Steve & Nora

Steve & Nora

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

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)