Ministry of Hope

Hello all!

We made it to Mzuzu and the Lord has yet again provided some wonderful people to take care of us during this last week in Malawi! I can't believe we head home just one week from today!

We got to Mzuzu Friday night- we left Ekwendeni a bit early because not much happens on Saturdays at the hospital. The McGills (Presbyterian missionaries) had invited us to church in Mzuzu on Sunday so we decided to go ahead and move on to Mzuzu. Debbie Chase, another Presbyterian missionary who teaches at the Ekwendeni seminary, picked us up and took us to dinner Friday night. It was such a blessing to process some of the past 3 weeks with her over chicken and rice. This weekend we also took advantage of the proximity to beautiful Lake Malawi and take a day trip on Saturday. It was amazing- it felt like a day at the beach. We wont tell you all the details of how we got there and back... lets just say it involved a van, circa 1992, packed with 20 people and a door falling off the whole way back to Mzuzu.

One Sunday we joined to McGills for church with their six sweet children and then Luke led a Bible study for the Gideons in the afternoon. He did a great job and the men really seemed to enjoy it- they didn't want to let Luke leave!

Sunday night the McGills invited us to come to a dinner they were having to welcome some Scottish missionaries back to Malawi. It was a wonderful chance to meet many missionaries- from the US and other places that we have been emailing with all winter. We were so encouraged by all the wonderful people we met! These people are certainly called by God to be here doing what they do- teaching, preaching, healing, leading- whatever! It was really nice to spend time with them.

Today was our first day at the Crisis Nursery. It is such a special place. I think Luke explained it a bit, but most of the babies have lost one or both parents, and the nursery takes care of the babies until they are healthy and a family member is able to come and care for them again. The nursery does follow up visits to make sure the children are being cared for by their relatives. A few are HIV positive, but all are healthy. The wonderful nannies this morning were telling us each baby's story. There are 2 sets of twins, and Prisca, one nanny, told us one set of twins came in so tiny- just bones she said. Their mother had died and their father was in such mourning and he thought the twins would die too so he wanted nothing to do with them. They spent 3 weeks in the hospital and were slowly nursed back to health. Today they are happy and giggly and this morning they were clapping along when we were singing songs. Now, Prisca told us, their father comes back once a month (on family visit days) and wont leave- he cant wait to get them back! The newest child is a one month old baby girl who was found in a pit latrine- can you imagine?!? She was totally abandoned! By God's grace she was unharmed and healthy. Thank God for this place! I'm so glad we will spend our last week here- This organization is called "Ministry of Hope" for a reason.

Love to all!

ps- I learned how to change a cloth diaper today. Woohoo!