God is the Winner

It is 3:30 am and we just got back from the USA-England match. It was a great time. God showed up in so many ways. He provided transporation with a pastor we had met and another guy from LA. We ended up in the right parking lot and on a bus that took us toward the stadium (we bailed with about 6 blocks to go because traffic was stalled). Our seats were great and we found our way back to the parking lot (after a 10K walk-run and ride in the back of a truck). An hour later we were back on the road crawling toward Pretoria in a snake of bumper to bumper traffic.

Oh yeah. He gave us a pretty good match to watch with a 1-1 draw. Go USA and Go God!

FIFA FEVER

Nate and I are back in South Africa. The country is going crazy for the World Cup which starts today. We went to a German high school with the Willoughby's to watch the opening match between South Africa and Mexico.

Tomorrow, Nate and I will travel to Rustenburg to watch the USA-England match. You can watch it on ESPN/ABC live. It should be an great experience! On Sunday we will go to church and hear Daniel preach in German. This will be quite the weekend.

PS - I was finally able to upload pictures so there are around 150 pictures in the slideshow!

Sunday Night Lights

Daniel Village is located only a few kilometers off the main road from Senga Bay to Salima but it seems like the middle of nowhere. We approached in the dark along a narrow, rutted, dirt road and pulled into an empty soccer field. When we stepped out of the vehicle, we were greeted by what appeared to be zillion stars, including the Milky Way which stretched from one end of the sky to the other.

None of us had ever experienced anything like it. Even the stars at Lake City, Colorado at 4 am on the men's hiking trip two years ago could not compare. It was simply stunning.

But the best was yet to come.

We quickly unloaded the gear and began setting up our make-shift theater. We drapped a sheet over the crossbar of the soccer goal and weighted it down with rocked secured with duct tape. We hooked up the generator, strung some lights, set up the projector and in a matter of minutes were ready for another showing of the Jesus film.

The worship team from Peter's church arrived and set up the keyboard and soon the prehistoric speakers were blasting out some scratch but beautiful worship tunes. The crowd gathered quickly and everyone was dancing and singing.

When it was time for the movie, we realized the audio was insufficient for the crowd size. But we didn't have any audio cables. One of the worship team members quickly took the speaker wires and stripped them bare and attempted to insert them in the projector. Nothing. Then he disappeared and returned five minutes later with some RGB plugs and tried those. Nothing. He left a third time (we are not sure where because there is no Radio Shack in Daniel Village) and returned with a headphone jack. He re-wired the jack and inserted it in the projector. Within seconds, Jesus was speaking Chichewa and the crowd erupted into thunderous applause!

It was beautiful!

We will never forget that evening. It was real missionary stuff. We were honored and humbled to be a part of it.

A Super Sunday Celebration

Live from Malawi - Mizzou for Malawi

More than anything, the experiences of today have left me speechless - and for those of you who know me, that doesn't happen very often. It is hard to put into the words the joy and love and fellowship I felt today. We began today by attending church at Pastor Peter Maseko's church, Salima Baptist Church. His congregation was there to welcome us and we worshiped together for two and a half hours. The service was inspirational to say the least. Although the words were in a different language, you could feel God's presence and the language barrier no longer mattered. Hallelujah and Amen are the same in Chichewa as English. What beautiful words to share in common.

After the service, we traveled to the Pothawira site. Peter invited the entire congregation and they willingly and joyfully packed into trucks to travel to the building. To share today with them was beyond meaningful.

We held a dedication for the school/church at Pothawira. Going into this, we were not exactly sure how we would approach it. All we knew is that we needed to dedicate it and pray over it. At times it is best to acknowledge how little we are in control and to hand it over to God.

Peter opened up by explaining the vision of the village to the crowd. For some, it was the first time they realized this would be a school and a church. After Peter spoke, he asked us to say a few words. I stepped forward and made it through about two sentences before I was emotionally overwhelmed and Kyle had to take over. I enjoy speaking in public and to be rendered speechless was incredibly humbling. The three of us then each read a verse. I read Jeremiah 29:11, Bree read 1 Corinthians 3:10-11 and Kyle read Hebrews 11:1. We felt that each of these verses held a special meaning for the school, the church, the children, and their collective futures. We wanted to remind them that God has a plan and will give them hope and a future.

Following the reading the verses, I led the group in prayer. All the adults stood in a circle holding hands around the main room in the building. The children then formed a smaller circle inside of the adult's. Peter and I stood in the center of the children's circle. Peter held my hand while I prayed and translated. I'm not sure if I have ever felt closer to God than while praying surrounded by such humble believers and holding the hand of a man so filled with the Holy Spirit. There is a peace and a confidence that comes from God through Peter that I know I could not have prayed without.

After our main prayer, we divided into groups and prayed over every room in the school/church. This time together included prayers from our team, from the congregation and beautiful songs. I remember standing in one room while the Malawians sang a song of which I did not know a single word. Tears were streaming down my face and the sun was beaming down on us. God was surely present.

Seeing children running through the rooms that will someday serve as classrooms made every single second of the past two years worth the wait. And to know that this building will provide hope for so many children and will enable them to succeed when others have doubted their purpose is an overwhelming thought.

My words cannot do today justice, but I hope you get a small taste of what we experienced.

Hallelujah and Amen,

Libby

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Looking over Libby's words above, she speaks for all of us in expressing the unforgettable moments and blessings that took place this afternoon. I wish I could communicate the beauty of seeing a community come together in faith. During the church service, Pastor Maseko briefly explained that we are building a community but didn't go into much detail. It was not until everyone arrived at the location that he explained the vision that God was unfolding in the Pothawira village. That was the beauty of it -- at the point of invitation, these people only had heard that God was at the center of the work that was being done; they did not know of the opportunity that this community was bringing to their village. Thus, they blindly came to praise God for what He is doing in this special place. It was a beautiful unveiling, seeing that this indeed is the exact place where God wants this school to be. Both at church and on the cement floor of the roofless school construction, the community members sang and sang. I distinctly remember the thought crossing my mind, "Do you think their voices ever get tired?" But clearly, the joy and hope of their hearts would never cease their praise. I closed my eyes for a few moments, and without even knowing the words, I felt the presence of God. Emotion took over, and I knew this had to be the sounds of Heaven.

Although video cannot capture it in the same way, I look forward to sharing the clips from today with all at a later date. Please keep their hearts and needs in your thoughts and prayers.

Kyle Kilroy

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"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere." James 3:17

I am happy to follow Kyle and Libby's words about our experiences today, because they did a beautiful job describing what was really an indescribable morning. I'm not sure I would have known where to begin. We could not have asked for a more perfect or joyful celebration to commemorate the work that has already been done by so many for the Pothawira village. Many thanks are in order to Paster Peter Maseko and his wife, Emma, for their inspiring ability to bring people together in God's name.

Stepping onto the Pothawira property for the first time earlier this week brought tears to my eyes. As Libby said, the past two years were definitely worth the wait. Throughout this week, as our group has reflected on how far we've come, and how much more God has planned for the future of this place, every thought came right back to the children who will live here. Of course, for Kyle, Libby and me, our first thoughts are with the school and church facility that has forever given this project a special place in our hearts. As we prayed over the unfinished building during the ceremony this morning, we were excited to be able to provide hope for the children who will find a home here. "Pothawira" means "safe haven" in Chichewa, and that is exactly what this place will be.

As the students at Mizzou have known and worked for all along, this school, this chance for an education that would not otherwise be available, will give the children of Pothawira a stepping stone to better their lives. For many, this will be the first time they have had a textbook for themselves. The first time they have seen a science laboratory, or a computer. Who knows what future business leaders, pastors, doctors, or politicians will graduate from this school. We are excited to provide these students with worldly knowledge.

But this project is so much more. It is visible even in the design of the village; the church is placed at the heart of the school. Above all, we hope to provide these students with the opportunity to know Christ. As the girls mentioned earlier, God's presence was tangible during the ceremony this morning - through the prayers offered up in each classroom of the building, through the joyous songs whose meanings move your soul without having to know the words, and through the conversations conducted only through smiles. I can only hope everyone who enters this facility in the future experiences the joy we did today.

I cannot believe we only have one day left here in Malawi - one more day to travel to villages full of beautiful people living for Him, one more day to spend with Peter, Emma, and their precious daughter Alpha, and one more day for a baboon to steal someone's breakfast off the table right in front of them. Although I will be sad to leave, this trip has only solidified the fact that Malawi will always have a piece of my heart.

For Malawi,
Bree Dunn

Saturday Matinee

Today we went to Thonje, a remote village in central Malawi about 45 minutes from Salima. We had a great time with the families from the local church which Petet Maseko helped start many years ago. We were able to use a generator and portable projector to show the children's version of the Jesus film in Chichewa. There were probably 150 children watching their first movie on a big screen (which was actually a bed sheet nailed into the morter of the church wall). It was awesome! The children and adults were rivited to the the story.

After the movie, we split the children into groups of 15 and made gospel bracelets. These are leather strings with 6 colored beads, each one representing a different element of the gospel and Christian life. Nate, Libby, Bree and Kyle did a great job coordinating the event and the children all seemed to enjoy themselves. They wore their bracelets with a smile. Many thanks to Glenn Menke, Children's Ministry Director at Colonial, for the idea. It was a great success.

We also left the children a soccer ball with the same colors as the bracelets. They had been using a ball made out of tape so it was definitely an upgrade!

Another crazy story about baboons. Nate was ambushed by a group of primates down at the beach. They jumped out of the trees all around him. He came running up the steps out of breath convinced that he had been thrown into a sequel of Planet of the Apes! (I will share some great photos once we can upload graphics).

Tomorrow is church in the morning and the dedication of the school in the afternoon/evening. I found out yesterday that Peter wants me to preach at his church. I asked him how long the sermon needs to be. He said, "30 minutes. Or do you need 45?" I said thirty was just fine. I'm think with translation that is really about 15 .. 10 if I talk slowly. I'll let you know how it goes.

Until tomorrow.

Yendani bwino! (Good bye)

We Want the Guy

So we decided to visit a girl's private secondary school outside of Salima to learn more about the education structure and system in Malawi. When we arrived, we started to hear all the girl's talking. These were mostly senior girls who still had final exams to take.

We asked Peter, "What are they saying?" He laughed and pointed to Nate ... "We want the guy!"

When we went over to view the girl's dormitory, Nate was surrounded by the girls like he was a rock star! We were finally able to separate him from the masses. It was a close call!

Pothawira

Today we visited the Pothawira property to view the construction. It is unbelievable. Three duplexes are almost finished. The church/school is ready for the roof and final touches. The wind was blowing softly over the native grass, the sun was shining in the bright blue sky and the hope that awaits the orphan children is one day closer. We were all moved with emotion at the reality of what is unfolding on the plains of eastern Malawi.

On Sunday we will return to dedicate the school and church and hold a service for the residents of Daniel Village. It will no doubt be a special time.

Until then, there is much else to see and do!

How Good is the Warranty?

It happened in a flash.

Libby and I were sitting at breakfast and I said, "Here comes a baboon." But I thought he would stop by the sidewalk. Instead, he walked right up to Libby at our outside table and grabbed her sausage in one hand and scooped up her scrambled eggs in the other. In doing so, he reached right over her iPhone!

Can you image the phone call to Apple. "Yes, it was stolen by a baboon. Is this covered?"

What a way to start the day!

Welcome to Malawi!

Moni from Malawi! The internet is not cooperating so the blog postings will be limited. I think pictures are definitely out of the question until I get back to South Africa.

We arrived yesterday and had a great surprise waiting for us. After a pizza lunch in Lilongwe, we stopped at three village churches on the way to Senga Bay where we were greated by numerous children and adults who sang songs and welcomed us with open hearts. It was a beautiful first encounter of Malawi for the five individuals who had never been here before.

Two great reminders on Wednesday of God's goodness and faithfulness. First, Bree learned on Wednesday night at 10 pm that she needed some antibiotics and we were leaving for Malawi the next morning. Her family contacted a friend who used to live in South Africa. They contacted a doctor friend who contact a pharmacist who called in a prescription to the pharmacy at the airport. She was able to pick it up before we left the country! It is simply amazing how God can do the seemingly impossible.

When we arrived at the airport, Peter and Emma were there to greet us. But they only brought one vehicle and there were 8 of us with 13 bags! But Peter was able to get all the luggage on top of the Land Cruiser and we crammed into every available seat. We looked like the Clampets had moved to Africa! As we were pulling out of the airport, a man who had helped load the luggage on the roof came running up and asking if we had left a bag. Sure enough, one of our backpacks was missing! He ran back to the terminal and grabbed the bag and returned in a flash. It was a good samaritan moment and a nice first impression of the people of Malawi!

A Day to Remember

We traveled to Pilanesburg National Park today on a day safari. It was incredible. We saw tremendous wildlife, including elephants, rhinos, zebras, kudos, crocodiles, warthogs, and several species of birds. Our host, Andrew Beck of Moya Wa Tengo Safaris was fantastic.

Check out the photo gallery for some of our favorite pictures.

Tomorrow we leave for Malawi.

Blessings to all.

Malawi III

I am at the airport with Nate waiting for an early morning flight and the start of a 30 hour adventure that will eventually land us in Johannesburg, South Africa tomorrow evening. We will meet up with the rest of the team in DC. Our group includes Chuck, Debi, Libby and Nate Wolfe, Scott and Lynn Platter, Kyle Kilroy and Bree Dunn.

This is my third trip to Malawi in the past 12 months. Each visit to the "Warm Heart of Africa" brings a greater appreciation of what God is doing through the Maseko family and the Pothawira Village. It is an honor to work with such humble and devoted servants in caring for the orphaned and abandoned children of one of the poorest countries in the world.

After arriving in South Africa on Tuesday, we will enjoy a day safari at Pilanesburg National Park before heading to Malawi on Thursday. Some of the anticipated highlights of the trip include:

• Dedicating the school/church and celebrating the efforts of Mizzou for Malawi (the group Libby, Bree and Kyle started to raise funds for the school
• Showing the Jesus film in Chichewa in two remote villages (thanks to a generator and portable projector) and conducting a VBS program for the village children
• Seeing the new duplexes and health clinic under construction
• Spending time with Masekos in Malawi and the Willoughbys in South Africa

Most of the team will return to KC on June 9. Nate and I will stay a few extra days in Malawi and then head back to South Africa to attend the USA-England opening match of the World Cup on June 12. We get back to the states on June 14.

We will try to blog as much as possible but the internet is not always cooperative in Malawi.

See you in Africa!

Greetings from the Willoughbys

Here is a video greeting from Dan, Debbie, Karise, Hannah and Lydia. Kaleb was at a track event and could not be with us.

The Best of Africa

The flight from Johannesburg to Washington, D.C. was 16 hours.  Fortunately the in-flight entertainment system had a large music selection.  There was the "Best" of everyone ... Madonna, Kenny G, Journey, Air Supply, Queen, Neil Diamond.  (It is also good we didn't have to pay extra for some of these).

So what are the memories that will be replaying in our minds for quite some time?  Here is our Best of Africa from the week.  

• Visiting the Willoughby family in Pretoria - thanks Dan, Debbie,Hannah, Lydia and Karise!
• Sunday worship with the refugees and homeless of South Africa
• Taking a spontaneous right turn which lead to a tour of the Parliament Building
• Playing with Alpha Maseko
• Driving up to Pothawira and seeing a dream come to life in the form of bricks and mortar
• Listening to Pastor Peter's prayers
• Meeting Dorene, the serial entrepreneur in Salima
• Drinking Cherry Plum soda under a tree when it is 95 degrees
• Listening to Goodluck tell his story of conversion from Islam
• Spending an hour watching the baboons play in the wild
• Giving Edward a Bible and learning of his courage and faith in raising his brothers as orphans
• Watching Peter negotiate in the marketplace
• Seeing the joy of the Lord in the constant smile of Emma Maseko
• Distributing Chichewa Bibles to the men and women of Thonje
• Flying South Africa Airlines
• Listening to the "K-Love" of Malawi driving in the middle of nowhere
• Seeing the stars of the Southern Hemisphere
• Being one church with brothers and sisters half way around the world
• Knowing that this is just the beginning of something huge in the heavenlies

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us."  Ephesians 3:20

Thank you for your prayers and support. 

We press on!

Chuck, Scott, Randall and Fred

Thonje Day

In the movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray's character wakes up each morning at the same time to the same song on the radio ... and relives the same day, every day.

Welcome to Thonje.

This is a remote village in central Malawi, where every man, woman and child has a lead role in their own personal version of this movie. Kids have one set of clothes; few have shoes. They eat the same meager meal of nsima (a corn meal product) and a few side dishes if available. The village dairy cow, one of the only sources of protein, recently died. Life is HARD. And at the end of the day, they go to sleep knowing they will wake up to the same story line the next morning.

Groundhog Day is the only movie that plays in Thonje.

But there is something else in Thonje ... the church. The people gather together in an old brick structure and sing praises. They thank God for their lives and family and friends. They have discovered contentment in the midst of survival.

And now they have the Living Word. Thanks to the Walk to the Manger, we were able to distribute several adult Bibles in the Chichewa language, along with some illustrated children's Bibles, to the church members who can read. Now they will be able to read about what they have experienced throughout their lives ... the reality of God's faithfulness, the peace of Christ, and the provision of Daily Bread.

I think the singing just got lounder! Listen to this great video of the women celebrating.

Meet Goodluck

Here is Randall and Scott with Goodluck Malek.  His story is inspiring.

He grew up in a Muslim home.  Life was happening.  It was hard.  Several years ago he was looking at a Bible and reading some things in Romans.  One night he heard a voice.  "I want you to become a Christian and I will convert your family."  He woke up his brother to ask him what he had said.  His brother told him he didn't say anything.  Goodluck (not his name at the time) went back to sleep. 

The voice came again.  He knew it God.  He gave his life to Christ and changed his name.

So what happened with his family?  He told his father about his conversion and was promptly beaten.  But Goodluck pressed on with the promises of God.  Eventually a brother and sister came to Christ.  And then his father.  Now they are praying for their mother.  They BELIEVE it is only a matter of time before she will know the Lord as well.

Is life now easier for Goodluck?  Not really.  Life in Malawi is fragile and difficult.  But he has a joy and eternal hope that was absent before.  He also now has a Chichewa Bible thanks to the Walk to the Manger gift.   

This means he can read God's word every day, at least on those days when God is not speaking to him at night!

Flying Bricks

First of all, the internet connection here is extremely spotty and slow (taking me back to the old dial-up days of the 90s). I think pictures are out of the question. But I will try to load a ton of them at the airport in Johannesburg on our way home on Friday. Worst case scenario is the weekend.

So yesterday we headed out to Pothawira. It was fantastic to see the church/school and first two homes taking shape. The highlight was watching the workman who were performing MANUAL LABOR. This means they were hauling mortar up to the roof by a string of empty cement bags tied to a bag. Then the worker on the ground would start tossing bricks straight up 20 feet where the guy on the roof would catch them with one hand and place them in his work pile. This went on for about 15 minutes. There must have been 100 bricks. It was amazing.

The construction is going well. We hope to start another four homes in the next few weeks along with the dining hall/kitchen. We need the church, homes and dining hall in place before the kids can move in. That should happen by the first part of the summer. The raining season is coming to an end so the weather should cooperate.

Today was spent at Peter and Emma Maseko's house discussing all the various items relating to the project. It was a great time of fellowship and extremely productive. Tomorrow we will visit some of the remote villages, including Tonje. Friday we head home.

Thanks for all your prayers. We appreciate and need them. God is smiling on Malawi!

Greetings from Malawi

We made it to Malawi! It is 11:00 pm and I am sitting outside the office at the lodge pirating the wireless to get a connection. The baboons are running around in the trees and the sky is filled with stars. It is pretty awesome.

We had a great day of travel and a successful afternoon in Lilongwe, where we were able to purchase a generator and portable keyboard for Peter. 165,000 Kwacha can buy a lot of great stuff.

Tomorrow we will visit the Pothawira village property and review the construction and development. There should be lots of pictures, including little Alpha!

Keep praying and pressing on!

Perfect Day in Pretoria

In the movie Invictus, there is a scene where Matt Damon's character is invited to meet President Mandela at his offices.  Francois Pienarr stood at these exact steps, pausing long enough to ponder the fate of his meeting.  It proved to be a pivotal moment in the actual life story that inspired the movie.  

That is how God works in life many times.  He gives us a moment in which to choose.  That was the case with Alain.  He is a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo.  His country is embroilled in a bloody genocide.  He decided to leave ... and marched to Pretoria.  He walked through five countries over a four year period.  Now Alain is trying to earn enough money to bring his wife and children to South Africa.  In the meantime, he has found a home at the Living Hope Sunnside church, where he gathers every week with other refugees.  Today there were individuals from Nigeria, Cameroon, Ghana, DRC, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. 

So our time in South Africa has come to an end.  Tomorrow we catch a flight to Malawi.  But today had one more surprise.  A pastor from Malawi came to stay with the Willoughbys today. Brasswell is from northern Malawi ... but he knows Peter Maseko, our Pothawira partner, through the national Baptist conference.  It is becoming a smaller world with each day.  Who knows, maybe Brasswell will be a future partner with The Global Orphan Project one day!


We leave you with some pictures of the Willoughbys.  They thank you for the Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chips, Cake mixes and other American treats that we were able to cram into two suitcases.  Mostly they thank you for your monthly financial support and prayers. They are a special family who is being used mightily in their new ministry in South Africa.

The Adventure Begins

We are ready for our 14er. 

I'm  not talking about Mt. Sherman or any of the other Colorado mountains that draw hikers to the summit.  We are at the Dulles airport in DC getting ready to board our South Africa Airlines flight to Johannesburg ... a 14 hour trip with an hour layover in Dakar, Senegal.  Let's hope the movies are good.

So far everything is going well.  We shifted our luggage contents to get all the bags under 50 lbs.  The short flight from KC to DC was smooth and without incident.

But now the adventure begins. 

New countries, customs and communication challenges.  Reacquainting with old friends and developing new relationships half way around the world.  Seeing what God is doing for the orphans in Malawi through the generous hearts and gifts of so many in the United States.

We hope you will join us in the journey and follow us during the next week.

Until later, we press on ...

Scott, Randall, Chuck and Fred (L to R above)

      

The Malawi Sequel

Do you get excited for sequels?

For me, it depends on a few key elements surrounding the story.  Are the characters mostly the same?  Is it a continuation of an unsolved drama from the prior adventure?  What new twist will be introduced?

Malawi II:  Pothawira Alive begins in four days.  I think it will be a good one.

The characters have all changed, except for me.  This will be a team of four, including Scott Platter, Randall Leonard, Fred Steinbach and myself.  Scott and Randall have never been to Africa.  Fred has been there five times but never to Malawi.  A great mix of old and new.

Our trip is primarily to continue building the relationship with the Maseko family and develop Colonial's role as a sponsor of the Pothawira Orphan Village.  Construction is well under way on the church/school and first homes.  A dining hall will be built soon and the final plans for the medical clinic are being reviewed.  In other words, Pothawira is coming alive.  It won't be long until the children arrive.  I love that we get to see the next phase instead of just the final phase.  It makes the whole story more meaningful.

I am sure there will be some new wrinkles and excitement along the way.  God never shows His full hand until the perfect time, which could be a particular day, or hour or even minute.  That is the uncertainty of the sequel.  We will keep you posted through the blog, provided the electricity and internet connection coorperate! 

Here are the most recent pictures of the church/school and first home.  The roofs are next and then the fun begins. 

It You Build It ...

Last summer I wrote a blog entry called Field of Dreams (here). Remember the famous line whispered in the wind?

"If you build it, they will come."

Well the initial homes are now under construction at the Pothawira Village in Malawi. Each unit will house 10 children and a mama. There will eventually be hundreds of children in the village, which will include a church, school, health clinic and and other facilities and services.

Today these children have hope. Because in a matter of months the children will come ... to a new community of support and love that you are helping to create.

That is not a fantasy. It is real impact.

Construction Continues

The church/school takes shape at the Pothawira Orphan Village in Malawi. There will be a main meeting area, 6 classrooms and 3 offices in the 10,000 + sq ft facility.

A well was drilled on the property in November. This will allow construction to continue on schedule. The initial homes and the dining hall will be built over the next six months.

In December, Colonial provided the funding for the dining hall as well as other infrastructure costs such as a storage facility, a drainage system and truck repairs.

The Colonial GO leadership team hopes to return to Malawi in March to initiate a village sponsorship program for Pothawira.