News and Prayer

P.O. Box 7, Embangweni, Mzimba District, Malawi (Africa)

Telephone

265-342-282 or Embangweni No. 9

FAX

c/o Frank Dimmock 265-750005

Email:

FDimmock@malawi.net or ccaphealth@malawi.net

Prayer Secretary

Helen and Campbell Killick

179 Crawfordsburn Road

Bangor

BT19 1BT

killicks@lineone.net


		News and Prayer Update

	MARCH 2001


	Dear Friends, 2nd March 2001 Happy Christmas! Happy New Year! Happy Easter Well it’s nearly Easter and we apologise for the long gap between prayer letters. As many of you know, you can now get monthly prayer updates by email -Contact Campbell for details. Thank you for all your prayers and letters - the last few months have


	been much easier, though busy! Christmas was great - Neil’s parrents were here to witness the nativity play at the hospital. As usual, the play included a “slaughtering of the innocents” scene. Western nativity plays conveniently stop with the manger wise men and shepherds. The Malawian version is a good reminder that the God we worship was born into a

suffering and troubled world - he is no stranger to the pain and turmoil we see around us everyday. He calls us to follow him in bringing “peace and goodwill” into that some world

Dr George and Mrs Betty Poehlman returned to the USA in January, leaving Neil as the only Doctor. We Thank God for providing Dr Hilary Craanmer and Doctor Harvey Doorenbos, who between them will help until June. The recent Synod medical board appointed 2 doctors for Embangweni - One Malawian and one American - who will arrive later in the year. This is great news for the hospital. Another Malawian doctor is contracted to arrive in 2002, so we are moving closer to our goal of local leadership for the hospital.


	The UNICEF project to reduce mother to child transmission of HIV has been approved - trainings are already underway in the community. We hope to offer HIV testing and anti HIV-therapy to every antenatal attendee. It is the first project of its kind in Malawi, and we need prayer!

We have recently finished producing some christian literature in Tumbuka for inpatients. It deals with subjects like demon possession, coping with the diagnosis of AIDS etc. We will pilot it amongst our patients over the next few months.

Sara and Jill Gibson (fellow PCI teacher at Robert Laws Secondary School) have started running some workshops for the local primary school teachers to help improve their skills. Many have little or no training. This is somthing that Sara has wanted to do for a long time.

January was birthday month! Grace was one. She’s a very happy little girl who makes friends wherever she goes - a Chimwemwe (Joy) by name and nature. Ben Was 4. Between christmas and birthday gifts his “Thomas the Tank” railway set has greatly expanded - much to his and his father’s approval. He had a great party on the 29th. The arrival of two volunteers - Naomi from PCI and Helen from Church of Scotland - has made a big difference in the nursery and he now enjoys it very much.


	Geoffrey Mwala arrived in November to take over the leadership of the Primary Healthcare (PHC). He has many years of experience at the regional health office. The


	remit of the PHC is very wide, including HIV/AIDS prevention, safe water, immunisations, improving nutrition, safe motherhood, family planning etc. He is also our new next door neighbour!

Points for Prayer

Thanksgiving: For the work of George and Betty and for the arrival of Hilary and Harvey; the newly appointed doctors comming later in the year.

Tumbuka Literature: Pray that God would speak through it to those who come to the hospital.

Mother -to-child transmission project: Pray for all those being trained as counsellors that they will be able to bring the presence of God into their work.

Geoffrey Mwaka:Pray for wisdom and understanding as he settles into his new role. Pray for his wife and kids, temporarily living 80 miles away in Mzuzu

Primary School teacher workshops: Pray for Sara and Jill leading the workshops, and for the teachers attending. Pray they’ll be practical and enjoyable.

Nursery School: Pray for Helen and Naomi as they work with Mrs Chirambe each day.

Sara, Neil, Ben and Grace: Pray for good health - both physical and spiritual! Continued prayer for safety on the roads.

Thank you to everyone who sent cards at Christmas or for birthdays. They were much appreciated

With Love.Sara & Neil Ben and grace