Recently, God brought a wonderfully diverse team from St. John’s Church in Ipswich, UK, to serve in rural Malawi. They were a blessing to us, to the church, and to many people living with HIV/AIDS.

Understanding HIV/AIDS

The team came to Malawi on a two-week, short-term assignment with the HOPE for AIDS program. They saw first-hand how HIV/AIDS affects the community and the family as they lived side-by-side with villagers in Sankhulani. For 10 days in this remote village, they heard stories from people who were living with HIV/AIDS. Some of them were too sick to work and had no income. Their hearts were touched as they listened to villagers tell them about the pain of losing parents and children to AIDS, and the heavy burden of coping with many orphans.

Volunteers with the HOPE for AIDS home based care program took the team visiting. Their purpose was to bring spiritual encouragement and practical assistance to those in most need. But their first challenge was carrying their bicycles along the railway tracks, where at one point, the river 20-feet below could be seen through the gaps! The team's hearts were challenged as they faced poverty and sickness, but they were inspired as they saw how the home based care program was making a real difference.

Encouraging the Church

The team encouraged the church by sharing the love of Christ with the children of Sankhulani. Their Bible club was a tremendous success. One member of the team said:

“The work we did with children was awesome in the true sense of the word. When we were told to prepare for 40 kids, we prepared a plan that could be adapted accordingly. Most days we had closer to 100 kids, plus adults wanting to join in too.

Further encouragement came as the days progressed, and we saw some kids returning several times, home based care patients coming along to the clubs, and (my favourite encouragement) hearing the song we taught being sung around the village.”

The last blessing came in the form of cement, paint, and hard work. God provided the exact funds needed to lay a concrete floor in the local school and to finish building and painting the local church. This project provided the ideal vehicle for building relationships, having a few laughs, and leaving a permanent reminder of the fact that we are one body in Christ.

Pray

Praise God for the team. They had the perfect skills for the work to be done, and their unity and mutual support evidenced Christ's presence in their lives. Please pray that God will continue to build His church in Sankhulani and in Ipswich as well.

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