Day of the African Child -- Malawi

Today, June 30th, is the "Day of the African Child" in Malawi. This event promotes awareness of the appropriate treatment of children. The children of Good Samaritan performed several Christian songs.

Other News: Last two visitors from Indiana left today. The Jorgensons and I will be the next visitors, arriving August 15th.

The Gentrys made it back in Kentucky!

Yes, you are seeing snow! The Gentrys were delayed in South Africa due to snow! They were re-routed on a different airline and sent to London. Then more snow in London! More delays! They finally made it to Chicago only to find more delays due to rain! They finally landed in Louisville Kentucky just before midnight tonight (Thursday). Their luggage didn't make it, who knows where it could be. Praise the Lord we know where the Gentrys are! They are home getting much needed rest. Please pray for them as they readjust to American life.

Thandie's Vegetables

This post is a special request by Thandie. When I first received the photo CD I was excited to find about 15 videos. I later realized that most of them were videos of vegetables. I hadn't thought about video taping vegetables before since they don't do much and aren't very active. Then I heard Thandie talk about the videos and what the vegetables mean to her and the children. My heart grew more fond of the vegetable movies, since they mean so much to Thandie. If given a choice though, I probably would still choose videos of the children. So here is one video and some still shots of the vegetables all taken on May 10, 2007. Thandie wants to thank everyone who has sent seeds to Malawi. A special thanks goes out to Miss Clara who was the supplier of the seeds that grew into the vegetables you see pictured here.

The container arrives!

The container arrived in Blantyre Malawi 3 hours after Brother Gentry boarded the plane for America! The container still needs to be released by the Malawi government and placed on a truck that will deliver it to Good Samaritan. Then a crane will be used to place it on its resting place, a platform 18 inches off the ground on the Good Samaritan property. The picture above is not our actual container, but one like it. I like to picture our container getting to this phase of being lifted by the crane.

Thandie received a "ground" telephone line yesterday. That is great news as her cell phone is not always a reliable means of communication.

Coming Home

The Gentrys are heading back to America. Their plane leaves Malawi at 1pm Wednesday 6/27. That would be 7am (EST). The Gentrys will arrive in Louisville, KY Thursday afternoon. Please pray for safe travel. There are two visitors still in Malawi from the Indiana group. They will leave Malawi on Saturday.

Please sign the guestbook.

Belated Birthdays

Our first Elizabeth turned 13 on June 8th. Elizabeth wants to be a nurse when she grows up. Her cousin Roderick is the only child from Good Samaritan to be adopted internationally. He lives in Tennessee.

Our second Elizabeth turned 16 years old on June 15th. She wants to be a police woman when she grows up. Both Elizabeths are in form 1 which I believe is equivalent to 9th grade. They are two of the 13 children who attend private school off campus because secondary school in Malawi is not free. In order for our children to obtain an education beyond primary school they must attend private school. The Elizabeths enjoy singing in the choir playing netball and helping out with the chores at Good Samaritan.

Peace had her first spiritual birthday on June 23rd! One year ago she confessed to God that she was a sinner, acknowledged that their was a penalty for her sin and that Jesus paid the price on the cross. She asked Jesus to save her and to take her to Heaven when she dies!

Other news: Peace continues to be ill with bronchitis. One of the caregivers, Mary is ill with Pneumonia. She has been receiving shots daily and had to spend some time in the hospital. The container will not arrive in Malawi before the Gentry's Leave. Brother Gentry met with the container people this morning (Monday 6/25) and they are sticking with their story that the container will be delivered in 10 days. No matter how many days pass, the story is the same .....it will be there in 10 days. The container will likely arrive in mid July, and may have to stay sealed until Brother Gentry returns in September.

GUESTBOOK: I added a guestbook to the blog. It is located just under the Malawi clock on the right hand side of the screen. Please take the time to sign the guestbook. The Gentrys will have access to the blog when they return. It would be nice for them to see who has been following their journey in Malawi.

Kitchen Flood

Brother Gentry states that Mrs. Gentry is feeling about 50%. Last night when it was time to wash dishes the water supply was shut off, so the dishes were left to wait till the morning. The sink faucet however was accidentally left turned on. In the middle of the night the government turned the water supply on and the sink overflowed and flooded the house. It created a huge mess. The house was just about ready to be closed as the Gentrys leave in 2 days. Now there is much to do so the house doesn't mold. Brother Gentry is claiming Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (KJV).
Peace (Shalom) has bronchitis, she went to the hospital today and was given antibiotics.
Please pray for Mrs.Gentry she is extremely exhausted and has not been able to rest.

Hanging Curtians

It is Saturday morning in Malawi and Mrs. Gentry is feeling so much better that she on her way to Good Samaritan to hang curtains in the round house. Brother Gentry said our prayers are being answered. I am hoping she wont over do it. Brother Gentry is feeling better as well. He was already at Good Samaritan when I called. He is checking on the progress of the round house. The workers are installing a new stove/oven and tile. The Gentrys are getting the round house fixed up for visitors. I will likely stay there in August. I was hoping to post a picture of the round house, but couldn't find one. Thandie is on her way to the funeral for Blessings. Peace is also feeling a little better. This morning she woke up and her fever was gone. Praise the Lord! Peace didn't go to the funeral, she stayed home to rest. (6/23/07 12:45am PST)
Update: Saturday 5:25pm Malawi Time. I just spoke with Mrs. Gentry. She sounds great! She decided not to go to Good Samaritan after all, and stayed home to rest. Wise lady! Mrs. Gentry hadn't been taking the Malaria prevention medication because of the side effects. She said she will take them from now on. Experiencing Malaria first hand also gives you a new level of compassion and understanding for others who have and will suffer from it. Brother Gentry is also feeling a little better. Mrs. Gentry said if he could get more rest he would be just fine, he is running himself ragged. No new news on Peace, Thandie is on her way back to the Children's home from the funeral.(6/23/07 8:25am PST)

More Prayer Requests

Brother Gentry has taken ill, not sure yet what it is yet. He is nauseous and weak, could be extreme exhaustion. Peace "Shalom" has a bad cold. Her nose is congested, having trouble breathing and a fever. Henry's brother, Blessings died today. He had AIDS. His funeral is tomorrow. Henry and Blessings are Thandie's cousins. Henry is the president of the Good Samaritan Bible Colleges. Blessings worked as a garden boy for Brother Gentry and Good Samaritan.

Mrs. Gentry is ill

Please pray for Mrs. Gentry. She wasn't feeling well this morning, but thought it would pass and didn't want to worry Bro Gentry who had plans to go to the new property about 4 hours away. Mrs. Gentry progressively got worse. At around 12 noon she was able to gather the strength to call for help and Lloyd and Thandie took her to the hospital. Brother Gentry returned from the new property and was able to meet them at the hospital. The doctors said that Mrs. Gentry has every sign of Malaria, although it is not yet showing in her blood. Brother Gentry is checking her out of the hospital now and will take her home to recuperate. She is being treated for Malaria. Brother Gentry and Thandie both said that Mrs. Gentry is very sick. I will update the blog as I get word on her progress. Please pray for Mrs. Gentry's health, for strength for Bro Gentry and for water/electric at the house. Malaria is awful by itself, but to have it in a place where you have no running water is nearly unbearable. Please lift the Gentry's up in prayer. (7:30am PST)

UPDATE: The Gentry's have gone to bed. Next update expected 6/21/07 11pm(PST)

UPDATE: 6/22/07 1am(EST), the following message is from Mrs. Gentry's daughter Denise: I just spoke to my mom for 25 minutes and she is doing MUCH better! The medicine started to take effect almost immediately and she hasn't thrown up since yesterday. She said the chills have let up and she is still very weak but knows that she is on the road to recovery! She wanted you to THANK everyone for their prayers, she wouldn't be feeling this well if it was not for the Lord answering prayer. Continue to pray that she will continue to get her strength back for the trip home.

UPDATE: 6/22/07 8:30am (PST): I just spoke to Brother Gentry and he says that Mrs. Gentry is not well, but doing much better. She is responding to the medication. Praise the Lord! Mrs. Gentry said that she can feel a change. Please continue to pray for her.

6 more days!

Brother Gentry only has six days left in Malawi and about 6,000 things he would like to get done before he leaves. Please lift him up in prayer as he begins to transition off the field and back to America. Brother Genry and Mrs. Gentry leave Malawi on June 27th, arriving into Louisville, Kentucky on June 28th.

I am begging for prayer regarding the container. Our container is one of 60,000 containers in Beira, Mozambique. I spoke with the shipping company today in Chicago and they said that everything on their end has been completed. At this point, the container is just waiting to be cleared by Mozambique customs. The shipping company said that the last 3 containers they shipped to Blantyre Malawi containing vehicles took between 4 and 6 weeks to arrive once they were in Beira. Our container arrived in Biera on June 6th. So it is not looking good in terms of it arriving before Brother Gentry has to leave. Did I mention he leaves in SIX days! We need a miracle! Please pray for a miracle! It is now winter in Malawi, and it is colder than normal. Thandie says the kids are cold.....and can you guess where the blankets are? Yes! On the container! Brother Gentry will attend a meeting about the container on Friday. Please pray that it gets released!

Other news: Some of the children and staff have winter colds, but for the most part everyone is healthy. Thandie met with the Social Welfare Department today to receive the new regulations for orphanages. She was pleased to report that we are already complying with the regulations and there are very few changes. They invited Good Samaritan to participate in the Day of the African Child Event that will take place on June 30th. Our children will give sometime of performance. The funeral was held today for little Worship. There are two visitors still in Malawi from the Indiana group. They were able to go to the funeral. The rest of the Indiana group left last Saturday, but had a popcorn party for the children before they left. The children loved the popcorn!

Sad news from Malawi

This sweet angel is Worship, the daughter of the Good Samaritan kindergarten teacher, Barbara. Little Worship died yesterday (June 19th). She was 6 months old. Worship was very recently diagnosed with pneumonia and malaria. Her funeral is today (June 20th). Please pray for her family. Thandie took this picture on April 22nd. It is the only picture that exists of Worship. I have the only copy of the disc that contains the picture. I will be making some copies for Worship's mother to take with me on my trip. Can you imagine holding your baby in your arms one day, saying good-bye the next day and not even having a single picture of her. My heart breaks for this mama, but I am comforted in knowing they will be reunited one day in Heaven.

Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. (kjv)

Proverbs 25:25

As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. (kjv)

Today I called Brother Gentry in Malawi, only to find him broken down in the rain. By the way, they don't have Triple A in Malawi! God's timing is is just awesome. He knew Brother Gentry could use good news from a far country. I was able to inform him that one of his supporting churches was donating 4 solar panel water heaters for the Children's Home. This is a need Brother Gentry has been praying about for a year. The water heaters that Good Samaritan is currently using are electric. The water supply is shut of periodically throughout the day by the government. When this happens, the water drains from the water heaters and has no way to refill. The water heaters then burn up. It is dangerous and costly. The new water heaters will also help reduce the electric bill! Praise the Lord for answering this prayer at just the right time!

The supporting church also sent extra money that will be used to finish building the bakery house that houses the ovens for the Children's Home. Another answered prayer!

Village Project

The Second Project I am presenting on the blog in preparation of my trip to Malawi this summer is the Village Project.



I'm going to plead with you to stop and think for a second... Ready?

Imagine This... You have no living relatives! None! No one to take care of you.

James 1:27(a) says: Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction.

In 1996 Gardiner Gentry left America and followed a calling to Malawi, Africa to establish churches for the Malawian people. And in the process one great need kept facing them. The Children! There are more than 2 million "orphans" in Malawi! God calls them "fatherless". Good Samaritan calls 97 of them "our children".

Each of these children has a unique story of heartbreak, tragedy and loss. The Lord has allowed Good Samaritan an opportunity to give these children a “New Hope”, not only a place where they could for the first time eat daily but, have clothing, education and medical treatment. And even more importantly an opportunity for eternal life as each one is taught daily about Jesus the Savior and God’s love for them.

When I return to Malawi in August, the staff of Good Samaritan and I plan to do something very unique. Our children came from multiple villages all over Malawi, we will visit 5 of these villages. While in each village the Children will share “their story”. The story of how by circumstance they were left without physical parents, but how then God gave them a “New Family” both at Good Samaritan and also in Heaven.

Next we will then present God’s plan of salvation through the gospel.

In a land where poor in commonplace, the housing is a a mud hut with grass roof. Where people go days without food. Sometimes eating rotten food found on the side of the road. There is a great want a hunger that cannot be filled by things physical.

Finally we will deliver "Care Packages”. Each care package will contain household goods and food such as salt, sugar, soap etc. These villages are extremely poor and the people go days without food and weeks and months without supplies.

Through the Village Project we would not only meet a physical need but also a spiritual need. We will film this project to create a documentary to show Americans the hunger of the Malawian people. Yes, why they are physically hungry, they are also very hungry for the Word of God and this is that “open door”.

The Need!

In the World we live in everything takes money, while this is a burden God has laid on my heart, I cannot do these things I have said alone. Can I ask you if you would offer to send $5.00 or $10.00, could I ask you if you had it to send $100.00 or $200.00? The cost for supplying “Care Packages” to each village is about $700.00 US dollars. That is $3500.00 for all 5 villages while I know that seems like a lot imagine this…..

A child, all-alone, going days without food, eating a rotten banana peel or boiling a stick because no one is there to help him or her. Imagine a child all alone…. and then a then a man, a woman or even a child looking to them and handing them a Gospel tract or a Bible and presenting to them the Bread of Life.

I am asking you, if you would allow God to put it on your heart to Help!

Every donation is Tax-Deductible. Please send your donation to:
Lighthouse Baptist Church
C/O The Malawi Village Project/Good Samaritan
1345 Skyline Dr. Lemon Grove, CA 91945

Please make the check out to Lighthouse Baptist Church and write Malawi Village Project on the memo portion of the check.
The money needs to be collected by July 31st.

June 14th Malawi Freedom Day

On June 14, 2007, while American's celebrated Flag day, Malawians were celebrating Freedom Day. On June 14, 1993, the people of Malawi voted overwhelmingly in favor of multi-party democracy. They continue to celebrate Freedom Day each year. Not to be confused with Independence Day which is on July 6th (the day they became independent from the UK).

Other news:

A full grown Cobra was found on the new property! Job Security killed it. He said the snake was standing straight up and was as big around as a man's arm. I guess they live in a certain kind of tree that we have there on the new property. Mrs. Gentry voted to knock down the tree, but so far she has been vetoed. There have also been many snakes found next door to the Gentry's house where the Jorgensons will soon keep house. They found a small black Mamba there yesterday. Winter is setting in and the snakes are coming in closer to where the people are to seek shelter. Today Mrs. Gentry is going out to the Good Samaritan property to begin the work on the room where I will be staying. I am hoping they get rid of all unwanted critters before I get there!

Container News

Here are pictures of the children clearing the land so that crops can be planted. These pictures were taken on May 10th, 2007. They are such hard workers! I am praying I get enough money together to buy gardening gloves for them.

The pictures really have nothing to do with the container update, but what can I say....I have new pictures to share....and there are no new pictures of the container. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the container is still stuck in Mozambique! I don't have all the details, but it looks like it could take another three weeks to get it released. The Gentry's leave Malawi on June 27th. We were all hoping that the container would be released while the Gentrys were there. I was really discouraged when I heard the news about this delay, and then I remembered that it's God's container and He will bring it home to Malawi at just the right time.

Meet the Kids!

Aren't they so cute! This video makes me so homesick for Malawi. The younger children in the bottom row are staff kids, with the exception of Jennifer on the left in the red dress and Simion the little boy with the red shirt/white collar.

The children receive gifts from America

The picture CD came today! There were 379 pictures on the disc! Here are a few pictures of the children receiving gifts from America. Many supporters from America donated gifts that Thandie took back to the orphanage in her suitcases. These pictures were taken in early April 2007. I wasn't able to speak to Thandie after receiving the CD so I don't have all of the names matched with the children. If you recognize the first little boy or the little girl receiving the baby doll, please leave me a comment and I will add their names in.

Quick update

Thandie's uncle died this morning. He had been suffering from kidney failure. She is on her way now to his home village in the Zomba area. His funeral will be tomorrow.
The container didn't arrive today. Brother Gentry and Navigator have an appointment on Tuesday morning at 7am with customs. The Malawi government has a list of about 15 things on the container that they want Brother Gentry to pay taxes on. Brother Gentry was expecting to pay taxes on the truck and generator, but not the rest of the items. Please pray about this situation.

Update from Brother Gentry

I spoke to Brother Gentry this morning. He sounded so encouraged! A one year supply of beans was delivered today! Good Samaritan has now completed the dry goods purchase! They have a year supply of corn (1,200 bags), rice, ground nuts and beans! Thank you, thank you, to those of you who prayed and donated funds for this special project! Brother Gentry is now looking into purchasing bulk quantities of toilet paper and cooking oil. He received the bill of laden and is hopeful that the container will arrive in Malawi on Monday! This is great news! Praise the Lord! Please be in prayer that the Lord will provide the funding needed to purchase four solar water heaters for the Children's Home.

I also spoke to Thandie today. She was exhausted and heading to bed early. She stated that Ida (Ivy's sister) has an infected boil on her head. It has now been drained and treated. Please pray for a quick and complete recovery for her. Even a small infection can be life threatening for Ida due to her compromised immune system. Thandie did not have an update on Dorothy the caregiver that has been in the hospital. I should be receiving the photo CD from Thandie on Monday or Tuesday. New pictures! Yay!

Mulanje Mountain

The visitors from Indiana climbed Mount Mulanje today. The top picture is what the mountain looks like from land, the second picture was taken by a NASA space shuttle. You can click on the picture to enlarge it. According to NASA, Mount Mulanje is a granite inselberg in southern Malawi, Africa. At 3,000 meters (9,824 feet) high, it is one of the largest inselbergs in the world as well as the tallest peak in south-central Africa. Inselbergs are isolated stands of hard igneous rock which have been left standing isolated on level plains, formed because their rock mass resisted erosion while the plains around them did not. To see the website where I found the information click here. Could you imagine climbing this mountain in flip flops!?!

Other news: The caregiver Dorothy was scheduled to be released from the hospital this afternoon. Thandie wasn't sure what her diagnosis was, but doesn't this it was TB as that would have meant a longer hospital stay.The rest of the staff and children are healthy and doing well.

Malawi DRESS PROJECT

The DRESS PROJECT is the first of three projects I am going to present on the blog in preparation of my trip to Malawi this summer.

The pictures above show the girls' getting a new dress last summer. For many it was their first brand new dress. The girls' haven't had a new dress since. There are 50 girls at Good Samaritan. We are able to have a new dress made for each girl in Malawi for $6 a dress, a total of $300. I will take the money with me on the trip. The material and supplies will be bought in Malawi and the Good Samaritan Tailor will make the dresses.

Please prayerfully consider donating to this cause.

Any money received for the DRESS PROJECT over and above the $300 will be used to purchase material for their school uniforms. Pictures will be made available on the blog of the girls receiving their new dresses. All donations sent through Light House Baptist Church or Victory World Outreach are tax deductible.

The children at Good Samaritan regularly pray for those who sacraifice for their sake. If you would like to email me a picture of your self or your family I will take the pictures with me on the trip to show the children.

Please send donations to:

Lighthouse Baptist Church

1345 Skyline Drive

Lemon Grove, CA 91945

Please make the check out to Lighthouse Baptist Church

Please write: Malawi Dress Project on the memo portion of the check.

THANK YOU!!!!!!

Birthday Girls!

Tikale turned 13 years old today! Yes, another teenager at Good Samaritan! Tikale is in the 4th grade and likes to play netball (basketball). Tikale wants to be a nurse when she grows up.


Egrey turns 12 years old on June 6th. Egrey is in the third grade and wants to be a typist. She loves to jump rope.

Other news: Caregiver Dorothy is still in the hospital. She is being checked for Tuberculosis. Her test results aren't in yet.

It has been five months now since Ivy went home to be with the Lord. We miss her! For more information on our sweet Ivy click here.

What about Cream of Mushroom Soup?

When I went to Malawi last summer, I didn't know that I would be going back or having contact with other women missionaries who plan to live in Malawi full time. It doesn't take long when speaking with moms, wives and single women, who will be keeping house in Malawi, to get on the subject of food. What food items can I purchase in Malawi? What should I try to pack and take with me? What should I plan to live without? These conversations have led to, what about cream of mushroom soup? Most single women and mothers have at some point relied on cream of mushroom soup to prepare a cheap meal or stretch a meal to feed a couple more mouths. Mrs. Gentry was excited to tell me a couple weeks ago that just recently Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup can be purchased at the market in Malawi. That was great news! Then a couple days ago she told me they found out each can costs $6 !!! The couple cans she bought are now on the top shelf of the pantry waiting for a special occasion. Who ever thought, cream of mushroom soup would become a delicacy!

Prayer Request: On May 24th I posted about one of the caregivers of the Children's Home, Dorothy being diagnosed with Anemia. Today (6/3) she became much worse and was admitted to the hospital. Tomorrow the doctor will run tests to see what is wrong. Please pray for her.

New Visitors and other news

Today the teacher from Fort Dodge Iowa headed back to the States and 7 new visitors from Indiana arrived in Malawi. In this group of visitors, there is one man and six women. It is their first time to visit Malawi. Mrs. Gentry stated that two or three are teachers and there is a grandmother and teenage granddaughter in the group. Two of the visitors are staying a month the rest are staying a couple weeks. The pastor of the church that this group is from used to teach at Brother Gentry's school back in Louisville Kentucky.

On March 14th and April 14th I sent a package to Malawi. The box sent on March 14th had food and some other goodies for Thandie and Peace. That box still hasn't arrived. I didn't have enough money at the time to send it air mail, I think it went by donkey....no sign of it as of yet. The box sent on April 14th arrived on May 22nd. It contained some Sunday clothes for the boys and hair ribbons for the girls. Junior had been praying for a belt for quite some time, he received one in this box from a sponsor. He was so happy! Thandie waited till Sunday to distribute the clothes. She said the boys looked "smart" and took lots of pictures. I Should have the pictures very soon.

Thandie's Uncle is improving (Kidney failure - on dialysis). Her brother had a biopsy done last week on the boil or ulcer that is in his throat. The results will be in on Monday. Please keep Thandie's family in prayer. The children at Good Samaritan are all healthy and doing well.

On Wednesday May 30th a staff member at a nearby orphanage was brutally attacked. The thieves bound up the guards and attacked the woman staying in the main house. The thieves had guns and machetes and were dressed in strips of material. They beat the woman with a machete and slashed her clothes off. The woman begged them in the name of Jesus to leave her alone. The men fled. Unfortunately, they went to the next house outside of the orphanage compound and stabbed some people in that house, shot and killed someone and raped a young girl. Please pray that these men will be caught and kept from hurting anyone else. Brother Gentry is adding some security measures at Good Samaritan to prevent a situation like this happening there. Security can be difficult when you have a large compound with many different people coming and going for different projects and tasks. Often times these attacks are done by people who had access to the facility or knowledge of the layout. Please pray for the safety of the Good Samaritan staff as well as the staff of the nearby orphanage. I don't have permission to report the name of the other orphanage, but many of you might know it as many of Brother Gentry's visitors tour the orphanage while visiting Malawi.

Container Update

The container has made it to the Mozambique border. The shipping company made an error and gave Brother Gentry the wrong Bill of Lading (B/L). The B/L is a document that establishes the terms of a contract between a shipper and a transportation company. It serves as a document of title, a contract of carriage and a receipt for goods. Apparently Brother Gentry was supposed to get the "long" bill and the shipping company was supposed to keep the "short" bill. Well Brother Gentry was given the short bill by mistake. Now he can't bring the container onto land or through customs. The "long" bill is now being sent by DHL to Brother Gentry. It is supposed to take 10 days, not sure if this is 10 working days or 10 calendar days. Please pray that it comes quickly and that the container is released to Brother Gentry without further complications or delays. It will be a close call as Brother Gentry leaves soon to go back to the states. If the container is not released to Brother Gentry before he has to leave it will likely have to be stored until his return in September. There of course is a storage fee. Please pray the container gets there soon and without fees. For more info on what is on this container and why it is so important to Brother Gentry's work, click here.