KING'S VICTORY ACADEMY: CLASS PHOTOS

I told the students that I would first take one "serious"

or "formal" photo--and then one "fun" or "silly" photo.

They loved it!

 Form One (Grade 9)  English L.A.

For most of these students,

this is their FIRST year to study English.

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 Form 3 (Grade 11) English L.A. and English Literature

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 Form 4 East (Grade 12) English Literature

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Form 4 West (Grade 12) English Literature



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GIRLS (AND BOYS) WITH GUITARS

Jan. 27


I held my first guitar class on the 16th. As you can see by the photos, the students were EXCITED!  They waved and shouted, "Hi, Richie!"


We meet Mondays and Wednesdays during the lunch break. I can already see/hear some of them getting their fingers coordinated and pressing hard enough to make all the strings sound.


Now that gas for the car is more readily available, I hope to be able to get to the store to buy the other guitars.


Fun times!

SHARING MY BLOG POSTS

In response to requests for permission to share blog posts: absolutely! I share them on my own Facebook wall, and I also email them. So, go right ahead :)

HARRY

January 25th

To say that Harry's life has been difficult is a huge understatement. He is an orphan with two older sisters.  Harry's mother died when he was just 3 months old. His father died when he was 3 years old.  An uncle took them in, but he also died--just 2 days before Harry had to write his grade 8 exams (these exams determined his eligibility to continue on to secondary school). His school teacher took Harry into his home until the end of the school year when there was nowhere else to live.


Life has been one struggle after another for Harry and his sisters. His married sister has been supporting him for the past while. She has 3 little girls. She was 7 months pregnant just  two or three weeks ago when she went into labour prematurely. Harry said his sister had had malaria and her weak physical condition complicated her pregnancy. She had twin boys that did not survive (there is no neonatal intensive care unit here). She was kept in the hospital for a week because of complications and is still very anemic.


Harry's sister has been the primary wage earner in the household (her husband had a job but he was not paid, so he is looking for other work). They also care for her husband's younger sister. Because of her weak condition she has been unable to work for awhile. This past weekend, a brick wall that was in the section of their house where Harry's bedroom was collapsed in the night (the recent heavy rains have caused many such incidents in houses where the mud bricks have not been reinforced with cement). Fortunately, no one was injured.

Harry has been staying with a friend this week, but his sister has no money to buy soap to clean his uniforms and the rest of the mess. There is no money for food either, so they've had nights where they (including the little girls) have gone to bed hungry .



There is also no money to pay school fees--and there is still an outstanding balance from the first term.  Harry is exceptionally bright. He is taking advanced mathematics during lunch hours (the only student to do so). I have had conversations with this young man and I believe he has the potential to become a government leader, or perhaps a diplomat. His dream is to not only improve his own life, but to be the first in his family to graduate--and to be able to help his entire village someday. Harry desperately needs a sponsor: someone who will pay his school fees so that he can finish his final year, write the exams, and thereby be eligible for a university scholarship.
How much money? Far, far less than in Canada:

Tuition fees = $225.00     ($75.00 x 3 terms)
Identity card fee = $ 3.00
(mandatory for government exams)
Government exam fee per student  = $   7.53
TOTAL =   $235.53
If you will sponsor Harry, please email me at: 
oceanInez@hotmail.com


Sponsors for other orphaned students are also needed.
Donations to help Harry's family (and other orphans
like Harry) can be made through Friends of Malawi
Fellowship in Edmonton or through Bethel Church in
Quesnel.

PETROL

January 24th

Arnold took his car into Blantyre today to look for fuel. He came upon a station with fuel---and NO QUEUE!!


Thanks be to God for releasing the supply.

MY TESTIMONY: GOD CARES FOR THE ORPHANED AND THE FATHERLESS

SERMON NOTES FOR January 22, 2012

 Good morning. My name is Inez M^cGowan. I arrived from Canada on January 1^st to help my mum with her work here in Malawi. I will be here until July.

A lot of things here in Malawi are very different from what I am used to in Canada. For example, the petrol queues.  I have never seen that before coming here. That reminds me of a story I heard:

(Out Of Petrol)

A nurse who worked for a local home health care agency was out making her rounds

when she ran out of petrol. Fortunately, there was a station just down the street. She walked to the station to borrow a can with enough petrol to start the car. The attendant regretfully told her that the only can he owned had just been loaned out, but if she would care to wait he was sure it would be back shortly. Since the nurse was on her way to see a patient she decided not to wait and walked back to her car. She looked through her car for something—anything—to carry to the station to fill with petrol. She saw a bedpan that she was going to deliver to her patient. So, she carried the bedpan to the station, filled it with petrol, and carried it back to her car.

As she was pouring the petrol into the tank of her car two men walked by. They looked at the nurse pouring the contents of the bedpan into the tank. One of the men turned to the other man and said; "Now THAT is what I call FAITH!"

I want to start this morning by reading a Scripture for you:

Psalm 68:4-6 (NIV)

Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,

extol him who rides on the clouds;

rejoice before him—his name is the LORD.

A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,

is God in his holy dwelling.

God sets the lonely in families,

he leads out the prisoners with singing;

but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

I want to tell you about my background. I was born in a fishing community on the coast of BC, Canada. I had an older sister and an older brother, who were both not yet 3 years old. My mother was very busy with 3 little children!  My grandmother helped Mom to take care of us.

My father was a commercial fisherman. He fished on the ocean for salmon to earn a living. When he went fishing he would be away from home for a week or more at a time. So, it was hard for my mother, raising her children alone. She was unhappy. And when my father was home, he drank alcohol. They argued often: about money, about alcohol, about everything. Their marriage broke apart. My mother found another man, who turned out to be a bad man. He took drugs and he sold drugs to others. My mother became addicted to drugs. My father found another woman, and he continued to drink. My grandmother helped as much as she could, but eventually my father decided he would give us to his sister to take care of us.

I was in grade 4 (standard 4) when my father took us on a bus to the next province, Alberta, which was about 1400 km away. The next day he went back to his home in BC.  I was devastated. No mom. No dad. No grandmother. For at least a month, I cried myself to sleep every night. I missed them so much. My mom and my dad said that they loved me. But why didn’t they keep me? My heart was broken and I was sad for a very long time.

My father sent me a Bible for my birthday. I found a Bible verse that seemed to be written to me:

Psalm 27:10 (KJV)

Though my father and mother forsake me,

yet the Lord will take me up.

I printed it in the front of my birthday Bible and read it every day.

My uncle was a pastor. Soon after I moved there I went to the front of the church at the end of one of his sermons.  I asked Jesus to forgive my sins and be my Lord. I became a Christian.  I found a second verse about God’s love and printed that one in the back of my Bible:

1^st John 4:10

Herein is love:

not that we loved God,

but that He loved us

and sent His Son

to be the propitiation for our sins.

“Propitiation” means atonement, or payment. I understood that God loved me so much that Jesus came and died—gave his life--for me.

My uncle and aunt taught me many things about living for God and serving God. They trained me to work hard and to remember to pray. I prayed for my father and mother. When I was 16 years old, my mother came back to Jesus and began to live for Him again. God delivered her miraculously and instantly from drug addiction.  My aunt and uncle were my guardians until I finished secondary school. This is the aunt that I now call Mum.

When I was 20 I married a man named Marty. Like me, he also had no father or mother. Like me, God heard Marty’s cry to be loved and to know God’s love. My husband and I have now been married for 30 years. We have 3 children: Jesse, Mike, and Rachel. We raised our children to know God.  We taught them this verse:

James 1:27 (AMP)

External religious worship

[ religion as it is expressed in outward acts]

that is pure and unblemished in the sight of God the Father is this:

to visit and help and care for the orphans and widows

 in their affliction and need,

and to keep oneself unspotted

and uncontaminated from the world.

Caring for those who struggle to care for themselves is God’s COMMAND. It is not an option.

Isaiah 1:17

Learn to do right!

Seek justice, relieve the oppressed, and correct the oppressor.

Defend the fatherless, plead for the widow.

I went to university and earned my teaching degree. I have taught school since 1989.  In 2010, I decided to look for a different job. God directed me to come here to Malawi to teach school until July. My husband sent me here, saying, “Go and check on your mum. See if she is okay. And, go and do some good for God by helping the people there.” So here I am!

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If you are a Christian, God also commands YOU to help the widows, the fatherless, and the orphan.

Deuteronomy 24:19

When you reap your harvest in your field and have forgotten a sheaf

 in the field, you shall not go back to get it;

 it shall be for the stranger and the sojourner,

the fatherless, and the widow,

that the Lord your God may bless you

 in all the work of your hands.

When you beat your olive tree,

 do not go over the boughs again;

the leavings shall be for the stranger and the sojourner,

the fatherless, and the widow.

When you gather the grapes of your vineyard,

you shall not glean it afterward;

 it shall be for the stranger and the sojourner,

the fatherless, and the widow.

Notice that the command comes with a blessing:

 that the Lord your God may bless you

 in all the work of your hands.

If you are blessed with extra—you are commanded to share. And God will bless you with more—to share!

There was a woman—a nun—named Mother Teresa, who went to India to care for lepers who were dying. She wrote:

At the end of life we will not be judged by how

many diplomas we have received,

how much money we have made,

how many great things we have done.

We will be judged by "I was hungry,

and you gave me something to eat,

I was naked and you clothed me.

I was homeless, and you took me in."

Hungry not only for bread -- but hungry for love.

Naked not only for clothing -- but naked of human dignity and respect.

Homeless not only for want of a home of bricks -- but homeless because of rejection.

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If you are not a Christian:

I am here today as a witness of God’s love. I testify of God’s faithfulness. I am proof of God’s salvation. What He has done for me, He can also do for you!

God heard my cries for help when I was a little girl. He put me into a family. He saved me.

His Word tells us that he has a special love and concern for the widow, the fatherless, and the orphan:

Psalm 10:14

You have seen it;

yes, You note trouble and grief (vexation)

to requite it with Your hand.

The unfortunate commits himself to You;

You are the helper of the fatherless.

God made me part of his family. Does he love me more than He loves you? Absolutely not!! God has the same promise for you.

2 Corinthians 6:18 (KJV)

“And I will be a Father unto you,

and ye shall be my sons and daughters,

saith the Lord Almighty.

Will you turn from your own way and give your life to Jesus today? God wants to offer you a place in His family. If you want to ask Jesus to forgive you of your sins and make you part of God’s family, we will pray for you this morning.

Thank you.

MIRACLE #1

3 days ago I accidentally killed my brand new printer (that I'd brought with me in my suitcase).
Voltage is different here, and I didn't know that the converter I use for my laptop, personal fan,  and phone/camera/battery chargers wasn't sufficient for the printer. I plugged the printer into a different place--and there was a pop! and smoke poured out!


:( I cried. Yes, I did, and I wrote a very sad email about it to Marty, too. He encourgaged me to put the negative aside and keep going. Arnold Banda examined it and also pronounced it deceased.


The next day I asked one of my students, "Can God heal a printer?"


The day after that Arnold was preparing to help the computer teacher print some papers for the principal (we're very selective about what we choose to print here because of the cost of paper and toner). He felt God prompt him to use my printer instead. So...he plugged everything back in (using the power converter that sits on the floor and looks like a big cell battery), pressed the power button...AND IT CAME ON--AND IT PRINTED EVERYTHING!  


MIRACLE #1

PRAYER REQUEST

Please, pray that Arnold will be able to get petrol for his and Mum's cars.


January 22nd update
Got petrol today! We were heading into Blantyre to go out for lunch after the service when we came upon a gas station with a short queue. Arnold pulled a quick U-turn, got into line, and 15 minutes later we had 4 gallons in our tank. Thanks for praying!

MARTYRS' DAY

Jan. 16th

Today was a national holiday.
"John Chilembwe Day" (January 15th) honours the life of this famous Malawian. On January 23rd 1915, Reverend Chilembwe (not a politician or activist, but a pastor) led a revolt against the British colonial government--without a single gun or bullet. The uprising ended when Rev. Chilembwe was killed a few weeks later.


Between 1953 and 1963 Nyasaland (Malawi), Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) became members of the Federation of Central Africa.
During an uprising against the Federation in 1959, forty people lost their lives. These people are remembered on March 3rd every year on Martyr's Day.


Independence was declared in 1964 and the country became a republic in 1966.

STUDENTS AND SCHOOL: PART 1

Jan. 15th

I want to share a little about the school and my students.


First, the school. The classrooms are made of brick and concrete, with tin roofs. The windows openings have wooden shutters but no glass. Although the classrooms have all the wiring for lights and outlets, the school still does not have electricity to the campus. Mum has been trying for 5 years but progress here is slow. There is one very, very old blackboard per classroom, There are no overhead projectors or screens, no DVD players or TVs; no personal computers or laptops, and no furnished science lab, gymnasium, or p.a. system. There is a computer lab set up in the house's living/dining room, with a dozen or so ancient monitors and towers. The computer teachers and techs in Malawi are ingenious at scavenging broken computers and rebuilding parts to keep the old "beasts" running!


There are no school buses. Students either walk (up to 4 km each way) or catch the public minibuses (13-passenger vans) to get to school. Sometimes the minibus drivers arbitrarily decide to permit only adults on their buses, and just drive right on by the teens.


The school day starts at 7:10 a.m. with chapel. The first class begins at 7:30 a.m.--each class 35 minutes long. Break is from 9:55 to 10:20. By 11:30 a.m. the west-facing classrooms can be heated like a sauna. Lunch break is from 12:05 to 1:35. There are many student clubs that meet during the lunch break. That is also when I offer guitar and singing lessons. Classes resume at 1:35, with dismissal at 3:20 p.m. Fridays are half-days, with dismissal at 12:05.


I have 36 students in my Form 1 (grade 9) English language class. We have 6 textbooks (including the one I use). Yes, 6 books for 36 students. They get into groups to read and to copy exercises. They have 2-person desks, made of wood They are heavy and awkward to move around on the concrete floors, so some students turn around in their seats and try to read upside-down. Others stand for the duration of the exercise.

Some of my Form 1 (Grade 9) students

Form 3 (Grade 11) students.
I have EIGHTY students in this class!

Form 4 (Grade 12) students

More Form 4 (Grade 12) students

(to be continued)

MINDING OUR Ps AND Qs

Jan. 12th 

Ps = Petrol                        Qs = Queues: as in, lineups


Gasoline is in chronic short supply here. Yesterday, Arnold queued up for petrol from 1 p.m. until almost 9 p.m. The expected tanker truck showed up--at the other side of the city. Word was that another truck would be there in the morning. Arnold was back at the station at 5:00 a.m. only to find the the truck had been there at 3 a.m. and was emptied in just one hour.

Picture a city at least double the population of Quesnel--with just ONE gas station--everyone waiting in their cars for hours. Waiting, tempers getting shorter by the hour. Finally a tanker truck arrives. It is empty after just one hour, while people are still getting into line.

This is what the situation has been in Blantyre this week.

Friday we were just finishing up our grocery shopping when saw a tanker go by. Arnold's cell phone rang: a friend said the truck had gasoline at a certain station and we should hurry over. We pulled onto that street and...CRAZY!! Cars, trucks, minibuses (13-passenger vans) everywhere, all jammed together with barely 15 cm between them most places. We waited 3 hours. Some drivers had started backing into the pumps, jumping the queue. The station manager decided to shut the place down as things were getting dangerous. We drove home without getting any fuel.

Believe me, it was THAT good!

Jan. 16th update: still haven't gotten any fuel. Word is that the gas station near us will have a delivery in the morning.


Jan. 17th--Arnold paid  for 10L from a contact. Still waiting for the truck...


Jan. 18th--and we're still waiting...


Jan. 22nd--
Got petrol today! We were heading into Blantyre to go out for lunch after the service when we came upon a gas station with a short queue. Arnold pulled a quick U-turn, got into line, and 15 minutes later we had 4 gallons in our tank. Thanks for praying!

Jan. 16th update:


I checked into the comment settings and discovered that my setting that I'd initially chosen had not been saved. Problem is finally fixed--anyone can comment now.


Some have asked how to post comments.
Here's how:
1. Find the orange underlined words () Comments (the brackets will show the number of comments to date).
2. Click on the link.
3. This will take you to a new window with a blank box.
4. Write your comment in the box, then click Publish.

And that's it!

MY MALAWI HOUSE

Back yard - that's the mission trip truck that needs to be fixed ($550).

front of house--door leads into the kitchen

back gate --access to path behind the house leading to the bridge and the school/church land

back steps--I want to see these fixed for Mum, soon.

wall next to front gate

avocado tree in back yard

avocado tree closeup

mango tree in back yard

 

mango tree closeup

eucalyptus tree in back yard

my room - blue mosquito net

and my new blessed fan!

my bathroom

view of computer room from back yard

I like to sit here and work on my computer.

my guitar's new home - for now

keys for every door