Heart 4 Malawi

Last Post

2009-02-25T08:19:00.001-08:00

The updates for the Good Samaritan Children's Home will now be included on the Victory World Outreach Ministries Blog.

Thank you for diligently checking this blog over the past two years. We hope you will now go over and check for updates on the Victory World Outreach Ministries Blog.

Update

2009-01-29T11:22:00.000-08:00

Good Samaritan Staff members Rodney and Lloyd are recovering from Malaria. Please keep them in prayer.

Gertrude (Blessing’s sister) has been ill for over a month. She had Malaria and took the medication but just doesn’t seem to be getting any better. Today Thandie took her and Peace (who also hasn’t been feeling well) to the hospital for blood work. Gertrude was found to be extremely anemic with a hemoglobin count of 7. Any lower and she would have had to have a blood transfusion. She was also diagnosed with Malaria plus 1. Gertrude was given iron tablets and more malaria medication. The doctors stated that Peace is having some issues with her blood sugar due to the Quinine medication she was taking to treat her malaria. Thandie has to adjust her diet, but she should be just fine.

Joy and Faith are doing well, thanks for your prayers.

Brother Chuck Miller from Florida is scheduled to arrive to Malawi this Saturday (1/3109). Please pray for his travel.

Update

2009-01-22T15:02:00.001-08:00

Faith and Joy

Thandie has been very busy with the needs of the Good Samaritan Children’s Home. I am thankful that she was able to check-in with Faith and Joy’s nannies and report to me their progress. Thandie states that both girls are weak and very ill. However, they are starting to see some improvements. Faith is still suffering the effects of Malaria and is not a fan of her quinine treatment. She puts up quite a fight when it is time for her medication. She has not appetite and has to be hand fed. Joy is suffering from severe night sweats. She will be tested for Tuberculosis in the next couple of days. Both girls are scheduled to have a thorough medical exam on Saturday 1/24/09. The girls will respond to the staff questions by nodding and shaking their heads but are still refusing to speak. Both girls are speaking fluently and intelligibly to each other.

Today Joy was heard telling Faith “look the water is coming from up, how is the water coming from up? Its not coming from down”. She has never seen a water faucet before and is intrigued by the water coming out from “up”. So cute!

Thandie is pleased with the care the nannies are providing to Joy and Faith. We are very thankful to the Lord for providing the right ladies for this delicate and special job.

Other News:

On Wednesday our tailor, Mr. Banda died after battling a 2 month long illness.

The majority of the children at Good Samaritan are feeling better. Simion is still complaining of back pain and suffering high fevers. Peace is recovering from Malaria. She tried to go to school today, but was sent home early due to vomiting. Thandie injured her toe when a heavy object fell on it. Brother Fullford and his daughter Elizabeth are suffering from the flu/virus that has been spreading through Good Samaritan.

Brother Chuck Miller from Florida will be traveling to Malawi next week and will be there for two months. Please pray for travel safety for him as well as protection from illness. He is transporting a couple of items for Faith and Joy in his already jammed-packed luggage. Thank you, Brother Chuck!

Thank you for your continued prayers.

Update on Joy and Faith

2009-01-21T19:35:00.000-08:00

Faith’s fever continued throughout the day Tuesday and the staff began to fear she had Malaria. The doctor didn’t take a blood test in the morning because he was certain the fever was caused by the flu that is plaguing Malawi. Faith was taken back to the clinic Tuesday night for a blood test and diagnosed with Malaria 3+. This is a very serious form of Malaria. She contracted it in her village prior to her arrival at Good Samaritan. We are so thankful that the Lord lead us to her when he did because her family would not have been able to get her to the hospital in time for the anti-malaria treatment. Faith is receiving this life saving treatment now, and responding well. She still has a loss of appetite, but otherwise is improving.

Joy was suffering from severe constipation and worms. Her stomach became so distended that she was unable to swallow food. She was given treatment for the worms and a suppository. Her constipation has resolved and she is much more comfortable, and probably a pound or two lighter. She is receiving a high protein porridge along with a specialized food program that has her eating every three hours during the day. So far they haven’t found a food that she doesn’t like.

Thanks for your continued prayers.

Joy and Faith

2009-01-20T08:47:00.000-08:00

*********JOY**********************FAITH*************

Thandie has made a decision in the best interest of the girls that they will be now known by their middle names. In private, both their first and middle names will be used as they transition but in public and on this blog they will be known only by their middle middle names. Tamandani "JOY" and Sidala "Faith".

Joy and Faith arrived safely to Good Samaritan Children's Home yesterday. The separation from the village was difficult for them. Faith's grandmother broke down hysterically crying. Joy was terrified for the vehicle. It really is heart breaking that they have to loose what is left of their family in order to gain a chance to live. Although the two grandmother's loved the girls and we feel have done what they can. The Malawi culture as a whole does not value children. The children eat last, and if there is no food left, they don't eat. Often children who are born to starving and struggling families are given names that mean "one more problem", "I have been dealt with bitterly", "another burden", etc.

Joy and Faith were bathed and fed upon entering Good Samaritan. The girls were quiet only talking to each other but refusing to talk to their nannies or Thandie. Thandie could hear the two girls planning an escape back to their villages.

Their first night consisted of Joy crying all night long and Faith spiking a fever. Thank goodness that we had two nannies last night.

The girls were taken to the hospital this morning. Faith was diagnosed with the flu. She weighs 24 lbs 0oz with clothes on. Joy weighed 19 lbs 8oz with clothes on and was diagnosed with Marasmus (severe malnutrition). The hospital informed the staff that Joy's condition warrants a hospital admission for months of in-patient monitoring. But because Joy has not been vaccinated, it is too dangerous for her to be hospitalized. The doctor who cares for the Good Samaritan children recommended that Joy remain at Good Samaritan on a special diet and he will be closely monitoring her there.

The next two weeks are critical for Joy. There is high risk of cardiac arrest in the re-feeding and treatment of Marasmus. The balance of electrolytes and nutrients in the body are critical. Her case is even more serious as she has a worms, and battles intense grief. The stress of the grief can cause and a chemical imbalance in her body and if she becomes over come by her grief and refuses to eat or drink, her situation will become even more concerning.

Please lift these little girls up in prayer. Please pray for wisdom for the medical staff, the Good Samaritan Staff and especially the nannies who are providing the direct care to the girls. Please pray that Faith and Joy will feel the love of God through the staff and caregivers. Please pray that they will transition well to their new home at Good Samaritan. The children will be having visits with their birth family. Please pray for wisdom for the timing of these visits.

Thank you for your prayers for Faith and Joy

My New Opportunity

2009-01-17T15:00:00.000-08:00

Do you remember this post? When I introduced a little "peanut". Well today I am announcing the expected arrival of two new little ones....

It all started back in June 2006 when I met a woman with my same name. Chrissie was very sick. A nurse that had traveled to Malawi with me took her from her remote village to a hospital for treatment. Chrissie had 14 month old twin daughters with her, Tamandani and Sidala. They were malnourished and very tiny. Of course I fell in love with these two precious children right away. I have always had a special place in my heart for twins. I was able to use some money that my friend Crystal (now Savannah-Hope's mom) sent to buy supplies for the twins.

I then returned to the States but continued to receive updates on the twins. Shortly before I returned to Malawi in August 2007, I learned that Chrissie had delivered a new baby and was again seriously ill.

On September 1, 2007 I went to Chrissie's village and visited with her and her children. It is then that I held Savannah-Hope for the first time. The twins looked the same size as they did the year before. My heart was broken for all three girls. The family agreed to relinquish Savannah-Hope but not the twins. This is when I learned that the twins had been separated. Tamandani was living with her mother and maternal grandmother in the mother's village, while Sidala lived with the paternal grandmother in the father's village. Again I was able to deliver supplies for the girls....but it seemed so small and the needs so huge.

...........................Sidala in Sept 2007.......................Tamandani in Sept 2007

Then on November 11, 2007 Chrissie went home to be with the Lord.
Here is a picture of Chrissie's funeral and the children she left behind: Jameson, Tamandani, Sidala and Savannah-Hope

In March 2008 Crystal was able to visit the twins' villages twice. Both times bringing supplies for them.

***************
On December 24, 2008 Thandie delivered Christmas gifts, food and supplies to Savannah-Hope's siblings: Jameson, Tamandani and Sidala. I was informed that the girls' condition had worsened. Their villages have been hit hard by the famine in Malawi. The girls are literally starving to death. Tamandani didn't have a bite of food to eat the day before Thandie arrived. Seeing the girls and how they had deteriorated for the past 6 months brought Thandie to tears. I was told that it was unlikely that either girl would survive the rainy season. MUCH discussion and prayers followed.

The girls are expected to arrive to the Good Samaritan Children's Home on Monday January 19th. Thus my new "opportunity". I will be sponsoring the girls at Good Samaritan indefinitely. God opened this door for them and I am taking a leap of faith that He will provide me with the finances to provide the girls with a chance to live.

Good Samaritan does not have openings for new children. The children's home has lost a third of its financial support. They are struggling to meet the needs of the 100 children already at the home. Tamandani and Sidala will be independently supported and housed in the Staff Quarters. I will work diligently to insure that their placement at Good Samaritan does not take away from the funding already being stretched to the max for the other children. I would appreciate your prayers as I embark on this new opportunity.

At this time the birth family is not interested in relinquishing the girls for adoption. It is my hope and prayer that the children will one day know the love and care of a forever family through the miracle of adoption. But until then, I am grateful for the opportunity to provide care for them where they are. Please be in prayer for the twins transition as they are removed from their villages and brought to the children's home. Thank you for your prayers.

Brief Update

2009-01-16T11:35:00.001-08:00

Wellness:
Today was the first day there were no new cases of illness at Good Samaritan! Praise the Lord. The total of sick children reached 43. Many of the staff and staff children are also ill. The first set of sick children are now starting to feel better. We had 13 cases of Malaria. All of the children are responding well to the medication and loving care provided by the staff.

Court:
The staff and teens involved in the legal matter regarding passing out tracts were supposed to have their Court Hearing today. It was continued to February 2nd. Please continue to pray that all charges will be dropped and without fees.

My New "Opportunity":
It looks as if my New Opportunity will launch on Monday January 19th. I am going to post the details tomorrow. I have to say that the Lord's timing is always perfect. Because steps had been taken to prepare for my new opportunity, there were extra staff on campus this week that were able to assist with the sick children. What a blessing!

Sickness Spreads at Good Samaritan

2009-01-13T01:00:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: as of 9:30am PST 1/13/09 there are now 40 sick children.

Thandie is currently at the hospital with another 16 children who are experiencing high fevers and other flu like symptoms including sore throats, head aches, body aches, and chills. This brings the current total to 38 children who are sick at Good Samaritan Children's Home. We have never had this many sick children at once. Please join me in praying for these children and the staff. We do not have enough child care workers to care for this many sick children. Please pray! Pray for a hedge of protection for our staff and the children who are still well. Please pray that the staff will have the opportunity and wisdom to clean and sterilize the kitchen and bathroom facilities in an effort to stop the spreading. Please pray for the integrity of the medication the children are being given. Please pray that the children will respond quickly and completely to the medication. Please pray that the staff will be able to accurately and diligently administer the medication prescribed. Please pray for wisdom for the doctors to accurately diagnose each child. Please pray that these children will feel the love, strength and joy of the Lord through their illness. Please pray that the Lord will heal each one of these children according to His will.

Those of you looking for an update on my "new opportunity", please keep checking back. Things are very busy right now at Good Samaritan with 38 sick children and 4 staff & 2 teens awaiting their Court Hearing on Friday. I am still hopeful that my new opportunity will come to fruition this week....but waiting on the Lord's timing.

Very sick kids....Please pray

2009-01-12T08:56:00.000-08:00

Today Thandie took 21 children to the hospital! They were all experiencing high fevers. 5 children tested positive for Malaria (Francis, Mary, Big Junior, Chiyajano and Rufina). The other 16 children were diagnosed with influenza and/or tonsillitis.

On the way back from the hospital, Thandie was notified from the Secondary School that one of our students (Jennifer) had been taken to the hospital and two more were very sick. Jennifer was diagnosed with tonsillitis.

When Thandie arrived back to Good Samaritan she was met at the gate with news that 3 more boys and 1 girl are sick with high fevers and Daniel needs his tooth pulled. So tomorrow the 6 new sick kids to the doctor and Daniel to the dentist.

Please pray for a healing for our sick children and a hedge of protection to be placed around the other children.

Praise:

The men were released from jail on bail on Saturday night. They had a meeting at Court today but it was postponed to Friday. We are praying that all charges will be dropped.

URGENT Prayer Request

2009-01-10T09:22:00.000-08:00

Today there was a big Ball Game in Malawi. It was a great opportunity for Good Samaritan to get the Gospel out to the Malawian people in the form of passing out tracts. The Staff and teenagers handed the tracts to the people as they went into the stadium. The Gospel Tracts were yellow. During the game the current President of Malawi, spoke a few words. This president's flag is blue. The last president's flag was yellow. Participants of the Ball Game became excited and waved their "yellow" tracts in the air. The Malawi Police Department misunderstood and believed it was a planned protest against the current president.

The police then arrested four Good Samaritan staff and two of their teenagers along with 3 of their church members and took them to jail. Missionary John Fullford along with two other Good Samaritan Staff members have been working hard to get them released, but with no successes. The Police will not release them. Malawian jails are very different than those here in The States. One of the differences is that food, clothes and bedding are not provided. Good Samaritan will have to deliver food to these men or they will be left to starve to death in the jail.

Please lift up these men in prayer.

....................Jason...........................................Lloyd.............................

..............Pastor Beta................ ..................Blessings................

.................Rackson.............................Navigator.....................

Special Delivery!

2009-01-07T10:28:00.000-08:00

Today 21 boxes arrived to the Good Samaritan Children's Home containing gifts for the children, staff-children and staff. These boxes came from West Virginia from the Carrier family and their church. The boxes contained a wrapped gift for each child that contains candy and a second gift of 2 wash cloths and a bar of soap for each person. Thandie received the boxes after their mid-week church service today. She is excited about distributing the gifts to the children. I will let you know the reaction of the children and hope to one day post a picture!

I hope to post an update tomorrow of the results of the children's school testing. And also an update on my special "opportunity".

Recongnizing Special Days

2009-01-05T14:00:00.000-08:00

Today January 5th is the 2 year anniversary of Ivy's home-going. She is greatly missed by the staff and children at Good Samaritan. This year was even harder because last month her sister Ida made the decision to leave the Children's Home and return to her village. It is Ida's birthday tomorrow. It was devastating to the staff and the children to see Ida leave. She is a very sick girl and was getting good care at the Chidlren's Home. Thandie has heard from her recently and she seems to be doing well considering she is back in the village during rainy season. Please continue to pray for Ida.

January 5th also marks the first day of school for our secondary students. They are starting a new school this year and we have great hopes for their education. Secondary schoool (high school) is not free to the public in Malawi. This is a great cost to the ministry but one that we can't afford not to pay. Educating these children is a cruital part of their future. They need to learn to read so they can study their Bible, obtain employment and open more doors to be used for Christ.

Ida W. (the other Ida) turned 14 years old today; Simion turned 8 years old.

Jason turns 18 tomorrow and shares a birthday with Brother Gentry

Stay tuned for a big announcement....a new "opportunity" for me in Malawi...details coming soon.

Merry Christmas and an Update

2008-12-24T10:30:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas from the Staff and Children at Good Samaritan!

Here is the long awaited update.

Food:

Not too long ago we were able to purchase corn for 750K ($5.14) and now the corn is 3500K ($25.74) a bag. We use 75 bags of corn a month. Brother Gentry just located enough Corn to get the feed the Children’s home through the month of March. The cost of this corn was $10,000. Please pray.

School:

The school year in Malawi begins in January. This year we will have 25 children in High School. We are praising the Lord for Lighthouse Independent Baptist Church in West Virginia who has covered the tuition cost for the first term. The children are so thankful for the opportunity to attend school.

The remaining needs for this school term include 25 pairs of shoes. These shoes must be purchased in Malawi and cost $20 a pair. Please prayerfully consider helping with this need.

There is a daily cost per child of 150K ($1.10). This covers their food expenses.

Although the cost of gas in the US has gone down, that is not the case in Malawi. The cost of fuel continues to rise. The children are transported by a Good Samaritan vehicle. The vehicle and the driver stay at the school for the entire day, because we can not afford for the vehicle to come back to the Children’s Home and then return to pick up the children.

Every cost that can be cut has been cut. Every shortcut that can be taken has been taken. There is not a school closer, there is not a school cheaper, and God has not opened the door to have the children taught on the Good Samaritan Campus. The sacrifice made for each dollar that has been donated has been considered. The goal of Good Samaritan continues to be to stretch each dollar as far as it can be stretched and to use the money for the most urgent needs and in a way that is pleasing to the Lord.

Wellness:

This is malaria season. We are praising the Lord for his supernatural mosquito net. We have not had any cases of Malaria so far this season. This is truly a miracle and direct answer to prayer. Thank you to those who faithfully pray for the health and safety of these children and staff.

Christmas Note from Thandie:

“I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of our supporters. The children, staff and I pray for you all daily. We are thankful for your generosity and faithfulness. We pray that the Lord will bless you and your families this holiday season and throughout this upcoming New York. We could not meet the needs of these precious children without your faithful prayer and financial support. Thank you and God Bless You”
Merry Christmas from Thandie and Good Samaritan.

If you would like information on how you can help financially please click here.

Savannah-Hope turns 19 months

2008-12-05T08:46:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to visit Savannah-Hope this month! It was so great to see her. She is doing so well and is so loved and adored by her family. It is amazing to see this child eat, you would never know she only has 4 teeth. She is a little piggy. She likes to have something in her mouth all the time. She is also quite the talker and can now put up to three words together. Savannah-Hope is a happy and healthy baby, our great big miracle.

The Johnson Family cuts down a live tree every year.

Savannah-Hope along with her siblings helped her daddy cut down this years tree.

She even got to put the angel on top

Look at that sweet face!

Here she is tied to her big sister's back.

The day before Thanksgiving I was able to travel with the Johnsons to Kentucky to visit Brother and Mrs. Gentry at their home church. The Johnson's gave a testimony and the church members were able to meet Savannah-Hope in person.

This is a picture of Savannah-Hope's siblings. Tamandani and Sidala are 3 and Jamison is 10. Brother Gentry told us that their villages are not doing well and these children may not make it through the rainy season. They are without sufficient food and supplies. Please keep them in prayer.

Honor Roll

2008-11-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

The school year has ended for the primary school children in Malawi. They will advance to the next grade in January. The following are the children who received the top position in each grade. The Good Samaritan Staff are very proud of the hard work and good example that each one of these students have shown this year.

First Grade- Jennifer

Second Grade - Chitani S.

3rd Grade - Memory (Sileni)

4th Grade - Josofina

5th Grade - Patrick

6th Grade - Kenneth

Good Samaritan also honored the two children that take the most care to keep themselves and their area decent and in order.

Cleanest Boy - Betchani

Cleanest Girl - Lydia

Standing in the need of prayer....

2008-11-18T10:28:00.001-08:00

Please pray for Ida. She is having a very difficult time emotionally. She is missing her parents and her siblings who have gone home to Heaven. Ida has been writing letters to her family members, sadly all of them have died of AIDS. She is the only one left. She wants to be reunited with her family. She is tired of being sick, tired of battling a disease with no cure. She is sad and homesick. Please pray for her. Please pray for the staff as they try to comfort her.

Alinafe J. is recovering from malaria. Please pray for her. The big rains have started in some areas of Malawi, but haven't yet started at Good Samaritan. The rains bring malaria. Please pray for a hedge of protection for Good Samaritan against this life threatening disease.

Happy Birthday!

2008-11-17T20:50:00.001-08:00

Today was Thandie's birthday! Here is a picture of her with her daughter Peace and little Savannah-Hope taken before Savannah-Hope left for America.

Happy Birthday Thandie!

Remebering Ivy and Savannah-Hope Update

2008-11-05T12:36:00.000-08:00

22 months ago today on January 5th our precious Ivy went home to be with the Lord after a difficult battle with AIDS. Because of the soil and the rainy season it is Malawi tradition to have a dirt grave for the first year to year an half. This insures that the ground is settled. After that waiting period then a cement headstone can be put in place. Last weekend a cement headstone was placed at Ivy's grave along with a small ceremony celebrating her life and her decision to follow Christ. I hope to receive pictures of the stone soon, but rejoice that the Lord provided the funding for this special project.

This is Ivy's grave before the headstone

Savannah-Hope turns 18 months old. She has been in the US with her adoptive family for 7 months!

Could she be anymore beautiful?

Savannah-Hope suffers from respiratory issues and receives breathing treatments. She is doing well though and takes her medication without complaint.

She has oodles of toys, but prefers to play with household items.

She thinks she is a big kid and wants to do whatever her siblings are doing.

First trip to the pumpkin patch

First hayride with her siblings.

And she is a superstar! Just ask her family!

Savannah-Hope still has only four teeth but that doesn’t slow her down a bit. She eats like a horse. Her newest word is "eat eat". She says “milk” for any kind of drink. Savannah-Hope’s current favorite foods are sausage, tomatoes and dum dum suckers. She also says “Dora” and can recognize Dora’s picture on clothes at the store. She says “cheese” when someone takes a picture. She loves to play outside and can climb stairs like a champ. Savannah-Hope knows what “no-no” means and will lay down on the floor and cry in response. She is a precious gift and her famly loves seeing her personality blossom as she grows and learns new things. Savannah-Hope is crying now when she is put in her Sunday School class and wants her mama. This is hard on her mom, but a good sign that she is securely attached to her family. She is a joy!

Savannah-Hope 17 months

2008-10-05T15:54:00.000-07:00

Savannah-Hope is now 17 months old. She has been living in America with her forever family for 6 months. Savannah-Hope continues to thrive and bless all those who come into contact with her. She is a healthy and happy toddler. She now has 4 teeth!
Here are some pictures from the last month.

Savannah-Hope "grocery shopping"

On a playdate with big sister Izabella and her friend Norah (in the middle).

Hugs for sissy

Going down the big slide with big sister Amelia

Visiting Izabella at preschool

Driving the ice cream truck

Running away with a clean diaper

Thank you for your continued prayers for Savannah-Hope, her forever family, and her twin sisters that remain in Malawi.

If you are new to the blog, and aren't familiar with Savannah-Hope's adotion story, click here for a quick review.

The Gentry's are back in Kentucky

2008-10-03T07:59:00.000-07:00

Praise the Lord! The Gentry's arrived safely in Louisville, Kentucky last night around 9pm. They returned from Malawi a little earlier than expected because Mrs. Gentry was having some medical complications related to a kidney stone. I spoke with Mrs. Gentry this morning and she sounded very strong. She said that she is no longer in any pain and will be following up with her urologist on Monday. Thank you for praying for her health and for their safety.

Prayers for Thandie

2008-09-27T10:18:00.000-07:00

This is a picture of Thandie's grandmother Elizabeth. She died yesterday at the age of 96. Please pray for Thandie and her family as they have her funeral services today. Elizabeth had her first birthday cake this past May. It is a memory that Thandie holds dear to her heart. Elizabeth was loved by her children, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. I had the privledge of meeting her last year and enjoyed my time with her very much.

Here is Elizabeth with some of her great grandchildren.

Thandie's niece, Thandie, Elizabeth and one of Thandie's sisters

Here is Elizabeth with Savannah-Hope and Peace.

Thank you for praying for Thandie, Peace and their extended family.

Secondary School - Prayer Request

2008-09-25T08:31:00.000-07:00

The above picture are the 20 children who currently attend Secondary School off campus. We recently had six children from Standard 8 (8th grade) compete their end of their year exams. If they all pass, we will have 26 children starting Secondary School in January 2009. The school year in Malawi follows the Calendar year (begins in January and ends in September). This is exciting news, but also comes with a mighty price tag and a HUGE prayer request. The cost is $180 per child per term (3 terms a year). This cost covers transport, school fees and food allowance. On Wednesday 9/24/08 the children were told that at this point there are no funds available to send them to school. The children held their heads down, but Thandie told them they needed to take their burden to the Lord. Please join these precious children in prayer.

Prayer Requests

2008-09-11T11:25:00.000-07:00

Brother and Mrs. Gentry are on their way now to Malawi. Please pray for travel safety.

Brother Gentry is requesting special prayer for the upcoming inspection of the Good Samaritan Children's Home. The inspection will be conducted by the Commisioner of Child Welafare. It will be unannounced and happening any day now. Please pray that God will give Good Samaritan Children's Home favor in the eyes of the inspector. The Children's Home is currently being run by the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Which is not exactly what they are looking for when they come to inspect. They are looking for numbers and quotas and ratios. Please pray that we pass the inspection. Please pray that the Lord will give the staff wisdom to meet the areas they are looking for on the day the inspector arrives. Please continue to pray for those who support the Good Samaritan Children's Home. The home is underfunded, now more than ever we need the funding required to run the Children's Home in a way that will be pleasing to the Lord, allow us to pass the inspection and be a good testimony.

Savannah-Hope 16 months

2008-09-05T10:07:00.001-07:00

Savannah-Hope turns 16 months today. She continues to grow and flourish. Savannah-Hope weighs 19 lbs 13 oz and measures 29". She points to her nose when you ask her where it is. She knows the hand motions to "Wheels on the Bus" and "If You're Happy and You Know It". Savannah-Hope can crawl in and out of the bathtub and her newest habbit is trying to thow everything in the toilet. She keeps her parents and siblings on their toes. Thank for your continued prayers for the Johnson Family.

Exams and the Garden

2008-09-04T08:10:00.001-07:00

I spoke with Thandie today. She gave me the following update:

School:

This week we have 6 children in standard 8 (8th grade) that are taking the National Exam to enter Form 1 (High School). This exam is not only important for the continuation of the education for these six children, it also is used by the Government to evaluate how well the Good Samaritan School is doing as far as teaching the children. We don't want to loose the opportunity to have control over our own school. Please pray for these children as they continue their exams. They take the exams at a site off campus with children from all over the country. There armed police officers sitting next the children to make sure there is no cheating. How nerve racking! Today they are taking Chichewa and Mathematics portion of the exam. Tomorrow they will be taking Primary Science. The children completing the exams are Mercia, Jennifer, Sampson, Peter Frank, Tisungane, and Elson.

Ida:

Ida had a tooth removed this week. I spoke with her on the phone today. What a blessing she is. I just have to praise the Lord for this sweet girl. I am so thankful she is having a good week. I am trying to get the money together to pay for the grave stone for her sister Ida. It is time now to have it made.

Garden:

Thandie is so thrilled with the progress of the garden. It is becoming more and more important that Good Samaritan grow crops that could be used daily for food. Our hope is to be self-sufficient from the land. The Lord has been blessing this vision. The green vegetables are doing very well. They are currently growing turnips, cabbage and tomatoes. The children have a 3 day holiday coming from school. They will be using the opportunity to prepare the land that will be used to plant corn with the rains come. Please continue to be in prayer for our garden, that it will flourish and provide food for our children and staff.

A year ago today:

September 4, 2007 Good Samaritan became guardians of a little peanut that would grow to become Savannah-Hope. Click here to read the post from that day. Click here to read details from that day, that I wrote reflecting back four months later.

Update

2008-08-23T16:06:00.000-07:00

I spoke to Thandie on this past Thursday August 21st.

Prayer Requests:

Ida is sick with Malaria and is not responding well to the medication. She is refusing to eat and has sores in her mouth and throat. She has been having very high fevers.

Simion is ill with tonsillitis, but he is responding well to the medication. Praise the Lord!

Peace fainted at school this week and has complained of dizziness. She tested negative for Malaria but was placed on the anti-malaria medication due to her symptoms. Peace will turn 8 years old On Sunday August 24th.

The American visitors have all returned to The States. The Fullfords continue to serve as full time missionaries to Malawi. Please continue to pray for them and check their blog.

Brother Gentry returned to The States on July 24th and plans to return to Malawi in September.

This time last year, I was in Malawi. So hard on the heart to hear about the needs and be so far away. Please continue to pray for the needs at Good Samaritan.

Savannah-Hope is 15 months old today

2008-08-05T09:53:00.000-07:00

Well I’m back. Hope there are some people around still checking the blog. I apologize for the long delay in updates. I had a medical issue to tend to, but I hope that I will be able to be more regular with the updates now.

So since it is the 5th of the month, here is the monthly update of our miracle peanut Savannah-Hope:

Savannah-Hope is officially a walker now. She walks independently everywhere all the time. She loves to sing, and can be heard continually singing “oh oh oh!!”. She is jabbering and babbling but not too many of the words are intelligible at this point. She does clearly say “no” and “hit”. She has two teeth!!

She is now climbing out of the bathtub and loves to growl like she is scaring you. She plays hide and seek and loves playing "I'm gonna gitcha!!!" She loves to scribble on paper with crayons. She goes to the doctor next week but I am going to guess she is right at 20lbs. Savannah-Hope graduated to the “walker” class at church and is a big fan of the all you can eat vanilla wafers.

She has recently taken to waking up in the night wanting to play. Her parents are hoping this is phase that passes quickly. Savannah-Hope has been sleeping with a Japanese silk scarf on her pillow and this has really helped with her bald spots. She has been rubbing her hair out on her pillow causing some balding, but they are just about gone now.

Crystal says that they love Savannah-Hope more everyday. She does not miss a beat keeping up with the rest of her siblings. They just love on her constantly and now that she is getting into all their stuff they tell her no then pick her up and kiss on her! They have been very kind to share their prized possessions with her as long as she wont choke on them. They have even given her her own video game controller so she wont slobber all over theirs. :) Savannah-Hope is truly a blessing to her entire family.

You can see her two bottom teeth in this picture! She also has her Japenese silk scarf on her head.

Savannah-Hope served with her family handing out food with the Angel Food Ministry. Savannah-Hope is pictured her with her sister Izabella.

After serving food, it was time to treat herself to a special treat....an ice cream cone!

Food Situation at Good Samaritan

2008-07-14T07:44:00.000-07:00

Every year in June Brother Gentry purchases a one-year supply of corn and dry food staples. Buying in bulk is much more cost efficient. The prices continue to go up throughout the year and depending on the weather and availability of corn (supply and demand). When we buy the whole year supply at the beginning of the season we are able to get the best price and don't have to worry about the cost rising throughout the year because our supply will last a whole year. Unfortunately due to reduced financial support, bad weather, poor crops, reduced value of the dollar, high fuel cost and dramatically increased prices in food, we were unable to make the year supply of food purchase. We are buying "little by little". The children are now eating what we can afford, which is just not the same as what they need.

Corn: We use fifteen 50KG bags of corn a week at Good Samaritan. Each bag is approximately $25. Currently we have 35 bags in storage. This is only a two week supply.

Rice: We are now using one bag of rice a week instead of two. One 50kg bag of rice is approximately $35. (After July there will be no rice in storage)

Milk: Our milk is now heavily diluted with water. The children were getting one cup of a milk every Sunday. Now they are getting milk three Sundays out of the month.

Vegetables and Beans: are being served only on Wednesdays now.

Eggs: We used to be able to purchase 30 trays (400 eggs) for 485K ($4) , now the price is 770K ($6).

Bread and Beef: We are no longer able to serve bread and beef to the children. We have to use all of our financial resources designated for food, on the above mentioned basic staples.

Please pray!

Update

2008-07-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

I spoke to Thandie this morning! She was so excited to hear that Savannah-Hope has two teeth and took three independent steps. And got a laugh that she did that the day after I posted that she had no teeth and couldn’t walk independently.

Ida is still in the hospital however her vision has been restored! Praise the Lord! Thandie expects that she will come home tomorrow.

Americans Serving at Good Samaritan

I have had some questions about which Americans are currently in Malawi serving with Good Samaritan Ministries:

Missionary Brother Gentry is curently in Malawi and staying at his home on BCA Hill. He has been their since April, not sure yet when he will return to the States.

Chuck and Sheila Miller from Florida are currently serving a 3month term with Brother Gentry and are staying with him at his home at BCA Hill.

The Fullford Family has just begun their first term in Malawi as full-time missionaries with Good Samaritan. They are currently staying in a home not too far from Brother Gentry while their house is being built on the new property.

Vickie from Fresno, CA is serving for two months in Malawi (returning to US on 7/24) and staying at the Round House on the Good Samaritan Campus.

The Day family from North Carolina is scheduled to arrive tomorrow and will be serving in different capacities for two weeks.

I hope to update you on the current food situation at Good Samaritan tomorrow.

Savannah-Hope Update

2008-07-05T10:03:00.000-07:00

Savannah-Hope in her American girl dress. She is standing holding on to daddy's hands.

First trip to the beach. In the arms of big sister Bella

Savannah-Hope's baby shower. Sisters Amelia and Izabella are pictured above their mama and Savannah-hope.

Savannah-Hope loves to swim. She is a little fish!

Such a sweet and happy baby girl!

By popular demand, I will be posting an update of Savannah-Hope on the 5th of each month. Today Savannah-Hope is 14 months old. She has been home for two months and is doing great. She sleeps from 7pm to 7am. Eats everything put in front of her and is just full of giggles and smiles. Savannah-Hope has mastered drinking from a straw, cruises around holding onto furniture or a toy walker. Savannah-Hope can stand alone in a center of a room, but has not yet taken any independent steps. She still is toothless, but there are some signs of bottom teeth coming soon. She says "mama", "dada", "uh-ho", "Zach" and "no no no". Savannah-Hope is adored by her family, extended family, church family and friends. Thanks for your many prayers!

Update on Ida

2008-07-02T11:54:00.001-07:00

Thandie arrived at the hospital this morning at 7am. She was thrilled to find that Ida's vision had improved. Ida is able to some basic objects such a people and furniture. Praise the Lord! God allowed Thandie to be able to speak with Ida's doctor at 9am this morning. The doctor told Thandie that Ida has an abbess on her cornea in both eyes. She is being treated with antibiotics, 3 different types of eye drops and injections directly into the eye. The doctor told Thandie that the blood flow in Ida's eyes is improving, thus her vision is improving. Praise the Lord! It is likely that she will be released from the hospital Friday or Saturday. Thank you for your prayers!

Blog Updates

I have added the Good Samaritan related blogs to my "sidebar". You will find them listed right below the clock. Under each blog it will tell you the last time it was updated. If you click on the title of the blog, it will take you to the most recent post. We are so blessed to have two families in Malawi posting regular updates on the ministry! It is much more difficult to update from the States. Thanks for your faithfulness in keeping up to date with the ministries of Good Samaritan.

Update on Ida

2008-07-01T10:45:00.001-07:00

Brother Chuck Miller gave the money that was needed for Ida’s eye exam. Thandie first took Ida to Dr. Innocent who is the pediatrician who sees the Good Samaritan children. Dr. Innocent examined Ida and found her to be blind. He had his colleague write a recommendation for her to be seen at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Thandie then transported Ida to Queen’s where she was examined again. They ended up not charging us for the exam which was a huge blessing. The doctor drew a diagram of little circles in Ida’s eyes. I am assuming that these are blood clots. The doctor told Thandie that they would have performed surgery today, but because it seems that the nerves are affected, they want a specialist to review her case tomorrow. Ida was then admitted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital and placed on the surgery consult list for tomorrow (Wed 7/2/08).

I’ve done a bit of research on AIDS related eye problems and have found that blood clots in the eyes effect 75% of those with AIDS. If the blood clots are not treated promptly it will lead to nerve damage. When the nerve damage is severe, the eye sight may not be restored.

Thandie told me that the hospital is so crowded that they gave Ida a mattress to sleep on that was under another patient’s bed. She was going to have to spend the night underneath another sick patient. Thandie was persistent and God opened the door for Ida to have a bed. The bed is near the bathroom and has an extremely foul odor, but she is not on the floor. I talked to Miss Vickie today and she said that the scene at the hospital was worse than horrible.

We also received the results of Ida’s June CD4 count. This count measures the HIV viral load in Ida’s body. The count is very good. It is not dangerously low, which we were expecting to see. Please pray for God’s healing for Ida. Please pray that the doctors will have mercy on her and not push her to the side thinking that her condition is too hopeless to treat. Please also be in prayer for our staffing situation as we are required to provide a staff at the hospital for Ida as long as she is admitted. We had to layoff most of our caregivers, we don’t have an extra caregiver to spare. Thank you for your prayers!

Thandie's Prayer Letter June 2008

2008-06-29T22:19:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

Warm Christian greetings in the name of Jesus Christ who saved us from our Sins and is making a home for us in heaven and coming soon to take us home. It is early morning hours 5am here in Malawi Africa we call it first light. I keep telling myself I have got to write to my friends in America before they think I have forgotten them. “ I pray for you and your church every day God knows my heart.”

I will be getting ready for school (college) in one hour. I’m in my second year, it’s very hard but the Government wants me to have more school if I am to be an orphan home director. I was doing good without it, but you know how governments are. It’s not the government that gives you love and care for the 100 + orphans and workers it comes from God the government gives Laws and Regulations but God gives Love and Regeneration. Amen!

We are in the middle of winter, cold at night about 40 degrees and 70 degrees in the daytime. Many people are sick because of this, hospitals are full, most people have no blankets and they sleep on the floor in their mud huts. Thank You for your help with our orphans they have a bed and blankets in their children home to sleep in. God Bless YOU!

Just to speak a little bit about our immediate and desperate needs for the Children’s home every where just like the USA time are very hard because of inflation every thing is going up up up. Your gas in America is now $4.25 our is $12.53 up from $10.00 one week ago and they say by 15 July it will go up again. We have 21 High School kids we must bus to school Monday – Friday, school fees $1.50 a day plus $100.00 for 3 months for tuition. We have had to cut our budget to the bone and have laid off 15 workers; garden workers, Guards, cleaners and care givers. We have also cut our milk, bread, meat and other things like cooking oil, potatoes, rice and some other things. Our support from the states is getting smaller every month. Last month we had a short fall of three hundred dollars that we had to borrow this month $225.00. Please pray for us.

Brother Frank Zacharius from the states is here with his adopted son Rodric, Friday before he leaves for the states he is going to buy $800.00 in used shoes from the market for the kids you cannot go to school (High School) without shoes and uniforms. Brother Chuck Miller took $600.00 from another project he had and bought 39 bags of 110 lbs each of corn, our main food. We use 1 1/2 bags a day, because of good care the kids are growing and their clothes are to small and it’s hard to hand them down because they are worn out. Now for some good news: They now have seven choirs and they can sing heaven down. Even the little kids have the melody choir. They will bless you and they have no instruments or music tapes just their hands and feet. I wish I could bring them to America.

Miss Vickie from Gospel Light Baptist Church, Fresno California is here for 2 months. Miss Vickie has been teaching the big Teen girls soul winning and they are now winning many souls. Even at school Miss Vickie is also teaching them about the Bus Ministry. We have 1 – 32 passenger bus but on week one they had 122, week 2 they had 148, week three 160. Of course they had to make 3 & 4 trips to get them all in to church. This week she starts teaching the boys where will we put them? I don’t know we have another bus but it’s broke down. The mechanic says $1,200.00 will fix it.

The orphans are making very big gardens to help us to have more food. One garden has 1,050 tomato plants 6” high, other with cabbage, spinach, lettuce, pumpkins, sugar cane and sweet potatoes. They are very happy. In closing let me beg you to pray much for us and our needs and God will bless you and we will do the same for you.

Miss Thandie
(The mother of 101 children)

Urgent Prayer Request

2008-06-28T09:02:00.001-07:00

Ida Has Lost Her Sight

On Friday evening after a busy day, Thandie returned to the Children's Home to the news that Ida had lost her sight. Thandie quickly found Ida and saw right away that a white film has covered Ida's eyes. Ida could only see some large basic shadows, like an outline of a person.

This morning Thandie took Ida to the Lion's Eye Clinic. Because its Saturday, only the public side was open. There is also a private-pay side to this clinic. The care is dramatically different on the public side. The doctor was irritated that the front desk "squeezed" Ida in, even though the doctor said he wasn't seeing any more patients. The doctor quickly examined Ida, made some notes in her Health Passport and then prescribed one oral medication and two different eye drops. The doctor refused to speak to Thandie. Thandie was not able to make out the writing in the Health Passport. It seems that doctors' messy writing spans across the world. We have no idea if this loss of vision is temporary or permanent. Thandie hopes to gather enough money to take Ida to the private side of the hospital early next week. The cost is 5000 Kwatcha ($40).

Our sweet Ida has suffered from chronic eye infections and poor vision since she came to live at Good Samaritan in 2003. Eye problems and AIDS often go hand and hand. Thandie and Brother Gentry have made every effort to seek proper eye care for her. She recently received new glasses. Please pray for this sweet girl.

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RODERICK

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Roderick and his father left Malawi this morning and are on their way back to Tennessee. They had a wonderful trip. Roderick enjoyed spending time with his friends. It was hard for him to leave, but he knows that his home now is in America. Roderick's father (Bro Zecharias) was able lead someone to the Lord for the first time while he was in Malawi. It lit a fire in his heart for lost souls, and he later lead many to the Lord. Bro Zecharias has been to Malawi several times before, but gave a testimony in church that this has been by far has been the most special visit. Please pray for Roderick as he leaves his first home to head back to America.

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UPDATES

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I thank the Lord for giving me these updates to pass along to you. I even have a few more in the works including Thandie's June prayer letter. Please check back soon.

More help arrives....and new blogs to see

2008-06-25T08:12:00.001-07:00

I apologize for the infrequent updates lately. I am praying that God will allow me to update more regularly in the coming days and weeks.

The Fullfords were scheduled to arrive in Malawi yesterday June 24th. They will begin their first term as missionaries to Malawi serving along side Brother Gentry. Please take time to check out their website and blog.

Mrs. Sheila Miller is scheduled to arrive in Malawi tonight (6/25) at 10pm (4pm Florida time). She will be serving along side her husband Chuck who arrived in Malawi in May. Mrs. Miller had originally planed to go with her husband in May for a three month stay, but had to postpone her trip due to her extended stay in Malawi in March/April when she traveled with Crystal Johnson to finalize Savannah-Hope's adoption. I continue to thank God for Miss Sheila and the sacrifices she made for sweet Savannah-Hope. Please take the time to check out the Miller's blog.

Please lift these families up in prayer.

Please also take time to check out the Victory World Outreach blog.

A difference a year makes

2008-06-09T20:27:00.001-07:00

While you sit at your computer and read this blog.....a child not to far away is hungry.

This time last year a one-year supply of food was being delivered at Good Samaritan Children's Home. I posted about it here and here. Well a year has passed. This year there are no trucks coming to deliver a one-year supply of food. There are no trucks delivering a one-week supply of food. The food is running out.....and there are no food trucks coming. The children have not had beef since the end of April. Even if money was sent for a cow now, it would be difficult for the children's home to purchase a cow because there is a deficit in basic needs like corn flour and cooking oil. Just like our gas prices climb everyday.....the cost of everything rises in Malawi everyday. Last year a bag of corn cost $700Kwatcha, this year the same bag of corn costs $2500 Kwatcha.

Finances are beyond tight at the Good Samaritan Children's Home. On June 1st Brother Gentry had to lay-off 15 staff members. Among the staff are 4 teachers, a cook, 4 garden boys, 1 guard, 4 caregivers and 1 other staff member. According to the Child Welfare Policy in Malawi a Children's Home the size of Good Samaritan should have 11 caregivers with 9 on staff at all times. We currently have 4 caregivers with 3 on staff at all times. So I guess you could say we are short staffed.

Thandie said that the older children are helping out with caring for the younger ones. The older boys are taking on some of the gardening chores. The children aren't complaining and they aren't worried. The children have placed their faith in God and they know that He will provide a way.

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower Psalm 18:2

Here is a picture of Roderick. I had the honor of speaking with him today. He sounded wonderful on the phone. Roderick's heart if full of joy in seeing his friends, brother, cousin and staff that he left behind. He has longed to see them for the past three years. I know his heart if heavy though to see how they are struggling. Roderick has spent the past three years of his life as an American teenager. He has had typical American teenage struggles, but now he is back in Malawi getting to see what life is like for his friends as teenagers in Malawi. I'm sure he is full of mixed emotions. Please pray him during the remainder of his stay and his transition back to America.

Roderick Returns and Teen Soulwinning Update

2008-06-05T12:14:00.000-07:00

Roderick landed today in Malawi with his father Bro Zacharias. Their luggage didn’t make it, but that didn’t damper the mood. Thandie said that the children were so excited to see Roderick. Only 20 children were able to go to the airport, but if they had the transportation all 100 would have been there. Roderick’s brother and cousin Elizabeth were also among the airport welcoming.

Roderick was the very first child to be adopted internationally from the Good Samaritan Children’s home (Savannah-Hope was the second). Roderick met his parents while they were visiting Malawi working along side the Gentry’s. They started the adoption process and after a long journey Roderick landed in America in November 2005.

This is Roderick’s first trip back to Malawi. He has been keeping contact with his friends through phone calls but has longed to see them again. He will be in Malawi for a couple weeks and looks forward to spending time with his friends and the staff at Good Samaritan.

Update on Vickie’s Teen Soul Winning Project:

Vickie has been taking a group of 30 teen girls into different villages every Saturday for hut to hut soul winning. This weekend will be their third Saturday. So far there have been 236 documented professions of faith. The girls are so encouraged and are look forward to going out each Saturday. Some are so excited to share the Gospel, that they aren’t waiting until Saturday, but witnessing to anyone who crosses their path. This past week Margaret who attends private school off campus, led one of her schoolmates to the Lord.

Updates on Visitors from America

2008-05-23T09:50:00.000-07:00

On Monday May 19th, the Boekoff family had a fellowship get-together with all the children at Good Samaritan. The Boekoff’s presented two plays to the children. One was about sharing and the other was about appropriate behavior of children in church. The Good Samaritan staff translated the plays in Chichewa. The children lisented intently and enjoyed the performances very much. The Boekoff family presented each girl with a jump rope and each boy with a Frisbee. All of the children received a bag of candy. They were thrilled! I hope to get pictures eventually to post on the blog. The family also made balloon animals for each child. Thandie said the children are still talking about the balloon animals. They had never seen anything like that before. Everybody had a wonderful time fellowshipping together. The Boekoff Family left Malawi Wednesday May 21st.

Brother Chuck Miller from Florida arrived safely in Malawi on Tuesday May 20th. He is staying with Brother Gentry at his home on BCA Hill.

Visitor Vickie Valle from Fresno California was scheduled to arrive in Blantyre, Malawi on Wednesday May 21st but had to be re-routed through Lilongwe. She had to spend the night in the capitol city and arrived to Blantyre first thing Thursday morning, but without any of her luggage. Vickie arrived to the Good Samaritan Campus while the children were taking a morning break from school. She immediately started interacting with the children and formed an instant mutual bond. Thandie said she had never seen such a quick connection formed between the children and a visitor. The staff tried to send the children back to class and the kids were really struggling being separated from Vickie. Some that went back to class couldn’t focus and were looking through the windows at Vickie who was still playing outside. So they sent the teachers home and cancelled school for the rest of the day. Vickie was exhausted from the long trip, but didn’t let it show. She played games including basketball with the kids all day long non-stop. Vickie is staying at the Round House with two of the older orphan girls, Betty and Mercia. Both girls were recently featured on the blog as star kids. Today (Friday May 23nd), Vickie began teaching the girls about soul winning. Tomorrow Vickie, Pastor Beta and the teen girls will take the church bus and go hut to hut soul winning. The teen girls are looking forward to this opportunity! Vickie has only been in Malawi for two days and has hit the ground running…..please pray for her throughout her two month stay.

Two More of Our Star Teens

2008-05-22T15:00:00.000-07:00

Betty came to Good Samaritan from Charazulu village, which isn’t far from the Children’s Home. She is in Form 1 or “ninth grade”. Betty is in the third position in her class. She takes her school work very seriously. Betty has a heart for helping those younger than her. She has taken two of the younger children (Rufina and Martha) “under her wing”. She helps them with their school work, does their hair and makes sure they are dressed nice for church. She has been chosen to stay with Miss Vickie a visitor from the states that will be serving at Good Samaritan for two months. Betty and Miss Vickie will stay at the Round House.

Joseph came to Good Samaritan from Zomba. His father was one of the Good Samaritan Pastors. When his father died, he was left alone in his village. At this time the Good Samaritan Children’s Home was in progress but not yet opened. The Good Samaritan Staff told Joseph that once the Children’s Home was opened he could have a home there. Joseph is in Form 2 or “tenth grade”. He is in position one in his class. Joseph wakes up before 5am every morning to spend time studying. He recently was thrilled to receive a calculator from Brother Gentry. Joseph is a self initiator and is often found doing chores without being asked. Joseph is not only a good example to his peers but he takes it upon himself to guide the younger ones. Joseph hopes to be employed at Good Samaritan as a Cargiver to the boys when he finishes school.

Savannah-Hope Update

2008-05-16T08:13:00.000-07:00

Savannah- Hope turned one years old on May 5th.

These pictures were taken 6 days after she arrived to the U.S.

These outfits were made in Malawi for the Johnson family.

Savannah-hope is wonderful. She is a hearty eater, a great sleeper and rarely cries. She is full of smiles and laughs from the bottom of her toes. She is reaching new milestones everyday. Savannah-Hope is pure joy. I had the opportunity to spend a few days with her in early May. She came right to me and smothered me in hugs. I tied her on my back every opportunity I could. I hadn't seen her face to face since I left her in Malawi when she was four pounds and her skin was hanging off her body. What a transformation! What a tribute of God's love. She is quite the miracle girl.

Visitors from South Dakota

2008-05-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

On May 9th the Boekhoff family From South Dakota arrived in Malawi for a month long visit. They arrived safely and spent the first few days with Brother Gentry. They were originally supposed to stay at the Round House on the Good Samaritan Campus, but the roof of the Round House didn't survive the rainy season. The Round House turned into the great big swimming pool. But praise the Lord we were able to replace the roof and the Boekhoff's were able to move into the Round House yesterday. Today they are heading to a two-day safari. On Sunday they will be traveling to the new property in Nchueu. They will get to see the new property and attend church there. Please pray for the Boekhoff family for continued health and safety during their journey.

Teenagers

2008-05-13T08:05:00.000-07:00

Whether in America or Malawi, the teenage years are a time of decision making. Are you going to continue to follow what you are being taught at home or are you going to go your own way?

Our children have been at Good Samaritan since October 2003. Many remember what life was like for them in the village and our thankful to God for the opportunity that Good Samaritan has to offer them. Others seem to have forgotten. Some remember, but aren't thankful.

Over the next few years we will have more and more and more teens at Good Samaritan. Please continue to lift these precious children up in prayer. Please continue to pray for funding to help Good Samaritan prepare these children for adulthood and full-time Christian Service.

Brother Gentry and Thandie would like to feature some of our teens on the blog that are choosing to follow God and our Godly examples to their peers. Here are the first two:

Jason James is from the village of Jacket. He lives at Good Samaritan with his sister Alinafe. Jason is called to preach and he is the Pastor of the Good Samaritan Children's Home. The children refer to him as Pastor and he is humbled and grateful to the Lord for his calling to preach. Jason rises before the sun on Saturday morning and sets out for the long journey up prayer mountain. He spends hours on the mountain praying. Brother Gentry says that Jason has great leadership skills and encourages his peers. He sings in the choir and enjoys praising the Lord. He is a hard worker in the garden and one of our best "diggers". He never complains and sees each trial as another opportunity to learn and give God the Glory.

Meet Mersia. If there was an award for the most improved over the past year it would go to Mersia. She has turned around and decided to follow Jesus and it sure shows. She is singing in the lead choir on Sunday mornings and her voice is like an angel. She is earning top grades and is in the #1 position in her class. She is a hard worker and wants to do right. She is respectful and a good example to her peers.

Its a Boy!

2008-05-08T11:24:00.000-07:00

Good Samaritan Staff Chris and his wife Emily were blessed with a healthy baby boy born today on May 8,2008. They will call him Jeremy Clay. Mother and Baby are doing well.

A plea for our Students

2008-05-02T21:37:00.000-07:00

On behalf of Brother Gentry, Good Samaritan and the 21 children in Secondary School (high school) I am "reposting" an urgent need. We are still in desperate need of tuition fees for 15 of our 21 students. They will have to be pulled out of school if their fees are not paid. The schools fees are $300 per student. We are past due by one month, everyday the children go to school in fear that it will be their last day. Please pray with us for this need. If you feel led to give to this great cause please send your tax-deductible donation to:

Please send your tax deductible donation to: Victory World Outreach/0 Victory Baptist Church7808 Beulah Church Rd Louisville, Kentucky 40228Please make the check out to: Victory World Outreach and write "Summer School" on the memo line.

2008-04-30T10:05:00.000-07:00

Crystal ,Savannah-Hope and Mrs.Miller(Grammy Sheila) landed in America safe and sound a few minutes earlier than scheduled Saturday afternoon. The flight went very smoothly and Savannah-Hope was an angel she never cried once she either played or slept the whole time. She was amazed with the little TV on the plane that played Dora the explorer! Mrs.Miller was very happy to see her husband and Savannah-Hope and Crystal were overwhelmed with hugs and kisses. Savannah-Hope has fit right into the role of being the littlest Johnson princess and adores her big brothers and sisters!! She is already reaching for her daddy and will no doubt have him wrapped around her little finger in no time flat! Savannah-Hope is sleeping all night and adjusted well to the time difference and she loves waffles !!!! Crystal sends her thanks to all who have helped and prayed to get this angel home to her forever family.

Savannah-Hope is on her way home!!!!

2008-04-25T11:20:00.001-07:00

Crystal received Savannah-Hope's visa yesterday and boarded the plane today for America! Mrs. Miller, Crystal and Savannah-Hope are scheduled to arrive in TN on Saturday at 1pm. Thank you for your prayers throughout this journey.

Urgent Request

2008-04-23T10:09:00.000-07:00

Brother Gentry alerted me this morning of a urgent need in Malawi. The fees for our Form 1 and Form 2 (high school students) are due. They were actually due on April 1st. If they are not paid by this Friday the children will have to be taken out of school. We have 21 children in the school and the fees for each are $300. This cost is for tuition only. We have received funds for two of the children. We are in need of the remaining $5700. Please help if you can.

Please send your tax deductible donation to:

Victory World Outreach
c/0 Victory Baptist Church
7808 Beulah Church Rd.
Louisville, Kentucky 40228.
Please write "school fees" on the memo portion of the check.

The growth of a Peanut

2008-04-22T16:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of Savannah-Hope with Brother Gentry taken the day she arrived at Good Samaritan Children's Home on September 4th, 2007. She was 4 months old and weighed 4 pounds. She was our tiny little peanut.

Here are some pictures of Savannah-Hope with Brother Gentry taken last week. She is now 11 months old and just under 17 pounds. She is truly a miracle!

Today was Savannah-Hope's visa appointment at the Embassy. Crystal passed the two part interview process. All of her paper work passed review. Praise the Lord! She is now awaiting a security clearance. If all goes well, she should be issued the adoption visa tomorrow, Wednesday April 23rd. They are hoping to leave Malawi on the next available flight which is Friday April 25th. If they are able to take this flight, Crystal and Savannah-Hope will finallly reach home on Sat. April 26th (40 days total). Please continue to lift, Mrs. Miller, Crystal, Savannah-Hope and the entire Johnson Family up in prayer during these final days of their journey.

Clifford's sister died this morning

2008-04-18T14:02:00.000-07:00

Report from Crystal Johnson:

Clifford's sister, Blessings died during the night. He was really tore up over this, he thinks of her as mom as she helped raise him. He needed 15,000 kwacha ($110) to bury her so I gave it to him and now he is on his way to Zomba. Blessings only 27 years old, left three orphans, two boys and a girl. Clifford will be taking full custody of the two boys ages 12 and 5. He will take on full responsibility of raising them including putting them through school. The little girl will go to his other brother who already has 3 children. Clifford is a 22 years old single guy trying to put himself through school making 6000 kwacha a month ($43). My heart breaks for his loss and I pray that God will allow us to help him in some small way. I am trying to come up with 1200 kwacha ($11) for each boy a school uniform. Please send up prayers for his family today and for this young man who is taking on such a great responsibility. The kids names are Jones, Decision, and little girl is Famous.

Brother Gentry in Malawi

2008-04-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

Brother Gentry arrived safely in Malawi today. Praise the Lord! His suitcases arrived too!

Wellness Update: Ida (infection), Alinafe (infection), Heath (diarrhea) and Clifford's sister Blessings (TB) are still ill. Please continue to pray for them. Yesterday Henry's son, Lil' Gentry was discovered to have a problem with his hip. He spent the night in the hospital and had a surgical proceedure. Something was removed from his hip and a biopsy is being performed. Please pray for this little guy.

Savannah-Hope Update: Crystal is still in Malawi waiting to bring Savannah-Hope home. Today was the 30th day. The US Embassy in Malawi has the paperwork that they need, but they haven't opened the envelope yet. They only process documents for Americans on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They may get to it tomorrow or they may not. They refuse to give an estimated time frame. Please pray without ceasing for the visa to be issued quickly so that Crystal and Savannah-Hope may join their family in Tennessee. Crystal has four little ones at home missing her terribly.

Update

2008-04-15T13:57:00.000-07:00

Container: The container did not pass inspection and was not issued a certificate of sea-worthiness. This is an inconvenience for sure, but also a blessing as there was a good chance the container could have collapsed and all the items would have been rendered useless and people could have been injured or property could have been damaged in the process. Brother Gentry has a plan to transfer the items to a new container. This will take some extra funds and a lot of man power. Please keep the container and the behind the scenes preparations in prayer.

Wellness: Ida and Alinafe (not sure which one as there are 4 Alinafe's) have an infection. Clifford's sister Blessings has been hospitalized with TB and is very ill. Clifford is the Jorgenson's guard and has been the body guard for Crystal and Mrs. Miller during their stay. Raxon's 7 month old son Heath has diarrhea. Please keep them in prayer.

Brother Gentry: Brother Gentry is scheduled to arrive in Malawi tomorrow night. He should be in South Africa right now. He left Kentucky on Monday. Please pray that the Lord will give brother Gentry strength to endure this long trip and wisdom to deal with all that will be waiting for him in Malawi.

Two Funerals and a Prayer Request

2008-04-11T12:40:00.001-07:00

At 7:30pm yesterday (4/10), Thandie received word that her cousin died. He was in his early 70's and was walking down the road. His vision was poor and he didn't see a vehicle approaching. He was hit by the vehicle and died. His funeral will be Saturday 4/12.

Today (4/11/08) Mrs. Makocho, the 4th grade teacher at Good Samaritan died of Tuberculosis. Her funeral will be Saturday 4/12.

**Prayer Request**

Brother Gentry is trying to ship the next container before he leaves for Malawi. His departure is rapidly approaching. The obstacles are stacked tall and wide. Please pray for Brother Gentry has he fights the battle of the container. For more information on how you can help get this next container on its way click here.

Thandie Graduates

2008-04-10T08:27:00.001-07:00

Thandie graduated from her Community Development College Program on Saturday April 5th. This was a mighty accomplishment for Thandie as she carried school and the needs of the children's home for many months. She is now enrolled in another college program. She continues to amaze us.....please continue to lift her up in prayer as she has a very full plate.

This is a picture of Mrs. Miller, Thandie and Peace. I can't get over how much Peace has grown in the last few months. She was so proud of her mom. What a blessing that Crystal and Mrs. Miller could share this special day with Thandie. They were also able to meet several of Thandie's family members including her siblings and Aunt Mary.

I love pictures of babies tied to their Mama's back. I can't get enough of them. These are two of my favorites.

This is Savannah-Hope's first wrap and head piece.

ADOPTION UPDATE:

Mrs. Miller, Crystal and Savannah-Hope remain in Malawi. We are still unsure when they will return. We were hoping for Monday April 14th, but that window seems to be closing rapidly.

Crystal can not leave the country with Savannah-Hope without the adoption visa. The visa is issued at the Malawian Embassy. The Embassy is refusing to schedule the visa appointment until they receive the "hard copy" paperwork from the National Visa Center (NVC). The paperwork left the NVC office via DHL on Monday April 7th. It arrived in South Africa today (April 10th). We are hoping it will arrive to Malawi tomorrow or Monday at the latest. The visa interview appointments are only on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Sometimes they will issue the visa the same day. Other times they make you come on one of the visa pick up days which are on Mondays and Wednesdays (the latter is the more common way). I will keep you updated. Please continue to pray without ceasing for this process to move smoothly and quickly. Today was their 24th day in Malawi.

Good Samaritan Children:

As far as I know the children are all doing well. Last week Elias was hospitalized for two days with severe Malaria.

Ready for an update?

2008-04-03T12:00:00.000-07:00

I haven't spoken to Thandie is several days. The electrical panel that sends electricity to Thandie's house burned up. This had created a problem with charging her cell phone. Thandie's cell phone is Telcom which has been having trouble all week with their towers. And Thandie has spent quite a bit of time with Simion at the hospital, and is unable to have her phone on. So you add all that together and you have break in communication. I miss hearing her voice.

Here is a picture of Thandie. She looks so happy.

Many of you have been wondering how she is handling the separation of Savannah-Hope. Thandie is actually handling better than even she thought she would. She has a complete peace about the adoption. Thandie was so nervous that Savannah-hope would be afraid of Crystal or have a difficult time adjusting. But it has been quite the opposite. Savannah-Hope attached to Crystal right away and actually is now preferring Crystal over Thandie. Thandie is grateful to God for answering this prayer. God has truly placed Crystal in the role of mother in Savannah-Hope's heart. That has made the transition easier on everyone.

The Staff Babies! L-R: Savannah-Hope, Samuel (Henry's son), James Douglas (Rodney's son) and Heath (Rackson's son). Poor Heath has to wear girl clothes because we don't have any boy clothes at his size at the children's home.

Here is a picture of two of Henry's sons.

An updated picture of Ida! She looks so beautiful!

This is a picture of 3 staff boys with one child from the children's home (Lil' Junior). Far left is Nathaniel (Lloyd's son), the little one in the front is Johnathan (Lloyd's son) and standing next to him is Junior (Rackson's son).

This is Christiana (Andrew's daughter) and Heather (Rodney's daughter). Most of the staff at Good Samaritan have had boys, we cherish these two precious girls!

**Savannah-Hope Update**

Crystal is going to be delayed in Malawi. She is not able to return to The States as originally scheduled on April 6th. We are waiting for the National Visa Center in the U.S. to log in her approved immigration form. Until that is done Crystal will not be granted an adoption Visa. So she is waiting in Malawi. It is unknown how long this will take. Please be in prayer for Crystal and her family. Her husband will need to return to work next week. They home school their four young children (3 seven year olds and 1 four year old). Crystal has never been so far away or for so long. Please pray without ceasing that they will the Johnson family will be united soon in Tennessee.

Here is a picture of Savannah-Hope and Crystal visiting Savannah-Hope's home village. The uncle is holding Tamandani, Crystal is holding Sidala and Thandie is holding Savannah-Hope. The twins turn three years old sometime this week. The parents' don't know their birthday only that it was sometime the first week of April. The girls are so tiny and have are infested with intestinal and skin worms. The boy in the picture is their 10 year old brother, Jameson.

This is a picture of Heather (Rodney's son) holding Savannah-hope after church.

Prayer Requests

2008-03-28T10:09:00.000-07:00

Please accept my apologies for not updating the blog this week. There are updates in the works, please keep checking.

For now, I have a serious prayer request:

We have 6 children at Good Samaritan that are ill. Simion has pneumonia, Josofina has Malaria and four children have a serious infection (Alinafe J., Ida, John [Blessing's brother] and Rufina). Three of these children have AIDS. Please pray for wisdom for the doctors, availability of medication, transportation to and from the clinic, protection from spreading these illness among our other children and complete healing. I will post pictures in the morning. Thank you for your faithfulness to checking the blog and supporting Good Samaritan.

In adoption news:
Savannah-Hope's adoption has finalized in Malawi. The next step is to obtain the adoption visa from the U.S. Embassy in Malawi. The Visa appointment can not be scheduled and the visa can not be issued until the National Visa Center in the U.S. logs-in Crystal's approved immigration paperwork. Apparantly this could take another few weeks. We are hoping for a miracle! Please continue to pray that the paperwork gets logged-in and processed quickly. The window for Crystal to come home as scheduled on April 5th is rapidly closing. We serve a might God who holds this adoption in His hand.

Update from Crystal

2008-03-24T21:39:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been so long since my last post. Today Crystal visited Savannah-Hope's home village. Here are her thoughts on the visit:

I imagine that every American who would visit this village would walk away with some thoughts in common, such as extreme poverty. You can't miss that the children are barely dressed. The ones that have clothes, they are tattered and torn...barely hanging on their bodies. They have worms, both in their bellies making their stomachs bulge out, but also in their skin making little mountains all over their arms, legs, and head. There is dirt everywhere. The homes are one room mud huts with grass roofs and mud floors. There is no furniture, no electricity, no glass windows, and no water. The people are extremely filthy.

But then there are other thoughts that may be more individual. For me it was my kids. I couldn't help but think of Amelia, when I saw a 7 year old girl with a bucket of laundry on her head and a baby tied to her back. Or think of Izabella, when I saw a 4 year old girl selling tomatoes on the side of the road with a 2 year old the size of Maggie tied to her back. The roads are so dangerous, and she is working just to live. Only 4 years old and completely unsupervised. I thought of my boys, when I saw seven year old boys walking with machetes chopping down corn in the field. I think of my children and their decorated bedrooms, warm blankets, shoes, toys, hair bows, car seats, parents. My children have parents...two of them. They get to be educated, they don't have to work. They don't lay in bed at night shivering begging God that they may have a bite to eat tomorrow. They don't have to worry that a wild animal may get into their house, or their grass roof may cave in or catch on fire. My children have so much, but only because God has allowed us to provide that for them. This could have been us. I could have been born a Malawian woman and had to watch my children starve and beg for food. I could have been sick and sent my child with strangers to a far away land so she could live. This has been a completely life changing experience. I am not coming home the same person or the same mother. I wish that Shane and the kids could have made this trip with me. I just hope that I can find a way to portray what I have seen to my husband and children.

The Adoption was granted!!!

2008-03-20T08:50:00.000-07:00

The adoption was finalized today at 5pm (10am TN time). This adoption is truely a miracle and gift from God. Thank you for your prayers! Romans 8:28

Crystal scooping Savannah up into her arms after arriving in Malawi late Tuesday night.

Self portrait. Crystal is just beaming with joy and love for this sweet child.

Savannah-Hope in her ERGO carrier.

Pray! Pray! Pray!

2008-03-19T09:09:00.000-07:00

Please be in prayer for a new Court Hearing scheduled for Thursday March 20 at 8:30am (1:30am TN time). Please pray without ceasing.....

They made it!

2008-03-19T05:00:00.000-07:00

Crystal and Mrs. Miller arrived safely to Malawi as scheduled, Praise the Lord! Crystal's luggage made it, Mrs. Miller's did not. They are both healthy and doing well. More details to follow after Court Hearing.

The Adoption Court Hearing is scheduled for today at 2pm (8am TN time). Please be in prayer for this hearing!

Here are some updated pictures of Savannah-Hope

New Pictures!!!

2008-03-18T10:35:00.000-07:00

Late last night I received a new digital memory card in the mail from Thandie. I quickly placed the card in my camera and my heart exploded with joy from these new pictures.

On their way

2008-03-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

Please be in prayer today as Crystal Johnson and Mrs. Miller begin their journey to Malawi. They will leave today from Nashville, TN. They are expected to land in Malawi on Tuesday March 18th at 10pm (1pm PST). They will be staying at the Gentry's house. Thandie will be moving Savannah to the Gentry's in the morning before their arrival.

Please also be in prayer for the 200 lbs of luggage these ladies will be carrying with them. Among the 200 lbs are these 6 blankets for our Good Samaritan staff babies.

Special thanks to Sharon Martin at Golden Rule Travel who made the travel arrangements.

Round House Photos

2008-03-13T05:00:00.000-07:00

One side of the kitchen.

The other side of the kitchen

One of the two bedrooms. This photo was taken in the doorway.

Same bedroom, picture taken from the opposite wall.

Thanks Mrs. Carrier for sending me the photos! I was only able to stay in the Round house for a couple days and then I broke my leg and moved into Thandie's house. The round house is getting a new roof. We are hoping to put a iron sheeting roof on so it will be able to withstand the rainy season.

Please scroll down to the post below to view the **edit**. I mistakenly associated Mrs. Miller to not the "wrong" church, but just not her church. Oops! I also left out the word "no" when describing the amount of funds that have been received for the container project. Another oops! Can you tell that the "Easter Push" has started at my church? We have been on the buses every night inviting the community of San Diego to church. It is has been wonderful. Many have been saved every night and many others have signed up to visit the church on Easter Sunday. But I am a bit wore out, so I am going to use that as my excuse for my blogger mistakes :)

Brief update

2008-03-12T08:20:00.000-07:00

**Edited**3/13/08
The children and staff are doing well at Good Samaritan. The only child that is ill is Ida. She was released from the hospital over the weekend but its likely she will have to go back as she is not doing well. Please continue to pray for Ida. One of our other girls that suffers from AIDS is having a flair up of lesions on her body. Please also be in prayer for her.

Mrs. Miller from Bible Way Baptist Church in Milton, Florida will be accompanying Crystal Johnson (Savannah-Hope's mom) to Malawi. They will be staying at the Gentry's house. Crystal should finally be able to hold Savannah-Hope in her arms on March 18th! Please continue to be in prayer for the adoption journey as it isn't over yet. Specific prayer for the Court date and Embassy Appointment would be much appreciated. I will let you know the dates as soon as they are set.

Praise: One of you faithful blog readers felt led to cover the CT Scan medical bill for our Garden Boy Kwondoni. Thank you so much!

Container Update: Still no funds have been received to send our container. Keep praying!

Prayers for Ida

2008-03-07T17:30:00.000-08:00

Ida has been hospitalized. She is suffering from severe diarrhea. Please pray for Ida. I can't even begin to explain what a special child she is and how much she means to the children and the staff at Good Samaritan. Please pray for a quick and complete recovery for Ida. And a cure for AIDS.

Here is a picture of the round house on the Good Samaritan campus. It looks a bit different now because it has up graded security bars on the windows and doors. I am sure I have an updated picture somewhere but I wasn't able to find it quickly so this one will have to do for now. The reason I am posting this picture is because this is where Mrs. Miller and Crystal were going to stay with Savannah-Hope during their trip. Unfortunately the round house suffered some rain damage this week and needs a new roof. Or we need to seal up the windows and make a giant swimming pool, either way it is unlikely that they will be able to stay there. So we are reconfiguring our lodging options. I am sure we will figure something out. Please be in prayer for the funding to fix the repairs on the round house as well as wisdom in the decision making for the Crystal and Mrs. Miller's lodging. The travel dates have been secured. Mrs. Miller and Crystal will arrive in Malawi on March 18th and will leave on April 5th. So far it looks like Brother Gentry will arrive to Malawi the day they leave, but his plans are still in the works.

Slow news day

2008-03-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

There isn't much news to report, but I am going to ramble out another post for you faithful blog checkers....

I have been home-sick x 2 this week. I am so home-sick for Malawi and the children there. But I also have been home-sick from work this week with the flu/virus. Everyday one area of my body feels a bit better and then a new area gets worse...but what an opportunity to praise the Lord for my many blessings! I have paid sick leave! WooHoo! I also have a nice warm safe dry place to recover and access to top medical care if necessary. WooHoo! I have also had practice being a "listener" instead of a "talker" since my voice is gone. It was amazing timing to get Savannah-hope's immigration approval while I was at home because I would have been pretty distracted at work with the news. My plan is to go back to work tomorrow and Saturday. I am hoping my voice returns especially by Saturday because there will only be two of us on shift and I will need to speak.

Thank you to those who remembered to pray for my last box. It arrived to Thandie one day early! There were no fees, drama or delays! WooHoo!!! I was able to send Savannah-Hope some vapo-bath soap and some other comforts that sick babies in American enjoy. Also sent lots of socks and the next size up in p.j's. I am praising the Lord for his great mercy with this box....there is no way that it weighed what it said it weighed at DHL. They weighed it twice because they too knew it was much heavier than what the scale showed. But I only had to pay according to what the scale said. I know the Lord lowered the weight on the scale....WooHoo!!! This box was half the price it normally is. What a blessing! And now Thandie has it!

Please pray for Ida as she is suffering from diarrhea. My heart aches for this girl. I was able to talk to her on the phone about a week ago. She is such a blessing! It's so hard to see her suffer from one illness after another, but the thought of her leaving us one day is more than my heart can take.

Thank you for praying for our caregivers and staff members. All but one are back and feeling better. Please continue to pray for Mary as she is still not feeling well.

Please continue to pray about the container project. Brother Gentry is scheduled to leave for Malawi in 4 weeks. This container must be shipped before he leaves. No funding has come in for this project. Please pray that the Lord will provide the funding. This container will help us reach more of the World for Christ. For more information on how you can help please click here.

Approved!!!! Savannah-Hope is Coming Home!!!

2008-03-04T20:39:00.000-08:00

Savannah-Hope's immigration paperwork arrived tonight and has been approved!!! The Johnson's are overjoyed! Six months ago today (Sept 4th) Savannah left her village and started her journey home. It has been a long wait. The whole time Crystal has prayed for God's direction and confirmation that she and her family were on the right path. Today's date is "March 4th" or as we see it "march forth". Crystal is calling first thing in the morning to arrange travel dates. If you are reading this Mrs. Miller...expect a call and pull out your suitcase! Its time to go!

Mistaken Identity

2008-03-04T11:00:00.000-08:00

I originally published this post on Feb 21, 2008. I have to admit now that I guessed on who these cute baby boys were....and as it turns out I was wrong. I thought the youngest one was James Douglas and the older one was Heath because these are the two baby boys who live on campus. In reality the youngest one is Samuel, Henry's son. He doesn't live on campus, but was visiting and Thandie was able to snap a quick picture for us. So I am *bumping* this post to the top with their correct identities.

Good Samaritan Baby updates:

This is an updated picture of James Douglas. He is Rodney's son. His grandmother picked out his first name and I picked out his middle name. Douglas is "church family" name. At my church just about every pastor or leader on staff is named Doug. So this little guy has a Lighthouse Baptist Church middle name. Standing behind James Douglas is his sister Heather. She has grown so much in the past 6 months, I hardly recognized her.

Here is the first picture of Samuel to be posted on the Blog. He is the son of Henry, President of the Good Samaritan Bible College. I posted about his birth here.

And this beauty queen is Savannah-Hope. She was named by her daddy who is anxiously waiting in Tennessee for her to come home. "Hope" is Crystal's middle name. Shane and Crystal Johnson's have submitted the extra paperwork that was requested of them, to the immigration office in Memphis this week. We hope to have an answer in the next two weeks. Please continue to pray for Savannah's adoption journey.

Bikes! Bikes! Bikes!

2008-03-03T13:00:00.000-08:00

Here are the bikes being loaded off the container

Here are some of our bigger boys on the new bikes.

Here is James and his bike!

Junior found himself a bike with training wheels that holds a soccerball....what more could a boy ask for?

Here is Simion and Nathaniel sharing the toddler trike.

Please continue to pray for our next container. Without the funding to ship containers these sweet children wouldn't have bicycles. And they wouldn't have Gospel tracts to pass out in their native language. There are so many other items that we have been able to send on the container that have been a blessing not only to the children of Good Samaritan but to the country of Malawi as we continue to spread the Good News. For more information on how you can help send the next container to Malawi click here.

Sick Caregivers and Staff

2008-03-01T10:43:00.000-08:00

According to the Malawi Government, an orphanage our size should have 11 caregivers for the children with at least 9 on staff at all times. The Lord has blessed us with some wonderful caregivers "mothers" we and the children call them. We may not have the "quantity" that the government would like to see but we make up for it it in "quality". We also recognize that the Lord is running our children's home and with his power and presence he can do mighty things with small numbers. Well it is time to test our faith....our caregivers are ill. And many have left the campus to return to their villages or have been hospitalized. We need your prayers!!!! We are so blessed that the Lord has given us obedient children who love the Lord and are good stewards of the property and home that the Lord has provided. Many of the older children look our for the younger ones. Just like a family does when the mother gets sick.

Prayer requests for the Ill caregivers

Dorothy- Malaria and body pains

Esther (not the Matron) - tooth pain, body pains, diarrhea

Mary - hospitalized for heart palpitations and pneumonia

Miss Simon - Body pains, fever and malaria

Mr. Banda the tailor - malaria, body pains, fever

Kamoto the garden boy - hospitalized for SEVERE diarrhea

Annie the 4th grade teacher - hospitalized for unknown reason, weak and pale.

Aunt Barbara the kindergarten teacher is on maternity leave

Pictures from the Celtel Party

2008-03-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

Do you remember the Celtel Party? I posted about it here.
A new television!!!!!

The children were thrilled.

The children enjoyed games.....

Even baby Savannah-Hope enjoyed the party.

Sick kiddos and Tie Dying with the Carriers

2008-02-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

Dalitso has Malaria. Please pray for him

Savannah-Hope (pictured here with Peace) is a bit under the weather. She has been fighting a cough and respiratory infection for about a month and has completed two rounds of antibiotics. A couple days after she finishes the antibiotics, the infection seems to come back. She went to the doctor this morning and had a full work up. The praises are she tested negative for TB and pneumonia! But she has a double ear infection, respiratory infection and is anemic. She is taking round three of antibiotics along with ear drops, cough medicine and iron supplements. This sweet baby is not a good medicine taker, so please be in prayer for Thandie and the Nanny as they try to get her to swallow the medicine without her aspirating it into her already infected lungs. There is some concern that she may be allergic to the little yellow flowers that have exploded all over the campus at Good Samaritan. Please continue to pray for Savannah-Hope's immigration paperwork. We are hoping for a response by the end of next week. As soon as the paperwork is approved Crystal can go to Malawi to pick her up. One more prayer request....I am sending another box via DHL. Savannah needs some American sick baby items. Some of these items may not be approved for international shipping. Please pray that the shipping inspectors and customs look over these well hidden and disguised items and pass the box through without any delays, fees or drama. I sure hope this is the last box, as I am running out of organs to sell to pay for the shipping fees. The next set of items should be able to go over with Crystal.

**************************************

I posted before about the Carrier's tie dying project here and here. I am posting about this project again because these pictures from the memory card are much better quality than the pictures I posted before. These are also the first pictures I have seen of the project in process. And this project was such a highlight for the children last year...I wanted to share it again. I love to see their smiling faces! I appreciate the Carrier's so much. It was not an easy task to bring 100+ t-shirts and dye kits, especially when you are only allowed 50 pounds in your suitcase. Their sacrifice was such a blessing to these sweet children.

I am hoping Mrs. Carrier can tell us what the children are holding in their hands. It looks like little boxes of sweets.....am I right?

And last but not least.....Savannah-Hope in her tie-dye onesie.

Building Projects

2008-02-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of the Bakery House at Good Samaritan. We are still waiting for the electricity to be turned on, but otherwise it is finished. This picture was taken in October, before it was finished, but its the most updated picture we have, and I just got it....so I am sharing it now.

This is the water tower that was built to supply water to our new solar powered water heaters. Which are pictured below.

This is a new structure. For those of you who have been to Good Samaritan. This structure is located just in front of the swing sets. I believe it is going to be a car port.

This picture was taken just to the left of the last picture and is at the far left corner of the main property. If you look inside the brick structure you can see the container that was sent last fall and unsealed on September 3, 2007. I am not a hundred percent sure what the wood structure is going to be, but I can't wait to find out.

Burning the Candle at Both Ends

2008-02-27T23:00:00.000-08:00

Well, I had good intentions this week of updating the blog with new pictures from the memory card I received from Thandie...but things have been so busy. If I had a third end I think I would be burning that too! Tonight I spent a couple hours loading pictures into draft posts....so get ready here come the pictures.

Sometimes no news is good news.

2008-02-27T11:49:00.000-08:00

I received a message today from Thandie through Crystal (Savannah-Hope's mom) that all is well at Good Samaritan. No news to report today.

Please check back tomorrow. I am hoping to have a chance tonight to post some new pictures.

Heavy Rains!!!

2008-02-26T08:08:00.000-08:00

The last couple of days there have been heavy heavy rains in Malawi. We had one tree that uprooted and the bamboo that is behind the dining hall has blown all over the campus. We are thankful that so far there hasn't been any structural damage or injuries.

Thandie received her exams back today from the Human Development Class she took last semester. She earned an A and passed the class!

Savannah-Hope had a major growth spurt this week and out grew all of her pajamas overnight. We were expecting her monthly weight check to reflect this growth spurt, but were shocked to learn that she actually lost almost two pounds! The doctors believe the weight loss is a result of her respiratory infection. Her current weight is 15 pounds 8 ounces.

Online again

2008-02-22T08:20:00.000-08:00

The internet was repaired this morning at my grandmother's house, so barring any other obstacles I should be able to post updates more easily in the mornings. No pictures today though, because my portable hard drive with the pictures is at the other house.

I spoke with Thandie this morning and she didn't have any news for the blog. Everything is status quo at Good Samaritan. Which something to praise the Lord about.

Kondwani had his CT scan. He was a bit afraid of the proceedure but all went well. Thandie said that the headaches are coming from his brain being bounced around in the car accident. The doctor told Kondwani that in time he will recover and gave him some medicine. Kondwani was encouraged by the results.

Obstacles...praises and prayer requests

2008-02-20T08:28:00.001-08:00

It’s amazing the amount of obstacles that have been put before me in trying to update the blog this week. I am taking this opportunity to Praise the Lord for the things I have been taking for granted. When I was in Malawi I prayed for electricity and running water daily. Most of the homes in Malawi don’t have either. And those that do, they only work some of the time. Each time I turned on a facet and water came out I praised Him. Each time I turned on a light switch and the lights came on I praised Him. I continued this when I got back to America. But now that it has been five months, I have begun to take everything for granted again. I expect to connect to the internet when I click the “e” on the computer. I expect to reach my blogger website when I type in the address. I expect the spell check feature to actually check my spelling. I expect the pictures to load when I click the upload button. I expect Thandie to answer the phone when I dial her number for an update. There has been a whole-lotta expecting going on over here. So today I praised the Lord that He allowed me to get up and hour earlier so I could drive to my other house and use the internet as the internet is not working at my grandmother's house.

Update on the box:

Thandie went to the airport today to see if she could get the box I sent released from hostage. She was hoping to speak with an officer there that knows Brother Gentry well and understands that the Children’s Home is unable to pay fees to receive donations. Unfortunately that officer was out of town for training. Thandie spoke to just about anyone who would listen. They re-inspected the box in an effort to reevaluate the value of the contents. Finally she was able to get them to come down from 40,000K to 6,000K which I am calling a miracle! We found out that as long as the content of the box is valued at below $100 there are no fees. Thandie plans to take pictures of Blessing and his siblings receiving the items from the box. I should have a new memory card with the pictures early next month.

Praises:

1 John 3:16-17 (King James Version)
16Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
17But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

Individuals and churches have embraced Blessings and his siblings and have truly shown them the love of God. Good Samaritan has received funds to help this sweet child and his family. I can’t thank you enough for your generosity. Please continue to pray for this family and we will watch together to see what God will do.

Simion and Alinafe are improving. Simion is receiving a course of 5 injections, one a day. Today was his third injection. Each day he is improving. There are no new cases of Malaria or infection to report. Praise the Lord!!!!

Prayer Requests:

Please pray for Thandie’s grandmother. She has malaria. She is such a sweet woman. I enjoyed my time with her so much. She was so welcoming.

Please continue to pray for our garden boy Kondwani. He is having a CT Scan of his head today. The cost for this procedure is $190 US dollars. We couldn’t wait any longer for him to have this procedure so Brother Gentry sent the money by faith. Please consider helping with this cost.

Adventures in mailing....and other updates

2008-02-18T12:18:00.000-08:00

The leadership conference at my church was amazing. I am already looking forward to next year’s conference. I am hoping the Gentry’s will attend. I should be able to update more regularly this week.

Adventures in mailing…

Sending a box to Malawi really is an adventure. There are three basic ways to send a package: ground, USPS or DHL. I have tried all three ways. My favorite way is option #4….fly there yourself and deliver it in person.

Sending a package by “ground” takes about 3-6 months and the package arrives looking like it traveled on a ship across the sea for 3-6 months. I have only done this once and never again! I sent the package in March 2007 and it arrived in November 2007! Using the United States Postal Service takes 4 to 6 weeks and costs about $100 depending on how heavy your box is. DHL takes 4 business days and costs 1 kidney and 3 pints of blood. I like DHL in that it gets there quick, but not only is it expensive it is extremely stressful. I have sent three packages via DHL. The first one was delivered to a different orphanage with a similar name; the second was delivered to Savannah’s nanny, while Thandie was driving to town to pick it up at the office. That leads me to the story of the third box…..

Last week I sent some supplies for Blesssing’s and his siblings and a few things for Savannah-Hope. These were items that aren’t readily available for purchase in Malawi. The package was supposed to arrive on Valentines Day, but it got held up in customs. When you mail a package overseas, you have to write a list of everything in the box and state the value of each item. Being the honest person I am, I wrote the list and listed the value of each item. Typically the value is about half the cost of the postage, and that remained true for this box as well. Malawi doesn’t allow any used clothing items to be mailed there, so if you mail clothes you must mark new on the list, which I did. When the box arrived to customs with a value over **secret amount** and listed as ‘new’, the customs officials decided this would be a great opportunity to get their fair share by taxing the box. The box is now being held hostage at the airport with a fee of 40,000K!!! ($290)

Nice! To make matters worse, Thandie is the only one that can try to resolve the issue since her name is on the box. Savannah’s Nanny had a death in the family and had to go to the village. Thandie has to remain now at Good Samaritan with Savannah-hope as she is recovering from a respiratory infection and can’t be taken off campus. The only other staff member that could watch Savannah-Hope is Miss Ester “the Matron”, but she is busy caring for two of our orphans who are extremely ill. So the box remains at the airport. Please pray that this gets worked out and the box can be released to Thandie soon and without any fees.

..........Alinafe K. ...............................Simion.............

Please continue to pray for Alifnafe K. and Simion. Both children have extremely high fevers and were taken to the hospital today. Neither child was admitted and both tested negative for Malaria. The doctor suspects Simion of having pneumonia. Alinafe is suffering and infection but the doctor can't determine the source. Both children are on antibiotics and being cared for by the Matron, Ms. Esther.

..............Junior.............Victoria........................

Please also pray for these two children. Junior has a headache and the chills and Victoria has been having stomach pains.

Late last week Crystal recieved a letter in the mail from the Memphis, TN homeland security office. They requested more paperwork and documentation for the adoption. Crystal has everything together that they need and will be overnighting the package tomorrow. Please pray for the officer that will be reviewing their file this week. God's timing is perfect....but the wait is so hard. There is also added pressure of plain ticket prices going up in the Spring...and you never know when Madonna is going to show up in Malawi and turn everything upside down again. Please keep Savannah-Hope's adoption journey in prayer.

Qucik Update

2008-02-15T10:37:00.000-08:00

Coming soon…more updates…with pictures.

For today, here is a quick update regarding sick children at Good Samaritan.

Early Early this morning my cell phone honked…and then I saw:

Ida is suffering from diarrhea
James B. has Malaria (1 plus)
Evance J. has Malaria (1plus)

I called Thandie when I woke up. I have to say here that the phone connections for the past two weeks have been awesome. I have been able to reach Thandie on the first try and hear her clearly. That has been such a huge blessing. Today, I reached her right away but our connection had a bit of a delay and a little fuzzy. She said that Savannah is feeling better. Simion is only a little bit better. He will have to go to the hospital again if he isn’t better by tomorrow. He is still has a fever and back pain. Alinafe Ka is feeling better but not yet well enough to return to school.

More sick kiddos at Good Samaritan

2008-02-14T09:08:00.001-08:00

Alinafe Ka. has a high fever and infection in her blood.

Fales K. (Junior’s sister) has a fever and sore throat

James has a fever, head ache and body pains. Very likely that he has Malaria. He will be checked first thing in the morning.

Simion went back to the doctor today and was given a new type of medication. If he isn’t better in three days he will need to go to the hospital. He is having back pain which is pretty concerning.

Kondwani,the garden boy, went back to the government hospital today. He is so sick and desperately needs a brain scan. Unfortunately this can’t be done at the government hospital. The procedure will have to be performed at a private hospital with a fee of $198. Please keep this need in prayer.

Savannah-Hope was very crabby and not feeling herself yesterday. Thandie says she is better today and cracked a few smiles. Please continue to pray for her respiratory infection.

There was an electrical fire today at the private school where Peace and Margret attend. Nobody was hurt and there wasn’t any major structural damage. Praise the Lord! Last week at a different private school there was a fire that killed an 8 year old boy. All of the children at Peace’s school knew about that little boy, so when the fire happened at their school today many children were crying and screaming in fear. Peace was happy to see her mommy and Savannah-Hope….and she got to get out of school early.

***sorry no pictures today****

Join me in prayer

2008-02-13T09:17:00.000-08:00

Prayer Requests:

Simion has been suffering from a dangerously high fever since Tuesday Morning. He was taken to the hospital today for tests. The malaria test came back negative, but he is being treated with anti-malaria tablets as a precaution because sometimes malaria doesn’t show up on the blood test. He was given antibiotics to fight an infection of unknown origin. Please lift this little cutie up in prayer. He has a compromised immune system due to AIDS. A minor infection can be life threatening for this little guy.

Savannah-Hope has been coughing for two days. She has coughed so hard it has caused her to vomit. She was seen by the doctor today and diagnosed with a respiratory infection. By the symptoms I am guessing bronchitis. She is taking antibiotics and cough medicine. Please continue to pray for her adoption journey. Things are moving slow with the Homeland Security Office in Memphis , TN. Please pray we get the approved immigration form soon. Please pray specifically that God will touch Officer Cox’s (officer processing immigration paperwork) heart and give the Johnson’s favor in her eyes.

Many of you will remember the terrible car accident that happened in Malawi on October 31, 2007. One of the garden boys, Kondwani continues to suffer the effects of this accident. He is not well. Kondwani is suffering symptoms that would suggest a major head injury. He is in need of a head scan (CT-Scan or MRI). Unfortunately he doesn’t have the funds to pay for this test, and neither does Good Samaritan. Please pray that the Lord will provide the funds for this procedure. The cost is $190.

The updates to the blog this week will be somewhat sporadic as my church is having a leadership conference this week. I am gone from 8am to midnight each day leaving little time to post. The conference has been so amazing! I am hoping that the Gentry’s will be able to attend next year. This week the Gentry’s are in North Carolina for a Missions Conference.

Last year at this time Thandie and Peace were in San Diego . We had such a wonderful time, I am sure missing them!

Choir practice

2008-02-11T08:09:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of pictures of the girls choir.

They are wearing clothes donated during the "dress project" last summer.

**Update**

The house that was going to be rented for Blessing's and his siblings close by Good Samaritan, didn't work out. It has some major leaks in the roof that can't be repaired. So they are staying at the Children's Home until a house can be located or built for them. Please keep praying for Blessings and his sibling.

Everybody is healthy at Good Samaritan! Praise the Lord!

"Blessings House"

2008-02-08T08:59:00.000-08:00

The Past:

Here is a picture of Blessings and his brother John age 11 and sister Gertrude age 6. They are standing outside the house they rented in Bangwe. This was the first time we had met John and Gertrude. They are wearing the only outfit they owned and they went to school dressed like this because neither had a school uniform. We had already provided a new outfit for blessings which is why he is looking more put together.

This is a picture of the mosquito net they were using as a blanket along with the two small pots they were using for cooking and bathing.

Here is a picture of the inside of the house. Showing tarps covering a large hole.

The kitchen

This picture shows Gertrude receiving her new school uniform. All three children received a new warm blanket. They were so happy and thankful! These items were purchased by faith. Brother Gentry and the staff at Good Samaritan were praying that individuals and churches would come forward to help this special family during their time of need. Some donations have already been promised, but the need continues so please prayerfully consider sending this family a special blessing.

The Present:

Thandie has located a small mud brick house near Good Samaritan for Blessings and his siblings to rent. The children will be attending school at Good Samaritan. Yesterday (2/7/08) Thandie went to Blessings home village in Mulungi to have some papers signed with the child welfare department. While she was there she went to see Blessings' 4 year old nephew Yamakani ("Praise Him"). What she found was a very disturbing sight. Yamakani has Malaria 2 plus. The elderly woman in the village that was caring for him also has Malaria. Thandie took Yamakani to a clinic for treatment and then brought him back to Good Samaritan. Yamakani will now join blessings and the other children at their new rented house as soon as his Malaria is stabilized.

The Future: "Blessings House"

God has laid a special project on Brother Gentry's Heart after hearing the story of Blessings. Brother Gentry would like to build a cottage on the Good Samaritan campus called "Blessings House". This cottage will house 8-10 boys that are in an emergency situation. This project will cost approximately $10,000. Please consider being a part of this special project.

Funds for Blessings and/or "Blessings House" can be sent to:

Victory World Outreach

C/O Victory Baptist Church

7808 Beulah Church Rd

Louisville, Kentucky 40228

Please write "supplies for Blessings" or "Blessings House" on the memo portion of the check.

Empty Pigggy Banks

2008-02-06T08:45:00.000-08:00

We had an expensive month at Good Samaritan, our piggy banks our empty. With nine bouts of Malaria, heavy rains, two car accidents, need for a cow, secondary school fees, high gas costs, vehicle maintenance and the list goes on and on. Please pray without ceasing for the funds to keep Good Samaritan Children's Home running. Please pray that the Lord will financially bless those who faithfully support Good Samaritan. There are currently 97 children at Good Samaritan. Only a few are fully supported at $80 a month. Most of the children (80+) are partially supported at $25, but there are still about 10 children who aren't supported at all.

If you already support one of the children or several children we want to thank you for your faithful support. If you or your church would like to support a child please contact me through email (chrissieburness@yahoo.com) and I can let you know which children are not supported. I am working on a future post that will feature the unsupported children. Please prayerfully consider bringing a partially supported child up to full support with a monthly donation of $55 a month. Or a yearly one time donation of $660.

January was a difficult month for Good Samaritan, so difficult that we don't know how we will cover the February bills. No contribution is too small and every contribution is tax deductible. Please consider sending an extra special financial blessing to Good Samaritan.

Please send donations to:
Victory World Outreach
C/O Victory Baptist Church
7808 Beulah Church Rd
Louisville, Kentucky 40228
Please write "Good Samaritan Children's Home" on the memo portion of the check.

More updates tomorrow....please check back.

Mango picking....and begging for continued prayer.

2008-02-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

Here are two photos taken on December 15th when Thandie took some of the children to her home village to pick Mangoes. The children has such a wonderful time. Click here to read more about that day. (You'll have to scroll down past the Christmas tree).

Please continue to pray for funds to send the next container to Malawi. For more information please click here.

Please continue to pray for Savannah-Hope's U.S. Immigration form I-171H. The Johnson's are making the 4 hour trip to Memphis tomorrow to see if they can get some answers on the delay. Please pray that the paper comes today and saves them the trip! She is already dressed in her "Amercian Girl" outfit....now we just need to get that paper and bring her home!

All 9 of the children that contracted Malaria in January are fully recovered and back in school. Praise the Lord! Thanks for your prayers. New pictures coming soon! Thandie's memory card is in route and should be here soon. There are over 500 pictures on the card. WooHoo!

Update on Blessing and his siblings

2008-02-04T05:00:00.000-08:00

Thandie has written down the story of 17 year old Blessings and his siblings. Its on the way to Brother Gentry. But since I have has so many inquiries about him, I thought I would post the part of the story I know. I will post the complete story when I receive it.

Blessings has an 11 year old brother named John and a 6 year old sister named Gerturde. Their parents died in 2004 after a long illness. The children remained with their adult sister and her husband in their home village in Mulungi. In 2005 the sister and her husband died and left a 2 year old little boy (name unknown). I was originally told that this was a niece....but it is actually a nephew. After the sister and her husband died the children remained in the village alone. Blessings cared for the children himself and went to different fields begging for casual labor. He made enough money for the children to eat one small meal a day.

At some point Blessings was no longer able to get casual labor so he decided to make the trip to Bangwe by foot. After some time they arrived in Bangwe where they knew a lady that was from their home village. She was unable to take them in because she could barely meet the needs of her own children. Blessings started renting a small one room broken down hut for 400 kwatcha a month. He found a job as a security guard paying him under $10 a month. He then heard about Good Samaritan on the radio and felt God leading him there. He arrived there last week and spoke to Thandie. Unfortunately Good Samaritan was unable to take him in, but our staff has been praying with him that God will meet his needs.

On 1/30/08, Thandie visited Blessing's broken down mud hut. Thandie said that there are huge holes in the house that leave the children exposed to the elements including wild animals and thieves. The floor of the house is muddy and some areas have standing water which is extremely dangerous because of the mosquitoes. They were using shredded rags and an old mosquito net for blankets. Six year old Gertrude has one dress that is torn exposing one shoulder. She has no panties, no shoes, no socks, no shirts, no skirts, and no pajamas...just the one torn dress. Eleven year old John also has one torn outfit, no shoes. Neither child had a school uniform. Gertrude’s hair is matted down and in dread locks. She is also covered in a skin rash. They have no buckets for bathing.

It really touched Thandie's heart that when she asked Blessings to make a list of the items he needed, he asked for money to be set aside for school fees for his siblings, which is a huge worry for him. He also asked for blankets and some clothes. Thandie was so surprised that he didn't ask for bread, sugar, salt, soap, or buckets. Blessing's really felt those things weren't necessary....he needs to pay his siblings school fees and they need clothes because they are nearly naked. He didn't ask for any extras. Blessings loves the Lord and has faith the he will continue to provide for him and his siblings, but last week became so distraught, when Good Samaritan turned him away. He felt that his siblings maybe left for dead and sobbed and sobbed. He is still a child himself, has such a huge responsibility on him. He needs our help and our prayers.

The day that Thandie visited Blessing's, a lady from their home village came and took away the nephew. The woman is a grandmother who was friends of the family. She heard that Blessings had no means to care for the 4 year old and came and got him. She was not willing to help the other three. Blessing's was devastated to see his nephew leave, but felt he had no choice and no way to care for this boy. He has experienced such loss in his young life. Please continue to pray for him.

I should have pictures of Blessings, Gertrude and John in the next week or two. They came to church yesterday at Good Samaritan. Peace gave Gertrude some of her clothes. Thandie found some shirts for Blessings and John that were left over from the dress project when I was there this past summer. Thandie also stepped out by faith and purchased shoes for each child, a couple of buckets for bathing and some antiseptic wash for Gertrude's rash. Please prayerfully consider contributing funds for Blessing and his siblings.

Funds for Blessings can be sent to:

Victory World Outreach
C/O Victory Baptist Church
7808 Beulah Church Rd
Louisville, Kentucky 40228
Please write "supplies for Blessings" on the memo portion of the check.
**Please note that these funds can be made available immediately to Thandie for Blessings as long as we know that the check is on its way.

In Search of a Fat Cow

2008-02-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of a typical Malawian cow. Skinny and about to blow over. We try to purchase one cow a month ($500) so that the children can eat beef once a week. But we have been having trouble lately finding a fat cow. I talked to Thandie last night and she had good news. A fat cow has been located. I guess that is not particularly good news for the cow, but we are praising the Lord for providing us with a strong healthy cow. It is a bit more money that we have allotted for, but a much wiser purchase than this skinny cow that wouldn't feed much at all.

This is the memory card that works in Thandie's digital camera. But more importantly it is an answer to prayer! I started this blog just about a year ago. And the biggest struggle has been having new pictures to post as well as pictures of new projects and events at Good Samaritan. The Lord has blessed me with the opportunity to take two trips to Malawi in which I took lots and lots of pictures. I have also been able to get pictures from others who have visited. But my hearts desire was to find a way to get updated pictures quickly and inexpensively. While Mrs. Carrier and Mrs. Miller were in Malawi this past September, Thandie learned how to email pictures from her home computer. But then the ground phone line was stolen, and she hasn't been able to connect to the internet. And the internet fees were outrageous. My next idea was for Thandie to burn the pictures on to a CD and send them to me with visitors. We have been able to do this a couple of times, but Thandie doesn't know how to do it on her own. Recently Japhet took Thandies camera to an internet cafe and spent two whole days and gobs of my money to send me a handful of pictures. Which I am extremely grateful for, but not a solution for ongoing picture communication. Then I found out from Brother Gentry's daughter that a business man in Malawi recently began sending paperwork to Brother Gentry once a month through DHL (the fastest way to send mail). But I didn't think that I would be able to take advantage of this opportunity because it was too expensive to develop the pictures in Malawi and no one in Malawi could figure out how to put them on a cd. And then the Lord gave be a great idea! Send the memory card! It is small and cheap to send and holds over 500 pictures! WooHoo. I sent Thandie some money to purchase a new memory card so she won’t be without one. I hope to send several memory cards with Crystal when she goes to pick up Savannah-Hope. The business man is sending the memory card to Brother Gentry today. I am so excited! So if it all works out according to my plan...(which rarely happens) I should be able to get new pictures once a month and they should only be a couple of weeks old. This is such exciting news for people who like to see pictures on the blog.

Andrew's (Good Samaritan vice president and school principal) daughter Madalitso age 18 has Malaria. Josofina and Owen are both feeling better and are going to school today. Ida still is vomiting and having body pains. Please continue to pray for her.

Savannah-Hope is still waiting to come to America. The Johnson's are still waiting for their immigration form, I-171H. Please continue to pray for Savannah-Hope's adoption journey. It has been a much longer process than we were originally told, but of course she is worth every minute. We are trusting completely on God's timing.

Tomatoes! and .......more malaria.

2008-01-31T05:00:00.000-08:00

Last week I received some updated pictures from Thandie. I was so excited! Because I am me, I expected to see pictures of children, primarily Savannah-Hope and maybe pictures of the new babies (Henry's son Samuel or Rodney's son James Douglas). I am so grateful that I did receive some updated pictures of Savannah-Hope. But because Thandie is Thandie I also got some picture of vegetables! She is such a farm girl at heart.

TOMATOES!!!

At first I thought they were mangos. I know you are thinking I should know the difference between a mango and a tomato, but I don't care for either....so I didn't pay much attention at first. You may also notice that they appear green, but they are really red tomatoes. Why were they picked when they were green? Good question! I was wondering the same thing. The rains have been so heavy and devastating this year that the tomatoes had to be picked when they were "mature" but before they were "ripe". If the staff would have waited any longer the rains would have destroyed the whole crop. The tomatoes will ripen in the baskets and taste just as good as if they were picked when they were red. These tomatoes were from the seeds donated by Miss Clara and Miss Joanne. Thandie and the Good Samaritan Family sends a special thank you to these two women! Thandie loves to grow vegetables and is so proud of these tomatoes. She wanted me to be sure to let you know that this picture just shows a small portion of the tomatoes, there are many many more.

Honk! Honk! More Malaria!

Thandie has been sending me text messages on my cell phone alerting me of new cases of Malaria at Good Samaritan. My phone literally honks and then seconds later I see names of new children suffering from this painful and life threatening illness. While there are no names I want to see pop up, there are six names I dread to see. The three children suffering from AIDS (Rufina, Ida and Simion) and the three infants on campus (Savannah-Hope, Heath and James Douglas). Today one of those names popped up.....Ida. Ida just recovered from a bout of malaria on Jan 15th. Please take time today to lift Ida and also Josofina up in prayer today. Ida has malaria 1 plus and Josofina has malaria 2 plus. I am so thankful that Ida didn't contract malaria 4 plus, but with her weakened and barely functioning immune system, no malaria is good. Please ask God to heal these precious girls and reduce their pain and suffering.

....Josofina..................Ida...........

Please also take time to Praise the Lord for the following malaria related blessings:

Charles, Evance, Mary, Alinafe K. and Cathreen have fully recovered. Owen is also doing better and may be back in school tomorrow.

God has provided us with Staff that have recognized the symptoms of malaria and have acted quickly to obtain treatment for our children. Typically you only have 5 days to receive the anti-malaria medication before malaria takes your life.

God has provided us with transportation to take our children to the clinic and hospitals for lab work and treatment. Thousands die each year in Malawi because they had no way to get to a clinic or doctor to obtain the anti-malaria medication.

God has provided the anti-malaria medication for each one of our children. And each child has responded quickly and completely. Thousands die each year in Malawi because they can't afford the treatment or are turned away from the government hospitals due to shortages of anti-malaria medication. Many others are given fake or enaffective medication.

Container Time! ....and other updates

2008-01-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

It is time to send another container to Malawi. The supplies have been donated and its ready to be shipped. It needs to be shipped NOW because it has to be there when Brother Gentry arrives in April 2008. The container takes 3 to 4 months to arrive in Malawi and clear customs. But we have one problem, we need $14,000 to ship the container. This seems like a huge problem to us, but we know its not a big deal to God. He can provide a way. Please pray with us for the finances to get the container on its way. There are so many supplies on this container that are desperately needed by the children and staff at Good Samaritan. If you would like to contribute to the shipping costs please send your tax deductible donation to: Victory World Outreach, c/0 Victory Baptist Church, 7808 Beulah Church Rd. Louisville, Kentucky 40228. Please write "container costs" on the memo portion of the check.

...............OWEN.......................Cathreen................

Please continue to pray for Owen and Cathreen. They are suffering from a very serious form of Malaria.

Update on 17 year old Blessings coming soon, please check back.

UPDATE 1/30/08 9:40 am PST
Owen and Cathreen are feeling much better. It looks like Ida may be coming down with Malaria. Please pray for her. She doesn't have the immune system to fight off Malaria especially Malaria 4 plus. Please pray for God's protection for this sweet child.

Update from Thandie

2008-01-29T06:00:00.000-08:00

**** BREAKING NEWS*****11:34am PST
I just got word from Thandie that two of our orphans are very ill. Cathreen M. and Owen K. both have Malaria (4 plus). This is the most severe and fatal form of Malaria in Malawi. They have each been given an anti-malaria shot and will receive another tomorrow. Please pray for these two precious children.
*************************************
Praise the Lord I was able to reach Thandie. Here is what she had to say:

Victoria is doing great! She suffered "tissue wounds" on her cheek and arm. Neither required stitches. The Lord has brought quick healing to her. She should have no long lasting injuries or problems as a result of the accident. Praise the Lord!
Victoria is such a beautiful young girl. She wins the heart of each and every visitor. I feel a special connection to her because she is half Portuguese just like me. Can't you see the resemblance!

Do you believe that this is Savannah-Hope?!? I asked Thandie if she pumped her up with the bicycle pump. She promised that she didn't, but I have my doubts. She is so strong and sturdy...what a miracle! I just want to kiss those chubby cheeks!

She had a weight check today and weighs 17 lbs. 1oz. She gained 4 pounds in the last month! She has gained 13 pounds in 4 months! Savannah-Hope is on antibiotics for an upper respiratory infection. She has a mighty cough, but Thandie says it is improving daily.

I asked Thandie for the name of the 17 year old boy I posted about yesterday. His name is Blessings. That is all Thandie could tell me before she broke down crying and said she didn't want to talk about it. Please pray f0r Blessings and his sisters.

Thandie said the accident that took place with the coaster bus yesterday on the way to school happened before the children were picked up, so the children were not actually in the bus during the accident. Nobody was injured.

Today Good Samaritan is being treated mosquitoes and other bugs that may be lurking around. Please continue to pray for God's supernatural mosquito net to cover the children and staff. Junior has fully recovered from his bout of Malaria. Currently we have no one suffering from this potentially fatal disease. Praise the Lord!! And WooHoo!

Please check back tomorrow. I have another post in the works.

Update from Brother Gentry

2008-01-28T08:46:00.001-08:00

I haven't been able to reach Thandie the last couple of days. Brother Gentry spoke to her this morning and then gave me the following update.

On Friday there was a terrible accident at Good Samaritan. Our sweet Victoria jumped out from behind a fence and ran right into the path way of one of our vehicles. The driver was not able to stop in time and Victoria was thrown up onto the truck and broke the windshield with her head. She was taken to the hospital and so far it looks like she will be okay. Praise the Lord!

This morning there was another vehicle accident. While on the way to take our high school children to school in the Orphanage Coaster Bus a man ran right into the vehicle at a round-about. Praise the Lord that none of our children or staff were seriously injured. The coaster bus has a bent bumper.

There is a 17 year old boy from a far away village that heard about Good Samaritan on the radio. (When Celtel chose Good Samaritan for the party it was heavily advertised on the radio). The boy traveled by foot for several days and finally reached the gates of Good Samaritan on Friday. HE told Thandie that he and his two younger sisters are orphaned. They have no place to sleep, no clothes to wear and no food to eat. They have been left to starve. He cried and begged Thandie to take him and his two sisters into the children's home. Sadly she had to turn him away because we just don't have room or finances for any more children. We are struggling mightily to care for the children we already have. The boy said that he has trusted Christ has his Savior and has been born again by the blood of the Lamb. He said he has been trusting on God's promise to care for him and his sisters and really thought Good Samaritan was the answer. He grabbed on to Thandie and sobbed and sobbed. He doesn't know what to do or where to go. Thandie was able to confirm his sad story through his village. They prayed together and then he left. On Saturday he came back again crying and begging Thandie for help. She was able to give him 1000Kwatcha, but again had no choice but to turn him away. Sadly we don't even have another orphanage we can refer him to because we are the only orphanage in the area that takes older children. Please pray for this sweet boy and his sisters. I am going to try to get his name from Thandie.

Savannah-Hope has a bad cough. I am not sure what kind of cough at this point. Please pray for her. And please pray without ceasing for the I-171H immigration form to come this week. Look at that chubby face. She is such a cutie!

New Pictures!!!!!

2008-01-25T08:12:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture from last week when the children visited Celtel to thank them for the gifts.

Pictures from the New Years Party. They are opening gifts from the Carriers.

And last but not least.......our sweet Savannah-Hope

Japhet,our head caregiver for the boys at Good Samaritan spent all day finding away to get these new pictures to me. It wasn't easy or cheap...but so appreciated!!! Thank you Japhet!!!!

Medical Update....More Malaria

Alinafe K. is feeling better and back at school. Junior was diagnosed with Malaria (1 plus) today. Wonderful was taken to the hospital to have a fingernail removed. He had smashed it in a door and the fingernail turned black. I'm not sure if it got infected or it is just the Malawian protocol to remove blackened fingernails. But nonetheless it was removed and he is doing well. Please continue to pray for protection from Malaria for our children and staff. We need God's supernatural mosquito net.

More Malaria and other News

2008-01-23T22:56:00.000-08:00

Alinafe K. has Malaria. Please pray for her. I will try to post a picture of her soon. I still don't have my computer or picture CDs at my grandma's house. We just found out that the malaria medication we have been getting from the pharmacy is "not effective", which is code for "fake pills". Dr. Innocent who works closely with Good Samaritan has found a way for us to get the "real" medicine straight from the Government hospital. This is a double blessing because it's free. We have to continue to pray though for its availability. You never know when the government hospitals will have the medication or not. And you never really know what you are getting. But we feel much safer going through Dr. Innocent.

Thandie has spent the past two days at the Internet cafe trying to figure out how to send me an updated picture of Savannah-Hope. The last picture we have was taken in October. She was bald then, and now has enough hair for ponytails. I'm trying hard not to be frustrated, but its not working....I am frustrated. It is so hard for me to see Thandie waist her time and money to do something that would take me two minutes if I was there. For some reason, the 10 Malawian computer experts at the Internet cafe could not seem to attach one simple picture to one simple email. I am just about at the point of having Thandie take the pictures to the airport and find someone who is traveling to America, give them some money and ask them to mail me the pictures when they get to America. With my luck the people would show up on my doorstep to rob me! Can you tell I am having a rough week!?! Anyway, no pictures! Arg! Thandie has so much on her plate she really doesn't have time to waist with this whole picture thing....and she is frustrated cause she wants nothing more than for it to work, which makes the whole thing worse. I guess we just have to wait for the I-171H to arrive so Crystal can go to Malawi and bring Savannah-Hope home and share updated photos with us. If there is one person more anxious for an updated picture than I am, it would be Crystal. And I have to say I am getting more nervous everyday about the increased cases of Malaria at Good Samaritan. We need to get that baby home! Keep praying!

Prayer Request from Thandie:

Thandie told me tonight that it is costing $9000Kwatcha ( $65 U.S dollars) a week to transport the high school kids to and from school using the orphanage vehicle. There is no way around this cost. There is not a school closer. We can not teach the high school kids on our campus. It is too far and dangerous to walk, not to mention the heavy rains. We must have these funds in order for our children to get a high school education. Please pray about this need.

Update on Brother Gentry

2008-01-22T19:27:00.000-08:00

Our beloved Brother Gentry spent the night in the hospital (1/21/08). I spoke to him this afternoon (1/22) and he was on his way home! He said that he was given some headache medicine in Africa that negatively affected his heart rate. His doctor (in Kentucky) gave him some new headache medicine, stabilized his heart rate and sent him home. Brother Gentry says he's vertical again....no worries.

Please continue to pray for Brother Gentry. He is under a tremendous amount of stress and pressure running Good Samaritan.

Prayer Requests

2008-01-22T08:39:00.000-08:00

Prayer Needed!!!!

Mrs. Gentry has been battling a bad cold for two weeks
Brother Gentry is now coming down with the cold and has been having neck and jaw pain. Pray for wisdom for the doctors that care for Brother Gentry.
Pray that the process of installing electricity on the new property will go well. Also pray that the electricity will be installed soon for the bakery house on the Good Samaritan property.
Continue to pray for Thandie as she has so much responsibility and challenges before her daily as she runs the Good Samaritan Children's Home.
Financial support---please continue to pray that the finances will continue to be provided for all of the ministries at Good Samaritan. More to come on this topic.
Savannah-Hope's I-171H immigration paper from the US, the only thing we are still waiting on before travel.

Praises

All of the children at Good Samaritan are healthy!
Savannah-Hope had a fever on Monday, but looking fine today.
The staff are healthy as well
The vehicle garage is just about complete. The iron sheeting is now being placed on the roof.
The corn has been fertilized in the garden at Good Samaritan (Thandie is very pleased that this went so well and that the children were involved and worked so hard to care for what God has given them).

Savannah-Hope's Box

2008-01-17T21:57:00.000-08:00

DHL

The adoption wait has been gruesome at times. Of course I know that God's plan and timing is perfect, but I'm not a terrific "waiter". The wait has spanned over four months now. Which to some may not seem like a long time....but to me and the waiting parents...there are days when it seems like forever. When I feel helpless and stir-crazy, (besides praying and fasting) there is one thing I love to do....shop! I have only allowed myself to send two boxes to Savannah (I'm not counting the stuff I sent with other travelers). This past week I treated myself to a Savannah-Hope shopping spree. I sent a box of a few clothes and toys via DHL (Yikes! $$$). I was told it would be there on Wednesday...which was only 4 days! Last night I got a call from Thandie in the middle of the night that said my box was given to a stranger. I was crushed. I rolled over and when back to sleep.

This morning I tried multiple times to reach Thandie. Finally I called Brother Gentry to see if he could get through. He called back 45 minutes later and said that Thandie had the box. Praise the Lord! WooHoo! I was later able to reach Thandie and get the whole story of the box. The funny thing is that the last time I sent a box to Savannah, DHL sent it to another orphanage with a similar name. Some guy named Peter got the box, but was kind and honest enough to return it. Then this time when Thandie went to DHL to pick up the box they said it was delivered and signed for by someone at Good Samaritan. Thandie found this hard to believe as the only address on the box was a P.O.Box and she didn't recognize the name of the person who signed. Thandie told the DHL staff over and over again that they gave our box to a stranger and then all of a sudden.....she realized that she did know the name of the person who signed! It was the nanny! She used only her first initial and her married last name. Thandie was more familiar with maiden name as she has known her since childhood. Thandie didn't put it all together until after she accused DHL of giving our box to a stranger. Oops! Anyway....Savannah has her box now. And I could hear her in the back ground playing with her new toys.

Other news: Thandie said that the rains have been very very heavy. All of the children are healthy. The bakery house is not yet complete. We are still waiting for Malawi's electrical company to install the electricity for this building. It may take a while especially with the heavy rains.

Personal news: This past Saturday I quickly moved in with my grandparents to help my grandma care for my grandpa. My grandpa was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and it was time for my grandma to get a bit of extra help with his daily care. Sunday night he passed away. Although my grandpa had been ill, his rapid decline and passing took us by surprise. I am posting about this because my updates will be sparse for a bit while I get settled. I will remain at my grandparents house, but my computer with all my Malawi pics is not yet here. I am doing what I can to keep you all updated, the phone lines are an added issue....the updates will be more frequent soon.

More Malaria

2008-01-15T11:55:00.000-08:00

Ida and Mary have Malaria. Praise the Lord that Evance and Charles have fully recovered. This is a very dangerous time in Malawi, we usually see the most cases of Malaria during the month of January. Please pray for protection from Malaria for our children and staff.

Last week Celtel arrived unannounced to Good Samaritan and surprised us with 150 durable plastic cups and plates for the children. The children will be going to Celtel tomorrow to thank them.

Sorry for the infrequent updates, communication has been difficult due to the heavy rains.

Update

2008-01-11T13:16:00.000-08:00

Prayer Request: Charles and Evance

Charles was diagnosed with Malaria 3 plus today and Evance is also showing symptoms of Malaria. Both boys are very sick. Please pray for them. We have been so blessed so far during this rainy season not to have had any cases of Malaria. These are the first two cases which is miracle. Please pray that the boys respond well to the medication and are back on their feet soon.

Happy Birthday Brother Gentry

2008-01-06T07:00:00.000-08:00

It's Brother Gentry's Birthday today! Please post a comment and send him your birthday wishes.

Praise and a Remembrance

2008-01-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

The head minister of Child Welfare in Malawi gave the "go ahead" for Savannah-Hope's adoption yesterday (1/4/08). Praise the Lord! Now all we need is the United States I-171H immigration form. The form is sitting on a desk in Memphis, TN waiting for someone to approve it and send it to the Johnson's. Please pray that it gets to the top of the stack soon. What is this form and why do we need it? Good Question! This form will allow Savannah-Hope to enter the US as a citizen. It will also give us pre-approval for a travel visa which is necessary for Savannah-Hope to leave Malawi and enter the US. Once the immigration form arrives Crystal Johnson can head to Malawi to pick up Savannah-Hope!

Remembering Ivy

Ivy was a ten year old little girl who called the Good Samaritan Children's Home in Malawi Africa her home for three years. Ivy and her older sister Ida were brought to the orphanage in October 2003 from their home village of Jacket. The girls were orphaned by AIDS and both suffer from the disease as well. Ivy was full of life and brought joy to everyone who knew her. She loved to sing Christian songs and was the lead in the children's choir. Ivy was so friendly and became the favorite of all the visitors from America.

Ivy's last three months were very difficult. She suffered from many illnesses as a result of her compromised immune system. She became very anemic and was receiving blood transfusions frequently. She spent her last couple weeks at home in the orphanage. She died early Friday morning Jan 5, 2007 shortly after arriving to the hospital. Her body was buried in her home village on Saturday January 6th, 2007.

**Request** If you visited Malawi and met Ivy, I would love for you to share your "Ivy Stories" and photos. I am putting together a memory book for the children of Good Samaritan.

I had the opportunity to visit Ivy's grave on September 5, 2007, exactly 8 months after she died. This is a picture of what her grave looks like. When someone is buried in Malawi, they make a large mound of dirt on top of the grave. Over the next year the mound of dirt slowly settles into the ground. After one year, a nice grave stone is purchased. If the grave stone is purchased prior to one year, it will crack and break when the earth settles. It has now been one year, so it is time to purchase Ivy's grave stone. If Ivy touched your heart and you would like to contribute please let me know.

The house to the left is the home that Ivy's family lived in before they all died of AIDS. It was a very nice and well made house. Notice that the home has and an iron sheeting roof and glass windows, both are rare for a home in Malawi.