GO - DO - BE - 2015
Go! Do what Jesus would do! Be Christ like!
In Malawi with Tim and Josie Vickey
Massive flooding hits many districts in Malawi. President declares disaster and calls for international help.
Shire River Valley: Some of the most fertile soil in the river bottom next to the Shire River has been swept clean by the torrential rains and floods. The crops have either been washed away or under water for a week now. In the areas where the water recedes there is a possibility for replanting here at the tail end of the season. Pray that this will be possible and that the replanting effort is successful to alleviate massive hunger later in the year.
The central region was not spared! Mangochi area homes two days after the rains and the waters had still not receded.
In another part of Mangochi portions of the road were completely swept away.
Whole villages are underwater. In the right center of the photo below there is a house with mud walls that collapsed and all you see is the grass thatch roof in the water.
Fields would usually be a carpet of green with crops this time of year. This picture vividly shows the Shire river outside of her banks and the tan areas are where the topsoil and crops are washed away.
We came across refugee camps set up for those who had lost their homes and everything they own. Tent after tent filled with people with little hope, displaced and hurting. It was heartbreaking.
Another camp further south. There are reported to be twenty seven camps like this in the southern districts of Chikwawa and Nsanje.
The force of the water sweeping across maize and cotton fields ripped vegetation and left it strewn haphazardly. These had been small plots of crops planted between the trees but now it is nothing more than mud, water and debris.
Areas swept clean of the crops that were once a carpet of green.
We examined where the grass thatched roof of the church had failed. Notice where the rain has soaked the mud plaster during the rains.
Notice along the roofline where the water has soaked the top of the wall and along the bottom of the wall where the water has seeped up from the floor. The gaps of light are showing the holes in the roof.
This church is fortunate to have burned bricks, not just mud bricks. Those are what is being pointed out. Holding the burned bricks together is mud as mortar, then the walls are plastered with more mud. When the rain seeps in the plaster falls and the mud between the bricks is exposed to disintegrate as well. (Burned bricks are fired so they are hard, most churches are mud bricks or grass walls and roof)
Our Southern Regional Overseer, Pastor James Kusowa and our Church Representative, Rev Thole pointing out the deterioration and need for corrugated roofing or at least new plastic sheets to preserve the building.
Josie walking with the children as they point out the impact of the flooding.
This was just a few days after the huge rains and in moments a crowd of over fifty children came running and playing with Josie as she sang and clapped leading an impromptu parade through the village.
We had brought ten plastic sheets to cover ten churches in the Chikwawa and Nsanje District. They were received with JOY! Next to me is Pastor Kusowa who will be distributing the plastic to the churches that have been completely leveled. The congregation will build a small structure made of grass and place the plastic sheets over the roof to create a dry place to worship!
As we drove home we saw field after field of devastation. We need your prayers as we seek to help the people replant and rebuild their lives in this stricken area.
We praise God that we were able to be in the affected area within days of the rain ceasing. We are blessed to encourage and to help the churches and the people in the name of Jesus. We thank you for supporting us with your prayers and finances!
Sincerely,
Tim and Josie Vickey
If you would like to donate to support us in this ministry make a note of our Project Number: 42.10089.
Contact Debbie Taylor at (800) 848-2464 Ext. 2129 or email her at Dtaylor@chog.org
The Disaster Relief Project number is 45.04502.
You may contact Stephen Lewis (800) 848-2464 ext. 2198
The P.O.Box for both of these projects and persons is PO Box 2420, Anderson, Indiana 46018
Just designate your giving and it will be utilized to address this suffering. Thank you.
We have been able to deliver corn flour. These are 10 kg bags about 22 lbs of corn flour in each bag. One bag per family. This is the staple of their diet that makes Nsima. 
We delivered plastic sheets for covering the roofs and providing relief from the driving rain. We brought mosquito netting to aide in the prevention of malaria. You can see the buckets for water and there are some plastic plates in that pile as well. On this trip alone we brought in over 1 ton of disaster relief materials and supplies. 
