilize community action. Communities learn to prevent disease, enhance agriculture, and generate enterprise. Local leaders gain capacity to implement sustainable solutions utilizing local resources and appropriate technologies."

We will be reporting on our progress periodically. CHE is a slow process sometimes and we appreciate prayers for patience.

2011-09-05T11:06:00.001-04:00

Sweet smiles - thankful hearts!

2011-06-06T01:09:00.002-04:00

These girls were the first to receive new uniforms. As you can see, they were all smiles. Most of the girls do not get new clothes very often so this was not only a gift that would allow them to attend school, but a beautiful new dress that they can show off to all of their village.

They were so proud and happy. We look forward to hearing news of their progress in school.

Orphan Youth Camp 2011

2011-05-23T11:32:00.009-04:00

With the Lord's perfect timing and setup, we were able to put together a youth camp this year. Mandy had been corresponding with people from True Love Waits and has been praying for a presentation for the youth in our orphan program. We were so excited that two young ladies who have been trained to do youth seminars and followup Bible studies came to Malawi. It was such a privilege that we could have them at our youth retreat.
Kelley Barrow and Emily Douglas are from South Carolina and have been studying at the University of South Carolina. They are spending their summer in Malawi teaching True Love Waits and have become very busy walking through the doors the Lord has been opening for them.

The illustrations and interactions were very applicable for the Malawian youth. They loved the participation. The sessions really helped them to think not only about their decision to commit to purity and abstinence, but also with their commitment to Jesus.

The camp included an overnight stay and the kids stayed up most of the night singing and talking. Even after the long night, the youth were so attentive to the teaching on love, sex and marriage.

Andy was the "Game Guy" and there were some really hilarious and fun games.

The youth were strongly urged not to take the commitment lightly and to
seriously think about their decision. Of 35 youth, 17 signed commitment cards. The rest of the kids may decide to sign the commitment cards after they attend the follow-up Bible studies for the next 10 weeks.

What an awesome work of God!

Andy's Visit

2011-05-23T04:12:00.010-04:00

During the month of May, God gave us a wonderful gift! Our son Andy came to visit us The time has been way too short, but more than exceeded our expectations. It has been such a joy to see God moving in Andy's heart about Malawi that started many months ago and then we have seen Him begin to orchestrate this visit with more teachings for Andy. Here is a brief description of our adventures during his visit.

The kids at Mphanda village gave Andy a warm welcome as he visited the church that first Sunday. We worshiped with the small congregation and Larry preached.

Andy's first Malawian meal was nsima, cooked cabbage with onion and tomato, and hard-boiled eggs. Malawians rarely eat eggs for breakfast, but mostly as a main dish for lunch or dinner.

Andy assisted with digging a well. Here, they are preparing the drainage holes for what comes out of the bore hole.

They attach the drill bit for cutting into the ground.

As the drilling continues the water and dirt that is coming out has to be inspected for small bits of rock.

Andy and Mandy visited one of Lilongwe's parks where we saw many monkeys, baboons, a lion, leopard, python, and crocodiles. The river running through it was so beautiful.

The kids at the orphan care site loved Andy and he loved them. It's so amazing to see how he fit into our ministry. He will leave on June 13. We are praying for Andy's future. Please join us.

Harvesting and Processing Moringa

2011-03-26T05:22:00.007-04:00

One of the fun things about our job as missionaries is seeing the wonderful things around us that God has provided Africa (as well as many other developing countries). The one that we are focusing on at the moment is the Moringa tree. From one seed that we planted about three years ago, we have planted now about 50 more trees. The entire tree is edible by humans and livestock and is highly nutritious. Just as an example, Moringa fresh leaves have:
7 times the Vitamin C of Oranges
4 times the Calcium of Milk
3 times the Potassium of Bananas
2 times the Protein of Yogurt
4 times the Vitamin A of Carrots

Dried leaves (gram for gram) contain:
10 times the Vitamin A of Carrots
1/2 the Vitamin C or Oranges (vitamin C loses its potency with the processing)
17 times the calcium of milk
15 times the potassium of bananas
25 times the iron of spinach
9 times the protein of yogurt

But there is so much more! God has provided this wonder tree to prevent and treat malnutrition. It provides so many vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, we are now using it instead of our expensive vitamins that we get from the US.

Starting with our workers, we are trying to introduce this nutrition with those we know within our scope of ministry. We have no capsules to use for distributing the powder, but we are adding it to foods we normally eat. Moringa powder has very little taste, so it works well with mixing it with our food.
We strip the leaves off the tree (they are pretty small). Then we dry them in an empty room free from dust and pests. They dry for about 2 or 3 days. After that we pick through to remove stems and discolored leaves.

We use an attachment that came with our blender to grind the leaves into powder. It is small so it can take an entire day to process this way. Hopefully we will find better ways to do this processing. Since Malawians don't have this machine, it will be better for us to use methods they would use to teach them.

Then the powder has to be sifted to remove pieces of the stems, etc. that didn't grind. This produces a fine powder that is rich and green in color. One grocery-sized bag of leaves produced only three snack-sized bags of the powder. One of these small bags would provide an average healthy adult with nutrition for a few weeks.

This tree can cure malnutrition and many diseases. The seeds can be used to purify water and oil can be extracted for many uses. For more about moringa, click on this link: http://www.treesforlife.org/our-work/our-initiatives/moringa/moringa-tree.

One of the Most Beautiful Places in the World!

2011-02-12T02:17:00.006-05:00

We were so blessed to be able to take a short vacation in January to Victoria Falls in Zambia. It is considered the "largest curtain of water" in the world. The majestic falls is 1708 meters (a little over 1 mile).

Victoria Falls is on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Due to visa constraints, we stayed on the Zambia side, but were able to see a different view just before the Zimbabwe border from the bridge going across the gorge and the beautiful Zambezi river below.

It was so beautiful. We saw a full-circle rainbow as we looked down on the river.

In the park, the spray from the falls was very overwhelming - like a heavy rain. But on the bridge it was easier to see the beauty of it all. What an awesome Creator we serve. He has made this beautiful masterpiece for us to enjoy. It is a sight not to be missed when you are in Africa! It is a 2-day drive from Lilongwe and the landscape and good roads in between make it a very enjoyable trip.

First Well

2010-12-25T14:00:00.008-05:00

Here are the latest pictures of Larry's first attempt to drill a well. He's also training the guys who are helping him.

Digging pits for recycled water. Water is used to take the loose dirt out of the hole.

Choosing the right drill bit for the drilling.

Loading the drill bit onto the driller.

The pump on the right side of the picture recycles the water that is used to remove the dirt from the hole.

Larry adds more pipes to continue drilling deeper.

Satan is alive and well in Malawi

2010-11-28T00:15:00.010-05:00

Yesterday (11/27) we had a very alarming and obvious attack by the enemy. Lately we've had many discouraging days in our village work. We've been praying hard for God to send someone to help us with the work - a godly man who would be willing to move from the city to the village. While in town last week, a man approached Larry and they had a long conversation about our ministry. We decided to explore if God is truly sending this man to us. We invited him into our home to start the process of getting to know him. Then he accompanied Larry to the village to see what we are doing there. After returning to town at the end of the day, Larry dropped off one of our workers at his home. While traveling through the busy marketplace, a drunk driver plunged into the back end of our truck (driver's side). The driver was going so fast that if he had missed our truck, he would have surely killed several and injured many people who were traveling along the road and shopping in the market.

After the entire ordeal of finding the police, filling out reports, getting a tow truck (none of which were easy) Larry returned home. The night guard greeted him with a dead black mamba snake. The black mamba is a very dangerous and poisonous snake. We have never seen any snakes in our yard, but how interesting that this one was seen the night that we took our new friend to visit the village with the possibility of working with us there! How interesting that it was a black mamba and not some lesser dangerous snake!

We have heard Satan's message loud and clear and will proceed with the Lord's praises on our lips and in our hearts. Praise and worship are very frightening to the devil and it is one way that we can keep him away from us. Please join us in praising and petitioning our Lord for the ministry in these villages. The people desperately need Him. Satan has a firm grip on them and he doesn't want to lose anyone to Christ - the Life-giver and Hope of the world. And we look forward to the wonderful things God has in store for the people.

A New Church Building for Mphanda!

2010-10-22T11:28:00.004-04:00

The men at the Mphanda Christian Church began work on the foundation for the new church building this week. It is an all-church operation as the ladies gather food to cook for the men each day. What an exciting thing to see as they work together for this goal that they have only dreamed about! The grass structure that they have been meeting in is about to fall down. The heavy rains that will be starting soon will surely weeken the already fragil walls. It is estimated that the heavy rains will begin in late November or early December, so there isn't really much time.

Bricks were provided by the men of the church and our ministry is providing the cement and the roofing. The building will be small, but can be added on to later. The people will be so proud when they have a church building of any size. Our builder, Wilson is guiding them in the process.

The Container Arrives!!

2010-10-22T10:04:00.011-04:00

FINALLY! The container arrived in Lilongwe about 2 months late. It was due to arrive on August 19th, but arrived on the 15th of October. We had anxiously been waiting with Pat and Gary Ouverson who came from Tennessee to stay with us for two months. Gary had planned to be drilling wells with the well-drilling machine that was on the container. Many things happened to detain the container during that time. Since we had cleared our schedule to drill the wells, we struggled to find things to do. Fortunately we did have a trip to South Africa (the two of us) for a conference with NMSI for 10 days. Then Gary and Pat went on a 9-day trip to Zambia to the game park and Victoria Falls. So finally, with two days to spare, (Gary and Pat were due to fly out on the 17th of Oct.) the container arrived and we unloaded it before Gary and Pat had to leave. Gary gave Larry some instructions about well-drilling and lots of stuff to read.

Even though it was a long waiting period and a bit frustrating, we were thankful for the time we had with Gary and Pat and we did get a few things done, like a security system was installed in the house, forms were finished to put the container on, and some other things that really helped us a lot. They learned a lot about Malawi and will surely have lots to tell when they do a presentation for their church in Crossville, Tennessee.

We can finally breathe a "sigh of relief" that the well-driller is now in our driveway waiting, like us, to be used. Please pray that we can do all the necessary "red tape" to get it registered, licensed, etc. so we can begin to give life-giving water to the people of Malawi. Also pray that the message of Living Water will be loud and clear.

The Lord's "Gift"

2010-09-02T09:08:00.006-04:00

One of the hightlights of our time with our team of five, was the baptism that we witnessed. Gift John is a 20-year-old orphan who has attached himself to us. He's been a part of our orphan program since the beginning (2006) and Larry's mentoring him more closely over the past six months or so. His English skills have been improving and he speaks to us in English and has a hunger to learn from us - he's always helping our workers whenever we arrive to visit the project.

(Picture to the left: Larry taking Gift's confession of faith in Jesus Christ)

When we spent the night in the village this past week, he was around and stayed with the guys in the storage room. He witnessed our worship and communion time there. As we spoke with him more intimately about being born again, he expressed a desire to be baptized.

Larry asked among the team who had an extra change of clothes. Andy Brandt had extra clothes and he has also developed a bit of a relationship with Gift, so Andy got the priviledge of baptizing Gift. It is a day we will never forget. Jon Williams left his English Bible with Gift and he will be provided with a Chichewa Bible as well.

We are praying and looking for ways for God to use us in Gift's life. Things are not going well in his family and he asked if he can live on the grounds of our program and work for us. We investigated and decided it is right for us to allow it. Gift will start school on Monday and if he has passed his Form 2 exams, will be in Form 3 (3rd level of Secondary/High School). Please pray for Gift and for us as we mentor him and follow God's direction.

Christmas in July!!??

2010-07-22T04:31:00.007-04:00

It felt a little like Christmas when the police called and asked us to come pick up our belongings at the station. However when we arrived they said the supervisor had decided that the things needed to be kept for evidence. It's been such a roller-coaster ride with this ordeal. Larry has been spending entire days at a time trying to find the criminals involved with the break-in. The money still has not been found, but most of our things were. The police finally agreed to let us have our laptops and some of our small electronics today. So it was especially nice to get our main laptop which has all of our files that we've been needed to continue work. Of course, we have learned a valuable lesson on backing up our files.

One day in the village, Larry was explaining what had happened to us and one of the youth boys said to Larry in English, "I want to encourage you with a verse. Exodus 14:14." It had been a verse that we asked the kids to memorize a few years ago when we were teaching them. Now it has returned to us with power. We were encouraged and have prayed that verse many days after that. The verse says, "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." We have testimony after testimony that He has done that.

The Break-In

2010-07-13T16:15:00.010-04:00

The 4th of July has a new rememberance for us....and sadly not a good one. In fact, it was a disasterous day that holds the most devastating event since our arrival in Malawi 5 1/2 years ago.

It started out being a day of anticipated new beginnings as we went to the village that day excited to open our new orphan feeding program on the following morning. Monday (the 5th) was the first day of the program and it was supposed to begin at 5 a.m. We wanted to be the first ones up to make sure everything ran according to schedule. The first day, only 12 kids came, but we were encouraged because we were told that villagers are apprehensive of people coming in to promise things and not carry through. So we were able to keep our promise and each day the attendance increased. By the end of the week, about 20 kids were coming to the before-school breakfast program. The kids receive a nutritious porridge before school. Their height and weight is measured and monitored.

The porridge is a special mixture and it is provided to us by Feed the Children and Participatory Rural Development Organization. We are so excited about these partnerships and are praying for this successful venture.

Now, to explain the disaster. We returned home after the children had gone off to school and the cooks had finished the clean up late morning. Our dog met us at the front gate along with one of our workers. Everything seemed fine until I (Mandy) went in our bedroom and found things scattered all over the room. I immediately thought, "I didn't leave this room this messy." Then I went in the hallway to the office and found the doors open. (We always lock all the inside doors when we leave.) Then I saw the wall had been torn up and the door handles and locks were taken apart and damaged. There was cement and plaster all over the floor. Our office was a mess and there were papers all over the desk. Under the piles of papers scattered all over the desk we discovered the laptops were missing. Money was missing as well.

Back in the bedroom, we found the small lock box on the bed that had contained over $6000 in US bills. Larry eventually discovered all of his cargo pants and shorts and 3 pairs of shoes missing.

The police came right away and took our one worker who has been found innocent. They are working on many other leads, but each day our chances of recovering our stolen property diminishes. Money is immediately exchanged on the black market and computers are sold pretty fast as well. Of course, it will be difficult for them to pass off a laptop that has no charger and the battery is dead. The thieves had disconnected the two laptops and left the charger/adaptors on the desk.

We searched all over to discover how they got into the house and found that they had sawed through the burgler bars on our kitchen window and entered there. One of our new workers had stolen a key and gotten in the compound, but didn't have a key to the house. The dog knew him so he was able to hold her back so his "helpers" could get in.

Even though it was the worse day we've had here, God is blessing us. Some friends immediately loaned us a desk top computer and another friend loaned us a hard drive for it. Within a few days we were back up and running with our communications, etc.

We are working to get the proper security. One company who is insured internationally and will replace anything that is stolen while they are on duty did an assessment and listed many security risks with our property (that we are renting). We told them that we couldn't address some of the issues because it's not our property. They turned us down and won't take us as a client.

Bottom line....the security system that we need will cost $1400 to install and $125 per month to monitor. We will hire a guard from another company for night-time security and that will be another $160 per month.

We do take comfort knowing that when God is about to do something great, Satan is ready to destroy those who are involved in it. There have been many depressing days, but we have realized the tremendous spiritual battle in which we are involved and how even more important is the mighty working of prayer. The Lord is using this event to draw us closer to Him and to strengthen our faith which is more important to Him than anything we have lost.

Youth Camp

2010-06-10T09:47:00.008-04:00

During the first week of June we were blessed to have 3 NMSI interns stay and help us put on a Youth Camp. The interns are spending 7 weeks in Malawi as part of the NMSI Internship program. They helped us for the first week and will be doing some special work with Rutherford and Tsahai Banda.

We were excited as all of the plans fell into place. On Wednesday, the youth in our orphan care program came together with excitement to meet the American visitors. Larry continued teaching the Foundations for Farming principles and everyone got some hands-on training working together to clear some overgrown grass and weeds. We even discovered a nice shady area for teaching. After the work and good food, the youth played soccer. They were amazed at intern, Catherine who played with bare feet (just like the kids). She did complain of sore feet afterward, but she stuck it out during the game.

On Thursday, we did more of the same, but the interns blessed our younger orphans with a special lesson, craft and games on loving one another. They enjoyed staying in the village and enjoying the difficult, but simple life of the people.

A special praise team from Lilongwe visited on Friday and blessed the villages with music and preaching. Many people, including the chief village headman gave their lives to Christ through it all. It was an awesome thing to witness. Catherine and Sarah danced with the girls and fit in beautifully. Sarah gave her testimony for the youth and Chipofya taught about HIV/AIDS. The Jesus Film was shown as well.

Saturday was the finale. Catherine and Drew gave their testimonies and the band played more praise and worship music. One of the praise team preached as a follow-up to the Jesus Film and many of the youth gave received Jesus as their Savior. We are looking forward to mentoring those kids and helping in their new walk with the Lord.

It was a very special time. We didn't think we could top last year's Youth Camp, but this one was definitely even better. The Lord truly did His might work in the villages through all of us.

Meeting the Betzer's

2010-06-01T09:38:00.006-04:00

We received a special blessing this month when David and Janis Betzer visited. They are NMSI missionaries in South Africa. David has recently been named Africa Regional Director. It was so nice to host him and Janis for a few days and show them around central Malawi. It's always great to get to know other missionaries who have similar experiences and understand what it means to live and work in Africa. We enjoyed hearing about their work and ministries in South Africa as well.

We all enjoyed a visit to our orphan ministry and a trip to the Lake. We all learned how to quickly and efficiently remove kernels of maize from the cobs. Janis and David worked so hard at it that they actually received blisters on their hands from it.

Relaxing at the river

2010-06-01T09:23:00.004-04:00

Bua River was the setting for a beautiful, relaxing mini vacation for us last weekend (May 28-29th). Bua River Lodge advertised "Bua River Full Moon Weekend" and promised the fishing was the BEST! So that enticed us to try it out. Larry has never been able to catch anything substantial in Lake Malawi, so we thought that the peak season for fishing on this river was sure to give him a good time.

Unfortunately, after fishing most of the late afternoon Friday and most of Saturday, we didn't get anything but too much sun and exhaustion from walking to find the "right" place! But the river was so beautiful and we enjoyed seeing fish jumping out of the water even though they didn't want us to catch them and tried to keep away from crocodiles.

Introducing.....Mandy Watson!

2010-04-29T11:02:00.006-04:00

One day after we'd just returned from the US, we were meeting with Mr. Watson who is a pastor-in-training for the Mphanda Church. He informed us that his wife had delivered a child on March 19. Larry immediately said, "That's my wife's birthday." Mr. Watson said they should give his daughter the name Mandy. So we finally got to meet the baby. She is beautiful and such a happy and content baby.

About a year and a half ago, Mr. and Mrs. Watson lost their first baby daughter to an illness that she wasn't able to recover from. She died before she reached the age of 2. So, Mrs. Watson has been praying hard for another daughter and the Lord granted her request. She was so happy to show off that new blessing from the Lord.

We were amazed at the hospitality we were shown when we visited these friends. Watson's mother gathered all the neighborhood children (about 10-12) and they pulled ground nuts (peanuts) off the roots to give us as a gift. It was a sweet scene to see them all working together to give us a blessing.

Doing some dirty work.....

2010-04-25T01:14:00.008-04:00

Last week, Larry enjoyed a day of getting down and getting dirty. During the dry season Larry had helped Mose build a dam so Mose could irrigate vegetables for the orphan feeding program. It was made of rocks, cement and the nice hard Malawian dirt. But during this rainy season, erosion caused lots of dirt and sand to fill up the dam.

After many weeks of frustration as to what to do, Larry talked to the chief and he agreed that something needed to be done and agreed to help dig out the dirt by sending some workers to help. By working together just getting down in the mud they were able to make a lot or progress in cleaning out the dam. Usually the villagers don't allow us to work, but this time Larry insisted on working along side them. It was an enjoyable time to work together, speak Chichewa, and show that the white guy really does like to work. Some ladies brought him food so he would be sure to have enough energy and not get hungry.

That day they dug down so far that the top of the wall was chest high which encouraged Mose so much and inspired him to work harder to provide vegetables for the orphans. It also encouraged our village friends that hard work can be fun and a community project such as this one can do so much for the development of the village. The water will hopefully be enough to also help a future youth income-generating project.

An Easter to Remember

2010-04-01T15:13:00.007-04:00

Back in December, our friend Pat Ouverson asked if there is a project her church ladies' group could do for our orphans. We brainstormed and thought of zip lock bags full of personal necessities would be a great idea. So her group did about 100 bags and several other groups did some bags and we had more than enough for our orphans. These ladies' groups sent them to us in Malawi and we got them in time to distribute them. April 1st was the day of our Easter party. The kids made so much noise when they saw the gift bags that they were sure to have been heard for miles around.

The special meal was goat and rice with vegetables. Goat intestine wrapped around a piece of another organ is the favorite meat. Fortunately, they fed us the regular meat from the legs or back. Oh, and they enjoyed the cupcakes that we love to share with them whenever we have special parties.

Mandy explained why Good Friday is good and how great is the salvation that God has made available to us. The kids enjoyed a special drama and sang songs about Easter.

It was a joy to share this very special celebration and it was definitely an Easter to remember. We are so thankful to the people who gave to make this so special for the children we serve.

Saying Goodbye to Gilberta

2010-03-13T12:02:00.005-05:00

Gilberta was a sweet vibrant 5 year old. Whenever she would see Mandy in the village she would run for lots of hugs. Being small for her age, it was easy to pick her up and cuddle her for a while. Sometimes it was difficult for Mandy to teach when Gilberta would tug at her skirt and asked to be held. We both loved this little girl so much and she was a real source of encouragement for us. On December 30, 2009, Gilberta went to be with Jesus in heaven. She died of complications of an illness because she had AIDS. We were heart-broken to learn of her death, but at the same time, we were comforted to know she would not have any more pain in her life and is enjoying Jesus, maybe sitting on His lap. She was spared the hunger and suffering that many people in her village experience and the awful effects of AIDS. During her short life she shared more love with others than some Malawians share in a lifetime. We are so thankful the Lord shared her with us for that short amount of time.

2009 IN REVIEW

2009-12-30T13:07:00.014-05:00

In March 2010, we will celebrate the 5-year anniversary of our ministry in Malawi. One of our most memorable, spiritually renewing and most stressful years was 2009. During this past year God has brought us out of some tough situations and we've seen His mighty hand at work. Our commitment to ministry in Malawi was tested and shaken, but through many miracles, God reconfirmed over and over again that He intends to use us here for a while longer. Here are just a few examples of how we have been humbly used and blessed:

In January and February, we were privileged to complete our famine relief project. Despite many stressful challenges, over 40 tons of maize and beans were delivered to 131 families for six months; most of them lead by a mother, father and/or grandparent suffering with AIDS. It is estimated that in Malawi about 14% of the population has HIV/AIDS. In our hearts, we can't think of a more horrifying death than that of dying without the hope of Christ. This famine relief distribution gave us the opportunity to present the Gospel to the families receiving the food. Not only during this time, but about 200 people attend the Bible studies we have set up in three central villages. People travel many kilometers to attend these Bible studies and they are constantly asking us to start more study groups in other villages farther away.

The rains in Malawi were sufficient and we anticipated that it would be a good time for us to take a short break to travel back to the US for the birth of our daughter’s first baby that was due in August. A one-month break was planned. The Lord had a different plan as we soon discovered.

We took a trip to Johannesburg in February for a follow-up doctor's appointment with Mandy's cardiologist. He gave us good news as it seems the medicines are working and he could find no heart damage from the two heart attacks that she has had. We had been considering many options, but we praise God with our thankful hearts for hearing our prayers. There is no need for us to move closer to better medical facilities and we can continue to serve in Malawi.

March, April and May were busy months as we prepared for the intern team that was scheduled for June. Some special donations allowed us to finish construction on the new kitchen, storage room and shelter for our orphan program.

One of the highlights for us this year was hosting an intern team during the month of June. Three young people were trained by NMSI and joined our ministry for five weeks. During the short time they were with us, we led five HIV seminars, a youth retreat and an orphan VBS, visited three churches, and showed the Jesus Film twice. It was a full and fabulous month for ministry and we are so thankful to have been involved in something really wonderful and exciting. Many people were touched with the love of Christ and the message of hope.

Possibly the greatest lesson this year from the Lord is that nothing is impossible. In the Bible, God used blind men, a talking donkey, brought men out of a fiery furnace unsigned, and used a big fish to teach a lesson. God used a blind man to teach us about trusting Him. For two years, we have prayed for a pastor for our village church. All along, there was a blind man who remained faithful through some tough times of testing and persecution. One day we discovered that for years, he has been studying to be a “certified” pastor. This was another treasure from God that we can not wait to see more of His mighty work in this village.

In the midst of exciting, full days and restful, but short nights, we planned for our month-long trip to be with our daughter during the delivery of her first child. The baby was due August 15 so we planned to travel around the 10^th of August. Although we’d been saving for many months, we discovered the money saved was way short of the amount needed to travel. After reviewing our ministry finances, we found we also lacked the money to pay the rent on our house in Malawi. For months, our ministry funds had been dwindling and our ministry activities were being cut back. The future seemed dim for continuing to stay in Malawi. Our field advisor suggested we take a six-month furlough to raise the needed funds to continue ministry in Malawi. We asked a few of our closest prayer supporters to pray with us during this time and we received an email from some friends who said they’d cover our trip back to the states. Evan James Hayes made his entrance into the world early, on July 27. We missed the blessed event, but were thankful that we were there a few days after they left the hospital.

After purchasing our tickets, we didn’t know quite how we’d manage to keep the ministry running while we left everything in the capable hands of Pastor Dimba. We advertised our house for rent “as is” and within one day, we had someone who wanted to rent it until the end of January. American missionaries living in Zambia were looking to relocate to Lilongwe. This family of four (with a baby on the way) fit perfectly with our compound. God perfectly met the needs of all of us. The renter paid for five months in advance which in turn paid our rent for 6 more months and covered our workers pay. We were able to rent out our truck and our guest house to another short-term visitor which covered our ministry expenses while we are away. We were amazed how God brought this impossible situation together for His glory.

None of this would be possible except by God’s calling of others to come together through giving and praying. We are so thankful to be involved in something so wonderful and overwhelming; we lack the words to express it. We all are God’s hands and feet as we go and touch people who are desperate for His Love and Grace. Please consider this year how you can have a part of this exciting work either by giving, praying intentionally, or coming to experience it through a mission trip. You will never be the same again.

An Awesome Answer to Prayer!

2009-10-30T14:52:00.006-04:00

Recently we have been communicating with a friend from Crossville, Tennessee who expressed interest in well projects in Malawi. The need for water is overwhelming, but little by little we have been making a difference with our current resources and time. But when Gary Ouverson contacted us and told us he wanted to work to get us a well-drilling machine, we thought it was too good to be true. Several months ago, this dream of ours became a reality as he emailed us that he had purchased the "rig" and he reported it was sitting in his drive-way in Tennessee. Imagine our elation when we saw the pictures and he even took the time to research which drill bits we'd need to drill through granite rock!

That said, we are excited about how God will get this rig to Malawi. If you would like to help, please send checks made out to New Mission Systems International (Renfro Well-drilling Rig in the subject line) to NMSI, PO Box 547, Fort Myers, FL 33902 or give online: www.nmsi.org/donate and choose Renfro ministry.

Evan James Hayes arrived on July 27, 2009

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What a little doll! We love him so much!

EVAN!

2009-09-05T14:13:00.001-04:00

We've been having a good time with Evan (and our daughter and son-in-law) in Kissimmee Florida. He's one month old and has already gained over 2 lbs. and growing like a weed.

Evan - one month old

2009-09-05T14:10:00.001-04:00

Interns!!

2009-07-05T10:10:00.006-04:00

During the month of June, we hosted an intern team from NMSI. They came to Malawi to work along side of us in our HIV ministry. Together, we led 5 seminars, a youth retreat and an orphan VBS, showed the Jesus Film twice, spoke in 2 churches and attended 3, experienced 2 safaris and visited Lake Malawi. The interns also visited an AIDS clinic and an orphan crisis nursery. This is a quick introduction and some pictures of them playing and teaching in the villages.

Michael Krepps is an NMSI missionary who has recently returned to Colorado Christian University to study. He was the leader of this HIVHope internship.

Sara Wissmann is from St. Louis, MO and is a third-year Health Education student at Truman State University.

Darcie Volkens is a 2009 graduate of Coe College in Iowa with a degree in nursing.

Sara, Mandy and Darcie learning how to do the head wrap.

Darcie and Sara teaching a Bible lesson to over 100 orphans.

"..thanks to Almighty God, you have saved my life.."

2009-05-19T09:18:00.003-04:00

Yesterday a testimony was posted to this blog. But after typing the rest of the testimonies to preserve them for later use, we found this one that just made our hearts soar! We are so grateful to IDES (www.ides.org) for their assistance. It was our vision to save the lives of these people who are dying everyday due to AIDS and it happened with the help of IDES. We are also grateful for our faithful Malawian Bible study leaders who work very hard to present a lesson and a give a hot meal to the people that come to learn.

Here is another testimony:

Greetings in the wonderful Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I hope you are fine.

The aim of writing this letter is to give you my testimony on how the Bible study has transformed my life. Before joining the Bible study group, I was confronted with many challenges from the time the doctors diagnosed that I am HIV positive. In fact, I was very miserable, and worries and anxiety were the food of my thoughts. I could no longer sleep at night. As time went by, I heard that at Zambezi Evangelical church they had established the Bible study whereby I was eager to join them. Once I joined the group, all my worries and fear have gone off because of God’s Word which we learned at the center. God’s Word encouraged us not to fear or worry but trust God Almighty who is the Creator of all things. In fact, I have learned many things and behave in a right way through the Bible study like preaching, praying, memorizing verses and many more.

I would also like to thank you for the assistance of maize and beans given to us over the past six months during the hunger season which it has helped my family a lot. As a matter of fact, I’m an HIV positive person and I’m on ARV drugs. Without your support I could have died last year during the hunger season. But thanks to Almighty God, you have saved my life and also it has helped me to cultivate my field without any difficulties because I had something to eat at home to give me strength and energy.

Lastly, I will continue to pray for you that the Bible study group should not be abolished and also God continue to guide you.

Enita Chilemba
Mvera Bible study Group

Testimony of Love

2009-05-18T10:46:00.004-04:00

Recently we received some testimonies from villagers we have helped. What a blessing! Here is one of them:

I would like to thank you for your assistance of maize and beans for the past months. Before I joined the Bible study, I was preoccupied with worries and anxieties about my relatives who discriminated against me. This led me to have no peace of mind. All my friends and relatives deserted me and they could not render any kind of assistance in whatever the problem I was confronted with just because I was HIV positive. As if it was not unbearable, they told my own children not to talk, touch or eat with me that they will contact AIDS. In fact, my children were very arrogant to manage a household. I wept bitterly to God about my own children who have revolted against me. But thank God, when I heard about the Bible study, I went there and joined the group whereby they taught about love, prayer, forgiveness, perseverance, etc.

Therefore, what I have learned I discussed with my children the spiritual things. Then after discussion, they sought forgiveness from me that they did not know what they were doing. As I continued to attend the Bible study, we learned how to love one another because Jesus Christ first loved us. Then I also taught my children how to love one another. I have also committed my sinful life to Jesus Christ and all my worries and anxieties I have casted into His bosom.

When I have wronged somebody, I sought forgiveness from them as well as from God. My children and I are very thankful to God for your assistance you rendered to us both physically and spiritually. For the first time, we have never gone without food during the hunger season this year which was different in the past. It was normal to go without food for several days during the hunger season.
May God bless you,
Aliness Bwanali

An Unexpected Blessing

2009-04-29T11:15:00.009-04:00

One Sunday in April we visited the litte church in Mphanda Village. The service was sort of solemn and lifeless. The singing was not lively as it has been in the past, but when Larry preached they were all attentive and laughed when he joked with them and even clapped a few times. During his sermon, some visitors walked in and sat down. After the preaching we expected to partake of the Lord's Supper and there was no communion prepared. The church leader asked for the choir to stand up and sing. There was no choir. After asking a few more times, the women began rustling and talking amongst themselves seeing who would get up and sing. Then the visitors went outside and got some instruments and brought them to the front and began playing and singing. It was so beautiful....reminded us of a hillbilly band with home-made instruments. The guitars were made with metal gas cans for the box part and a carved stick for the neck. Two of them had 3 strings and one had 4. The bass was a large stringed instrument with 2 strings and the box part doubled as a bass drum. We were so blessed. These men visit other churches and bless them with their music. Their music was a blessing and we were amazed at the quality.

Please keep this congregation in your prayers. One of the church leaders lost a child a few weeks ago. That along with some other issues is really weighing heavy on their hearts. Larry will begin next week to go out and spend time with the leaders, hearing their needs and teaching them. As always, we also need prayer when we go out because we are really "piercing the darkness" in our work in that village.

The harvest begins...

2009-03-25T08:49:00.003-04:00

Although the maize (the staple food) isn't ready for harvesting yet, Malawians are beginning to enjoy the first fruits of their labor. March 24th was our last famine relief delivery. One very generous lady was so grateful for the maize she received for her family during the famine that she gave a thank-you gift and inspired the entire group to also give a gift. The group has invited us to return on Tuesday, March 31 to receive the gift of gratitude.

.....receiving more gifts!

2009-03-25T06:17:00.003-04:00

We received over 20 pumpkins from the villagers as their thank you gift for the maize they received during the famine. These ladies loaded the pumpkins in the back seat of our car. Pumpkins in Africa are more like squash than the orange pumpkins grown in the USA. We enjoy them just the same as the orange ones - with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon or in pie, muffins, cakes, and pancakes. What a yummy gift!

What a sweetheart!

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This one is really special! HIV positive and growing strong and more beautiful each day. She is three years old now.

One of the things we love....

2009-02-26T10:06:00.001-05:00

One of the highlights of any visit to the village is the beautiful reception we receive from the children. This little girl wouldn't leave Mandy alone until she picked her up for a hug. Even while she was speaking, Mandy was distracted by this little one tugging at her skirt. What a joy to have a hug and a smile from Gilberta.

Preparing 160 Bags of Maize

2009-02-26T10:03:00.000-05:00

All the maize we received had to be put into 50 kg bags. Most of the bags it came in were holey and maize spilled out onto the concrete in our driveway. Mandy started sewing up (by hand) each of the finished bags together at the top so the bags would hold all the maize.

God's Beautiful Provision

2009-02-26T07:45:00.003-05:00

One of our most frustrating issues has been in our dealings with maize suppliers. Many of them have proven to be dishonest and don't like dealing with foreigners. Finally the Lord put us in touch with a good supplier who sold us over 10 tons of maize and delivered it and unloaded it all for a good price. We were overwhelmed by the amount of work that had to be completed before we could deliver it within two days. As we dove in and tried to get it done, the Lord also provided eight more workers (via a good friend of ours) who helped us complete putting the maize into 160 bags of 50 kg. It was amazing to see how it was all accomplished by the Lord's mighty hand. The people were so grateful that they could feed their families for another month.

God is so good!

Doctor's Appointment in Jo'burg

2009-02-12T12:48:00.002-05:00

God has a sense of humor and His blessings come hidden in tragedy. We sometimes have to see a broken heart (heart problems) as a way of drawing closer to Him and when we do, we find there are blessings waiting.

Three months ago, Mandy experienced severe chest pains after a hard, hot day in the village. After being flown to Johannesburg South Africa by air ambulance, a cardiologist found that she had an artery that was 99% clogged and inserted two stents.

She's had a long recovery, and we flew back to Jo'burg for a follow up appointment on February 3. The doctor did a stress test and an ultrasound and said her heart is fine, but the only problem seems to be that her blood clots and the clots get caught in her heart. As long as she stays on the medicine (not found in Malawi) she should be fine. We stocked up on the meds and we're praying that there will be no problems with getting the insurance company to pay for them.

We decided to spend a few days resting and shopping (and visiting friends in Mozambique) for about 10 days and then flew back to Malawi on February 13. The break was the most needed break we've ever taken and we have seen the blessings in the tragedy.

Preaching in Mozambique

2009-02-12T12:40:00.000-05:00

Time with special friends

2009-02-12T11:32:00.006-05:00

We took a side trip after Mandy's doctor appointment and rode about 8 hours by Greyhound bus to Maputo Mozambique and visited friends, Don and Aleta and Zac Hulsey. It was a good time of sharing and encouraging each other. Larry enjoyed preaching at Don's church and his sermon was translated into Portuguese and Shangaan.

Larry tried to speak Chichewa to the nationals, but none of them understood. Northern Mozambique is close enough to Malawi that the nationals there speak Chichewa, but these southerners speak Portuguese and Shangaan. But we also visited another friend in Maputo. Jamene Sangulakula, formerly from Malawi, works for World relief. He understood Larry's Chichewa and we also enjoyed our time with Jamene.

In the picture, Jamene is cooking a favorite Malawian breakfast, maize porriage. It was really yummy.

Kitchen is almost complete!

2009-01-30T06:37:00.003-05:00

Many challenges have slowed the progress of our orphan kitchen and storage building, but we are excited that the roof is almost ready to be added. Soon the cooks will have shelter to cook and serve the food for the orphans. The storage room on the right side will be perfect for keeping all the cooking equipment, etc.

Good News.......Bad News

2009-01-30T04:29:00.008-05:00

The good news is that we are now able to feed our 150 orphans three times a week. The vision began early in our ministry as we had the overwhelming task of overseeing the needs of an enormous number of orphans in over 20 villages. Now, the number of villages has grown to 33 and still growing. Although at the time, we could only help 200, the number of orphans we care for remains the same or less. One of the challenges in meeting the needs of these kids is that they move a lot. A relative far away might decide to take them in. So, in that way, it is a good problem that our number has decreased from 200 to 150.

The bad news is that the thatch shelter collapsed last week during a heavy storm. The village chiefs built this reasonably strong shelter to shade the orphans from the scorching sun and protect them from the drenching rains while they are learning or eating. The children were learning and waiting for their meal when the storm hit this past Thursday (1/22) that caused the shelter to cave in. A few of them had some minor injuries. Our next building project is a permanent learning center/cafeteria for the kids, but we have to wait for the funding and time for the workers to build it. One side of the shelter that collapsed was the room for teaching and the other half is where the ladies cooked the food. The cooks have been anxiously awaiting a kitchen that is almost complete (see above).

Orphan Christmas Party on December 23rd

2008-12-25T14:11:00.002-05:00

December 23rd was a very special day for us. About 185 orphans joined us for a Christmas party. Here they are waiting patiently for us to organize the gifts. They enjoyed their traditional meal of chicken and rice and we added cupcakes and orange drink. After they were finished eating we left exhausted. It was hot day, but the Lord blessed us so much with these special children. We enjoyed them very much.

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Each orphan received a shirt and a gift bag of personal items: Toothbrush, toothpaste, Vaseline, soap, pen, 2 notebooks for school, candy and stickers. This boy was shy about getting his picture taken, but all of the kids went home happy and with full tummies.

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Cupcakes...yummy!

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The kids were so excited with the special treat, cupcakes and orange drink. Many of them ate their dessert first. There were lots of smiles!

Stickers

2008-12-25T10:44:00.001-05:00

We gave them each a sheet of stickers and they had fun decorating their faces. It was a fun day for them.

December Famine Relief

2008-12-25T10:08:00.003-05:00

Our famine relief delivery went much better this month. The weather cooperated and we rented a 5 ton truck this time to carry everything. We were able to deliver to the three delivery points and speak each time about God coming to earth in the form of a baby to redeem us and we were finished by noon. At the third delivery point, this little girl ran up to us and said, "Azungu" (which means white person) and wrapped her arms around Mandy's legs and then Larry's. Then she clinged to Mandy. What a thrill to see her again! She has attached herself to us whenever she sees us. Gilberta is about 4 years old and is HIV positive but seems to be healthy.

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Families watching as everyone receives their maize and beans.

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This lady feeding her baby is an HIV mom who is receiving baby formula in an effort to prevent mother-to-baby transmission through breast milk. Both Mom and baby are maintaining good health.

Spiritual persecution is part of the job!

2008-11-20T13:50:00.005-05:00

November 19th was the day we've been planning for months. The money came from IDES many months ago, we purchased the maize when the prices were right, and now it was the day of our first famine relief food delivery. We've experienced attacks from Satan over the past month or two. This day, all of us got up early in the morning to begin our trip to the villages. The three-ton truck and our one-ton Pajero were both filled to capacity with maize and beans. The three-ton had to leave our house by 7:00 a.m. because it had to be driven much slower. It would have been plenty of time, but that was what the devil used to focus his attack. First the police stopped the truck and did not believe the driver that he was carrying maize for our famine relief effort. They made Larry come and explain. Then about 1/2 hour later, the driver called and said the truck was broken down and he needed us to take him to get a new fan belt. Here in this picture you see the guys joking about it. If we didn't laugh, we'd cry, but we are beginning to expect Satan to get in our way because we know God is doing amazing and wonderful things in his people here in central Malawi.

Finally, the truck was fixed and we were on our way. God had blessed us with cooler weather than we'd seen in about two weeks. There were lots of clouds to shade us from the scourching sun and our hearts were so blessed this day. It is a day we will never forget. Mandy even had lots of energy to enjoy it.

Singing Praises!

2008-11-20T13:49:00.002-05:00

We were so blessed by these gracious people. They were so thankful for us and the food. They greeted us with songs and dancing. Mandy could barely get out of the vehicle as they were surrounding the car. It was so emotional as we could see these healthy people. You'd never know they had HIV/AIDS, if we didn't already know. How wonderful is the God we serve Who sent us to minister to these people! They are learning about His great Love through these Bible study groups.

We served 103 families with maize and beans.

The Beans!

2008-11-20T13:48:00.004-05:00

We carried 52 bags of beans in our vehicle. Little by little we had brought beans and maize to the village and stored some of it as we don't have the capacity to carry it all in one trip. The maize and beans are stored at our house in Lilongwe and the people we are serving are about 45 minutes away. We are thankful that the Lord provided a way for us to get the food to the villages.

Mvera Group With Their Beans

2008-11-20T13:42:00.003-05:00

The Mvera Bible Study Group poses with their 10 kg (22 lbs) bags of beans. Each family received beans and a 50 kg (110 lbs) bag of maize. This food will provide 30 meals for a family of 5. We are praying for generous rains during this years' rainy season and a good harvest.

Mvera Group Bible Study Meeting Place

2008-11-20T13:38:00.003-05:00

This is the church that the Mvera Group uses to meet for their Bible Study. It's called Zambezi Evangelical Church. We made a new friendship with the pastor of this church. Hopefully we can develop this relationship and ask the Lord to open doors for opportunity here. This group is the largest of our HIV/AIDS groups with over 60 members now. They have been asking to be divided and we are praying how to do that. This week 52 people received food for their families.

Happy Sam!

2008-11-20T13:37:00.004-05:00

Sam is always smiling. He accompanied the driver of the three-ton truck that carried the maize for the food distribution. Mandy couldn't resist snapping this picture as he was so happy to finally arrive with the maize for the people.

The Maize Finally Arrived!

2008-11-20T13:36:00.002-05:00

Nsungwi Village HIV/AIDS Bible Study Group

2008-11-20T13:29:00.001-05:00

The Nsungwi Village group meets in a clinic as seen in this picture on Saturdays. About 25 people come together for the study. All three groups are studying "Ephesians" which is a study written by Louis Marsh, a pastor from Arizona. The book was translated into Chichewa by Pastor Dimba and given to the group leaders to teach. The people have really been able to understand the Bible and are grateful for this study.

In this picture, Mandy and Sam are encouraging the people to continue to bless each other through prayer and support. Everyone gave praise to God for His provision.

A Day With Friends

2008-11-20T13:28:00.003-05:00

Mandy was especially blessed as she renewed friendships. These HIV groups started with five women in the village of Chidyamaani and has gradually worked up to around 140 from over 40 villages. It was great to see their smiling faces and healthy bodies. Many of them are still very thin, but they are strong. They are taking their medicines and now have food to sustain them. Mandy encouraged them to continue with the Bible study groups. Just as the ARVs are medicines to keep their bodies healthy, the studying the Bible will keep their souls healthy. They were so gracious and they sang and danced their expression of gratitude. It was a very emotional day. Praise God for His provision.

Bicycle Ambulance

2008-11-20T13:26:00.005-05:00

A bicycle ambulance was given to each Bible study group. The leaders requested these bikes long ago. Although we didn't understand how they could carry a sick person on the backs of the bikes, we got them anyway and they were thrilled. The men leaders said they will make a cushion on the back so the person will be more comfortable. They also said they would maintain the bikes themselves which was a huge step of faith on their parts. We are so proud of these groups of people with HIV/AIDS. They have blessed each other (and us), prayed for each other, supported each other and some have even married each other. How great is our God to have created such a beautiful blessing for these people as they have sought after Him!

Mandy's Health

2008-11-04T03:09:00.004-05:00

During the time we have been in Malawi, our health has been a concern. With very little access to healthy choices for meals and no access to proper vitamins and medicines, it has been difficult to maintain what we have learned over the past few years about diet and exercise. Healthy food choices for Americans are extremely expensive here in Malawi. Meat has doubled in price and lean meats are even more outrageous. A 3 pound chicken is about $9 and it used to cost about $3 when we first came here. A 1 pound package of lean ground beef costs about $5 which is a little more reasonable and probably the cheapest meat, but we know we shouldn't eat red meat too often. Fish and pork are way out of our budget, but we do treat ourselves occasionally. Mandy was always aware that she had to consider her cholesterol and has tried to eat as healthy as was possible here.

Vitamins and medicines have been purchased in the US during our breaks and our daughter, Sarah sends us things periodically when we run out. There are some vitamins available here, but again, the price is out of reach and we have no idea what kind of quality we would be getting.

So, we have adjusted somewhat here trying to exercise and eat fairly healthily, even though some of our Malawian friends think we are extravagant in our diets because what we eat, they can not even dream of having. So sometimes we eat well while feeling guilty that we can not share with those with much less. The guys that work for us sometimes ask for the fat that we cut off our meats.

It's been reported to our supporters and friends that Mandy had another mild heart attack in October and was evacuated to Johannesburg South Africa for treatment. She was admitted to Milpark Hospital and a wonderful cardiologist immediately performed an angioplasty in which he placed 2 stints to unclog an artery that was 99% blocked.

God has a way of turning bad into good and He does that so beautifully time and time again in our lives. We were terrified that this would mean that we would have to give up this beautiful ministry that He has blessed us with. With much prayer, we proceeded through the process of what was happening all around us. We were taken by a special medical plane to Johannesburg (about a 2 hour flight). After landing it was another 45 minutes to the hospital by ambulance. When we arrived the doctor met with Larry as Mandy was prepped for the procedure. By the time Larry was finished checking her into the hospital, the procedure was completed and she was taken to Cardiac Intensive Care.

The pain from the angioplasty was intense, but not as intense as the sense of relief, peace, love and assurance from the Holy Spirit that everything was in God's control. That sense of love from the Lord radiated through her body just as the chest pain had radiated before. God was blessing us in a HUGE way that we have never before experienced. We knew that it would be ok for us to stay in Malawi.

The doctor gave us the ok to stay in Malawi as long as we make trips for check ups with him. We have to go back in January/February and then every six months. She was ordered to rest for 6 weeks, which is difficult during this time as we have committed ourselves to delivering maize to hungry families. All of Mandy's medicines (and vitamins) and probably all of Larry's will be available to us in South Africa and since we will be going there every six months or so, we can purchase things at a reasonable price.

God is so good! How can we say it enough or even express it sufficiently!? There is no way! We are so grateful for everyone that prayed for us during this difficult time. In a way, we are wishing Satan would leave us alone but realize the more he attacks, the more opportunity there is for God to bless us. So with that in mind, we say, "BRING IT ON!" We will be ready for the blessings that follow.

A Pulpit Made of Mud

2008-10-30T13:15:00.003-04:00

The people of the church at Mphanda are taking pride in their church. They crafted this pulpit made of mud which is what the entire floor and seats inside of the "building" are made of. It is actually quite nice when the mud is dry. We are so proud of them and think this pulpit is one of the most wonderful places to teach in the world.

Sources of drinking water in Mphanda

2008-10-30T12:55:00.004-04:00

This shallow well has only about a foot or so of water in it for an entire village. Some water is trickling in to fill it, but there is no way it provides enough good drinking water for the entire village. We hope to make it deeper and put a pump so they can have lots of fresh clean drinking water.

This is another water source that is approximately 1 km from the church building. There are people who live very far on the other side of the church who also walk to get water for washing and drinking. The water hole is very shallow. There is water trickling out of the rocks above that replenishes enough water for some of the families.

Molly's favorite place to relax

2008-10-30T11:34:00.003-04:00

Relaxing with our cat, Molly. Her favorite place to sleep is on Larry's lap. He tolerates her and she appreciates it.

NMSI Triennial Retreat and Conference

2008-10-18T14:09:00.004-04:00

We really enjoyed our time recently at the NMSI Conference and Retreat from Oct. 1-15. Every three years NMSI gathers all the affiliated missionaries together somewhere in the world. It is a time of learning and spiritual renewal. For us the conference and retreat really exceeded our expectations and we were greatly encouraged and refreshed. When we returned to Malawi, we had some exciting new visions to pray for and goals to work towards.

One of the most amazing things we learned during the conference is how living in a fallen world and our sinful nature really affects everything we do and think. We got some great insights on how much God really does love us and wants to lavish us with good things, but sometimes suffering comes with it. So, we now look at suffering differently - as sharing in Christ's suffering. A new definition for worship (from Andrew Olsen, our devos facilitator) is, "...tell God how beautiful he is because of pleasure over how he has satisfied and will satisfy our heart's deepest needs and longings." We made some great new relationships and renewed old friendships. It is just what we needed.

Bulgaria

2008-10-18T12:53:00.008-04:00

The first week was spent in Hissar Bulgaria. The countryside was breathtaking and the conference was very inspiring. We attended workshops on missionary issues all week and had a few days to do some sight-seeing. The little town where we stayed has a natural spring under it and we enjoyed really nice tasting water from the spring. Bulgaria has lots of beautiful church buildings.

The striped building is the church at Rila Monestary - really awesome with immaculate artwork on the interior walls and ceilings and exterior walls.

It was very interesting how Christianity was brought into Bulgaria and received so easily hundreds of years ago.

Greece

2008-10-18T12:31:00.008-04:00

The second week of our trip, we traveled by bus to Greece - the Halkidiki peninsula. It was so beautiful there. We also took a bus trip to nearby Thessaloniki (not a misspelling) as the Greeks call it. Our week in Bulgaria had been a preparation for being in Greece as we studied Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians. It was very insightful and inspiring. Modern day Thessaloniki is very densely populated with many tall apartment buildings in a small geographical area....talk about traffic! We are now more appreciative of Malawian traffic and see it is not really that bad.

We also saw a few beautiful sunsets on the Aegean Sea. The weather was nice and cool. It was considered the off-season so there weren't any water activities, but that was fine, because we were enjoying the coolness. It is very warm in Malawi right now.

One picking of mulberries!

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MULBERRIES GALORE!

2008-09-11T10:08:00.004-04:00

We love our huge Mulberry tree. This is the first year that we've had this bumper harvest. Mulberry trees are draught resistant and don't need any fertilizer at all. Last year we got several handfulls of mulberries. But this year Larry brings in two large bowlfulls every day! Mandy has been making mulberry crisp, mulberry muffins, and mulberry pancakes. Mulberries are also delicious on ice cream and cereal.

One of our Malawian friends was visiting and we offered him some mulberries. He told us that the Chichewa word for mulberries is "malbro" but he said it like "marlboro". So now we call our muffins, "marlboro muffins." We explained to him that in the US, Marlboro refers to a brand of cigarette. We had a good laugh over it.

More maize!!

2008-09-11T09:52:00.003-04:00

Recently 200 bags of maize was delivered and put in our back yard. Our workers treated it like it was pure gold. They carefully placed it in the storage room in the little house in the back ground on the picture.

About 120 needy families will benefit form the maize, most of which are led by one or both parents suffering with AIDS. All of the people in our HIV program take antiretroviral medicines which help them to be healthy so they can work and also to prolong their lives. We will be giving them maize and beans to help sustain their families for four months during the famine.

We also plan to feed our orphans an extra day each week during those four months - maybe longer. This has been a vision of ours for a very long time. Thank you to our donors and to IDES for supplying this need.

Awesome kids!

2008-08-29T12:22:00.005-04:00

Some of our favorite faces from the village!

Even the kids come to our lessons at the church in Mphanda village. They sit very attentively.

Layers for increased income and food production!

2008-08-29T12:02:00.006-04:00

We have enjoyed watching our 50 baby chicks growing.

They are growing beautiful feathers and becoming bigger and bigger each day. In about 5 more months they will begin to lay eggs. Hopefully the egg business will supplement our orphan program.

Preparing for the Famine of 2008

2008-08-29T10:49:00.003-04:00

Due to the poor rainfall this year in Malawi, many families were unprepared. They did not harvest enough maize to feed their families until the next harvest. Beginning in about October, families will not be able to purchase maize. They will struggle to find enough food to survive. November begins the planting season. The rains will begin then and end in about April. After that they will harvest their maize. IDES awarded us $35,000 to purchase maize, beans and baby formula (for babies of mothers with HIV/AIDS). Beginning the end of October we will begin to increase the orphan feedings, and deliver bags of maize and beans to families where the parents are suffering from AIDS. This month we began providing baby formula for 8 mothers with AIDS so they may stop breastfeeding their infants. The HIV virus can be passed through mother's milk to the baby. Praise God with us for His wonderful provision.

Struggling, but determined!

2008-08-09T04:14:00.003-04:00

I can do it!

2008-08-09T04:13:00.001-04:00

Orphan boy with his blanket

2008-08-09T04:10:00.001-04:00

This little boy warmed our hearts at the orphan care program last week. He was smiling, waving and probably would have gone home with us, no problem. He loved his new blanket and was barely big enough and strong enough to carry it, but he wouldn't allow anyone else to take it from him. What a joy we had in serving Jesus that day!

What a sweet boy!

2008-08-09T04:07:00.001-04:00

The house we stayed in at the village

2008-08-07T14:18:00.000-04:00

Larry preparing to preach in the village

2008-08-07T13:50:00.001-04:00

Thankful for the Lord's provision!

2008-08-07T11:56:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we traveled to a remote village to do a "seminar." I (Mandy) was teaching the group of ladies from Proverbs 31 and realized that even though I tried to speak on a level they could understand, they really couldn't understand. This is because there were no Bibles in the churches there. They lacked even some basic teaching from Scripture. Six churches were represented and there may have been only one pastor out of all of them with a torn up Bible. I was about to burst into tears and it was one of those times I had to totally rely on God for strength to continue. Fortunately I had a Malawian pastor's wife with me who had a Bible and knew more than the average Malawian woman about the Bible. She was able to step in for me and answer their questions in a way for them to understand. I promised the ladies that we would be getting Bibles into the hands of the pastors as soon as possible. Little did I know that one of the pastors who accompanied us had brought 12 Bibles that he had left over from a box we had given him. Another pastor who also accompanied us had brought 12 hymn books which they also so desperately needed. It was so uplifting to see how happy those six pastors were to receive these new Bibles - two for each church. We were told that they spent the entire night preaching and singing their praises to God. They didn't go to bed the entire night! Praise God for His provision!

2008-06-28T04:37:00.002-04:00

One very thankful girl, receiving her blanket this week.

2008-06-28T04:34:00.002-04:00

We were so blessed this past week to give out blankets to 40 orphans in our orphan program. Mandy's cousin, Ronda's son, Ian Frances recently had a birthday. Instead of presents, he asked that money be donated for the orphans in Malawi. He raised enough for us to purchase 40 blankets. Ronda and Ian's hearts were stirred this past March when we visited them in North Carolina. They had many questions about village life in Malawi and wanted to do something for orphans who are living in severe poverty in our orphan program. When we received the money and emailed them about what we wanted to do, here's what they said, "I just cried when I read your e-mail. I told Ian and he was very happy to hear the news. He had such a big smile on his face." God bless Ian for sacrificing so these kids can be warm at night.

The New Car!

2008-06-05T07:38:00.000-04:00

BACK HOME AT LAST!!

2008-05-12T11:56:00.005-04:00

We landed in Malawi on May 2nd. The weather is cooling off now and we will prepare for "winter." The temps right now are in the 70s (F) during the day and 50s at night - great sleeping weather. Malawi generally doesn't get freezing temperatures, but when it hits the 40s at night, we feel it. We usually don't need heat in the house, but have a space heater to use when it gets so cold at night.

This year Malawi did not get sufficient rainfall and the crops did not produce enough food. We are anticipating a hard famine season beginning as early as October.

The pastors from Blantyre visited us this past weekend to greet us and update us on the new church - Mphanda Christian Church in Mphanda village. The people are so hungry for God's Word and are begging us to come soon to teach them. We are also eager to begin.

Please pray that we will have a dependable vehicle soon. Each day, Larry goes out to shop, but comes home with the same story. We just can't afford the vehicle that seems like it will last for a few years.

We are so excited to be back in Malawi and we are praying for fresh passion and vision for ministry. It will be exciting to see how God will continue to work in us and through us. We feel so inadequate, but rely on His all-sufficient Grace. It is when we are weak that He is strong.

Larry has knee surgery!

2008-04-11T10:47:00.003-04:00

Larry's knee surgery was a success and he is home recuperating. The doctor found some torn cartilage, arthritis and removed the meniscus. He'd been having pain off and on since we've been in Florida and we are so glad that he took the time to get it checked out. The date that we are returning to Malawi has changed and we are waiting for the tickets to be returned from South African Airlines, but we will be heading back the end of April. Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for Larry's recovery.

Thokozani Dimba

2008-03-03T06:35:00.003-05:00

This sweet little guy will be etched in our memories for a very long time. Thokozani Dimba passed away recently from malaria. Deaths from malaria are very common in Malawi especially in the wet, humid, rainy season. Mosquitoes breed in the latrines and anywhere where there is standing water. Kids love to play around the water puddles and really don't pay much attention to the mosquitoes buzzing around. It is so sad that there is no mosquito control in Malawi like there is in many other countries. We will miss Thokozani. He was not an orphan, but the grandson of the elderly lady who has given so much to our orphan program. He was always sitting on the perimeter of our group of orphans listening to the Bible stories. His smile was so magnetic and we are so sad that his life was cut short. We are praying that his family will be comforted and given the hope that God really cares for them and wants them to have a better life.

Blessings Flowed!

2008-01-28T16:10:00.000-05:00

Recently we visited Naples Christian Academy in Naples Florida. The first grade class supports us in prayer and last year the parents and kids published a book of prayers and worship to the Lord. They also recorded a CD of their voices speaking the prayers. It was an awesome project. All of the profit went to help our orphans in Malawi. We were so blessed as we worshiped together in the school's chapel and they listened intently as Mandy told them about our ministry.

Mike and Michelle Regan

2008-01-18T07:30:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone! Check out this other terrific blog by our friends, Mike and Michelle Regan. They are in Malawi during the month of January and are considering full-time missionary service in Malawi possibly in 2009. Please pray for their journey as they listen to the Lord speaking to them through their prayers and circumstances and to their hearts. Here's the address of their blog: www.prayfortheharvest.blogspot.com. There are some great pictures of Malawi and what they are doing there. This is their third trip to Malawi and they are actually staying in our house while they are in Lilongwe. It is not easy living in Malawi even for one month and they have met some special challenges like being in a foreign coutry without a vehicle. They have done extremely well. God is blessing them, but they could use a few extra prayers.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LARRY!

2008-01-16T14:09:00.001-05:00

January 14, was Larry's 51st birthday. We celebrated with our family at the park and enjoyed Larry's favorite foods, pizza, apple crisp and ice cream. The weather was warm, but shortly after we ate and he opened his presents it began to rain. Vicki, Tim's wife and oldest son, Zachary were not able to come, but we got some great pictures and loved our time with all of our kids together. Sarah and Tim Hayes just purchased a Teddy Bear Yorkie puppy and she was the center of attention. What a cutie!

Alyse

2008-01-04T09:06:00.001-05:00

We have a beautiful granddaughter, Alyse. She is a very smart 4 year old. During our Christmas picnic, she found a lady bug that she wanted to keep as a pet. She called him "Little Fellow" and kept talking to him and was very protective. It was so cute too see how she cared for Little Fellow. He rode home in one of the gift bags she had received.

Tim and Vicki and family

2008-01-04T08:58:00.000-05:00

Our son, Tim and his family were not able to join us for Christmas day, but we enjoyed a nice Christmas picnic with them in the park where the kids could play. A boy came by to invite us to see his new pet snakes. There were two black snakes that were not happy to have been caught. It was a beautiful day and it was nice to have all of them together.

December news

2008-01-04T08:17:00.000-05:00

What a joyous Christmas we had! God-honoring church services in beautifully decorated sanctuaries especially blessed our hearts this Christmas. The month of December began with a trip from Indiana to Florida. The weather was cold and rainy and we witnessed an accident on the highway that reminded us we are not truly safe anywhere in the world.

On December 4 we moved into D&D Missionary Homes and are staying in a nice two-bedroom apartment in St. Petersburg. It's very comfortable and we are able to work and rest sufficiently but about a week after moving in a very scary event happened. On December 11, Mandy experienced the symptoms of a heart attack. We live about five minutes away from the Tampa Bay Heart Institute and Northside Hospital in St. Petersburg and Larry rushed her to the emergency room. Initial tests showed it was not a heart attack, but women typically "hide" the actual effects of a heart attack so the doctors wisely admitted her to the hospital. The heart pain continued all that day and was helped with the treatments they gave her. However, the enzyme tests the next two days revealed it was, in fact a minor heart attack. They also did a heart catheterization and that test showed no blockages. The cardiologist concluded it was a blood clot that dissolved and moved on. We are so thankful that there was no major damage.

Our friends, Mark and Julie Pippin host a Christmas Party every year for the church family of First Christian Church of Seminole. About 50-60 people gather at their house for games, fellowship, good food and celebration of the birth of our Savior. It is one of our favorite Christmas activities. All of our friends have greatly blessed us since we returned. Our prayer is that God will use us to bless them as well.

Christmas day was spent in the home of our daughter and son-in-law. Sarah and Tim (Hayes) just recently moved into a brand new home in Kissimmee Florida. It was beautifully decorated and included a 9-foot tree. Mandy was able to bake cookies to give as gifts which is one of her favorite traditions. So we all gained a few more pounds from that and the sweet potato casserole and pumpkin pie! We had a wonderful time laughing and reminiscing about our favorite Christmas traditions. It was difficult watching "The Christmas Story" while we had so much to talk about.

We visited two churches in Florida this month. On December 2nd we visited Chapel Rock Christian Church in Indianapolis and on the 9th we visited First Christian Church in Inverness Florida. One of the favorite parts of being missionaries is that we get to meet lots of interesting people and have made many new friends. God has poured out so much blessing to us through His people.

Furlough 2007/08

2007-11-07T07:42:00.000-05:00

We are so happy to be back in the USA. Although we miss our work and friends in Malawi, we are looking forward to sharing what God has been doing there with many of you. Please pray for safety in travel and for God's wonderful and faithful provision for needed funding for projects. He has given us many wonderful visions for the people. Please pray for the explosion of the Gospel message throughout all of Malawi and for the faith of Christians there to grow deep. We plan to return to Malawi in April 2008.

Big Disappointment

2007-11-07T07:33:00.000-05:00

We were saddened by an email we received three days after we landed in the US. The email was from our Board chairman who informed us that our trusted worker (good Christian man to whom we entrusted all of our belongings in Malawi), took our vehicle for a drive (without permission) and wrecked it. We are unsure what the insurance will cover at this point, but we are trusting God for His provision and know He will do more than we can imagine. As for our worker, he has been fired. Please pray that Satan will not be able to attack any other part of our ministry while we are gone. We need to continue to lift up the ministry in prayer as Satan is standing ready to launch attacks on unprotected areas - areas that are not covered with the power of prayer.

2007-11-07T07:24:00.000-05:00

We were so blessed by the group of chiefs in our villages recently. They honored Larry by making him an honorary "group village headman" and gave him the name of "Cheukani" which means "look back." As we were returning to the US for furlough they wanted to make sure we remembered where we'd been and to look back and see how much they need us to return to Malawi. We assured them that we would be back and work with them again. They gave Mandy the name of "Nachisali" which is a name of respect for a woman. She is also called, "Mama" because she cares for their needs. The picture shows Larry receiving the special scepter that they gave him to show he is really a group village headman. This is the highest honor they could bestow on someone. We were both humbled by their love and gifts.

2007-11-07T07:17:00.000-05:00

This picture was taken the last Sunday we were in Malawi to worship with Mphanda Christian Church. The church leaders have begun the temporary church building. It will have grass/straw walls and a thatch roof. This will allow them to gather for worship during the rainy season. When we return to Malawi in April, they will begin the process of building a more permanent structure made of bricks. Please pray that the church will remain strong and the Lord will bless them as they grow in their faith.

2007-10-18T04:16:00.000-04:00

This past week, we distributed new school uniforms for about 50 orphans. They were so happy. It was also the last time we will get to see the kids for six months because our furlough begins next week. We are finishing up the rest of the school uniforms this week and when it is all finished we will have given over 100 uniforms. Thanks to the efforts of the mission team from Kewanee Illinois, all of these kids will be welcomed into their schools. Mandy spoke with all the orphans about the importance of education. Her father, Jim Patterson organized a mission trip to Malawi and helped raise the funding for the uniforms. His vision was for all of the orphans to have an opportunity to attend shool.

Thank you Kewanee First Christian Church for giving the money to pay for the uniforms.

2007-10-04T04:26:00.000-04:00

2007-10-04T04:14:00.001-04:00

Mandy's dad, Jim Patterson went to be with the Lord on July 30, 2007. Although Larry was not able to travel back for the memorial service, he wrote his fondest memories of Jim. Here is what he wrote:

"There are alot of things I could say at this moment...about Jim. The first thing is to Sandy...Mom. I am so sorry I can't be there. There is nothing I could do or say to change the loss you feel but I would like to comfort you by just being there. I pray you understand and ask you to save a little time for me when I am there because I will need your comfort too. I went to our village and told Agogo our coordinator's grandmother about Jim. She grabbed her heart and said "Pepani Pepani" "I am So So sorry". She then took my hand and walked me from her house down to where we have the orphan care program. She has never come to the program before much less taken my hand and escort me there. I found out recently that she is the oldest matriarch of the royal family. In her way she was giving tribute to Jim. And I want to do the same.

I have known him since I was nine years old. And in these 41 years we have had many encounters, some good and some not so good. But all of them served to create a unique relationship. My first day of school moving from Springfield Mo. to Kewanee at nine years old was one of those times. I was being teased because of talking like a Hillbilly and got into a fight right in front of the Blish Building. Here comes the principle, Mr Patterson. So I stopped him telling him my story and he asked in a gruff voice, "Who started it? ". I said "He did". And then he said with same gruff voice "Who won?", and I said "I did". Then he got quieter and said, "I guess everything turned OK then didn't it." and walked away. That summer I was swimming at the Northeast pool and so him playing with his family in the pool and I thought WOW, it's Mr Patterson and his wife and daughters yahoo! I holler out "Mr Patterson, Hey Mr Patterson" and dove into the pool, the shallow end. I came up out of the water right in front of in front of him with the biggest bloody smile you have ever seen. He said, "Oh garsh you're bleeding, hurry up and go to the front desk and call your mom" I had hit the bottom of the pool and cut a hole in my lip and I thought, Mr Patterson saved my life. The Patterson family moved away which was a sad day but they moved back when I was in sixth grade. And guess who sat next to me, but Mr Patterson's daughter Mandy. I thought "WOW I saw her in her swimming suit in third grade and now she is sitting by me! As you all know we started dating three years later and I started spending a lot a time at their house. One night I came over for dinner and they had popcorn. Popcorn. I was fifteen and eating five meals a day which my mom says included a loaf a bread each day. Sandy who loves to cook said she would make me some hot dogs. After six hotdogs Jim finaly looked at me and said, "We eat here again Lar". That same year he and Howard Shroyer took me fishing and four O'clock in the morning. I had never been so excited since I wanted to make a good impression. I picked a good spot and Jim and Howard walked down a ways and before they could get started themselves, they heard a big splash. I found out later they thought I had caught a big one but soon saw me floating down the river. They pulled me out and cleared my lungs but with Jim's experience in special ed., he knew that there was another problem, that I was having a seizure. This time, he really did save my life. He eventually allowed me to marry Mandy and he and I became family. The rest seems like a blur until we decided to go on the mission field and Jim became one of the most excited and the most encouraging people. It didn't take him long to start telling others and making sacrifices himself, to send us and to support us. He now knows something I have been wondering about. When does God start preparing someone for ministry and who does he use in this preparation? I think I just answered that. God uses whomever he wants to use and he used Jim to prepare me, for his daughter, even though I don't think he knew it, and God used Jim to prepare me for ministry.

There is one more thing I want to say. The most important part of the race is the finish line and a runner must finish well to win the prize. Jim started the plan to come here about two years ago. He encouraged others to come on this mission trip and they are now here, encouraging Mandy and I by their work. Jim finished well."

2007-10-04T04:08:00.000-04:00