11/07/2024
This past August, I was blessed with the chance to revisit Malawi, Africa. During this trip, I had an incredible experience! I’d love to share the story with you.
Joseph, the president of Nurture Our World in Malawi, took me on a journey to Nyanda, the village he was born in. It was there that I learned the story of his youth. When he was just 9 years old, Joseph’s mother, his only parent, passed away. She was taken from Nyanda to the village of her brother, who was a Pastor, for burial. For the first time in his young life, Joseph left his village to attend his mother’s funeral.
It was quite brave of this young boy to venture from Nyanda, a 100-year-old village, isolated from the world by a river, and accessible to the outside world only by a small rugged trail. This village was so remote it had never even had a school or church due to its isolation.
For the first time in his life Joseph was introduced to a place where children were able to go to school! The possibility of an education really excited him, so he asked to stay with his uncle rather than return to Nyanda. His uncle made it possible for him to attend elementary school where he became such an outstanding student that he won a scholarship to attend high school. (In Malawi, children have to pay for school after 8th grade.) It was at the end of his senior year that I met him. I was so impressed with this young man that he became the inspiration for the founding of our Non-Profit, Nurture Our World. Nurture Our World made it financially possible for Joseph to attend college. Not only did he graduate with Honors with a bachelor’s degree from Pune University in India, but he recently graduated with a Master’s Degree in Christian Ministry this past July 26th, 2024.
Now, 21 years later, having earned his degrees, Joseph returned to Nyanda. He found the village was still without a school or church, they have no idea what electricity even is! His native people were suffering from starvation caused by a drought that had destroyed their crops. Joseph immediately jumped into action, contacted me and filled me in on the dire conditions in Nyanda. Nurture Our World provided 10,000 pounds of maize that was delivered immediately. Joseph then purchased 2 acres on the edge of the village. He commissioned the men from the community to begin molding bricks to build the first-ever school and church for the village!
It was such a life changing experience to travel to Nyanda and meet Chief Alfred Banda, his council members and the villagers! To hear first hand their excitement for this project, which will bring both education and a place of worship to their village for the first time was overwhelming to say the least!
This has been an historical week! Thousands of bricks have been molded and three huge firing kilns have been built to cure the bricks. The wood was delivered this Monday to fire the bricks. My son Mike drew the plans for the building and Joseph has hired builders who arrived on Tuesday to survey the site. The builders will begin tomorrow to lay the foundation.
I have been asked to name the School and Worship Center. I would love your input! So far I have come up with
BLESSINGS
Christian School and Worship Center.
The estimated cost of constructing and equipping the building is $20,000. If you’d like to be a part of creating a legacy for generations to come, we invite you to join us in this once in a lifetime endeavor! Just visit our website to donate or scan the QR code below. Together, we can change the future and make history for Nyanda. Thank you for helping transform lives!
Below are pictures of the children, the Chief, the dried up crops, the village water well, the building plans, one of the 3 kilns, the delivery of the wood and a donation QR code.
I will post the progress of the building of Blessings as it moves forward. I hope you will join us on this journey!
