Back on the road again! 8:00 start. A little later today. We certainly didn’t come to Malawi to catch up on our sleep. This morning we visited the central office and storehouse of Timotheos Foundation in Blantyre. After a warm welcome we toured the facilities by means of a well prepared scavenger hunt for information that had us interacting with all of the staff. It was super “leerzaam” and engaging. One thing we learned: Timotheos is blessed with passionate, dedicated, and talented staff. Thanks for all you do!

March 18, 2024

Another splendid day in southern Malawi: 30 degrees and sunny. Another day of flopping around like a fish in the back of a Land Rover on a bumpy road. And another day of stunning scenery, unforgettable moments, and lasting memories.

What to write? How to express what has all been seen and heard? It’s really not possible. Impressive, beyond comprehension, humbling, and inspiring are just a few words that come to mind.

A Sunday morning church service at the Nunkuyu Reformed Presbyterian Church of Malawi…

It's hard to believe we have come to the last days at the Nyamithuthu Center which also means the last days of the Vacation Bible school. This week, we have had an increasing number of children attending every day. We find it very special that the older, mature boys really enjoy and focus on coloring the parable pictures. Our good-byes to the staff and children were brief, as there were many interviews and meetings at the center for cooking mothers, guards, and with the children being chosen for high school. Although it is exhausting to work in the heat with so many children that have an abundance of energy, we are all sad to be leaving behind the teachers and children we have built connections with!

This week , we ran the program for between 250 and 350 children. We've again experienced the challenge of telling a parable while competing with crying babies, clucking chickens, children squabbling over who sits where or who gets to hold their shared plastic cup, and the many children walking in who are on Malawi time (aka whenever they get there). Just like at home, we notice that some children are attentive and some aren't. They are definitely doing well learning the Chichewa memory verse (Matt 25:13) and are making progress on the, for them more difficult, English Psalter we are teaching (290:1).

Sunday
We traveled to Namitambo for church with Bep today. The choir was amazing, and the sermon was on Genesis 1 and 2. The minister urged the members to take care of this land God has given us. For the locals, the minister made it practical to planning trees when they cut them down for fuel for fires. We enjoyed a restful afternoon on the Lord's day.

Monday
We started the day with week opening at the Timotheos office in Blantyre.

Every day we try to learn more and more Chichewa words, so our Thursday morning ride to the center was spent memorizing a Chichewa song to sing with the children. Our driver Mr. Peter said it made us "real Malawians". The children loved it. (Some of them already knew it, and the others seem to catch on quickly.)

Thursday's parable was about the prayers of the publican and pharisee. The children seemed to understand the concept and, as always, loved doing the coloring page that went along with it. The older ones enjoyed the word search on the back as an extra challenge.

Well the ladies have been EXTRA, extra busy in Malawi… with close to 600 children showing up each day for Bible classes and activities they have been busy trying to keep things running smoothly and in an organized fashion. So because of that I am going to add some extra words for them to the pictures they have sent over. We hope they will continue to write a blog approximately every other day but also find it important that the ladies prioritize their well-being as well.

Sunday

On our way to church Sunday morning at the Mbulumbusi child care center compound, Bep picked up a family to give them a ride. The five seater car now held nine people, but by Malawian standards we could have still fit one or two more!