June 2001

Dear Friends,

"Scientists believe that some regions of space exert such powerful gravity that they act like gigantic vacuum cleaners, sucking in any matter that comes too close. That matter—whether it is a comet, a planet, or a cloud of gas—is crushed to infinite density and disappears forever. The gravity is so intense that it tugs at time and space, slowing down time and stretching out space. Not even light can escape the fierce gravitational pull, so they remain black and invisible. The American physicist John Wheeler named these dark, devouring voids ‘black holes’" (Compton’s Encyclopedia 2000).

No, this is not a science newsletter. When I first moved to Africa in 1983—and if I had not written my parents for a long time—my mother would write to me and say she felt as if she were dropping her letters to me into a black hole. Probably many of you, our friends, family, and church family, have felt the same. And, to be truthful, our first six months in Mzuzu, Malawi, has sometimes felt to us as if we were living in a black hole.

At the request of the Synod of Livingstonia, in November 2000 we moved from Embangweni, where we had lived for nearly 10 years, to Mzuzu (where I think it rains more often than the sun shines) to assume positions that offer us the challenge of working at a Synod-wide level. Jim is now Protected Water Coordinator in the Synod’s Development Department and continues to have his construction and procurement skills utilized throughout the Synod. Jodi is the Primary Health Care Coordinator, Deputy Health Coordinator, and Interim Coordinator for the Synod’s AIDS Control Program. From October 2000 to April 2001, she was interim director for a four-year USAID child survival program in three hospitals. The program is now in the very capable and devout hands of Victor Kabaghe.

Shortly after moving to Mzuzu we spent a few weeks in the States to have our son Michael’s ear operated on and to visit Jim’s mother and family. Michael had chronic ear infections that resulted in the loss of the tympanic membrane and severe damage to two of the three ear bones of his left ear. He underwent nearly five hours of surgery in Atlanta to reconstruct the ear. Unfortunately, the ENT had to remove the two ear bones, which means that Michael is deaf in that ear. Fortunately, after a couple of years, he can have prosthetic ear bones put into his ear so he will be able to have normal hearing again.

When we returned in January 2001 we found ourselves immersed in work that we hadn’t even expected to have—work we knew we would have but was more demanding than we had anticipated, and with new duties seemingly added daily. In addition, the adjustment to living in a town has been spiritually and emotionally exhausting.

However, it does seem as if we are beginning to pull away from the "powerful gravity" that was sucking us in, and we are now getting our bearings. One of the first steps was deciding on a church home. We have transferred our church membership from Embangweni to a lively, active church in Mzuzu called Katawa. The pastor even gets the congregation standing up, singing, and clapping their hands. This may not sound like a feat to those who attend more charismatic churches but for a Presbyterian Church congregation, African or Western, it is the Spirit at work!

We are getting our work schedules more under control (although I am writing this letter at nearly midnight and Jim is away for two days doing his work), and the boys have adjusted very well to their new nursery school, which is just across the street from our house. Although the school they are attending is not technically a Christian school they are coming home singing "This Little Light of Mine," "Deep and Wide," and "Jesus Loves Me."

There is rarely anything that is completely bad or good. The move to Mzuzu has been "good" in that it has opened our eyes wider to the diverse work of the church with the Synod of Livingstonia and has given us the opportunity to interact with people from throughout the Synod and with other denominations.

We know that an opposing force that has kept us from getting completely sucked in and "disappearing forever" has been the letters, e-mails, prayers, and thoughts that have come our way. Although mostly unacknowledged by us in writing, they were and are always appreciated, helpful, and sustaining.

Another opposing force has been the spiritual support and witness from several of our Malawian colleagues. We thank you all and thank God for nurturing and supporting us.

Please note our new e-mail and mailing addresses below.

Jim and Jodi McGill

The 2001 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 41