Malawi is still Malawi without our presence, but we’re involved now more than ever in the development of one small village and the care of ninety of its children. Your prayers, encouragement, and monetary gifts remind us that we are a team and that God is still very interested in using us all to serve these precious souls halfway around the world. Thank you for looking outside yourself and your own problems. Our world has never seen a crisis quite like the one we’re in right now, but we believe God is doling out special blessings on those who choose to trust Him with their own lives and continue to help others.
Thanks to you, we recently bought a car for Snoden to transport the children to and from the clinic when they’re sick. Because of the government mandated quarantine in the village, he was also able to use that car to efficiently deliver food parcels directly to the kids’ homes. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have eaten every day. That car was broken into right outside Snoden’s house during the night in an attempt to steal it. Thankfully, his dog barked and the thief ran off. There’s a brick wall that has been started to surround the perimeter of the two-acre property where the preschool and Snoden’s home sit, and we’re working to finish that as soon as possible. This is a huge project for the ministry and we are still needing funds to complete it. The school has since reopened and the kids are coming back to the property—all the more reason to finish the wall and protect the children from harm. It won’t necessarily mean an end to criminal threats, but it will certainly help.
Snoden and Susan have been running the program by themselves since we left, and they’re tired and sometimes discouraged. Feeding ninety children and educating forty is a monumental task for anyone, but these two also just recovered from malaria. They’ve expressed feelings of being overwhelmed. We recognize they need encouragement, and John started planning a trip to visit them. He was going to travel alone since our kids are in school right now and desperately need a period of stability, and it would be cheaper, quicker and easier to make that trek alone. But, it doesn’t seem to be time yet. Apparently, the COVID scare has the locals spooked. Snoden believes we wouldn’t be welcomed right now. They think white people coming into their village are bringing the virus. We’ll give it more time and keep praying for discernment as Snoden tries to educate the people in the village about how the virus is actually spread and the relatively low threat it poses.
In the meantime, many of you here have joined us in supporting the children of Malawi. It’s been amazing to watch how God puts our situation in the United States into perspective when we focus on kids on the other side of the globe. Instead of feeling sorry for ourselves, we recognize that having food to eat every day is a blessing and we are thankful. Instead of worrying about getting the virus, we recognize that we have access to clean water and medicine and we are thankful. Instead of fearing that someone will break into our home and steal from us or accost us on the street, we recognize that we are secure in our strong houses and cars, and we are thankful. Praying for others in poverty and need allows us to see clearly the many blessings we have been given. Thank you for agreeing with us that we have enough to share and don’t need to fear or hoard our resources. God bless you for your faithfulness and trust in Him.
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