After morning worship we packed 140 bags (to which we contributed the funds) for the preschool in Njewa. They included 2 bars of Life buoy(body soap), 2 bars of Sunlight (soap for clothes), and a 1 kg of sugar. It was to include salt also, but that was not available. I wish I could include a picture of the excited faces of the children. (Unfortunately our internet is too slow).
After handing out the packets we headed to another slum -Mtandile. I'm not sure how vehicles stay in tact here. Just the approach to the enclosed private school compound was so elevated and uneven that we lost the spare tire under our van.
After participating in the warm welcome the ladies had for us, we left to begin the interviews of 6 families - widows or HIV/AIDS patients. What a privilege to sit in their home, hear their story, and have the opportunity to create a scrapbook for them. After we finished interviewing and photographing, we prayed for them and tried to encourage them to call on Jesus and know He loves them and cares for them deeply. Upon our return 3 hours later, the ladies were still waiting for us with a lunch of nsima, okra, and eggs. Then they presented a program to show us what they did on a regular basis. I was also asked to share a word of encouragement with them.
Debbie, one of our team members chose to attend the funeral of one of the ladies in Mgona.
--Lydia--
I continue to process this afternoon. I went to attend the funeral of one of the widows of Mgona, the first place we went with Somebody Cares - a slum at the edge of Lilongwe. The woman had made quite an impression on her community and the staff of Somebody Cares with her encouragement, her sense of humor, sensitivity to others. She apparently attended many of the funerals in Mgona and I was told this was why her funeral was so well attended. It was hard to count the people as some sat a ways off around the huts, others behind some shrubs, but I would guess at the beginning there were approximately 100-150 people. There were 3 of us Azungus (whites) and 2 staff from SC. It was humbling and yet a privilege to be a part of their grief and sorrow. As I sat among the weeping widows, I could only pray that God would somehow comfort them. Never have I prayed more to convey love to the grieving around me through my presence. How do you comfort when you can't use words? A short time later, we learned there was another funeral happening at this very moment. One of the volunteers of SC at Mgona had lost her 13 year old grandson. So, we left the funeral of the widow to go and sit with this grieving family. It was rather shocking for me to see that there were less than 40 people present at this young boy's funeral. When asked why, I was told this was due to the popularity of the widow and how widely she was known. There were people present from surrounding communities as well. SC had taken a collection on our bus before we got to the slum which was divided and given to both of these families. I also learned that another funeral had taken place yesterday - the neighbor of the widow whose funeral we were attending today.
Then, we also learned that another man (relative again of a SC volunteer) had died this very afternoon while we were sitting and grieving these 2 deaths.
One picture kept coming to my mind that made me weep as I sat with them today. I kept seeing Jesus sitting in the middle of this crowd of mourners, weeping with them, sharing in their sorrow, and caring so deeply for the pain they experience.
Debbie
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