With each visit, I am amazed at the on-site progress at Saidi. The Lord has been so good!
Recently, we have been working on a new office and printing room, as well as a maintenance workshop and store. Although it wasn’t possible to get these completed in the run-up to MGO 2022, we were thankful that the immediate priority of running water and a working toilet was accomplished – much to the relief of the visiting ladies, and some of the gentlemen too! We’re praying that both of these important structures will be finished soon.
Design Work
The structures we have built so far have all been quite simple and within the capabilities of our local building team, so I have done most of the design work myself. However, I am very conscious of my limitations as we proceed to build more complex structures.
On my last visit, I was introduced to a young Malawian believer who has recently established his own architectural design practice. Although we are reticent about incurring professional fees unnecessarily, we also want to avoid being “penny-wise but pound-foolish”.
After several meetings, we hesitantly appointed Jackson, not entirely certain about what we were getting in to. However, we praise the Lord that just a few weeks in, we can already see how beneficial his input is going to be.
As we have brainstormed our ideas for the use of the site, Jackson has been able to turn these into a coherent plan for how the land could be developed. Already he has identified avoidable mistakes and been able to make valuable suggestions for improvements on our ideas.
We’ve been aware all along that the work is going to take several years to complete. With Jackson’s help, we are working on a development plan and budget that will enable us to do so in manageable phases, as the Lord enables.
Personally, I think the children’s day camp was the highlight of MGO 2022. Mingling among the children thronging us from neighbouring villages, I was moved to see the vision start to materialise.
Thank you for your prayers and practical support thus far. Please continue to uphold us and the work in Malawi.