Marla's Birthday!

Today was Marla's birthday. She had a tremendous time being with the Malawian women. Elsie got to join Marla for the day and attend the WTB seminar.

Here's a picture of Marla and Elsie. Marla is eating with her hands. She asked Rich to take a picture because her family would never believe that she was doing this!



We got home and the Burns surprised us with a birthday bash! You can see the sign and decorations they had for Marla. They served us kettle corn and ground nuts (these are the local variety of peanuts and they are freshly roasted). Then we had a special meal followed by a birthday cake. Did we mention that LeAnne is a fantastic cook. Wow, have we been taken care of.

Oh, and Rich is doing better. Still a few symptoms, but overall he is feeling tons better. He attributes it to all your prayers and our Lord's compassion.

We closed the evening watching a DVD of "St John in Exile" as portrayed by Dean Jones. What a stirring rendition of Christ's death and resurrection.

Another Graduating Class

I'm officially done with my Walk Thru the Bible seminars. The last class "graduated" today. The churches have loved this teaching and feel like they have never had anything like it.

The picture features the class flashing their favorite sign that they learned in the seminar.

You might imagine that they have invited us back so that I can do the New Testament.

The bottom picture is of us eating in a pastor's home.

Rural Village

It was another gorgeous day here. We were at a remote village in a rural area. In fact the pictures show some of their gorgeous crops. In addition, you can see them drying their sema flour. This is flour made from corn maize. This is their staple of their diet as they make it into a starch that they put meat and cabbage over most days for their meal.

This area, called Mlengeni, one of our favorite places because there are so many children - and they are eager children.

Rich and Marla taught today; their last seminar for childrens' workers. I went with them but took some extra time to walk through the village and appreciate some of the people. I especially enjoyed the little children - connecting with them even though I did not know their language. I did it by simply waving and then putting out my hand so that they could touch it. Pretty soon, they were teaching me the words for eyes, mouth, hair, and ears. That was it, we were friends.

Rich and Marla did another great job today.

Speaking of Rich, please pray for him. Looks like he is coming down with a nasty head-cold. To be honest, the Burns family and a good portion of the Malawian workers have had it. And it is a heavy-duty one. Rich felt like he was coming down with a cold last night. But by this afternoon, the congestion was beginning. Pray that he will recover in a speedy fashion. And pray that Marla and I will be spared!

Just a few more days now.

Brian

A Day in the Life of a Missionary

Life in Malawi is never dull for the Burns family as they go through routines of ministry, homeschooling three children and normal family activities.

This morning at 6 am I found Chet already outside trying to remove the turbo from the engine of his 4-Runner, the vehicle he had hoped to use to transport us to the various areas where we are presenting our seminars. He has been trying to get this fixed but the mechanics in this village were not coming to get it so he took it out himself. We have been using their pickup truck that has a back seat, but often won’t start until we pray and try pushing it.

When I came in to take a shower, there was a bit of excitement as I heard that Peter, one of their sons, had discovered a tick in his lower belly and was having it removed and treated by Mamma and Papa in the kitchen.

Yesterday, Pastor Kololo, our translator for the day, called on his cell phone to say he would meet us on the way to the village where Pastor Brian was going to teach, because his bicycle had broken down. We picked him up and put his bike in the back, delivering it to the local bike repair “shop”, some tools and parts under a tree, hoping it would be fixed by the time we returned. Pastor Kololo had no money to pay for bike repairs so Chet worked out the price with the repairman and paid 3,000 Kwatcha down (about $17), with a promise of another kw500 when it was fixed. He did have it ready when we returned.

Later that afternoon, after we returned from Pastor Brian’s part 2 seminar , Chet found out that a local pastor’s elderly mother who had broken a leg was being released from the hospital. He asked me to go with him to help transport her to her village. You don’t even want to know the details of that “ambulance” trip!

Middle of the night calls for emergency trips from a village over an hour away to the hospital in Ntcheu, on rough dirt roads, electricity going off in the middle of baking bread in the electric oven, poisonous snakes in the yard, vehicles breaking down just as they are needed for an important day of ministry… that’s life at the Burns’ house.

-Rich H

First WTB Graduating Class

I did class #2 and watched the first Malawian graduating class for Walk Thru the Bible. Everyone was really focused today, and they "got" the hand motions.

Here's a picture of the pastors from the graduating class. About 6 churches came together for this. Nice church unity!

The pastors are each giving their favorite hand motion from the seminar. Malawians know how to have fun!

There are tons of kids in this village. Once again, Rich acted like the pied-piper. He would play a song on his harmonica, and then they would sing a song to him. This went on for hours! They love HUSBY! Only they say it Huss-bee.

Puppet Training

Rich and Marla trained about 15 workers yesterday in puppet ministry. Guess what? Not one person had ever seen a puppet show before!

This team immediately saw the value and worked hard to learn how to use them. The teaching also included letting them use the puppets and taping them so that they could see themselves.

Action Ministries wants to use the puppets for their childrens' camp program that traditionally draw up to a thousand children in some village areas.

The Burns Kids

We wish you could meet our African “grandchildren.” Yes, now Rich and I consider we have 8 grandchildren in all!

We’ve told you about David who is deaf and mute. He’s a 19 year old living partially independently in a separate home on the property the Burns rent.

Now let us tell you more about Elsie, Peter, and Silas. Have we mentioned how delightful they are? We want to share more of their backgrounds and their hearts.

These three and several others of the Burns’ 9 children have been adopted. Chet and LeAnne have shared with us the adoption stories of Elsie, Peter and Silas. They’ve each come out of desperate situations and been lovingly nurtured to good health and stability.

Elsie is from Zambia where the Burns were missionaries for about a year before coming to Malawi. Both Peter and Silas are from Ethiopia. The Burns had difficulty getting approval for adoption because they already had a large family on the mission field. The stories of their adoptions give testimony to the sovereignty of God, the power of parental bonding and care, and the blessings from having hearts for God and His ways.

Elsie loves to read and be read to. She’s already a little mama at heart, helping with babies whenever she has opportunity and even helping Mama oversee “Bomo Boy” days when neighborhood children come to play a couple times a week. She enjoys dressing her dolls but also gets out to play ball with the boys. Card and board games are played daily here. She beat me mercilessly at Skip Bo, one of the many games we’ve played with the children. Bo is one of Elsie’s several nicknames. I started calling her “Tigger” yesterday when she was jumping up and down at the gate as we returned from Pastor Brian’s all day seminar. She’s a snuggler and squeezes up close when Rich reads and is often holding my hand or wrapped in my arms. She has a big appetite for a 7 year old and thoroughly enjoys her mama’s great cooking.

Peter, 10 years old, eats more slowly than the others, but also has a good appetite. He’s proud of the muscles and weight on his arms that once were so thin. He loves sports of all kinds. He’s proud of the baseball cards he was able to show Rich and Pastor Brian. Yesterday he was developing a World Cup chart to record matches among the three of them. He’s also an animal lover and cares for the chickens, goats and Maggie the dog. All animals here fend for themselves for food, but Maggie is treated to a cupful of dog food a day, much to the puzzlement of Malawians. Maggie supplements that with reptiles she finds in the yard. Peter is the historian also, remembering battles, dates, people and places from ancient history much better than I do. That seems to be his favorite subject in homeschooling.

Silas, also 10, would rather go with Papa (name for their Dad) than settle down to school work. He has a tender servant heart. The tallest of the three children, he’s already aspiring to manhood. He likes to dress sharp and announced today he’d like a suit like the men wear. I have some video of him dancing to the music from an engagement party across the street. His big eyes sparkle with a playful sense of humor. He and Pastor Brian seem to have made a special connection. When it’s his turn to wash dishes, Silas prefers to have Pastor Brian as his dishwashing partner. We’ve heard them having a good time together in the kitchen.
All three children are very obedient, well-mannered and helpful with chores. They excel in hospitality just as their parents do. They’re all sharing a bedroom this month so we can have their rooms. And they ride in the back of the truck so we can ride on the inside.

It’s not unusual for Silas and Peter to get to do this, but evidently Mama doesn’t normally let Elsie ride back there. You should have seen her smile as she bounced around back there on the way to church this morning.

-Marla H

Club Obama

Here's a sign that was especially funny for Rich. It is a sports bar right here in Ntcheu.

Chet told us that Africans loved Obama because they thought he would pour lots of money into their countries. Now that that this has not materialized, they have "moved on." Apparently this bar is still high on our president. And notice... "at reasonable prices."

Church at Katchimanga

The Katchimanga Church was not very far away time wise (maybe 15-20 minutes), but it seemed a world away in other ways.

We took off on a dirt road out of “our” town of Ntcheu. Right away we labeled it “church row” as there were about 5 churches lining the road close together. The government had allotted that land specifically for churches.

We passed all those churches up and also passed the home of Auntie Jane, one of the two hired housekeepers who take turns coming a couple times a week (more often with us here). On our right was the prison Pastor and Rich would visit later today.

We climbed the rocky hill on a road Rich described as a dry river bed. Passing over several narrow bridges, we looked down on women far below doing laundry or collecting water in their buckets. We met a truck that took up most of the road, but by tipping sideways a bit into the ditch, we avoided colliding with it and the pedestrians as well.

At the top of the hill, we entered a village nestled among the boulders. We followed a narrow path that winds between huts and tiny brick homes, the kind of village where most of the living takes place outdoors. Little pigs, chickens and children roamed freely in this picturesque village. Chet stopped the truck in front of a huge boulder beside the church, which is actually a prayer house instead of an official church because of a small congregation.

A small group of young women stood in the sun on the boulder practicing music they would soon sing in the church service. We were early enough that we walked beyond the church, past a man making bricks one at a time from muddy clay, to a scenic view on a cliff overlooking Ntcheu.
Back at the church, women had gathered outside. After greeting them in Chewa, I took their picture. I passed the camera around so they could see themselves. Many here never see their images as they have no mirrors.

When it was time for church, a man banged on a crude bell hanging from a tree on the boulder and we all entered, men to one side, women to the other.
Pastor Brian, Chet and Rich sat up front around the cement pulpit. Elsie snuggled close to me on the first cement, backless pew. Silas and Peter sat at the front on the other side near the church elders.

We appreciated the singing as always, though this service had a more formal and reserved tone than many we’ve been in here. Pastor Brian preached from II Kings 22 about Josiah and presented five Bibles to the church. The elders decided to leave them in the church for use by the women’s, men’s and youth groups who meet there midweek. So very few Christians here have their own Bibles.

After the service, we were led to the humble home of one of the elders and served a meal of rice and goat meat. (LeAnne wonders if they burned the cabbage dish.) A young woman entered with a pitcher and bowl for us to wash our hands. I was thankful to be able to use one of the serving spoons instead of using my fingers this time. The translator and we sat eating without the host and hostess. This is very common as their way of honoring guests.

We didn’t linger long as Pastor Brian and Rich needed to be ready to visit a prison this afternoon, It was difficult for me to think I had to miss that experience. I love to be out among the people and experiencing ministry taking place among them.

-Marla H.

Ntcheu Prison

This afternoon was prison day. Chet likes to get all visitors into the prison during their visit to Malawi. It is always such a humbling experience. Mpepo is a young man who wishes to go to seminary to become a pastor. I’m guessing he is about 23 years old and was just married last year. Mpepo served today as our guide and translator.

We walked to the prison. It is only a 10 minute walk from the Burns’ home. Ntcheu where the Burns live is considered a “boma.” It might is a key district in Malawi where a lot of government agencies exist. It also houses the prison for this area.

They did not allow cameras for us. Just our Bibles. However, in the past they have allowed pictures, and so Chet took these photos which I have included.

The prison is made of brick. I was surprised to arrive at the front gate with a quick escort inside the gates. We were asked to sit on two wooden chairs, and the “discipline officer” greeted us and spoke very kindly. He explained that there are several other officers that run the prison over the guards. We met several others and they were genuinely welcoming.

They took us into a vestibule and then opened the doors into the prison. We found out that this prison is overcrowded with 210 inmates. Two hundred sets of eyes were upon us. To the right, I could see some men showering in open stalls. We walked into a very small courtyard. It was like the sea parted as we walked in, and then it closed in around us. The men came and sat on the ground. I was left a small area to stand and preach.

The discipline officer told them that we were from America and to pay attention. Mpepo then said a few words and I was “on.” I greeted them with a Chewa gretting and then gave a simple message. It was a message based upon the Walk Thru the Bible seminar called the “Three Chairs.” In essence it gives the gospel through a brief overview of the three kings of Israel. Most of the men stayed with me. And I was surprised that many of them understood English.

I sat down and Mpepo asked the men to stand if they wished to trust Christ. About two thirds of the men stood. This is fairly typical. Most of these men trust Christ each and every time that the gospel is presented.

There are a few images that are burned into my brain. Handcuffs that hung from a wooden door. A plant that was growing out of the brick wall. Numbers written in chalk signifying the number of days men had been in prison. Chalk writing in another section that said “Thug Life.” And an ocean of men, some looking entirely vacant and without hope.

I really connected with one of the men. He was a man that sat with rapt attention. He had on a brown shirt and his face is in my mind.

They sang several songs and then a choir made up of prisoners sang a song with beautiful harmony. Hard to believe that beautiful sound was emanating from a prison.

Several men came to shake our hands before we left. We greeted each one. Mpepo told us later that this was a big step for many of them. It is not considered good to greet and shake hands with the Zungo (white people). Of course, this is entirely different in the churches, but this is true in the prison. Therefore, I was surprised with the number of men who greeted us.

I stepped forward and specifically greeted the man with the tan shirt. To my surprise, they allowed him to step into the vestibule with us. He told us that his name is Davis Bocheli. He was a hospital employee and was charged with stealing drugs. His case is currently in appeal. But he lamented that his job is gone, and much of his hope too. Rich prayed over him. We also discovered that all inmates wearing white are convicted. All wearing non-white clothes are charged but still awaiting court. Ironically, I wore a white shirt to prison today!

We left and talked with Mpepo on the way home. I said that the prison walls seemed very short and insecure. What’s to keep a prisoner from jumping over? He said that if a prisoner escaped, the community would beat him and even kill him. Wow, how different from jails in the US.

I sensed the Lord with us today. Thank you to all who fervently prayed.

Marla and Malawian Women

I have been very blessed with many opportunities for that. Yesterday at the seminar, I was almost adopted by a Malawian woman. When I walked out of the church at lunch break with my bowl of rice, goat and cooked cabbage to sit in the dirt with the women, this lady said in good English, “Come.” I sat where she patted the spot beside herself and began eating my lunch with my fingers. She helped me improve the way I give greetings. She also tried teaching me to ask, “Where are you going?” and the answer, “I’m going to church.” Sorry to say, that didn’t stick with me! She offered, “You stay in my home 6 months and I’ll teach you.”

Then she stood and jumped up and down several times. All her friends laughed and I thought the joke might be that she was shaking down the food to make room for seconds. You wouldn’t believe the size of her first helping! A seminar meal is a real treat!
Her jumping then turned to a Chewa version of “If You’re Happy and You Know It.” So I stood and sang the English version. Then we both did it together. So fun! Soon there was a whole circle of us singing together another song we taught at the Childrens' Ministry seminar a couple days ago. We continued singing until time for the final session.

By the time we piled into the truck for the return trip home, I was feeling quite a connection with these women. The back of the pickup filled up with many of them wanting a lift closer to their homes. At one stop the woman who invited me to stay at her home for several months made sure I knew where she lives. (;