LHM Malawi Conforts Orphans

By Aubrey Bunguzu

Area 25 Orphan Centre, established in 1995, started caring for 40 children in 1995, but today it shelters more than 834 with little resources. According to Mr. Mphande, the Director of orphanage, children face challenges ranging from clothing, beddings, food, shelter to school fees.

Lutheran Hour Ministry centre in conjuction with Choir B of Evangelical Lutheran church in Malawi (ELCM) on 24th December 2011 shared the living Gospel of Christ with orphans and centre marking Christmas Cerebrations. Children were donated with food items, plastic containers and pails/basins. They also recieved the Word of God through praise songs by Choir B, Bible teaching by a volunteer, free Children Bibles and presentations. Orphans were accompnied by guardians, centre staff as well as visitors. Generally the outreach activity brought the Gospel to about 1,000 people on this day.

A.Bunguzu (LHMM Coordinator) presenting Children Bibles to Mr. Mphande

 

Some of Orphans

 

Choir B pose

 

Mrs. Marble Madinga Choir B Matron presenting gifts

A Young Couple Speaks on Free Children Bibles

Essence of using His Word expressed in dramaMr. Richard Ngwala (LHM Volunteer) exited with praise songsA couple appreciating a Children gift

LHM Malawi-Four Festives to be Cerebrated At Once

LHM Malawi staff posing outside the office building

By: Aubrey Bunguzu

Staff, church volunteers and the Board are cerebrating the Ministry centre’s ten years anniversary, one year blogging, Christimas and New Year, all in this December 2011. LHM staff has organized to reach people and cerebrate with them at several joints in the city of Lilongwe. We are having Children Bible Distribution outreach at a local congregation at Chilinde Township on Sunday 18th December, at Area 49 Lutheran Congregation on 24th December and Chinsapo Congregation on 25th December.

The Ministry staff are very thankful to God for His guidance and mercies upon us to have exelled all through 1st January 2002 when the ministry was established in Lilongwe to date. Mr. Mphatso Thole the centre Manager expresses gratitude, on behalf of all staff, to our international colleagues in the ministry, the local church partner, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Malawi (ELCM) and its leadership for having demonstrated participative, supportive and receptive partner in as far as evangelism is concerned.
Generally the ministry centre envisages exploring more on new means of serving non believers. In addition to Bible Correspondence Course, Equipping The Saints, Personal evangelism, visitations to prisons, hospitals, rural poor communities; Public Drama and Music performances; LHM Malawi with God’s help is insisting to utilize new technologies like internet, face book, flicker etc. As we are cerebrating together LHM Malawi would like to invite for more prayers towards these ministries.

 

 

 

It Is More Than Encouragement!

A BCC student Completing the course

By:      Aubrey Bunguzu

God’s Word is not only encouraging people to believe through the Good News of Christ. A recent example of this was reported in person by Mr. Dick Chatanga to Lutheran Hour Ministry Malawi office on Friday 9th December 2011.

“The Bible Correspondence Course booklets have done a lot of significant changes in my spiritual life. The first lessons have inculcated curiosity in me to learn more about God. When I was in the mid course the message further encouraged me to explore more details about God. Not only that, the lessons also uplifted my personal faith in Jesus Christ. It is more than what people think. So I thank the Lutheran Hour Ministries for making the encouraging Gospel accessible to other people!” He told this to Audience Relations staff on this day when he dropped the final lessons for marking and grading.

Dick, a practicing Christian at Presbyterian Church, comes from Area 24 Township in Lilongwe city south. He is amateur building contractor. He started studying Real Life Lessons with LHM Malawi in 2009. After taking first two lessons he dropped out due to his business. Later this year in October, 2011 Dick came in person to resume studies and finished on this particular day. Pray for him.

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BCC Follow up Ministry Stirs Mlodza Secondary School

Its good to play a new ball (Mphatso presenting a ball)

By Aubrey Bunguzu

Today Wednesday 7th December 2011, over a hundred people at Mlodza Secondary School were reached through various forms of activities including Drama, Football Match comptetition and Bible Correspondence Course. Activitites started at 1 oclock afternoon with joint programming  with School Authorities. Then students played football game competing for a brand new ball that LHM brought to donate to school thereafter. It was interesting to see young boys in school uniforms with hungry stomachs sweating on scorthy sun for a ball possession. Teams played were Day School and Night School teams and the game ended in favor of Day School team who won with one goal to nil.

As it was planned after the match, the whole school gathered under the local tree behind school block. Luther village Drama group that performs for LHM acted a play titled “The wages of Sin is death” a faith based play warning young people to refarin from sexual relationships because this behaviour brings alot of negative impacts on many youth, including deaths. Then Mlodza School Drama came up with their play titled Education is a right to everyone”. Both plays took the audience on board as they were waiting for the LHM to present a ball to a winning team.

First Mr. Mphatso Thole (LHM Manager)presented money as special gift to Andrew Mthiko, the scorer from Day Team. Second, a ball was presented to the whole school through Mr. Joseph Mzungu, the Deputy Head Teacher along with oother students and teachers amid hand clappings from the audience.

The outreach program was planned in order to strengthen the Bible Correspondence Course club that the Ministry centre is running at Mlodza School. The club was established in October 2011 with over 100 learners enrollment. The Audience Relations staff used to follow up to this club and noted with concern that the school had no games materials including footballs, netballs, nets, goal posts just mentioning very few. Then LHM management thought of providing a single as a gift to school. LHM management said the ministry will provide another ball for girls teams this coming January 2012 when BCC students will be graduating.

Vweza Banda (Sports Teacher) pose with winning team

Part of the match on scotchy sunny bare playground

Drama message

There was loughter throughout

Part of "Wages of Sin is Death" Play (Stella Mphalasa & Edward Kaliati)

with on old patched ball teams cerebrated the matchEducation a right for every child- by Mlodza School Drama

Cost of Living Worsens in Malawi

By Aubrey Bunguzu

The cost of basic items has markedly gone up over the past few months, but salaries of most workers are increasingly failing to keep pace with the cost of living, a social welfare monitoring body has said.
Malawians are digging deeper into their pockets to buy goods whose prices have shot up to the roof following the raft of tax measures introduced in the 2011/12 zero deficiet budget, the 10 percent devaluation of the Kwacha in August and now the over 26 percent hike in fuel pump price.
In its Basic Needs Basket (BNB) for October, the Centre for Social Concern (CFSC) says the price of maize (stapple food) has also gone up by 11.7 percent in the country’s four cities of Lilongwe, Blantyre, Mzuzu and Zomba.
The average cost of Maize in Chikwawa stood at K2,040 (US $12) in October compared with K 1,600 during the comparable period last year, representing a 22 percent increase.
“The fact that the stapple food is recording alarming price increase is indcative of hard times ahead. It also presupposes that low and medium income can expect largest fall in disposable incomes in the months to come and would better prepare for a squeeze in attempts to meet basic needs, the like of which many people might have never witnessed before.” says the religious grouping.
The CFSC also appealed the stakeholders and concern citizens that in these turbulent times it is important to remember that people are the source, centre, and purpose of all economic and social life and that the purpose of economic production is to serve people in their basic needs.
Meanwhile this author agrees with CFSC as bus fares have raisen almost doubled, there are no little supply of fuel, electricity and even water to households.

If you wake up early in the morning you you will notice women hovering up and down looking to fetch at joints where they have heard. Yesterday at 9 night my wife Efi had to leave home for water kiosk at a nearby neighbor to get the commodity up until 10 night.
LHM Malawi would like our partners in the Lord’s service to pray for this issue.

Malawi Education Project Empowers the School in Computer Skills

LHM staff enjoys facilitation

Class teachers assisting children

Hendrina (green) with Eliza, Haswel, Mike

By Aubrey Bunguzu

The computer training started last month, October with support from Gibraltar School of USA. Over 100 children and 2 class teachers are targetted. 2 female teachers have been trained in word and also internet suffing and communication. Yesterday on 22nd November 4 children of grade 4 class started off thier training especially wording. Children were excited that they wrote down short biographies to share with whoever is on line. They give you this:
my name is hendilina thole I am 8 years old. My father’s name is mr thole my mother’s is chippililo
we are 5 in my family our first born is chikondi and am the second born ,the third born is susan

my name is mike nkhoma iam 9 years old. My fathe’s name is mr nkhoma , mymother’s name is Victoria. We are 7 in my family, I have two sisters and two brothers, I am the second born.

My name is haswell dayimon iam 8 years old . my father’s name is mr dayimon,my mother’s name is mrs dayimon . we are 6 in my family , I have three brothers, I am the last born.

this is the first group of our leaners in this program. We will finish training the whole for so long since we do not have adequate computer sets. Only one lap top that Gibraltar School donated last month is used. Even the School Principal Mr. Victor Kwacheramwina including other 95 teachers do not know working with computer. This program if supported can reach more needy people. It is anticipated that through the program children and teachers will be able to communicate experiences of faith, development and social life through internet.

Etilida Charles Meets God

now reading a Bible-Lilongwe Cathedral

grateful children-Lilongwe Cathedral

Inside the church-Lilongwe cathedral

Etilida emphasizing to have met God-Mwenda congregation

Children expressing happiness-Mwenda Congregation

Recieving Bibles-Mwenda congregation

By Aubrey Bunguzu

Many people talk about God’s presence in various forms. Some say that God does not exist. Others claim that God exists in form of animals. People say that when they see fellow humans they see God. But what can you say about truth of God on your own perception? Do you believe that the Bible is the Word of God and the Word is God Himself? If you support that then you really are in the same boat with Etilida Charles. She told this author after receiving a Bible of New Testament (Chichewa) that she has met God during the distribution exercise of free children Bibles at Mwenda Lutheran Congregation in Lilongwe rural District on 13th November 2011.
“I am saying I have met God today because I will be speaking to Him live when reading it any time I wish, a thing I have never experienced since I became a Christian in 2008.” Etilida said told me.
Etilida is one of recipients of children’s’ Bibles that the ministry staff distributed. LHM staff gave children 120 Bibles for free. The function took place inside the church during Sunday service. There were more than 120 children who waited to get Bibles from LHM staff but very few were left out because we had little number of Books to distribute.
Evangelist Malunga blessed the function on behalf of Reverend Thomson Chirwa, a pastor responsible for Mitundu Parish where Mwenda Congregation locates. He said many children including Etilida Charles had no Bibles to use during and after Sunday services in the church. Mwenda congregation is established in early 1990s in Traditional Authority Chiseka at about 45 Kilometres. It has about 190 Lutheran members with over 45% children. Many people in the area peasant farmers with little income per year. The Bibles that LHM staff distributed will help encourage children go to church and understand the Word of God well.

LHM-M staff held another Bible Distribution outreach at Lilongwe Cathedral centre on 20th November 2011 and gave free Bibles to 118 children from Lutheran Sunday School. Speaking on for the church Rev. Dean Feston Phiri thanked LHM and its supporters behind this project because the program has enabled many children to own and use the Bible and they will understand the Word. The Sunday School according to James Jimmy, one of sunday school teachers, there are over 200 children who would recieve the Bibles but only half have made it.

before they recieved free Bibles they were in dilemna

LHM Malawi Promotes Outreach Programs Across Zimbabwe

Explanations

Mzilikazi Choir from New West Diosece of Evangelical Lutheran Church in Zimbabwe (ELCZ) have been drilled on evangelism programs at LHM Malawi office in Lilongwe. The group comprised 26 members visited Malawi and the church for a week in October 2011 learn more about the church programs as well share their experiences with Malawians. The group, led by the Chairman Nigelo Zhou were taught about how LHM-M reach out to people through Bible Correspondence Course, Equiping The Saints among others. Reverend Solomon Vudzijema, a retired Dean for the NW Diosece of ELCZ dwelled much on how LHM-M staff make responses, referrals and connections using such programs. He understood the concept after LHM staff explained to them. Jeremia magadzile, a retired Teacher encouraged LHM staff and the church to do this noble service so that one day the ministries may reach as many people in the region including Zimbabwe.
Mzilika Choir group while in Malawi also visited Evangelical Lutheran Church departments including Evangelical Lutheran Development Service (ELDS), Diakonia Ministries, Head Office, Building Section, Guest House, and of course other places-Machentche congregation, Thyolo Deanery centre and Livingstonia Beach. Mzilikazi Choir group arrived in Malawi on 29th October and then left for Zimbabwe on 5th October 2011.

LHM Joins Malawi Nation and Cerebrate 2011 Mother’s Day

October 15, 2011 is Mother’s Day, a day to reflect on motherhood and roles of mothers in Malawi. In Malawian families mothers become nurses when any family member gets sick. Mothers are there to offer advice, be it on relationships, trouble at school or work and even when things do not go our way. For working mothers they also have to balance their careers with household chores. Mothers do everything for their families, right from cooking, cleaning homes, to inculcating values in their children, willingly and without pay. Mother’s Day in Malawi is
therefore a day to return the favors for all the work mothers do for their
families.

Lutheran Hour Ministry Malawi (LHM-M) this year engaged itself into cerebration as it is a wonderful mission moment to accompany the Malawi nation expressing gratitude for all the selfless love mothers show to us. LHM Malawi staff held two days visit to Kang’oma Rural Health centre and at Bwaila Maternity Hospital of Lilongwe city on Thursday 13^th October and on 15^th October 2011 respectively.

About 100 mothers (expectant and mothers with newly born babies) were reached with Good News through teaching and counseling messages as well as distributing gifts of assorted items.

Mr. Mike Lulanga, a Board member, taught and counseled mothers at both visits. He told mothers to thank God for He freely gave mothers wonderful talents and
skills in keeping up families. He then advised mothers to try bringing up their
children in God’s pleasing manner.

Sick mothers, babies and guardians received clothes, towels, children hats, baby
blankets and mosquito nets for free. Mr. Ronie Mvula is the Board Chairman who
also accompanied LHM staff on the outreach events. He told mothers together
with medical staff that the aim of the Hospital outreaches is to relieve pains
and hardships Malawian Mothers experience while exercising their roles. He said
gifts mothers received represent Jesus presence among them. The chairman
finally asked mothers who received mosquito nets to put them into optimum use
so that babies are well protected from mosquito bites and prevent malaria
outbreak.

Hospital outreaches were made possible with support from the women of the First Lutheran Church-Barron.  Mrs. Ann Knutson, a week before, delivered the donated
30 mosquito nets, baby hats and blankets towards the program. On the Mother’s
day she said,  with passion, she is visiting Malawi to meet mothers and newly born babies in selected hospitals after learning on LHM-M website about maternity life through LHM Malawi Hospital Outreach program that was previously held at Bwaila Maternity Hospital. She thanked Malawian women for playing positive motherhood roles; health workers for noble task caring for mothers and their babies; and, LHM-M staff together with Board for the warm and dedicating ministry towards women and children in Malawi.

Ann Knutson donating Nets

Mr. Mike Lulanga leading prayer counseling to mothers.