THC Committee Chair, 72-year old Mr. Matenaula

Don and I were fortunate enough to be onsite one day at Thuchila Hope Center when they were hosting their monthly committee meeting comprised of the village "movers and shakers".  The 300 children at Thuchila Hope Center are comprised of children from a few nearby villages. Committee members from each village have volunteered to serve in this role to serve as a link between their respective village and Miqlat. They are upstanding and concerned citizens who consider the interests of all parities:  the children and their families; Miqlat as an organization; and the overall impact on the village.

Don at Thuchila Hope Center, sitting next to Committee Chairperson
Beston Matenaula,THC Facilitator Francis Banda, and Leanne

The Thuchila Hope Center Committee Members at the April 2012 Meeting are
sitting here within the THC classroom. Standing behind them are Francis and
MacDonald Saizi, THC Program Manager.

Mr. Matenaula, a 72 year old father of 6 and grandfather of 12, has served on this committee since its inception two years ago. I asked him why he has taken on this role?

"It is very important to look after the children in our village," he explained.  "All of the committee members keep our eyes open to know how the children are doing at home, and report back to Miqlat. We also want to have regular kitchen inspections, to review what is served to the children, and how it is cooked. We always inquire -- is it healthy, hygienic?"

Because there is a large Muslim population at this hope center, the THC kitchen staff must be sensitive to the Muslim dietary concerns.  When I asked how THC scored in the kitchen, his big smile said it all. "Excellent!"

He concluded our conversation by saying how thankful he is for the Thuchila Hope Center, and how it is affecting the families of those in his village.  "The children are being discipled and they are changing. They know God.  I can hear them praying in their homes."

Francis, always the consummate professional,
was eager to translate for Mr. Matenaula.

Cecilia and her twins

Cecilia is a 28-year old mother, HIV-positive. She has 2 boys in the program: Yohane, sponsored by Harold & Susan Aurand and Petulo, sponsored by Greg and Janet Coppock. She has a toddler as well. Her children are also HIV-positive. Her husband recently died.  She told me she had a job with a local clinic doing cleaning work, but when they found out she was HIV-positive, they let her go. She has not been able to find work since.

Cecilia with her baby and the twins:  Yohane is on the left, Petulo is on the right.

She told me she couldn’t provide for her children without Miqlat’s help. “I thank the sponsors in America,” she said “for the clothes they are wearing, for the food they eat, and for the repairs last year on my roof.” She said her roof was leaking badly so Miqlat replaced the black plastic under the thatched roof to keep out the water. 

I saw Cecilia a few weeks later when it was clinic day at Kogoya. Both of the twins were suffering from high fevers. She feared malaria.  The onsite clinician immediately referred them to the local hospital. I was stunned to find out that Cecilia had to walk there with the boys, both who were unresponsive and feverish. (The Miqlat car that drove us to the center was nearly out of fuel, with barely enough in the tank to get us home an hour away. It was during a dry-spell with no fuel to be found anywhere. And as it turned out, we did run out of fuel on the way home!).

Cecilia and the feverish twins await their turn to see
the clinician at Kogoya Hope Center.

So, Cecilia, with baby on her back, carried Yohane.  One of the teens in the program helped her by carrying Petulo.  And off they went on a 45-minute hike carrying 8-year old, limp boys. Cecilia did not complain, but was serious, accepting, doing what just needed to get done.

A happy ending: The twins did have malaria and they were treated that day. We saw them healthy again at the Hope Center a week later, jumping, running, laughing.

The healthy twins are always a delight!

How can you help?  Pray for Cecilia and her children to remain healthy, that she may find a job as a source of income, that there will be food on the table tonight. Pray for funds that Miqlat can use to purchase a stretcher-like wagon, a “bed on wheels” that can be pulled behind a bicycle to more efficiently move those who are sick.

If only more time for the guardians

The children at the Miqlat hope centers are separated into 3 categories:

• Single orphan: they’ve lost 1 parent and stay with the widowed parent.  Nearly 100% of these are with single mothers.  The children have been deemed “at risk”.
• Double orphan:  the child has lost both parents and now stays with a guardian (grandmother or aunt or older sibling; sometimes the child is the head of household).
• At risk/vulnerable:  the child may have both parents, but because of severe poverty due to illness or other reasons, the parents are unable to provide adequate care.

The guardians of the children fully supported Miqlat during the recent registration updates, as it was mandatory for them to come to the hope center, sign new consent forms, and help the child answer the registration questions. 

The guardians were young and old: mothers, grandmothers, aunts, older sisters.
Many had walked a long way to come, some as much as a few hours.

One of the registration days was very cold, so the guardians used all they had to keep warm –
a light cotton tajenzi (the same piece of fabric they use as skirts, worn every day)

Although Miqlat’s focus is children and the registrations were keeping us hopping, I longed to visit with the guardians who had come as well.  They seemed so tired, devoid of any possibility of joy.  When I interact with the children, they brighten up with giggles and an interest in what I have to say.  The men too, are quite charming with big smiles and hearty laughs.  The women, however, are quiet. Almost “guarded”?  I cannot possibly understand the depth of their weariness…and wariness. They are widows, grandmothers, unmarried teen mothers. Their poverty is unfathomable to me. They walk miles a day just to ensure there is water in a bucket and corn flour (maize) to cook.  They have many children, but cannot buy them clothes, pay school fees, or get them to a clinic for something as simple as a malaria test.

I did sneak away from my registration duties to meet a few of the guardians and snap some quick pictures...

Stera and her sister Puzeni are sponsored by the Blackburn family and Marlene Christopher,
respectively. They are both mentally disabled. The picture a above is Stera and her mom.
The picture below shows Puzeni looking away from her mom … who was drawing the picture for Marlene
because Puzeni is not able to do it herself.

Charles, sponsored by Chris Schaeffer, lives with his 78-year old grandmother
Estery and his 4 other siblings.  He was healthy at birth, Estery told me,
but has a progressive disease that cripples his left arm and hand.  “My prayer
is for Charles to be healed from this disease,” she said.

What can you do? 

Pray for all of the women in Malawi ... that they will find rest at the end of the day; that their children will be a blessing to them; that they will know true joy from the love of their Father and the see the provisions of Jehovah Jirah. 

Child Registration Updates – near completion

March and April were busy months as we worked at both Kogoya and Thuchila Hope Centers to update nearly 600 child registration records.   This was quite an undertaking at Kogoya, as updates for the sponsors had not been done since 2005. My, how they have grown!

Here is our child Tawina at 6 months old. This is our official 
sponsor picture (circa 2005) with a water spot on it that lovingly 
hung on our refrigerator for 7 years in Fallbrook!

And here's Tawina at 8 years old in the new official sponsor photo, circa April 2012!

Here was the registration process:  The hope center staff sent messages to the villages via children and village committee members. The guardians were notified to arrive on a specific day with their child.

We averaged about 50 children per day, spending about 15 minutes with each child and guardian as they answered about 20 questions on the form.  Examples:

• With whom do you live in your house?
• Do you have any health issues?
• What is your prayer request for your sponsor?
• What do you do for fun with your friends?
• Why do you like coming to the Hope Center?

The hope center facilitators would ask the questions in Chechewa, and write the answers down in English. The purpose of collecting the information is to keep records on the children onsite, such as details on their health, school, home life, etc. The secondary purpose is to provide some qualitative information to send back to the sponsors in the U.S.

Titame and Christopher (Kogoya facilitators, sitting at desks)
record the responses from the children and guardians, (kneeling on floor).

Kogoya Director, Raymond, does his best to get more details 
on the registration form from a shy boy, Fisher Mtawali 
(centered, with head down) -- sponsored by Marcy Burge).

Once the form was complete, the children would come to us at a photo station. We’d sit them down at a desk, fix their collars, button their shirts, position their hands and say “SEKELERA!”  This means “smile” or “laugh”, and the children were eager to please.

Here are a few examples of the photos we snapped. Don was in charge here, and I think he did a job worthy of Olan Mills!

Olive Maloya (sponsored by Sonja Smit)

Lemson Sitepe (sponsored by Dick and Pat Feldmiller)

After the photos were snapped, the child would be ushered to the “drawing” station, where they happily drew a picture for their sponsor.  With detail and pride, they each drew a picture of their house as well as a picture of the people living in the house with them. 

In the pictures below, you can see the diligence and focus as each child concentrated on making a perfect picture for their sponsor in America.  You will enjoy these immensely! 

Lojenzo Beyard drawing for her sponsor, Kathy Rose

Madalitso Msembe smiles for his sponsor, Kelli Rice

The children were curious about each others’ pictures, making it a 
group effort and helping when needed!

What can you do?  Sally Fox has returned to the states for a few weeks, and is seeking help with data entry on the new registration updates.  You can reach her her: foxyafricanmama@gmail.com.

A slight change of course

So….we’ve been here 3 months, have learned a LITTLE, and have a LOT further to go! We have figured out a little more about ourselves in this adventure, though, and have modified our working arrangement with Miqlat.  Simply put, we are now living in a separate house and are working with Miqlat in a more independent role.  It's all good, though!

Upon arrival here, we found Miqlat to be staffed with capable administrators already working here and living in the Miqlat house full-time. It made sense, therefore, to find our own home in lieu of sharing one full-time … as much as we have valued the friendships of those living in the house.   And our decision to work independently from Miqlat was based on many factors, but they are not as important as the fact that we will still work with Miqlat at the Kogoya Hope Center as a liaison with our Fallbrook Pres family of sponsors.

So, what does this change really mean? We are living fairly close to the Miqlat house, and will still be there should a team from Fallbrook arrive (and we will rejoice in that family reunion)!  We are still working with Miqlat in a variety of projects, including "Annie's Closet" in July/August, when we will hosting Brad Britton, Madison Britton and Alexis Franks. We are counting the days for their arrival!  Also, we will be involved in the October short-term mission trip to build playgrounds at the hope centers, among other projects. However, we will now be involved in other ministries in Malawi as well, as the needs here are abundant and we feel a calling to venture outside the walls of Miqlat.

Rest assured we will continue to be involved at the Kogoya Hope Center -- spending time there on a variety of projects and continuing to bring news of the Kogoya children to the sponsors at Fallbrook Pres.  More blog posts will include updates and pictures from Kogoya, but here are a few to tide you over:

Annie greets Chifundo, sponsored by Greg and Teresa Johnson

Twins Petulo (left) and Yohane (right) are sponsored by

Greg/Janet Coppock and Harold/Susan Aurand, respectively.

Ronald stops to offer a smile of thanks to his sponsors, 

Jerry and Adele Maurer.

Stay tuned for more info on our projects in Malawi, our new dwelling place, and more surprises we are sure to stumble upon … remembering always that God’s timing and divine interruptions are just part of the plan...and the fun!

Friends and sugar cane ... ah, so sweet!

In addition to much work to do, there’s much fun to find here as well. We’ve been fortunate to meet a large group of “ex-pats” (ex-patriots) from South Africa, Germany, Australia, England, Canada, Netherlands, and America, most serving in a unique ministry of their own to assist those who are vulnerable. Through these new friends we’ve found a home school group for Annie and have joined a small church as well. There are many families with young children Annie’s age, so she quickly found herself in the middle of a very social life!

Annie and her South African friends gnawing happily on fresh sugar cane:
Annelee, Abigail, Limbi, Amy and Suzaan

Annie and her friends span a wide age group.

Annie has created her own blog, telling of our Malawian experiences from her own perspective. You can read it here:

• LoveSongForAfrica.blogspot.com.

Meeting the children at Kogoya

At our first visit to Kogoya Hope Center, we were blessed by meeting our beneficiary, Tawina. He was just six months old when we first signed on as his sponsor in 2005. He is so sweet, small, and shy, and seemed unsure about all of the attention we wanted to lavish on him! He was limping from a badly infected foot, but luckily there was an onsite clinic that day and he was treated and bandaged up with antibiodics to take home. 

Annie loves "her Tawina"!

Leanne and Tawina - a joyful first meeting after 7 years.

On the first day of our visit to Kogoya, we rejoiced in our first hugs for Tawina … after 7 years!  After more visits to Kogoya, we noticed Tawina missing from the center. With help from the Kogoya staff and a village committee member, we found out his mother had remarried and Tawina was not being cared for at home. He was not going to school, not coming to the Hope Center for his 1 meal a day, and not receiving much in the way of food or clean clothes.  (In Malawian culture, it is quite common for a new husband to disregard the new wife’s children, in effect, abandoning them). Soon, Tawina showed up to the center again with his aunt, who told us she had taken him into her own home and was doing her best to clothe him and feed him.

Tawina comes back, with the encourage and care of his aunt.

We were also excited to meet Joyce, a beautiful, smiling 12-year old girl who was recently sponsored by our sister’s family in Vista. We shared some quiet time with her to learn about her life and to tell her about the family in America that prays for her and loves her.  

Leanne and Annie share a special time with Joyce, newly sponsored
by her sister and brother-in-law Laurel and Bill DeWolf in Vista.

The children love to hear about their sponsors!  Please feel free to email us if you have a special note or words of encouragement for your child and we will hand-deliver it to them (leanne.green@me.com).

 We also have many stories of the children and staff from the hope centers, and will begin posting them to this blog fairly soon.

The Miqlat team has unending patience ... for us!

We have been friends with the folks at Miqlat, Inc. (www.miqlat.com) for almost 8 years, ever since Don joined them on a short-term mission trip to Malawi in 2004.  Upon arrival in Malawi, Miqlat founder, Dan Gillespie, and Miqlat executive administrator, Sally Fox, took us by the hand and patiently guided us through the maze of living and working in a new country.  They pulled us into their existing social circles and alongside the Malawian Miqlat staff, we became wealthy with friends early on!

Working with the Malawian administrative staff has been quite insightful, as they patiently teach us how to use simple Chechewa greetings, eat nsima with our hands at the Hope Centers, dress in appropriate village attire, and most importantly, tend to the 300 children under their care at each Hope Center.

We'd like to introduce them to you here.  Meet...

Raymond and Mercy Chinyamu, Kogoya Hope Center Director and Program Managers for 2 years.
Raymond is also a pastor at a church near Blantyre.

Victor Mkolongo, director of Thuchila Hope Center.
He's shown here with his wife Emma and son Jolly.
Emma is expecting their 2nd baby in June.

MacDonald Saizi, Program Manager at Thuchila Hope Center.
He smiles while he and his wife Carol hold on to their son Takondwa before he escapes!

The allure of Malawians

We quickly found the Malawian people compelling, especially their complex culture and simple gifts of smiles, laughter and singing. They have a mature understanding of God’s love and promises. Their acceptance, perseverance, hope and faith that intermingle seamlessly with daily financial stress, illness and heartbreak is nothing short of amazing … and inspirational.

After 3 months, we consider most of our closest friends to be Malawians.  Lyson and Lucy Kachoka, Miqlat’s house managers (translations, directing property staff, cleaning, washing, errands, etc.); Samuel, Miqlat’s head gardner; Thokazani, a teacher at Thuchila Hope Center; Rafael, Billy and Winston, Miqlat’s night watchmen, and many more.

Samuel Dimba (Miqlat Head Gardner) with his wife Asinta
and their 3 children. As Annie says, Samuel has a “million dollar smile”.
They are standing here in front of their “family business” –
a small stand on the dirt road of our home.

 We drove an hour to take Lyson and Lucy to their home village 

near Mulanje Mountain where they were repairing their mother's home.  

Here we are enjoying the standard Malawian lunch of nsima and relish 

(with the treat of a fresh chicken, killed for us just minutes before cooking. 

Leanne was given the honor to gut and clean the chicken with Lucy!)

Thokozani, a facilitator (teacher) at Thuchila Hope Center,
has become our Malawian sister!

Blog #1! 3 Months in Malawi, and a little to share!

Hello to all of our friends, family and fellow sponsors of children at Miqlat Hope Centers! We are much overdue in an update to you all … but finally, the blog we’ve been planning to do has come to fruition. 

We have been here 3 months now, and can joyfully say we love Malawi and thank God every day for this opportunity. We are finally feeling settled, peaceful and focused to accomplish what we feel called to do here.

February 8, 2012: After a 30+ hour flight, we are so happy to set foot
on new ground at Chileka Airport in Blantyre, Malawi 

Should you find a little time to read this, we hope you can put your feet up with a cup of coffee, and enjoy a little of this adventure right along side us.

A lot to be learned in 3 months!

We spent the better part of our first 2-3 months here learning to live a-la-Malawi. We have:

• purchased a car and now comfortably drive on the left-side down busy city streets and back roads in small villages;
• learned to be resourceful with other drivers when there's no fuel but driving needs to be done;
• learned to shop Malawian-style from the street vendors and eat GIANT avocados for breakfast, lunch and dinner because they only cost 10 cents each!
• made great friends through a home-school group composed of lively and colorful international families;
• found a joy-filled church; and have been blessed by a bouquet of new friends.

My friends in Fallbrook, the Avocado Capital of the World, 
will be jealous! Cooking creatively and tastily in Malawi is easy 
with 10-cent avocados. And they are HUGE and tasty!