We are so thankful for the safe and speedy arrival of a pallet of security equipment we airfreighted out just after Easter.
Pray with us as we endeavour to get this installed as quickly as possible.
Please remember Anna’s mom, Heidi Vallance, who will be travelling to Malawi this week. It’s a very long journey and she will appreciate our prayers for safe and trouble-free travel.
It’s almost exactly one month since the robbery and assault. As well as remembering Heidi as she travels, please continue to pray:
I love Malawi. I’ll take every opportunity to visit Malawi. But I hope I never have to visit again in the circumstances that made this present trip necessary.
As regular readers know, sister Anna recently suffered a very traumatic burglary and assault at her home. The trustees agreed unanimously that Gail and I should travel to Malawi at the earliest opportunity to support her through this crisis. We also felt it appropriate to review and improve the security of our people and property in Malawi in light of what had happened.
Please continue to pray for resolution of our vehicle-related issues.
We are very thankful that the Land Cruiser has not given any serious trouble on this trip. However, there have been some electrical issues which need sorted.
More importantly, we still need to complete legal formalities following our purchase of the vehicle, almost 3 years ago. Harold has been trying to liaise with “S”, the mechanic we bought the car from, but so far has not managed to complete the transaction.
“S” is the same mechanic who has been dragging his heels regarding the repair of Stephen’s Isuzu pickup. It has been off the road for a similar length of time.
Harold has an arrangement to meet “S” on Monday morning – please pray that he will keep his word.
Please pray for Harold, Egly & their family who have just suffered an attempted burglary at the new home Harold is constructing.
Although the thieves did not manage to enter the house, they did damage a window frame in the process. Harold has not yet managed to install electricity so it remains vulnerable to thieves during the hours of darkness.
It’s ironic that this has happened while Stephen is in Malawi to, among other things, review security of SALT’s people and property there.
Deteriorating economic conditions have caused an upsurge in theft recently. This further incident highlights the need for us constantly to keep the safety and security of the work and workers in our prayers.
The first group of ladies in the 6-month skills training program at Dzaleka Refugee Camp will graduate on 30 April, Lord willing.
We established the program to help foster mothers and vulnerable women at Dzaleka learn sewing, embroidery and knitting skills. As a result, we hope that the women will manage to provide for themselves and their families. Extreme poverty means that many women in the camp resort to prostitution to survive.
Please pray for Stephen & Gail Harper who are nearing the end of their unscheduled 2-week trip to Malawi. The purpose of their visit was to give support to Anna following her recent trauma and to review security at the site at Saidi.
Pray:
After a night each in Blantyre and Zomba, they spent the weekend at the home of German friends in Lilongwe, where Anna has been for the past week and a half. Together with Anna, they moved on yesterday to Cape Maclear on the shores of Lake Malawi.
Cape Maclear is famous as the location of the earliest missionary settlement in Malawi, but also as a very peaceful tourist location. They are staying at a very tranquil lakeshore lodge run by a wonderful Christian couple from South Africa, who insisted that they come and stay as their house guests.
Please pray particularly that this time together will be conducive to Anna’s ongoing recovery from her recent traumatic ordeal.
A pallet of CCTV security equipment is due to leave NI this week en route to Malawi. Unfortunately a short delay means that it has missed the deadline to make this week’s airfreight consignment and won’t now go until the end of the month. Please pray for its safe arrival.
Stephen and Gail will drive to Dublin on Monday evening for a Tuesday morning flight to Stockholm, en route to Malawi. It’s a long, 27 hour journey with 4 flights, so please pray for them as they go.
Pray that the short visit will be a blessing – Stephen hopes to attend to several matters pending after his recent visit with Jim, and Gail hopes she will be able to give some encouragement and support to Anna.
