Warm Heart News

WHI Opens First Well in Malawi

AUSTIN, TEXAS (8/11/07) by Tom Gebhard - Warm Heart International (WHI), global outreach ministry, has successfully opened its first well in Mindanti, Malawi. This well was one of the objectives that came out of St. David's 2005 pilgrimage to the Diocese of Southern Malawi. During the trip, Bishop James Tengatenga asked some of the pilgrims to visit Mindanti, where many residents were forced to use unsafe water. On his return to St. David's, pilgrim Lee Livingston issued a challenge to the parish and raised the initial nest egg for the project. The remaining funds came from various activities of WHI including concerts by David Stevens at St. David's, St. Luke's in Belton, and St. Joseph's Chapel in Salado.

The well and water facilities are a gift to the Anglican Diocese of Southern Malawi and to the people of Mindanti. The Diocese will be responsible for the operation, maintenance, and administration of the water facilities. Based upon requests from Bishop Tengatenga, WHI intends to finance three additional wells within the Diocese.

Mindanti is a village of nearly 1,200 people located in rural Southern Malawi, west of Chikwawa near the Mwanza River. Like most Malawians, the people of Mindanti are subsistence farmers. In 2005, their only source of water was a hand-pump well usually capable of meeting the daily water needs of 250 people. Those who were not able to get water from the well dug pits into the sandy river bed which quickly became polluted. The new wind-powered well with elevated storage tank will provide additional safe drinking water to the village and will support a direct water line into the new maternity clinic.

This single well helps to meet the challenge of several of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). First, the well at Mindanti is part of MDG Goal No. 7 (Ensure Environmental Sustainability) and Target 10 (Halve the Proportion of People without Sustainable Access to Safe Drinking Water and Basic Sanitation). Second, without access to sufficient safe drinking water, women must gather unsafe water, stand in long lines, and walk long distances. When family illnesses or other conflicts prevent women from standing in line for water, the older girls in the family retrieve water instead of attending school. Therefore MDGs 2 and 3 (Achieving Universal Primary Education and Promoting Gender Equality and Empower Women) are indirectly met by the existence of a local source of abundant safe drinking water. With a safe nearby well, girls can stay in school instead of covering for the older family women, and these women have more time to perform other family chores or outside work. Finally, helping to supply the maternity clinic directly meets MDG Goal 5 (Reduce Child Mortality) and Goal 6 (Improve Maternal Health). The clinic (and its water supply) are essential to the health of Mindanti's mothers, many of whom are 12 and 13-year-olds. With God's help, a little water can go a long way toward relieving the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Southern Malawi.

Learning Skills Center: UPDATE sewing

AUSTIN, TEXAS (8/11/07) by Tom Gebhard - Through St. David's Simple Gifts program throughout the year and during the 2006 Christmas season, WHI has collected more than $5,000 to support a vocational education program at Lisule Orphanage in a rural area of Southern Malawi. Lisule Orphanage is a ministry of the Diocese of Southern Malawi to serve AIDS orphans in a remote area with a high incidence of AIDS. The money is used to raise chickens and teach carpentry, tin smithing, and tailoring. Graduates are provided with tools-of-the-trade to begin a career. This vocational support in the Diocese of Southern Malawi is directly supportive of Goal 8 (Development of a Global Partnership for Development) and Target 16 (Develop and Implement Strategies for Decent and Productive Work for Youth).

Big Texas welcome to Father Masina!

AUSTIN, TEXAS (10/16/06) by Teresa Chang - Father Charles Masina of Christ the King Church in Blantyre Malawi arrived at the General Theological Seminary in New York! He is doing continuing education at General Seminary underwritten by St. James Episcopal Church Manhatten, NY, NY.

We broght Charles to Austin from Oct. 6-9. He attended Dena Harrison consecration as bishop suffragan of Texas at Camp Allen's chapel on Oct. 7. Texas Bishop Don A. Wimberly recognized the Rev. Charles Mesina, the representative of Bishop James Tengatenga, of the Diocese of Southern Malawi, with whom Texas has had a long partnership.

On Saturday evening it was our turn to give a Texas-sized welcome to our friend from Malawi, Father Charles Masina. Those of us who were Malawi pilgrims in the Summer of 2005 will never forget the amazing welcome we received in Blantyre. We were greeted with singing, dancing, feasting, speeches, and gifts that seemed never to end! On Saturday evening we showed Charles how we Texans do things with a gospel concert from the Bells of Joy, a great barbecue buffet, with remarks from Father Masina and several 2005 Mission delegates. The dinner also kicked off recruitment for our 2007 Pilgimage scheduled for May 24 through June 10, 2007.

Father Charles also preached a dynamic and clear message at the 9 a.m. service at St. David's (Austin) historic sancturary. In a show of love and hospitaliy the Rev. David Boyd challenged the parish to contribute to Charles continuing education with gifts to purchase a laptop computer that will enhance his ministry in Malawi after he completes his courses at General Seminary. The Parish raised a total of $1,625.00 for this effort.

Father Masina's church, Christ the King, has done impressive things in his home city of Blantyre. Christ the King is mostly a middle-income parish (which translates here to very poor) with a few upper-middle-class families. They have a nice church building (roof but no ceiling) and space for offices, though at the time of our visit they had very little office furniture or equipment to put in them. They are in the process of building a parish hall, of which the roof will be the most expensive part, and may someday add a bathroom. They have a school for young children, provide youth education and activities, and have planted a new parish in the poorer outskirts of Blantyre, among other things.


		Comments will be published below as space permits. Comments may be edited for length. Name* email* Email address will not be published What form should compassionate faith based outreach take in response to caring for the poor, orphans and widows, the sick, the friendless and the needy whether they are in prison, in orphanages, schools, places of worship, in the market place, in the streets or in their homes. How can we best serve those who are hungry, thirsty and those who need clothing and shelter and sustainable industry to support them? Add your comments Please keep your comments relevant to this blog entry: inappropriate comments may be removed. Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. WHI Opens First Well in Malawi AUSTIN, TEXAS (8/11/07) by Tom Gebhard - Warm Heart International (WHI), global outreach ministry, has successfully opened its first well in Mindanti, Malawi. This well was one of the objectives that came out of St. David's 2005 pilgrimage to the Diocese of Southern Malawi. During the trip, Bishop James Tengatenga asked some of the pilgrims to visit Mindanti, where many residents were forced to use unsafe water. On his return to St. David's, pilgrim Lee Livingston issued a challenge to the parish and raised the initial nest egg for the project. The remaining funds came from various activities of WHI including concerts by David Stevens at St. David's, St. Luke's in Belton, and St. Joseph's Chapel in Salado. The well and water facilities are a gift to the Anglican Diocese of Southern Malawi and to the people of Mindanti. The Diocese will be responsible for the operation, maintenance, and administration of the water facilities. Based upon requests from Bishop Tengatenga, WHI intends to finance three additional wells within the Diocese. Mindanti is a village of nearly 1,200 people located in rural Southern Malawi, west of Chikwawa near the Mwanza River. Like most Malawians, the people of Mindanti are subsistence farmers. In 2005, their only source of water was a hand-pump well usually capable of meeting the daily water needs of 250 people. Those who were not able to get water from the well dug pits into the sandy river bed which quickly became polluted. The new wind-powered well with elevated storage tank will provide additional safe drinking water to the village and will support a direct water line into the new maternity clinic. This single well helps to meet the challenge of several of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). First, the well at Mindanti is part of MDG Goal No. 7 (Ensure Environmental Sustainability) and Target 10 (Halve the Proportion of People without Sustainable Access to Safe Drinking Water and Basic Sanitation). Second, without access to sufficient safe drinking water, women must gather unsafe water, stand in long lines, and walk long distances. When family illnesses or other conflicts prevent women from standing in line for water, the older girls in the family retrieve water instead of attending school. Therefore MDGs 2 and 3 (Achieving Universal Primary Education and Promoting Gender Equality and Empower Women) are indirectly met by the existence of a local source of abundant safe drinking water. With a safe nearby well, girls can stay in school instead of covering for the older family women, and these women have more time to perform other family chores or outside work. Finally, helping to supply the maternity clinic directly meets MDG Goal 5 (Reduce Child Mortality) and Goal 6 (Improve Maternal Health). The clinic (and its water supply) are essential to the health of Mindanti's mothers, many of whom are 12 and 13-year-olds. With God's help, a little water can go a long way toward relieving the suffering of our brothers and sisters in Southern Malawi. Learning Skills Center: UPDATE AUSTIN, TEXAS (8/11/07) by Tom Gebhard - Through St. David's Simple Gifts program throughout the year and during the 2006 Christmas season, WHI has collected more than $5,000 to support a vocational education program at Lisule Orphanage in a rural area of Southern Malawi. Lisule Orphanage is a ministry of the Diocese of Southern Malawi to serve AIDS orphans in a remote area with a high incidence of AIDS. The money is used to raise chickens and teach carpentry, tin smithing, and tailoring. Graduates are provided with tools-of-the-trade to begin a career. This vocational support in the Diocese of Southern Malawi is directly supportive of Goal 8 (Development of a Global Partnership for Development) and Target 16 (Develop and Implement Strategies for Decent and Productive Work for Youth). Big Texas welcome to Father Masina! AUSTIN, TEXAS (10/16/06) by Teresa Chang - Father Charles Masina of Christ the King Church in Blantyre Malawi arrived at the General Theological Seminary in New York! He is doing continuing education at General Seminary underwritten by St. James Episcopal Church Manhatten, NY, NY. We broght Charles to Austin from Oct. 6-9. He attended Dena Harrison consecration as bishop suffragan of Texas at Camp Allen's chapel on Oct. 7. Texas Bishop Don A. Wimberly recognized the Rev. Charles Mesina, the representative of Bishop James Tengatenga, of the Diocese of Southern Malawi, with whom Texas has had a long partnership. On Saturday evening it was our turn to give a Texas-sized welcome to our friend from Malawi, Father Charles Masina. Those of us who were Malawi pilgrims in the Summer of 2005 will never forget the amazing welcome we received in Blantyre. We were greeted with singing, dancing, feasting, speeches, and gifts that seemed never to end! On Saturday evening we showed Charles how we Texans do things with a gospel concert from the Bells of Joy, a great barbecue buffet, with remarks from Father Masina and several 2005 Mission delegates. The dinner also kicked off recruitment for our 2007 Pilgimage scheduled for May 24 through June 10, 2007. Father Charles also preached a dynamic and clear message at the 9 a.m. service at St. David's (Austin) historic sancturary. In a show of love and hospitaliy the Rev. David Boyd challenged the parish to contribute to Charles continuing education with gifts to purchase a laptop computer that will enhance his ministry in Malawi after he completes his courses at General Seminary. The Parish raised a total of $1,625.00 for this effort. Father Masina's church, Christ the King, has done impressive things in his home city of Blantyre. Christ the King is mostly a middle-income parish (which translates here to very poor) with a few upper-middle-class families. They have a nice church building (roof but no ceiling) and space for offices, though at the time of our visit they had very little office furniture or equipment to put in them. They are in the process of building a parish hall, of which the roof will be the most expensive part, and may someday add a bathroom. They have a school for young children, provide youth education and activities, and have planted a new parish in the poorer outskirts of Blantyre, among other things.