August Malawi Update

---Visit to Malawi---
BY Dan & Ruth Macy

Recently my wife Ruth and I had the privilege of spending three weeks in Malawi. Not only was this our first visit to that country; it was our first time to set foot on the continent of Africa. It was a spectacular trip. We enjoyed every minute of it. We highly recommend the experience to anyone who has the desire to go.

One week of the trip we spent at FVM’s Mulunguzi House in Zomba. This is a guest house that offers lodging to workers of various NGOs (non-government organizations) who are doing work in the area. Two of the nights that we were there we enjoyed meeting and getting to know several people from Canada who are working for Emmanuel International.
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Most of our days were spent visiting the two village areas, Taulo and Nandolo, where FVM does its primary work. We participated in the preschool classes (for ages 2-3 and 4-5), where 50 children or more recited the days of the week and the capitals of African nations. They got us involved in their enthusiastic singing and dancing, as well as some of their exercises. And all of this was overseen by two teachers per classroom. We were in awe of the order that those teachers achieved in a classroom with that many preschool children!

After school was done in the morning, each child was served a bowl of porridge that is primarily maize (corn) but also includes a balanced diet of protein, minerals and vitamins. Since nutrition is such a vital part of a child’s early development, including mental capacity, giving such a balanced meal five days per week is an invaluable service that FVM provides for these children.

​In Taulo, we watched a group of women learning how to sew a boy’s shirt. They will use this skill not only to provide clothing for their families, but also to sell items for extra family income.

​Each afternoon there was a Bible study that included enthusiastic singing and a lesson from the Word of God. The room usually started out with a handful of men and women, but by the end the room was full with 50-75 people of all ages. It was thrilling to see their hunger for food for their souls from the Bread of Life.

We enjoyed visits with Chief Taulo, Chief Namboya (a chief under Chief Taulo), and Chief Nandolo, each in their homes. While we were happy to share some things that we had brought for them, when we left we were overwhelmed by their generosity in loading us with gifts of sweet potatoes, sugar cane, pineapples and maize.

In Nandolo, FVM is building a kitchen adjacent to the school so the feeding program can proceed more easily in the rainy season. We were scheduled to help with the construction, but when we arrived, we discovered the workers had made such good progress that they were beyond the point of being able to use our help. By the time you read this, the work will probably be complete.

On the way home from our visit to Nandolo, we stopped to visit Liston Kazembe, one of the volunteer teachers in Taulo. His house is one of those that was severely damaged from the tropical cyclone Idai in March of this year. You can read more about his family’s need and what FVM is doing to help him by clicking here.

I have to share with you a humorous story from our visit with Liston’s family. One of his daughters introduced her baby daughter to us and told us her name is Violet (picturedRIGHT in glasses). Ruth pointed to some violet patches on her blouse to illustrate the color, and then Ruth told them that in North America we have a flower that we call African violet. Quick as a flash, the mother pointed to her baby and said, “African violet!"

​Our host for the week was FVM’s director in Malawi, Newton Sindo. He laid out the itinerary for us ahead of time and stayed with us everywhere we went. It was one of the highlights of the trip and our great privilege to get to know this servant of the Lord. His wife Idah was a great helper too, and we enjoyed her generous hospitality on multiple occasions, including a beautifully decorated cake to welcome us to Zomba. We are honored to call them both and their children our dear friends.

Another of the Lord’s servants who helped us immensely was Davie Ngalauka. He was our driver and our translator. He did a superb job at both, for which we are very grateful. He too is now our dear friend.

All of the staff at Mulunguzi House were friendly and helpful. We appreciated every one of them. To finish our week there in Zomba with them, it was our privilege to host a farewell dinner that was well attended by the staff, their wives and some of their children.
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We came home with our hearts full to overflowing with memories of the Lord’s goodness, of His grace so evident in the lives of our brothers and sisters in Christ, and of His work that continues on for His glory and the blessing of many souls. “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14).
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Your fellow-servants for Christ, by His grace,
Dan and Ruth Macy