Keeping You Updated!

I have asked many of you to consider joining me in combating the AID's pandemic and sharing God's love with the orphans of Malawi by supporting me prayerfully and financially. Although I haved saved every penny I am still a good distance away from the amount I will need to take this trip. The trip is going to cost $3,000 plus all my vaccinations. If you feel led to support me financially please see the column on the left for details. Thank you to all of you who have already contacted me or given financially! In this blog I will keep you all updated on where I am financially and I will post prayer requests as I prepare over the next two months! Thank you in advanced for all your prayers!


I'm so excited to start this blog to share with all of you as I prepare for my trip to Africa! Here is a little background information to start:

Many of you know that I have been attending Summit Church for the past five years. Summit’s vision statement is: To be a biblically functioning community; that reaches lost people, connects in Christ-centered relationships, teaches truths, serves others, and worships God. Although Summit has only been around for a short time (five years) God has truly blessed this church. Over the last couple of years God has called Summit to partner significantly in stopping the AIDS pandemic in Africa. Our pastor and leadership team has asked each person to pray, get educated, and go! We did a whole series on this process in 2006. At that time I truly felt God calling me to go to Africa on one of our many mission trips. Unfortunately, God was not giving me the okay to go just yet. Over the past year I have been working on the education part. I have learned more about one of the organizations we have partnered with, “Children of the Nations” (COTN). COTN’s mission is, “empowering nationals to provide holistic care for orphaned and destitute children enabling them to create positive and lasting change in their nations.” Not only are they caring for these children they are raising them to be leaders to help their country and families. I am so glad that I have waited to go as God has built up a greater passion in my heart for all His children in Africa.

This past summer I began working for Weight Watchers a couple times a week to help pay my bills. Shortly after I started working, I knew I was supposed to use this job solely to pay for my trip to Africa. I can honestly say, at first, I was a little nervous about this because I needed the money to pay my bills. However, God has been so faithful!! Not only has God provided but I have learned to budget my money in ways I didn’t think was possible. Secondly, what a blessing it is to go to work knowing every minute I work I get closer to Africa! I’m not sure if I can explain it, but it makes such a difference to be earning this money for God’s plan and not for me.

Now that I have prayed, educated myself and prepared I am ready to go! I will be going to Malawi on July 2 nd for 12 days with 39 other adults. I am so excited!

Fun Facts About Malawi!

Malawi—Country Facts

Population: 13,603,181 (less than 3% of the population is over 65 years old)

Location: Central Africa, east of Zambia

History: Established in 1891, the British protectorate of Nyasaland became the independent nation of Malawi in 1964. After three decades of one-party rule under President Hastings Kamuzu Banda the country held multiparty elections in 1994, under a provisional constitution which came into full effect the following year. Current President Bingu wa Mutharika, elected in May 2004 after a failed attempt by the previous president to amend the constitution to permit another term, struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor, culminating in Mutharika quitting the political party on whose ticket he was elected into office. Mutharika subsequently started his own party, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), and has continued with a halting anti-corruption campaign against abuses carried out under the previous regime. Increasing corruption, population growth, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, and the spread of HIV/AIDS pose major problems for the country.

Government: Multi-party democracy

Official name: Republic of Malawi

President: Bingu wa Mutharika

Capital: Lilongwe

Independence Day: July 6, 1964 (from UK)

Religions: Christian 79.9%, Muslim 12.8%, other 3%, none 4.3% (1998 census)

Language: Malawi has two official languages: English and Chichewa. However, Chichewa is more widely spoken in villages as English is only used commercially.

Family Life: In family life it is not uncommon to share a home with grandparents, aunts, uncles, or in-laws. There is great respect in this culture for elders (and wisdom) in the family and community. Any child who has lost one parent is considered orphaned. If double-orphaned (a loss of both parents), generally the child will first go to live with an uncle. This can cause relatives to be overburdened.

Economy: Landlocked Malawi ranks among the world's least developed countries. The economy is predominately agricultural, with about 85% of the population living in rural areas. Agriculture accounts for about one-third of GDP and four-fifths of export revenues. The performance of the tobacco sector is key to short-term growth as tobacco accounts for more than half of exports. The economy depends on substantial inflows of economic assistance from the IMF, the World Bank, and individual donor nations. In 2006, Malawi was approved for relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) program. The government faces many challenges, including developing a market economy, improving educational facilities, facing up to environmental problems, dealing with the rapidly growing problem of HIV/AIDS, and satisfying foreign donors that fiscal discipline is being tightened. In 2005, President MUTHARIKA championed an anticorruption campaign. Since 2005 President MUTHARIKA'S government has exhibited improved financial discipline under the guidance of Finance Minister Goodall GONDWE.

Natural Resources: limestone, arable land, hydropower, uranium, coal, and bauxite

Exports: tobacco 53%, tea, sugar, cotton, coffee, peanuts, wood products, apparel

Currency: Malawi Kwacha (MKW) Malawian kwachas per US dollar - 135.96 (2006), 108.894 (2005), 108.898 (2004), 97.433 (2003), 76.687 (2002)

Population below the poverty line: 53% (2004)

Time required to start a business: 37 days

Education: In Malawi, primary school is free; whereas secondary school is not.

Typical Secondary School Fees: $50-250 per term (3 terms)

Literacy Rate: (definition: age 15 and over can read and write) total population: 62.7%, male: 76.1%, female: 49.8% (2003 est.

Health: Malawi has been ravaged by the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and death has become an everyday occurrence. Of the 13.6 million people who live in Malawi, over 10% are young children who have been orphaned as a result of HIV/AIDS, famine, malaria or a number of treatable diseases. It is not uncommon to see coffin shops along side of the road and in the villages.

Infant mortality: about 125/1000 births

Births per woman: about 6

Life expectancy: 40 years

Physicians per 1000 people: 0

Health Expenditures per capita: $19

People living with HIV/AIDS: 900,000 (2003)

Climate: Malawi is an inland African country with a tropical climate. The lower elevations are covered with dense rainforests and occupied by a variety of exotic wildlife. Mid-April to August is the dry, cool season (with cold nights).

Fun Facts:

Internet Users: 4.1/1,000 people

Telephone landlines: 102,700 Cell Phones: 429,300 (2005)

Airports: 39 Airports with paved runways: 6

Environmental Issues: deforestation; land degradation; water pollution from agricultural runoff, sewage, industrial wastes; siltation of spawning grounds endangers fish populations

Staple Food: Nsima (maize-meal patty) and rice

I've been asked to be a leader

The church recently asked me to be a leader on our trip. Since the group that is going is so big they would like to split us into six teams. I had a meeting today to learn more of the details. I will have five people on my team. Two of those people are my best friend Christy and her boyfriend Chris. I'm so excited about having them on my team! Christy has been such a blessing in my life and I can't wait to grow in our relationship while serving in Africa together. Today we discussed what our schedule is going to look like while we're in Africa. My group will be visiting with a specific family each day to develop a relationship with them and show them they matter to God. This family will be a family which has been adopted by COTN. This means there will be children in this family who are orphans, but are living with their extended family. Some of these families may have ten children. COTN helps these families by adding some of these children to their sponsorship registry. In other words, these children are ready to be sponsored which will provide funds to pay for their food, education, and clothing. This will help relieve some of the strain on the family. After we get to know our families we will invite them to an educational event to discuss AID's and True Love Waits. We want to education them on how AID's is transmitted and what God's plan in for sex and marriage. We are also going to spend time playing and loving on the children who are "true" orphans. In other words, they have no family members left alive. These children live in the COTN housing. There is also a widow program we will also be helping with. There is so much for me to learn! Their culture is so different. I have two books I will be reading to help me understand their culture and to understand AID's better. I have a lot of preparing to do before July 2nd! I can't wait to share with you all what I learn and what God will be teaching me over the next two months. Thanks for reading and will you please pray for me to manage my time well.




























I would love to introduce you to the people in my life!

The first picture is my wonderful family!! The second picture is my AOII famil (minus a few amazing sisters! I miss you). The Third is my small group bible study out to eat for our birthdays and the Four is us camping...well in a cabin. The fifth is Summit's Beach Baptism! I love these days! Dale and Chris both got Baptised this day! The sixth is Paintball! Enough said. The seventh is the end of our St. Patrick's day, after all the food and fun we ended up sitting around singing praise and worship songs....what a great way to the end the night! And the last picture is us Sumit ladies wanting to go out all dressed up for a nice dinner. So we begged the guys to join us! We ended with a nice long ride on Kyle's parents boat! What a great evening!