Linda Johnson, Associate Pastor

In the distance I could see heads carrying buckets and bundles of wood along unseen paths connecting villages. The sky was endless; the horizon stretched forever. Our car threw up dust along the narrow road. Skinny cows grazed in fields. It was their winter and the landscape was barren and dry but beautiful nonetheless. Before we arrived in the village we could hear the singing. The singing! It seemed to be in rhythm with the heartbeat of the earth itself. Pulling in we were greeted by broad smiles and outstretched hands of welcome. The village itself was stark and barren. Mud huts with thatch roofs. Barefoot children. A few chickens scratching and clucking about. The gardens were scant and the maize fields dried up, the rainy growing season over.

It would have been a bleak and depressing experience except for the warmth and joy of the people. Their joy is in their faith in God and in their Christian community. They are hungry to learn about the Bible, about good nutrition and health, about Christian marriage and parenting, and about the United Methodist Church. And they are also just hungry. Without income, they can only eat what they can grow. And they can/could only grow gardens in the rainy season—unless or until they have a borehole (deep well).

But there is hope, and that’s what our Christmas Miracle offering is about this year. The Malawi UMC now has an agricultural specialist who works for $2,000 a year. Gas is about $7 a gallon. Damiyo (Lester) Mhone, who is known by several Belmonters, is teaching farmers how to adopt sustainable farming practices, like using water from boreholes for irrigation that can help them achieve their dream of never-ending food. No more having to wait for the rainy season only. No hungry season in January and February waiting for the new crop to come in, but plenty of vegetables and kitchen gardens grown year round. We need to help Damiyo get out to those remote United Methodist communities with a truckload of information, seeds, treadle pumps, and watering cans so this dream can become a reality. Damiyo needs a truck!

Just think about it. A truck and some gas can result in children going to bed with full bellies, not just one night, but every night. It would be a miracle the mothers and fathers in Malawi. For us it might just mean giving up a week of coffee at Starbucks or skipping an occasional dessert. The miracle for us is that we would be giving Jesus a birthday present he would really appreciate. “…for I was hungry and you gave me food.”