tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56523562307472516012011-09-28T23:27:48.465+02:00andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.comBlogger1071100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-84778955507741084582011-01-01T04:36:00.000+02:002011-01-01T04:37:12.597+02:00

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-75245376645001413902010-09-15T05:46:00.004+02:002010-09-27T01:18:30.118+02:00

We're back in Canada! home from Malawi, but still feeling kind of lost. But since we're no longer in Malawi, we thought we should update you all on where we're at. In our newsletter we've written about:reflecting back on our time in Malawithe journey back: going homethe way forward: home assignmentWe want to take this opportunity to say THANK YOU for supporting us during our time in Malawi,

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-22498186872961305272010-08-21T17:36:00.004+02:002010-08-21T18:06:23.739+02:00

Where in the world are the VanWoerdens? We left Malawi on July 17 but we won't be arriving home until August 23. We spent 2 weeks in Holland visiting Andre's family and doing some sightseeing. Then we stopped in Toronto for debriefing at the EI head office and checkups for the whole family at the Missionary Health Institute (poking us full of holes and making our kids scream was not exactly a

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-23678152097361018342010-07-01T15:35:00.005+02:002010-07-01T15:47:07.547+02:00

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-86760666265269011102010-06-26T19:09:00.004+02:002010-06-26T20:04:36.463+02:00

I know we haven't sent out an update or newsletter for a while. We apologize for the gap, but there is actually a reason for it -- time is running out, we don't know what's happening, and going home is scary. But, we're starting to face up to the fact, and thought we should let you know. So here is our June newsletter, with more about our going home, a cool transformation story we got to be part

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-77924396017536853152010-06-17T14:15:00.004+02:002010-06-17T14:46:46.994+02:00

This little boy sat on my lap for almost an hour yesterday. We were out in a village to give the community a bicycle ambulance. The other kids were kind of picking on him because he said something silly to the "azungu." We were told he had malaria too many times and it has affected his brain. But he adopted me for the next hour, proudly sitting on my lap. I was sitting on a chair with the village

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-67554725076210380132010-05-03T14:29:00.002+02:002010-05-03T14:43:50.654+02:00

We missed writing our newsletter last month (March, that is) and we're kind of late for April, but finally there's an update from us here in Malawi. We've finally written the story of Alex breaking her leg, which made for a hectic March. We had visitors coming in April, the mother-daughter team, and Alex was planning to drive them around, spend some quality girl time at the game park with them,

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-11945400591112291862010-04-17T16:15:00.004+02:002010-04-17T16:54:32.826+02:00

We've been quiet for quite some time, seem to have fallen off the radar with our last blog a month and a half ago. Sorry. Maybe no one is following our blog at all anymore these days because there hasn't been anything new (but statcounter tells me otherwise, there's still quite a bit of traffic), but it's time for a little update and some pictures at least.So what's new? Well, first off, if you

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-605672135658593592010-03-01T08:29:00.005+02:002010-03-01T09:48:40.091+02:00

In April, some good friends of ours from our home church are planning to come to Malawi to do some ministry with orphans. They will be working with Grace Orphan Care, Ana ndi Athu, and Maula Orphan Care centers (photo album), all of which we've mentioned in our newsletter or blog. To learn more about what they are doing or to help them with their fundraising and collection of items for the

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-40050209931510135562010-02-27T13:11:00.000+02:002010-02-27T13:19:55.124+02:00

Planting Malawi February 2010 newsletter

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-46715415057295601892010-02-13T15:56:00.003+02:002010-02-13T16:00:42.483+02:00

Hazelbank Presbyterian Church in Coleraine, Ireland, is supporting two community based orphan care centres, which is a really great project that I think is pretty cool. Here are some pictures from this week of the kids there (44 photos).

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-30716217233888424852010-02-13T15:34:00.003+02:002010-02-13T16:01:26.920+02:00

In our newsletter we wrote about "who's keeping the rains?" Well, we've had a few rainfalls since then but also another 2 week dry spell, which at the cobbing stage of maize is really not a good thing. In some places the rains arrived at just the right time that even though the maize is only 3-4ft tall, it produced some decent size cobs. But in other places the maize is just small and dry. I

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-54369555710606162002010-01-27T16:22:00.001+02:002010-01-27T16:52:31.214+02:00

Planting Malawi newsletter January 2010

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-89922718116655291562010-01-27T16:14:00.002+02:002010-01-27T16:21:32.026+02:00

A random collection of photos from the last month (112 photos).go to web album

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-7489413921070604342009-12-21T08:37:00.001+02:002009-12-21T08:38:56.829+02:00

Planting Malawi December 2009 newsletter download PDF version

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-51657737809707998552009-12-21T07:42:00.004+02:002009-12-21T08:52:54.570+02:00

From ChristmasChristmas greetings from the VanWoerden village in Malawi! We have decided to include the family photos of the staff that work on our homestead because they are very much a part of our lives here. We had a Christmas party on Wednesday, which is when we took these family photos. Since that day, our village has received the gift of another baby girl in the Musa family. Thank you for

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-20990282860949949532009-11-18T16:49:00.003+02:002009-11-18T17:02:07.204+02:00

Agricultural subsidies have helped Malawi feed itself. BBC business correspondent Nils Blythe asks if the miracle can last. (18/11/2009)On another note, IT'S RAINING!! The rainy season is here, so... time to start planting. Praying for good rains and good harvests...

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-6136859779983275692009-11-10T08:27:00.003+02:002009-11-11T13:40:41.679+02:00

Malawi is in the middle of a nation wide fuel shortage and all transportation is coming to a halt. At EI, we have tanks to hold about 3000L of diesel but they're all dry and our movement is limited and by priority only. Our car ran out of diesel on Friday (but because this is Malawi, things get done when you have connections on the inside so we managed to get a few liters for the weekend). Our

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-9985830926763017192009-11-04T14:09:00.003+02:002009-11-04T14:37:31.833+02:00

The BBC World Service has had a few interesting documentaries.Though the question "why is Africa poor?" is a straightforward one, the answers are not. There are many views on what lies at the heart of Africa's comparative poverty. Tribalism, corruption, and complacency... [And] contrary to the popular view in the West, much of the continent has fertile soil, ample rain and sun. Moreover, the

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-58206460870234763732009-11-01T19:01:00.001+02:002009-11-01T19:31:54.639+02:00

We didn't manage to get a newsletter out in September and I guess technically not in October either, but this is it. We've been very busy with projects that need to be finished before the rains come, which is anytime now, and besides that, my computer quit on me so that slowed me down too. But we're back up and running (with a new laptop) and we're making progress on our projects, as long as the

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-51569431094654905082009-11-01T19:00:00.000+02:002009-11-01T19:26:57.970+02:00

River Diversion project, NamasalimaPit Latrines at Misango School, Namasalima

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-57789320962416112232009-10-22T14:03:00.002+02:002009-10-22T14:07:39.716+02:00

"Poor farmers are not a problem to be solved. They are the solution, the best answer for a world that is fighting hunger and poverty and trying to feed a growing population. If farmers can get what they need to feed their families and sell their surplus, hundreds of millions of the poorest people can build themselves a better life." - Bill Gates, announcing $120 million for African Agriculture (

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-82817115475158390022009-10-20T13:21:00.003+02:002009-10-20T14:04:19.214+02:00

"Who's Really Fighting Hunger," a report by ActionAid, shows "that ability and commitment to fight hunger does not depend on wealth. Some relatively poor countries have made striking progress." Malawi ranks 5th in fighting hunger (2nd in Africa), despite being "one of the poorest countries in the world, and burdened with a devastating HIV epidemic to boot – has reaped rich results within three

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-26665495242290272102009-09-30T16:01:00.002+02:002009-09-30T16:17:51.573+02:00

We didn't manage to get a newsletter out this month, so just a quick update here.This is crunch time for a lot of our projects because the rains are coming. Last year it was late November but the signs are showing early rains. Right now is the best time to dig wells and pit latrines because the water level is at its lowest but the holes have to be lined before the rains or else all you'll have is

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-1203968543156845182009-09-30T14:55:00.002+02:002009-09-30T15:57:00.149+02:00

Malawi is striving to move from poverty to prosperity. How far along the nation is along that spectrum is, of course, questionable but President Bingu wa Mutharika seems to making some right steps towards that. These are some of his comments:"We are saying we are an economic miracle because, five years ago, we were an economic pariah. The World Bank, the IMF and the donors almost abandoned us,

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-29577125043955356132009-09-30T14:45:00.004+02:002009-09-30T16:20:03.028+02:00

Can a community facing grinding poverty and insecurity turn its fortunes around?There is a lot of debate about how to create sustainable communities, but nowhere is this more difficult to achieve than in poor subsistence farming communities in Africa.Of course, this is easier said than done. There are multiple reasons for this. One real danger is that development projects create a culture of

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-5786145842628438262009-09-14T10:30:00.006+02:002009-09-15T14:33:42.505+02:00

The number of children dying before their fifth birthdays each year has fallen below nine million for the first time on record, decreasing to 8.8 million last year from 12.5 million in 1990. One of the most vertiginous drops in child mortality has occurred in Malawi, a country in southeastern Africa that is so poor that half the children are stunted by malnutrition. It is so bereft of doctors and

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-70520851221894013242009-08-26T15:31:00.003+02:002009-08-26T15:54:01.356+02:00

Another good reason to quit smoking.Child tobacco pickers in Malawi are being regularly exposed to extremely high levels of nicotine poisoning... some as young as five years old, are suffering severe symptoms from absorbing up to 54 milligrams a day of nicotine a day through their skin - equivalent to smoking about 50 cigarettes.It's not just about your own health.View the BBC slideshow, 6 images.

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-7689157467012870462009-08-24T11:34:00.003+02:002009-08-24T11:45:39.735+02:00

EI Malawi has a new website, thanks to one of our summer interns! Click on ei-malawi.org to check it out.

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-71878242089782604482009-08-24T09:22:00.003+02:002009-08-24T09:58:16.603+02:00

It's hard to believe that we've been in Malawi for one year already but it's true. We have been extremely blessed being here and being a small part of what God is doing in Malawi. We have experienced a lot, learned a lot, and hopefully given something back as well. Actually, just this morning our gardener said something that's so true. He was reflecting on the book I gave him to read,

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-61356946122470353222009-08-24T09:01:00.003+02:002009-08-24T09:20:18.100+02:00

The photo album mentioned in the story on Felista's New Wheels in the last issue of our Planting Malawi newsletter can be viewed in our Picasa Web Albums (17 photos). Just click on the photo collage.

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-23410612595104561442009-08-20T15:41:00.003+02:002009-08-20T15:48:15.242+02:00

1 YEAR IN MALAWI!

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-18485385140787284212009-08-10T11:37:00.003+02:002009-08-10T11:45:01.175+02:00

In this June 16, 2009 photo, Joseph Mitengo, from Ntcheu District, Malawi, holds long sticks strung with mice while selling them alongside a road in Lilongwe, Malawi. Cooked, salted or dried, field mice are strung on sticks and sold as a popular delicacy in Malawi in markets or at roadside stalls. The rodents are hunted in corn fields after the harvest when they have grown plump on a diet of

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-80984759471714565802009-08-06T16:04:00.008+02:002009-08-10T11:57:36.155+02:00

Food processing is one of our activities in the communities we work in. People in Malawi are very dependent on maize, so much so that if they have no maize they think they have nothing to eat. So we try to introduce different types of food, or rather, show them what local resources they have available to them and how they can cook them so they can eat healthy balanced meals without being totally

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-61754597638872352712009-08-06T15:23:00.016+02:002009-08-24T10:49:02.963+02:00

I climbed up Mount Mulanje 2 weeks ago with a group of Canadians. It was a great 3-day hike but we were in the clouds for most of it. Which also meant we weren't able to climb the peak we were planning to (Sapitwa) because we didn't want to join our French-Brazillian friend who at the time was 5 days missing and is still missing to date (UPDATE: body found, Aug.5, and here). Instead we climbed up

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-7795916980419631832009-07-28T14:23:00.002+02:002009-07-28T14:31:44.331+02:00

The Daily Times, 22 July 2009, reports:Ministry of Agriculture says this year’s maize harvest shot to 3.7 million metric tonnes up from about 1.3 million metric tonnes achieved in the 2004 growing season.During morning hours, eager-faced farmers are seen pushing their produce on bicycles to sell at the markets of Nkando, Phalombe and Mulanje boma. Hours later, at the fall of dusk, they are seen

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-65123773307301453442009-07-28T11:30:00.002+02:002009-07-28T11:37:51.333+02:00

Thanks for following our adventure with God here in Malawi. Our July newsletter has been published -- click on the "full screen" button to enlarge or download a PDF version. For our friends in Holland, a Dutch translation is available.Planting Malawi 2009-07

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-35360798143407171432009-07-07T15:16:00.005+02:002009-07-07T16:36:18.475+02:00

July 1: Canada DayJuly 4: USA Independence DayJuly 6: Malawi Independence DayMalawi celebrated its 45th year of independence from British colonial rule on July 6. A lady at church said, "Malawi is celebrating its independence from the British, which is me, and I feel like I should go into hiding for the day or something. (Me, I just went for a big hike up Zomba Plateau straight from our house --

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-39702315220662642362009-06-30T08:19:00.002+02:002009-06-30T08:27:40.198+02:00

We haven't posted much on our blog for a while so now it's here all at once. Here are some pictures from May-June. One album of pictures from various projects (disaster risk reduction, drought tolerant crops, irrigation, school supplies, etc.). The other album has random pictures of our girls, baby Caden, etc. Enjoy!Projects May-JuneRandom May-June

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-7723192167061057102009-06-29T13:54:00.003+02:002009-06-29T14:37:03.895+02:00

In our newsletter we wrote about Hazelbank Presbyterian Church and the impact they are making here in the Zomba District. I just realized that I had an album of pictures of their mosquito net distributions uploaded for the church but I hadn't shared it with you. To see some of the pictures of the mosquito nets that Hazelbank has distributed, click on this web album (47 photos).

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-65559192512208613402009-06-28T16:49:00.003+02:002009-06-28T17:11:29.294+02:00

Our latest newsletter, with stories about our new baby boy, life around our "home village," a church in action, and some random tidbits. Thanks for sharing the journey with us. Expand the embedded version below (view fullscreen) or download a PDF version.PlantingMalawi-2009-06 May - June 2009 Emmanuel International Planting Malawi Isaiah 61.3 an update from the VanWoerdens in Malawi Prayer

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-56955081594572929652009-06-28T16:43:00.002+02:002009-06-28T16:48:51.936+02:00

We went to Liwonde National Park again in May, soon after it opened up again for traffic after the rainy season. At first the number of wildlife we saw was disappointing (there is lots of water available still so less moving around) but then we discovered a huge herd of about 40-50 elephants -- way cool. There was a big huge daddy elephant that gave us a bit of a scare and wee little elephants.

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-91225258208744362472009-05-22T16:48:00.005+02:002009-05-22T17:03:16.995+02:00

The weather in Canada has slowly been getting warmer while here in Malawi it's been getting colder, dipping below 10*C at night. It really does get quite chilly at night and the only heat we have is what the bricks of our house absorb from the sun during the day. So we're enjoying sleeping with blankets and wearing sweaters and jackets, things we hadn't really thought we'd be experiencing in the

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-31858476751260862282009-05-04T15:49:00.007+02:002009-05-04T16:17:20.255+02:00

I just wanted to showcase the Rotary project at the school in Namasalima. The paint job has made a marvelous transformation of the learning environment for the students -- still way below any education standards without desks and packing up to 400 students in a classroom but it's transformation nonetheless. BEFORE & AFTERThe community participated in the project by providing bricks and sand for

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-80757088277950484922009-05-02T18:28:00.002+02:002009-05-02T18:36:49.145+02:00

pdf downloadPlanting Malawi - April newsletter March - April 2009 Emmanuel International Planting Malawi Isaiah 61.3 an update from the VanWoerdens in Malawi Prayer & Praise: • Malawi elections are on May 19(ish).

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-47884393305663623452009-05-02T18:22:00.002+02:002009-05-02T18:27:57.660+02:00

With a visiting team from Coleraine, Ireland, the donor community for ZAP, Alex has been busy with project visits and working dinners. On Thursday the ZAP team visited a sampling of the development projects that Emmanuel International has implemented: shallow wells, fruit trees, mosquito nets, fuel efficient stoves, bicycle ambulances, etc. With Alex being the host for the ZAP team and Andre

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-33862296528106635462009-05-02T17:30:00.001+02:002009-05-02T18:06:43.461+02:00

We've had two consecutive teams from Rotary Canada spending a couple weeks here on several work projects. One of their projects was doing a makeover on a rural school, which was my project. Some of the work was done before the team arrived and they did the finishing. The makeover includes: a new roof and floor in one classroom block, patching all classroom floors, painting all classrooms,

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-71976001985083810922009-05-02T17:20:00.002+02:002009-05-02T17:29:17.912+02:00

Just a few pictures of our recent adventures. We haven't really seen much of Malawi because it's just so expensive to travel but we finally decided we had to start exploring the country a little. We went to see some wildlife on the Shire River in Liwonde National Park. Not a great time to see wildlife during the rainy season because there's plenty of water inland so animals don't come to the

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-20970666452755550422009-04-14T13:34:00.003+02:002009-04-14T14:01:23.584+02:00

I hope you had a great Easter, celebrating the gift of life that Jesus gave us through his dying on the cross and rising from the dead. Our Easter was rather uneventful as we spent the weekend on beautiful Lake Malawi (and suffered some minor illness, ant infestation, and sleeplessness, but other than that, great getaway).But I recall a story written by a Canadian colleague who was doing similar

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-37324334134582930612009-04-01T08:22:00.004+02:002009-04-01T08:36:14.417+02:00

This is an invoice I received on Thursday - apparently these guys specialize in, well, just about anything, unlike the "Special List in Mops, Blooms, and Blushes" (in the Zomba photo album). I also picked up the generator that had been serviced at Topper's, a sewing shop.

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-10440145888412671422009-03-31T10:58:00.005+02:002009-04-01T10:50:40.892+02:00

Selected scenes from 24 hours in the life of Edith Kapuka, a 13 year-old girl living in Ngwale Village at the base of the Zomba Plateau in Malawi. (8:48) more scenes...Global Lives Project Malawiview all scenes from "24 hours in the life of Edith Kapuka"

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-46780226675046369722009-03-31T10:12:00.000+02:002009-03-31T10:27:41.832+02:00

In our "search for that sign" photo diary of Zomba City we had a photo of "Heaven Bound Coffin Shop". There are lots of signs in Malawi that make you laugh or at least go "Uh?!" Coffin shops are everywhere, a sad testimony to how common death is in this part of the world because of AIDS, malaria, cholera, and other preventable diseases. This picture has been on a memory stick for a long time but

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-87554978442448606172009-03-27T15:49:00.002+02:002009-03-27T15:57:33.604+02:00

We have finally taken some pictures of Zomba, the city we live in -- well, I should say, Alex has, and felt very awkward doing it and even got yelled at for taking pictures. This should give you a bit of a picture of life for us here, at least of where we do our shopping and such. Life in the city is such a huge contrast with life in the village. Yesterday I was at a meeting in Blantyre at a

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-64777888031044312182009-03-27T15:38:00.002+02:002009-03-27T15:48:34.871+02:00

A selection of pictures from March.[ZAP] Alex works for ZAP (Zomba Action Project). These are some pictures of a handover ceremony of a house that ZAP built for some elderly people.[Magdalena] We have assisted Magdalena some with her school fees. She invited us to visit her home, where she lives with her grandmother and younger siblings in a house that some friends are allowing them to stay in

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-8896121469313188342009-03-02T17:06:00.002+02:002009-03-02T17:16:04.930+02:00

I mentioned the tremendous challenges that the school I visited last week faces. Where do you begin? The needs here in Malawi are huge, they just don't seem to end. Like people who come knocking on our door all the time asking for help. Take this girl, for example, who stopped in at the office last week, desperately looking for assistance paying her university tuition because as an orphan with 5

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-74518173490510756662009-02-28T18:07:00.003+02:002009-03-27T16:39:52.433+02:00

download PDF version || click [top right button] to view FULL SCREEN NL:: Nederlandse vertaling ::NLPlanting Malawi 2009-02 February 2009 Emmanuel International Planting Malawi Isaiah 61.3 an update from the VanWoerdens in Malawi

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-2123497264378171672009-02-26T09:43:00.003+02:002009-02-26T10:12:36.601+02:00

We distributed some school supplies to a local primary school yesterday. I think that was the most impressive distribution I've been part of here. Mbidi Primary School is a blatant example of extreme poverty in Malawi. The school faces some huge challenges. Can you imagine? The teachers didn't even have chalk to write on their makeshift blackboards, their only teaching tool. Many of the students

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-47174807967745462102009-02-26T09:08:00.003+02:002009-02-26T09:27:37.725+02:00

It's been a while since we've posted anything on our blog, exactly a month I think. In part I guess it's because it's been a stressful month, with Andre's Dad having a major heart attack, having major heart surgery, us being so far away during times like this, and really wishing we would've made the trip back to Canada. But thankfully things are improving with Dad and God's amazing grace has

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-16216008445642935452009-01-26T10:38:00.003+02:002009-01-26T15:25:40.633+02:00

download PDF version || click [top right button] to view FULL SCREEN NL:: Nederlandse vertaling ::NL download PDF version || click [top right button] to view FULL SCREENNL:: Nederlandse vertaling ::NL January 2009

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-87178325052484090822009-01-26T10:22:00.002+02:002009-01-26T10:26:44.424+02:00

We've been distributing mosquito nets and fruit trees recently. It's mosquito season and there have been many cases of malaria this year. We're targeting the most vulnerable people -- pregnant women and children under 5 living near Lake Chilwa, a mosquito breeding ground. Fruit trees are part of afforestation -- they are less likely to get cut down for firewood because they will provide a source

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-63035281604625464962009-01-24T15:01:00.002+02:002009-01-24T15:23:05.402+02:00

A British journalist and atheist traveling to Malawi recently made some profound discoveries of what God is doing in Africa. After visiting a charity that provides water pumps to rural communities, Matthew Parris noticed the transformation brought about by their "private" Christian devotion. Although their charity was entirely secular, he realized that "missionaries, not aid money, are the

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-42170955443703999552009-01-12T10:39:00.002+02:002009-01-12T10:43:39.333+02:00

Lara is learning to read and write. She does quite well at writing phonetically, which would work great for Chichewa. Her latest art work displaying her writing skills was this sentence taped to the wall:"I wil lisn to mi mom ad my dad."Not bad for one semester of school! (and no, she was not forced to write those words, it was a complete surprise; she said it was to help her remember to listen,

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-38174371465904920292009-01-12T10:36:00.001+02:002009-01-12T10:38:40.781+02:00

Happy New Year! We wish you all the best for the new year.Our Christmas may have been quiet, but our new year's was relaxing. We spent some time at an estate house on a large tea plantation with another missionary family. The place was magnificent. It seemed a world apart from Malawi and the kids had plenty of room to run around and explore the property. Here are a few pictures of our little 3-

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-36297547201646392482009-01-12T10:33:00.000+02:002009-01-12T10:35:46.795+02:00

Christmas dinner: A story from our Christmas here in Malawi. Just before Christmas, Isaac (our gardener) had made a comment that just because it’s Christmas he could not just splurge and buy rice and meat, his family would just an ordinary meal just like any other day – nsima and ndiwo. We had already talked about inviting our workers and their families over for a Christmas dinner so this made

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-90748897147361897312008-12-15T13:51:00.003+02:002008-12-15T14:48:18.490+02:00

It feels nothing like Christmas here in Malawi -- no Christmas lights or trees or lit up houses or snow on the ground or crowded shopping malls for the frantic gift giving frenzy, and we only hear the occasional Christmas carol (the only thing we do have is poinsettias, they grow about 10ft tall here) -- funny the things you associate with Christmas . I still think the setting here in Malawi has

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-15517357537525195032008-12-15T11:28:00.003+02:002008-12-15T11:47:44.044+02:00

view FULL SCREEN || download PDF version December 2008 Emmanuel International Planting Malawi Isaiah 61.3 an update from the VanWoerdens in Malawi Planting [rain brings transformation to Malawi] When it rains, it pours! We’

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-62972212247095721922008-12-08T10:07:00.001+02:002008-12-08T10:10:57.234+02:00

Lara's class had a cute play called "Happy Hat Land." The kids did great, they all had their parts. They had obviously been doing lots of practicing -- even Talia seems to know most of the songs that Lara had to learn by now. It's an international school and Lara's teacher is British -- it's funny to hear Lara singing with a British accent: tired=ti-ed, walking=wolking, care=ca-ah, wear=we-ah,

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-55168799864769663722008-11-20T11:55:00.002+02:002008-11-20T12:12:48.558+02:00

The rains have arrived in Zomba! I was down in Chikwawa in the Lower Shire River, enjoying scorching 44*C weather while Zomba received rain. Everyone's been waiting for the rain to start planting their maize.The only place that did not need rain was Namasalima. But they got rain. And all the water from upstream as well. So just 8 hours after the rain, water came over the partially completed dike.

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-61212065792775613052008-11-15T14:52:00.002+02:002008-11-15T14:58:25.784+02:00

Planting Malawi - November newsletter Get your own at Scribd or explore others: Malawi November 2008 Emmanuel International Planting Malawi Isaiah 61.3 an update from the VanWoerdens in Malawi Prayer & Praise: • completion of the dike at Namasalima by the end of the month before the rains come Namasalima [fight against floods] Last rainy season, the dike at Namasalima broke in

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-32750860769911648642008-11-15T14:45:00.003+02:002008-11-15T14:50:49.804+02:00

Last rainy season the dike on the Domasi River in the Namasalima area broke in several places, flooding the area, displacing families, and destroying some of the houses and much of their crops. Now 600 people from 15 villages are working to rebuild the dike in one month, before the rains come again. Read more in our newsletter...

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-80806218321311977412008-11-05T15:14:00.002+02:002008-11-05T15:28:24.431+02:00

We celebrated Ezera's birthday on Sunday. Our baby is 2 years old already. Gifts wrapped in plastic bags. We also got some kittens a while ago. So far they've survived Ezera, only one of them has sustained in injured leg so far...

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-38322298883115353262008-10-29T16:55:00.000+02:002008-10-29T16:58:16.813+02:00

My work at in Malawi is primarily agricultural, mostly because 85% of people here are subsistence farmers, but my actual role is in EI's Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) program. There is a series of DRR videos online with some footage from our projects in Malawi. (David Kamchacha in the video is one of our DRR partners in the Malawi Churches Partnership Program)Local Voices, Global ChoicesBreaking

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-74346292326816528572008-10-23T09:56:00.003+02:002008-10-23T10:11:55.028+02:00

This Lara. She turned 5 today here in Malawi. I heard her singing this morning as she was enjoying her new swing in the backyard: "I'll never know how much it cost..." You just have to see it...

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-12488822777400794892008-10-20T10:48:00.001+02:002008-10-20T10:49:52.581+02:00

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-81214743891189188922008-10-20T10:32:00.002+02:002008-10-20T10:45:21.628+02:00

Andre's work with EI is in the field of agriculture, but the focus of our activities is disaster risk reduction. The area we work in is prone to flooding every year and frequent droughts, which often results in food crisis. Our project interventions are aimed at helping people recover from disasters (through things like winter cropping if they've lost their crops) and help them become more

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-29920662016074271352008-10-14T10:05:00.005+02:002008-10-20T10:56:02.465+02:00

Emmanuel International Canada's Malawi Water & Sanitation Project

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-50875840385142690272008-10-13T15:33:00.007+02:002008-10-13T16:33:23.815+02:00

It's Thanksgiving Day in Canada today. Time to celebrate the harvest, a time of abundance. Ahh, the thanksgiving feast - turkey and stuffing and mashed potatoes and gravy and cranberry sauce and all sorts of other good stuff. We're missing out on that this year, but don't worry, we'll have some nsima and relish. Actually, I can't say we are lacking anything. Just on Saturday, for example, I had

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-75702526768216912602008-10-08T16:35:00.003+02:002008-10-08T16:47:32.949+02:00

Just to give you an idea of where we're at in terms of seasonal activity in Malawi. Right now many farmers are getting their fields ready for planting as soon as the rains come (which in last years has become more difficult to predict and rainfall patterns are changing -- and when you're dependent on the rains for your crops, too little or too much rain at the wrong time means there's a food

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-17436625016738568592008-09-30T16:59:00.002+02:002008-09-30T17:07:11.289+02:00

Planting Malawi October 2008 - Upload a Document to Scribddownload as a PDF documentNL :: deze brief in het nederlands :: NL

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-43675464150270869182008-09-22T12:03:00.007+02:002008-09-22T15:08:25.844+02:00

Came across some unbelievable statistics that help paint a picture of the poverty here. This is the state of the education system here in Machinga District, the investment into the next generation of Malawians on who the future of this nation depends.40% of schools are temporary grass sheltersclassroom-pupil ratio is 1:105, so many classes are under trees1 pit latrine (outhouse) for every 170

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-65570809354922559732008-09-22T11:10:00.003+02:002008-09-22T11:18:05.257+02:00

Some great pictures of our girls playing with their friends from down the road and a little photoshoot at the Mulunguzi Dam up on Zomba Plateau where our drinking water comes from (it was very hard choosing which photos to upload because there are over 200 of them just of the girls, and many of them are really good, or at least we think so, but here are 33 of them).

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-91018596162764137142008-09-19T16:50:00.002+02:002008-09-19T17:24:13.963+02:00

Last Saturday we visited Liwonde National Park. We saw lots of antelope, baboons, warthogs, birds, two elephants, and some distant hippos -- definitely a very beautiful place that we will be visiting again... care to join us?Not much for wildlife near home, other than some monkeys down the road (and sometimes you'd think our girls were monkeys too) and some geckos in the house. Seen my first

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-13932541848662520722008-09-12T11:49:00.001+02:002008-09-12T11:58:31.149+02:00

A few things that we've noticed as newcomers and we're getting used to:To turn on a light, flick the switch down. If there are two switches beside the bathroom door, for example, and you want to turn on the light in the bathroom, the one furthest from the door is probably the one you need. When there’s two switches, one is up and one is down, and you want to turn the light off, no matter how

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-81533407617680098502008-09-12T11:44:00.000+02:002008-09-12T11:49:32.752+02:00

I was looking at some statistics the other day for Malawi and the area I am working in, Machinga. Mind boggling.According to a report by the World Bank, 6.7 million Malawians live below the national poverty line and “2.7 million Malawians, about one in every five people, lives in such dire poverty that they cannot even afford to meet the minimum standard for daily-recommended food requirement.”

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-50871106318210863752008-09-12T11:33:00.001+02:002008-09-12T11:43:49.207+02:00

I was changing some of the door locks in the house because they had been installed backwards and didn’t close properly. After changing the door latch in our bedroom, I turned the key to make sure it lined up with the door jam, which it did. Problem was, it wouldn’t unlock again. What made it even more complicated is that Alex also happened to be in the bedroom at the same time and because all our

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-1119409798992272572008-08-29T17:37:00.000+02:002008-08-29T18:30:59.512+02:00

Some of our first photos. They have captions so I won't say much here.

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-89423452993328010412008-08-25T08:55:00.001+02:002008-08-25T09:01:41.117+02:00

Hello from Malawi! We arrived safely at our new home in Zomba on Wednesday afternoon. It’s already Saturday, we’ve sort of settled in and caught up on some much needed rest, so it’s time to finally sit down and share our experience so far. It’s a bit long, so if you’re interested, grab a coffee and have a read; if you want the short version, there is none so you’ll have to skim through it. I

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-72951786981621781442008-08-12T00:19:00.000+02:002008-08-12T00:35:47.185+02:00

We spent the weekend in Niagara Falls with some missionary friends, which made for a great little vacation before we head off to Malawi. This is our first time in eastern Canada and EI scheduled us here for more time than we need for training so that we could get some rest before embarking on our grand adventure, so we figured we might as well take in some of the sights here.

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-603586492282440422008-08-08T04:21:00.000+02:002008-08-12T00:41:37.793+02:00

We're officially on our way to Malawi! We left home yesterday and arrived safely in Ontario for some pre-departure training. And while we were in transit, great news reached our inbox: "Just want to let you know that your TEP has been approved!!!" Although we still need to receive the paperwork, we're very excited to hear these words: "you can come without hesitation."Our flight was rescheduled

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-40060447371243222742008-07-30T04:20:00.000+02:002008-07-30T05:41:44.455+02:00

It's time to celebrate! We have reached our support goal for serving in Malawi! (we're at about 100.3%) God is good! We are extremely grateful to our entire support team! Because of their generosity and eagerness to participate with us in God's mission in Malawi we are off in just one more week (read: seven days of packing, preparations, and goodbyes).Prayer requests:that our TEP (work visa)

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-29386621951835362572008-07-18T05:13:00.000+02:002008-07-18T05:34:04.482+02:00

Only 20 days to go! [until training in Ontario; 32 days till we leave for Malawi].Last week we thought we were at 100% of our support and were ready to celebrate. But then we found out a large sum of "project funding" we were counting on fell through. So after tightening up our budget, we're back at 88% of our support. Another way of looking at it: we have enough support for 1 year and 9 months

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-85029807807299573712008-07-10T05:51:00.000+02:002008-07-10T06:00:18.474+02:00

Listen to the powerful story of Stephen Lungu of Africa Enterprise in Malawi on Haven Today [8July08]. Stephen Lungu is one of Africa's top evangelists--saved from a life of poverty and gang involvement to testify of God's grace to change lives.Abandoned by his mother in Zimbabwe when he was three and later recruited into an urban gang called the "Black Shadows", Stephen Lungu was sent to fire

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-31312229651642228042008-07-05T09:04:00.000+02:002008-07-05T09:13:52.229+02:00

We leave for training and orientation with Emmanuel International in Stouffville, Ontario, on August 6. We fly from Toronto on August 18, stopping in London and Johannesburg and finally arriving in Blantyre, Malawi, on the 20th. <a href="http://www.countdownr.com">Countdownr</a&amp

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-69341538613752345172008-06-21T22:15:00.000+02:002008-06-21T23:19:07.498+02:00

Our Auction Fundraiser was a success! We would like to thank all those who showed their support by attending the auction and all the businesses and individuals who donated items for making this fundraiser possible. We raised $3,127! Thank you! These funds will go directly toward supporting our ministry in Malawi.The best selling item was Andre's hair! $450! The headshave was a lot of fun [

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-90803319583317992762008-06-21T21:55:00.000+02:002008-06-21T22:13:37.885+02:00

I came across an interesting Malawian response on all the hype about global warming and CO2 emissions. I thought I'd share it here because it shows some global perspective from the poor.From Malawi's "The Daily Times" Kofi Bentil [06 June 2008]:People who have a stake in the success of a thing are less likely to destroy it, so property-owning people are less likely to destroy by pollution the

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-17982414252006133042008-06-07T06:01:00.000+02:002008-06-07T06:13:28.122+02:00

IN THE NEWS: Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika on Saturday [May 24] said that Africa was able to feed itself...He said Malawi's main focus was to "fight poverty." About half of the 12-million citizens live below the poverty line and on less than $1 a day.Mutharika said his country had six priorities, including improving its agriculture -- the economy's backbone -- as well as transport and

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-60963250874160275162008-06-01T00:06:00.000+02:002008-06-01T00:32:53.212+02:00

Our Spring 2008 newsletter (Planting Malawi) went out in the mail last week and should have arrived in your mailbox if you're on our mailing list (sign up if you didn't get it). Thanks again to everyone who is part of our mission. Feel free to share it with others.View full screen. || Download a PDF version Planting-Spring08 - Upload a doc Read this doc on Scribd: Planting-Spring08

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-34547129133768915322008-05-27T03:21:00.000+02:002008-05-27T03:40:28.147+02:00

We're thankful for our growing support team, for those who are backing our mission financially and those who let us know they are praying for us. Thank you for your encouragement and support!Our van is already fixed and back on the road. Thanks Dad!WestJet has a great seatsale for flying Wednesdays this summer. We are leaving for Toronto on August 6 for our final EI pre-field training and

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-12359791830493757022008-05-20T05:35:00.000+02:002008-05-26T23:01:11.949+02:00

We're another step closer. And a little more culture-sensitive. We spent the last two weeks in missionary training, in a program called “Cultural Orientation for Personal Endurance & Enjoyment” by MissionPREP. The acronym is COPE, but like one of our instructors pointed out, our goal as missionaries is not just to cope or survive in another culture, but to thrive in it. And that is really what

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5652356230747251601.post-27653869180760971762008-04-30T08:47:00.000+02:002008-04-30T09:26:05.386+02:00

We have a vision. Our vision is to see the church of Malawi to break the vicious cycle of poverty and hunger, to see the church become an agent of change for the country of Malawi, to see God working powerfully through his church to tranform lives -- transformation from survival to sustainability, from devastation to hopefulness and a future -- a testimony of the power of the gospel.Our family is

andrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01136528643333127321noreply@blogger.com0