2013: Issue 2

Dear Friend,

It is always a privilege to update our friends and supporters with how God has been changing lives through our work. It is a blessing when they are able to visit us, and in May we had the pleasure of hosting Chris Knott from Starfish Malawi, Sara Millington, our representative in the UK, and a team from Links International, led by Andy Read, who came to run training and workshops in the Hope Missions villages. It was a blessed time, and knowledge and skills were imparted in many important areas.

We are also hosting a team from Nailsea Baptist Church in the UK later this month, and I would encourage you to consider coming out to see for yourself the work that Hope Missions is doing and to speak to the people whose lives are being transformed by the Gospel. If you can't visit in person then do stay in touch with us, we love to hear from our friends and take great encouragement from your support.

Unfortunately for Malawi, the harvest this year has generally been poor. We are now seeing the impact of the shortage of affordable fertiliser last season, as the maize cobs are smaller and less numerous than in previous years. There is a likelihood of serious problems with food shortages later this year while people await the next harvest. In seeking to address this and alleviate the hardships in our villages we have implemented another planting cycle under the principles of the Farming God's Way programme, to demonstrate how yields can be increased without a dependence on expensive chemical fertilisers (more on this below).

We were sad to say goodbye to Chrispine from our core team in May as he moves on to new opportunities but thank God for all his input and his continued support.

Annie Mkandawire
(Project Director)

Training from Links International

After receiving a 'Warm Heart of Africa' welcome by the Chiefs and villagers of Chapsinja and Biwi on 16th May, the Links team rolled up their sleeves and, assisted by the Hope Missions team and volunteer translators, and delivered training in the following areas:

• leadership for chiefs
• micro-enterprise development
• nutrition and cookery
• teacher training
• drug/alcohol dependency
• youth programmes
• agriculture.

Links International usually send a team around once every 6 months and it was very evident on this visit how the relationships they have been building are growing, and how villagers have been putting into practice the training they have received. Each visit allows villagers to build on their knowledge, discuss ways of tackling the challenges they face and receive encouragement.

The benefits of training in these areas have been so evident in Chapsinja - in terms of improved health and community cohesion, malaria prevention, improved crop yields, etc - that Chief Chapsinja has started sending members of his Village Development Committee to neighbouring villages so that they too might benefit. During this trip Links presented the Chapsinja VDC with a fleet of bicycles to enable them to continue this work more effectively.

The very morning they received their bicycles the VDC sprang into action, travelling to another village several kilometres away to share their knowledge along with a gospel message. The whole community gathered together, sheltering from the sun under a large tree, whilst Chapsinja VDC delivered talks and dramas to teach people about malaria prevention, care in pregnancy and childbirth, HIV/AIDS, food preservation, and how to make and use simple water filters. The day culminated with the Chief thanking everyone and asking whether a church could be established in his village.

All this while visitors Sara Millington and other members of the Links team looked on: this was truly wonderful evidence of how the work of Hope Missions is influencing the wider area and is becoming increasingly sustainable at a local level.

Support

At Hope Missions Ministries we rely on the support of kind individuals and donors such as you. We very much value your partnership in our work. For further information on supporting us please click here.

Nelson's Fish Stall

Nelson lives in the village of Biwi and has a wife and two daughters to support. Up to now he has had little in the way of work, but thanks to Hope Missions' micro-enterprise development programme run in partnership with Links International he now has his own small business. He received a loan of 20,000 kwacha and used it to set up a small fish stall where he can re-sell fish caught at Lake Malawi in his local area.

"Give a man a fish and feed him for a day;
teach him how to fish and feed him, and his family, for a lifetime."

Micro-Enterprise Development

in association with Links International

Maria's Tea Shop

Maria's family used to be very poor tenant farmers, working their fingers to the bone for little reward for a tobacco farmer. She became aware of the programme through the village church and thanks to a loan of 20,000 kwacha, which she has already repaid in full, she subdivided her house and created a tea shop in her home. She now serves tea, scones and bread rolls and is able to afford to educate her four daughters.

Farewell Chrispine

Hope Missions bids a fond farewell to Chrispine Ungapembe, who has worked with the team since 2008. Chris has shown exceptional faith and dedication, and he will be missed by both the HMM team and the villagers he has worked with.

Hope Missions wishes Chrispine all the best in his new role at an international NGO and also for his wedding later this year. We look forward to staying in relationship with him and hope he will be able to visit us in the future.

Bumper Crops in Biwi

The Chief Salimoyo of Biwi has so embraced the principles of the Farming God's Way programme that he has made it a requirement for each household in his village to have its own compost heap. This will help the village to reduce its dependency upon expensive chemical fertilisers and to increase yields in an environmentally friendly way.

He and his wife are shown here presenting Sara Millington with some large maize cobs from this year's harvest.

Please pray...

We thank God that HMM continues to win favour with the local authorities. A government official who witnessed the recent training in Chapsinja and Biwi was so delighted that he declared, "One day there will be a technical school here." Please therefore pray for an increase in opportunities to further the Gospel.

For the HMM team as they adjust to losing Chrispine and his many skills. Please pray that God will bring along the right people to be added into the team and that suitable funding can be found for their wages.

For the provision of HMM's own vehicle, which will release the team from the pressure of juggling borrowed and leased vehicles along with minibuses and bicycle taxis.

For God's provision and blessing on the HMM staff and their families as they continue to serve others despite significant economic hardship for their own families.