The growth chart for Malawian
children could be printed below our U.S. growth chart on the same
sheet of paper, meaning that the biggest children here in Malawi
are smaller than those we would consider underweight in the West.
Children are most vulnerable to the “hunger season,”
when last year’s food has gone and the new crop has not
yet been harvested. Although there is free elementary education
in Malawi, many children are still unable to attend for lack of
simple supplies like clothes and notebooks, and the training of
teachers is often limited. We highly prize many wonderful children’s
books that have been read and reread and memorized; but most Malawian
children wouldn’t think of reading because there are no
books at home.
Malawians are very concerned with the corruption that now infects
their society, including to some degree the church, and they relate
much of their current distress to its effects. This week is a
presidential election that has provoked prayer and pondering from
all I have met, and I would ask you to pray specifically for a
just leader for this country. Perhaps they will in turn pray for
us. Many feel God is judging them because of the widespread use
of witchcraft and sorcery, though I have had some difficulty embracing
this idea. Certainly the power of evil is something considered
by Malawians much more strongly than for us in the West, and in
their minds the church must specifically combat witchcraft to
be proclaiming the message of Christ.
The church here is trying hard to respond to the crisis of HIV/AIDS.
A speaker at a recent conference for Christian health care providers
said “If the church remains silent about HIV/AIDS, it will
be seen as similar to the church in Germany remaining silent during
the Holocaust.” There are several different ministries targeted
to AIDS patients. The distribution of home-based care kits for
people with AIDS is one the PC(USA) has strongly supported. A
ministry of touch and a program to promote the inclusion of AIDS
victims in the church and community have been espoused. There
is also strong interest in community-based orphan projects that
care for children left alone when their parents have died of HIV.
I have learned to pray more, panic less, and be less attached
to my agenda in the weeks since I’ve arrived. I have felt
the joy of the families whose children have recovered from severe
illness and been warmed by their gratitude. We depend on and deeply
appreciate the prayers of so many people in the United States,
and hope to be faithful servants of God in this new place.
May the Lord be with you!
Barbara, Melia and Anna Nagy |
