Walk for Water Africa

March 2012 Newsletter

2012-03-09T22:17:00.001-08:00

Sure Foundation Ministry Newsletter

March 2012

Your Successes

As I reflect on all the wonderful projects brought to completion on our January/February mission to southern Malawi, I can't help but be reminded of the numerous missions I gave toward over the years. In so doing, I was putting my confidence in the work of others, some of whom I knew personally, and others I only knew through a brochure or perhaps a Sunday evening presentation at church. I used to imagine that the goers and the doers had greater faith, however I now see that sending and giving and praying are equally acts of great faith. [Image]So now let me tell you about what you, through your faith have accomplished.

You put a complete new roof system on a two-classroom building at the Sakata Primary School, and in so doing enabled these already terribly disadvantaged children to now attend school on rainy days. It rains often, November through May. You helped them dream bigger dreams. As I asked many of the older girls on your behalf what they want to be when they grow up, some told you they wanted to be doctors, nurses, teachers and scientists. One older boy wants to be a pastor; another, an accountant.

Sakata Primary School

Preaching and Teaching

You, through Rick and me, taught God’s word in churches, and Bible Institute teaching points, around restored wells, and at the conclusion of a school dedication, and a hygiene workshop. You brought dozens of people into God’s kingdom, and gave many of his faithful ones a renewed hope.

Sakata Primary School

You enabled the students, parents, staff, and several village chiefs to gather around for the roof dedication, and listen to a message of hope. You emboldened me to ask them to pray for the building of four latrines for the students. You saw through my eyes, the little girls slinking back to class, with wretchedly embarrassed looks across their innocent faces, having had to relieve themselves in the privacy of some shrubbery. [Image]Partners in the Gospel.

You have partnered with Pastors Williex, and Stanford, and Dixon, in ways I don’t know how to fully express in opening wide the door for the Gospel message in countless villages of rural southern Malawi. They are so very thankful for what you have done for the souls of the men and women and children they daily reach out to.You, time and again, in big ways, and in little ways have taken Phyllis and me on a journey of greater faith. You have helped convince us that as we prepare to move to Malawi in October, the God of all creation will sustain us; will meet our every need; will use us time and again for His glory, as He purposes.

On behalf of the beautiful people of rural Malawi, the people you have enabled us to come to know and love, THANK YOU!

Long-term Goals

Moving to Malawi in October 2012
We have committed at least the next three and a half years of our lives to helping the people of rural southern Malawi out of a seemingly endless cycle of the most extreme poverty, while at the same time bringing the wonderful hope of the Gospel of peace to the beautiful people of these remote villages.
We have already developed many rich friendships, and are confident there will be many more over time. This is a most joyous, and fulfilling time in our lives; at the same time we have no illusions that there won’t be trials and difficulties, and unexpected twists in the road.


Clean Water

You restored four additional wells in the villages of Hayo, Matewele, Chirimani, and Libwalo, bringing safe, clean water to about a thousand families. You also saved the women and girls of these villages tens of thousands of hours of back breaking labor each year, as their water sources are now much nearer to their homes.


Safe Birthing Kits

You distributed nearly 200 safe birthing kits to the Domasi and Bimbi clinics, as well as to several midwives who attend the women as they give birth in their mud huts with dirt floors, with not even a bed to lie on. More lives were saved. I wish I knew how to convey the heartfelt thanks; the beautiful smiles; the unique Malawian handshakes, so rich with meaning. [Image]It is truly humbling to receive monetary gifts toward our work; to know there are friends back home faithfully praying for us.

The friends who had Phyllis over to dinner, or took her out to a restaurant while I was in Malawi; those who told me that if I somehow got in over my head while in Malawi they were only a phone call away, and would find a way to assist me, whatever the need; my dear friend Rick Peacock, who knew not what he was getting into when he agreed to accompany me. We are so thankful to all of you. [Image]Missions Outreach to Mozambique

You helped finance Sophia Pensulo as she journeyed with her husband, Pastor Stanford to Mozambique for the entire month of February, and conducted our very first workshops in that neighboring nation. Stanford meanwhile taught God’s word to the Bible Institute students there.


Month of March Ministry

Latrines

We are currently working to raise funds for four latrines at the Sakata Primary School, as the students now have to relieve themselves in the shrubs. These latrines will cost a mere $360 each, and someone last week donated the full cost of one latrine, and the cost of a second one was pledged this week. We hope to have raised the remainder within the next couple weeks in order to begin the work by the end of the month.

Still needed $720

Hygiene Workshop

Two of our indigenous workers who Phyllis trained this past summer will be conducting a hygiene and sanitation workshop in the village of Hayo for a large group of women. Our first well repair on our January/February trip was conducted there, and the chief, a lovely woman named Elizabeth, most graciously accepted our offer to come teach these life-saving techniques. As with our previous workshops, a meal consisting of stewed goat meat, rice, and vegetables will be served.


Well Maintenance

Well maintenance on three wells with accompanying workshops at each location. These workshops will enable the men and women of these villages to perform basic preventive maintenance and minor repairs on their own wells, making them much less reliant on scarce outside help, and helping them to have a more dependable supply of safe, clean water. All parts, labor, transportation costs, and compensation to our instructors are already covered.


An Open Door for the Gospel

We ask you, each one, to consider partnering with us first of all in prayer, that the Lord will lead and guide us every step of the way, and that doors of opportunity to work hand-in-hand with the people there would continue to open, even well beyond what we have already witnessed.

We also request that each one of you who receives this newsletter consider monthly commitments, no matter the size, to help us reach out in love to the poorest of the poor in Malawi, and neighboring Mozambique as our work is now beginning to open there also. In return, our commitment is to use every resource, monetary, and otherwise as effectively as possible.

You will find a link on our website www.surefoundationministry.com to give securely online.

2012-03-09T21:07:00.000-08:00

Sure Foundation Ministry Newsletter

March 2012

Your Successes
As I reflect on all the wonderful projects brought to completion on our January/February mission to southern Malawi, I can't help but be reminded of the numerous missions I gave toward over the years. In so doing, I was putting my confidence in the work of others, some of whom I knew personally, and others I only knew through a brochure or perhaps a Sunday evening presentation at church. I used to imagine that the goers and the doers had greater faith, however I now see that sending and giving and praying are equally acts of great faith.

So now let me tell you about what you, through your faith have accomplished.

You put a complete new roof system on a two-classroom building at the Sakata Primary School, and in so doing enabled these already terribly disadvantaged children to now attend school on rainy days. It rains often, November through May. You helped them dream bigger dreams. As I asked many of the older girls on your behalf what they want to be when they grow up, some told you they wanted to be doctors, nurses, teachers and scientists. One older boy wants to be a pastor; another, an accountant.

Preaching and Teaching

You, through Rick and me, taught God’s word in churches, and Bible Institute teaching points, around restored wells, and at the conclusion of a school dedication, and a hygiene workshop. You brought dozens of people into God’s kingdom, and gave many of his faithful ones a renewed hope.

Sakata Primary School

You enabled the students, parents, staff, and several village chiefs to gather around for the roof dedication, and listen to a message of hope. You emboldened me to ask them to pray for the building of four latrines for the students. You saw through my eyes, the little girls slinking back to class, with wretchedly embarrassed looks across their innocent faces, having had to relieve themselves in the privacy of some shrubbery.

Partners in the Gospel

You have partnered with Pastors Williex, and Stanford, and Dixon, in ways I don’t know how to fully express in opening wide the door for the Gospel message in countless villages of rural southern Malawi. They are so very thankful for what you have done for the souls of the men and women and children they daily reach out to.
You, time and again, in big ways, and in little ways have taken Phyllis and me on a journey of greater faith. You have helped convince us that as we prepare to move to Malawi in October, the God of all creation will sustain us; will meet our every need; will use us time and again for His glory, as He purposes.
On behalf of the beautiful people of rural Malawi, the people you have enabled us to come to know and love, THANK YOU!

Long-term Goals

Moving to Malawi in October 2012
We have committed at least the next three and a half years of our lives to helping the people of rural southern Malawi out of a seemingly endless cycle of the most extreme poverty, while at the same time bringing the wonderful hope of the Gospel of peace to the beautiful people of these remote villages. We have already developed many rich friendships, and are confident there will be many more over time. This is a most joyous, and fulfilling time in our lives; at the same time we have no illusions that there won’t be trials and difficulties, and unexpected twists in the road.

Clean Water
You restored four additional wells in the villages of Hayo, Matewele, Chirimani, and Libwalo, bringing safe, clean water to about a thousand families. You also saved the women and girls of these villages tens of thousands of hours of back breaking labor each year, as their water sources are now much nearer to their homes.

Safe Birthing Kits

You distributed nearly 200 safe birthing kits to the Domasi and Bimbi clinics, as well as to several midwives who attend the women as they give birth in their mud huts with dirt floors, with not even a bed to lie on. More lives were saved. I wish I knew how to convey the heartfelt thanks; the beautiful smiles; the unique Malawian handshakes, so rich with meaning.

It is truly humbling to receive monetary gifts toward our work; to know there are friends back home faithfully praying for us. The friends who had Phyllis over to dinner, or took her out to a restaurant while I was in Malawi; those who told me that if I somehow got in over my head while in Malawi they were only a phone call away, and would find a way to assist me, whatever the need; my dear friend Rick Peacock, who knew not what he was getting into when he agreed to accompany me. We are so thankful to all of you.

Missions Outreach to Mozambique

You helped finance Sophia Pensulo as she journeyed with her husband, Pastor Stanford to Mozambique for the entire month of February, and conducted our very first workshops in that neighboring nation. Stanford meanwhile taught God’s word to the Bible Institute students there.

Month of March Ministry

Latrines- We are currently working to raise funds for four latrines at the Sakata Primary School, as the students now have to relieve themselves in the shrubs. These latrines will cost a mere $360 each, and someone last week donated the full cost of one latrine, and the cost of a second one was pledged this week. We hope to have raised the remainder within the next couple weeks in order to begin the work by the end of the month.
Still needed                                $720
Hygiene Workshop- Two of our indigenous workers who Phyllis trained this past summer will be conducting a hygiene and sanitation workshop in the village of Hayo for a large group of women. Our first well repair on our January/February trip was conducted there, and the chief, a lovely woman named Elizabeth, most graciously accepted our offer to come teach these life-saving techniques. As with our previous workshops, a meal consisting of stewed goat meat, rice, and vegetables will be served .
Well Maintenance on three wells with accompanying workshops at each location. These workshops will enable the men and women of these villages to perform basic preventive maintenance and minor repairs on their own wells, making them much less reliant on scarce outside help, and helping them to have a more dependable supply of safe, clean water. All parts, labor, transportation costs, and compensation to our instructors are already covered.

An Open Door for the Gospel

We ask you, each one, to consider partnering with us first of all in prayer, that the Lord will lead and guide us every step of the way, and that doors of opportunity to work hand-in-hand with the people there would continue to open, even well beyond what we have already witnessed. We also request that each one of you who receives this newsletter consider monthly commitments, no matter the size, to help us reach out in love to the poorest of the poor in Malawi, and neighboring Mozambique as our work is now beginning to open there also. In return, our commitment is to use every resource, monetary, and otherwise as effectively as possible.

You will find a link on our website

www.surefoundationministry.com to give securely online.

What's It Like There? Part I

2011-09-24T19:46:00.000-07:00

What's It Like There?

Part I

George and Phyllis Crispi

336-408-2585

www.surefoundationministry.com

A friend asked me a few days ago to give him an idea of what conditions are like in the area of Malawi in which we work. If I were asked to describe it in one word, it would have to be "irony". As I start my morning, hopping off a minibus designed to carry fourteen, but packed with twenty one of us, I cross the narrow two lane road bound a quarter mile away along winding, rocky dirt paths, and across a rickety wooden bridge toward Williex's house.

If it happens to be a Monday or a Thursday, Songani Market will be about four times as crowded as the rest of the week. Vendors protected from the hot sun by booths consisting of four thin diameter posts, and a plastic tarp, are selling anything from rice or corn, to cabbages, to firewood, to a scattered pile of used bicycle parts. There's the aroma of grilled goat meat, and roasted corn. Everywhere there are people gnawing at the ends of sticks of sugar cane. Women carry bundles of wood, or sacks of rice, or 5 gallon jugs of water. What their families eat tonight rides very heavily on what they sell today. Still, smiles abound!

I say irony, because there is no evidence here that any of the hundreds of billions of dollars and pounds and euros ever arrived, other than the shiny new SUV's with dark tinted windows screaming up and down the "highway". Their logos will read UN, or USAID, or European Union, or any of a host of non-governmental organizations. None will stop here.

I will also see my last paved road of the day. Traveling on the back of his motorcycle, Williex and I will head out a dusty two lane road, then a one lane, and ultimately multiple winding dirt paths, until we come to a little village with a broken well. Typically it will have been in that state for two to three years; the record thus far is seven years. The well's presence is the only evidence of any outside attempt towards building infrastructure.

We are greeted warmly everywhere we go. The people already know why we are here, as it is Williex's job to scout out the broken wells in advance. I always want to give them hope, but I also want to be a bit cautious. I think there have been many well intentioned, yet broken promises around these parts, and I don't want to become party to that. I tell the people Phyllis and I have very limited resources, but desire to repair their well with the generous and kind help of our friends back home. I ask them to pray for our efforts., and assure them that we will pray for them.

We have visited twenty eight wells to date, and by God's grace we've been able to restore twenty three of them. Those repairs amount to real relief for almost 5,000 families in about sixty villages. If anyone else is repairing wells in Malawi, it's certainly not in this area. That's OK though; we feel quite privileged being here. According to a U.N. study there are about 7,600 non-functioning wells throughout rural Malawi, so with good health and God's grace we will be here for years to come.

It's early morning, and Phyllis and I are waiting for Williex, who has rented the use of a taxi to drive out to another remote village for a workshop on hygiene and sanitation. Phyllis has worked long hours every day for weeks putting together the curriculum, and she's hoping her hard work has paid off. I assure her things will go very well. First we stop at three different roadside markets, and get 8 kilos of goat meat, 30 kilos of rice, and a huge batch of kale, and tomatoes, onions and spices, as being that we're going to keep the women for several hours, it's only right to feed them. For forty minutes, as we drive down nothing but dirt roads, and with dry red dust kicking up under both rear doors, I think it's no wonder he got this cab for only twenty bucks for the whole day.

As we pull up to the building she's going to teach at, Phyllis let's out a big smile, as the women dance up to the car, singing and clapping. What a beautiful greeting! Once inside we learn that one of the local women is an English teacher, and she'll interpret for us. They make a great team from the very beginning. The women know nothing about germs, or how they're spread. With loads of colorful illustrations, Phyllis is able to hold them in rapt attention.

By the end of the four and a half hour session they have learned how to block germ paths, things to do to cut down the risk of malaria, and other diseases, and how AIDS is spread. They will also take home with them some very practical steps they can implement right away to bring greater health to their children and their husbands. This is the first of two very successful classes she will have conducted on this particular trip. Counting everyone in their families, close to five hundred people will have been helped through these two workshops.

Malawi is the fourth poorest country on Earth, with southern Malawi where we work being the poorest region. 80% of rural Malawians earn under 50 cents a day. Malawi is tied with Tanzania for the worst doctor to patient ratio on the planet- 1 to 50,000. There are twenty dentists in the entire country with a population of thirteen million. It is being deforested at a faster rate than almost any other country. It has the fourth worst record for infant mortality, and the eleventh worst for maternal mortality.

Our plan is to continue and expand our work in Malawi. We are seeing many turn to the Lord through this ministry, and are confident this is truly His call on our lives. Please write with questions or comments.

Thanks and God bless you!

In Part II I'll write about how it all got this way.

Investing in Lives Exponentially

2011-09-13T17:33:00.000-07:00

Investing In Lives Exponentially

George Crispi

Sure Foundation Ministry

336-408-2585

www.surefoundationministry.com

On Saturday, September 10th, Phyllis received a letter from Malawi. It was from Marry Pensulo, the teenage daughter of Stanford Pensulo, one of the indigenous pastors we work closely with there. It was postmarked August 24th, so it took seventeen days to reach us. The postage on the letter was 160 Kwacha, or $1.06 US. That's a little over two day's wages for 80% of rural Malawians.

Marry, a pretty, bright, and optimistic girl was Phyllis' translator for one of the two hygiene and sanitation workshops she had conducted for large groups of rural women during our mission in July and August. She always has a big smile, and is quite outgoing. She has big dreams too; when asked by Phyllis, she said she wants to study to be anaesthesiologist, and move to America.

She's also at a very crucial age, as the typical girl in her situation gets discouraged, marries in her early teens, has four to five children she'll be too poor to properly care for. She will remain subservient to her husband for the rest of her life. There is also a reasonable possibility she will lose two of her children in or shortly after delivery, if she herself doesn't die while delivering her firstborn, due to having an underdeveloped pelvis.

Marry's dilemma: Her father, a man who has devoted his entire life to the spreading of God's word, does not earn the kind of money needed to keep her in school, as all schools at the secondary level require tuition, book fees, and uniform costs. Her simple request is that we assist her with the $300 needed for this year's cost of study. We plan to help Marry in whatever way we can, and even have a possible lead on an in-country scholarship for her, and pray it comes through.

So, what's the point? I simply want to show what else $300 will purchase in Malawi.

WELL REPAIR: $300 will cover about 40% of the typical cost of restoring a broken well in one of the rural villages we work in. Once a well is repaired it will enable the women to draw clean, safe water for their families for ten years, on average. Now,when a well is broken, they often have no alternative but to draw contaminated water from rivers, lakes, and even mud holes. There are more than 2.2 million water related deaths a year, affecting mostly children under five.

Hygiene and Sanitation Workshops: $300 will pay for 3 five hour life saving workshops, for groups of about 30 to 35 extremely poor rural women. They will learn about germs, and how they are spread, blocking germ paths, and be shown many sound practices they can apply right away toward making their families healthier. They'll learn about how AIDS is spread, and how to prevent malaria. As the workshop takes them away from their heavy responsibilities for an entire day, they'll be given a sumptuous meal of stewed goat meat, rice, and a finely seasoned vegetable dish. They will then return home to share what they have learned with their husbands and children. In all, over 500 people will have been directly aided by these three workshops.

Safe Birthing Kits: When in Malawi this summer, we were able to deliver 120 “birthing kits” to clinics, and midwives. Assembled for under $1 each, they facilitate safer birthing conditions for both mother and child. Malawi has among the worst records in the world for both infant and maternal mortality. These simple tools save lives. $300 will purchase the materials for four hundred kits. We have volunteers who will help us assemble them.

Dignity Kits: As difficult as it may be to fathom, women and teenage girls in these extremely poor rural areas, don't even have the underwear that people in Western cultures, and many of their urban counterparts take for granted. Sanitary napkins are unheard of. Girls having reached puberty miss on average a week of school each month, too embarrassed to attend. Discouraged, many drop out of school and marry in their early teens. A major clothing manufacturer has graciously donated over three hundred fifty pair of women's underwear, and we are in the midst of making an equal number of washable, reusable cotton sanitary napkins for distribution to local secondary school girls when we return to Malawi in January of 2012. Each kit will contain two pair of underwear, and two reusable napkins. (If a girl is given the opportunity to attend two additional years of school, on average, she will marry four years later, have fewer, and healthier children, and have greater economic opportunity for both herself and her children.) Our hope is to continue having clothing manufacturers donate the necessary underwear. We estimate that we'll be able to make the sanitary napkins for $1 per kit. With packaging, $300 will buy about 145 dignity kits.

Solar Cookers: Malawi is being deforested at a faster rate than any other nation on Earth. As a result, there is much soil erosion, flash flooding in the rainy season, and sinking water tables, with many wells drying up. We are in the research and development phase of delivering an inexpensive solar cooker for distribution, as a means of helping to slow down the loss of forestry. With over 80% of rural Malawians earning under 50 cents, (US) per day, and the prohibitive cost of firewood and charcoal there is the added benefit of giving each household much needed savings. Our ultimate goal is to create small cottage industry for women to manufacture and sell these cookers locally. We estimate that $300 will finance start-up costs for two of these women's cooperatives.

Solar Lighting: With only 1% of rural Malawi's households having access to electricity, and liquid paraffin being expensive and often unavailable, and paraffin lanterns causing respiratory disease, and severe burns to children, a better alternative is most needed. We have been testing several manufacturers' solar lights with excellent results from two particular models. On an eight hour charge, a typical table model will emit up to eight hours of high quality light. With costs offset by free solar energy, even the poorest of the poor will be able to afford solar lamps with time payments. This will enable students to study into the night, and mothers to take care of sick children and perform other important household tasks. We also see great potential for solar lighting sales becoming another small business opportunity for poor women. $300 can help start three rural entrepreneurs into fruitful solar lighting businesses.

Cooking Briquettes and Briquette Presses: This is another technology just waiting to be introduced to this region of Malawi to the benefit of countless households. By collecting and processing abundantly available grasses, corn stalks, corn husks, dried vegetable scraps, sawdust, peanut shells, and other dead vegetation, and using only manpower, an entire industry has been created in other nations. Of particular note is Haiti, which has made great strides in turning around its extreme deforestation crisis, while generating above average incomes for many impoverished men and women. In Malawi, where it is illegal to cut down trees, and charcoal has been banned, and everyone ignores the law because they haven't been offered an alternative. we are confident, that with proper marketing, these considerably less expensive briquettes will swiftly find their niche. Materials for four briquette presses which can give twenty to thirty women full time employment can be purchased and assembled for about $300.

Efficient Briquette Ovens: By far, the most common method of cooking is simply an open fire, commonly known as “three rocks and a pot”. Unfortunately it is also the most wasteful. We have been working on plans for an extremely efficient double brick oven, designed specifically for the cooking briquettes. As the other technologies, these ovens can be priced at a level which would make it available to the area's poor. Red clay is abundantly available, and the ovens would be manufactured locally. We've already discussed plans for manufacture with a local oven maker in Malawi. We estimate that $300 will easily establish three two man teams of oven makers in highly profitable businesses.

Well Drilling: In October, George will be attending a well drilling school in San Angelo, Texas. An ancient Chinese technique for hand drilling wells to a depth of up to 800 feet will be taught. Materials for these wells are fairly inexpensive, and obtainable in a typical hardware store in the Third World. The process is quite labor intensive, so we will partner with villagers where wells are needed. As they supply the manpower, we'll supply the materials and know how. Many of the distances now traveled by women and young girls will be greatly reduced, freeing their time for more beneficial pursuits. For $300 we'll be able to pay for half the cost of our hand-drilling rig.

Bibles: For the most part, believers in the rural areas in which we are working don't own a bible, and if things were to remain just as they are, most likely never will. They are simply that impoverished. Not only will $300 be able to purchase thirty three quality bibles in Chichewa, the local language, but coupled with the projects listed above, many people will begin to afford to purchase them on their own. We also believe many will, as they love the word of God, just as believers throughout the world.

So, what about helping Marry?

Well, we will definitely do what we can for her, and began looking into the possibilities that very evening. As we look at the crisis of abject poverty however, it becomes apparent that when a problem is systemic, the approach to minimizing it must also be system-wide. I have worked in many countries of the world, and just as people in most other places, Malawians are intelligent, and industrious people. The causes of their poverty are manifold, and therefore only a comprehensive, and multifaceted approach to their situation can ever lift them from their poverty.

Our work is being conducted in a number of villages in an area of about 200 square kilometers. Already the documented results of our well restoration efforts are extremely encouraging. The 23 wells we have restored thus far serve on average, 200 families each. With two hours of back-breaking labor , saved fetching water saved per household each day, (a conservative figure), the sum total of hours saved for these 4,600 women over the course of one year is a staggering 3,358,000.

We are in a very real sense indebted to Marry, as her letter helped make very clear the rightness of the approach we believe the Lord has guided us into. Thank you for taking the time to read this paper, and we appreciate any questions or feedback you may have.

Thank you, and God bless you abundantly!

George and Phyllis Crispi

Welcome to Beautiful Malawi

2011-07-29T00:25:00.000-07:00

After a 30 hour trip from our North Carolina home we were embraced and greeted warmly at the Lilongwe Airport by Pastor Williex Cholombo and Pastor Stephen Banda, "Welcome to beautiful Malawi!" On the four hour road trip from Lilongwe airport to Zomba,eagerly Williex asked, "What do you think of Malawi?" I answered, "Beautiful people, beautiful land."
We arrived at our room at Ndindyea Motel here in Zomba, Malawi during a blackout in the city. These are becoming very common I learned. We were issued candles for our room, so we unpacked by candlelight then took an exhilarating, brief, and cold shower. It may sound like a missionary's hardship, but we came to serve the people in the villages where people who had no water (hot or cold) and can't afford candles. So, although we were quite tired from the long trip, we lay on our pillows, praying, talking, planning, asking God for ways to bless the people, precious people who have no status in this world but who are very precious to Jesus.
This morning we traveled to the Zomba Mountains with Williex. All the way along the climbing road we were passing women and children coming down trails from further up the slopes. They were carrying on their heads massive loads of wood, bundles maybe 2 feet across with each trees being 3-7 inches in diameter. Each load about 8 ft long. Some of the women had babies on their backs. I asked Williex to stop so I could speak with one young woman who had lowered her load to rest a moment before continuing down the mountain. I asked her how she would use the wood. She said she would sell it to get food for her family. She told me she left her home at 4:00 AM without food or water and would not arrive back home until 2:00 PM. She said after that she would go to collect water for her family. Water is an hour away from home. She has two children. We passed 50 to 60 women and children along that road carrying the wood, working extremely hard just to survive.
My heart was breaking for the women of Malawi. I had to fight to hold back tears as I spoke to her and smiled. I reached into my backpack and gave her a granola bar. She smiled back. God, why are we here? Shall we we tell them Jesus loves them and not show them? I believe I am feeling God's heart for the precious people of Malawi.
.
.

Clean Birthing Kits Save Lives

2011-07-22T17:51:00.000-07:00

CLEAN BIRTH KITS
A woman in Sub Saharan Africa has a 1 in 31 lifetime chance of dying from chidbirth. Malawi is 11th worst for infant mortality and 3rd worst for maternal mortality in the world .

We have assembled 120 birthing kits for distribution in Malawi this summer. July 26-August 12, 2011 we will be in the Zomba district of rural, southern Malawi distributing free clean birth kits to expectant mothers and women who serve as birthing assistants. Clean birthing kits save lives.

For less than $1.00 in materials, we provide a kit that contains all that is needed to assure the clean birth of a child. The kit includes a bar of soap, a single-edged razor blade, string for tying the cord, a pair of surgical gloves, sterile gauze pads, and a large sheet of plastic. We also provide instruction in how to correctly use each part of the kit.

Typically, an expectant mother cannot afford to go to a clinic to give birth and will be assisted by a sister, friend, or neighbor. A woman living in a rural village, far from any medical assistance, will give birth on her cot or on the floor. The cord may be cut with an unsterilized pair of scissors or a kitchen knife and may be tied with any material available, including a thin root or a blade of grass. As a result, many babies die from cord infection and many mothers die from sepsis.

Sepsis occurs when bacteria is introduced into a woman's body during childbirth and her bloodstream becomes overwhelmed with bacteria, her blood pressure drops, and she goes into shock as major organs begin to shut down. All of this is easily preventable with a birthing kit and good instructions in proper hygiene.

Birthing kits are distributed free of charge. A designated gift to this ministry will be used 100% to assemble birthing kits. Your gift will save lives. Donate HERE
To learn more about Sure Foundation Ministry and our annual Walk for Water Africa go to www.surefoundationministry.com

Rural Malawi Water Missions October-November 2010

2010-12-21T16:54:00.000-08:00

Seeing our World in 3-D

2010-03-13T17:31:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, a friend gave me a book of pictures called stereograms. You have probably seen them, even if you didn't know what they are called. Each picture has a hidden 3-D image. When one completely focuses on the picture, the 3-D image appears. Seeing beyond the surface picture and noticing the 3-D image is called parallel viewing, which is like seeing in stereo.

I was thinking about the water crisis in Sub Saharan Africa in terms of a stereogram. In America, many people live myopic, self-concerned lives. In a world of 24-7 news, most of it is superficial and focuses on the sensational, and unless we seek it out, we know very little of what is happening in the world. This affluent American life is so far removed from the everyday oppression of living in grinding Third World poverty, that most people here have no frame of reference and cannot relate. We see, but we don't see.

Today, I want to show you a picture of our world. The surface picture has a Four Bucks on the corner and bottled crystal clear water in the fridge, nice car, nice house, a good life. But, look again. Look deeper.. .
As you look intently the picture emerges, the effect of a billion people on this planet having no clean water.

What do you see? Children who are dying from water borne diseases, one every 15 seconds, women and girls who are lacking educational and economic opportunity because they must travel long distances to obtain water --any water. Poverty, pain, and oppression. Two million people dying each year, all for the lack of clean water. People slipping into eternity without ever having heard of Jesus.

When I first saw a stereogram, I couldn't make out the 3-D image, but once I saw it, I couldn't miss it. I had the same experience when I saw that the water problem in Sub Saharan Africa is the poverty problem. I cannot go back to not knowing. But merely knowing that there is deep poverty that is caused by the lack of clean water in Sub Saharan Africa is not enough.

I challenge all of us to not only be people who see this world as God sees it and who care, but to be living expressions of His hands and heart of compassion toward that world.

Between now and May 15, you have opportunity to get involved in Walk for Water Africa to effect real change in our world that is life-saving and life-changing, and hope-giving.

http://www.walkforwaterafrica.com/

On the website you can learn more about the need and what we are doing about it. You can learn about how you can get involved.

Walk for Water Africa
May 15, 2010
5 K Walk and 11 K Race
Salem Lake Park
Winston-Salem, NC

Why Participate in the Walk and Why Encourage Others to Give?

2010-03-03T15:13:00.000-08:00

Over a billion people in the developing world have no clean water.

No clean water to drink or to wash their hands or their food

2.4 billion people have no adequate sanitation.

Because people do not have access to clean water they have...

limited educational opportunities
limited economic opportunities
poverty
disease
death

Unsafe water and lack of sanitation kills nearly TWO MILLION PEOPLE each year.

More people are dying from easily preventable water-borne diseases than are dying from AIDS.

Most of the people who die from water-borne diseases are children under the age of five with one person dying every 8 seconds.

Diarrhea is the leading killer of children in Sub Saharan Africa. A baby born in Africa is 520 times more likely to die of diarrhea than a child born in Europe.

2 in 5 people in sub Saharan Africa lack safe water.

East Africa is in a 5-year drought, and the lack of water has led to the death of 500,000 cattle, conflict, and food shortages..

About the Need for Water

We desire to give hope to and to relieve the suffering of people in villages throughout Sub-Saharan Africa by making clean water sources available to them.

Clean water makes possible the education of young girls and the gainful employment and industry of women who would otherwise spend hours a day searching for water --any water, even disease laden water.

We know to give the gift of clean water is a wonderful thing, but to offer with it the Living Water, the Lord Jesus Christ, will have eternal impact.

Matthew 10:42, "And whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no
means lose his reward."

5K Walk and 11 K Run Saturday, May 15, 2010

2010-03-03T14:55:00.000-08:00

5 K Walk and 11 K Race

Salem Lake Park and Salem Creek Trail

Salem Lake Road

off Reynolds Park Road

Winston-Salem, NC

9:00 AM

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Tee shirt pickup and late registration

begins at 8:00 AM

In this event walkers and runners solicit pledges

to raise funds

to build water wells

and protected springs in Kenya.

Registration and Pledges

can be made at

http://www.walkforwaterafrica.com/

We invite individuals, families,

church and athletic groups to get involved.

Prizes will be awarded in these categories:

Under 18:

1st, 2nd and 3rd place

Over 18:

1st, 2nd and 3rd place.

Prizes will also be awarded to the

top fundraisers.

2010-03-02T17:36:00.000-08:00

Solving the Water Crisis in Sub Saharan Africa is a Good Investment

Every US dollar invested in improving water and sanitation provides us an economic return of $8.

At any one time it is estimated that over half of the world's hospital beds are occupied by people suffering from a water related diseases. The US spends $7,000,000,000 a year on world health agencies.

To reach the goal of providing clean water sources and sanitation to people in the developing world would cost $11 billion, but it would produce a return of $84 billion a year.

Well, none of us have the resources to singlehandedly solve the water and sanitation crises worldwide, but we can make the world a better place to live for hundreds of people by being involved in the Walk for Water Africa.

Here's how our dollars are cost effective in rural villages throughout Sub Saharan Africa:
Providing clean water sources and sanitation means...
-hope for a better future for all
-less time sick or caring for the sick from water related diseases
-girls able to attend school rather than spending hours fetching water
-fewer children dying from water related diseases
-better educational opportunity for all
-women able to spend their days on productive work that generates income for the family

It is amazing how a well transforms a village and makes other improvements in quality of life possible.

That is exactly what we want to do for villages in Kenya.

May 15 at the Walk for Water Africa 5K Walk and 11K Race we are going to show some love for Kenya. We are going to invest in saving and improving the quality of life for hundreds of people.

We believe that God's heart is a heart of compassion and that He wants us to be the living, breathing expression of His love to the needy and oppressed people of this world. So, I invite you to invest in something that is on God's heart.

In Sub Saharan Africa the Water Problem is the Poverty Problem

2010-03-02T17:05:00.000-08:00

Cost in time:
884 million people do not have safe water. Every day in Africa, women and girls spend hours walking long distances to get water from any available sources- including polluted lakes, rivers, and even puddles of ground water. It is estimated that in Sub Saharan Africa alone all of this acquiring of water consumes 40 billion hours of labor each year.

Cost in dollars:

That much labor is equivalent to the entire workforce of California (16,951,000 people) working 45 hours per week for an entire year. If the 40 billion hours spent acquiring water were spent in work at minimum wage, it would have a value of $320,000,000,000. That is the cost per year in lost wages because of time consumed in acquiring water to simply survive. Also, the urban poor living in Nairobi slums and other region of poverty must buy their water, and they often pay five to ten times more per liter than their neighbors within the city who do not live in poverty.

Cost in quality of life:

Were there a readily available clean water source, the hours spent obtaining water could be spent nurturing young children, enjoying family life, creativity, business, gardening, and other life-enriching and income-producing activities.

Cost in health care:
Health care cost correlated to water borne and water related diseases is tremendous. At any one time it is estimated that people suffering from water related illnesses occupy one half of the world’s hospital beds, and 84% of these are children under the age of 14.

Cost in human lives:
Water related diseases take the lives of over 3.575 million people each year, taking the life of a child every 15 seconds.

Cost in US foreign aid:
It is estimated that the US would save $7 billion a year in foreign aid if the need for clean water in these countries was fully addressed. Every dollar spent on remedying the water, hygiene, and sanitation problems in developing countries yields eight dollars in return in the form of foreign aid that does not have to be spent.

Cost in productivity:
A tremendous amount of time is spent being sick or caring for the sick in countries affected by water borne diseases. Women are responsible for half the world’s food production, and in developing countries, women's labor accounts for 60-80% of food production. But when so much labor is invested in obtaining water and so much time is involved in either being sick or caring for the sick, the lack of clean water greatly reduces food production. When a village has a readily available source of clean water it makes possible not only more productive gardening, but larger scale farming with irrigation, thus increasing food production, income, and quality of life.

Cost in hope for a better future:
In the United States more than 50% of all college students are women, and women now comprise a large portion of the professional and skilled workforce; however, in most Third World countries these opportunities don’t exist. In Sub Saharan Africa, girls have limited access to an education because they routinely start early in the day, often before sunrise, traveling long distances to get water for their families; so although they value education, they are unable to regularly attend school. Each year, 272 million school days are missed because of time spent acquiring water or because of water related illnesses. This greatly limits girls’ potential for better jobs and a better future. However, when a village has a readily available source of clean water, girls have the same educational opportunities as the boys, which makes it possible to dream big and to think of a bright future in which they are no longer living in poverty.