March 6, 2006

Dear Friends and Family,

The exciting news from us is the addition of John and Joseph into our family. They were born August 14, 2004, and joined our family in December. Their birth mother died just after delivery, and the birth father is not involved in their care. Their paternal grandparents were raising them as best as they could, but they were unable to take good care of the twins. John and Joseph were taken to the Ministry of Hope Crisis Nursery in Lilongwe, which is how they came to our attention. The boys were 50 percent of normal mean weight and physically delayed in their development, but they have caught up rapidly. They couldn’t walk at 15 months, but they could sit and scoot. Now they are toddling around and getting into everything. Michael, Jason, Salome, and Selina are doing fine, and they have taken to the new ones easily. In fact, we are certain that John and Joseph have learned to walk so quickly as a defense mechanism to escape from the love and attention of Salome and Selina!

Many of you have heard and responded to the food crisis in Malawi by sending funds to supply food for the community and the hospitals, to help with the fertilizer needed at this time of year so people will have a good crop later in the year, and to support community agriculture and nutrition programs that work to prevent the problem from happening again. Thank you.

The impact of the famine is now being seen in the general economy of Malawi. Imagine being unable to find for weeks at a time a food that you and your family eat every day. Because of the famine, maize flour—a staple for nearly every Malawian—is not available in any of the stores and is only found in the open air markets as un-ground maize. People can take the maize to the grinding mill to be made into flour, but the price is nearly triple of what it usually is. We ask for continued prayers for those who are struggling to feed their families and for those who are helping undernourished and suffering families.

From February 6 to 16 was the 27th Christian Medical and Dental Association Conference at Brackenhurst, Kenya. It is held there every two years, and although it is designed to give American doctors and nurses their required continuing education units, many national doctors from around Africa also attend to update their knowledge.

Because Jim was willing to take on the responsibility of caring for our six kids, I was able to attend. It was a wonderful time of fellowship. I met old friends from previous meetings and made new ones, and it was a great time for intellectual and spiritual refreshment. Thank you all for your prayers of support for Jim while he was a single dad for the two weeks.

One of the encouraging updates at the conference was hearing how many countries now have some access to antiretroviral therapy for HIV positive people with signs of AIDS. Access is still extremely limited compared to more developed countries, but the picture is better than it was 10 years ago. However, the need for vigilance—not complacency—was reinforced for Jim and me, as three people we knew died from AIDS within a four-week period around New Years.

In January, the Synod of Livingstonia Scholarship Committee allocated its funds for the year. We were able to fund a total of 185 students for secondary school, an increase of 55 students from last year. Eighteen of the 185 students were funded by individuals who designated their funds for particular students. Studies demonstrate that as people’s education levels increase their health does too, so not only is education important as a tool for obtaining employment, it is integral for improving people’s health. The yearly cost of secondary school is approximately $150. The per capita income for Malawi is $170 a year. For many families, the chance for their children to attend secondary school is slim. Thank you to all you have helped support the scholarship fund.

May you experience a blessed Lenten,

Jodi, Jim, Michael, Jason, Salome, Selina, John, and Joseph

The 2006 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 337