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.
Steve & Nora
Monday, March 23, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
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
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
Sunday, March 1, 2009
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
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
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