Kara Oliver, Malawi Missionary

This place is really hopping!

Several years ago, the Malawi Missionary Conference shared a vision with Belmont UMC of a conference center in Blantyre with administrative offices, hostels, a beautiful chapel, and meeting rooms. The only thing they had was a large piece of land, a temporary shelter church, a few small houses, and big dreams. But Belmont UMC responded with a generous donation as part of their own building campaign.

When we came in 2009, Jeff was assigned the task of starting the construction of the perimeter fence. We have learned that the first thing to do is to secure the property so that materials are secure as further building and development takes place. This fence (the funds allowed us to finish 50% of the fence) began to create clear boundaries and signal a larger presence of the UMC in the neighborhood on what we refer to as Nancholi properties.

In recent months, Jeff has again moved this vision forward. The conference staff (yes, we are a staff!) decided it was time to stop renting office space next to the egg sellers and move onto our own property! The largest of the houses on the property has fresh interior paint, new locks, a new gate at the fence, and the furniture moved in. . . .And the vision moves a step closer to reality.

But this simple move has triggered a new ownership and activity as well. One of the smaller houses has been designated for the Women’s Office and Health Ministry. It will house the women’s organization assistant, the newly hired health coordinator and accommodate the new nutrition program. Renovations on this house will begin this week.

Nevertheless, the women and health ministries didn’t wait for the renovations to begin utilizing the space. In April the two organizations partnered to host an HIV/AIDS training seminar for pastors’ wives to raise awareness and begin building capacity in each of the circuits. The women slept in the Women/Health office; and the sessions were held at Galilea local church.

AND, simultaneously that weekend a representative from United Methodist Communications (Nashville) was training 9 communicators in news writing in the head office.

Two weeks later, Galilea UMC opened a full day, English-only nursery school. They are employing two Galilea women who were trained in Early Childhood Education earlier in the year by our new missionary, Inke Johannsen. Nearly forty children are enrolled with a waiting list of over 20!

I sat in my office last week surrounded by nearly 10,000 new booklets produced by the Publications Committee; Jeff worked to install the wireless internet (another gift from Belmont UMC); the superintendent answered emails in the office next door. I got a call from Inke asking if I could run something over to the nursery school. As I went I found the pastor and Mai Abusa outside the parsonage discussing activities for the week and placed my order for mushrooms from the Galilea women’s project located on the same property.    

Oh, and within a month Tiwasunge (a home-based care organization) will likely start raising chickens in the poultry house located adjacent to the head office.

And at the beginning of June  Belmont UMC’s Volunteer in Mission team will work with lay members of Galilea UMC to continue renovations at the head office, painting the exterior, repairing some cement work, and a little beautification, too.

It’s amazing to see the transformation in just a month’s time. And the activity on this one piece of property is a microcosm of all that is happening within the conference as whole. Please keep praying and I will pray that each of you are able to “come and see” for yourselves.