Many of you have written to say that you have seen Malawi in the news. The prolonged drought in 2005 appears to be at an end. We are now receiving rainfall once or twice a week; still not what this area is accustomed to but enough to sustain foliage. However, our ministry area had almost no rainfall for 10 and a half months, resulting in a significant food shortage. While it is true that media tend to exaggerate crises in Africa, we can tell you that the stories out of our area are true. Here are some things we have seen for ourselves.
Mayi “Momma” Smart appeared at our gate recently, and after the usual string of greetings, she fell on her knees. She begged us for a little flour or some “leaves” (greens), confessing she had not eaten in three days. She then started crying, which is very unusual here. She is expecting a baby — other children she has borne have died. She lives in a house that is within sight of our missionary residence. I asked her why she was crying, and she said she was just so ashamed to ask for help, knowing that we have beggars at our gate every day.
One woman who received food at our gate needs your prayers. She has two children under 5 and also cares for three small orphaned children from her deceased sister’s family. In December, she learned that she is HIV-positive, and in a country where generally only the wealthy elite can receive anti-retroviral drugs, she does not expect to live very long. Her house is in walking distance from ours, so we will be able to keep an eye on her over the next several difficult months.
We are thankful for your gifts — rice bowl and otherwise — to World Hunger, of which 100 percent goes to feeding hungry people. Using Southern Baptist World Hunger funds, we will begin a massive feeding project.
Thank you for your continued prayers for us and for the Lomwe peoples whom we serve.
Bob, Pam, Rachel, John and Daniel Brownfield
Mozambique and Malawi
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