Newsletter

August 2005

Dear friends of Kondanani,

I have been rebuked lately about my lack of communication and I am sorry for that, I am not even looking for excuses for that does not mean a lot to anybody.
I know the website is behind and we are working at that, AND keep it up to date so you will know what is happening. Believe me a lot is happening.
The Dutch website is very up to date, please take a look at all the beautiful pictures www.kondanani.nl

There is so much to keep us amused,especially with what the children say as they are growing bigger and not always understand everything correctly,there are now 109 and a few of them have turned 7 already.
At assembly "uncle farmer" was addressing them before class, he told them that, God does not want them to say bad things to each other. Off they went to their class rooms and the one said something to the other that was not very nice. Fiona the teacher sat them down and said, now children I don't want you to say bad things to each other. Chicco put his hands up in the air in total disgust and said, assisi Fiona you said "bad things" and all of them nodded in agreement and in total disbelief, that their very own teacher would say something that they had learned NOT to say very morning. The words where not quite understood, we laughed so much about that.
Ten children from Caring Hands are moving to Kondanani Village, they come several times to play before they actually move, to get used to a different place. These children don't speak English, ones they get to the Village they learn it very fast and they where spoken too in English. Fiona said to Joshua, please tell the children what you do at nursery school, he says, we do learn to read and do sums, Fiona said, please Josh tell them in Chichewa because they don't understand, he promptly said, we learn to read and do sums "in Chichewa". We got it right in the end.
The children get more precious and more naughty every day as they grow older. We have the opportunity to lead some of the strong wills into the right direction, at times they come to mummies office and that is the last place they want to go if they are naughty.
This year we have had the official opening of the Kegels Early Learning Centre,it is such a beautiful place for the 3-6 year olds. We had the privilege of having the family Kegels all the way from Holland, present, they are the sponsors of the school. That was really special and they are financing the next phase. We will be starting within the next month with the building of two more class rooms and the principals office. That will give us 5 class rooms and the utility block with staff room,store room and toilets for boys and girls.

After that comes "big school". An enormous amount of work has been done at Madalo Village where the 6 & 7 year olds go to school. They have not moved into the Village yet, but their new house is nearly ready. A young couple, in their early twenties from Holland found us on the website and decided to raise funds for a house at Madalo Village, they have been here for four month to oversee the building and are leaving this coming Saturday, what a blessing they have been.
The very big house at Madalo is the new primary school, it is not finished yet, but half of it has been renovated and it is so beautiful, my goodness any one who knew the old will hardly believe what we have achieved. We had a couple from Holland who have done a lot of work, my brother came from Holland for a month,and a team from my home church in South Africa painted murals on the walls, it is amazing and a great joy to the children, and really I am having so much fun, I am in awe of God every day for His provisions.
The first class of big school has started. We use the Accelerated Christian Education System. It is a great system and it is quite amazing to see how fast they learn to read. The other advantage is that it brings Father God into every part of it and that He becomes a big part of their life and education, it will form them into Godly men and women as they grow up.
We really have miracle upon miracle, the new school at present has two ready classrooms, very big ones at that, a store room, office, library and computer room. The library is empty and so is the computer room, I believe it is essential to have computers in this day and age to teach the children. We would stand at the door of the computer room and thank God for the 12 computers, which where not there yet but we thanked Him anyway.

We had a team of students come from a high school in Leeds UK, we gave them a grand tour of Kondanani. They worked together with the Rotary club in Blantyre who had referred them to us. The following Friday there was a dinner arranged and we where invited. During this dinner there was a presentation and Kondanani was the first one. Their words where as follows:"We don't normally deal with orphanages like Kondanani because we deal with the grass root level projects, but we where so impressed with the organisation that we have decided to donate 12 computer". I cried ofcourse when I went forward to collect the pledge, I thought God you have done it again and I stood in awe of my heavenly Father who rewards the fact that we want do to a ministry of excellence.
Now the books, because the children have to become readers and we see that library full of books.

Madalo is a hive of activity, the farming has started and God has provided a farmer, his name is Felix. Besides the fact that he is doing an amazing job he keeps us laughing, he has a great sense of humour. He is a proper Afrikaner and his English has us in stitches at times, and does not mind at all.
At last we have three cows, well one is a baby, I watched her being born. It was funny, all the missionaries, there are 7 now, where at the church bible study when Glenda (the cow) went into labour, I phoned and I could hear them being all exited and before anyone could say a word they stormed out of the bible study and raced home, only to find the calf had arrived, we waited for about one hour untill she stood on her legs, we prayed for the cow and the calf and of to bed we went. God must have smiled at us.
The pigs have got a new home at Madalo and we have added Paddy the Irish pig to the fold, Paddy is as big as an elephant and the pig sty has been renamed it is called "The elephant Park". We have a lot of them now and the children love pork chops, I don't think they realise it's the animals they looking at.
Then there is Maud the turkey, I heard from Felix that she had a serious conversation with him regarding the fact that she had no mate and had to bring up 8 chicks all by herself, and lay eggs which where just being wasted because they are eaten. We are now seriously looking for a mate for Maud.
There are four guinea fowls, they are babies and Maud takes them at night under her wings too, that makes it 12 to keep warm, no wonder she is frustrated.
For our children all this is such a source of joy, they love the animals, after all that is what it is all about the children.

We have build a big dam for irrigation, there are 1400 banana trees which need a lot of water in the dry season, it gives us a lot of fruit for the little ones to enjoy.
Besides that we have contact with the largest supermarket in this country called Shoprite, they have their base and head offices in South Africa, they work with us as a community project. The plan is that we will produce the vegetables they are now importing from South Africa, like celery and butternuts. Felix has build a green house and the seeds are coming up, we are looking forward to the harvest.

The clinic has a large extension, the roof is on and we can't wait for it to finish. It is going to look more like a hospital after it is finished. We are running out of space, we can't take more than 12 babies at present, after the extension is finished we will be able to take about 25 babies.
We have admitted 4 babies in two weeks. One set of twins, all of them are very lovely babies. One of them I called Teresa, she was left behind in the Hospital after her mother died, the family collected the body of the mother only. I thought mother Teresa would have picked up an abandoned child, and that is how I got to her name.

Caring Hands is full and overflowing but 10 of them will soon move to the Village and an other ten as soon as the school has been extended.
I want to sell the house we have for Caring Hands in Blantyre and build right here at Bwumbwe, were we are now.
I have spoken to the donor and they are prepared to listen to my reasoning. Ofcourse the next step is to sell the house and build over here where the other Villages are. It is quite a large facility and will need full time attention from a builder.

Our widows are doing great and it is such a pleasure to see them coming and enjoying their fellowship with one another, ofcourse the food is very important.

Transformation Bvumbwe is an essential part of Kondanani. We have a full time pastor and we have several pastors who work together with him to bring transformation to this part of the land, not just a few word and a gospel story, but real change. The seeds of revival are being sown and I just know it is going to bear fruit. The pastors who are involved are not gaining anything from it personally,we will help with the crusades but make sure that their involment is real and because of their sincerity God is going to reward them. The pastors are meeting every Tuesday at Kondanani.

My husband has been very ill for several month. He had heart failure and as a result of that he had severe fluid retention. This has caused severe damage to the kidneys and liver and as a result of the damaged to the liver he has been and still gets very confused. He was in hospital at one stage but most of the time at home and needs a lot of care. He is very frail, but we keep going and believe God for a miracle. He is 77 years of age. Pray for him and myself. I miss the man he was, and understand a lot more about the promise made at our wedding that, marriage is for better or for worse.

All the Kondananians greet you and ask you to continue in prayer for us.
Love in Jesus,
Lewis and Annie Chikhwaza