Mission Malawi 2008

More exam results!

2008-08-22T13:40:00.000-07:00

Well done to Emily who has done briliantly in her GCSE results - congratulations!

The team have had a good day and night at a Game Reserve to round off the Mission. They saw lots of elephant, hippos and crocodiles.

Now they are preparing for the journey home. Please pray that they all sleep well tonight as they are leaving Fisherman's Rest at 5am on Saturday, to fly to Lilongwe where they say goodbye to Sussanah who is staying on for a few weeks to experience life on a farm.

The rest of the team will fly on to Johannesburg where they have a 10 hour wait before flying back to the UK.

Thank you for all your support and prayers. Finally we ask you to pray for safety and for sleep on the plane, and for the team as they adjust to being back in the UK.

Please pray for Susannah as she stays in Malawi.

We are really looking forward to welcoming them home at St Mary's, Wendover at 8am on Sunday morning. Do join us for breakfast of bacon butties and croissants!!

Nikki de Borde

Lake Malawi

2008-08-19T13:52:00.001-07:00

The team are very happy to have reached the beach after a long and sometimes difficult few weeks. Everyone is ready to spend some time chilling out and enjoying good food and proper mattresses !

The time at Keith and Christeen Moller's project in the village was good and the team gained insight into the work he is doing.

Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for safety and good health for all the members of the team, especially for protection from malaria and other tropical illnesses.

Nikki de Borde

Namwera

2008-08-17T12:56:00.000-07:00

The Mission Malawi team have arrived safely with Keith and Christeen Moller and their two children. They are missionaries in a remote part of Malawi on the other side of the lake. The team will travel to the villages where they work and stay among the villagers for Sunday night and on Monday will be helping Keith in his work.

We thank God for their safe arrival and pray for their continued safety on the roads.

Please pray for them as they encounter very basic accomodation and sanitation. We hope they are moved by the amazing welcome of the people and the beauty of the area.

DATE FOR YOUR DIARY - Sunday 24th August - WELCOME HOME - share breakfast with the young people at 8am in St Mary's Church, Wendover.

Nikki de Borde

EXAM RESULTS!!!

2008-08-14T12:40:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Hannah Wood, Katy and Lucy who all got their results today.

W E L L D O N E to you all.....;-o

Hannah has got a place at Cardiff uni to study Theology.

As the week end approaches please pray for the team as they set off for a very rural setting with little in the way of creature comforts. They are visiting Keith Moller (see africalink.org.uk) and will be spending some time in the village with Keith and Christeen.

There is more bible distribution tomorrow which will mean the team have delivered over 1000 sena bibles to people who have never had the word of God in their own language before.

Please continue to remember them all in your prayers.

Tim (following conversation with Paul)

Orphanage

2008-08-13T13:18:00.000-07:00

The team have had a good day at the orphanage, the new vehicle went well and the children enjoyed seeing the team. They played with a huge parachute and did arts and crafts with them.

Please pray for the girls getting their exam results tomorrow.

Hannah Wood getting her A levels, and finding out about universities from a distance; and Katy and Lucy getting AS levels.

Alex and Hannah Taylor plan to distribute more Bibles tomorrow, so please pray for safe travels for them.

Nikki de Borde

Elephants

2008-08-12T16:33:00.000-07:00

Latest news by phone ... the time with the kids at the community centre went really well on Monday. The team found it really positive and rewarding work.

A great time was had by all on the team's day off to the elephant park on Tuesday. They saw a whole herd of elephant, and some hippo too.

Thank you for your prayers for a suitable vehicle.... one of Tim's old friends, Alan, has a 10 seater Toyota which the team are hiring to use for the rest of the Mission. This is a great answer to prayer - it is in good condition and all the seats have seatbelts (a miracle in Malawi!).

Please pray as the team go to Bangula for 2 days, that they would be able to really help at the orphanage as they work with the children.

Also please pray for those getting exam results (A and AS levels) on Thursday - that phone connections can be made easily.

Thanks so much for all your support ... keep sending messages to the team via "comments" ...Nikki de B

The week ahead

2008-08-11T02:54:00.000-07:00

Hey guys

Thanks to Nikki for updating the blog yesterday on our recent activities. We had a really great time down in Nsanje - it was a fantastic priviledge to be able to help the two pastors (Rogers and Maxwell) distribute the bibles that they have worked for 15 years on translating into Sena and making them accessible. The truck was heavily laden with bibles (imagine the effect 500 bibles have on a car that already has worryingly low clearance....bumpy roads...great African combo!!) and it was all rather conveniant that the vehicle waited until AFTER we had finished distributing the bibles to break down and give up.

All things considered, the break down scenario could have been much worse and we were recovered by a pick up and towed back to Nsanje (at points we were being towed faster than we had been driving the previous day!) .... let it be noted that it was 'Pasty Paul' (Pastor Paul...our new name for Paul, he clearly is NOT a Pastor but we didn't want to offend Pastor Maxwell and challenge him on this!) that broke the vehicle. Fortunately another group from Cardiff University (rather stupidly called 'STORM') are out and they happened to be in Nsanje ready to leave for Blantyre with a nice 4x4 and a pick up on Saturday morning. So we all got a pretty cushy ride back to Blantyre leaving Alex and Paul behind to wait for the original recovery vehicle (same old story...was meant to arrive at 10am...turned up at 3pm...)

Anyway we are all back safe and sound. On a personal note, I found my first poisonous Baboon spider in the dining room on Saturday night. Paul and Alex tried to convince me it was one of the harmless ones but to no avail, I grabbed the doom and courageously...made Alex kill it. Then did the even more unholy thing of squishing its guts all over the floor. good riddance.

Coming up, we have a nice day off tomorrow driving to Majete game park. Wednesday we are heading back down to Bangula where there is an orphanage, TMC, which we will stay at until Thursday afternoon. A few of the cardiff team (sorry, can't quiite bring myself to calling them storm) are there at the moment and so it will be nice to have some people to show us the ropes so to speak! Friday we have a day to sort kit etc as on Saturday we head up to Keith Moller's in Namwera. We'll be away for a week then before returning to Blantyre for our flights home on the Saturday morning! Time seems to be going by so quickly...

Will try to get back and update the blog on Friday and we will try and upload some photos as well whilst we're at it. Prayers gratefully received, and we're all a bit knackered but looking forward to the rest of our time here. We just pray that God will continue to guide us and protect us on this fantastic journey.

love to all

xxx

Back to Blantyre!

2008-08-10T04:13:00.000-07:00

The team have had a good few days down in the South of Malawi in Nsanje. It is a long trip and is very much hotter and more rural than in Blantyre, but everyone coped well with no showers for a few days!

The team stayed with one of the local pastors. They distibuted 500 Bibles translated into Sena, the local language, to 5 churches in the region. The people were really excited to receive them. The team also did some work with the children.

The trip home was a challenge as the vehicle broke down ... but everyone got home safely in the end.... and were glad to be back in the relative comfort of Fisherman's Rest.

Church this morning was great - a typical African service - with lots of singing ....

Thank you for your prayers, they are much appreciated. Please pray for the team as they continue to adapt to the country and as they grow together as a group.

Also pray for the new vehicles organised for the next stage of the trip, that they are reliable and for safety on the roads.

The team are going back to the community centre near Fisherman's Rest tomorrow instead of to the schools. They hope to update the blog tomorrow.... so look again then for more!!

Nikki de Borde

Wednesday Update

2008-08-06T04:20:00.000-07:00

Dear all,

just another update for you all before we head off down south to Nsanje tomorrow morning (at the CRACK of dawn, sympathy please.) We have had a great day in Blantyre, at the Queen Elizabeth hospital spending time in the Kangaroo centre and the Chitenka wards. We handed the nappies out successfully and got lots of great photos. We also spent time learning about all the brilliant work that is being done at this hospital and rather than being an emotional day as we suspected, it has been a really positive experience for everyone to see the great work that is being put in. (ed-photo from archive!)

Now some personal messages and thoughts from some of the girls:

Emily - continuing from what hannah said I cannot stress how fantastic the hospital was, we all felt really humbled by the hospitality and warm welcome they extended to us. Emotions have been running a little high the last few days but that's been made up by the fantastic experiences we have had and the overwhelming hospitality of everybody we have met in Malawi. Slightly nervous about the trip down to Nsanje tomorrow as descriptions as yet have not been that flattering!! Really looking forward to the rest of the trip, lots of love Emily xxx

Susannah - Yesterday we went to the community centre to do games with all the children there. I really loved the welcome they gave us running towards us en mass and giving us massive hugs. We taught them a few songs in English like Heads shoulders knees and toes, although I don't know how much of this they will remember! But even better, they sang some songs for us which were really amazing and involved lots of clapping and dancing.

Lucy - I really enjoyed going down to the community centre yesterday as the children are just so happy, I thought the tour of the hospital today was really fantastic. I too am a bit nervous about the trip down to Nsanje, but I am sure it will be great when we actually get there!

Katie - Hello everyone in sunny old England! Having a great time here, it's a real adventure. I feel that we have already made a big difference to people's lives and cannot wait for the next few weeks. Can't wait to go down to the village, the journey sounds ... interesting!! Hope you're all having a good time, we are having a fantastic time here eveyrone is so nice! Lots of love Katie xx

Hannah Wood- Hi everyone! I'm having a fantastic time but wish it was hotter! community centre was really really good fun and the children seemed to benefit from our games and singing. Apprehensive about the living situations in the village...but i'm sure it'll be okay. We'd appreciate all your prayers, lots of love Hannah xxx

Prayers will be greatly appreciated at this time as I know that people are feeling a little apprehensive about our two trips outside of Fisherman's Rest. We just ask that you pray for God to continue to guide us on this fantastic journey that we are experiencing and that we use everything we are seeing and doing in a positive way to develop our own faith and the faith of others all around us.

Lots of Love Hannah T xxx

ps spider situation - GREATLY improving. but a little concerned about the insects down in the valley. It's okay though...we raided the supermarket and got a LOT (and I mean A LOT) of DOOOOOOOOOM.

Phone contact for families

2008-08-05T13:37:00.000-07:00

If you need to get hold of any of the team the following is the best way to do it.
Calls cost 6p per minute.

Dial 0871 7541212
Then you will be prompted for the number you wish to dial
Enter 00265 4186724 or 00265 4186726 followed by the # key.

These are the team local mobile numbers.

Apologies that previous information was misleading.

The team will be contactable until tomorrow evening 9pm UK time.
After this it becomes more difficult to phone them so it is advisable to phone before then.

Fun and games at the Community Centre

2008-08-05T13:02:00.000-07:00

The team had a good day today visiting the Community Centre down the hill from Fisherman's Rest. There were over 100 children there, ranging in age from 2 - 18y. The team played games and taught them some simple English Christian songs. The children then taught the team some songs in Chichewa! They finished by doing some drawing with them.

Thank you for your prayers. Everyone is well and happy. The prayer request from the team is for the energy and momentum to continue.... and also for their visit to the hospital tomorrow, when they will visit the Kangaroo care ward to deliver 21kg of reusable nappies for the premature babies.

Nikki de Borde (picture from our archives, not from the team.....!)

Hello everybody!

2008-08-04T03:33:00.000-07:00

First blog from a swish internet cafe in Blantyre....

If you are checking the blog EVERY HOUR (which we're sure you're not) you'll have discovered that we all got here safely, with lots of rain and lots of aches from too much time spent sleeping (or trying to...) upside down on an aeroplane.

Fisherman's Rest is a great base for us to be staying, and we are all pretty much settled in now. We had a few minor incidents with spiders...(Hannah T especially...) some were literally AS BIG AS MY HEAD. But other than that, all is well so far! We have started a rather competitive tournament of Articulate...certainly a good bonding/breaking the ice activity for our first night!!

After unpacking, we realised that whilst we had pressured the girls to pack lightly...Paul brought everything but the kitchen sink...2 cameras...mobile phone...an ELECTRONIC BIBLE...a laptop..and a lot of electronic cables. Basically he brought Dixons with him. oh and a BILLION tshirts (he also changed 3 times before we even got to Blantyre airport...)

Right, enough bullying now! We are looking forward to spendign a few days in and around Blantyre before we go away for a few nights to the south of the country (Nsanje) on Thursday.

Unfortunately internet access is limited, and we will update the blog when and where we can - but don't expect fresh reading material every day!

Love to all

The team mmm (our new name for ourselves...)

xxx

Arrived safe and well

2008-08-03T11:46:00.000-07:00

The team have arrived safely in Blantrye - taking the great British weather with them (the first rain for months fell this afternoon!!).

All the baggage arrived with them - an amazing answer to prayer !

They have had "nsima" for dinner which is the maize porridge eaten as a staple in Malawi.

Please pray for the young people as they settle into the "tea house" where they are staying, especially that they don't feel homesick, and that they get some rest after a long tiring journey.

Thank you for all your support - Tim and Nikki de Borde

And they're off!

2008-08-02T09:58:00.000-07:00

The Mission Malawi Team depart Wendover (the car park at the Christian Centre to be precise!) for Heathrow and the long journey to Blantyre, via Johannesburg.

Love and prayers from Wendover and beyond go with them, and we look forward to welcoming them home on August 24th.

Caroline Taylor

Off we go!

2008-08-01T16:19:00.000-07:00

So here we are, T minus 15 hours! Hannah as usual is leaving everything to the last minute, and is choosing to publish our group programme now! Have a read over it, and keep us in your prayers as we go on this amazing mission. For the next day or so especially, if you could pray for our bags to all turn up in the same place that we do, that would be sterling!

really sorry about the formatting, blogspot doesn't like windows vista word programming and it's 1am and I am just too tired to try and change it!! Will try and make the programme more readable this week when we get a chance :-)

Hannah xxx

2-Aug-08
Sat
depart London Heathrow
3-Aug-08
Sun
Arrive Blantyre (via Jo’burg), 14:10
Drive to Fisherman's Rest, unpack and settle in.
4-Aug-08
Mon
Introduction to Fisherman's Rest. The group will be introduced to the ‘home’ from which they will be working. FR serves as a safe, comfortable and beautiful base from which to regroup, reflect, rest and relax after demanding and challenging work in the communities
Visit villages – FR is located in the midst of rural villages. There are an estimated 20,000 people living on the escarpment, dotted around in locations that can only be reached on foot. These folk are most welcoming and the team will be introduced to the way of life here for the majority of the population.
Visit Trust – The FR Trust is a developing center, presently a property in an acre of land, 10 minutes walk from FR itself. The Trust has been purchased and is being developed for the community to serve the community.
The expected functions will be; children’s ministry, care for the vulnerable elderly, children and infirm, literacy training, bible teaching etc, and practical projects; a social center, looking into the needs of water supplies and solar energy and looking at how that might be applied into the needs of the communities
5-Aug-08
Tue
Days work at the Trust, work with children – The opportunity here is to connect with the children, to learn about them, to play with them as well as to teach as one would in a ‘Sunday’ school in the UK. A crossing of cultures will be challenging and rewarding.
6-Aug-08
Wed
Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Blantyre - deliver nappies & visit
This is a program Africa Link is connected with called Kangaroo Care, a special care baby unit focusing on
7-Aug-08
Thu
visit Majete. Tracking Elephants, game walk, game drive and braii –
A whole day at Majete National Park. 10 years ago in ruins after neglect and the consequences of poaching etc. Now funded, developed and supervised by Africa Parks (a Dutch consortium) the park is being restored. This day is a lesson on development, conservation, National Park and community development and co-operation as well as time to appreciate the beauty of Malawian heritage and quality time together as a team.
8-Aug-08
Fri
Visit schools at Madziabango –
There are many primary and secondary schools around FR. We focus on the primary schools although we also connect with the secondary schools. The opportunity here is to see what the schools in Malawi are like, quality of facilities and circumstance of the schoolchildren. The team will also be able to spend some time with the children in the classroom, teaching simple reading and writing skills, English, art, RE and subjects the team is skilled in. Also time in the playground will also be a good cultural exchange.
9-Aug-08
Sat
BTM - youth ministry –
Bible Teaching Ministries takes the Word of God into the villages. Most Christians from the villages are unable to attend seminars nor receive regular Bible teaching offered in the towns and cities. BTM strives to visit each center at least four times each year. Children’s ministry is substantially neglected in Malawi, particularly in the villages. When ‘teachers’ are available we offer children’s ministry in parallel to the Bible teaching seminars. The team will have the opportunity to assist with youth ministry and assist with the seminar should appropriate teachers be available.

10-Aug-08
Sun
City Pentecostal Church –
Sunday service in Blantyre, preceded by -
Street Children ministry – This is offered to street children at the CPC premises before the church service. The team may wish to participate in this. Rory and Charlotte amongst others assist here and the team would work under their guidance.

11-Aug-08
Mon
Nsanje, formally known as Fort Herald is the southernmost town in Malawi, short of the Mozambican border. Livingston and the early missionaries transferred from barge to dug out canoe here.
Rodgers is a pastor we have worked with for some 20 years. The team may stay at the Church of Disciples Mission house for two days visiting churches, the hospital, the prison, the town and villages in this area.
It is intended to distribute Sena Bibles in the Lower Shire – Maxwell, one of Barry Funnels early assistants will help here.
12-Aug-08
Tue
Nsanje – program as above
Travel on to Tyamike either Tuesday or Wednesday.
13-Aug-08
Wed
Visit Bangula - Tyamike orphanage – Introduction to the orphanage, participation in the childrens activities for the day.
Stay over night.
14-Aug-08
Thu
Travel back to FR and break the journey with a pleasant stop at Nyala Park, see giraffe and an abundance of some antelope spp. –
Picknic at Nyala Park and return to FR
15-Aug-08
Fri
HHI – Visit the Henry Henderson Institute. The Mission from which Blantyre was developed. Learn some Malawi history.
Participate in a lunchtime service at CPC
Visit Blantyre, buy curios etc as required.
Pack and evening fellowship at FR
16-Aug-08
Sat
depart after lunch for Namwera - Keith Moller – stay o/n at the camp and receive a brief of work and life as a missionary to the Muslims.
17-Aug-08
Sun
Keith Moller – Namwera – depart for the mountains, live with the villagers and participate in/ with events with the Muslim Children.
18-Aug-08
Mon
Keith Moller – Namwera – return to base for relaxing and a debrief,
19-Aug-08
Tue
Depart for Club Mac - Lake Malawi – enjoy 2 days of relaxing, fellowship, and experiencing another side to this extraordinary country.
20-Aug-08
Wed
Club Mac – Lake Malawi
21-Aug-08
Thu
Depart for Mvuu Camp, relaxing and consolidating as a team.
Full board, river trip, game drive and/ or walk.
22-Aug-08
Fri
Mvuu Camp – as above
depart late morning for FR
Fellowship & Reflection with other Mission groups
23-Aug-08
Sat
Depart morning for Blantyre airport for Jo’burg
Evening, Depart Jo’burg
24-Aug-08
Sun
Arrive Heathrow (6:25am)
Arrive St Mary’s Church for ‘Welcome Home’ (8am)

An expectation of this trip is that the team receives a wholesome and in depth insight into rural life as well as an insight into the rich Malawian heritage.

Blog entry numero uno

2008-07-02T08:16:00.000-07:00

1..2..1..2.. testing testing!

Check back for updates as we prepare for our trip to Malawi at the beginning of August - 4 weeks and counting!

Hannah