Hello all, I am back home after three wonderful months of Malawi air!
God has richly blessed me.
I hope to be having presentations on the trip very soon with the other two girls from GR I traveled with.
Will post the dates here for all to see.
Caroline headed home safely as well.
thanks for all your prayers,
Lenelle
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Monday, August 18, 2008
Coming Home Friday August 22
Friday August 22, Lenelle hopes to return hom to Grand Rapids Mi. She will be on the North West flight 531 from Detroit at 6:17 PM. Everyone who would like to come and welcome her home is welcome to join us at the Gerald R. Ford International Airport.
The Moerdyk family
The Moerdyk family
Last Blog from Malawi
Hello All!
We have been very busy with the Orphan Bible Clubs in Kalamba, Livuazi, and Msumphi. Just to refresh your memory, we have been going to each village twice a week. Kalamba has been doing great so we only go once a week on Mondays. Livuazi hasn’t been doing the club on their own yet. We meet with them every Wednesday and Friday and there were three meetings we weren’t able to attend because of no transportation and the leaders in that village didn’t show up because we weren’t there. So the village didn’t do anything. They were informed that they should start but there hasn’t been any interest shown from the leaders. Please pray it will continue and the leaders show interest in teaching the kids.
Msumphi has been doing really good except we picked to have the club on Tuesday and Thursday and the leaders haven’t been able to attend on Thursday because of another important meeting their village has every Thursday. We hope to change it to Tuesdays and Fridays. We plan on starting a dimba/garden which is located very close to the school buildings. Also, we plan on building a playground which is also located right next to the school buildings. We hope to be able to start going one day a week instead of two to Msumphi since they have been doing a good job teaching the kids the bible stories and coming up with games to play with the kids.
We also have been teaching at the secondary school- CDSS- in Nkhoma. Computer class is very interesting because every student is willing to learn but since they haven’t learned how to curve their fingers on the keyboard, we have been getting them to practice continuously.
I have just started teaching Biology class for Form 4. It is all about the human body so I feel right at home. The schools are separated by primary and secondary schools. Primary school is like our elementary and it has standards 1-8. The secondary school is like our high school and they have Forms 1-4. Many of the students in Form 4 (especially male) are over 20 years old, so it definitely has been interesting having to teach students my age.
The school didn’t have a problem allowing us to teach because a lot of their teachers started teaching right out of Form 4 with no college education. Plus, they all basically consider us all more educated then they are because we come from America.
Next week, we plan on leaving Nkhoma and travel to the south to the "game Park" which we call the safari. WE will be staying a couple nights around there as well so it will definitely be interesting.
Amy and Monica (the two girls from Canada who were here before us) are leaving on July 22. We all have been wondering where all the time has gone! I feel like I have been here for 3 months already but also like I should have 3 more months to go.
We have definitely learned many chichewa words, but there are still quite a bit we haven’t even heard of. The translators like to tease us by saying words in chichewa and then watching us take 10 minutes just to figure out they were saying something simple like "let us go" or "we have arrived".
This past Sunday, we listened to a sermon CD from Dr. Murray on Psalm 25:17. It was good to be reminded about how we are to have deep/ distressing/ distinguishing/ and desirable concern for our evil doings. We also witnessed the harvest time church gathering. Everyone has brought their "first fruits" which were given to the church for when they have large gatherings and they use that food to feed everyone. It was very humbling for me to witness everyone literally giving their "10%" to the church when so many don’t have enough to feed their own families.
Psalm 27 has really made an impression on me. Especially verse 8-10 and 13 &14. Where it talks about how even when our father and mother forsake us, the Lord will still take care of us. Also how God tells us to seek His face and to wait for the Lord to fulfill his plan in our lives. There are so many kids here who are orphans. But they all still seem to trust in God and wait for his plan in their lives. What experiences they have in their lives or how much they have doesn’t change their desire to be willing to help others out. The cook for the house we are staying in took us to his home. He explained how he is taking care of 9 orphans form his sister and brother who have passed away. Plus he has his wife and three daughters to take care of, but he still smiles and you never hear a complaint out of him.
Well that is all for now. Hope all is well in the America!
God Bless!
In Christ,
Lenelle
We have been very busy with the Orphan Bible Clubs in Kalamba, Livuazi, and Msumphi. Just to refresh your memory, we have been going to each village twice a week. Kalamba has been doing great so we only go once a week on Mondays. Livuazi hasn’t been doing the club on their own yet. We meet with them every Wednesday and Friday and there were three meetings we weren’t able to attend because of no transportation and the leaders in that village didn’t show up because we weren’t there. So the village didn’t do anything. They were informed that they should start but there hasn’t been any interest shown from the leaders. Please pray it will continue and the leaders show interest in teaching the kids.
Msumphi has been doing really good except we picked to have the club on Tuesday and Thursday and the leaders haven’t been able to attend on Thursday because of another important meeting their village has every Thursday. We hope to change it to Tuesdays and Fridays. We plan on starting a dimba/garden which is located very close to the school buildings. Also, we plan on building a playground which is also located right next to the school buildings. We hope to be able to start going one day a week instead of two to Msumphi since they have been doing a good job teaching the kids the bible stories and coming up with games to play with the kids.
We also have been teaching at the secondary school- CDSS- in Nkhoma. Computer class is very interesting because every student is willing to learn but since they haven’t learned how to curve their fingers on the keyboard, we have been getting them to practice continuously.
I have just started teaching Biology class for Form 4. It is all about the human body so I feel right at home. The schools are separated by primary and secondary schools. Primary school is like our elementary and it has standards 1-8. The secondary school is like our high school and they have Forms 1-4. Many of the students in Form 4 (especially male) are over 20 years old, so it definitely has been interesting having to teach students my age.
The school didn’t have a problem allowing us to teach because a lot of their teachers started teaching right out of Form 4 with no college education. Plus, they all basically consider us all more educated then they are because we come from America.
Next week, we plan on leaving Nkhoma and travel to the south to the "game Park" which we call the safari. WE will be staying a couple nights around there as well so it will definitely be interesting.
Amy and Monica (the two girls from Canada who were here before us) are leaving on July 22. We all have been wondering where all the time has gone! I feel like I have been here for 3 months already but also like I should have 3 more months to go.
We have definitely learned many chichewa words, but there are still quite a bit we haven’t even heard of. The translators like to tease us by saying words in chichewa and then watching us take 10 minutes just to figure out they were saying something simple like "let us go" or "we have arrived".
This past Sunday, we listened to a sermon CD from Dr. Murray on Psalm 25:17. It was good to be reminded about how we are to have deep/ distressing/ distinguishing/ and desirable concern for our evil doings. We also witnessed the harvest time church gathering. Everyone has brought their "first fruits" which were given to the church for when they have large gatherings and they use that food to feed everyone. It was very humbling for me to witness everyone literally giving their "10%" to the church when so many don’t have enough to feed their own families.
Psalm 27 has really made an impression on me. Especially verse 8-10 and 13 &14. Where it talks about how even when our father and mother forsake us, the Lord will still take care of us. Also how God tells us to seek His face and to wait for the Lord to fulfill his plan in our lives. There are so many kids here who are orphans. But they all still seem to trust in God and wait for his plan in their lives. What experiences they have in their lives or how much they have doesn’t change their desire to be willing to help others out. The cook for the house we are staying in took us to his home. He explained how he is taking care of 9 orphans form his sister and brother who have passed away. Plus he has his wife and three daughters to take care of, but he still smiles and you never hear a complaint out of him.
Well that is all for now. Hope all is well in the America!
God Bless!
In Christ,
Lenelle
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Hello all
this is lenelle, yes we do have internet right now but you never know what will happen to it.
we have been busy with starting two new Bible clubs in Chawuwa and in Nanganga. we have decided to change our layout for the new centers becuase it hasnt been working out with trying to get the leaders and gardians to be there every day. we decided to do all the games and activities ourselves and encourage the leaders and gardians to show up every meeting. Before, we were thinking about showing them how we were planning on it all running and then they follow suit. but it hasnt worked out so we are now thinking that if we tell all the Bible stories and show them all the games we can think up of, then when we leave they will be able to pass on the stories and games to their friends and family. I think it works out better this way seeing as it would be thier decision to start an official Bible club instead of us telling them they have to start one, and they will have all the stories and games already so it will be easier for them to start it on their own. We have basically changed it in two of the old centers as well- Livuadzi and Msumphi. Plus with transportation not always available we have decided this was the best way to make an impact on thier lives.
I hope everyone is doing well! I cant believe there is only two more weeks before we head back home. there is so much that needs to be done and not enought time to get it all done.
Katie, Ruth Ann, and Caroline were planning on donating thier blood here at the hospital. starting friday morning, we plan on leaving Nkhoma and visiting up north at Selema, and True Friends. True Friends is an orphan care project where they have started a Bible Club there and we were told to go see it. We also plan on stopping at the lake on our way back from True Friends. We plan on arriving back in Nkhoma on monday afternoon.
We also have health assesments planned for the different centers that we have started bible clubs at. We plan on getting all the health info for the coordinators so they can record it in their files. We also plan on getting all the names of the orphans to see update the coordinators' information of them all.
well this is all for now, I have run out of words to say.
I hope all are well, and I hope to see most of you all in two weeks.
God Bless,
Lenelle
Psalm 27
we have been busy with starting two new Bible clubs in Chawuwa and in Nanganga. we have decided to change our layout for the new centers becuase it hasnt been working out with trying to get the leaders and gardians to be there every day. we decided to do all the games and activities ourselves and encourage the leaders and gardians to show up every meeting. Before, we were thinking about showing them how we were planning on it all running and then they follow suit. but it hasnt worked out so we are now thinking that if we tell all the Bible stories and show them all the games we can think up of, then when we leave they will be able to pass on the stories and games to their friends and family. I think it works out better this way seeing as it would be thier decision to start an official Bible club instead of us telling them they have to start one, and they will have all the stories and games already so it will be easier for them to start it on their own. We have basically changed it in two of the old centers as well- Livuadzi and Msumphi. Plus with transportation not always available we have decided this was the best way to make an impact on thier lives.
I hope everyone is doing well! I cant believe there is only two more weeks before we head back home. there is so much that needs to be done and not enought time to get it all done.
Katie, Ruth Ann, and Caroline were planning on donating thier blood here at the hospital. starting friday morning, we plan on leaving Nkhoma and visiting up north at Selema, and True Friends. True Friends is an orphan care project where they have started a Bible Club there and we were told to go see it. We also plan on stopping at the lake on our way back from True Friends. We plan on arriving back in Nkhoma on monday afternoon.
We also have health assesments planned for the different centers that we have started bible clubs at. We plan on getting all the health info for the coordinators so they can record it in their files. We also plan on getting all the names of the orphans to see update the coordinators' information of them all.
well this is all for now, I have run out of words to say.
I hope all are well, and I hope to see most of you all in two weeks.
God Bless,
Lenelle
Psalm 27
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