On #GivingTuesday

YOUR gift makes
 ALL the difference!

Your donation will provide a water well to a village in Mtakataka, Malawi. This is YOUR chance to change the future of an entire village with a simple gift!

Be the HERO they need!

May 2019 Malawi Mission's Trip

Happy Thanksgiving From Reaching the Hungry!

Giving Tuesday Tuesday, Nov. 27th

#GivingTuesday is coming up! Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration.

Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) and the widely recognized shopping events Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday kicks off the charitable season, when many focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving.

On Nov. 27th, Facebook and PayPal are matching donations a total of up to $7 million on Facebook. Your donations to Reaching the Hungry through our Facebook donate button on Nov. 27th could be matched! Mark your calendar & make your donation on Nov. 27th!

Mexico Christmas Outreach Saturday, Dec. 8th

We are partnering with a church in Tijuana, Mexico to host a Christmas Outreach on Saturday, Dec 8th. We're collecting Christmas gifts, blankets, & dry goods to bless 300 children & their families in this community. We're also having medical, dental, and reading glass clinics to serve the people. We will also have lots of food, and lots of fun activities for the children! Will you join us?

Safety Note: We are in close communication with our partners in Mexico and they have assured that it is safe to cross the border and back into the U.S. during this time. Pastor Carlos will being going down a couple days before the outreach to insure that there aren't any issues.

If you can't make it but would like to send Christmas gifts with us for the outreach, check out our Amazon Christmas WishList (it will send automatically to our donation intake for the outreach).

Mexico Orphanage Trip Saturday, Sept 29th

We returned to bless the beautiful children of Orfanatorio Emmanuel. It was one of the best times we've had there! The children are getting to know some that have been before and have developed new friendships as well. Here's what we did:

• The children were blessed with a wonderful story time by Rosario Franco.
• Dr. Eric (pediatrician that was with us) gave every child check-up. He reported that it was really nice to see that they all doing well and are getting good care.
• Lots of fun crafts, yard activities, and games. 
• A delicious lunch... hamburgers that were bigger than some of their heads. Plus, amazing street tacos! 
• We thoroughly cleaned all the children's rooms, restrooms, hallways, and stairwells. 
• We thoroughly cleaned their kitchen!
• We painted their back stairwell.
• We hung curtain rods in all the children's rooms.
• We fixed several doors and door jams. 
• A drywall crew went back down to patch holds, work on several of their ceilings and door jams. 
• Trips fees also provided the funds to do some badly needed roofing. 

Here's a VIDEO from this trip as well as some PICTURES.

Malawi Discipleship Training Oct 21st-Nov 2nd, 2018

Pastor Carlos & Dr. Mark Williams have returned from our latest trip to Malawi. Here's what they did during this trip (from the words of Pastor Mark):

• We trained over 100 in Discipleship Journeys with Jesus and how to use the materials (which are now in Chichewa language).
• We trained all of these in "House Church Planting" for 2 days. This was in partnership with Dynamic Church Planting International (DCPI).
• We certified 23 Certified Trainers for the House Church Planting materials. (These can now train others in House Church Planting.
• We installed one water well in a village and repaired one in another village. I had the privilege of sharing the Gospel at the dedication and about 50 prayed to receive salvation.
• We showed the Jesus Film to a village and close to 300 people made decisions to accept Christ.
• We spoke at a fundraising church service to raise funds for a building for a new church plant (3 hours outside partially shaded under trees.
• We spoke to about 58 village chiefs to introduce DJJ (another outdoor meeting under trees for about 1.5 hours). Handed out 10 talking Bibles.
• We visited a mission station pioneered by the famous Scottish Missionary David Livingstone.

To continue or to begin supporting the work we're doing in Malawi, click HERE or go to reachingthehungry.org, and to find out more about Discipleship Journeys with Jesus, click HERE.

We're Back From Discipleship & Church Planting!

We are back from our latest trip to Malawi! Here are some highlights:

To continue or to begin supporting the work we're doing in Malawi, click HERE, and to find out more about Discipleship Journeys with Jesus, click HERE.

Discipleship & Church Planting w/ Dr. Mark Williams

Donate Online: Venmo & PayPal

OR

Donate through Mail: Check payable to 

Reaching The Hungry  to

1018 Ranger Rd. Fallbrook, CA 92028

Malawi Mission Trip - August 2018

A collection of our Malawi Team's posts while we were in country:

Days 1-3

Christy Carter: We were able to travel 22 hours and meet some of the most wonderful people I’ve ever met in my life! Our team of 7 helped to put in 8 water wells and bring joy and the story of Jesus to 3 different villages, a total of over 72 families!!! God is good!!

Zac Beougher: Had a fantastic 2nd day here in Malawi, Africa!! The Reaching the Hungry team divided and conquered 3 wells along with games and coloring and bracelets with the women and children in each village. What a joy it is was to share the hope of Jesus with the whole village that I was at after installing the well. The Jesus film went great! Thank you, Norma, for sharing your story with the crowd there.

Day 4

Christy Carter: We were able to visit our partners orphanage. She runs the orphanage with little no help with 21 + children sometimes. She needs more support financially for those beautiful babies ....
Wade Campbell: Today RTH Team moved to Nkhoma in the south to spend time with an amazing lady, Nicole, doing God’s work for orphans. Currently, there are 21 children ranging from 3 weeks to 9 years old. As you can see affection, love, tickling and laughter are the same on this side of the world. The children sang songs like “Jesus in the King of the Jungle” and “Jesus is the King of the Universe”. God’s spirit was high amongst us. After a short break we are heading back now to spend the evening with them.

Day 5

Norma Puerta: Blessed Sunday. - Our RtH team spent the day worshipping and connecting with the people of Dowa District. Our team leader, Zac, had an opportunity to share and encourage the congregation to preservere. After the service, the Chiefs meeting was held. Multiple Chiefs shared their testimonies of abandoning their faith in charms to place their faith in Jesus Christ; they encouraged and challenged one another to be the Christian leaders their villages need. Amen! We also held an reading glasses clinic and presented Talking Bibles to village chiefs to take back to their villages. This will help the villages continue strong in their faith and walk with Christ. Thank you to all of our supporters. The LORD is blessing Malawi.
Christy Carter: Africa Day 5 - we drove 3.5 hours to attend a chiefs’ meeting of over 50 chiefs and many village members, a church service, and an eyeglass fitting for the people of the villages.
Zac Beougher: This Sunday in Malawi included a church service out in the bush in which we had the opportunity to preach, reading glasses clinic, share with the chiefs at their meeting, and then present them with Talking Bibles (audio recordings of the New Testament). Nicole (our friend who runs the orphanage we visited) was able to join us. Just a solid day 😊

Day 6

Christy Carter: Truly needed days of rest and reflection. The days in the villages were very long days and very emotional and thought-provoking days ... thank God for His beautiful creation of this world. There is so much to see and be thankful for!!
Ty Campbell: Our Malawi team enjoyed a nice rest day after the last four days of work installing a record 8 water wells, spending time with the Chief Ministries, and playing with the children at an orphanage. We enjoyed some beautiful African landscapes and animals. Sharing the word of God with some of the locals that were our escorts is what our team is here to accomplish. Tomorrow, we’ll start with devotionals and another beautiful blessed day in Africa.

Days 7-9

Nathan Giles: Today was our day of rest and reflection here in Malawi. We’ve come to the last couple days of our time here and are starting to process through everything we have experienced. With four people on our team who have never been to Malawi before, it has been amazing to see how their perspectives have changed. At the same time, my fourth trip feels so much different from my first. No matter how many times I leave the U.S., I always seem to return changed in some way. It is this time of reflection that allows us to take a step back and discover how God has used these new experiences and relationships to shape us and our futures.
Zac Beougher: The last days that brought this incredible trip to an end were full of rest, reflection and saying goodbye to our friends. It was also good to spend some time taking through how God has used this trip and process what happened. We gathered together as one team united, the Reaching the Hungry US and Malawi team for a Partners Dinner. Then, unfortunately, we had to say goodbye and the team has safely arrived back in LA. Thank you for everyone’s prayers and supporters for making this possible!! What an immense joy it is to be a part of what the Lord is doing and see how He is working in Malawi.

Malawi July 2018: Days 2 & 3 by Sophia Pelling

Day 2: Today we built two wells in two different villages. In one village we played corn hole and netball with the women. Then we shared bible stories and made embroidery crafts. The women liked to talk about Jesus and they knew a lot about Him. We shared our testimonies and they shared some of theirs. We all encouraged each other. Anna and Diana shared the gospel at the Jesus Film. We are all tired but enjoyed talking to the people.

Day 3: Today we built 2 more wells in 2 separate villages. In one village, we played corn hole with the women and made a sewing project. Although the gospel bracelets were originally meant for the kids, we had so many left over that we decided to make them with the women as well. They loved them! The women made bracelets for themselves, their husbands, and the chiefs. At the well ceremony one woman explained the beads and the gospel story. Both villages were exceptionally friendly and loving.

Malawi July 2018: "Mark 16:15" by Diana Curry

Leslie, David, John & Javier working on the water pump. 

Wonderful and Javier greeting the village.

"He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creation. "

Today was a living example of doing just that. I am so blessed to be here and part of this wonderful team. Today we started with a great devotion from Wonderful from Luke 24. Then we ate breakfast and headed out to today's village where we were greeted with so much joy and enthusiasm. The women danced and sung and the Chief formally welcomed us. The day was filled with many activities from children's games, to women's ministry. The women enjoyed playing games, sitting and sewing while enjoying swapping stories and testimonies and sharing the love of Christ. And of course the well, which when completed brought the sustaining water of life to this village, Oh the singing and rejoicing was beautiful to witness and be apart of. Our very own Javier brought a wonderful teaching paralleling how Jesus brings life. We finished our time with a delicious traditional African meal of nshima, rice, chicken, and mustard greens offered by the chief. As we left the village the children ran along side our can with a thousand goodbyes. Then we headed to another village and showed the "Jesus" film which we set up in a field. So many people gathered, an the there was such a great response when Team member, Jennifer, shared so beautifully from her heart and Wonderful lead the crowd in prayer. What a glorious day!

We bumped along the road to our first day in the villages. 

Tabitha affectionately calls it “the Malawi massage.”

Malawi Mission's Trip - April 1-13, 2018 Written by Dr. Eric Langerman

We left Los Angeles at just before midnight on Easter; what an auspicious beginning to my first real international mission trip. Thirty hours later we landed in Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi. We were greeted warmly by the Reaching the Hungry team led by Wonderful Chibisa. 

We wasted no time; stopping only for a quick team picture, before setting out to get supplies for our stay.  Water, peanut butter, and bread. Unfortunately, we had to go to a second store because the first had run out of the single variety of bread they offer. 

After successfully getting our lunch ingredients for the next few days we went to Mosaic house where a local congressman allowed us to stay because he is very excited about the work that RtH does in Malawi, preaching the Good news of Jesus Christ and installing water wells in poor, rural villages. 

We unpacked and everyone quickly went to bed despite it being about 1pm pacific time because we were so tired from the long day-plus of travel. 

Early the next morning we piled into a van piloted by our driver extraordinaire Knocks. We drove over a series of large potholes interspersed with narrow strips of dirt road made of red clay for 45 minutes. 

When we arrived at the villages the women would greet us with song and dance, jubilant for what we were about to do. Children without shoes would swarm us as we exited the van, many never having seen a white person before, or a van for that matter. 

Most of us would set to work straight away on constructing the well. Tabitha or Kate, two of Reaching the Hungry’s Malawian national Missionaries, would split off and entertain the children and women of the village with Bible stories and praise songs. Their singing was melodious background noise as we measured, cut, shoveled and cemented pieces in place. 

The first day seeing the well come together was nothing short of a miracle, and for the people, it truly was a blessing from God, clean water to drink, something we often take for granted. 

Once the well was finished we would break to eat local food with the people, and if there was time we would play soccer or Neti-ball with the children while waiting for nightfall.

With the sun low on the horizon, we would move to a nearby field where the denizens of three or more nearby villages would congregate waiting for us to show the Jesus film. Once it was dark we would turn on the projector and they would watch the first, and possibly last movie in their lives. 

Following the life of Jesus as recorded in the Gospel of John, we see the birth, life, death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, all narrated in the local language Chichewa.  It was like a symphony rising to its crescendo. The labor of the day.  The new relationships we had quickly formed.  The word we had preached. All culminating in this moment, the moment of choice. 

  

With Jesus still being nailed to the cross, the video would pause. One of us would rise, if we had been able to calm our nerves and remain seated, then join Wonderful in the center of a semicircle of Lost Sheep. All eyes fixed on us, we had five minutes to lay out the Gospel and what knowing Jesus had meant for our lives. When we finished Wonderful or John, another Malawian missionary team member, would ask the crowd if any there felt Him tugging on their heart. If any there had seen and heard about this Christ and now wanted to invite Him into their hearts forever.  Dozens if not hundreds of hands would rise into the darkness. Those who made a decision were led in group prayer.  The sound of their voices in unison pledging themselves to Jesus Christ was hauntingly beautiful. 

By the second or third day, the well construction process had become less magical to us, but had not lost any of its power for the people.  We put in six wells in those three days and for hundreds of people provided not only drinking water but pointed them towards the one who can quench their thirst forever. 

Wonderful, John, Tabitha, Kate, Memory, Knocks, Grace, Zac, Carlos, Eric. Ten people over two weeks were able to change the lives of hundreds of villagers. Malawi has 16 million people, and we touched the lives of only a fraction.  There are many more who need our support.  Who need Jesus Christ.

"How to Really Pray for a Missions Trip" by Alison Sales

"How to Really Pray for a Missions Trip"

by Alison Sales

When friends of mine leave for missions trips they often ask me to pray for their safety and pray that hearts will be softened and receptive to their message. I know that God will protect them, I know that God will not let his word return void and that God will use their missions trip for his glory. So how can I really pray, and get deeper into prayer, for my loved ones heading across the globe to share the Gospel?

1) Don't pray for safety.  Instead, pray for boldness!

I have been on missions trips with team members that have anxiety attacks, debilitating depression, diabetes, fibromyalgia, arthritis, and numerous other ailments. And for every single trip, those dear friends who should be asking for more "safe travels" prayers and asking for more comfort are the team members who jump right into the germ-filled crowds and reach out to touch the broken villagers. God can pamper these teams with window seats on the planes and lavish them with hot showers, but no matter how safe and accommodating the trip is it is always the bold moments which have eternal implications.

Every team member would agree they want safety, but they would agree even more strongly that they do not want to miss an opportunity to share eternal safety with someone who needs it.

2) Pray for clear eyes to see and recognize divine appointments rather than for hearts softened to the Gospel. I think sometimes when we pray that hearts will be softened to our message it is because we are secretly scared of rejection. We think that God should just help us out a little more and remove all the risk in sharing the Gospel. If we had a 100% success rate guaranteed wouldn't that be great?!  But if God can do the work of taking a group of Americans out of their daily grind and move them to speak to his beloved children on foreign soil, then don't you think He has done all the preparation work we could possibly need? 

When I went on my first trip to Africa I noticed that my Dad stopped to talk to everyone. He talked to people at the gas station, peddlers by the side of the road, and the motel staff. Literally everyone!  After a day or two of this, I realized that my Dad had "divine appointments" with every single one of those people.  As a team member on the trip, I thought we were on a mission to share the gospel with the villagers, but my Dad was on a mission to share the gospel with every single person we saw until we got out to the village. He was on a completely different trip and had an entirely bigger vision for what God wanted to accomplish. Wouldn't it be awesome if every person who went on a trip with RTH had that vision? So please pray that team members would have fresh eyes to see all of the divine appointments God has planned for them. Pray that they will recognize and already softened heart when they see one.

It has often been said that prayer is not about getting God to do what we want, but it is about God changing our perspective so we want what he wants. As you pray for the Reaching the Hungry trips going to remote villages and tiny impoverished towns this year, may it change your worldview and may it bless you with God's vision for your life. 

Please keep in mind our upcoming trips to...

• March 31 – Mexico Orphanage Trip REG HERE
• April 1-13 - Malawi Mission Trip (Jesus Film, Water Wells, Orphanage, Safari)
• April 28 – Mexico Outreach  REG HERE
• May 19 – Mexico Orphanage Trip  REG HERE
• June 23 - July 3 - Guatemala Mission Trip  APPLY HERE
• July 8-20 - Malawi Mission Trip (Jesus Film, Water Wells, Orphanage, Safari)
• August 5-14 – Philippines Mission Trip
• Aug 24 – Sept 6 -Malawi Mission Trip (Jesus Film, Water Wells, Orphanage, Safari)
• Sept – Costa Rica  Mission Trip
• Sept 29 – Mexico Orphanage Trip
• Oct 21-Nov 2 - Malawi Mission Trip (Jesus Film, Water Wells, Orphanage, Safari)
• Dec 8 - Mexico Christmas Outreach 

July 2017 Malawi Mission Trip

Join Us... let's GO!  Click on link to show your interest... http://tinyurl.com/RtH-Trip

..

~   OR  ~

Write check to REACHING THE HUNGRY and mail to...

1018 Ranger Road; Fallbrook, CA 92028

A Respectfully Somber Kind of a Day

A Respectfully Somber Kind of a Day

 By Lisa Sales

Carlos and I separated from the team, with Tabitha as interpreter, and set out to a village to install a well and minister to the women and children.  I prayed as we drove out to the village, “Lord, you know me.  I like to be a part of a team.  I’ll encourage Lori as she dances with the women or help Christine as she organizes the children coloring, or assist Elaine as she teaches the women to sew.  I don’t know how I’ll manage all of that alone. Show me what this village needs.”

This village was different.  No greeting of song and dance from the women and no playing children today. There was a funeral yesterday and the village was to remain respectfully, somber.

Tabitha and I sat where we could watch the women work, hoping a few might get a chance to visit.  A kind women suggested we sit on the front porch of one of the village homes.

Then, without a plan or a program, women started to gather and they seemed to want to talk. Tabitha, our Reaching the Hungry Partner, interpreted while we talked about the funeral the day before, what happens after death, what are their hopes, are they afraid.  “I have no doubt I’m going to heaven when I die.  Do you want to know how I can be so sure?”  The women listened attentively as I explained God’s plan of salvation for them and they eagerly agreed to pray with me. After the prayer the mood changed instantly and they were obviously in no hurry to leave. So I asked… “Are you curious about Americans? You can ask me anything!”  We talked for hours. We talked about the expected age of marriage, what women look for in a husband, what women do if their husband leaves and what women do if they can’t find a husband.  My favorite question came from a beautiful women who asked where my husband was, she said she was going to try to take him.  When I told her she couldn’t have him, she asked if we could share.  Everyone had a great laugh at that, even though I suspect her question was a real one.

The next day our whole team came back to that village to finish the well and play with the children and color with the women.  Today we had our time of singing and dancing!  The 30 women that prayed with me the day before gave the Angels in Heaven something to sing and dance about, they just didn’t know it.

The Lord knew I needed, “a respectfully, somber” kind of a day. The Lord knows us.   He graciously and lovingly stretches us and even uses us when we’re willing.  Please prayerfully consider going with us on a Reaching the Hungry Trip.  You won’t regret it, your life may be transformed forever.

Singing & Dancing... Bring the Water!

Check out this map where we've installed water wells... http://tinyurl.com/RtH-Water-Well-Map 

                                       *Zoom in and you will see more well locations.

Please partner with us, so we can share God's love in Word & deed!                              

 

If the donation button doesn't work, please click here http://PayPal.me/RtHReg or Venmo.com/RtHDonation 

You will receive a tax-deducible receipt. Click on the donation button, or write your check & send it to the following 501(c)3 non-profit organization...  Reaching the Hungry; 1018 Ranger Road; Fallbrook, CA 92028.

Water Is Life!

Check out this map where we've installed water wells... http://tinyurl.com/RtH-Water-Well-Map *Zoom in and you will see more well locations. 

"Perfect Love Casts Out Fear" by Alison Sales

The thing I was most nervous about going to Malawi, Africa, this summer was anxiety attacks. I strongly believed that God was going to use this trip to completely heal me. I had been more than six months since my last attack and all throughout support raising I had felt confident peace that my mental illness was over. So you can imagine my frustration then when within the first three days of our time in Africa I had two terrible anxiety attacks. I was in severe pain, I couldn’t think clearly, I cried and cried and cried. Most of all, I couldn’t get a good breath of air. My lungs and throat were closed tight.

Of course I couldn’t understand why God would bring me to Africa to be sick. I wanted to have energy to love the people. I wanted to be smiling not crying and gasping for air. During the second attack I was sitting under the stars out in a remote village as the Jesus film played for hundreds of Malawians. They were riveted by Jesus’ miracles, teaching, and love. However, I couldn’t concentrate on the film, I was mad at God, he was supposed to heal me. I knew he could so what was he waiting for?

Right before the film shows Jesus being crucified my team members paused the movie. Jonathan got up to share the Gospel. My eyes were swollen closed with hot angry tears and I was too focused on trying to breathe to hear. Yet as soon as Jonathan began to share the gospel and speak about God the father’s perfect love all the symptoms of my attack vanished. I could breathe.

The hundreds of Malawians’ had to wait for the translator to catch up with Jonathan’s words. They probably couldn’t even hear him very well, because the translator had the microphone, but I could hear every single word. It was as if God was using Jonathan’s words specifically for me—he could have easily chosen to use someone who could speak Chichewa, he could’ve used a different messenger, but he didn’t. I think everyone there would have said they could feel the power of the Holy Spirit and hundreds of hand raised high signaling their desire to accept Jesus for the first time. But I feel like I am the one who received a free gift.

I am so thankful that I got to hear that message and witness that miracle. As soon as the message was over my anxiety attack came back full force, but I didn’t have any of the anger or frustration anymore. God had clearly show that speaking about his love, sharing the truth, and living in obedience (like Jonathan had) was the way to freedom. My God has all the power to heal my body whenever he chooses too. He hasn’t done that yet, but while I was in Africa he gave me an even better gift. He showed me that he is in control, that God the father’s love is big enough for me and thousands and millions of other people too, and he will use my obedience the way he wants to. He says that perfect love casts out fear and I got to experience that truth firsthand. Even when I am afraid and weaker than ever before I can trust him to use me. 

Accumulation of Malawian Moments - July 2016

5 water wells, 1,000's saw Jesus Film, 100 Talking Bibles...
Lives Changed forever!

Join us on a future trip... http://tinyurl.com/RtH-Trip

Donate towards a Water Well.

"Malawi Africa" by Alison Sales

I never thought I would be able to go to Africa. I definitely never thought I would have the opportunity to go with both my parents, my little brother, and my best friend. Not to mention my brand new spiritual mentor and her whole family. God hand-picked our team from the very beginning. He even provided me with Mrs. Blair as a fellow introvert and academic to give my brain some good school-talk breaks.

While our team was perfectly picked, from the start I felt my insecurities growing. Surely my parents
were called to ministry but what about me? Of course Briana and the other teens were great with kids,
but I’d never been a good public speaker and I certainly was not cool like them. I listened to all sorts of lies about my identity throughout the trip. Yet over and over again God kept speaking to me—this team is hand-picked Alison and that means you are just as important and vital a member as everyone else.

He spoke through my team members to combat the enemies’ lies. They told me, the anxiety attacks you are having don’t make you weak or incapable, God will honor your sacrifice. Being an introvert doesn’t make you less effective they said, these people need to be seen and listened too. You might not be able to sing beautiful songs for them, or organizes three hundred kids into a spectacularly fun game-time, but you can hold hands with a child and hug the women who have been overlooked. One teammate even told me there was no way she would have been able to keep going without me. If my purpose was to hold the team together and remain positive and encouraging for them then that alone was enough of a reason for God to call me to Africa. He used me to help them be effective.

The passage of scripture that became my theme for the whirlwind 12 days is found in 1 Kings 19. It is a part of Elijah’s story that I have always loved. When he is in the middle of trouble and trial and
difficulties God comes and reveals himself to Elijah. Surprisingly God is not in the earthquake, and he doesn’t even appear in the mighty fire. Instead God comes to Elijah in a still small whisper.

Travelling to Malawi, Africa, was filled with miracles, wonders, changed lives and powerful beauty I
never thought I would be honored to experience. I cried more tears than humanly possible and smiled
till my face was sore. But while the whole trip felt like a wild earthquake and a blazing fire God is
speaking to me much more in small miraculous whispers. He cares about my identity and he cares about your identity in him. He showed me how to be useful for his glory—as an introvert, as someone who doesn’t have skills to command a crowd or share the gospel eloquently, as a nervous anxiety-ridden child he used me. It doesn’t take a crazy trip to tune into God’s voice, what is he whispering to you?

"Sight for the Blind" by Alison Sales

11 people, 12 days, 100 talking bibles, 5 water wells, and the power of the Gospel resulted in hundreds of Malawian’s accepting Christ this June. Africa is never going to be the same and neither am I. I have been working on my Masters in English Literature for the last year and I’m not sure you could possibly find someone who loves reading more than me. I devour books, or as my little sis likes saying I eat books for breakfast. In order to read, and study, and just see in general, I have always worn glasses. So I was especially excited about fitting the people of Malawi with reading glasses. I loved learning how to get them the correct prescription and try on different frames. However, nothing prepared me for their looks of joy when they were finally able to read clearly! Of course we had translators, so the man speaking Chichewa would tell me word for word as men and woman laughed and cried and shared their stories of watching the blurred words become clear and distinct and readable. I didn’t need a translator to understand their excitement and joy.

While we were in Malawi we showed the Jesus Film several times on a large projector in the middle or remote villages. Each night I would sit down with hundreds of people who were mesmerized by
watching Jesus heal the sick and then die on the cross for them. Over and over again I was specifically touched by the scene where Jesus gives sight to the blind man. The Malawian’s in the audience would always exclaim loudly and even clap when the scales fell from the man’s eyes.

Fitting people with reading glasses reminded me of how none of Jesus’ miracles have ended. When he walked on the earth he gave sight to the blind and now his Holy Spirit still guides Christians to give physical and spiritual sight to the blind.

This was the first Reaching the Hungry trip in Africa that has done an eyeglasses clinic. In my opinion it could not have been more successful. I met dozens of villages’ leaders, hardworking mothers and even chiefs who told me they needed the glasses because they could no longer read the Bible without them. I love Jesus deeply and I love reading so so so much. Yet I was shocked to discover how blind my eyes have been—fitting men and woman with eyeglasses showed me my own blindness. Their clear expressions of pure joy and unfiltered excitement, their claps when Jesus heals the people in the film, and their loud calls of “Alleluia” have given me new sight.

Reaching the Hungry Malawi - Staff

Reaching the Hungry has expended our reach with full-time staff in Malawi. Allow me to introduce to you Wonderfu Emmanuel Chibisa. Please take a few minutes to get to know Wonder...

(Special message for Cathey Anderson)

Malawi Mission's Trip - May 17-29, 2015 by Nathan Giles (Trip Leader)

Lately, life has been a bit like one of those dreams so vivid that even upon waking, you think it might have actually happened. Stepping out of the airport in Lilongwe, the capital city of Malawi, and seeing my friends Wonderful and Deni again felt a lot like waking up from one of those dreams. It felt like the 6 months since my last trip had only been a dream; then suddenly, I was awake, ready to get back to work.

Our work began the next day at Mtema Village- an area I had visited in October last year known to be a stronghold for witchcraft and masked dancing. Upon arrival, we discovered that the well was a bit too wide at the top to set the pump equipment on. A bit discouraged, we took a few minutes’ drive to a second location, my mind still on the first well. We had prayed that morning during our devotional time for God to reveal solutions to us so that we could accomplish our assigned tasks. Just before we arrived at the second site, I noticed that we had many more metal rods than we needed for the depth of the well and that we could use the extra as supports for a concrete platform to cover the over-sized hole. We were immediately encouraged and confident in God’s involvement in our trip. The rest of the well went in without any problems. Later that night, we were able to show the Jesus Film (an incredible tool for evangelism when your audience has never seen a movie before). Our teammate David, a college student and former Marine, took advantage of the opportunity created by the well installation to share the Gospel with several hundred people in the surrounding area. With well over one hundred people responding in prayer to God, our first day was a tremendous success.

Our next outing took us to Mponda Village in Kasungu. After a late night, we pulled up to the well moments after a man had climbed out of the newly dug bore-hole (quite an impressive feet). We quickly forgot our own tiredness and began the installation process with a new burst of energy. We were able to finish the well with time to spare before our drive to Nkhoma and took a look at the village’s old well. It was a hole about 5 feet across with nothing to keep children, animals, and contaminants from falling inside. With a new source of water, there are able to seal up the old well and stop worrying about its dangers. We ended the day with a drive to Nkhoma where we met with and had dinner with a close friend and partner of Reaching the Hungry, Hamilton Yassin. He and his wife opened their home to us again and prepared a wonderful dinner as I introduced the RtH team for our May 2015 trip, David and Wade (my uncle and still active duty Marine).

We enjoyed a bit of a late start the next day and had the honor of presenting Hamilton, along with the rest of his class and teachers, with solar-powered talking Bibles. The new pastors and graduates of the Nkhoma Theology school can now use these tools to expand God’s kingdom throughout Malawi as they are assigned to congregations in early June. It was very humbling to present gifts that were received with such reverence and thankfulness. We took a walk through the mission station, hospital, nearby market, and up into the hills before loading up for our second showing of the Jesus Film. David spoke again along with Hamilton at the end of the film to kick off a several day long revival meeting on the outskirts the of Nkhoma region. Before departing for Mtakataka, we reluctantly said goodbye to Hamilton and his wife and congratulated them again on his graduation and upcoming move to a new congregation.

We arrived in Mtakataka, ready to hit the ground running, but found that the well was not suitable for a pump. We made plans for a well to be placed there later this year, giving time to better fortify the well and ensure that it will be a long-lasting well in the future. Wonderful took us to a secondary location where a single well (installed in October 2014) has been serving more than 1,500 families in several villages. The well is so busy that it often pumps day and night to meet the needs of the people. Nearby, a second well had been dug in hopes of receiving a pump. The well had more than 3 times the needed amount of water for a pump to be installed and was nearly 50 feet down. Once we took the measurements, the team began working quickly to finish before the sun went down. I then left to meet local village group heads with Amos (Wonderful’s father) who coordinates the Chiefs’ Ministry. I saw many familiar faces from my last trip and had the opportunity to share a message of encouragement. Amos and I also spoke to them on the importance of legacy, not in worldly terms, but in leaving behind a legacy of Godly children leaders in their villages. The chiefs were presented with and extremely grateful for a number of talking Bibles currently being used in Bible studies throughout the area. Amos and I returned to the rest of the team who were putting the finishing touches on the well after taking some time to perform some maintenance on the nearby well.

We were blessed with a meal prepared by some of the women in a nearby village. As we sat in the small hut, I thought about how many people were directly contributing to the work we were doing. Of course there are those who traveled on the team, as well as our ministry partners in Malawi. However, the list goes on from there, well sponsors, team members’ financial supporters, prayer teams, and even the numerous donors who supply us with clothing and soccer balls to take to the villages. Even the people who we thought we were coming to serve were involved in God’s work. Children gathered water, rocks, and sand for the cement; men prepared bricks for the platform and helped assemble the well; and the women had prepared meals for us. Realistically, the team (including Wonderful, Deni, and Amos) could have had a great deal of success responding to God’s call; however, when God’s children each take up a bit of the weight, the results are beyond anything we can imagine.

For our final day of planned outreaches, we visited a church in Salima. This area rarely sees outsiders and is extremely hungry for God’s word. We attended morning service and worshiped with a small congregation which grew and grew as the morning went on (it takes a long time for people to walk from miles away to the only local church in the area). David encouraged the congregation with a message about turning to God knowing that He will help us grow through them. We also had the chance to answer some questions you normally only hear in theology classes. It is a one-of-a-kind experience to worship our Creator with our brothers and sisters on the other side of the world. Later, we sat in on a Chiefs’ Ministry Bible study. We had another wonderful time of worship and teaching before the RtH team was invited to speak. I spoke to the chiefs about living out our faith with urgency and how we prepare for spiritually dry and stormy seasons just as we prepare for those seasons in farming. We then presented the trans-denominational group with talking Bibles to start ministries in their own villages.

We ended the night with another wonderful dinner in a local family’s home before the trip’s final showing of the Jesus Film. That night, the crowd grew to around 1,000 people with more hands than could be counted during the prayer time receiving salvation in Jesus Christ. It was incredible to see how God enabled each member of our team to perform the tasks at hand despite our perceived flaws. There is no amount of skill that can prepare you for ministry, just as there is no amount required before you are useful to God. Our final two days were spent admiring God’s creation and trying to wrap our heads around everything we had seen and done. The time of reflection allowed us to solidify our understanding of all that God had shown us and helped us determine where we would go from there in our spiritual walks.

We would like to give special thanks to all who were involved in this trip. Thank you for partnering with us in supplying 3 new water wells serving over 2,000 families! Your efforts have also sent more than 50 talking Bibles to Malawi and allowed our small 3 man team to reach thousands with the Gospel!