Mission Moments: Malawi
Widows are ‘naked’ and need to be clothed
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me… Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?” – Matthew 25:35-38 (ESV)
We have fed the widows in several villages in southern Malawi, and given them drink. We have visited them as strangers and now call them friends. We have visited the sick, and encouraged them to do the same for one another.
Food, bedding, companionship, Bible study, and a housing project still in progress in which new roofs are being put on many homes of the poorest of the poor. These are among the blessings we have been blessed to share with nearly 100 widows.
As brother Damson Samson, Climbing For Christ’s missionary to East Africa, recently resumed work on houses (after having spent time training guides and porters in the Mulange Massif Chapter in Malawi and Kilimanjaro Chapter in neighboring Tanzania), he saw another need.
June is the coldest month of the year in Malawi.
Damson again used part of the monthly support he receives from Climbing For Christ to help the many widows – buying jackets, warmer clothing, and blankets.
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Our friend Benedict Bonongwe joyfully receives a jacket from Damson Samson.
“I only had money to cover 50 people from this group of widows, but we have more left – and they are just freezing,” Damson said. “I was (broken)hearted to see the sad faces of those who did not receive (help). I just strengthened them to wait, as the Lord provides they will get (jackets and blankets).”
Damson said he needed just US$400 to buy jackets and $800 to purchase blankets for about 100 widows.
Can you help?
Please contribute to the care of the least of these by sending a donation to Climbing For Christ c/o Widows Project 1:27 at P.O. Box 16290, Rochester, NY 14616-0290 USA. Or CLICK HERE to give via PayPal and email info@ClimbingForChrist.org to alert us to your donation.
In Canada, make checks payable to The Great Commission Foundation, and on the memo line add Climbing For Christ CANADA c/o Widows Project 1:27. Mail your support to: The Great Commission Foundation, #3 – 1335 Trans Canada Way SE, Medicine Hat, AB T1B 1J1. Or give online at http://tgcfcanada.org/donate. Mark your contribution: “Climbing For Christ CANADA c/o Widows Project 1:27.”
“To those who received, they were happy, singing, dancing,” he reported. “Some were shocked, wondering how it could be without C4C. I have seen many working in rags because they can’t do anything to change their stories. I have been feeling their challenges since we started the project (in January). I knew God brought me to them as the hands and feet of Jesus.
“I remember dressing one widow. She said, ‘I was really cold.’ She was shivering, indicating that it was not good for her.
“It’s a great time of showing our faith,” Damson added, “with more works than just speaking about it. For it says, ‘be the doer not the hearer’ (James 1:22).”
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Happy to have a warm jacket.
This lesson has been learned by the widows as well. In early June, a group of the widows visited 25 homes in six villages to care for the sick. They delivered soap, matches, salt, and some sweets. “Some (who were visited) couldn’t speak, but were just clapping hands to show how much they appreciated for the (helping) hand.”
As we pray for provision to clothe the “naked” widows, we continue to put roofs on houses. Damson also will be trekking June 19-21 and 26-27 (and also in July) on Mulanje Massif with C4C-member guides and porters who are being trained in evangelism. June and July is the “high season” for tourism on and around the Mulanje mountains. He will then join our U.S.-based team on Mission: Kilimanjaro 2016 in August.
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