One of the sweetest people we met in Malawi was an old man in his eighties, living by himself. When we visited, he was surrounded by local children who clearly loved him. I don’t know how to spell his name, so we’ll call him M. As it turns out, M is pretty popular. He’s an […]
Snapshots of Malawi #7 – “The Long Play: Projects vs. Programs.”
Over the past several weeks, we’ve taken a closer look at the on-the-ground work in Zomba and Thyolo. It’s hard to sum everything up into concise paragraphs, and it’s even harder to tie everything into a nice bow. But I have saved my very favorite Malawi Snapshot for this—the last blog. With projects like clothing […]
Snapshots of Malawi #6 – “The Fruit of Grace.”
The day I met Tia , she was wearing a bright yellow sundress—and absolutely smoking me in a game of keepaway. When I picture her now, I cannot envision her without a smile. She was joy embodied. Later (after she soundly beat me in keepaway and showed off some of her dance moves), I sat down […]
Snapshots of Malawi #5 – “The Warm Heart of Africa.”
The first text we got from James when we landed in Malawi said, “We’re excited to show you the warm heart of Africa.” I wrote the phrase down immediately—because what a picture, right? According to my cursory Google search (very professional), Malawi is known as the “Warm Heart of Africa” because of the kindness of […]
Snapshots of Malawi #4 – “Where Does Everything Go?”
We drove along the dirt roads of rural Zomba with about 20 boxes jostling in the back seat of our little bus. Three of us stood in the aisle, putting all our weight against the boxes to keep them from toppling as the vehicle rolled down a hill. It was—to say the least—a makeshift transport. […]
Snapshots of Malawi #3 – “You’re in Front of Me; You’re the Need.”
When I was little, my mom told me the story of a man walking along a beach. (No, this isn’t the Footprints poem—and yes, I promise it will tie into Malawi; stick with me.) In the story, the man found thousands of star fish scattered and dying on the sand because the tide was low, […]
Snapshots of Malawi #2 – “The Numbers Have Faces”
How many times do you turn on a faucet in a given day? Have you ever counted? Every morning when I get up, I turn on the shower, letting it run until the water turns hot. I flush my toilet. I brush my teeth over the sink. I make a pot of coffee. I do […]
Snapshots of Malawi #1 – “You Are Welcome”
Hello. Bonjour. Hola. Nǐn hǎo. Konnichiwa. Shikamoo. Selamat siang. Shalom. There are thousands of words we use to greet each other. Language is fascinating that way—that so many different words can mean the exact same thing. When we step into the unknown, though, we realize how important our greetings are. We have the power to […]
What Does Biblical Generosity Look Like?
Generosity is commonly associated with financial giving—a monthly tithe envelope or an automatic deduction from a bank account. When we look at the generosity of the Bible, though, we see it goes deeper than just the amount of money we’re willing to donate. When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the […]
Volunteer Spotlight – Julie Heindel
When Julie Heindel felt God calling her heart toward helping children overseas, she knew she wanted to join a mission that truly invested in kids’ lives to make a lasting difference. Her passion for volunteering goes beyond just meeting immediate needs—which is why she got involved at FCW. By serving with Forgotten Children, Julie knows […]