Two months of 2010 are already behind us, and it seems as though January 1st was only last week. How times flies, and yet, we are all given the same 24 hours a day to accomplish that which our Lord has given us to do. How we spend the time is the difference between satisfaction, or, possibly dissatisfaction over regretting our failures. With all that is happening in the world today; earthquakes, tsunamis, disease, pestilence, societies falling apart as a result of godlessness and sin, can the return of our Lord be far away?
Personally, I believe Jesus will be coming back in my lifetime and it could be at any minute! But, He said “occupy until He returns.” So, let us all be aware of the signs of the times and “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour the Lord is coming.” (Matthew 24:42) Let us all be sober minded as we are about the Lord’s work, wherever we are serving Him!
We are rapidly gearing up for the start of the Calvary Chapel School of Ministry, now scheduled to begin March 15th, with four different centers located in strategic locations in central and southern Malawi. We will be rotating the classes from month to month to each center, until such time as the good Lord provides us the funding to build a centralized location in Lilongwe. We are truly excited about the beginning of the school which is so desperately needed in order to properly train these pastors! So, please be holding this up in prayer, and be also praying for traveling mercies for our travels to each of these centers and for the pastors attending. That they will be able to fully give of themselves to this opportunity to learn and be trained, so that they can be the shepherds of their flocks that God has called them to be! The raining season has been very heavy this year and all the so called roads of Malawi are nothing more than mud tracks which have been basically destroyed by the rain. This makes it very hard to get to the villages and times extremely dangerous, so please be praying for us!
Nora & I are doing well, our health is very good, and we are staying extremely busy as we are involved in a number of different activities. Our prayer requests are:
1. Prayer for the start of the School of Ministry and all the attending pastors.
2. Successful Mediation results on our vehicle suit.
3. More laborers for the work here in Malawi.
4. Additional funding for the various needed ministry projects.
5. Prayer for the spiritual warfare being waged against us and the ministry here.
God bless you all and keep looking up, our redemption draws near. (Luke 21:25-28)
Love,
Steve & Nora
Steve & Nora
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Back in Malawi
We enjoyed our visit back to the states with our family and extended church family, it was a glorious time and we cherish every moment and every event we were blessed to attend. And as always, to be able to share about our beloved Malawi was such a privilege!
We arrived back in Malawi on January 21st and we have been running to catch up ever since. just before we left Malawi in November, we rented a house in Lilongwe, and now we are scurrying to get it furnished. After 50 years of marriage, raising 4 children, moving a number of times over that period of tome, and we find ourselves starting all over again fro scratch with nothing in hand and a four bedroom house to fully furnish!!!!!
In addition, our vehicle has been in the repair shop for the past 4 days, costing us again more money to put into a money pit, and it has been raining almost everyday which makes it hard to be in the villages! Welcome to Malawi!!!! "In this life you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world!"
All kidding aside, we are so happy to be back "home" in Lilongwe, we love our house, and the fellowship at CC Lilongwe continues to do well. Praise the Lord! We are scheduled to begin our School of Ministry on March 1st, so please be praying for us as there is yet much to do before we begin!
Prayer needs are many, but here are a few for your prayer closet:
1. Furnishing the house
2. A new vehicle that is dependable
3. A good start for the School of Ministry.
4. Continued growth at CC Lilongwe in the Word of God.
5. That our discipling of young men in our fellowdhip will bear much fruit.
6. For more laborers.
God bless all of you for your faithful prayers & support. There are so many people who need so much just to survive daily life, so please be praying for the Lord to open the windows of heaven to pour out upon this land & the people of Malawi.
In Him,
Steve & Nora
We arrived back in Malawi on January 21st and we have been running to catch up ever since. just before we left Malawi in November, we rented a house in Lilongwe, and now we are scurrying to get it furnished. After 50 years of marriage, raising 4 children, moving a number of times over that period of tome, and we find ourselves starting all over again fro scratch with nothing in hand and a four bedroom house to fully furnish!!!!!
In addition, our vehicle has been in the repair shop for the past 4 days, costing us again more money to put into a money pit, and it has been raining almost everyday which makes it hard to be in the villages! Welcome to Malawi!!!! "In this life you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world!"
All kidding aside, we are so happy to be back "home" in Lilongwe, we love our house, and the fellowship at CC Lilongwe continues to do well. Praise the Lord! We are scheduled to begin our School of Ministry on March 1st, so please be praying for us as there is yet much to do before we begin!
Prayer needs are many, but here are a few for your prayer closet:
1. Furnishing the house
2. A new vehicle that is dependable
3. A good start for the School of Ministry.
4. Continued growth at CC Lilongwe in the Word of God.
5. That our discipling of young men in our fellowdhip will bear much fruit.
6. For more laborers.
God bless all of you for your faithful prayers & support. There are so many people who need so much just to survive daily life, so please be praying for the Lord to open the windows of heaven to pour out upon this land & the people of Malawi.
In Him,
Steve & Nora
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Happy New Year!
We have been back in the States now for about 7 weeks & we have been on a very busy schedule! We have enjoyed every minute of our time back home, but at the same time we are eager to get back to Malawi to continue the work the Lord has started in 2009!
On December 12th, our Care Team put on a special event at Calvary Chapel Monterey Bay where we were to share the work in Malawi with over 200 faithful saints who came on a windy, rainy day, to share in our joy! They also had put together a "Silent Auction" with again over 100 items donated to raise funds to allow for the Malawian Pastors to attend the School of Ministry starting in March of 2010. We are delighted to share that all the funds have been raised to allow the Pastors to attend for six months of training & discipleship! Praise His Holy Name!!!!! Thank all of you who participated and have given to this very important work!
We also have visited several churches who have expressed an interest in the work in Malawi, attended the annual Calvary Chapel Missions Conference at the Bible College located in Murrita, Ca. which was absolutely outstandingly good!! We were & continue to be amazed at what the Lord is doing all over this earth! Great speakers, fantastic Workshops, and wonderful fellowship with old friends & making many new friendships!! We also have been able to spend such precious & quality time with all of our children & their families. (13 Grandchildren & 3 3/4 Great Grandchildren)
Following the Conference we were able to visit our close friends(family), Rich & Pam Boyer and all their children & grandchildren! Then we were ablt to spend some quiet time in Pismo Beach and then we visited another close family to us, Paul & Teri Sisemore & their family as well as attend church service at Paul's church," At The Cross" in Shell Beach; a wonderful Fellowship and a warm group of people!
We then came back to Monterey to have a special meeting with our Care Team, a fantastic dinner by Bob & Mary Cuva, and great time of fellowship had by all!! Care Team, we love each one of you and greatly appreciate you for all you do for the Lord and the people of Malawi! We flew up to Seattle on Tuesday to visit our daughter Kelly and her family in Arlington, Washington. We will be here until Saturday and we fly to San Jose, then drive to Monterey to attend the Donors Meeting for Ruth's Shawl Ministry whom Nora is the Program Manager in Malawi. We will attend church service at Calvary Chapel in Monterey on Sunday, then drive to S.F. that night and leave for Malawi on Monday the 18th.
Please be praying for a safe & enjoyable flight back and that all that we have been able to accomplish while we were here will bear much fruit for the future! Pray for our Malawian Pastors as they begining their training, and that our Lord will continue to provide all the necessary funding to complete the Training & Discipleship School Building, which is only a shell at this point. That we will be able to complete the legal battle regarding the vehicle we purchased in Malawi, and that there will many teams coming to Malawi from the States & elsewhere, to serve & work with all the Malawian people!
Nora & I are so aware that where the Lord guides, He also provides! Our dependence is upon Jesus and we realize that He is provider. Please accept our sincere gratefulness for your prayers, your love, & financial support! Know that we are all a team, & that together we can be obedient to our Lord to " to go & make diciples of all nations." (Matthew 28:18-20)
May the Lord bless & keep you close to Him in all aspects of your lives! Remember, Jesus is coming back soon, so let Jesus catch us busy about His work & Kingdom until that day!
In Him,
Steve & Nora
We have been back in the States now for about 7 weeks & we have been on a very busy schedule! We have enjoyed every minute of our time back home, but at the same time we are eager to get back to Malawi to continue the work the Lord has started in 2009!
On December 12th, our Care Team put on a special event at Calvary Chapel Monterey Bay where we were to share the work in Malawi with over 200 faithful saints who came on a windy, rainy day, to share in our joy! They also had put together a "Silent Auction" with again over 100 items donated to raise funds to allow for the Malawian Pastors to attend the School of Ministry starting in March of 2010. We are delighted to share that all the funds have been raised to allow the Pastors to attend for six months of training & discipleship! Praise His Holy Name!!!!! Thank all of you who participated and have given to this very important work!
We also have visited several churches who have expressed an interest in the work in Malawi, attended the annual Calvary Chapel Missions Conference at the Bible College located in Murrita, Ca. which was absolutely outstandingly good!! We were & continue to be amazed at what the Lord is doing all over this earth! Great speakers, fantastic Workshops, and wonderful fellowship with old friends & making many new friendships!! We also have been able to spend such precious & quality time with all of our children & their families. (13 Grandchildren & 3 3/4 Great Grandchildren)
Following the Conference we were able to visit our close friends(family), Rich & Pam Boyer and all their children & grandchildren! Then we were ablt to spend some quiet time in Pismo Beach and then we visited another close family to us, Paul & Teri Sisemore & their family as well as attend church service at Paul's church," At The Cross" in Shell Beach; a wonderful Fellowship and a warm group of people!
We then came back to Monterey to have a special meeting with our Care Team, a fantastic dinner by Bob & Mary Cuva, and great time of fellowship had by all!! Care Team, we love each one of you and greatly appreciate you for all you do for the Lord and the people of Malawi! We flew up to Seattle on Tuesday to visit our daughter Kelly and her family in Arlington, Washington. We will be here until Saturday and we fly to San Jose, then drive to Monterey to attend the Donors Meeting for Ruth's Shawl Ministry whom Nora is the Program Manager in Malawi. We will attend church service at Calvary Chapel in Monterey on Sunday, then drive to S.F. that night and leave for Malawi on Monday the 18th.
Please be praying for a safe & enjoyable flight back and that all that we have been able to accomplish while we were here will bear much fruit for the future! Pray for our Malawian Pastors as they begining their training, and that our Lord will continue to provide all the necessary funding to complete the Training & Discipleship School Building, which is only a shell at this point. That we will be able to complete the legal battle regarding the vehicle we purchased in Malawi, and that there will many teams coming to Malawi from the States & elsewhere, to serve & work with all the Malawian people!
Nora & I are so aware that where the Lord guides, He also provides! Our dependence is upon Jesus and we realize that He is provider. Please accept our sincere gratefulness for your prayers, your love, & financial support! Know that we are all a team, & that together we can be obedient to our Lord to " to go & make diciples of all nations." (Matthew 28:18-20)
May the Lord bless & keep you close to Him in all aspects of your lives! Remember, Jesus is coming back soon, so let Jesus catch us busy about His work & Kingdom until that day!
In Him,
Steve & Nora
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
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
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
Thursday, December 10, 2009
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
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
Sunday, November 15, 2009
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!
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!
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)
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)
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