Wondering about the women?

Every day, except on Thursday (that’s when all those kids come to Bible-club) women come for literacy class. In the afternoon. Remember…the teachers teach pre-school every morning. 

Imagine, as a teacher, you get to teach pre-schoolers the ABC in the morning ...and their mothers, the same thing in the afternoon! Guess who learn quickest??

 

showered with homemade gifts

All these women never had the privilege to go to school when they were kids. Nyenyezi Ministry provides literacy class to empower these lovely ladies in different areas of their lives. After these five years of women education…hundreds of women have learned how to read and write and received their own Bible! Besides that, they have learned other skills as well!

What does a literacy class look like? Well…in Africa everything begins with a song…and an other one….and an other one.

Also a Bible lesson is given by one of the teachers. Continuing with reading and writing practice.

Even entering the classroom is done singing...

Also…life skills are being taught. For example soap making. The ladies were so happy to show me their home made soap! Many of them also learned how to sew nice shopping and handbags, how to weave doormats, how to prepare nutritious food….etc

During my visit I was privileged to share a message from John 4. How Jesus knows our life, how He visits us and offers us His Living Water so that we will never thirst again.

Receiving their gifts....singing of course!

A women stands up and shares how blessed she is with everything she has learned about Jesus, so far, through the ministry of Nyenyezi in her community. “My whole family is being blessed” and then….she decided to bless me on behalf of the women group. I was speechless….being showered with home made products!

Pray with me for these sisters.

1,2,3,4,5,6....this must be nr 7!

I think a picture will say more that a thousand words…A small window for you to see what is going on at the WEEKLY CHILDREN-BIBLE-CLUB every Thursday at Nyenyezi Ministry….ever since we started under the tree in October 2012…

Well organized, well behaved, eager to receive words of hope.

A visitor commented…”when I saw the kids coming, lining up in rows of forty…eagerly waiting for the tings to come, I thought this program must have some very exciting ingredients for soooo many to come every week….But at the end my conclusion was…wow…these kids really “just” come to hear Gods word!!”

Oct 2012 when we started the work of Nyenyezi Ministry

YES!!! Singing, prayer, Bible lesson, quiz, sometimes a coloring picture and a slice of white bread….that’s what all these kids come for…

Please pray for all these children! God is working in their lives.

Saying goodbye...Rhoda and I...

Live what you TEACH

Part six of my Travelogue…

 

Things you do with buckets...

Thank you for reading my blogs. I feel I owe you reports as you might have supported me for the mission trip I made. But more so, you might still be praying for Nyenyezi Ministry. Please, continue as this work of the Lord is also continues!

With Grace and Rhoda

One of the board members of Nyenyezi Ministry overheard people, talking about the work. Saying: “The teachers at Nyenyezi LIVE what they TEACH”… You can imagine how much I am encouraged to hear this.

So far, during my visit I am trying to encourage the laborers here as much as I can. And as I hear the concerns, and as we pray together, I mostly use Gods Word to uplift, inspire and comfort. ( Coll. 4:8 “ Whom I have sent unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your estate, and comfort your hearts “ KJV)

At the same time, I am so encouraged about the impact Nyenyezi is making on the community. We also have a lot of fun during the practical training sessions on how to implement the materials I brought for the preschool. 

"Pick a toy and think about how to implement it in your lessons"

One way of using it...

I bring ideas but get some too...

After plenty of games and activities I introduce Learning Centers. This teaching method is going to be new for the teachers and the kids. But at the end of the training everyone is very enthusiastic!!

School is going to be even more fun, for students and teachers!!!

Part five

Part Five…

At Nyenyezi Preschool a lot is learned through songs. The kids learn easily and enjoy singing. The teacher leads, the kids follow.

Today a lesson is spend on ‘wiping your nose’….Winter is coming here in the Southern Hemisphere. Many kids have a cold and walk around with running noses. No wonder. Most of them don’t have warmer clothes and sleep on a grass matt on the cold dirt floor under a Chitenge (The cotton cloth/ wrap women and girls wear) if they are lucky.

What do you do with a running nose? Well, you pull your shirt up and wipe it off. The teacher explains a better way to deal with that problem. A Chitenge is cut into many small pieces; a hanky for each student. Now the instructions of how to use it, where to keep it and to wash it with homemade soap at the end of the day. (The mothers have learned how to make soap in the womens-literacy class)

As I am observing the preschool kids and teachers, gratitude fills my heart. The little children of this needy community receive Christian education for loving teachers who faithfully reach out to the kids because they believe they are called to do this. And the children look happy and more developed.

The boy on my lap is Eliya

Eliya, four years ago...

Kids like Eliya are so blessed by the work of Nyenyezi!! Born from a 13 year old, disabled girl who was crually raped. Not able to feed her baby, nor even hold him. Humanly speaking he would not have survived. Nyenyezi provided milk and care for his fundamental first four years...loook at him now! 

Every school day begins with a Bible lesson.

A teachers shares with me: “A while ago I taught the lesson of Nicodemus, John 3. We discussed the miracle of being born again. A week later a student came to me and told me, she had been thinking about Jesus’ words and how her heart desired to receive a new life from Jesus. I told her that a new life comes also with a new way of living. We discussed which things should change if you want to follow Jesus. The girl was ready to commit her life to the Lord. We have prayed together and the student accepted Jesus in her heart.”  

Part Four

So far, so blessed!!

We start the  teachers training days with Bible study. The one who can memorize 1 Cor 15:58 within a couple minutes gets to pick the first price: a nice bag with typical teachers stuff like a sharpener, good scissors, pens in different colors etc. It’s Efrida who stands up and says the verse from the heart;

Bible study

Efrida, enjoying lunch

“Therefore my dear brothers; STAND FIRM. Let nothing move you. Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, BECAUSE you know that your labor in the Lord IS NOT IN VAIN !”

We discuss how we can stand firm and not be shaken when difficult situations occur in the ministry. Also the part ‘give yourself fully’ draws our attention. How can we as Christian teachers excel? The quality of our labor is much more important than the quantity.

Since I brought materials, I gave some demonstrations on how to use certain musical instruments and how to cooperate them in preschool lessons, but also at the kids and children’s ministry. There is music in everything…even in two sticks!

Today we spend a significant time on prayer. Discussing the blessings and the needs in the ministry and community. There are MANY of each!!!

Prayer is the VITAL part in the ministry. I am so encouraged to hear that Nyenyezi teachers start with prayer, every morning.

Phillipians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”

Part 5 to come...

Part Three

Abigael, 9 months old dauchter of the headteacher Efrida

An other thing on my agenda is to meet the board of Nyenyezi Ministry and discuss matters. I appreciate their commitment and support to the work. They are graciously giving their time and energy to serve voluntarily. “It’s not a job nor a position, it’s a calling” says the chairman, a man from the local community.  It is great to get to know the board members and for them to get to know me. Often I hear “I have heard so much about you”….let’s hope the best of it…

Nyenyezi Ministry board

I am encouraged by the many things the board is listing under the category  ‘counting our blessings’.

-some families in the community have started reading the Bible as a family as this is encouraged at the women groups and in the local church plant on Sundays.

-many women who couldn’t read a few years ago can now read and write plus they know how to make products like soap or doormats.

-a number of teenagers have decided to follow Jesus instead of Nyau (more info about this http://molenaarsinmalawi.blogspot.nl/2013/11/discouraged-by-nyau-encouraged-by-god.html

When I hear this I am so humbled and so extremely thankful. The chairman reports how overall the fear for Nyau has decreased. Women and children have learned to trust the Living God more than the powers of darkness. Halleluyah!!!

-many children received good education at Nyenyezi Preschool and are now succeeding in government schools. Thousands of children receive Gods Word on a weekly basis at the kidsclubs on Thursday.

-A huge compliment from the local chiefs;  “Nyenyezi Ministry is the pride of our community!!” The impact of Nyenyezi is obvious, even to the (unbelieving) chiefs. I think, it’s even greater than they think or wish, because it’s Gods Work!!

We discuss the needs of the ministry too. Many questions are asked; Can Nyenyezi Ministry continue its work among the community? Why? Because of FUNDS! Funds for:

-extra teachers as the work increases

-a car or at least regular car services for Grace’ car as she provides many medical rides to the hospitals with sick and dying people of the community. They are the only one in the whole community with a car.

-our own community clinic  and a community health worker (that would be fantastic!!!) on site.

-a male teachers to teach the men of the community Christian leadership in family and community (this indeed is a huge need in the African communities!)

We conclude the meeting with thanksgiving for so many blessings and pray for the needs. May Gods will be done.

One of the board members receives three good quality footballs (from my fundraiser) and will soon start-up the BigBoysBible&FootballTeam.

Travelogue 2

Perhaps you remember Faith, Grace’ daughter. If not, feel free to read it using the following link: http://mirjammalawi.blogspot.nl/2014/07/faithful.html

Some of you have helped her to achieve her dream to study (eventhough it is not her initial dream of studying medicine); here a little update.

“Hello, my name is Faith and I am 19 years old, turning 20 very soon. Lord willing I will be graduating! You are all welcome to join this joyous event. I will be receiving a diploma from Umoja wa wa wazazi Kaole College of Agriculture in Tanzania. There is only a balance of 100 Tanz shillings to be paid before graduation. I trust God will provide.

I have enjoyed my study very much and am extremely thankful for friends to help me pay tuitions. I have learned so many skills that enable me to be independent. 

Every Sunday I go to church and grow to trust God more and more. It is hard to remain faithful to God and His Word amidst of so many who do not care about God. But He gives strength, by the Holy Spirit who dwells in me. Praise Him.

I would love to continue studying here for my bachelor degree, starting in September. God will make a way for me to serve Him. May His will be done.”

Travelogue 3 to come…