Word & Deed: Focus on Malawi

Its a Long Way to Lilongwe

2010-10-16T14:06:00.000-04:00

By Harry Kooistra

From the air approaching Lilongwe International Airport, Malawi appears a luscious green – an appealing contrast to wintry Michigan. The last time we were here it was brown and a blue haze hung over the countryside.

In January of this year we were privileged to visit Malawi on behalf of the Board of Word & Deed. Mr. Pete VanKempen, his daughter Louise, Mr. Corney Les (Canadian Board), and I met up in London and continued on to Nairobi, Kenya. The next leg of the journey, from Nairobi to Lilongwe, featured a spectacular view of Mt. Kilamanjaro and Manuel Kamnkhwani (Word & Deed Project Director in Malawi) waiting at the airport. While the rest of us went to our lodging to get some rest, Corney went shopping for clothes to replace his lost baggage.

Harry Kooistra enjoys a meal with Word & Deed Project Director Manuel Kamnkhwani

Early Saturday morning we loaded up and headed for Lizulu. We met up with Scott VanDyken at the turnoff to Nkhoma to exchange greetings and paperwork. After some very potent coffee at the Dedza Pottery Works, we arrived in Lizulu. We missed the turn at first because of the crowded market, but we’re glad Manuel knew the way. In Lizulu, we met with Everton Kamangire (Director of Lizulu Orphan Care) Kamangire. He introduced us to a female chief with whom we discussed business. While lunch was prepared we walked the grounds. The women here travel two kilometers to get water for their families in jars on their heads. The borewell project, an effort to drill a local well funded by Word & Deed, is progressing slowly due to the many veins of granite in the subsoil.

Everton keeps meticulous records of the work done here; his attention to detail shows up in other areas of the project as well. The children are clean and well-disciplined. He also has good people working with him. He makes it a point to involve the local authorities in the activities, keeping them informed and inviting them to the business meetings. The chiefs value this cooperation because it enables them to participate in the decision-making which affects their people.

Ladies prepare a meal for a group of orphans

Four feeding centers in this area feed 490 children. Not having a central feeding station makes sense mainly because of the topography and the difficulty of getting around during the rainy season. The trails become impassible to vehicles during the rainy season, and in some areas, even walking becomes a challenge. The number of children fed varies monthly: some move from the area, and some die, which is all too common. Medical care is rudimentary, but the center has a working relationship with Nkhoma Hospital. Everton’s little Nissan pickup truck doubles as an ambulance sometimes, but again, in the rainy season, a sick person might be several hours away from any type of medical help.

As every farmer knows, crop yields depend on rainfall. This year in Malawi the rain came late: some of the seed did not germinate and had to be replanted, using up valuable feed stocks. The margin for those uncertainties is razor thin in Malawi. In these rural areas everything depends on the maize crop; it is the staple of life. When the seed corn is eaten in order to survive, disaster is not far behind. It is difficult for us to understand that, with all the bounty we enjoy, but in Malawi this fact colors a person’s whole life.

Students at the Lizulu Orphan Care Project in Malawi

Everton does an outstanding job of managing this project. He is first a teacher and a Christian. He has a heart for the people here and it shows. He discussed education issues with us, citing the example of a young man who contacted him recently. This young man was raised in the feeding program, and received a basic education from a Christian perspective. This young man moved through the education system and is now a police officer. As the result of the love and care shown him he was able to perceive that his father had lived irresponsibly and he determined to do better. Everton underscores the fact that spiritual growth is seen in moral behavior and that hopelessness is alleviated.

Everton tells us that there are more “success” stories like this – they are what encourage him to keep going. He is thankful to God for changed lives and attributes it all to Him. This story also encourages us and we also express our thankfulness to God to be a small part of this work.

The educational system in Malawi is based on the British system. After elementary education, students take exams and move up to the next appropriate level, which a number of students from this area have done. Potential leaders come from these schools. The CCAP (Christian Church Africa Presbyterian) supports a number of these students with scholarships and other support. It is hoped that these students become active in the church and in the type of work we undertake. We have met a number of these young men and they are indeed starting to have an impact. Some have been able to study in the USA and there are a number doing so at this time.

As many of you are aware, there is an extremely high incidence of HIV/AIDS in Africa. One major effort initiated by the CCAP to help control this problem, using trained young men, is the Behavior Change Program (BCP). This Bible-based program is supported wholeheartedly by Word & Deed. The program, aimed at teens and young adults, has been taught to youth from all 141 presbyteries in the Nkoma Synod. It is also offered in the four feeding centers and is open to everyone who comes. Results are being noted but there are no clear statistics and a follow-up study needs to be done. Everton tells us that some of the orphans are HIV-positive since it is often transmitted at birth. Left untreated, these orphans face a grim future.

In our 2008 visit, we were impressed by Everton’s dedication, and our observations were also confirmed this time. Everton needs the encouragement of your prayers. He is completely dedicated to the work and asks little in return. The story of the young man warmed our hearts and it should yours as well. You see, there is hope when the Gospel is presented along with a bowl of rice and beans or nsima (corn porridge).

The problems in Africa are many and in our western eyes insurmountable, yet there is hope. This message of hope is also preached in the churches. Rev. Vasco Kachipapa, one of the authors of the BCP, preached on Deuteronomy 8. As it was with Israel in the desert, so it is with us. There were many mountains on Israel’s way – Israel had to be taught to trust, and to trust that God provides. We also must learn to trust, again and again, until we too reach Canaan. This is our only hope and it is the only hope for our brothers and sisters in Malawi. Thank you all for allowing us to serve.

A typical Malawian market place

Harry Kooistra is Secretary of Word & Deed USA and is an elder at the Caledonia United Reformed Church in Michigan, USA.

Blantyre Girls' Home update

2010-08-05T09:13:00.002-04:00

Blantyre Girls Home is a new project located in Namiyango, Blantyre which was started in February, 2010, after the preceding project Bangwe House of Hope came to an end because of administrative problems.

Two of the Girls

On request of the Blantyre Department of Social welfare, Rev. Dr. Erwin van der Meer was asked to start a new rehabilitation centre to take care of those vulnerable girls who had been left without support when the former project closed. Rev. Dr. Erwin van der Meer who is a missionary from the Netherlands and a development consultant is also the W&D treasurer in Malawi. With the support of his mission Stichting Afrika Zending from the Netherlands and with the financial support of Word and Deed North America Blantyre Girls Home was established.

Some of the girls playing games

The project is run under the administrative supervision of a local board and under the spiritual supervision of a local church. Currently there are 12 girls in the Blantyre Girls Home aged 14 to 21 of which most have been involved in prostitution to make ends meet. Others come from homes where they have been subject to severe abuse. The vision of the centre is to provide a safe house, a place of healing and a place where the girls get an opportunity to change their lifestyle and make a new start in life.

Making Crafts

Besides the 12 girls in the home there are also 11 girls in a home based care programme, most of whom have been in rehabilitation before and are now assisted in the process of re-integrating in society. As the project is run from a Bible-believing Christian perspective many of the girls become Christians in the process including some from a Muslim or traditional religious background. According to recent research done by a Belgian psychology student the girls find a lot of strength and comfort in their new found faith.

Director Frank Phiri

The current director is Mr. Frank Phiri who has been doing an exceptional job. Recently the home celebrated its official opening after formal registration was completed and the project has been receiving lots of positive media attention in the newspapers and on television. Not only is the project considered to be a model project by the Blantyre department of social welfare but they have also arranged for the further training of girls home personnel in social work with a South African university at the cost of the Malawi government. It is our dream that more centres can be started in all of Malawi’s major cities as child and teenage prostitution is a big and growing problem in Malawi.

Slums near the home

Malawi: Yoswa Women's School

2010-06-12T08:48:00.002-04:00

Chitenges, Chalk, and the Catechism

By Caroline VanDyken

On Tuesday afternoons, I follow a winding path down to a small village set within the larger village of Nkhoma Mission. At the path’s end are the homes and gardens of the seminary students of Josophat Mwale Theological Institute, named to honor one of Malawi's first ministers. The seminary is located on the other side of Nkhoma, but here, surrounded by small, red-bricked homes, stands a second education building: Yoswa Women's School. This is the training center for the wives of the future pastors and the school where I have been teaching a class on the Heidelberg Catechism since last October.

There are currently 21 women enrolled in Yoswa Women's School, whose mandate is to prepare the wives of the seminary students to be godly examples, teachers, and leaders in the communities their husbands are called to. They are equipped through a variety of classes: theology, counseling, home management, sewing, and cooking. Most of the women are mothers of young children and the location of the school within the village makes it possible for them to attend classes while their children play outside. Babies come along to class, asleep in chitenges (large, colorful pieces of fabric) tied to their mothers' backs. At the end of three years of training, the women will graduate alongside their husbands.

Many of the classes are taught by Mrs. Agnes Chimkhoka, headmistress of Yoswa, widow of an Nkhoma pastor, and my faithful translator. I have become particularly grateful for her excellent English skills on the afternoons that she is absent and one of the students must take her place. Blank or confused expressions tell me my message is not being communicated. The education level of these women varies widely, from post-secondary degrees to others who did not finish elementary school. Their English skills generally correlate with their level of education and some understand virtually no English. And although my ability to say hello, goodbye, and a few other phrases is greatly appreciated by Malawians, that ability is the extent of my Chichewa. Agnes' proficiency at grasping my meaning in English and passing it on clearly to the students in Chichewa is a gift from the Lord to each one of us in the classroom.

It is an exciting challenge bringing the truths of Scripture through the structure of the Heidelberg Catechism in a way that is relevant and comprehensible to this group of African women. I have found using illustrations, object lessons, and stories in my lessons to be particularly meaningful for them. Many of the ladies have few experiences beyond their lives in small rural villages and I must always remember this when I'm teaching. As I was planning for one lesson, I thought I could explain the idea of our obedience to God's law resulting in joy and blessing by using the example of a train that only functions well when it travels as it was designed to: on its track. I was pleased with the analogy until I realized that many of my students have never seen a train!

Agnes Chimkhoka, headmistress of Yoswa

I make liberal use of the classroom's chalkboard and my limited drawing skills to illustrate various truths. A bridge labeled “Jesus” over a large chasm labeled “sin” shows how Christ our mediator makes it possible for God's people to be united with Him again. A simple sketch of some waves and two stick people, one drowning and the other lying dead on the bottom of “Lake Malawi” induces some giggles, but hopefully also increases my students' understanding of why salvation involves being born again. We are not able to call for help and reach out a hand to grasp our Savior. We are like the man dead on the bottom of the sea, unable to do anything to save himself. Our salvation is completely the work of Jesus Christ. And what a joy for this teacher to watch as a simple drawing or story causes eyes to light up with understanding and then to hear the questions the women eagerly ask, searching for more truth.

There have also been opportunities to try to bridge the gap between the white teacher and the black students; to show them that the msungus (white people) are perhaps not as different from them as they think and to help me understand them a little better. A lesson on the image of God in man teaches that for all mankind, rich or poor, educated or illiterate, powerful or weak, our true value and significance lies in our being made in the image of our Creator. A story from my life, used to illustrate a point, is always received with rapt attention. I hope these personal examples help the women understand that I, too, struggle with sin, pain, and unanswered questions. We begin and end each lesson with prayer and I am touched by their requests for rain, a good harvest, God's blessing on their school. These women have so little materially, but many of them are beautiful examples of contentedness in the richness of relationships with family and friends and thankfulness for the countless benefits they possess in Jesus Christ.

The women of Yoswa School will soon be promoted to positions of honor in the communities their husbands serve. Malawians give much esteem and distinction to their leaders, which will provide these women with a special opportunity to teach and influence their neighbors. May the Lord use Yoswa School to build its students up, imparting new skills, knowledge, and wisdom. And may each woman be equipped to share the deep comfort she knows in being not her own, but belonging to her faithful Savior Jesus Christ.

Caroline Van Dyken is volunteering in Malawi with her husband Scott and children. They are members of Trinity Orthodox Reformed Church, in St. Catharines, Ontario. They will be returning home, God willing, this summer. The Yoswa Women’s school is not funded by Word & Deed.

New Building: True Friends Rejoice

2010-01-16T14:07:00.007-05:00

Community members at the opening ceremony with the multi-purpose orphan building in the background.

By Heidi Pronk

The air was electric with excitement. The sight that greeted us reminded us of the Bible story of Jesus riding into Jerusalem amid children singing “Hosannas.” Both sides of the dirt drive were lined with children waving leafy branches and singing. Some were so excited, they hopped from foot to foot as we drove in. Many children had been there all day and their enthusiasm was both palpable and infectious. It was impossible not to smile.

What was the occasion? We were arriving in Chinchethe for the official opening of the True Friends Orphan Care multi-purpose building. Generously funded by two businesses in western Canada and after two years of diligence, they finally had a beautiful building and a reason for rejoicing. Our visit was short-lived that day as we stopped just to drop off some food and to use the bathroom. (North American-friendly rest stops are scarce in Malawi.)

We returned early the next morning for the festivities and the same enthusiastic reception as the previous day. There were women who had been cooking since daybreak and others who had been rehearsing their native dance performances for hours. We were ushered into the small office where we were served tea and biscuits as we awaited the arrival of the other “dignitaries.” Those dignitaries included the head of the Local Social Welfare office, the local police commissioner, two pastors, an assortment of village chiefs and traditional authorities, a truckload of children from one of the more distant orphan care centers, and dozens of children, caregivers, and church members. It was truly a festive occasion.

After the many greetings and introductions, Ernest Banda, the administrator of True Friends Orphan Care, stepped aside and allowed the children to perform.

They sang, danced, recited Scripture verses, and performed a drama (the latter occurring amid much giggling.) After this part of the program concluded, the Social Welfare Officer stepped forward to cut the blue ribbon that was strung across the door of the building. Bernie Pennings held the ribbon, the official held the scissors, and within seconds there was a full court press to get inside the new facility. Several hundred people crowded through the doors and settled in where we were treated to numerous speeches from the project administrators, caregivers, pastors, local officials, and beneficiaries. It was an exhausting morning but one filled with thanksgiving and joy.

What was so remarkable was the amount of fanfare that accompanied a rather plain building. However, one does not need to spend much time in Malawi to understand why it is such a big deal for a building like this one to be completed. Everywhere you travel in Malawi, the landscape is dotted with unfinished structures. In some cases, foreign organizations started a project but ran out of funds or motivation. In other cases, the indigenous people themselves started a project but were cheated by a contractor, did not properly fire the bricks, or just ran out of money. A completed building of this magnitude is definitely a cause for celebration.

The purpose of the new structure is to serve as a community center of sorts. It will be open to the public for civic meetings, celebrations, educational opportunities, and of course, it will serve the orphans as a gathering place, a classroom, a recreational facility, and a symbol of hope. In a place where there are so many children who suffer from poor nutrition, personal loss, family hardship and lack of educational opportunity, True Friends Orphan Care is making a difference in the lives of children one at a time. The staff members are committed not just to the physical well-being of the orphans, but to their spiritual well-being also. Ernest’s wife Alice requested daily devotional material for the children and for herself because, as she so aptly put it, “It tells me that God’s Word is for me, for everyday.”

True Friends is now meeting the basic needs of 300 orphans and is planning to add another 50 by the beginning of next year through the Basic Sponsorship Program. This enables them to provide meals, clothing, agricultural inputs (such as hoes and cassava cuttings), basic medical treatment, secondary school fees, and biblical training to these children. In many ways, 350 children is just the tip of the iceberg, but God is not limited by our failures or our funds. We pray that He would multiply the efforts of those like Ernest, Alice and Maggie at True Friends Orphan Care to the glory of His Name.

Heidi Pronk is the Executive Director for Word & Deed USA. She traveled to Malawi this summer with Bernie & Ina Pennings to visit the Word & Deed projects there.

Reaching Millions By Ministry

2009-10-17T15:10:00.003-04:00

Teaching Homiletics in Malawi: By Rev. Christo Heiberg

Word & Deed is looking for one or more churches to sponsor the vital Logos Ministries project in Malawi. See project description in the box accompanying this article.

During the month of June I was privileged to visit Malawi for the purpose of training the reformed pastors of that warm and lovely African country. I was told that roughly 120 pastors of the Nkhoma Synod of the CCAP (The Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian) have up to a million members under their spiritual care! These pastors share the ministry of God’s Word on Sundays along with several of their local elders, since every congregation consists not only of a central (and very modest) church building, but also of several prayer houses. Thousands of church members come to hear God’s Word and worship Him on the Lord’s Day, but only after a long walk through the African veld – often on bare feet!Pastor Heiberg(middle row far right), Manuel Kamnkhwani(middle of front row) and some of the CCAP pastors who attended the seminars.

However, these elders’ qualifications and skills at bringing the Gospel are very basic, if not lacking altogether. That puts a huge burden on the ministers, who have to keep encouraging their brothers. Resources like books are hard to come by, and ministers’ conferences like the one I was leading, a rarity. Furthermore, while the average pastor may be quite conversant in English, the majority of their members and elders are basically only proficient in their local Chichewa language. This is what makes Word & Deed’s involvement with Logos Ministries, in the ongoing in-service training of pastors, so vital and strategic for the future of Christ’s church in Malawi.
Pastors came from all over the central Malawian countryside and the capital Lilongwe for a one-week course in homiletics (homiletics – the art of preaching). I was told that we were very blessed that so many men took the pains to travel to the mission village of Nkhoma – mostly by bus or minibus taxi. It’s not uncommon for a Malawian pastor to have two to three funerals per week – and a funeral in Africa takes quite a while, as some us know from experience. Nevertheless, I taught a basic course in homiletics for two weeks, to two groups of pastors. Each group consisted of about 25 participants. The first group also included four theological students, since the venue of our seminar was the Joseph Mwale Institute, home of the Nkhoma Synod’s theological training.

Rev. Christo Heiberg teaching one group of CCAP pastors.

Each of the courses began with a formal opening on the Monday night led by the president of Logos Ministries, a few speeches (including one by myself) and announcements regarding arrangements for the week’s proceedings. Each group chose its own ‘president’ (to be their liaison with me), a secretary and a timekeeper with a little bell (to announce the start or end of each session). I must admit that I was quite impressed by the punctuality of our African brethren!

From Tuesday through Thursday I led three sessions per day (two in the morning and one at night) with lots of time allocated for questions and discussion. In these nine lectures I first focused on the theological underpinnings of a reformed view of preaching, before entering into more practical aspects of making sermons. In this latter part (covering more than half of the course) I gratefully made use of Stuart Olyott’s little gem, Preaching Pure and Simple, as my textbook. Each pastor also received a copy of this book (courtesy of my home congregation in Sheffield), for which the brothers were deeply grateful. My last session dealt with the power of the Spirit in preaching and proved to be a highlight to us all.

From all the questions and discussions, I could tell how hungry and thankful these brothers were for this opportunity of learning and fellowship. Question topics ranged from the making of sermons and other spiritual matters to political and social issues facing Malawian society and the church in general. Quite a few sensitive issues present among the Nkhoma Synod churches in particular sparked openhearted and brotherly discussions. The pastors seemed eager to lead their churches in a godly and Biblical way, maintaining the focus on our Lord Jesus, crucified and risen, and on the necessity of the work of His life-giving Spirit in our lives and churches. Many stories were also told about of the rapid growth of Christianity in neighboring Mozambique, and to a lesser extent in Zambia. A few brothers also lamented in private the mayhem and misery caused by President Mugabe in Zimbabwe.
Of great concern to these pastors were also the growing influence of Islam in political circles, a resurgence of paganism and witchcraft, the destructive influence of human rights on moral values in general, and the growing impact of the decadent Western media, through its films and the internet. The latter two issues in particular were seen as a threat to the very fabric of a socially conservative and peaceful Malawian society. It is interesting to note that the whole political concept of “democracy” is by no means viewed with sympathy among these men, but rather with great suspicion, as it is perceived to be the vehicle that carries all of the above-mentioned permissive influences into their society.
In the faint electric light of the African night at the Joseph Mwale Institute, each week’s seminar was closed with a “formal” ceremony on the Thursday night. Each participant received a certificate from the General Secretary of the Nkhoma Synod, under the joyful applause of all the others. Thus came to an end an event that will not be easily forgotten by either these dear humble African pastors, or by their fellow-African facilitator, now living in beautiful Canada. (Unfortunately, we miss the southern cross in the nightly sky!) The God of heaven was present among us in a truly tangible way, renewing us by His Spirit and binding us together with bonds in Christ that will last unto eternity.

Rev. Christo Heiberg grew up in South Africa and is the pastor of the Zion United Reformed Church of Sheffield, Ontario.

Among the Orphans in Malawi

2009-06-04T21:30:00.010-04:00

URC Family Sets up House in Africa- By Caroline Van Dyken

Caroline, Scott with from left to right sons Derrick, Aaron and Nathan

Standing on Nkhoma Mountain, looking down on the green valleys below, it is difficult to believe that thousands of people make this land their home. But look a little longer, and thatched roofs appear between the trees, and fingers of smoke rise from unseen cooking fires. Sprawled below, hundreds of small African villages struggle to cope with an epidemic of orphaned children. These are the people Nkhoma Orphan Care Project strives to help.

Last September, my husband, Scott, our three sons, and I left our home in Canada and journeyed to Malawi. Our new home is the village of Nkhoma, a mission station and hospital established in 1889 by Dutch Reformed missionaries from South Africa. We have come under the auspices of Word & Deed. Scott’s work involves overseeing the orphan care projects which Word & Deed supports in Malawi. We labor alongside those involved in the project, encouraging them to use their God-given abilities and resources to help their neighbors in need.

Word & Deed has two branches of ministry in Malawi: Logos Ministries and the orphan care projects. Manuel Kamnkhwani, a Malawian and Westminster Theological Seminary graduate, is the acting director of Logos. This ministry’s mandate is to train Malawian church leaders in Reformed theology so that God’s truth may be proclaimed accurately and powerfully. Heretical teachings, like syncretism, the false doctrine of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the lies of Islam, threaten to smother the pure gospel message in Malawi. Logos works to build up church leaders in Reformed biblical truth so that they, in turn, can be used by the Lord to strengthen their congregants.

Word & Deed’s other work in Malawi involves assisting six orphan care projects across the country. Each project is a separate entity and composed of several orphan care centers. Word & Deed has found and partnered with indigenous people already caring for orphans by providing financial support, oversight, and encouragement. Orphaned children remain in their traditional villages living with a caregiver family, frequently their relatives. The care centers support the caregiver families in a variety of ways. They distribute donations of clothing, food, blankets, seed, and fertilizer. Bible-based teaching is provided by many of the centers. They also allocate available funds for medical care and school fees. Each center is administered by a volunteer committee made up of members of the community, including local pastors, elders, and deacons.

So far Scott’s role with the orphan care projects has included tasks as diverse as delivering a motorbike six hours north to Chintheche, and arranging for the drilling of a well two hours south in Lizulu. Our decision to settle in Nkhoma was strategic – Nkhoma Orphan Care Project is the largest and weakest of the projects. They have recently begun the construction of a multipurpose hall (a project being funded by the Word & Deed Business Group of Central Alberta) and much of Scott’s time has been occupied with that.

We are finding much joy in the work, but it is not without its challenges. Bernie Pennings (Word & Deed Canada) warned us to be careful not to take over the work done by local people. He encouraged us to come alongside and help them grow in recognizing and using their own gifts and abilities. We wholeheartedly agree with this approach, but have found it formidable to implement. Simply by virtue of his skin color, Scott is perceived to be an authority figure, to have superior problem-solving skills, and to carry a limitless supply of cash. He is regularly addressed as boss, or even “big boss,” by Malawians who are complete strangers. When you are identified as “superior” by those you are trying to help, they are inclined to want you to take control of the work and your ideas are considered the final word. It also means you need to regularly examine your heart for a growing lack of humility! (An honest wife is an asset with this, as well.) Scott is persevering and continuing to stress to the Malawians that their capabilities and leadership are vital and that they must work through problems without his help.

It is human inclination to measure the success of work by its observable outcomes, but here we must be wary of this tendency. We are learning that our task here is to humbly serve, doing what is best for the people, even if it means the physical project comes to a halt. Scott has already addressed some thorny matters with his fellow workers, including usury, corruption, and theft, along with an unwillingness to confront and discipline their neighbors. We need to remind ourselves repeatedly that although goals are important, the Lord’s purposes in our work may not include a completed multipurpose hall. And when we occasionally despair that “nothing is getting done”, we must trust that our part is to obediently serve and it is God who will bring the increase, in His time and His way.

It is a tremendous encouragement to our African brothers and sisters to know the North American church is responding compassionately and generously to their plight. God is using deeds of kindness, together with His powerful Word, to point the unsaved in Africa to the transforming love of Jesus Christ.

Caroline Van Dyken lives with her husband Scott and three sons, Nathan (13) ,Derrick (11), and Aaron (7) in Nkhoma, Malawi. She and her family are originally from St. Catharines, Ontario, where they are members of Trinity United Reformed Church.

NKhoma Orphan Care multi-purpose hall

2009-05-26T10:02:00.015-04:00

Scott Van Dyken has provided some pictures and a description of the Nkhoma Orphan Care project multi-purpose hall (funded by the Business Group of Central Alberta). Surrounding communities are expected to volunteer alongside the contractor. The project began in December 2008. The first phase of the project was to put in a solid foundation.

A couple of 14 pound sledges were employed and 50-60 tons of stone was broken, gathered, wheeled, carried on heads, etc.

The local masons showed their skill by expertly building and lining a 750 gallon water tank. Then the five "water women" began their task of filing and topping up this tank by carrying water from a borehole in the nearby village.

Secure storage for building materials and tools is important since a shovel is worth a week's wages and a bag of cement worth two. A steel container was moved using a flatbed truck, one five ton bottle jack, two partially crushed 50 gallon barrels, one over-stressed chain knotted in a tree, an odd collection of stones, a few bent pipes and 15 men. After two days of sweating, slipping and scampering out of the way, the task was completed. "We do it manual" was repeated with pride by the men involved.

Mountains of bricks were made by community volunteers. All the bricks were used up in the foundation.

The foundation completed at last with much of the work buried below ground.

True Friends update (Malawi)

2009-05-26T09:42:00.010-04:00

Construction of the True Friends multi-purpose hall continues (funded by two businessmen from Chilliwack, British Colombia). Below are pictures taken at various stages of the project. There were a number of challenges along the way (including washed out roads) but even though it isn't complete yet, this building project has made excellent progress.

Here is Scott Van Dyken's son standing next to Ernest who is the True Friends orphan care project president and an elder in his local CCAP (Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian) church.

Here Scott "hands over the keys" of a much needed motorcycle (with funds coming from Grand Rapids, Michigan) to help with with travel to many remote areas where the orphans are being cared for. In Scott's words, "If you are wondering about my rather informal attire for the solemn event of handing over the keys, here is my excuse: I had just spent the last two hours running up and down the road, holding onto the back rack of the motorcycle, shouting instruction and encouragement to Ernest. There were a couple of times when I thought it would end with a disaster of some sort or another. In the end, he calmed down and started to get the hang of managing a task with both hands and both feet, while remembering to balance."

Some small buildings are also being put up in the remote areas (with funding from the St. Thomas Youth Group and the Sheffield Business Group)

Orphan Care Impact

2009-04-06T15:58:00.003-04:00

From Orphan to Father: By Caroline Van Dyken

It is January, the rainy season in Malawi, and Machitidwe awakens to the muffled drumming of a downpour on the thatched roof. A rooster crows and another provides a hoarse echo. Machitidwe has mixed feelings about the rain this morning. He must bike a long distance today and would prefer dry weather, but vivid memories of drought and famine prevent him from recklessly wishing the rain away. Without rain there will be no maize harvest. After his breakfast of tea and a piece of bread, the rain has eased to a drizzle, and Machitidwe heaves his bike out the door and down the single front step. He climbs on and begins the two-hour journey to the village of Madzambwa.

For the past year-and-a-half, Machitidwe Sepitala has been employed as one of three coordinators for Nkhoma Orphan Care Project. The project has 34 orphan care centers within a 30 kilometer radius of Nkhoma mission station. These centers serve approximately 900 small villages and the project has 4875 orphans registered in their program. Rather than placing orphaned children in an institutional setting, they remain in a traditional village, often living with relatives. The care centers attempt to support these caregiver families in a variety of ways. Donated items including food, clothing, blankets, seed, and fertilizer are distributed to the families. Each care center maintains a community garden: another source of food.

Many of the centers provide weekly Bible lessons for the orphaned children, with the goal being to have all centers do so. Financial assistance for the orphans’ medical and educational costs is also allocated if available. Machitidwe, together with his fellow coordinators, Notice Chada and Myamiko Bonongwe, oversees the activities of these care centers. Equipped with bikes for transportation, they spend many hours negotiating the narrow, rutted trails between the villages, trying to visit each center twice monthly to provide supervision, direction, and encouragement.

Machitidwe has been employed by Nkhoma Orphan Care for less than two years, but he has been a part of their work since their inception 11 years ago. This optimistic young man brings to his job a unique empathy and compassion for orphaned children because he also lost his parents as a child. When he was nine, his mother died of pneumonia and two years later his father passed away, leaving behind three orphaned boys. Machitidwe moved six kilometers to the village of Chimwaye to live with his uncle and aunt, Tolera and Christina Masauko, and he still resides with them today.

He remembers the first three years in his new home as a time of much struggle and hardship. His new family was very poor and his Aunt Christina fought to feed and clothe four children, often hindered by her husband’s alcohol abuse. When the Nkhoma Orphan Care Project began helping families care for orphans in 1997, Machitidwe’s family was one of the first they assisted. Through the project, together with generous overseas donations, the family was blessed with precious basic necessities: food, clothing, blankets, fertilizer, and seed. Financial assistance from the project made it possible for him to graduate from secondary school. Machitidwe firmly believes that the Lord used Nkhoma Orphan Care to provide for him during a period of desperate need and he is grateful to be in a position where he can now minister to children in similar circumstances.

When asked about his plans for the future, Machitidwe does not hesitate with his reply. He would like to attend the technical college in Lilongwe, Malawi’s capital, to upgrade his education and improve his ability to do his job. He and his wife, Snedia, and infant son, Vincent, live with his aunt and uncle, but he recently acquired a partly built home from relatives in the same village and he is working on finishing it. The home includes a separate space for a small shop and he hopes that Snedia will eventually be able to supplement their income by selling groceries to the villagers.

It is evening and Machitidwe pedals wearily through the village to his home. The sky has cleared and the setting sun covers the lush green landscape with a soft, golden light. Laughing children race along side his bike, welcoming him home. The scent of wood smoke from his neighbors’ cooking fires fills his nostrils. He finds Aunt Christina and Snedia sitting companionably just outside the house. His aunt is cooking their simple supper of maize meal porridge and greens on a small woodstove, while his wife nurses the baby. As he settles down beside them and takes his son into his arms, Machitidwe is thankful for how the Lord has faithfully provided for another day.

Caroline Van Dyken and her husband Scott are members of Trinity Orthodox Reformed Church in St. Catharines, Ontario and are currently on a two year placement in Malawi where they are supporting Word & Deed projects.

Malawi Projects

2008-12-11T17:02:00.004-05:00

True Friends Orphan Care ($11,500)
Lizulu Orphan Care ($16,560)
Neighbor Mission Committee Orphan Care ($12,700)
Nkhoma Orphan Care ($28,700)
Orphan Care & Social Rehabilitation ($23,000)
House of Bangwa (home for child prostitutes) ($9,200)
Logos Ministries (pastoral training and education) ($65,550)
Behavioral Change Program (Biblical lifestyle training for youth) $25,000

There are an estimated one million orphans in Malawi mostly due to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. The above community based orphan care projects working with the Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian (CCAP) and Word & Deed strive to meet the basic physical and spiritual needs of 5,500 orphans.

Malawi Orphan Basic Group Sponsorship

Word & Deed North America has launched an urgently needed basic form of the child sponsorship program in Malawi. Word & Deed partners use home-based orphan care in which orphans are placed with Christian caregiver families rather than in orphanages. For a monthly donation of $35 (in Canada) or $32 (in the US), you can sponsor five orphans and restore hope. Children and teenagers are also encouraged to become involved by sponsoring one orphan for $7 (in Canada) or $5 (in the US). Help make a world of difference in their lives!

Malawi – Bangwa House of Hope ($9200)

The House of Bangwa project was put in place to rescue young girls from prostitution. The girls stay in a home led by a Christian couple. Bible lessons, counseling and role modeling are used to help the girls reintegrate into society. The home has a capacity of 10 girls and is located in Blantyre.

Malawi – Logos Ministries ($65,550)

After working closely with the CCAP for a number of years on the orphan program, Word & Deed has been given the opportunity to provide the CCAP pastors, elders and leaders with the practical and doctrinal tools they need to better serve their congregations (which often number in the thousands). We are working closely with the Central Church of Africa, Presbyterian (CCAP) to offer training seminars conducted by visiting pastors and teachers, as well as Logos staff to better equip men in those churches to lead and instruct their flocks. What an amazing opportunity to impact a one million member denomination! Above are Dr. Timothy Monsma (left) and Dr. Van Velden (rear) with their students during one of the courses. A significant proportion of the costs associated with this program are underwritten by one of the United Reformed Churches in Canada.

Malawi – Behavioral Change Program

This is another program which works through the CCAP churches, in this case to educate youth about biblical lifestyles. The root of the AIDS problem in Africa is behavioral and needs to be addressed using the instructive principles of God’s Word. Groups of youth who have demonstrated leadership qualities attend several days of instruction sessions and then go back to their own churches where they share that same information with others.

The Harvest is Plentiful

2008-11-13T11:05:00.003-05:00

By: Katie Dejong

"Therefore my beloved brethren, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, Knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." 1 Corinthians 15:58Amy With Child

Word & Deed partners with a variety of mission and relief organizations within Malawi. This past summer we had the opportunity to witness and participate in the testimony of the work done in Nkhoma, Malawi, among the orphans. We hoped that our trip would provide both encouragement and support for the local workers of the Nkhoma Orphan Care Project.

Six young women made the trip to Nkhoma, Malawi: Monica Bos (Cambridge, Ontario: Zion URC), Amy Brouwer (Cambridge, Ontario: Zion URC), Katie DeJong (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Trinity URC), Ruth Ann Freswick (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Bethany URC), Lenelle Moerdyk (Grand Rapids, Michigan: FRC), and Caroline Molenaar (Zoetermeer, The Netherlands: Walkerton OPC). Our team was equally partnered with local workers. We must especially thank Davison Mtionakutha, Machitidwe Septala, Notice Chada, Chisomo Nkhoma, Mary Chimutu, Job Mwale, and Manuel and Karen Kankhwani. Of our team members, Lenelle, remarked, “Their ideas exceed beyond our self-centered minds; it humbled me every time. Chisomo Nkhoma has shown us the true meaning of singing from the heart. Her favorite quote is 'God is good all the time! All the atime God is good!'”

Katie addressing a Bible class

"But Jesus said, Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 19:14

The Nkhoma Orphan Care Project seeks to provide practical assistance to the guardians of the approximately 5,000 orphans living in 21 different villages surrounding Nkhoma. The project helps provide food, clothing, and school fees for the orphans. Machitidwe describes their mission as, “To visit orphans and widows in their trouble and keep oneself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27b), for our God is “a father of the fatherless and a defender of widows”(Psalm 68:5).

Providing both child care and educational assistance, the Orphan Care Project also develops nursery schools within villages. Young children meet in the mornings to hear Bible stories and receive basic instruction in preparation for Primary School. We told and taught Bible stories with the assistance of a flannel graph and translator. We also provided practical tools, like alphabet flashcards, and held a teacher seminar.

Caroline singing with kids at Bible club

“When we play a game of Simon Says it is funny to watch them try to rub their belly and pat their head at the same time” says Caroline. “The nursery school teacher often uses singing to teach, and at the end of the day they all pray out loud.”

"Now Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of diseases among the people." Matthew 4:23

Lenelle and Ruth Ann teaching nursery school

In the afternoons we started Orphan Bible Clubs within local villages. Children gather two afternoons a week to sing, play games, and hear Bible stories. They are also growing a garden to provide more food for the orphans, especially during the dry season.

“The voices of all those joyful children raised in songs of praise to God is a beautiful thing,” says Monica. “Each club also holds a service day once a month, to help the children learn the joy of helping other people. On one service day we helped an elderly woman in the village of Kalamba: the boys swept her yard and the girls washed her dishes.”

The Bible Clubs encourage local leaders to develop self-sufficiency, education, service, and ultimately thanksgiving to God within their communities. They are a place for the community to grow together, creating a safe place for children to hear the Word of God.

“Twice a week at Livuadzi, two year-old Marison would find me, his huge eyes pleading to be held,” says Katie. “Then, he would snuggle up and simply go to sleep. He did not want anything in particular, he just needed a hug—a safe spot to feel loved and protected.”

Monica with gardeners

"And He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2 Corinthians 12:9

Ruth Ann spent most of her time working at the Nkhoma Mission Hospital in the surgical ward. While she found the transition from western medicine difficult, the experience was also full of joy. “The staff works together, overcoming daily frustrations of limited resources with incredible endurance,” she says. “When a man needed a prosthetic leg, a South African charge nurse raised special funds to fit him with one. The resourceful staff and content patients motivated me to glorify God with whatever I am given.”

Lenelle with children

Throughout our time here in Malawi we have been blessed by those we have met. Malawi calls itself the warm heart of Africa. Everywhere we went the children would run out and greet us, seeking only a wave in return. We were always warmly welcomed. It is our prayer that God would increase both our efforts and the efforts of those working full-time

in Malawi.

Short Term Missions trip to Malawi

2008-07-08T14:48:00.007-04:00

Six young ladies are on a short term mission trip to Malawi. Here is a link to their blog. They have infrequent and slow access to the internet as you might imagine. It is fascinating to witness their struggles to understand the African culture and learn how to come alongside them rather than rush ahead as is the natural desire of those of us raised in a western fast-paced can-do culture.

Click here

Their names are Amy, Caroline, Katie, Lenelle, Monica and Ruth Ann. Monica and Amy are returning on July 23, the Lord willing, after 3 months in Malawi. The others are returning in August when their 3 month stays are up. Please pray for a blessing upon their service in Malawi.

Below are a few pictures taken at the kick-off for a Bible club at one of the orphan care centers belonging to the Nkhoma Orphan Care Project.

From left to right. Katie deJong, Caroline Molenaar, Amy Brouwer, Monica Bos.

They are eating nsima (essentially a kind of paste made from corn meal and water), boiled pumpkin leaves and tomatoes.

Orphans playing with Caroline Molenaar (standing) and Manuel in the background

Amy Brouwer with some of the orphans

Multi-purpose Hall at Nkhoma

2008-07-03T11:20:00.012-04:00

The Nkhoma orphan care project has 3,500 orphans in a number of centers spread across a 50 km radius in central Malawi. Word & Deed is working with the Nkhoma project committee to improve the care of the orphans which, given the numbers, is still in a very primitive form compared to the other orphan care projects in Malawi.

Here are some of the orphans.

One of the ways this is being done is the construction of a multi-purpose hall near to Nkhoma. The hall will provide much needed offices for the hard pressed orphan care workers, a large room for feeding and teaching the orphans, counceling rooms, a kitchen and more.

The Word & Deed Business Group of Central Alberta has adopted this project and pledged $50,000 towards its $74,000 budget with hopes of raising more. So far $43,500 has been collected for which we are very grateful. Once $59,000 is collected (80% of the budget) the project can move forward. The local people, in anticipation of the project moving forward, have voluntarily made thousands of bricks and have dug a trench for the foundation. Below are some pictures.

Here are (from left to right) Manuel Kamnkwani (Word & Deed Project Director in Malawi, Monica Bos, Lenelle Moerdyk(both on short term mission projects) and Rev. Chimutu (the chairman of the Nkhoma Orphan Care Project) visiting the building site.

The site for the building is a beautiful one.

Here is a picture of the trench that was dug by the local volunteers. They were dug some time ago and will not be cleared of undergrowth until the pouring of the footings begins for fear of distrubing the trench walls.

The men stack the bricks in such a way that they form their own kilns. They are being made 2km away from the building site and then carried there 10-15 at a time on their heads. The surface of the stack is plastered to hold in the heat. Then fires are built in the bottom cavities and the openings are nearly sealed. Next, a goat is slaughtered and an all-night vigil and celebration takes place. Once in na while they break from the festivities and tend the fires. In a day or two when the kiln cools, the plastering is stripped and well-fired bricks are revealed. (as reported by Scott VanDyken on a recent trip to Malawi).

Above are some of the orphan care givers. They take the orphans into their homes and are given extra seed and fertilizer to help feed the extra mouths.

Work Begins on School Hall at True Friends

2008-07-03T08:15:00.012-04:00

The True Friends orphan care project looks after 250 orphans with 50 more joining the program in the coming weeks. Orphans are placed with caregiver families who are given extra seed and fertilizer. The orphans are brought together on 3 to 4 afternoons per week under a tree when they are given a nutritious meal, a Bible based education program and basic medical care.

True Friends is located along side Lake Malawi and consists of 3 centers with the majority of the orphans being supported at the main center.

As you might imagine, meeting under a tree places many limits on what can be done with the orphans - especially during the rainy season.

Funding is in place, through the generous donations of two businessmen, to build a school hall for the orphans at the main center. The hall will have a large room in which the orphans will eat and receive their training as well as a kitchen and restroom facilities. Local volunteers are making the bricks and a contractor is putting up the building. True Friends hopes to generate some income by renting the building out for weddings and other community events. They also hope to prepare and sell food on those occasions. Here are some pictures taken by Scott VanDyken and Manuel Kamnkwani (Word & Deed Project Director in Malawi).

Scott plans to move to Malawi in September, the Lord willing, with his wife Caroline and 3 sons and help oversee the projects there with Manuel.

Standing in front of the True Friends sign are (from left to right), Ernest Banda (the president of the True Friends Committee and an elder in the local Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian or CCAP), two members of the committee and Scott VanDyken.

Word & Deed places a high priority on local involvement in any project. The men have volunteered to make the bricks for the new building. In the background are the kilns made from the bricks that are being prepared.

Young people and orphans help out as well.

The orphan care program recently provided clothing for the orphans (shorts, shirts etc.). Many of the children are orphans in these pictures.

A small ceremony is held in which the funds for the project are given to Ernest, the leader of the True Friends Orphan Project.

Scott climbed a tree to give us a bird's eye view.

Please pray for True Friends, the orphans, the administrator (who is need of a motorcycle given the distances between the 3 centers which make up the True Friends Project), the committee overseeing the project and the caregiver families.

Work begins on Resource Center

2008-06-03T14:56:00.000-04:00

Logos Ministries is a Word & Deed project in Malaw with the goal of training office bearers and pastors of the Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian (CCAP), Nkhoma synod with over 1 million members. What a privilege!

A new study center, funded by a group of businessmen, is being built in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi. The center will include a seminar room, a library and a number of offices. A near by building will be upgraded to act as a dormitory. Here are some initial pictures of the project collected by Scott VanDyken during his recent trip to Malawi.

Update on the Orphan Basic Group Sponsorship Program in Malawi

2007-12-07T09:52:00.000-05:00

The Orphan sponsorship program is off and running in Malawi. For a description of the program, please click on the link at the right "Orphans - How you can Help".

The initial objective of the program is to sponsor 2,000 of the 5,500 orphans supported by Word & Deed in Malawi. At this point, 320 orphans are being sponsored by families in North America. The remainder of the orphans are being supported through fund raisers and church collections. The sponsorship program provides a higher funding level on a per orphan basis (current funding is inadequate). Below is a picture of Peter VanKempen with some of the orphans.

The Lizulu Orphan Care Project is led by Everton Kamangire (below with a computer donated by Covenant Reformed Baptist Church of Orillia, Ontario), the volunteer director. The project has three centers with a total of 360 orphans (with an additional 100 orphans being added). Everton’s project was chosen first since it received the highest rating (best run) of the six Word & Deed supported projects located throughout Malawi.

The orphans at the Lizulu project are receiving nutritious meals and Bible based teaching on 4 afternoons per week (this exceeds the minimum of 3 afternoons per week established by the program). The regular diet of rice and beans has been supplemented this year with meat and eggs on some days as well as a nutritional diet supplement.

Recently a program was started to provide the orphans with a strong biblically based understanding of sexuality and marriage. There are 40 orphan children receiving secondary school education (all that are eligible) which is wonderful for Malawi.

A local chief has donated 40 acres of land for use by the orphan care center. The plan is to grow corn and soy. The orphans will learn farming methods in partnership with adult volunteers. The harvested crops will be used for the benefit of the orphans.

Everton reports that there is excellent cooperation between the children and their caregivers. The local project committee is in the middle of constructing some playground equipment for the children and they have also set up a separate hut for private counseling sessions.

Below is a picture of some of the care givers, volunteers and Lizulu Orphan Care Project committee members. Their dedication to the needs of the orphans are critical to the ongoing success of the project.

Below you can see some of the typical huts as well as the beautiful countryside of Malawi. The orphans live here with their caregiver families.

Finally, we are delighted to report that a group of businessmen in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area are funding the construction of a 90m well. Currently, water must be carried to Lizulu from a well that is located 1 KM away.

God has great concern for orphans. “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). Repeatedly, especially in the Old Testament, God instructs His people to make provision for the fatherless (Deut. 24:17-21) and declares judgment on those who don’t (Mal. 3:5). If you are already sponsoring a group of orphans, we thank you for your partnership. If you aren't, please prayerfully consider it today.

In a world that has become a global village, may we respond with faithfulness, generosity, and gladness to the responsibility that God has given us in answering the plaintive calls of the orphans in Malawi.

To sponsor a group of orphans click on Sponsor an orphan or call Toll Free in Canada 877.375.9673 or U.S.A. 866.391.5728. We need your help!

From Confusion to Clarity

2007-12-06T12:12:00.000-05:00

Logos Ministries in Malawi - by Manuel Kamnkhwani

Exactly one year ago, in October 2006, I was privileged to share a hotel room for three nights with Rev. Joel Dykstra, a young Canadian pastor from Wellandport Orthodox Reformed Church. He was in Malawi on a fact finding mission. At the time, Logos Ministries had been in existence for just two months and we did not have the slightest clue where, when, and how we could begin to tackle the aims and objectives that we had set out to implement. Over three days and nights, we brainstormed, reviewed and revised the plan of action as we ate, drove, slept, and indeed even as we formally sat down to discuss business. A week later, Pastor Joel went back home full of knowledge and a bit of experience about the state of the church in Malawi.

Three months after Pastor Joel went back things began to happen, although not exactly as planned. In February 2007, two of the staff members of Logos Ministries, Martin Thondolo and I spent one sleepless night at the Msenjere CCAP manse. We were anxious about the following morning when we would launch the Theological Lay Training Program for church elders and deacons of the Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian (CCAP) Nkhoma Synod. Up until this point, the Theological Lay Training Program was still “a white elephant” since it was not based on any previously tried and tested program. Our anxiety was later worsened by the discovery that we were starting our program in a congregation that had not had a pastor for a number of years.

The following morning was indeed a great challenge and one of the most unforgettable experiences we would ever have in the Logos ministry. At 8:30 am, the 22 participants had converged to start the seminar. We decided to take our time and ask random questions that would give us a picture of the people’s knowledge of the basic catechetical theology of the Reformed Creeds and Confessions. In the course of the question and answer session, we occasionally got interesting answers to the questions we posed. One of the most interesting and revealing questions, for instance was: “Is Jesus Christ God?” and there was a very confident and resounding “No!” from a number of the elders and deacons. At that moment, something sank in my heart as I realized that we have tonnes of work ahead of us if the ministry of Logos is going to make a difference within the Malawian church. Today, eight months later, with our limited human resources, we have reached sixteen congregations with our program. Requests for the program to be introduced in the remaining one hundred plus Nkhoma Synod congregations are overwhelming.

As a ministry, we have been compelled by Isaiah’s response to the Lord’s call when the Lord said, “Whom shall we send, who will go for us?” Our primary objective in the lay training program that we are running is to ignite an interest in the lives of CCAP Nkhoma Synod members to know and understand the various biblical doctrines on which the foundation of the church is built. For a number of decades, the Presbyterian/Reformed church in Malawi has lived in a theological maze, with most of its members not knowing even the first thing about being Reformed. To most people the difference between themselves and members of other denominations is very superficial. Lately, a good number of lay church leaders in the congregations that we have reached so far with the Theological Lay Training Program are beginning to get an idea of their Reformed identity and spirituality.

In September 2007, our zeal for the fulfilment of Logos Ministries’ main objectives was strengthened with the introduction of a parallel in-service program for pastors, with Dr. Timothy Monsma as the main speaker. Having dealt with laymen for more than six months, this seminar was much more encouraging, since we were dealing with people who have a higher level of understanding. Furthermore, the environment in which the seminar was conducted made the experience even more exhilarating. The seminar was held in a brand new facility at Josophat Mwale Theological Institute at the CCAP Nkhoma Synod headquarters, which has been specially built for the in-service training of pastors. Built with funds from different sources, the facility has been fully furnished with Word & Deed funds to the tune of $7,000. For most of the participants it was their first time to see the facility, and one of them walked up to me and said “When I first heard about Logos Ministry, I thought it was a phony ministry. You have proved me wrong, you guys are really serious.”

The success of the first Logos Ministries in-service training seminar for pastors cannot be overemphasized. Among the comments we had on the evaluation sheets that we handed out at the end of the seminar, Rev. Gamaliel Kalebe wrote “I do not hesitate to say that it is God’s grace that I attended the seminar. I had a chance of learning more things for the betterment of my ministry. Apart from that, it was good to meet my fellow ministers with whom I shared a lot…” Another anonymous comment said: “The seminar reflected on our daily congregational lives and the material offered was rich in sound theology and up to date skills…”

As we sit back and look at the successes of this first year of the existence of Logos Ministries, we are at loss for words when we consider how the Lord has put together resources from two groups of Christians living in totally different worlds who have never met one another. By human standards, it is very difficult, or even impossible for people from two different cultures to make real meaningful progress in one endeavour, yet the great strides that Logos Ministries has made over the past year is a joint effort of Word & Deed partner - Wellandport Orthodox Reformed Church in Canada - and the trustees and staff of Logos Ministries in Malawi. This is a clear indication that any success we meet in ministry is a result of the Lord planning and doing, and that nothing is impossible with the Lord.

Manuel Kamnkhwani is Project Director for Word & Deed in Malawi

From Orphan to Independance

2007-12-06T12:03:00.000-05:00

WORD & DEED IN AFRICA - by Dr. Timothy Monsma

While I was teaching at African Bible College in Lilongwe, Malawi, from 1996 to 1998, students told me of thousands of orphans in their home areas whose parents had died, many of them from AIDS.

My wife Dorothy, who was the school nurse at Africa Bible College, volunteered to visit the villages of the orphans and encourage other relatives (grandparents, uncles, aunts, etc.) to care for the children when both parents had died. She also gave provisions when needed. My time was occupied with teaching at Africa Bible College, but in addition to her medical work at the college, Dorothy visited one village after another. Various supporters in the U.S. contributed money to this project. We agreed with our students and some retired pastors that the orphans needed spiritual care as well as food and clothing.

The efforts to help the caregivers and the orphans continued to grow after we returned to California in 1998. By the time we had moved to Colorado in 2000, one or both of us returned to Malawi once a year to make sure that the funds for orphans were well used. We also required a quarterly report of how the funds had been used and what had been done to help the orphans. By 2003 we were serving over 6,000 orphans in six different locations. We were already past retirement age as the work continued to grow. Word & Deed came to the rescue with a strong organization committed to the Reformed faith and charity for those in need.

There is more. This past August, I accepted an invitation to attend and speak at a conference of Reformed Christians at Potchefstroom, South Africa. While we were staying in Pretoria, I was invited to speak in the chapel service at Mukhanyo Theological College and Community Development Center. Dr. Flip Buys, who is well known in South Africa for his loyalty to the Reformed confessions and his leadership among Reformed Christians in dismantling apartheid, began this work. It is a holistic work, ministering to orphans, HIV-AIDs patients and others in need. In 2007, Word & Deed began getting involved with the Community Development Center by supporting the HIV/AIDS project which is known as the Nakekela HIV/AIDS Care Center.

From South Africa, Dorothy and I flew to Lilongwe, Malawi, and drove to the Nkhoma Hospital and Mission Center established many years ago by missionaries of the Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa. Here the Logos Ministries project of Word & Deed is cooperating with the Theological Seminary. I was asked to lecture to church pastors for two weeks. This work was well received by both the pastors and the leadership of the Nkhoma Synod of the Presbyterian Church of Malawi. (After David Livingstone died, the Presbyterian Churches of Scotland sent missionaries to Northern Malawi and Southern Malawi, while the Dutch Reformed of South Africa were invited to send missionaries to Central Malawi. Thus there are now three Synods in Malawi forming one denomination).

After the lectures, Dorothy and I toured the orphan facilities we had helped establish. We observed Christian instruction given to orphans as well as care for their physical needs. Manuel Kamnkhwani, a dedicated Malawi Christian, keeps an eye on the orphan centers and reports to Word & Deed headquarters in Ontario and Michigan. While at the Lizulu facility, we learned that one of their former orphans was now an adult and had become a policeman. He was also married in the Lord to a beautiful young lady. Also, two of the orphans at Lizulu had married each other when they became adults, and established a Christian home. These were two of the four young men whose secondary school fees we had paid for.

When we visited the caregivers at Chintheche (about 460 kilometers north of Lizulu near Lake Malawi), we encouraged the caregivers to prepare the teenage orphans for the day when they too would be “on their own.”

We are thankful that Word & Deed not only provides finances for this work; but also monitors the work so that the children are not only fed and clothed, but are raised in a Christian environment that will influence these children for the rest of their lives.

Dr. Timothy Monsma currently lives in Loveland, Colorado with his wife Dorothy and visits the developing world periodically. He is the author of, “Hope for the Southern World: Impacting Societal Problems in the Southern World”.

Called To Serve

2007-06-23T15:10:00.000-04:00

By Rick Postma

Peter Van Kempen, Peter VanderStel, Bernie Pennings, and I visited South Africa and Malawi during the fall of 2006. This report covers part of our visit to Malawi.

It is Monday morning. Unlike the army, where the bugle only goes off once in the morning, the bugle sleeping next to me goes off numerous times during the night. Alas, sleep is fleeting.

We have breakfast, take a quick look at the Nkhoma synod museum, which includes relics from the time of David Livingstone, and then drive southwest to Lizulu. Once again we enjoy the clear blue skies and the scattered hills pointing like fingers into the sky. Since there are five of us, one of us sits in the third row of the Landrover in very tight quarters. More often than not, this person is Manuel Kamnkhwani, our project director in Malawi, who claims his legs are the shortest. I think it is because he is a very gracious host.

* Everton Kamangire with Computer donated by Orillia Baptist Reformed Church

In Lizulu, we are met by a smiling Everton Kamangire, the volunteer director of the Lizulu Orphan Care Project, as well as several members of his committee, which is under the oversight of the local CCAP church (Central Church of Africa, Presbyterian). The Project has four centres with a total of 360 orphans. There are 3,000 orphans in the Lizulu area, but so many are not being helped at this time due to limited funds. In Everton’s program, there are 40 orphans that are high school-aged and they are all currently receiving secondary education. So far, 20 have graduated, and seven are currently employed (including two policemen). The children come to the centre four afternoons a week, when they are given a Bible-based education and a high nutrition meal. Each orphan child (placed with a host family) also takes home 16 kilograms of corn per month, as well as hygiene-related products. The Lizulu Orphan Care Project was chosen as the first project to launch the new Word & Deed Orphan Basic Group Sponsorship program. Seven orphans receive the benefits of the program for $30 (US) or $35 (CDN). Please see the sidebar for how you can sponsor one or more orphans.

Everton Kamangire is married, has two children, attends the local CCAP church, teaches part-time at a local school, and volunteers at Lizulu orphan care. He is clearly a very capable, dedicated, and godly man. He has organized his life and his family’s life around bringing hope into the lives of 360 orphans. What a joy and privilege to meet him.

I asked him to tell us about his life and how he started Lizulu orphan care. Everton is 36 years old. Two weeks after his birth, his father suffered a stroke and was not able to work until his death in 1991. With 10 children to raise, Everton’s mother struggled to make ends meet. Her brothers and sisters tried to help, but sometimes the family would go hungry. Everton was converted in 1988 through the ministry of CCAP evangelists. His family were members of the CCAP, but Everton just attended through tradition. At the time, he was busy preparing for his grade eight national exams. He asked the Lord to help him do well and place him in a certain school in Lilongwe – in Malawi, students who do well have no power over where they are placed next. The Lord answered his prayer.

Everton moved to a boarding school in Lilongwe, several hours from home. During his four years of secondary school, he was forced to leave school several times when fees provided by relatives were either late or insufficient. Understandably, this was difficult for him. When he was able to return, he had to work hard to catch up. Just before he completed secondary school, he caught malaria and became very sick. He almost died from taking too much of the prescribed drugs. But he graduated in 1994, and the Lord laid Matthew 25:25-40 and James 1:27 on his heart. He believed the Lord was calling him to reach out to the orphans around his home village.

In 1995 he was helping some South African missionaries in Zimbabwe when they offered to support him in furthering his education. He began attending ABC (a Christian college in Lilongwe) where he met Dr. Timothy Monsma and his wife Dorothy. Dr. Monsma had come to teach at ABC for two years and became very involved in orphan work.

In 1997, at ABC, Everton asked the Lord to make use of him in a special way during Christmas break. Soon he received a letter from the Monsmas asking him to assist with an orphan care center. When he arrived, he found he wasn’t needed after all. Rather than give up, he began to reach out to the orphan children around Lizulu. The Monsmas soon began to support his outreach. He started with ten orphans – after two years it was 92. In 2000, the Lizulu Orphan Care Project received $5,750 US of one-time funding and built most of the buildings there today.

Astoundingly, the nearest water source is one kilometre away. Women are paid to carry the water in pails on their head – the center needs 20 pails per day. This system is not dependable and often, the center has little or no water. Word & Deed is now raising funds to drill a well.

During a famine, the price of corn goes up five-fold, as it did in 2005. Thankfully, Everton had purchased extra corn in anticipation of such an event and was able to continue supplying the needs of the orphans at no extra cost. Everton is an exception rather than the norm in Malawi, where people live for the day and have great difficulty planning for the future. We visited the main hall and saw 200 bags of corn sitting ready to provide the needs of the children if another famine should strike. When asked if buying additional bags of corn for resale during the famine at a small mark-up would be a means of income generation, he said that the community would then see the orphan care project as a business trying to make a profit – a wise reply.

The Lizulu Orphan Care Project has had serious challenges from village chiefs and politicians in the past, which have been overcome by prayer, perseverance, and patience. Everton thinks these men saw him as a threat. Now everyone cooperates. A village chief has even given 30 acres of virgin land which needs to be cleared and cultivated.

The Lizulu project is very well-run, includes Bible teaching four days per week, provides food for supporting families, and is very well-organized. You can get involved in supporting Everton’s project directly by joining the Orphan Basic Group Sponsorship Program. Please give us a call today.

Rick Postma is director of public relations for Word & Deed North America

Logos Ministries

2007-03-22T16:02:00.000-04:00

By Rev. Joel Dykstra

It was a bright Guatemalan morning near the stunningly beautiful Lake Atitlán. A group of deacons were gathered around and

Whenever I tell people that I travelled to Africa, they invariably ask, “What was it like?” On the one hand, I suppose simple answers might suffice. I could say it was hot, or that the poverty was striking or that it was an eye-opening experience. October was described by the English who colonized Malawi as the month of suicide because of its unbearable heat. The poverty is constant, pervasive, and always visible. And it was certainly interesting to visit an open air market where you could buy goat meat lying out in the hot sun, or a stick of mice caught the night before by enterprising Malawians. And no trip to Africa would be complete without mentioning the elephants and hippopotamuses. However, none of these things really capture what I discovered while I was in Malawi.

It may help to know that I was not in Malawi as a tourist. The church in which I serve, the Wellandport Orthodox Reformed Church, has committed to teaming up with Word and Deed and Logos Ministries to provide an educational ministry to lay-leaders in the CCAP Churches of the Nkhoma Synod. (For more information Google Nkhoma Synod). In order to effectively perform this service, the Mission Committee of the Wellandport ORC felt that a representative should go to Malawi to meet the people involved in this ministry and get a sense of what is required for this work. The seven days I spent in Malawi were not spent on the shores of Lake Malawi; they were spent trying to meet with as many people involved in this ministry as possible, either teachers or students. What I discovered was the desperate need for the gospel message among these people.

Despite the fact that the vast majority of Malawians identify themselves as Christians, and despite the abundant growth of the church in this country, and despite the large church sanctuaries built to hold thousands of worshippers, the truth is the Church in Malawi is struggling. What we may take for granted – our solidly Reformed and Biblical foundation – is almost entirely absent in Malawi. Not only are these brothers and sisters poor materially, they are also poor spiritually. It is this poverty that sticks with me after my brief time there.

The reasons for this spiritual poverty are manifold and not possible to explore fully in a short article. We must take the time to consider the needs of the Church throughout the world, not only to remind ourselves of how rich we are in the faith, but also to challenge ourselves to use that spiritual wealth for the benefit of those who are spiritually impoverished. Yet, even if we were to enter into this discussion, what we must be convinced of from the outset is this: like us, the people of Malawi will only truly experience blessing through the outworking of God’s redeeming love, proclaimed through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

After a week in Malawi, it was this truth that was most deeply impressed upon me. It is only the truth of God’s Word, proclaimed through faithful ministers of the Word, that can change lives by the power of the Spirit. There are no shortage of people who desire to help countries like Malawi come out of their material poverty and establish themselves as economic success stories. Throughout Malawi the buildings and SUVs of the NGOs and Relief Agencies are everywhere. But their assistance is almost entirely material. Only the living God can effect a spiritual reformation to bring these people out of darkness and into the light. It is this saving work that we as church seek to participate in; to the glory of God and to the up building of His Church.

Rev. Joel Dykstra is the pastor of Wellandport Orthodox Reformed Church and travelled to Malawi in October, 2006.

Malawi - An Introduction

2007-03-20T12:10:00.001-04:00

By Rick Postma

Peter Van Kempen, Peter VanderStel, Bernie Pennings, and I visited South Africa and Malawi during September, 2006. This report covers a portion of our visit to Malawi.

After nine hours of flying across the Atlantic Ocean from North America, I peer impatiently through the window of the airplane to catch my first glimpse of Africa—that dark and mysterious continent. Appropriately enough, it is pitch-dark outside.

Sure enough, the lights of Senegal soon appear. We circle for some time and the captain refers to a “comedy of errors on the ground.” His words sound ominous. Soon we are on the ground, but not allowed to get out of the airplane. We still have nine hours left of our 18-hour flight to Johannesburg, South Africa. I’d love to get out and touch the ground. Somehow I’m not in Africa until I do. It will have to wait.

After a few days in South Africa, we arrive at the airport in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi. It is a small affair. Understandably, not many people fly in this impoverished country of 12 million people. Our bags are searched twice and then we are welcomed by Manuel, overseer of the Word & Deed orphan care projects in Malawi.

We are also welcomed by brilliant sunshine which stays with us for the duration of our visit to Malawi. It is very dry and we soon find ourselves reaching for water bottles. The land is mostly flat, but sprinkled across the landscape are hills hundreds of feet high.

In Malawi, people drive on the “wrong” side of the road, since we in North America drive on the right side. Bernie does most of the driving during our trip and seems to have no problem with driving on the left, except that he turns right whenever we tell him to turn left (and vice versa). He has flipped left and right in his own mind in order to make the conversion.

Malawi is named after Lake Malawi, a large fresh-water lake that stretches almost her whole length and is renowned for its abundant fish and beckoning beauty. Malawi is indeed a beautiful country but, as is so often the case in the developing world, her beauty is only skin deep.

As we look at the land, we can almost hear the cries of over one million orphans. Why so many? Sadly, for many orphans, one or both parents have died from the HIV/AIDS virus, while others have been abandoned by their parents.

Orphan care projects supported and monitored by Word & Deed assist more than 5,500 orphans in Malawi. Many orphans live in child-led families with the eldest being 10 or 12 years old. At the orphan care project in Lilongwe, for example, hundreds of these children come to Word & Deed orphan care projects during the day, but very reluctantly return to their shacks to spend the night alone. The construction of one or more hostels for these orphans who cannot be placed with community families is desperately needed.

The seven orphan care projects that Word & Deed supports, mentors, and monitors in Malawi were initially funded by Dr. Timothy and Dorothy Monsma and their supporters. When the Monsmas retired, the projects were taken over by Word & Deed (October, 2003). They are community-based; orphans are placed with Christian families in the community. The children are brought together several times a week for half a day or more and given nutritious meals, clothing, medical assistance, and biblical instruction. Some of the projects provide kindergarten and grade 1 classes, while others provide the full range of primary grades. The host families are given seed, fertilizer and, at times, bags of corn (maize).

We meet Manuel’s wife Karen and their three-year-old daughter Amie. Manuel, Karen, and Karen’s sister Oslow, visiting from Zimbabwe, provide us with wonderful hospitality on a number of occasions during the length of our visit. They provide a “base camp” from which we venture into the far corners of the country to visit the projects.

A few hours later, we embark on a two-and-a-half hour drive to picturesque rural Nkhoma. The roads are much improved over previous visits, when the same trip would have taken five hours. It is dark when we arrive at the Nkhoma Guest House where we will spend three nights. The guest house is very simple, but not as primitive as I expected – no dirt floors. Visitors to Malawi need to be on good terms with spiders. They are large and abundant. I am very thankful for mosquito nets.

We are here to visit the Nkhoma Orphan Care Project. It is by far the largest, with 8,500 orphans spread among 32 centers covering a vast area. Saide Mkuzi is the coordinator for this project. An orphan himself, Saide is a delightful young man with a big smile. English is the second language in Malawi, after Chichewa, and many people are able to speak it quite well. Saide, together with Rev. Chimutu, the spry 77-year-old chairman and chaplain of the Nkoma project, welcome us with warm handshakes and the repeated phrases “You are welcome, our visitors” and “Thank you.” The words “welcome” and “visitors” are pronounced in delightful fashion, something like “You are welllllcom, our veezeetorrrs.” Throughout our trip, we hear these two phrases countless times and we do indeed feel very welcome and deeply appreciated.

Above: Reverend Chimutu is bending on the left, Manuel is reaching into a well, Saide is standing on the right.

The next morning, after a breakfast of fried eggs, toast, and tea, we take a 20-minute, jolting drive to the Kadzombe orphan care center. We are greeted by a large crowd of children, caregivers, and community leaders. As they see us coming, they energetically launch into the welcome song in Chichewa.

The Kadzombe center has 140 children placed in 80 homes. Each center is run by a committee composed of an elder, a deacon and a pastor from the local CCAP church or prayer house, the headmaster of the local school (where these are available), the village chief, and various other members of the community. We are welcomed by several members of the Kadzombe committee in Chichewa; Manuel translates for us. The orphan children sit in the dirt and look at us with large and curious eyes. Their clothing is in poor shape and they appear rather dirty. Each one is a precious soul. I take some pictures and video of the orphans and then show some of them. Understandably, they are fascinated.

Rev. Chimutu provides a meditation on John 3:16 in Chichewa. Then members of the committee as well as caregivers (those who have orphans in their homes), speak of the lack of food and clothing. As well, 40 of the orphans have been unable to attend school for various reasons.

One of the caregivers tells us that an agent for the orphan center at the Nkhoma project had dropped off seeds, fertilizer, and other items at her home for distribution. Her husband stole some of it, sold it, and used the proceeds to pay the bride price for a second wife. When confronted by his first wife, he beat her up. We learn later that this is one of many cultural challenges in Malawi. When mothers die, fathers often abandon their children and return to the village where they grew up. Apparently, this is culturally acceptable. Fathers often do not provide for their families and are intent on projecting a macho image. We have seen the same pattern of behaviour in Latin America. When men fail to lead and provide for their families, poverty results. The same problem exists in North America, but not to the same degree. This is one of many factors contributing to the challenges faced by the people of Malawi.

After the speeches, the orphans sing for us. While we do not understand the words, the sound is pure Africa. They have music in their bones. We take our leave accompanied by the orphans and caregivers enthusiastically singing the goodbye song.

Nkhoma Orphan Project is striving to meet the orphans’ daily needs with our support. More is needed. Thankfully, each child is hearing the gospel regularly and being taught the Word of God. God has great concern for orphans. “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). Repeatedly, especially in the Old Testament, God instructs His people to make provision for the fatherless (Deut. 24:17-21) and declares judgment on those who don’t (Mal. 3:5).

Rick Postma is director of public relations for Word & Deed Canada.

HIV/AIDS Orphans - You can Help

2007-03-17T12:55:00.002-04:00

Bringing Hope to Orphans in Africa

Malawi Orphan Basic Group Sponsorship Program

Want to make a world of difference in an orphan’s life? Word & Deed North America has launched an urgently needed basic form of the child sponsorship program in Malawi to assist 5,500 orphans in a country where there are an estimated one million orphans, mostly due to HIV/AIDs. Word & Deed partners use home-based orphan care in which orphans are placed with Christian caregiver families rather than in orphanages. For $35 (CDN) or $30 (US) per month, you can sponsor five orphans and bring hope into their lives. Children now also have an opportunity to sponsor an orphan for $7 (CDN) or $6 (US) per month and be made aware of the needs of their peers in Malawi at an early age. You and/or your child will receive a group picture of all the orphans at one of the centers and a yearly update on the progress of the center. In order to keep overhead to a minimum, we ask all sponsors to use Pre-Authorized Payment (PAP) or Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). Children without bank accounts can donate via their parents.

What the orphans receive from the center through sponsorship:

1) Minimum of three nutritious meals per week

2) Minimum of three afternoons of Bible-based teaching to supplement what they learn at government run schools

3) Primary level medical care

4) Fertilizer, seed and occasionally corn are given to the caregiver family

5) Some clothing and/or a blanket

6) Basic school supplies

7) Limited funding for Secondary Education

How does this program differ from the regular child sponsorship program and why is it so much cheaper?

The regular child sponsorship program includes a Christian education at a Christian school, full school uniforms and is personalized to a single child rather than a group of children. The regular program (Colombia) also includes funding for a full secondary education.

Who oversees the sponsorship projects?

The orphan care projects in Malawi are under the supervision of the Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian (CCAP). Each orphan care project consists of one or more orphan centers which are overseen by a committee consisting of, among others, a pastor, an elder and a deacon from the local CCAP church or church plant. Word & Deed has a Westminster West (Escondido) graduate, native to Malawi, who oversees the projects. We require regular reports from each orphan project and we make at least one annual visit to review the work being done there.

To sponsor a group of orphans call Toll Free in Canada 877.375.9673 or U.S.A. 866.391.5728.

God Put You in My Way (Pastor Vasco Kachipapa)

2006-12-20T10:43:00.000-05:00

By Peter Van Kempen

In the 1800’s, a man named Harry left England to search for his friends fighting with the British army in the Sudan; but he lost his way. Near death, he lay alone in the vast deserts of Africa. He was found and rescued by an African who cared for him until he was restored to health. Amazed at the stranger's kindness, Harry asked him why he had done so much for him. The man's answer was short and direct: "God put you in my way."

The youth department of the Malawian CCAP church had been sorely neglected. In 2000, the Nkhoma synod realized that, unless drastic measures were taken, the youth of the church would be left behind. Most of the elders, teachers, and counselors of the church, although dedicated, are inadequately trained and have problems relating to young people. There is a very real shortage of pastors. Most of them are older and simply don't have the time to devote to the youth. The synod called a young pastor, Vasco Kachipapa, to become the youth leader of the church. However, they had had no youth pastor for more than three years and no funds were available to help him start. So Rev. Kachipapa walked the land, talked to young people, and prayed. He accepted the challenge, trusting in God to provide the necessary funds.

In 2003 Rev. Kachipapa came to the United States to study youth ministry at Reformed Bible College (now Kuyper College) in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He left his family with no visible means of support, only an undoubting trust that God would provide. Upon arrival in the U.S., his luggage was lost, leaving him with only his carry-on and the clothes on his back. He entered a completely foreign culture, having to learn to live with a clock, to be on time for classes. At one frustrating moment he asked, "What is it with you people and time?"

My wife and I were privileged to become part of this dedicated young man's life. He still calls us Mom and Dad and we call him our African son. On many Lord's Days he worshipped with us at our church and spent the day with us. After graduating with high honors from college, he returned to Malawi to develop his vision: "To lead every young person in the Central Region of Malawi to a personal and living relationship with Jesus Christ."

HIV/AIDS is such a big problem in Malawi’s youth that it threatens the future of the country and the church. Malawi is losing its future leaders. Among other reasons, young people in Malawi are victims of AIDS because they lack proper education about relationships. They receive confusing messages from the government and media about prevention and cure., They suffer from poverty and, as orphans, lack of parental care. The only effective answer to these problems is proper education, especially in the knowledge of the Word of God.

With this in mind, and with Word & Deed funding, Rev. Kachipapa started a Behavioral Change Program (BCP) in 2005 to educate the youth from a biblical perspective. The idea is to train the most teachable young people. These youth will then pass on their knowledge to others who are committed and willing to be involved in youth ministry. Young couples are also trained to be counselors. He asked each of the 55 congregations (127 churches) to select ten young people and five couples to meet together in groups for training at the Youth Camp. The training topics include boy/girl relationships; marriage as designed by God; the spread and prevention of HIV/AIDS; and caring for orphans spiritually, physically, and emotionally.

After the five-day training sessions, the participants are expected to be models and teachers in their home congregations. This program is now in its second year and has trained over 400 young people and 250 counselors.

Although the training is still new, the results are good. Many of the pastors, seeing positive change, are excited about the program. Their young people are excited and active among their peers, starting youth groups, choirs, and counseling. On a trip to Malawi last September, we visited with the Secretary-General of the Nkhoma Synod. Although he had no idea that we knew and supported Rev. Kachipapa, he told us how encouraged he is about the changes happening in the churches because of how God is blessing the work of a vibrant young pastor. The young people are much more interested in the church and the liberal element is diminishing.

The start of this BCP training is very encouraging, but much more needs to be done. These young people need to be remembered in prayer so they will be encouraged to withstand ridicule and difficulties. There has to be follow-up training and teaching for those who are actively involved, and the next age group awaits instruction.

As we live our lives, we must respond to the needs of those we meet. Either we will show the reaction of the Good Samaritan, or we will be indifferent. How do we respond to those whom "God chooses to put in our way"? The needs of Malawi’s youth are great. Will you help?

Peter Van Kempen is president of the board of Word & Deed USA. He resides in Marne, Michigan.

Malawi Morsels

2006-12-18T11:03:00.000-05:00

MALAWI MORSELS

Plain statistics are usually as tasty as cardboard. To release their flavour, you need to think about the “why.” Enjoy these little tidbits about Malawi, a tiny land-locked African country bordered by Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia.

Lilongwe (lĭ´- long - wee) is the safe and stable capital of Malawi.

Malawi’s climate is subtropical: it rains November to May, and is dry the other months.
20% of Malawi’s area is water – Lake Malawi.
Courtesy, respect, and strong family ties are important to Malawians. Unannounced visitors may drop by anytime, but especially on Sundays.
Although Malawi is the size of Pennsylvania, its population is 13 million, or 40% of Canada’s population. That’s a lot of people in one spot.
Malawi, the U.S.A., and Canada all became countries when they achieved independence from Great Britain: Malawi on July 6, 1964, Canada on July 1, 1867, and the U.S. on July 4, 1776.
Malawi’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) per capita (person) is $600. Compare that with Canada ($34,000), and the U.S.($42,000). The GDP is the value of all goods and services produced by a country for one year. Divide that by the number of people in the country and you have the GDP per capita.

Sources: www.wikipedia.com, www.worldfacts.us

Malawi Orphan Care - Brief Facts

2006-11-11T11:33:00.000-05:00

Malawi

Kanyenyeva ($9000)

True Friends ($11000)

Lizulu Orphan Care ($18725)

Neighbour Mission Committee ($10400)

Nkhoma Orphan Care ($19250)

Orphan Care & Social Rehabilitation ($11000)

HIV/AIDS has left orphans numbering in the tens of thousands in Malawi, with more being added each day. The above agencies are dedicated to meeting both the physical and spiritual needs of these children. The amounts listed represent minimum commitments to meet the basic necessities of some of the many children in need.

1 John 3:16-18

16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

Malawi - Conference, 2005

2005-08-08T10:33:00.000-04:00

Question:

When you visit Word and Deed’s projects, just what do you do?

Answer:

The answer at first seems straightforward. We must monitor the projects to ensure that the funds are being used as we intended and to determine that each project undertaken is necessary, not merely benefiting a select few. From a Western perspective, these tasks don’t seem to be that difficult.

Reality:

In the developing world, many factors contribute to differing views of the end result and how it should be achieved: different cultures, living conditions, education levels, lack of social structures, resources, and difference in work ethics. These views differ from country to country and even from region to region within a country.

Recognizing this multitude of views, we first need to come to a common understanding so that our approach to help may be done in a unified and sensible way. This is where Word & Deed Ministries differs from secular relief organizations. In true relief work, the starting point is God’s Word. The Word must be central for the partner agency as well as for Word & Deed. By using Scripture as our foundation, we develop a Christian worldview of how we need to live in our families as well as citizens in the local community.

Allow me to take you for a few days to Malawi, where in August of 2005, I went to monitor, to encourage, and to assist the project leaders in understanding the tasks and responsibilities they face.

It is Monday, August 15, and you are on your way from your home village to the Chongoni Conference Center operated by the CCAP (Central Church of Africa Presbytery) Nkhoma synod. Depending on where you live, you will probably be taking a number of buses over many hours to reach your destination. Arriving late in the afternoon, you register for the conference and are assigned a room (shared with many others) to sleep in for the duration of the conference. Bathing and washroom facilities are shared down the hall. A dining hall serves traditional food family style. The grounds of the conference center, located at the foot of mountains, are large and perfect for walks and enjoying the natural beauty of Malawi. Since you are at a higher altitude, the temperature is about 20 – 22ºC through the day and as low as 10ºC at night. Thirty leaders representing six partner agencies are present, which will allow you to catch up with the latest news from various areas of the country.

After dinner, everyone enters the conference hall and is warmly welcomed in opening addresses and devotions. Now I’ll let you, in the role of one of the conference attendees, pick up the story …

The devotions remind us that in order to carry out the Great Commission in our roles as leaders of each respective agency, we first need to be spiritually in tune with the truths found in scripture. This helps in setting the tone for the workshops and lectures that follow.

Brother Bernie Pennings is scheduled to lead 8 of the 16 sessions including the opening and closing sessions. We review the involvement of Word & Deed over the last two years and the relationships built and then proceed to consider the mission and goals of each agency. We soon determine that the need in Malawi is so great, it is easy to get sidetracked. Attempting to help too many people means not enough time or money is spent effectively in any one area. When dealing with orphan care, it becomes difficult not to deal with HIV/AIDS, the widow, the loss of primary family providers and so on, let alone the extra care required for the infected individuals prior to death. We determine that each agency needs to set realistic goals that can be met with the limited resources at hand. These resources include capable personnel, community involvement, effective leadership, and material and financial resources. The help of other agencies who specialize in related areas of need would be very beneficial.

Manuel Kamnkhwani leads a session on Child Character Building. He stresses that the primary caregiver plays a tremendous role in the character the child eventually displays. Often this is an area that is overlooked in orphan care and he urges each agency to pay special attention to this in the selection of caregivers.

Steven Mpata leads three sessions on Child Evangelism. In order to bring effective relief, the gospel must be one of the most important aspects of the program. Steven is able to bring out many practical aspects of child evangelism.

Two sessions on orphan care are ably led by Dr. Erwin Vandermeer. He has been involved with orphan care for the past 10 years and looks at some practical aspects based on his experiences. Both of the sessions use the workshop approach to involve the audience.

Rev. Kanyangira leads two sessions on counseling. Having three degrees (Teaching, Master of Divinity and Counseling), he is well qualified to lead us through some workshops involving actual cases he has dealt with. These cases are typical of what each agency is experiencing on a regular basis. His advice and council are very valuable for us.

The final sessions study the team approach in areas such as child sponsorship. When a supporter can picture a child’s face, and the child can know that their donor cares for them brings a personal touch. To make sponsorship in Malawi a reality we need to bridge the gap between the donor in North America and the orphan in Malawi. This bridge requires a team effort where the partner agency and Word and Deed are vital links in the chain. The partner needs to have each child’s information for the sponsor; a system to deal with correspondence between child and sponsor; and a specific program to care for the orphan from childhood to graduation or employment. The sessions help us understand what Word & Deed is proposing and we are both challenged and excited by the prospect of having families from North American sponsor the orphan children we are trying to help.

At the end of the conference, all the participants are asked to fill out a survey on the conference. Without exception, we think the conference provided us with valuable information. Many of us suggest that a conference such as this should be held at least once a year. Other suggestions are to have conferences in the future dedicated to subjects such as child evangelism and counseling.

Friday morning comes all too quickly, and we find ourselves packing our belongings and saying good-bye to our friends before boarding the buses for the long ride back to our homes. The ride is one of contemplation of what we’d just heard and discussion of how we can implement some of the ideas.

Conclusion

“When you visit the projects, just what do you do?” Besides the monitoring aspect, we become a team player in moving the goals and mission forward. It is a time of encouragement for both those in the field and for Word & Deed. As we see the work going forward, we witness God’s hand in everything. From donor, to Word and Deed, to the partner, to the end recipient, we form one team that God may use to accomplish the task of caring for the orphan, visiting the sick and those in prison, caring for the stranger, and feeding the hungry.

Can we count on you to be part of the team?

Bernie Pennings is Executive Director of Word & Deed Canada