New Bikes...

These are two of the gardeners who work here at the Free Methodist Compound. Solomon is on the left and Kangiwiya is the one on the right. Sometimes life here seems very routine with work and school. But the other day we were lucky enough to really make a difference in a couple of guys lives. Both Solomon and Kangiwiya live very far away from us. One walks 1 1/2 hours to work here and the other walks over 2 hours to get here. Then they have to walk home. While they are here the work they do is very physical. We were able to help them buy bikes so that now they can make it here in just 1/2 the time. It was so cool to see the big smiles on their faces when they recieved their bikes. They are working extra helping us with our tent rentals to pay for part of the bike while we were able to subsidize the rest.

Sometimes here it seems like what we are doing makes very little difference but when you get to be personally involved in helping make someones life more pleasant it really makes it all seem worthwhile. During the months that we have lived here in this compound we have had a great opportunity to connect with some very amazing Malawians like Solomon and Kangiwiya. We have been able to help 2 kids here go to school for this term that would not have been able to afford the fees without assistance, we have been able to provide extra food for some of the families living here on campus, we have hosted a business training weekend for some of the pastors in this area but most of all we have been able to make friendships and really get to hear some amazing stories.

We are so thankful to be able to be here in Malawi. Please continue to pray that we would have tolerance and patience with the inconsistent power, internet and water and that we will stay open to whatever God has planned for us to do here.

David, Becky, Ryan and Kimmy

Spring Break.....

So, we haven't been as good as we should be in keeping this blog up to date. One reason has been the lengthy power outages here. There has also been some interruptions with the internet but now that the rainy season is pretty much over we are hoping that it will be more consistent here.

It is Spring Break now so the kids are out of school for 2 weeks. Good Friday and the Monday after Easter are both gov't holidays so I am lucky enough to get a 4 day weekend. We might be lucky enough to get to the lake for one of the days. On Easter Sunday we are going to a concert/dinner for some of our friends who are in a band. That should be fun.

Before school ended for the term Ryan was lucky enough to be selected to play in a basketball tournament. I am sure you can imagine how excited he was about that. His team actually played very well and they took third place!

We also have have started renting out tents for weddings, engagements, etc... These are the tents that our friend Jay was picking up when he was mugged in South Africa. Thankfully he is okay but that was a very scary situation for both him and us. Here are a couple of pics of the tents.

They look so great now that we have figured out how to set them up. A word to the wise.... don't try to set up big tents in a lightening / rain storm like we did the first time!

We have already rented out two of the tents this last weekend. Apparently these kinds of tents are in high demand all year round to protect from both rain and sun! We use the young guys living and working here on campus to get them set up and torn down. It is a big help to Sam, Jay and David as well as giving them an opportunity to make some extra money!

Pray for Jay as he makes one more trip to South Africa to get the one remaining tent that is still there. He should be making the trip soon after the Easter holiday.

We pray that you have a blessed Easter holiday back at home. We miss you all greatly and pray for you often.