We pray all of you had a wonderful Christ filled Christmas with family & friends! And we want to wish you all a very Happy New Year as we look forward to what the Lord has for us in 2010!

Nora & I have been blessed to have time with three of our children and their families and we look forward in January to having some quality time with our daughter Kelly & her family in Washington State. We were also blessed with the special Silent Auction event held 12/12/09 at Calvary Chapel in Monterey that raised sufficient money to allow our 30 Pastors in Malawi to be able to attend the Training & Discipleship School in 2010! PTL!!!! Thank you to all who participated & especially our Care Team who put the whole event together!! You all are awesome fellow servants & the brethren in Malawi will be so blessed at your endeavors in their behalf!

We will be attending the Calvary Chapel Missions Conference from January 4-7th, then up to Washington, and returning to Monterey on the 16th and leaving for Malawi on January 18th. In the meantime, we will be sharing at Calvary Chapel Monterey on this Wednesday night at 6:30 PM and at Calvary Chapel in Salinas on Sunday January 3rd. So, if anyone is in either of these two areas, come fellowship with us!

We are loving our time with our family and friends, but at the same time we are already looking forward to returning to our new "home" in Malawi. Please continue to pray for us as we wrap up our time here and that our Lord will supply all of our financial needs for 2010! He has always been faithful to do so, but we need to keep knocking, seeking, & asking!

Thanks to all our faithful supporters in 2009 and we pray you will continue to stand with us in 2010, for there is yet much land yet to be occupied! There are many different needs to assist the Malawian churches & their congregations, and if anyone desires to have more details, please contact us at www.snb1959@gmail.com or at this blog spot address and we will get back to you.

May our Lord Jesus bless & keep you close to Himself and always remember to look up, for our redemption draws nigh! We love and appreciate each one of you so much!

In Him,

Steve & Nora

Personal Update Report

To all of our Family, Friends, and Supporters:

This Saturday, December 12th, from 2-5PM, at Calvary Chapel Monterey Bay, Nora & I will be sharing with all in attendance about what God has accomplished this year in Malawi and what we sense our Lord desires to accomplish in 2010! We will have photo's, video, music, and lots of stories to share about life in Malawi.

Please come join us for an afternoon of great fellowship, reports of God's mercy & grace, and there will be lots of items for you to choose from on a Silent Auction of items donated to raise funds for the Pastoral Training & Discipleship School in Lilongwe that will begin in March 2010 which will allow itinerent Pastors to be trained in expository teaching of God's Word.

If you are unable to attend, we will be DVD'ing the event and if you request a copy of one, we will be happy to send you one. Prayerfully, we hope to being able to see you there and to greet you personally and warmly! Thank you for your prayers & support, as we could not be available to serve in Malawi without you!

May our Lord Jesus richly bless you this Christmas season as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and King, Jesus The Christ!!!!!!

Love,

Steve & Nora

Malawi Outreach Report
November 14, 2009



We are wrapping up our first 10 months of ministry here in Malawi as we head home to California for the holidays. We have been blessed beyond measure and we have come to love Malawi and its people! God has sent us here to be a blessing and a help to our brethren of Malawi, and with God’s leading us by His Holy Spirit, we have seen His power in strengthening us in our weakness. However, we would say without hesitation, we have learned so much from our brothers & sisters, that it has been a mutual admiration relationship!

God is opening up His arms to Malawi and desires to have His Holy Spirit to be poured out upon His people. We have found that the people of Malawi are eager to learn more & more about our Lord Jesus and His Holy Word! They are hard workers, fast learners, all they need is for the Body of Christ to come along side of them to assist them to become completely self sufficient in their walk with Jesus and to become financially able to care for themselves and their families.

So, as Nora & I head home to be with our family to give thanks to our Lord for our well being and to celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus, we are also well aware that we need to share this story with as many people and churches as we can while we are home. We have a video presentation about the ministry here in Malawi and we would love to come to your church to share and answer any questions you may have of us & of Malawi. So that if the Lord speaks to your heart to be involved in prayer, or in financial contributions, we will be able to inform you properly! If you prefer, we can send you the video which will briefly inform you about the many aspects of the ministry opportunities available in Malawi.

We just concluded a 10 day Medical Outreach, where we conducted seven (7) Clinics in six (6) days, allowing our team of four nurses and one Medical Doctor to have some rest in between. They were able to examine, consult, and disbursed medications to all, estimated to about one thousand patients. We owe a great amount of gratitude to Laura Bomarito, Laurel Fuge, Santos Ramirez, Teresa Anaya, and Dr. James High of the African Bible College Medical Clinic! We thank you, one in all for your selfless service to our Lord and to the most needy people in outlining villages, where there is little to no medical & health facilities. May our Lord bless all you do in His name, both now and until He returns!

We also were blessed to attend the Calvary Chapel All African Pastors Conference in Cape Town in October. We were overjoyed at the growth of the number of God’s people serving in Africa since we first attended this Conference in 2007. The speakers were outstanding, the fellowship sweet, and the new people we were able to meet was very gratifying as well as the joy of renewing many friendships! God is so good!!!

Please be praying for safe travel for us, a wonderful time with our family, and that the Lord will open many doors for us to walk through for His kingdom. Thank you all for your love, prayers, and financial support during 2009 and we ask you to pray what the Lord would have you do in 2010 for the work in Malawi.

May our Lord bless you all and we so look forward to seeing as many of you as possible when we are back!

Malawi Outreach Update

Malawi Outreach Update
October 2009


Since our last report, Nora & I have been on a very busy schedule. We attended our 50th High School Reunion in El Paso, Texas which was attended by more than 100 of our former classmates. What a wonderful experience we were able to enjoy, great fellowship, many laughs, tons of memories recalled, and festivities over a six day period. It started with a formal presentation by the Mayor and the City Council to the 1959 Burges High School Graduation Class for their outstanding achievement since graduation, to their City and to the world. This was followed by a large parade with about 50 members of our class, riding in classic 50’s vehicles, marching bands, the football team, cheerleaders, floats and Fire Trucks. On Friday, we attended the Home Coming Game where the former (old) football players were presented jerseys with our old numbers, names on back and a special insignia on the front left shoulder. We were with the team before the game in the locker room, participated as the team was led in the Lord’s Prayer, and went out with the team to the playing field, notice I did not say we ran out with the team, and at Half Time, introduced each of the remaining players who were able to be there. Festivities at the hotel went on for several days, looking at old photos, sharing old memories, laughing our heads off at some of the stunts we did, renewing old friendships with some of the people we have not seen in 50 years! We also cherished our time staying with a couple we have not only have known for over 50 years, but whom we consider lifetime friends, Alroy & Helen Eddings. They opened their home, their hearts, and were the greatest hosts ever!! One of the more gratifying moments of the whole event was when we all gathered to pray for a number of our classmates who were sick or suffering some serious life threatening illnesses. Everyone there joined in to the prayer circle, and we all participated by individually praying. It was truly a Holy Spirit moment, and it gave us all the awareness of how many of us had come to know Jesus Christ as our personal Lord, & Savior since High school! Following all this, the big event was Saturday night at the dinner where we enjoyed special music from the 50’s, prizes for a number of different areas, we won three of them including coming the farthest to participate! We were blessed by having the organizing committee to provide our airfare & arranged our lodging to allow us come to be a part of this fabulous event. Thank you Class of ’59! On Sunday morning, as we joined together for a farewell brunch, I was asked to conduct a church service there at the hotel, which was such a blessing for all of us that attended. We were also able to share about the work in Malawi with a number of the attendees and we were warmly received by all, and have been greatly encouraged by the expressions of interest! To put our experience there into one word, “Wonderful”!

We were also able to spend some precious time with my sister and her family. Ate lots of “good” Mexican food, juicy Texas steaks and spare ribs, and spending quality time remembering funny stories about our parents, and just enjoying being with one another. Please be praying for my sister, Sandy Dalton, as she has a heart condition, and she recently fell, and broke her arm. When they administered her with anesthesia, it caused her heart to stop! She was revived, but is now required to sleep with oxygen each night, and I am naturally concerned for her. It was also a treat to visit with our nephews & nieces, whom are now grown, married and with their own families. It seemed like yesterday that they all were small children, and at times, seemingly strange to now to have fellowship with them as adults! All in all, it was a fantastic trip in so many respects and we praise God for allowing and providing for us to have gone and participated in all of it!

Since returning back to Malawi, we have been running daily to try to catch up after being gone for almost three weeks. We suffered the worst jet lag ever upon arriving in Malawi, taking almost 10 days to begin to feel “normal” once more, then getting back in the swing of daily life, preparing teaching lessons for Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. Ruth’s Shawl ministry held an outreach on October 3rd geared to the children of Area 44, where they ministered to the widows & orphans, to about 5,000 children. To find out all the details and see photos from the event, go to www.ruthsshawl.org.

This week ahead of us is preparing for the CC African Pastors Conference being held in Cape Town South Africa which will run from October 12th – 16th. Pastor Tom and his wife Caroline will be attending along with Nora & me. This will be the first time Caroline has been out of Malawi and her first airplane trip. She is both excited, and apprehensive about the upcoming adventure. Please pray for us as we prepare to go, that the Lord will use this time and opportunity to be a blessing to all we get to meet and with whom we will be able to establish new relationships. We are also working with a Christian firm out of North Carolina, Water Missions International, who provides clean water purification systems to needy Third World Countries who do not have adequate clean water capabilities available to many of their people located in remote areas, where 80% of the population of Malawi live. They have been looking for Church participation to partner with them to insure that adequate follow up with the equipment to make sure that it continues to function properly after the installation and training of the local leaders of the village along with the approval and support of the local Chiefs. Their mission statement is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Living Water, before they share the value of the clean water system. We have had several months of working with this group and we feel we will be participating with them in their first official project in Malawi in the village of Mphonde, where we have planted one of our Calvary Chapel’s. After months of exploring the merits of us being involved with this endeavor in this one village, we are about to agree to perform the needed follow up by the local church leaders, with full participation by the villagers who are being benefited by this endeavor. We are excited about the possibilities of the assistance being offered by Water Missions to the very needy people of Malawi.

Upon our return from The Pastors Conference, we will get ready to host the Medical Team arriving from Monterey California for a two week medical outreach to a number of the outlying villages in and around Lilongwe. Following this outreach, we will be preparing to return to the States for our furlough to visit our family over the holidays, and to share with churches, and our Prayer and Donor Support Team’s, about the wonderful work God has accomplished through everyone’s participation in our Lord’s desire to bless the people of Malawi. As well as to share about the exciting opportunities that exists for 2010 and beyond. We are so looking forward to being back with family and friends in California, but at the same time knowing we will be missing our friends while we are away from Malawi. We have become quite attached to our new friends and fellow servants here, knowing God has ordained us to be ministering in Malawi with them to disciple and teach the understanding of the Word of God and to strengthen the churches knowledge, “equipping the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:12)

We love and appreciation all of you for your prayers and support. Nora & I are so grateful for the privilege of serving our Lord and for the honor of representing each of you to our brothers and sisters of Malawi. May our Lord Jesus continue to lead, guide and direct us, as we listen for His desires for the people of Malawi. (Romans 12:1-2)

Malawi Outreach Update Report
August 27, 2009

Since our last report in July, we have been really been very busy with a number of different ministry activities:

July 17th – We met Pastor Luka of Calvary Chapel in Area 44. It is extremely difficult to drive to these remote villages, but we are becoming more familiar & comfortable venturing out on our own without a Malawian brother going with us. These villages are unchartered and very difficult to reach.

July 20th – We got word today that our six month ordeal to get our two year Immigration Work Permit had ended, we are finally approved! PTL !!!!

July 22nd – We have been doing some preliminary work with a Christian group out of North Carolina, Water Missions International, who design & install water purification systems in disaster sights worldwide and are in Malawi to find remote villages without any fresh, clean, water sources in order to install their water purification units. We are seeking to determine if we as CC want to take on the task of being sure the systems are properly maintained & repaired as needed. We would only be involved where we currently have church plants or where we will be planting new churches. They had an extra generator which they have donated to CC Lilongwe to be used to provide power for the church as we do not have electricity there. We are so grateful for their generosity & we have put it to good use already!

July 23rd – We made arrangements to go to Pastor Luka’s home & meet his family & church leadership. We met in a three room house with no electricity, no running water, with a outdoor bathroom and the house needing a lot of deferred maintenance & repairs. But the joy of this family & the church leadership was so encouraging to us & caused us to reflect how so very much God has blessed us all in America! They have so little & yet they are full of the joy of the Lord! This church plant was started in late 2008 with 18 people, & they currently have 48 adults with lots of children. They rent a school room at the local Primary School to hold their church services.

July 24th – Celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary. We were blessed by a group from a local Pharmacy who came to our place of residence to deliver 50 roses to Nora & I for our anniversary. How very sweet and extremely thoughtful!

July 26th – A team from North Shore Christian Fellowship in Hawaii arrived for a two week short term mission outreach, working with us & Children of The Nations ministry, who provide a feeding program, assistance with the education of the orphans in several different orphanages in Malawi. A multi church Baptism took place while Pastor Jason & his team were here, that included 45 saints being baptized. There were 5 outreaches to village ministries where the worship & evangelism team accompanied the team to share the gospel and show the Jesus DVD movie to these communities. There were thousands of people in attendance and hundreds coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior. This team also blessed the church with a new sound system for the church along with several other much needed items for the ministry. They were a total blessing to us and all the people they ministered to in their ministry efforts! A great big THANK YOU to all six members of NSCF, we love you all!

August 4th – We accompanied the staff from Water Missions Int’l to the village of Mphonde along with an active participant donor & his wife from Wyoming to inspect the different chosen sites chosen to potentially install the water systems. We then all attended a meeting at the Baptist Seminary of Lilongwe where the Citizens Development Network , made up of over 100 pastors from all over Malawi, where the guest from Wyoming spoke. Later that night, we attended a dinner hosted by Water Missions Int’l, where the group of attendees were from NGO’s or ministries already working all over Malawi, who in one form or another are, or could be in the water projects of Water Missions Int’l.

August 5th – Nora & I traveled to the City of Blantyre, which is a four hour trip south of Lilongwe, to have our passports stamped with the official work permit stamp which authorizes us to work in Malawi for a minimum of two years before we have to reapply. PTL !!

August 6th – Returned from Blantyre in time to host a farewell dinner for the team from Hawaii before they departed for home. A wonderful recap for all of us for what God had done over the past two weeks, a time of worship, and a time to pray & praise our Lord for what He had accomplished!

August 14-16th – The first ever CC Women’s Conference was held with 125 ladies from 13 of the CC’s fellowships in the area. The report we received from the women in attendance was that the Holy Spirit was very much in attendance and He had blessed them so much and they were so excited!

August 29th – A Marriage Seminar is scheduled for 8-29-09 at CC Lilongwe to be conducted by Nora & Myself with an all day Saturday event, from 9AM to 5PM and then a joint renewal of vows for all the attendees to be held in front of the whole church body at the Sunday morning service.

We are so grateful to our Lord who has allowed us to serve here in Malawi! He has accomplished so much since we arrived on February 9th, and yet we also know there is so much yet to be done which we cannot do unless He guides and directs us as well provides for all that can be done here to encourage and teach those who are so eager to learn!

Nora & I leave for Texas on September 4th and we do plead for your prayers for us as we share about the work here in Malawi. We return on September 19th and I begin to prepare for the first Men’s Conference to be held on September 26-27th. I have also been asked by the Pastoral Group, Citizens Development Network, to travel to Blantyre to speak to their group in the southern part of the country.

Then we will have the Calvary Chapel All African Pastors Conference in Cape Town South Africa from October 12-16th to attend and we need your prayers as we need for the Lord to assist us & Pastor Tom financially, so we can attend.

Following the Pastors Conference, we have the medical team from Calvary Chapel Monterey Bay arriving for a two week outreach. We are really excited about their return as their gifts are so needed here as poverty prevents most Malawians from getting the medical attention they so desperately need!

Then Nora & I start to prepare to wrap up all the loose ends so we can return to Monterey for the holidays with our family and for us to share with all who want to hear about the work and needs of Malawi.

One more thing, Ruth’s Shawl Ministry to widows & orphans, now has their new Web-site up and running at www.ruthsshawl.org and we would encourage all of you to check it out, it really is well done and is very informative of the ministry here in Malawi. This ministry is also part of the work Nora is doing here in Malawi besides ministering at the church; Nora is the Program Manager of Ruth’s Shawl work in Malawi.

Please be praying for all these events and ministry activities, for your prayers are the ministry to allow us to do what the Lord has called us to do. We so appreciate all of you, your faithful prayers and financial support. There are so many needs in Malawi and we really need to know, with the clarity of the Holy Spirit, what projects and people groups we are to be involved in and with whom. With God’s leading, coupled with all our prayers, we will have the wisdom and understanding we are seeking according to James 1:5.

“The Lord bless and keep you; make His face to shine upon you; and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you; and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24)

Gratefulness

To all of our family & friends:

To each of you who have taken the time to write Nora & I congratulating us on our 50th Wedding Anniversary, we wanted to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratefulness for your thoughtfulness and kind expressions to us. We realize that being able to celebrate a 50th anniversary is in today's society a real milestone, but we also fully understand it has been the grace of God and His mercy that has allowed us to be where we are as a couple. We give Him all the glory and we are so thankful for His goodness towards us over these many years.

We have four wonderful children; 12 grandchildren; and 3 great-grandchildren, with one more on the way! Praise His Holy Name! He has chosen us to be His own, made a place for us with Him for eternity, and has allowed us to work with His people these past 30 years in our respective ministries. Now He has sent us to minister to our brothers and sisters in Malawi, a brand new season for us, for which we are so grateful for the blessing to do so!

So many expressions of amazement to us from people here in Malawi have been such a blessing, as most of those are from people who are not even close to 50 years of age, and cannot imagine being married that long! A dear and precious friend came with 50 roses and presented them to us along with his entire staff to celebrate our anniversary. Our room is full of long stem red and white roses. What a joy it is for us to be here in Malawi at this time of our lives and to have already made so many new friends. You can rejoice with us that our 2 year Work Permit has been approved and we are now waiting for the Immigration Dept. notification to pay our fees and officially stamp our Passports!

Thank you for all your prayers, it has been a six month process with many challanges and many opportunities to trust our Lord! But it has been a journey to date that we are delighted to have been able to travel upon as He has led us all the way! Please continue to pray for Malawi and for us. God is blessing Malawi and there is so much more He desires to do which can be accomplished through the prayers of the saints of God. "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." (James 5:16b) God bless you!

Steve & Nora

Malawi Outreach Update Report

July 7, 2009

To all of our family & friends:

Since our last update report of June 11^th, we have been busy with a number of varied projects:

- We have finished the Book of Ephesians on Sunday mornings at CC

Lilongwe. We have begun the Book of Colossians.

- We are continuing the Book of Joshua at Wednesday night service

and we will begin Chapter 9 this week.

- Nora has begun a wonderful program of teaching the women of the

fellowship how to cook foods from different parts of the world. To

date it has been Mexican; Italian; & Israeli. They have loved it!

- Attendance has increased to 125-150 each Wednesday night.

- Bibles from the gift given previously allowed us to purchase 300 Bibles & we have begun distribution to the 29 CC Fellowships.

- Additional gift from CC Siegen Germany has allowed us to purchase 100 more Bibles.

- Jesus Video (DVD) was shown in the village in area 18B with over 700 people in attendance. We took the worship team & the borrowed sound equipment, prayed for the sick, & preached the gospel. A great outreach!

- We have also had reports from Chintheche, a large village in the north of Malawi where the Jesus movie in Chichewa was shown at the local video establishment where the people of the village go to play any videos they may get. Once the movie started, 400-450 people gathered together to watch the entire movie. At the conclusion, people were weeping, asking for prayers, confessing sin, repenting and generally seeking the Lord for their lives. We need to plant a new church in the area to nurture these new believers in the faith in Jesus.

- A team from Colorado just concluded a two week visit, ministering in several villages with Children of the Nations while two Pastors conducted a seminar on HIV/AIDS found in the church today. This was held at CC Lilongwe with Pastors and leadership from CC Lilongwe and several local churches including at least 9 Pastors from Calvary Chapel’s in the general Lilongwe area.

- We are eagerly awaiting a team coming from CC Hawaii due here on July 25^th. They will be here for two weeks with their schedule full visiting villages, orphanages, & Jesus Video outreaches.

- Leadership changes within CC Lilongwe have recently taken place by Pastor Tom Mambo to strengthen the core group in order to prepare for future growth.

- July 4^th celebration took place at the American Ambassadors residence with 300-400 in attendance. It was a fun afternoon with the opportunity to meet a number of fellow Americans serving in Malawi. We were privileged to meet our Ambassador, Peter Bodde, as well as several staff members from the African Bible College.

- The ministry to women has been one of the highlights for me (Nora) because I personally love to share God’s Word and teach women how to apply, in practical ways, what they are learning. It is such a joy to see in their eyes and smiles that that are ”getting it !” The difficulty of working thru a translator and the added time that it takes has become time for me to pray all thru the study and lean hard and completely on the Lord to keep His Promise…that His Word will go forth and accomplish what He intends and will not return to Him void….God has blessed me with His great love for the women and children. I use every moment to teach, to share, to minister and to love ….I am buying up every opportunity to declare the greatness of our God and the Truth in His Word to any one who will listen. I love to interact with the street people, the children, the women, the widows and people in their places of work. I also love the one on one conversations and that have taught me so much about speaking the truth in love. It is so wonderful to see that “Love Never Fails”. Thank you for all that your prayers are accomplishing here in Malawi !

Prayer Requests

- Our two year Temporary Work Permit application has been approved at committee level, but the new incoming Minister of Home Affairs has to sign off before it becomes official. We have had to spend approximately $1,000 in fees, getting 30 day extensions so we would not be deported. This has been going on for almost 4 months, but when it is signed off by the minister, we have to come up with $2200.00 for these permits, just to be able to stay here to serve the people of Malawi. Please pray for this matter to be finalized, including the additional fees.

- Our vehicle situation is also not resolved. Please pray that it can be resolved soon!

- That our medical team, originally scheduled for September, has been rescheduled for late October, to allow for more participants to be able to come on the mission trip. Please pray for all the details involved to make this ministry to be a huge success!

- Two Laptop computers for CC Lilongwe.

- Sound Equipment and soundboard for CC Lilongwe.

- Additional items needed for the Jesus Video outreaches. (Generator; screen, Cables, Portable speakers; micro-phones, &etc.)

- Children Ministry curriculum & educational toys, art supplies, music, Veggie Tales DVD’s, soccer balls, jump ropes, etc.

- Additional funds to finish the school rooms for the CC Pastoral Training & Discipleship School located on the church property. We need to put in the floors, windows, door, and purchase work desks for the students. It has been estimated to cost $2,500.00 to complete these two rooms.

- Our upcoming trip back to El Paso, Texas to participate in the 50^th Year Reunion of our High School, and so we may be able to share about the ministry in Malawi. We are very much honored to be asked to come to a part of this celebration and the generosity of the Committee to cover the costs to make this possible. Otherwise, we would not be able to attend.

- Nora & I are celebrating our 50^th Wedding Anniversary on July 24^th and this will be our first anniversary away from our family & friends in America. Please pray that we will be able to fully enjoy this milestone anniversary without feeling the loss of not being with all of you!

We continue to marvel at the goodness of our Lord as He leads us to the path we are to walk upon. Your prayers and support are so vital to us in order to allow us to do the work God has called us to do here in Malawi. We all work together as a team, all holding onto the same rope, and following the leading of the Holy Spirit as He directs each of us! As we have said on several occasions, we cannot adequately express our heartfelt appreciation to each of you who continue to pray and support us in so many ways!

“May our Lord bless and keep you; make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)

To all of our friends & family:

We send greetings from Lilongwe, Malawi Africa. Nora & I are both well and very happy to be here in Malawi, serving along side Pastor Tom Mambo of Calvary Chapel Lilongwe and working with many precious saints of the fellowship. We are seeing such wonderful growth within the fellowship in the knowledge of the Word of God and their acceptance of the Inductive Bible Study style of the” Azungu” (White) Pastor. I have been teaching on both Sunday morning in the Book of Ephesians & Wednesday night in the Book of Joshua and we are seeing the Body growing spiritually as well as numerically. The mid-week service on Wednesday night is also a Pot Luck night, where we get the opportunity to break bread or more accurately, Nsima, their national food staple. Pastor Tom has recently initiated an International Food series where other foods are introduced to the attendees. Last week. Nora and a group of women spent from 1PM to 6PM cooking Mexican food that Nora was teaching them how to prepare. Burritos, Pinto Beans, Guacamole and sopapillas for desert was the food fare of the night. I wish you could have seen the experience as they tasted food they have never tasted before and the expressions of their faces of delight! There was so much food prepared we thought we would have lots left over, but to our surprise, everything was eaten, and I mean everything! What a delightful evening of feeding on the Word of God, then experiencing a brand new style and taste of food by all except by Nora & I. This week, the Country of Choice is Italy, so pasta & sauce served over polenta (Italian nsima), cheese bread, and a salad with Italian dressing will be served. Desert will be Malawian sweet potato with hot tea. Based upon the response of last week where we had over 100 in attendance, we anticipate an equal or larger group again this week where we will be studying Joshua 6: 15-27, where we see the results of believing God and being obedient to His calling, even when we do not fully see the logic of doing as we have been instructed. This is what faith is all about!

There have been a number of things that have occurred since our last update report:

• A generous monetary contribution from a family in Monterey California that has allowed us to purchase about 300 Bibles to be distributed to the 29 church plants in villages around Lilongwe and in outlining areas.
• We have had a new DVD Projector donated along with the Jesus Video in Chichewa language which allows us to make evangelistic outreaches to outlining and remote villages.
• Miraculous conversion using the Jesus Video at the Lodge where we are staying. While Nora & I were conducting a meeting with a Christian brother, we set up our laptop computer with the Jesus video so his 22 year brother could be occupied while we met. Half way through the video, his brother called us over to explain he had never heard the gospel message truly shared before, and that his life would never be the same again! Hallelujah!!!!!!!
• We enjoyed entertaining a Christian couple from Idaho who accompanied us to visit Calvary Chapel Lilongwe and Faith Christian School, a Primary & Secondary school located and operated by CC Lilongwe. This family is related to a friend of ours who lives & works here in Lilongwe who wanted to see rural Malawi village life, where most of the population of Malawi lives instead just of all the tourist locations.
• Pastor Tom is in the process of selecting a new leadership team to help to lead the fellowship into a larger posture in the village of Mtsiliza, a village of over 30,000 people, and in the greater Lilongwe area. Training of these selected people will begin soon.
• Several evangelistic outreaches within the Mtsiliza area have gone very well with large participation from the Body of CCL and have resulted in a good number of new people attending Sunday morning services.
• Nora has begun a Bible Study series with the women of CCL and was the guest teacher this past Saturday at a group meeting of six different churches that meet together once a month. There were 65 women in attendance, Nora was very well received, and has been invited to speak to their group again next month.

There are several items of prayer needs:

• Finalization of obtaining our Work Permits by the Immigration Office. They have approved, but awaiting the installation of the new Director as the result of the National Elections of May 19th so he can sign off.
• That our Lord would resolve our vehicle situation so that legal action will not have to be decided by the courts.
• That we will be able to establish a working arrangement with a local Pharmacy to accommodate the medicine needs for the medical teams who come to serve here in Malawi.
• We have been invited to come to El Paso, Texas to be a part of the 50th Year High School Class Reunion celebration in September and we will be able to share about the Malawi Outreach Ministry. In addition to our sharing at the event, we hope to also sharing at churches in El Paso about the ministry here in Malawi. Please pray for wisdom in accepting this invitation as well as rearranging some of our scheduled activities to allow us to attend.
• Please pray for us as we have been invited to the American Ambassadors home/compound along with numerous other Americans living and working here in Lilongwe to celebrate the 4th of July. We want to represent the Lord well as we share about the work the Lord has us involved with here in Malawi. We are confident there will a number of unsaved people attending and we desire to be used of God as the Holy Spirit leads.

Since there are no real entertainment locations for us to make use of, so we have been renting movies to watch on our laptop back at our room at the Lodge. One of the movies we truly enjoyed and want to highly recommend to all of you is a National Geographic production of the plight and genocide of the Lost Boys of Sudan, entitled “God Grew Tired of Us”. This is a documentary of the genocide that has been going on for a number of years in the Sudan, concerning the goal and objective of the Moslem world of northern Sudan, attempting to eliminate the Christian population of the Southern Sudan. It is both heart wrenching, and at the same time heart warming to see what can be done when caring people are willing to get involved and help those who are being persecuted and murdered for their faith in Jesus Christ. Being here in Africa has allowed Nora & me to see first hand what poverty, prejudice, and tribal conflicts can produce without the opportunity to have a good understanding of the truth of the Bible and to share the whole counsel of God. The fields are white unto harvest, but the laborers are few!

We cannot possible thank you enough for all those who are praying for and supporting us in so many different ways! So, please accept this very inadequate attempt to express our sincere appreciation and to say to each one of you that we all share in this endeavor to be a blessing to the people of Malawi! We can only request that you continue to pray for us and the work here, for it is only through the faithful prayers of the saints that our Lord will respond to, so He may complete the work He desires to accomplish through the prayers of the saints!!!

God bless you all, and remember Jesus is coming back soon for His bride (us), so let us be about His work and agenda.

Love,

Steve & Nora

Elections in Malawi are over!

Greetings from Malawi:

The national elections have just concluded and the incumbent has been re-elected to a new 5 year term. Mr. Bingu, a devote Catholic, who has attempted to break away from the old way of the politics and make headway in bringing real progress to his country in the past 5 years, has received a landside vote of confidence by the people of Malawi. It is viewed by all the people whom we have contact with much enthusiasm and hope for the future of this country and its people. Thank you for all of you who have been praying for a peaceful election process, as it has gone without any major problems. Now pray that God will bless this country and its beautiful people so their lives may continue to improve with many more opportunities for education and employment opportunities.

In April we welcomed a medical outreach team from CC Monterey and we are now preparing for a team from a Calvary Chapel in Hawaii this July for two weeks and then a medical team from California in September for an additional two week outreach. We have been blessed to meet and establish a potential working arrangement with a Christian based company out of the states to bring clean water system to remote village areas who are without a safe water source. This outreach is conducted in conjunction with local churches in order that the gospel is an intregal part of the water ministry. This provides an exciting opportunity for us to share the gospel and where we have church plants in or near these locations. All of the outreaches have the priority of teaching the Word, working with local village Christian native leaders and keeping a follow up program to disciple and encourage them on a on going basis.

Our work with CC Lilongwe continues as we have implemented a leadership training program, and continue to teach the Word inductively at Sunday and Wednesday services. The fellowship is very appreciative of the Bibles that have been provided to follow along with the teachings as many do not own their own Bibles. The DVD Projector that has been provided along with the Jesus Video has allowed the evangelism team the tools to reach out to the outling villages. We are still in need of a portable screen, sound system, and a new and larger generator to be able to reach out to larger audiences. Only 4% of all of Malawi have electricity, so a generator is a must! CC Lilongwe has Wednesday night services in the light of candles due to lack of electricity. We continue to pray for the power company to extend the elctrical power lines to reach the area where CC Lilongwe is located.

We have found so many areas of need since we have been here, so placing the priority of the things we desire to accomplish are seen in a new light and the phrase, "Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be broken" has come into full appreciation by us. We covet your prayers and invite any of you that have a heart to serve in a place that has very few laborers to join us, short term or long term. The fields are white unto harvest, but the laborers are few.

Thank you again for your prayers and support as we depend upon all of us working together to accomplish what our Lord desires to do here in Malawi.

Blessed Sunday

Hi from Lilongwe Malawi Africa!

We enjoyed a great Sunday Service at CC Lilongwe this morning, finishing chapter 2 of the Book of Ephesians, that our salvation is by grace through faith, brought near by His blood, that Christ is our peace, that the middle wall of separation has been torn down , but as believers we all now one body in Christ, and that Christ is our cornerstone and that we all are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

A number of new visitors and a growing number of people enjoying the IBS method of teaching and learning the heart of the scripture and how it pertains to each believer and involves our daily life in Christ!

Malawi is a beautiful country and has so many wonderful people, who are eager to learn more about the Bible and their savior. Please pray for us as we move forward for the new Pastoral Training & Discipleship School and the Evangelistic Outreaches using the new DVD Projector and taking the Jesus Video in the Chichawa language to very remote villages. The new semester for the primary & secondary school begins tomorrow with over 500 students at CC Lilongwe School, so please pray for the students be well taught and they are able to pay their fees for each student attending. Poverty is so bad, it is always unsure who will be able to attend and there are so many other young people who would love to attend, but have no money to pay for their schooling.

Nora & my health is good, we are very happy serving here and we covet your prayers and support. God is laying out His Spirit upon this land and we have the honor & privilege of being a part of God's work here in Malawi. We love you all and appreciate your prayers, love, and support. Without all of you, we could accomplish very little. But with God and each of you, we can be led by the Holy Spirit to accomplish His will here in this wonderful country, and with its people, who are hungering for the Word of God and thirsting for direction for their lives.

God bless you all,

Steve & Nora

Happy Resurrection Day

Hello again from Lilongwe Malawi Africa. It is a beautiful day here, as we sit here on the konde looking out on the beautiful garden area, meditating upon the grace & mercy of God towards all of us. Tomorrow we will celebrate with Christians all over the face of the earth, the marvelous, fantastic, unbelievable, miracle of the Resurrection of our Lord & Savior Jesus Christ!!!! And HE did it all for each one of us as HE suffered the shame of crucifixion, for the joy that was set before HIM, us!! (Hebrews 12:2) We will be spending eternity attempting to thank HIM for His death & HIS resurrection, for without the resurrection, we would have no hope. The tomb is empty and HE is risen!! HE sits at the right hand of the Father praying & interceding for us right now, and everyday, that we will not grow weary in well doing and grow faint, for in due season we will reap our reward! HE is risen - Risen indeed!!

Laura Bomarito & Laurel (Lulu) Fuge just concluded a two week medical outreach to many of the villages, ministering to every kind of sickness, diseases, skin conditions, Malaria, Aids/HIV, and the list goes on! They were so welcomed by the village people, for they have no resources to go to a clinic or hospital. Both Laura & Lulu left Malawi with a totally different heart & understanding of the people & living conditions found here in a extremely poor country with a 60% unemployment rate, 90% of the population lives on less than a dollar a day, only 6% of the country enjoys the luxury of electricity, & with little hope that any of these things will ever improve! Where the daily goal of the average citizen is to stay alive one more day and the average current life span of a woman in Malawi is 37 years. Most of us have no concept of what hardship really means in day to day life & to be deprived of most basic necessities of life.

But GOD......... HE loves the people of Malawi and desires to see them come to a good understanding of who HE is, how much HE loves them & how He wants to bless them. God wants see them turn from idol worship, ancestor worship, the name it & claim it false doctrine pervading this country, & all other false doctrines & religions found here in Malawi! It has become so much clearer why God has sent Nora & I here, to train & mentor pastors & leaders and we are both blessed that HE has called two older people to come here, but HE is able to use anyone, young or older, who is willing to walk by faith, to trust HIM as HE ministers through us, and to be obedient to HIS calling, even when we do not understand! God is good all the time!!

The things needed to accomplish what God has ordained for Malawi are:

1. Prayers of the saints

2. Called & trained dedicated people ready to lay down their lives to serve others in these last days

3. Finances - Opportunities to invest in furthering the gospel in Malawi;
                     Support for village Pastors in training;
                     ( Salvation is free, ministry can be expensive)

If you have any leading of the Lord that HE is calling you to serve HIM in a new and dynamic way, God can use you mightily in Malawi! If HE is not calling you to come, but possibly HE is urging you to be generous in giving, within your means, then be obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit. There is so much that can be done and the time is growing short before our Lord returns soon for HIS church.

Please pray for us and the work here in Malawi. Both Nora & I love the country & its people, but they need our help to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to so many lost souls. Does God desire your participation? Only you and God can determine that, but please be willing to ask HIM!!

Happy Resurrection Day to you all and celebrate HIM with joy, as HE is coming back for us real soon!!!!!

update #3 from malawi

Since our last posting, both Nora & I have come down with an intestinal bacteria infection, which has laid us both up since Friday March 13th. We are much better now with just fatigue and lack of energy. Our eating capacity has been very low, which does not help us to regain our strength, so we are asking all to be praying for us to recover quickly and totally.

The work of the ministry has continue despite our lack of participation. Additional Bibles have been purchased and in the process of being distributed to needy churches within the Calvary Chapel family of churches. Lack of Bibles is a critical shortage here and all help in this arena would be a great blessing. Bibles can be purchased here in Malawi from the Bible Society of Malawi at $7.75 per Bible.

We are need of Pastor Support of the Pastors attending the Pastoral Training & Discipleship School here in Lilongwe. A monthly support of $50.00 per month per Pastor will allow them to concentrate on training and pay for a lot of their monthly needs to keep their family together. Currently we have 20 Pastors who are need of this support. If you have a leading to help in this way, all donations can be directed to Calvary Chapel Monterey Bay at 3001 Monterey-Salinas Highway, Monterey, Ca. 93940. Telephone number is (831) 649-1158 and mark your contribution as Malawi Outreach.

We have a solid group of Pastors to work with and are eager to be trained and then be ready to train others, so the work of spreading the Gospel can be expanded greatly through-out Malawi. Our primary lack is funding in order to allow this to come into fruition. I realize that this smacks of solicitation, but for the Gospel sake here in Malawi, I am willing to take this risk.

Thank you for all of your prayers, love & support. We serve in Malawi at the request of our Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ.

Update from Malawi

Praise His Holy Name!

Since we last posted to our blog, there has been so much happening here in Malawi. Pastor Demitri from CC Cape Town and Pastor Mike from CC Parrl South Africa arrived from South Africa on March 2nd and began a Pastor's Conferencewhich ran from March 3 - 8th here at CC Lilongwe Malawi Africa. There were 125 Pastor's & church Elders from all over Central Malawi Many of them traveling 3-4 days to be here for the conference. They were all housed in the empty school rooms with cement floors, no running water and no cooking facilities other than open fires outside. They ate together and fellowship together until all hours of the night singing praise songs unto the Lord for the blessings of being involved & included in the conference.

The people of Malawi are some of the most loving, caring, warm, and nurturing people anyone will likely find anywhere in the world. "The Warm Heart of Africa" is how Malawi is referred to throughout Africa. The people we have ministered to are very teachable and they grasp the teaching concepts very well. They are eager to learn and grow in their depth of understanding of the Word of God and how to apply it to their daily lives!

There was also some 12 local people who attended church this past Sunday who gave their lives to the Lord for the first time. God's Spirit is working and we all sense the moving of the Holy Spirit the whole week. Pastor;s Demitri & Mike left on Monday afternoon back to their respective home churches, but expressing the strong desire to return to Malawi soon with others to assist in expanding God's work here in Malawi! Thanks Demitri & Mike for a job well done and we look forward to your soon return.

On March 25th, we have two nurses from CC Monterey Bay coming to Malawi for a two week mission work using their gifts in medical training to help with the many sick & diseased men, women, & children here in Lilongwe and surrounding areas. There are so many needs here that it is hard to verbalize all of them. People are so poor and everything here is so expensive. It is a daily battle to just to keep food on the table to feed your family, much less take good care of medical needs that we all have wherever we live. Walking is the main mode of transportation, as people are out by 5:30 am to start walking to their jobs and places of employment, if they have any employment? Unemployment is 60% here in Malawi, so street vendors are everywhere selling just about anything they can get their hands on to sell!

We will be now beginning laying the structure foundation of the new Pastoral Training & Discipleship School, deciding on final issues like curriculum, days people are available to come and who we will begin with as to number of students. Exciting days ahead, but the enemy is really ticked and throwing the kitchen sink at us, so please be praying for us and the people of Malawi as we continue the march of following our Lord for the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout Malawi. Their current knowledge of the scripture is quite shallow, but they are eager to learn, and our enemy does not want us to succeed in helping them to grow.

Prayer needs:

1. Physical strength for us as the heat has drained us somewhat.
2. Wisdom in establishing the school for pastors.
3. Monetary assistance for these pastors so they can give themselves fully to the work of the Lord. ( $50.00 per month supports a Pastor, wife & family of 4 children)
4. A four wheeled vehicle to be able to visit the outlying villages where roads as we know them do not exist.
5. Pastor Tom is retiring from his full time job so he can devote full time to the ministry of the church, Grade School, Secondary School, and being a pastor to the younger pastors.
6. Continued good health for Nora & I both.

That's all for now, please keep us all in your prayers and we appreciate all of you for your love, prayers and support.

In HIM,

Steve & Nora

Praising God for HIS goodness & faithfulness

With God all things are possible in HIM! We have been able within two days to settle our housing situation and found a automobile to purchase that fits into our budget. God is good all the time and HIS Word tells us that HE is good to those that wait upon HIM. We have been in Malawi since 2-9-09 and have been looking everyday for housing & a car that we could afford. After looking at so many different ones, it became very tiresome indeed!

So, today as we attended CC Lilongwe, we were able to share our blessings with them in regard to our faithful heavenly Father and how HE always provides where HE guides. I began a series of teaching on Sunday mornings in the Book of Ephesians and on Wednesday nights will be doing a series out of Joshua as soon as the pastors Seminar is concluded on March 9th, being led by Pastor Demitri of CC Cape Town South Africa & Pastor Mike Portland of Paarl, South Africa.

There is a clear move of God here in Malawi and we as the Church of God can be a part of it in our prayers, our giving, and in our active participation in listening to what our Lord has to say to each of us individually. Nora & I are truly blessed to be here and watch the Holy Spirit work among His people, stirring them up to love and good works.

There is so much that can be done, so if you have any leadings from the Lord about coming to Malawi, for either short term or long term missions work, please contact us. You will be blessed. Please continue your prayers for us and we remain,

In HIM,

Steve & Nora

Update # 2 from Malawi

12-24-09

We have been going everyday, attempting to find a house to rent and a vehicle to purchase and to date no success! Everything here is so expensive and everyone and everything moves at a much slower pace than we are accustomed to in the U.S. We have been out to visit outlining villages churches, outreaches in the village where Pastor Tom's church is located which has about 30,000 people, have had the blessing of teaching on three occasions, and just basically busy. The raining season is here and it has been raining a lot, but that has not stop what we are doing. A team from Cape Town South Africa led by Pastor Demitri will arrive on Monday and there will be a week long pastors seminar put on at CC Lilongwe. We have a team arriving March 28th from Calvary Chapel Monterey Bay, and another team from Germany in may, and a team from CC Wahiawa Hawaii in July.

Somewhere in between, I will begin the Pastoral Training & Discipleship School and Nora has assumed the leadership of the Women's Ministry and will be starting her training of the women at the same time. There is so much God is doing here and we are so blessed to be here. The people of Malawi are wonderful people, so eager to learn and very teachable.

The paryer needs we have are:

1. House to rent.
2. Car to purchase.
3. Pastor Seminar next week.
4. Getting more organized and in step with the leaders here.
5. God's annoiting on both Nora & I so we can be used by God as HE directs.
6. CC Lilongwe is in vital need of a used 4 wheeled drive vehicle to able to go out to outlining
villages.

More update later, keep us all in your prayers. Both Nora & I are well and very happy to be here.

Love,

Steve & Nora

Update from Steve & Nora

2-13-09

To all of our loved ones:

Nora & I arrived at the airport from South Africa on 2/9, greeted by Pastor Tom & members of his congregation. As we came out of customs, they broke out in songs of praise for us arriving to join them. That was followed by lots of hugs from everyone, & then we loaded a bus to drive to their church location. They sang the entire trip (30 minutes); you cannot envision the beautiful sounds they are able to make without any instrumentation. Absolutely marvelous and I know that it must have been pleasing to our Lords ears!! It sure was for Nora & I, as we made our way back into Lilongwe proper.

Their church facility is in the middle of their village, and it is able to seat over 200 people. Pastor Tom indicates it is full every Sunday & Wednesday for the services. There are several buildings on the property that house a Christian School, from K through 8 and also a High School 9-12. These buildings are very simple structures, but functional for their purposes. It is also where the Pastoral Training & Discipleship School will be located. We will be sending lots of pictures soon.

Pastor Tom is so organized as well as excited about what God seems to be preparing us all for in expanding the ministry into many parts of Malawi. Their needs are many, but they make use of what they have and do not let their lack from stopping them from sharing the gospel wherever they can get to, to do so. Pastor Tom and a group of other Pastors have planted 29 small little churches through out the surrounding areas. We will be updating what their needs are specifically, so if anyone who may be interested and able, might want to contribute towards. Lack of Bibles is a major issue. Any gifts toward any specific need can be handled through CCMB with a note attached stating what area of ministry their gift is to be directed. Please know all designated gifts are used only for that purpose and not used for general expenses. Getting to these places is very difficult and gasoline is roughly $10.00 per gallon. The necessity for a good 4 wheel drive or comparable vehicle is a real & current need to be able to travel in difficult terrain. Their roads are primarily very rough dirt roads and it is the rainy season right now, which starts in November & runs through March. Efficient/safe transportation is high on the prayer list in or out of the rainy season.

I taught this past Wednesday night at their mid-week service, followed up by Nora & I having dinner with all the fellowship. They are such a gracious people, full of the love of God! Our goal is to get to know them well as soon as possible, for in Africa, not much can be accomplished without first establishing a good relationship with the people. They are so ready to be taught in the depth of the Word, and Pastor Tom is so open to having that done in his fellowship.

The team from South Africa, led by Pastor Demitri from Cape Town, along with several other Pastors are coming to do a four day Pastor Seminar in early March. In addition, Laura Bomarito and Laurel Fuge will be arriving on March 28th and will stay for two weeks, using their medical skills within the church at CC Lilongwe as well other places. We are so blessed and excited about their upcoming trip, & they are taking their shots right now and have already purchased their airline tickets. PTL !!! We have also had some others tell us they might be coming in April and others in June.

So as one can see, God is not wasting any time getting more people involved in giving away the gifts they have been given by the Lord, to share with those who have so little. Both Nora & I are so extremely blessed that HE has allowed us to come & serve here in Malawi. After being picked up at the airport, we drove to Pastor Tom’s church facility, where we met yet additional people from the church, and both Nora & I had the opportunity to share with them through an interpreter, and to see their joy in their faces is a sight we will never forget!

We were then driven to Annie’s Lodge where we will be staying for a while until we have housing, which we hope & pray God will provide for us at a rental rate we can afford. We want a home where we can put up teams coming to minister here, so please pray that God will show us where and how! Later that evening a couple we met in 2007 while in Lilongwe invited us to their home for dinner. They are a Belgium family, Christophe & Sabine Horvath, along with three beautiful children, Jonas, Lila & Katayana. They are a most gracious and hospitable family. We were truly blessed by the whole day of events; God is truly blessing us and showing us we are just where HE wants us to be for this season.

Today (2/10) we are resting, praying and studying for tomorrow night at CC Lilongwe. We are at peace with our Lord and with each other, ready to begin in earnest this new chapter of our lives & ministry. Our entire trip over to both South Africa and now Malawi has gone without a problem. All of our bags were there when we arrived at each location, although one of them has been ruined due to hard handling, but we have not lost any of our belongings. Quite different than in our last trip here when our bag with all of our valuables was stolen in Johannesburg.

Oh, we have a wonderful story to share. When we were here in 2007, the manager of Annie’s Lodge, who is a Christian brother, attended all of our sessions we held there and was full of questions on each session. He shared with us that his heart was to be a full time minister of the gospel. So we prayed over him and asked God, if it was HIS will, to grant Joel the desires of his heart. Well, we just learned that he is now a full time minister, traveling all over Malawi as an evangelist and teacher! God is so good, praise HIS Holy name! We will be meeting with Joel in person on 2/13 to get up to date with he, his family and his ministry. His prayer for us in 2007 was that we would return to Malawi to teach his people, as he was so encouraged through our teachings. And lo and behold, here we are!

Thank you for your prayers and support, we have seen so many answers already. Continue to pray for open doors and receptive hearts as we move forward. God bless each one of you and we remain,

In HIM,

Steve & Nora Braselton

Arrival In Africa

Well, after flying 27 hours, we arrived safely in South Africa. We are currently staying with Pastor Chad & his family of CC Johannesburg. They are great hosts and we have truly enjoyed our time of resting & fellowship. They got back at about the same time we did after their two month furlough in CA.

We will be leaving for Malawi in a few days and start our new life & ministry in Lilongwe. Both Nora & I are in good health and excellent spirit, looking forward to complete our trip to Malawi.

Please be praying for us to find a home to rent, a good deal on a purchase of an automobile, and our ability to get settled quickly in our new surroundings. That we will be well received by all and that God would help us to find favor with the people, so we can move quickly & smoothly in the areas of ministry. For the Pastor Seminar to be held March 4-7th in Lilongwe as Pastor Tom Mambo hosting the seminar, with Pastor Dimitri of CC Cape Town South Africa as well as other South African pastors including Pastor Chad doing the teaching.

Continue your prayers for us & all our brothers & sisters in Southern Africa as we reach out to the needs God has shown us. That we follow closely HIS directions and not get side tracked with other needs revealed to us. That we stay on course with HIM & HIS agenda, not ours! We love you all and you are in our prayers. More to follow as we proceed on The Road to Malawi.

Steve & Nora

Dovojana

Well, the day has arrived as we leave tonight for S.F. to spend the night & then to the airport at 6am to check-in & are scheduled to depart at 8:30 am on Tuesday. We fly to Minneapolis-St.Paul, then to Amsterdam, & then on to Jo-Burg South Africa.
(27hours flying time) We will stay with Pastor Chad & Heather for a few days to rest before flying on to Malawi.

We enjoyed our last Sunday for a while at CCMB with Pastor Nate and the fellowship. It was one of those bittersweet days, joy in receiving all the love & prayers of the saints we so love, but very difficult in saying "Dovojana" (Till we meet again") to all of our love ones! Nora & I have been blessed to serve at CCMB these past 29 years at CCMB & having the privilege knowing so many wonderful people. We too shall miss all of you so very much, but GOD.....

Once we arrive in Malawi, we will bring all of you up to date on the trip and what we have gleaned from the Lord in HIS direction for the immediate future as well as all of our prayer needs. In the interim, please be praying for a safe trip, good health, and that our Lord will be speaking to both of us as we travel! Also be praying for the widows & orphans of area 44 in Lilongwe & Pastor Tom of CC Lilongwe as they prepare for our arrival & the start of the new Pastoral Training & Discipleship School.

May our Lord bless you & keep you, may HE lift up HIS countenance upon you & give you HIS peace. We love all of you and appreciate all your love & support so very much!!!!

Time is short before departure

We have just recently returned from the International Missions Conference at the Calvary Chapel Bible College in Murrieta, Ca. It was a wonderful conference, great speakers, wonderful fellowship and the ability to meet new friends & co-laborers.The food wasn't bad either, good job Bible College staff!

There are just 14 days left before we get on that airplane to head to South Africa first before heading on to Malawi Africa. There is yet so much to get done before we leave, but God.... HE never lets us down as long as we are cooperating with HIM. Last night at CCMB's Missions Prayer Meeting, we were blessed by the people whom we love so deeply, were able to express their hearts toward Nora & myself. It was as sweet and as encouraging as it possibly could have been for us!! Thank you all who are praying for us as well as those who are helping in our financial support, who likewise are praying for us. God has demonstrated HIS love towards us in each of you and both Nora & I want to express our sincere love & appreciation to all of you!!!!

The next two weeks before departure will be consumed by DE-junking our house, cleaning out the loft & garage, moving much of personal belongings into a storage unit and helping our son Tom & his family move into our home in order for them top assume the care responsibilities of Nora's mom while we are away. We are so blessed to have such a great family who look out for one another in times such as these.

Our current plans are to go to South Africa, first to meet with several of the pastors in South Africa, who have expressed a desire to come with teams to Malawi to assist us & the national pastors to grow stronger in the Lord and to plant more churches in Malawi with strong leadership, fully trained to be shepherds to their flocks so they are ready for the work of the ministry. Then by early February, we will be in Malawi, working with Pastor Tom Mambo of CC Lilongwe and all his leaders.

Current prayer requests are as follows:

1.Getting the Embassy of the Republic of Malawi do complete our extended stay visa's on time so we can depart on schedule.
2. Sale of our two auto's - 2006 Ford 500 & 2002 Ford Explorer Sports Trac
3. Sale of our Newport Beach Villa's Timeshare weeks.
4. Complete all that is necessary around our home before we leave.

Thank you all for your love & support, we both appreciate it more than you could ever imagine.

Happy New Year!

We hope & pray that all of you enjoyed a glorious Christmas celebrating our Lord's Birth with family & friends. We are already 3 days into 2009,with much to do that we are aware of, and so much more we have no idea what the Lord holds for us. But lets all remember, we cannot redo yesterday, tomorrow is never promised for any of us, so today let us be about HIM in all we do, for today is all we have to be obedient to HIS calling!

Nora & I leave for the Missions Conference in So. Calif. from January 5 to 8th and then visiting other churches and ministries there before heading back home to wrap all the last minute details before we leave for Malawi on January 26th. Time is growing short, but with God's help we will get all done before we leave.

Have received three e-mails from from Malawi concerning our anticipated arrival, expressing their joy in our soon arrival! God is so good to us, preparing the way for us, setting up new friends and co-laborers for the gospel of Jesus Christ, We are truly blessed!!

Our prayer needs are many, but are a few:

1.Missions Conference
2.Finalize support raising activities
3.Ability to wrap up all last minute details
4.Sale of two auto's & our Timeshare in Newport Beach
5.Safe & enjoyable 27 hour flight to Africa.

We want all of you to know how much we appreciate you and love your prayer & financial support. We will be attempting to keep you informed on this blog, over the next 23 days before we depart as well as when we arrive in Africa.

May our Lord continue to bless all of you as you serve HIM, we remain,

In HIM,

Steve & Nora