Chimwangombe is the feeding center/village the 2007  team worked at for the entire 2 weeks they were there.  One of their main projects was to construct a goat house, and our 2008 team was able to see how God was using that goat house to bless the village.  First, the villagers ended up using the building as a chicken house.... but from selling the eggs, the village had raised enough money to send 2 kids to secondary school (which is high-school over here, and is not free over there), they bought a plot of land which they had cultivated and were growing vegetables on, and they were able to purchase the necessary medicine for a couple of kids who had HIV/AIDS!  Wow!  What an incredible blessing. This chicken house was named 'House of Many Hands'.  The chicken house our team constructed was at a different village- Katondo-, which will be the next post I will publish.  

Immediately upon arrival, the village kids ran up to our taxi bus.  They all seemed so happy and excited about something 'new' going on in their village.  We gave the kids here a VBS story and craft, sang songs, played games, gave out toothbushes and toothpaste, and YES, I had the privilege of showing them how to brush their teeth!!  They all had seen toothbrushes before, but brushing teeth was not a daily hygienic routine like it is here- there is not a nearby store to walk to that sells it, and even if there were, they would most likely not have the money to buy those items.  Money goes toward food. 

We also had time to just hang out with them, talk with them, and encourage them.  Most know some English, and many could speak English well enough to have a conversation.  We did have 4 translators from the African Bible College (ABC) with us, and they were able to communicate for us to the ones who knew little or no English, and this was extremely helpful with the medical mission at the 3 other centers we worked at.

It was humbling to see their living situations, their lack of comfort and lack of food, kids orphaned because of HIV/AIDS, dirty clothes with holes, no shoes, obvious health problems... but through it all, every one of those kids we saw (and adults too) were smiling.  They had such a peace about the life God has given them.  Why can't we Americans be like that?  Why can't I be like that?  With all that we have over here, we still want more.  We complain about the things we have; they didn't complain about the things they didn't have. Well, the Malawians ended up teaching me a few things.  Maybe that is one reason God sent me.  

"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life" Philippians 2:14-16