Little Dresses on NBC News

          Little Dresses for Africa is planning to send a shipment of dresses and shoes to Malawi. The Malawi Project is assisting in this effort. NBC Nightly News will carry a story about Little Dresses on Tuesday December 20. Tune in. Part of the report was filmed recently in Malawi.

The Right of Way?

We are on land safari in the Liwonde National Park in the southeastern part of Malawi, Central Africa.

Coming around a curve we come face to face with a very large elephant walking directly toward us. He is hogging the road, and it appears he has no intention of changing his course. For a moment I wonder who has the right of way in a case like this. But only for a moment. In what seems like an instant the driver answers my unasked question, and immediately draws a conclusion. He stops the Land Rover, and with the speed of light has us in reverse and moving rapidly backward, and away from the elephant. There seems little question as to whether we, or the elephant, has the right of way.

The Race is On

          The boat is moving along the shoreline of the Shire River in the Liwonde National Park in southeastern Malawi.

               Unnoticed by those on the boat is the bird coming up rapidly behind them. It appears to be a race to the finish.

Integrity and Excitement

1. The most beautiful attire is a smile.

2. The most prized possession is integrity.

3. The most contagious spirit is enthusiasm.

                                                                                Unknown Author

          My dad once said that in the final analysis all you have to offer others is your trustworthiness and integrity. The older I get the more I know he was on to something. If you can't trust me, we have little in common. If I can't trust you there is little I can intrust to you.

           My wife has taught me the full meaning of enthusiasm. It is her unstoppable spirit of excitement that has carried us through, and over many an barrier. Almost all of our successes in the past 26 years have come as a result of her unstoppable spirit.

          And a smile, well a smile, has opened more doors than guns. There is no doubt a smile is the beginning of most great accomplishments. It is surprising we don't use them more often.

Becoming a Citizen

          The judge welcomed the 75 people sitting in the Federal Courtroom directly in front of him with these words, “This is a good day. Today everyone in the courtroom will be happy with the decisions. That does not happen very often.” He was able to draw this conclusion because the people gathered in the front of the courtroom in Indianapolis, Indiana were about to become American citizens. The smiles on their faces reflected their excitement, and their approval of the judge’s words.

          Each person’s name was called, and each of them gave the name of their country of origin. They were from all over the world, and it was easy to speculate why most of them had come. America, the land of opportunity and prosperity, was a door through which so many of the world’s poor and downtrodden wished to enter. These 75 were at the threshold. A lot of time. A lot of study. A lot of work. But they had made it, and in a time when so many are entering America through the back door, it was exceptionally pleasant to see these people, who had worked hard to make it, coming in through the front door, legally, properly, lawfully.

          They placed their hands over their hearts, and recited the pledge of allegiance. Somehow it sounded different when spoken through so many different accents, and with such enthusiasm and excitement. It was new, and for the first time, they were saying it as American citizens. It had been a long time since I had heard it with such commitment and focus.

It is Official

His American name is now Benedict Adams, and today he is one day old as an American. The pictures that capture the moment he stepped out of the federal building in Indianapolis, and posed for pictures are reflective of his excitement and pride. His smile as he repeats, “I am an American”, makes me proud to be one, and reminds me of what so many of us take for granted. We shouldn’t be so presumous. Benedict’s excitement will serve as a reminder for some time as to the value of being able to say, “I am an American.”

Hospital Groundbreaking

A number of pictures have now been posted showing the ground breaking ceremony for the new hospital to be constructed north of the Dedza Trading Center, in central Malawi. These pictures can be seen at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/malawiproject

"Right Girl", "Wrong Village"

Chitakula Village, Malawi… It was 2002, and Malawi was suffering famine in a way this generation of young people had never seen. We stopped our work on the construction of a major hospital project, and turned to food distribution. On this particular day we went to deliver food at the height of the famine. Everywhere we went people were starving. Malawi had not seen this kind of suffering in 50 years.

Somewhere along the way we got separated from the 10-ton truck carrying the food we were going to distribute. Our small pick up truck filled with the distribution team, actually traveled down the wrong road to another location. At the time we were unaware we were on the wrong road to the wrong place. While the big truck went to the main village where the chief resided, we ended up in one of the 300 smaller villages under his jurisdiction. We had only a small portion of the ration we intended to deliver, and in short order we were out of food and heading back to the compound to find out what had happened to the big truck. In the camera were scenes from this, “wrong village.”

That night I downloaded the day’s pictures, and there was the little girl. Although that year I saw thousands of other children, this little girl and her picture stayed with me. It sank deep into my heart. Before leaving Malawi that year I commissioned a Malawi painter to capture her on canvas. He did a masterful job. Little did I know how helpful this little girl, and the image of her sitting in the dust with a near empty bowl, would be to me in subsequent years when the work would grow heavy, and discouragement would often appeal for us to give up and end our effort.

We have not given up and the little girl in the blue dress has had a lot to do with it. After all, she is so helpless, and she represents all that is good about the work we are doing. I often wonder where that little girl is today. I will never know, but one thing I know for sure. Everywhere I go she goes with me in my heart. To me she will always be “the right girl, in the wrong village.” We had gone to the wrong place, but this little girl gave me the “right picture.” She is the heart of Malawi, and its future.

Finding the Cave Drawings

          For a number of years we heard and read about the little people of Africa. Some called them the sand people, others the pygmies, and still others simply the little ones. We were told some settled in the land that is now called Malawi. After hearing there was evidence of their existence in the caves near Dedza Mountain we determined to see for ourselves. Suzi and I, along with our son Jason, made the trip to Dedza and stopped at a remote school. We asked the teacher if he could help us find the little people, or at least evidence they had lived in this area. He dismissed school for the day, and along with two of his students, we started up the mountain. There were no markings and we thought that strange, if in fact, such a historic find was nearby. We didn't question him. We just kept on climbing. Finally, we made our way around a sharp cleft of rock and stepped into an unmarked cave. What we found will surprise you. We have posted the story on the Malawi Travel blog, along with the pictures. 

See it for yourself: http://malawi-travel.blogspot.com/

Lessons on Raising Girls

I am the first to admit I know little about raising girls. In fact, what little I did know went out the window when I tried to put it into practice, and I realized I actually knew much less than I had known before I learned that I didn’t know very much. But I have learned a very important lesson about raising girls, from careful observation of our front sidewalk. I’ll share it with you, and perhaps it will help you save a few bucks when it comes to pouring sidewalks and raising girls. Here is how the story goes, and the lesson traveling along right behind it.

A number of years ago Suzi and I made our yearly trip to the central African nation of Malawi to continue our ministry with the Malawi Project. (Take a look at the site at www.malawiproject.org) We were scheduled to be gone for about three months, and two of our good friends, John and Di, decided they would break up our old sidewalk and, with the help of some of our friends from church, surprise us with a brand new, winding, sidewalk along the front of our house. They would also redo the flowerbeds, and replace them with new, beautiful, perennials that would require little maintenance. Don’t you wish you had friends like that?

Designed by our friends

Over the course of several very hot weekends the group worked and worked to complete the job before our return. They succeeded, and we were so surprised when we reached a home that did not even look like our home. It was a page from a landscaping magazine.

Now what does this have to do with raising daughters? Well, you see, over the next months I watched proudly as our visitors came up the weaving walkway, and arrived at our front door. I would open the door and inquire as to how they liked the new walk and the flowerbeds. Everyone agreed that it was a spectacular work of art and a walk that almost anyone would like to own for themselves. Even the neighbors who often walked by in the evening commented on the new appearance. Everyone was impressed and wanted to walk on this new walk. Well, at least everyone except one. That one was one of our daughters (you know which one you are). She would never use the walk. She would cut through the yard and up to the house. Snow, ice, rain, fresh grass clippings, and all. Out of the car, through the yard and up to the door, never using the finely curved walkway. Never knowing the joy of making her way up the concrete, winding way beside the perennial flowers. Never knowing the pleasure of experiencing what all of those people had suffered through heat, mosquitoes, sun, and dirt to create. Just out of the car, through the grass, and up to the house.

Now you may think I encouraged her to use the walk. No way, I have learned my lesson on trying to “encourage” girls to see and do it my way. I get quieter all the time when it comes to disagreements with the women in my household. A few days ago I resolved the situation once and for all relative to the concrete walkway and a daughter who comes up through the yard, missing the walkway. I completed a new series of stone steps just for her. They will be her own special walkway. I have watched for some time and I think I have a stone step right where she puts each foot down on her way to the front door. I think I’ll make a little sign and put it out by the drive announcing this walk is just for her. The next time she comes to visit I can proudly direct her to the new walkway that has been created just for her. Now that is the way to deal with girls, don’t you think? When you and they don’t see eye to eye on how to walk up to the house, you just make them their own sidewalk!

Little Girl Dresses

It doesn’t look like such a large number until you think of 45,000 little girls standing in front of you.

It doesn’t seem such a large figure until you imagine 45,000 dresses being packaged to ship to Malawi.

That’s the plan Suzi was discussing with Rachel O’Neal, the founder of Little Dresses for Africa, sending the first shipment of 45,000 dresses to Malawi. Rachel formed Little Dresses, and has been sending dresses to Malawi in the luggage of others. That was before her story hit the NBC nightly news with Brain Williams, and the dresses reaching her Michigan home has increased into vast numbers.

Upon learning what Rachel is doing we made a trip to Michigan to discuss ways the Malawi Project and Little Dresses for Africa could work together. The meeting came at the perfect moment.

Rachel excitedly told us that dresses are coming into her Michigan home at a breathtaking rate. We saw a great opportunity to work together. Plans are now underway to work out details, and put together the plan for a first shipment of dresses to Malawi. It is estimated this shipment can hold as many as 45,000 dresses. You can view Rachel’s blog site at: http://www.littledressesforafrica.org/blog/

It's Just A Pencil

Dowa District, Malawi ... Without thinking I reached in my pocket and pulled out a pen to write a note. I don't know about you but I have pens everywhere, pencils too. Three or four on my desk. One in each of three or four shirts. Several in my desk. Suzi has more of them than I do. We are awash in pens. Paper, too. It's the same. Pads of all sizes. Paper in a number of drawers.

From time to time when I look at all of the pens I have I must express a note of appreciation in prayer for all of the pens, pencils and paper. It's not that way in Malawi. Few people in the villages have pens, pencils or paper. Even in the cities the residents of this poor nation will look at you longingly when you take out a nice shiny pen to write a note. They might have one ... if they are lucky. The kids in the schools often have none. That's right. Not one pen, pencil or paper with which to write their class notes.

While you are thinking of it why don't you take a minute and go around the house and gather up about half of those pens, pencils and pads of paper and send them to me. I'll get them over to Africa where they will be like a treasure to a child in school. It won't cost you much. After all, it's just a pencil.

Send them to: Malawi Project, 3314 Van Tassel Drive, Indianapolis, IN 46240

A Bad Hippo Day

          When one comes across the giant hippo that lounge in and along the Shire River in south eastern Malawi caution is the watch word. After all, this is one of the most dangerous animals in all of Africa, and one to be feared by man and beast alike. But this day we came across a hippo that seemed to have lost his last battle with some unseen foe. One can only imagine who was big enough to do damage to this river monster. It is just another reminder of the danger that can lurk in this part of the world.

Remember the Bucket

          I remember the time the women were bringing us water in buckets on their heads. It was in the early years and we were living in a little brick house in Mponela, Malawi with no running water and no electricity. The only way we could get water was for someone to bring it to us from the river in buckets. You can believe we didn't bath very much when we saw a woman walk over a mile to bring us water. One day Suzi decided she would try to put the bucket on her head. It was full, and she struggled to pick it up. She could not pick it up, let alone get it up and on top of her head. It is hard to imagine how those poor women can carry heavy loads on their heads all the time, day in and day out.

          

              I am reminded of those heavy buckets as I think about the new Maize Mill that will soon be going up in the MIBI site north of the Dedza Trading Center. Funds are coming in, and when we top the $10,000.00 mark in contributions we will have enough to complete the mill. Construction can begin later this year, and before the rains reach Malawi in October a Mill should be completed that will help hundreds of women to not have to walk 15 - 20 miles to have the maize meal ground for their families. I remember and so does Suzi. When those buckets are full, they are really heavy.

Realizing Full Potential

          One of the greatest losses to humanity must certainly be in fact that Christians are unable to fully grasp the fact that God will use them to do impossible things. For this reason the good that could be done shrinks down to a small percent of what it could be.

New Projects

           We have a number of new and exciting projects in the works for Malawi this year. Over the next few weeks we will begin to describe some of them in more detail. Keep watching.

Dick