This message from Dana to Jim:

 

Louise is letting me use her email. She has a mobile hot spot. We are going to try and send some photos to Sheryl so she can post them on the blog. In the meantime below is one that Louise already had on her computer.

We had a great day! I learned how to shuck dried corn and take it off the cob so it can be ground into corn flour for nsima. We are cooking dinner now with no  electricity,. It went out about 30 minutes ago, so we are in the dark. The headlamp is coming in very handy. And the cooks are using our little lantern. Good thing we bought candles too when we got here. 

Jim got another text indicating that the power had come back on, so looks like it was only off for about an hour.

Lots of news from Wednesday in Malawi:

Ali B. and Lori have both had minor colds. Ali was feeling better by noon but Lori is still a bit under the weather. Ali was able to go to the hospital to work with PB+Jesus, but Lori needed to rest at the Guest House. Please pray for healing for Lori. It is evening in Malawi now, so please pray that Lori will sleep well and recover from this cold. Pray also that the rest of the team doesn't get this bug.

At 7:30 am the rest of the team left for FTS training. After greetings and praising God through song and dance, Dana and Louise went with one neighborhood evangelism team. Sharon and Allie L. went with another. A third team did follow-up after the Jesus film was shown last night. Jon, Joy and Kim had an opportunity to observe the Wordless Book training and rehearsals. Amazing how God is working, including healing a woman miraculously this morning. Many accepted the FTS team and the Good News and are now brothers and sisters in Christ. We are so blessed to be in this partnership!

I asked Jon how they were dealing without a fridge and he informed me that there is a freezer that is working, so they use the fridge as a cooler. Last year when our team was there the freezer blew a fuse and stopped working while we were there, so glad to know there is a new one.

Hope to have news about their day with FTS (Fishers Trainers and Senders) in a few hours.

Sheryl

This in from Jon, "We were with our World Vision sponsored children today. Between the 8 of us, we visited 11 children. We are all moved by how God is working."

From Jon, "We're able to exchange our currency with Louise's help; picked up needed supplies in 3 stores; ate lunch; visited Mukani (the FTS headquarters outside Lilongwe); arrived safely in Nkhoma."

I also heard from Jim Cialdella that Dana had texted to let him know that the Theological Guest House, where our team is staying, does not have a refrigerator. That will be a challenge, so please keep them in your prayers.

Here is the team at breakfast at Madidi Lodge on Monday morning.

Jon sent this update at 11:45 pm our time or 8:45 am in Lilongwe --

     Latest update, Louise just got here and we're waiting for Blessing to show up (we're on Malawi time now :), and she told us that Mpatso went to the airport for her flight last night, but it was 'canceled.' Please have folks pray that she can make alternate arrangements to get to Dulles, and from there to Louisville, for her conference.

     Also, Louise at her apartment had a major electric connection (tranformer, main fuse, something etc.) crashed, and Ishmael had to meet the electrician at 0600 this morning (that was the only time they could work it in to their schedule) to get it fixed (though it may not be the permanent fix their looking for).

     Needless to say, Louise did not get much sleep last night. Pray for her as she's juggling many things right now, not to mention our trip and Stan's [Coast Hills Church] trip coming up next week, along with the training, etc.

This came in from Jon at 10:30 pm (sorry I was so tired yesterday I went to bed early and am only posting this now). It was 7:30 am Monday morning in Lilongwe.

     The flight numbers seem to have been mixed up and/or changed, as the flight we were on from Addis was one digit off from our tickets (177 instead of 178 or something).  It is just amazing how God is paving the way for us, Louise thought she was getting here at least an hour early, and we only stood at the curb at the Lilongwe airport for about five minutes. Knocks was not our driver, it's a guy named Blessings (he said to call him that, as we're all having trouble pronouncing it correctly in Chichewa), nice guy who ate with us at Crossroads last night.

     So, all our prayer requests God is answering, the luggage (extra stowed bags per person and one extra third bag) was no cost, it was checked all the way from LAX to Lilongwe (we didn't have to hassle with it at all), customs was no problem (we didn't even have to fill out any customs forms, etc.), we made all our connections no problem, and we all agreed that Addis (Bole International) is far and away better than Nairobi. It still has challenges (the women had to scramble for some toilet paper), but it is lighter, airier, more accommodating, and though there are some transport issues (limited busses taking passengers out to aircraft, creating long lines at departure gates, etc.), it was overall a much more positive experience.

     Everything that was on our agenda has been accomplished, and we even got to meet Mpatso yesterday before she flies to Louisville, KY for a presentation; I passed on your greetings, and associated myself with you.

     That's about it for news, I'm hoping when the rest of the team wakes up I can send some photos for you to put on the blog.  

Semper Fi,

Jon G. Moran

This e-mail came from our partner Louise Laubscher at 9:00 am California time (6:00 pm in Lilongwe).

Dear Sheryl, I arrived there [the airport] at 2:10 pm and was shocked to see them outside sitting on their suitcases. They told me that they took ages to get through immigration and were only outside for maybe 15 minutes. The all look fine and they got their bags. I escorted them to Madidi. They got their rooms. As we speak they are now at Cross Roads for a meal. I am not now with them, because my daughter Mphatso is also leaving tonight for the USA. I will be with them from 8 am tomorrow and then the whole thing is starting.

Praise the Lord for His people who are caring for our team.

Sheryl

5:00 am in California and 2:00 pm in Malawi -- this text from Dana -- "Everyone is fine. All the bags made it! Our flight changed and was 2.5 hours early. Long story."

They were waiting at the airport and asked me to email Louise. Minutes later she arrived at the airport. I'm sure she'll reach their bus driver and get them to the Madidi Lodge, where they are staying tonight.

More to come when I get the "long story."

Sheryl

This text from Dana at 9:28 am (ET) "At Dulles Airport, getting ready to board our next flight. All are well. Africa, here we come!"

This is their long flight. They left DC at 10:15 am (ET) and arrive in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia at 7:45 am (their time), which is 10 hours ahead of us in California, so it will be 9:45 pm tonight for us when they arrive -- basically a 15 hour flight.

Please pray that they will be able to get some sleep.

At 8:45 pm the red van and Jim Cialdella's car arrived at LAX just as Bob Lutz dropped off Sharon and Allie -- perfect timing. Here they are with their 17 bags -- Sharon, Allie L., Joy, Ali B., Lori, Jon, Kim and Dana. The team got checked-in and were headed through security within an hour. A text from Dana indicated that they were at the gate ready to board their flight at 11:15 pm headed for Dulles, their first stop in their long trip to Malawi.

Six of the team members (Lori, Jon, Dana, Joy, Ali and Kim) met at the church at 6:30 to rearrange their luggage. They ended up with 2 bags each plus the one extra one with medical supplies which United set without charging them.

Thanks for all your prayers. The team met about 45 minutes before they needed to leave for the airport to reorganize their bags. They ended up taking 17 (2 per person plus one extra) to the airport. Praise the Lord, United allowed each person to take 2 bags, since they will be connecting with Ethiopian Air. Then they allowed the extra bag to go for FREE, even though their website said it would be $200. The reason they allowed it was because it was entirely medical supplies.

I received a text from Dana around 10:40, so I know they made it to their gate and should have taken off around 11:15 this evening.

Joshua and I made it home around 11:45 pm. I've been up since 2:00 am, so I'm heading to bed. Will post pictures tomorrow and posts about the team's time at Dulles (outside DC).

Prayer Request About Baggage

We have an important prayer request. The team currently has 19 bags that they would like to take with them to Malawi. United Airlines indicates on their website that they will not recognize the international carrier's allotment of two bags per person (we have a team of 8). Please pray that United will not charge the additional $100 per bag for the 8 extra bags. The 3 bags beyond those 8 will cost $200, so please pray either for a miracle that United won't add that charge or for the team to be able to priorities, resort and only take 16 bags to the airport. They are carrying food for themselves as well as 3 bags of medical supplies for the hospital, theology books for FTS, supplies for PB+J and baby clothes and blanket that have been donated for infants at the Crisis Nursery for AIDs orphans.

Please pray for peace for all the team members, especially team leader Dana Leonard-Cialdella who is responsible for a lot of final details.

Thank you.

Sheryl

Y-Malawi Team Departure from SCPC

The 2013 SCPC Y-Malawi team is almost ready to go. They will leave for Malawi this Friday, July 26. If you would like to pray for them as they depart, please meet at the church in the south parking lot at 7:00 pm.