Praises and Prayer Requests
Malawi
August 2011
Praise God for keeping all our children, staff, and interns safe while parts of the country endured political protests in July. Pray for continued safety and that the political climate will continue to cool.
We thank God for the progress being made on our secondary school! Building teams are completing construction on three classrooms, a perimeter wall, and a 64-bed dormitory at our International Christian Academy in Lilongwe. Please pray for continued progress, God’s provision, and a good relationship with the local chief, who still owns part of the land we hope to build on.
Pray that our children who recently took exams receive high marks and move on to the next grade level.
July 2011
Praise God for our children’s success! On May 28, Aness Banda became our first university graduate from Malawi, receiving a Bachelor’s degree from African Bible University in Kampala, Uganda. We’re so proud of you, Aness!
We thank God for all our partners. Members of COTN partner church The Grove in Chandler, Arizona, delivered 1,200 pairs of shoes to our children in Malawi in June, and Grove member Julie Bryan distributed nutritional supplements to our children in Chitipi to help them stay healthy.
Praise God that Madilitso, one of our girls in Chitipi, is back in school and healing from a recent arm infection.
Please pray that construction of our secondary school will go smoothly.
Pray also that God would bless our Global Interns in Malawi. The team is doing well so far, and we are thankful for the love they’re showing our children.
June 2011
Praise God for the encouragement that visiting staff brought recently. COTN–USA staff members Melvi Petty and Dave and Renee Schertzer traveled to Malawi and Uganda in May to train local staff and minister to our children.
Pray that our children will have plenty of warm blankets as winter begins in Malawi. Pray also that God will provide additional linens and toiletries for our children, and volunteers to deliver the items.
Please pray for Madilitso, one of our girls at Chitipi Farm Children’s Home, who is suffering from an infection in her arm.
Pray also for the political and economic situation in Malawi. A fuel shortage is creating unrest in the country.
May 2011
Praise God that rains have increased in recent months to revive the crops at our Chichere Farm affected by a January drought. Pray the crops at our Chichere and Chitipi farms will continue to grow and produce good food for our children and for sale.
Please pray that God will provide additional vehicles for our staff. This would greatly help in transporting our children from place to place.
Please pray also for good health for our children as we enter the cool winter months in Malawi.
April 2011
Praise God we have been able to continue providing soap to the children in our Village Partnership Programs. Soap is often hard to come by in Malawi, but it is vital to keep our children free of sickness. We recently distributed several bars of soap to children in Chirombo and Mgwayi.
Our children in Malawi need warm blankets for the winter (June – September south of the Equator). Pray that we can provide them with these gifts as the weather grows colder.
Pray that a shipping container sent from Washington state on March 25 will arrive safely. The container holds construction materials for our new secondary school.
Pray also for more rain at our Chichere Farm, and for a bountiful harvest as well.
March 2011
Jeremiah Mkandawire, our Venture Team cook, was named House Patron for our secondary school boys. Pray that he continues to be a blessing to our children as he enters this new position.
Please pray that God will continue to send rain to water the crops on our Chichere farm. We have received less rain than expected this year, but we trust God will be faithful to provide for our needs.
Pray also for more teachers to be added to our secondary school staff, along with the funds to pay them.
February 2011
Our praise report from Malawi is for the Hydraform brick-making machine that arrived in Malawi in January. U.S. construction consultants Clint Martin and Jim Jackson were able to train a brick-making crew and they were able to stake the building site. Phase one includes the completion of three classrooms and one dormitory to be used this fall at the start of the 2011 school year. Wendy Brown, COTN–International Education Director, was able to show the students the plans for the COTN International Christian Academy campus and the students were very excited. Praise God for his generosity!
January 2011
This month COTN partner Jim Jackson of Silverdale, WA has traveled to Malawi to oversee the continued construction of COTN’s International Christian Academy. We praise God for the provision of a Hydraform brick-making machine, which will make the completion of dorms, classrooms, and administrative offices easy and cost-effective.
Congratulations to Henry Kumwenda, COTN–Malawi Venture Coordinator, who welcomed his first child, Israel, on Christmas Day. The family is happy and healthy.
Please pray for more sponsors to partner with COTN and join us in loving and providing for our children in Malawi.
December 2010
Praise God for little miracles! Staff Member Frackson Mhang0, Intern Coordinator in Malawi, and wife Leah had their first child, a boy named Joshua, which means: God saves or The Lord is my salvation.
Congratulations to Pike Kaminyoghe, Village Partnership Coordinator for Mgwayi and his new wife Jessie. They were married on November 25th among family and friends. May God bring them many blessings.
Please pray for our “school-leavers,” the COTN children who have graduated from secondary school and are awaiting test scores and funding before continuing on to college and university. Pray that they receive excellent scores and that God provides funding for their future education.
November 2010
There is much to praise God for in Malawi this month. One of our children, Clement Gondwe, underwent surgery and radiation for a brain tumor in March, 2009. We are pleased to say that Clement is now completely healthy. He can be seen in school, playing football, and praying with friends as always. Praise God for this miraculous healing!
We’re thankful to have had the leadership of Dr. Yobbe Lungu as our Country Director for COTN–Malawi, and are sad to announce that he will be leaving COTN. His service, spirit, and heart have helped our ministry in Malawi reach hundreds of children, and we trust that God will use him well in his next endeavor. Meanwhile, Lillian Khofi, has stepped in as the acting Country Director. Pray for the staff transitions go smoothly.
October 2010
We give praise to God for the twenty-six widows who recently graduated from COTN’s Widow’s Program with new business and vocational skills. These widows—mothers of children in our Village Partnership Program—are now prepared to provide for their families while setting an example for other children and adults in Malawi. Participants, who range in age from their twenties to their seventies, learn to knit, sew, tend garden, bake scones and make other simple production goods to sell at market.
We welcome two new house parents to the COTN family: Mr. & Mrs. Evans and Mary Hawire replaced Mr. & Mrs. Eric and Ellen Kalua in House 4. Eric has been asked to fill the role of Education Coordinator based at Njewa while his wife Ellen has been asked to join our teaching staff at our Mtsiliza nursery school. Please pray that staffing transitions will go smoothly.
September 2010
We give thanks to God and our partners for the recent donation of a Hydraform brick-making machine! The machine manufactures bricks comprised of only 5% concrete and 95% dirt that interlock, requiring no mortar. This means our building projects in Malawi, such as our secondary school dorms and classrooms, will be cost-effective and completed quickly. Extra bricks will be available for sale, making this a revenue source as well.
Also praise God for the new house parents who will be living in the dorms for our new secondary school, International Christian Academy, where classes started at the end of August. Pray for a great school year, and the success of our two education consultants, Jenn Birch and Rebecca Gokee, who will be serving in Malawi for the next few months.
August 2010
This June, Malawi joined countless African countries and global communities in commemorating the Day of the African Child. Our children from the village of Mtsiliza performed traditional dances at the national celebration, which was presided over by the Malawi State President at Kamuzu Institute for Youth in Lilongwe. It was a great honor for our children to be invited to participate in a national function such as this. The day is meant to reflect on the plight of African children and their struggle to obtain basic needs like education and medical care.
Luckily, the children in our care have access to both, and our secondary school students just sat for their national exams. Though scores won’t be in until October, COTN–Malawi Country Director Dr. Yobbe Lungu expects great results.
Please pray for the continued success of our students; that they continue to live a life that pleases the Lord.
July 2010
Students are studying hard as they prepare to take national exams at the beginning of July. Dr. Yobbe Lungu, COTN–Malawi Country Director, prays that the children will perform well during the testing and hopes that a headmaster for the COTN Secondary School will be found soon.
As summer begins, the COTN–Malawi staff gears up for the many Venture Teams that they will host over the next three months. The Community Treks Venture Team from Colorado is currently in-country with medical and educational professionals. The team is serving at the medical and dental clinics in Chiwengo and Mtsiliza as well as conducting health training seminars for COTN staff.
June 2010
COTN–Malawi Country Director Dr. Yobbe Lungu travels to Washington in early June to attend his graduation ceremony and receive a Doctorate of Ministry in Transformational Leadership from Bakke University of Ministry. He is not only a strong leader, but a perfect role model for our children in Malawi. He has served with COTN since 2007.
Better grades, higher self-esteem and a feeling of success are the mid-term results for twenty-nine Form 1 (ninth grade) teenagers who are attending the new COTN International Christian Academy at COTN’s Njewa Ministry Center. The program is designed to provide older COTN children with a cost-effective, quality education and give them the potential to pursue a university education. Though classes are meeting in temporary locations, new classrooms are expected be completed this summer.
Please pray for the COTN–Malawi staff as they prepare for the interns and Venture teams traveling to Malawi this summer. Also pray that our secondary school receives funding to hire more teachers, obtain better supplies, and continue school construction.
May 2010
Exciting things have been happening in Malawi; God is truly working there. A recent Venture team from Florida’s Summit Church conducted many ministry activities, including Vacation Bible School in Mtsiliza and morning devotions at Njewa Village, which started at 5 a.m. every day. At COTN’s secondary school, the staff started a Bible study club, and all twenty-eight students chose to join. They are currently studying 1 Timothy.
It is awe-inspiring to see the passion of our children to share their faith. Our Malawian staff reports that twenty children from Chiwengo Children’s Village regularly venture to the surrounding villages for outreach on Thursdays and Fridays, playing games with children and sharing God’s Word. Our children also accompany the staff to the JESUS film events. In two such recent events, about 330 people accepted Christ as their Savior!
April 2010
Thank you for your prayers. After a good rainy season, disease-carrying mosquitoes are always plentiful. However, our Malawi Country Director, Yobbe Lungu
, reports reduced cases of malaria in our villages and medical center over the past few weeks. Please continue to pray for the health of our children and staff.
We also praise God for using us to glorify His name! Our Malawian staff put on a showing of the JESUS film in Chiwengo Village during the weekend of March 21. They report that it was a successful event.
A sadder event also occurred during the weekend of the 21st. The mother-in-law of Lillian Khofi, COTN--Malawi’s Finance and Administrative Director, passed away that weekend due to high blood pressure. Mrs. Khofi was in her 70’s, though Malawi’s average life expectancy is only 52. Please join us in prayer for the Khofi family, asking God to comfort them in their loss.
March 2010
We thank God for His provision, knowing that it is He who sends the rain in its season. And what a season it was! The plentiful rainfall has been great for the crops, which is good news for our children and good for the nation of Malawi. The downside of the rainy season, though, is that it encourages mosquitoes to breed. Mosquitoes can spread malaria and other diseases, so we ask you to please keep the health of our children in your prayers.
Please continue to pray for provision for the educational needs of our children. While our plans for building a school are slowly progressing, the twenty-seven first-year secondary students have been meeting in their dormitories. Fortunately, the construction of the dining hall at our Njewa Ministry Center is nearly complete, and the classes will soon be held there.
Our Malawian staff is also praying for the attitudes and hearts of our children and of all those who minister to them. Please join us in this prayer, asking the Lord to bless these children with examples of godly men and women serving them as staff, interns, and Venture participants.
February 2010
Health is always a concern in each of our countries. Dorica, one of the girls in our Chiwengo Children’s Home, has been sick recently. We thank God that she is recovering, but please join us in praying for continued spiritual, as well as physical, health for her and all of our children.
Twenty-seven ninth-grade students are currently attending class in the dormitory of our Njewa Ministry Center while plans to construct the secondary school still await government approval. Our staff requests prayer for the teachers as well as the students in this class—that they would all be encouraged and strive to perform well. Please pray for funding and government approval so the school’s construction can be
gin and classes can be held in a more studious environment.
In January a COTN Vision Team, including US staff members Founder Chris Clark, COO Jim Wilson, and National Field Services Director Eric Nachtrieb, visited Uganda and Malawi. In the words of Vicki Wilson, Jim’s wife, “It was heart-warming, heart-wrenching, and exhausting.” Pray that God continues to fuel the passion for our children in the hearts of those who recently returned to America, and pray that he strengthens Chris, who left from Malawi to take charge in the Dominican Republic.
December 2009
We are so thankful that our children in Malawi are healthy, and we pray that this remains the case. We ask you to especially keep in mind Madalitso, a young girl at Chitipi Farm Children’s Home. Madalitso has been in Children of the Nations’ care since early 2002. It was not until October of 2008, though, that she began to experience pain in her left upper arm.
After several weeks of tests (including multiple X-rays that showed no fractures), she was diagnosed with osteomyelitis, a disease which causes bone deterioration. Various options, including amputation, were discussed, but God intervened.
Early this year, Madalitso’s doctors discovered something incredible—though the old bone was certainly dying, a new bone was growing in its place! We are constantly amazed by the power of God and so thankful for His hand of healing. Please continue to pray for Madalitso as she continues to heal, still visiting the clinic for weekly checkups.
November 2009
Our Malawi staff rejoices over peace in their nation. The country is making great strides in food preservation and storage against the event of famine, and we pray that this effort toward self-sustainability continues. We ask you to pray that the Lord brings favorable rains this year that result in bountiful harvests. Our staff members also celebrate the fact that the Lord has given them wisdom and patience to complete the 2010 budget!
Three grade levels of our children just finished taking their government-sponsored school exams. We pray that the results of those exams come out well and all of our children advance to the next grade. Please ask the Lord for His provision as plans progress to open the first class of our own secondary school in January. Construction of the building is still on hold as we await government approval.
Please join us in praying for complete healing for some of our children who have ongoing medical issues. Please keep our livestock facilitator in Malawi in your prayers, as he has recently displayed signs of a mental disorder. Pray that the Lord will heal him and that a solution will be quickly found in this situation.
October 2009
Excitement abounds in Malawi as our staff makes plans for further developments at our Njewa Ministry Center. As our children continue to grow, so does the cost of continuing their education and the expense of sending them to boarding school. So COTN has come up with a solution: building our own secondary school.
Two options exist. The first option involves building the school out of brick—the usual construction material in Malawi—which would cost $90,000 for a double classroom. The other option would build the school with used shipping containers. The savings would be tremendous, but, since shipping containers are a non-traditional material, the plan awaits approval from Malawi’s Ministry of Education.
Construction of our own secondary school would save $80,000 per year on boarding school expenses. Not only that, but the school could actually generate revenue by opening classes to students outside of COTN’s program. Our Malawi staff plans to begin classes for thirty-nine students in January. Nearby African Bible College has been kind enough to offer temporary use of their facilities if our building is not yet complete.
Please pray for wisdom for all those involved in this decision-making process. Pray that God’s will would be accomplished and that His glory would shine through whatever decision is reached.
September 2009
Often when one considers teaching as a profession, one hears that it “pays peanuts.” Very rarely is it literally true. Wendy Brown, our International Education Director, led three teacher training seminars on reading comprehension this summer. When they finished, the grateful teachers gifted Wendy and the other leaders with a three-foot-tall bag of peanuts. “I know what a sacrifice that was for them,” said Wendy.
Please join us in thanking God for these wonderful, teachable educators who are producing wonderful students like Mark Phiri. Mark and several other students are high school seniors who will be taking their final exams this fall. Many look forward to college, but it can be a difficult dream to achieve. Pray that God would open doors for our older children, making these dreams reality.
We also ask you to join us in praying for Mr. and Mrs. Monjeza, new house parents in Chiwengo Village, as they settle in and deal with a delicate situation. Please also lift up the husband of one of our staff members, who is recovering from an arm injury sustained in a recent traffic accident.
August 2009
Our Chitipi Farm, with the assistance of COTN intern Chris Adare from Spokane, Washington, has been improving over the last few years. The farm now houses 300 chicks, two cows and one calf, and dozens of rabbits, which not only provide food for those who live on the farm, but will also garner a profit from the neighboring communities. In addition to farm animals, the children who live on the farm keep two acres of individual gardens! “The kids at Chitipi benefit from growing up where they have to work hard,” says Chris. “Many of them have a good work ethic.”
Please pray for Chimwemwe Bestala, an older boy who is living with his mother in the poor conditions of Mtsiliza Village. He is a helpful and obedient boy who loves to sing and go to church. He has dreams of one day becoming a teacher. It is hard to get sponsors for our older children such as Chimwemwe, but we have faith that God will provide for his, and his family’s needs.
We also ask that you join with us in prayer for the family and friends of Felicia Milanzi, a 10-year-old girl enrolled in one of our village partnerships. She passed away due to ongoing health complications on July 12, 2009 while on vacation at her step-mother’s house in Kasungu.
June 2009
The Malawi consultants will meet many needs: Christy and Seth Deniston of Issaquah, WA will establish a home tutoring program for COTN children in Chiwengo. Kimberly Witte, a teacher from Bremerton, Washington will serve as team host. Annie Brown will begin her year-long stay as an education consultant. Ginny Sackett will work with global interns while she conducts research for her doctorate dissertation—focusing on resilience and leadership in rural Malawian women involved with COTN. “I want to hear their life stories,” Ginny says. “I think there are things that we can learn in our country about resilience based on what’s happening in their country.” Please pray that these consultants will experience success and God’s grace.
Malawi will also be blessed with about 17 global interns and 10 Venture teams! The global interns will spend time with local families, mentor children and teens, tutor, help with sponsorship and organize a sports tournament with a gospel message. Please pray that God will work in the hearts of these global interns and use them to impact our children and staff.
HIV/AIDS education will be a focus for two of the teams while others will concentrate on medical needs, leading a summer camp, health awareness, teachers’ seminars and pastoral development. Join us in prayer for each of these teams—that God will use them and impact them for His will.
May 2009
Tom Mambo, our COTN–MA Senior Operations Manager, officially resigned from his position on April 30. Tom says he felt it was necessary to step down so that he could concentrate on his pastoral ministry at his church, which is what he feels the Lord is calling him to do. We are grateful for the service Tom has given to COTN, and we pray for him and his family as they transition into this role full-time.
Venture team leader Cindy Dickson of El Dorado Hills, California just returned home along with her team on Monday, May 4th from Malawi! While they were there, they focused on teaching computer skills to our children in Chiwengo, and even delivered three laptops for the children to practice on! In addition, they replaced the screens in all of the homes, which had holes in them and were in poor condition. Thank you everyone involved in the projects! Join us in giving praise to Christ the Provider for meeting this need!
For the past six months, 13-year-old Madalitso Kalichenga has been struggling with a painful condition in her right shoulder. Doctors are unsure of what the cause is, but there appears to be a deterioration of bone tissue, which could potentially result in complete amputation of her arm. We have been praying for her earnestly, and doctors have been waiting for signs of improvement before moving forward on such a dramatic procedure. According to a recent assessment, there is new bone forming inside the arm, which is giving everyone hope! Her next doctor’s appointment is on July 5th. Pray with us that the new bone forming continues to do so, and that she won’t have to go through with this surgery!
April 2009
Major funding of the senior secondary school in Malawi has been pledged! Thanks to all of you who have given generously to this important project. Pray with us that final funds are received soon so construction can begin.
Clement Gondwe, a fourteen-year-old boy from one of our Children’s Homes in Chiwengo, was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. Last month he was flown to South Africa where Dr. Snyckers performed surgery to remove the tumor. After a short recuperation, Clement is now home in Malawi, and is already up walking and talking, though he will still require additional chemotherapy treatments. Praise God for His provisions in this situation—for the complimentary airfare and the reduced surgical fee—and pray with us for continued healing and the remaining finances needed to cover the surgery and treatments.
Last month, COTN–MA staff member Tellina Kanyangala and her husband welcomed a baby girl! “How sweet to hold a newborn baby and feel the pride and joy it gives! Wow!” exclaims Yobbe Lungu, COTN–MA Country Director. The baby girl, named Marcia, was born on March 8th. Praise God for this new and beautiful addition to our COTN family!
March 2009
Praise God for the way He has been at work in young Clement Gondwe’s life. Clement is fourteen and was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. We are praying for the funds to cover his $18,000 surgery and look forward to how God provides this funding. Praise God for the many health professionals from our USA family, such as Dr. Sakata of Seattle, that have helped to get the best care for him. Please give continued prayer for wisdom regarding his treatment plan and upcoming surgery to remove the tumor.
Pray for the family of COTN–Malawi Country Director Yobbe Lungu. While Yobbe has been traveling abroad, his home was robbed of nearly all family possessions. Praise God that his family, who were present during the robbery, were not harmed. Pray for them as they recover from this traumatic experience.
All musical instruments for the KuJAMbula studio have been collected and are now ready to ship! The studio is now fully equipped and on its way to self-sustainability! An advertising campaign is in the works to generate interest in the recording studio, which we have discovered is the largest in Malawi. Please pray in finances to help pay for a new manager to take over running the studio.
February 2009
Praise God for new house parents at our Chitipi Farm Children’s Home—Bruno and Rounia Spoko! The Spokos are strong believers who have been married for thirteen years and have three children. Pray for Bruno and Sophia as they minister to our children daily, raising them to transform the nation of Malawi!
We are asking for urgent prayer for two of our residential children. Madalitso is twelve years old and has been diagnosed with chronic osteomyelitis which has affected her left arm. The doctors had feared that she would need to have her arm amputated, but God has begun to heal her bone and recently they have seen new growth! Clement is sixteen and was diagnosed with a brain tumor this month. He will be flown to South Africa where doctors are expected to remove the tumor. Please pray for his strength and encouragement. Also pray for the additional funding that will be needed to support this operation, recovery, and travel costs.
We are thankful for a recent Venture Team, led by veterinarian Clayton Simon from California, that conducted GPS mapping of all of our farms in Malawi! The work done by this team has enabled COTN to obtain a correctly scaled map of Chichere Farm, which will be beneficial in managing the farm. Also, please pray for a Venture Team from Summit Church in Florida that will be going to Malawi in March to install a windmill at Chitipi Farm, which will be used for pumping water.
Praise God for our Christmas celebrations! In Malawi, each of our children in residential care and village partnership enjoyed a specially prepared feast to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Each child received a soda, a rare treat bringing many smiles! In addition to enjoying a meal together, our children in Mtsiliza and Mgwayi each received and proudly wore their new blue COTN T-shirts. Some of the boys and girls in our children’s homes received a small amount of money that they could use to purchase an item from a local marketplace.
A highlight of Christmas morning for our children in Malawi was attending church, followed by parties with traditional African dance performances!
January 2009
Please pray for Flora, a fourteen-year-old-girl who lives in one of our Chiwengo children’s homes. Flora and her twin sister Rabecca came into the care of COTN in 2000 after living with other family members following the death of their parents. Flora hopes to become a lawyer; please pray that she will excel in her studies and use her God-given talents to glorify Him.
Lilian Khofi, our staff accountant in Malawi, has received the professional designation of “Fellow” by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants! Country Director Yobbe Lungu said, “We are proud of Lilian for her achievement and we feel greatly honored by her humility, hard working spirit, and commitment to use such a prestigious professional achievement while serving with us in COTN–Malawi.”
Please pray for God’s blessing on the women participating in our widows’ program in Malawi—that the skills they are learning will enable them to support their children. Praise God—we are almost halfway to fully funding our $10,000 program budget for this year! Pray that COTN would receive the remaining funds to support these women and families.
December 2008
Khilisimasi Yabwino (“Merry Christmas” in Chichewa)
“On behalf of our children, I write to thank you for the support you have been sending through Children of the Nations. I would like to let you know how your sponsored child will celebrate the birth of Jesus.
“On Christmas Eve the children will be taken to the lake where they will enjoy the beautiful scenery of Lake Malawi. They will also have prayers at night and a get-together celebration. On Christmas morning the children will go to church and then have parties where dances such as beni, chitelera, chimtali, and mganda (traditional African dances) will be performed by all the children. Once again, thank you very much. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2009!”
Davie Kamzunguzeni
COTN–Malawi Sponsorship Officer
November 2008
Please join us in praying for Chance Gondwe, our Education and Vocational Training Coordinator in Malawi. Chance oversees our education programs in Chiwengo, Chitipi, and Mtsiliza. Please pray that God would give Chance strength and wisdom as he strives to empower our children by providing them the best opportunities to learn. Chance said, “One of the things that brings much joy in my life is seeing how these children have been transformed. You can see that God is working in their lives.”
Peter Drennan, COTN–International Development Liaison together with COTN– Malawi Country Director Yobbe Lungu are working to develop partnerships with other nongovernmental organizations that focus on farming projects in Africa. Praise for an agriculture Venture team that will be heading to Malawi in December. The team will lead training on animal husbandry and work with our staff on projects to ensure continued good harvests from our farms in Malawi (Chichere Farm and Chitipi Farm).
COTN recently welcomed two-month-old Esinati into fulltime care at our Chitipi Farm children’s home. This young baby girl came into the care of COTN when her mother died shortly after giving birth and her grandmother was unable to take proper care of her. (Esinati’s father’s whereabouts are unknown.) Please pray that Esinati would grow strong and healthy and come to know the Lord Jesus as she grows in the Chitipi home.
September 2008
Recently, COTN welcomed an infant boy named Joseph to our children’s home in Chiwengo village. He came into COTN care after his mother died from childbirth complications and his father abandoned him and his siblings. Please pray that Joseph will know he is loved and cared for as he grows in the COTN home, and that he will also come to know the love of Christ. We praise God that little Joseph is already fully sponsored!
We praise the Lord that there has been significant progress made in developing a program for our children with special needs in Malawi—the Challenge Children program. During the past few months, COTN has been working to educate our national teachers and parents about the needs of special learners. After this is accomplished, our staff will be identifying students with special needs and delivering special instruction to meet those needs.
Beginning next month, COTN staff members Patterson and Esther Lungu will transition out of their roles as home parents in our Chitipi home. Patterson is retiring and Esther will begin serving as our Malawi C
hallenge Children Coordinator. Please pray for the Lungus as they transition. Also, pray for the children in the Chitipi home who have grown to love Patterson and Esther and soon will be adjusting to life with new house parents. The COTN staff is thankful for Esther’s oversight of the Challenge Children program due to her many years of experience as an educator, house parent, and caregiver of a special needs child.
August 2008
Praise God—the first of the radio programs produced at COTN’s KaJAMbula recording studio in Malawi is ready to be aired on the African Bible College radio station! Our initial set of radio programs are directed toward social issues affecting young girls. Many Malawian girls are forced to leave school to marry and have families at a young age. We hope to empower these young girls with options, pointing them to local relief agencies, and thus breaking this cycle.
We have welcomed a new girl into our Chitipi Farm orphan home in Malawi! Please join us in praying for eight-yearold Adija as she adjusts to life with many new brothers and sisters. She is already helping out in her home by cleaning and washing dishes. We praise God for Adija’s life and pray she will grow in the love of Christ during her time in COTN care.
Our COTN–USA special events director Kristen Bushnell and a videography crew are in Malawi this month preparing for our Some Kind of Miracle benefit season. Please pray that as they spend time with some of our children, they can prepare videos and stories that communicate how God has been at work in each child’s life— from the time they came to COTN until now.
July 2008
We are thankful that our Kamuzu Academy students David and Miriam finished their school year and did well on their examinations. Kamuzu Academy is a selective boarding school in Malawi that is one of the top schools in Africa. David and Miriam will be serving in the US this summer as interns at Canyonview Camp in Oregon. Please pray for them as they minister to children and represent COTN.
Please pray for our farm manager, Foderick Kapalanga, as he prepares for the harvest at Chichere Farm. Our goal and prayer is that the crops and livestock will produce enough food to support all the children in our programs in Malawi and provide a sustainable income.
Praise God for the encouraging visit of a Venture Team from Superstition Springs Church in Gilbert, Arizona. This team ministered in Chirombo village by constructing a bath shelter, smearing floors, washing clothes for aged people, and playing with children. The team was so blessed by their experience that they sponsored eleven children and purchased many items made by widows.
The widows program in Mtsiliza continues to produce self-sustaining income for many women. COTN hopes to expand the widows program into new villages in the future.
Please pray for our national staff in Malawi as they host many people this summer. Malawi has the greatest number of visiting teams this summer—over 200 Venture Team members!
June 2008
Praise the Lord for “The Grove” Church in Chandler, Arizona for the installation of a well in Mgwayi, the newest addition to our Village Partnership program in Malawi.
Also, we are thankful for the safe return of Aness Banda, who has been attending African Bible College in Uganda. Aness reports, “I enjoyed living in a foreign country. Thank you to all that made this possible.”
Please pray for our transportation needs in Malawi. We are desperate to purchase a Coaster bus and two new Toyota Hiace vans. Please pray that necessary repairs would be made to broken vehicles so that teams and interns will be able to minister this summer.
Praise that one of our aunties, Madalitso, will be getting married soon. Please pray for the girls in this teen girls’ home who will be affected by a transition to a new caregiver.
