What's It Like There? Part I

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.