Is God calling you to teach orphans in Malawi?

It's a bold question.  It's right to the point.  Is there a knot in your stomach, like the kind of knot that you get when you know the pastor's sermon that morning was directed straight at you?  Is God calling you to teach at an orphanage in Malawi?

Rainbow is in need of a couple of teachers to teach younger elementary children at the school that they have started.  These children were brought out of the government schools in an effort to provide them with a superior Christian education.  The school they were attending had no supplies, no books, and one teacher for 200 children.  It was laid upon the hearts of those at Rainbow to provide our own school for our children.  

We now have a school.  We have 50 beautiful students who want to learn so badly that they want to do school on Saturdays.  We have only one teacher though.  The children are only able to attend school for a couple of hours a day because Karen (the teacher) is trying to teach so many children at so many different levels.  She is an amazing teacher and a joy to work with.  But she needs help.  The children need help.  Are you the one He is calling to help Rainbow School?

If you can't give up your time to come and teach will you pray about helping in other ways?  The orphanage really needs a playground.  Will your church or group pray about providing a playground at Rainbow?  The school needs curriculum, books, supplies, etc.  Will you pray about raising money this Christmas to help the orphanage with some of these needs?  We are working on a sponsorship possibility as well.  The details are not worked out yet but please begin praying about sponsoring a child at Rainbow.  

God is doing amazing things at Rainbow and we are very excited about some of the new things "in the works".  Please pray about being a part of this ministry with us.  If you feel led to help then contact us.  Your money can be sent through us at this time.  We already have had a couple of churches raise money for specific things at Rainbow.  Those projects are currently being worked on to improved the lives of the children at Rainbow.  Maybe God has laid something else on your heart that you want to help with.  Please let us know.  We know God is at work.  We just want to make sure that you know how you can be a part if the Lord leads you.  

During this Christmas season please remember these beautiful children whose sole Christmas gift last year was peanut butter cookies that Karen made for all of them.  She said they couldn't have been happier!  It really puts things into perspective, doesn't it?  

God bless,

Jill

Happy Thanksgiving America!

Life continues as usual here in Malawi.  We are now settled, over our horrible sickness that kept all of us down for nearly two weeks, and we're back to "work".  Jeremy is at the clinic during the day while juggling the many different ministries that we are a part of during his off time.  He is currently installing solar panels on top of one of the E3 structures at Gusu.  In the next few days they will hopefully be able to get the electricity powered up and the solar panels running.  These solar panels will power the water pump as well as provide electricity to the E3 training center.

Two nights ago we had some major rain here in Lilongwe.  Malawians are very sensitive to changes in the weather and they feel that this rain was the official beginning of "rainy season".  The very next morning we received a phone call at 5am from Pastor Nasson at Rainbow.  They were ready to begin planting their fields.  The gamble with the weather is that there is no irrigation for watering the crops here in Malawi.  So the entire country is dependent upon the rains to water their crops.  There is a saying here that is so true, "water is life".  No water, no crops, no life.  Pray for a rich and healthy rainy season and a bountiful harvest at Rainbow and all over Malawi.

Jill and the kids are hard at work homeschooling again.  We're really enjoying being back on our schedule and having some good quality time together.  AJ and CJ are really excelling in their schoolwork and SM is quickly learning her ABC's and 123's.  We do a lot of subjects together as a family.  We enjoy learning together and growing closer at the same time.  We thank the Lord often for HIS mercy and grace in our lives and HIS call for us to return to homeschooling.  What a blessing it is!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day in America.  Thanksgiving is not something that is celebrated here in Malawi (or any other country for that matter).  But we, as a family, have taken strides to make sure that we don't let this day go unnoticed.  We've been discussing the blessings that the Lord gives us daily, how to praise God for those blessings, and how to make sure we notice all of the gifts God gives us.  We've done art projects each day this week that focus on Thanksgiving (thank you Pintrest).  But still, tomorrow will come and we won't be with our loved ones sitting around a table carving a turkey.

Holidays are hard.  Being away from home is hard.  Missing our loved ones is hard.  But we will "give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever." (Psalm 107:1) We have so very much to be thankful for this year.  To list the many blessings would be impossible!  Praise God for His gifts and blessings in our lives!  And thank you, Lord for the miracle in Joshua's life as well!  What a testimony to HIS grace and power and love and protection over us!  "[We] will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness" (Psalm 145:7).

Happy Thanksgiving America!

Back in Malawi

We've made it safely back to Malawi after a very long few days of travel.  A week ago today we left our home and flew out of New Orleans headed for Washington, D.C.  We had to spend the night in D.C. so that meant that all 6 of us and our 3 carry-ons and 9 pieces of luggage had to catch a shuttle in the cold of D.C. and head to a hotel.  We made it without any hiccups and were thankful for a nice bed to sleep in and a nice hot shower.  Little did we know how long it would be until the next shower.

Friday morning we got up and headed to the airport very early.  We had no problems and made it to our gate in plenty of time.  The flight that morning was our big one.  We flew from Washington, D.C. to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  It was a 14 hour flight.  We were very blessed that the seat next to Jeremy and CJ was empty!  So J had a seat that he could sleep in and sit in.  God pays such amazing attention to details!  The people sitting behind us even mentioned as we got off the plane that we had amazing children.  I think they were surprised at how well our children did on the flights.  But I wasn't surprised at all.  We do have amazing children!  And when you put a personal t.v. with videos, music, t.v., and movies in front of them they are happy for hours!!!

Poor AJ started feeling bad the morning we woke up in D.C.  Her throat was hurting and she ran a fever off and on for the next couple of days.  She was pitiful!  Once we made it to Lilongwe (after more than 30 hours of travel) we quickly found out that the water in the city is non-existent.  I'm not sure about anyone else, but for us after traveling for three days in airports the first thing you want to do is take a bath.  That was not going to happen for us! The water never came on on Saturday.  And Sunday it finally came on late that evening for less than 1 hour.  It was just enough time for the kids to take baths and Jeremy to get a shower.  But just as mom got in the shower....no more water.  It would be another two days before I got a shower.  Yes, gross.  But we do live in Africa.  This entire week we have gotten water for only one hour a day (and that's usually around bedtime, thankfully).  Power is one thing that I have learned that I can live without.  We barely even flinch when our power goes off anymore (and it goes off at least once a day....today it's been off more than it's been on).  But water....that's not something that I can ever get used to not having.  Remember that bug that AJ had on the plane?  Well it's now been through every member of our family.  It's very hard when your babies are sick and you can't cool their temp down with a cool bath.  Or when one of your babies throws up and you can't bathe her to get her clean.

It's been a hard week of adjustments and sickness.  But we are thankful that we're on the mend and getting better "pongono pongono" (little by little).  We miss our friends and family.  We miss the easy life in America.  We miss running water and electricity.  But we know that the Lord has a plan and we pray that each trial we face will produce in us a result that is pleasing and glorifying to the Lord. Hopefully tomorrow we'll all feel well enough to get out to Rainbow.  We miss those kids!