BACK HOME AT LAST!!

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!

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

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!

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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.