Day Two: YouthCare and Rise Malawi



We wish the people from NHUMC could have been with us this morning, as YouthCare executive director Gibozi Mphanzi and principal Gomez Chirwa and other invited guests and leaders emphasized how grateful they were to God and NHUMC. They asked us to bring back the bow from the ribbon cutting and express their gratitude to the church. 


Not many years ago, there were a dozen orphan boys in a rented house in Lilongwe, and today there is a boys' orphanage, a girls' orphanage, two classrooms, a library and 
administrative office -- not to mention a staff of a principal and four teachers; a facility for animals (two cows, a steer and numerous pigs); a well; and a garden -- in large part due to the generosity of the people at NHUMC. We will be honored to pass along the thanks, but we wish that you all could have been here today to share in the celebration at the dedication of the high school. 

 The board and leaders at YouthCare clearly believe everything that has happened has been God's work, but they are equally certain that God has used the people of NHUMC to get his work done. 

 Translating from English into Chichewa today was Ernest, who was once an orphan here but passed his exams, completed high school, went on to African Bible College, came to the U.S. as a UPI fellow and has now returned to serve the children and the mission. 

 You can tell that lives are being changed before your eyes, and you know that many of these children once abandoned and in grave danger now have the opportunity to reach for their God-given potential. Speaking of interpreting, Pastor Dave taught the children and everyone present, Be Bold, Be Humble, Be Like Jesus in ASL sign language, and they practiced it until the moment we left. 

 After the party following the dedication, we celebrated with the children back at the boys' home with a special treat of Fanta, Coke and Malawian donuts. We caught a sense of the gentle love that leaders have for the children as Gibozi so kindly encouraged a nine-year-old boy named Precious, who has great potential and ability but has been skipping school. Pastor Dave prayed for Precious and reminded him how much Gibozi believes in him and his potential.

In the afternoon, we traveled an hour-and-a-half north to visit Rise Malawi and met with executive directors Za Chijere and Tinashe Saka, as well as Moveti, Chikondi Mbewe and about a dozen camp leaders. What was most inspiring for us was to see the passion this team has for the children in the community. 

 Rise Malawi, located in the  village of Madisi, is the only option for students in the area to pursue their education and spiritual growth -- and that is especially the case for girls. Some students walked two hours to/from to get to school, and during the rainy season missed many days of class as the travel was impossible. So the school built dormitories for them to live in permanently, right  on the grounds. The leadership team also found that many children were unable to learn because they had not had any food for the day. So the school built a kitchen and an outdoor covered eating area to hold 300 students. Other new facilities which are being built now include a structure for animals for students to learn how to care for them, as well as provide funding for the school.
There's something about a mission trip that fills your heart with gratitude, inspiration, the certainty of the movement of God around us and shear awe at how loving and faithful Christians can be. We are so blessed that our hearts are filled with these feelings.  

 Zicomo, 

 Dave and Nancy 



More photos from our day...

 YouthCare Ministries





Rise Malawi 



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