Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery: Malawi Partnership

UPDATE ON MALAWI EARTHQUAKE RELIEF EFFORTS

Received January 10, 2010 from Rev. Levi Nyondo, General Secretary, Synod of Livingstonia

Dear (Jeanie) Kvach,

New year greetings from Mzuzu, Malawi. Thank you so much for yours.

1. Last week people in Karonga still had some minor shocks of earthquake.

2. We had Interdenominational prayers at Karonga Boma praying for the eqrthquake victims' problems and asking our God to be with them and us in this time of difficulties.

3. Yes, some of our partner churches have sent us as a synod some help. Presbyterian church of Ireland has sent us 10,000.00 pounds towards the earthquake victims, Myers Park sent us $3000 and Marion Medical mission (USA) sent us tents which are now being distributed by the Synod. Money can be sent direct to the Synod's special dollar account (which you know already or Judy Henderson) and the Department of development and relief for the Synod do the distribution of things and repairing of damaged houses and churches.

4. Currently we are really appealing for urgent help so that Rev. July Mushani and his parishioners can be assisted to have manse and church building. They have no where to worship and July and his family are sleeping in one tent. Kakoma church has been demolished completely!! A big sadness.

Thank you for thinking of us and our problems. your help shall be highly appreciated.

December 17, 2009

To all Pastors, Sessions, and Brothers and Sisters in Christ throughout Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery.

Malawi was hit by a severe earthquake that registered 5.8.

We received a report from Rev. Levi Nyondo and a formal request for assistance which can be found on the EOP web site: www.eokpresbytery.org. Damage has been evaluated at over one million dollars and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) has set in place a formal request for disaster assistance in the amount of one million dollars.

This disaster touches us personally because it affects the very people we met only months ago. These are the same people we ate with, sang with, prayed with, who came as strangers and left as friends. They are our partners in Christ, our Brothers and Sisters who have written and asked us for our help. Rev. July Mushani, is one of our friends whose church and home are now uninhabitable because of massive structural damage.

In light of this disaster, and since EOP is in partnership with the Synod of Livingstonia in northern Malawi, the EOP Malawi Partnership Committee has decided we have a responsibility as a partner to take action to raise funds to assist in the recovery effort in the following ways:

We ask all area pastors to notify their congregation of the Malawi Earthquake Disaster that has befallen our partners, friends, and brothers and sisters in Christ in another part of the world.
We encourage you to make the following information available to your congregation.
A special relief fund for Malawi relief has been set up through Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) web site (http://www.pcusa.org/give/online/searchAction.do).
You can also give by contacting Pamela Burdine@ PDA by phone at 1- 888- 728-7228 Ext-5839.

The PDA Project Number for Malawi is DR000158.

Here is a partial report from Rev Nyondo that you can share with your congregation:

"On Monday, 7^th December 2009 at round 7:30pm Karonga District in the northern region of Malawi was struck by a series (16) of earth quake one of which registered 5.8 on Richter scale, leaving fifteen people injured - two seriously, over 1,174 buildings have developed huge cracks while 775 have completely been raised down. As the quake continued to shake buildings on 8^th December, more lives are at stake, over 16,512 people have been affected.

This magnitude and frequency of the quake has never been experienced before hence many households spent the nights outside their houses for fear of the cracked walls falling on them. Likewise, patients at Karonga District Hospital had to be evacuated from the buildings and had to be treated outside. Classes in most schools had to be postponed as students couldn’t go inside classrooms which have developed huge cracks while the quakes are still raging on. For safety of the kids, the District Education office has ordered that schools should not be running until it is safe enough Kakoma and Kasowa Full Primary Schools have been closed down for safety reasons

Luckly enough, just like many districts in the north, serious rains have not started. Karonga at this time is very dry and very hot (30^oC). We do not know what the situation will be if the rains begin as the forecast predicts heavy down pours with high chances of flooding. A combination of flooding in this low lying area with earth quakes would be catastrophic as the buildings which have already developed cracks would easily fall apart thereby causing more damage and loss of lives and property. Emergency and evacuation plans are urgently needed. Currently, the District Assembly’s office is requesting for immediate help for families in form of buckets, cups, plates, plastic sheets/tents and other necessities such as food aid. Government has so far distributed food to over 119 out of 16,512 affected people. As it can be seen, more assistance is needed."

The Committee requests all members within Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery, to pray about this, and give with their heart, as directed by the urging of the Holy Spirit, to assist our Partners and Friends in Malawi in this time of need.

Matt 25:34-36 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

Blessings to All of You,

Jeanie Kvach

Moderator, Malawi Partnership Committee - Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery

ATTACHMENT- A

From: PCUSA- Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Situation Report Malawi Earthquake December 17, 2009

A series of earthquakes hit the Karonga district in northern Malawi between December 6 and December 12, 2009. One of the earthquakes registered 5.8 on Richter scale and completely razed many houses. More than 16,500 people have been affected and reports indicate one death and 16 people seriously injured. Many public institutions have been closed because of cracks and instability in buildings. During the same time period, the districts of Chikwawa and Thyolo in southern Malawi were hit by a cyclone and rainstorm that has damaged houses, crops and livestock.

The earthquake has damaged houses and schools, and displaced the inhabitants of 23 villages. Currently, 12,300 people are living in tents with poor sanitary facilities and no fresh water. The cyclone in the south has demolished more than 945 households. For those people that had already cultivated their fields and planted sorghum, about of 371.7 ha of land under crops (maize, sorghum) has been washed away.

PDA Response:

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) partners and local members of Action by Churches Together (ACT) members have carried out a joint assessment with the Department of Disaster and Preparedness of Malawi and other non-governmental organizations. The disaster response is coordinated by the District Assembly of the Government.

PDA’s partner Churches Action in Relief and Development (CARD) in Malawi is assisting affected families with

• Food aid

• Temporary shelter

• Sanitary materials (plastic sheeting)

• Utensils

• Clothing, blankets

Detailed assessment is currently being conducted in both, the earthquake-hit north and the Cyclone hit south of Malawi. Rapid Response funds will be provided to assist in the response. What you can do :

You can stand in the gap for disaster survivors and help the church in this response.

GIVE.

The generous sharing of your financial blessings through the One Great Hour of Sharing offering and special designated giving provides the resources needed to assist with immediate and long-term recovery needs.

Individuals may give through their local Presbyterian congregation, on the secure PC(USA) Web site, or by sending their check to:

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)

P.O. Box 643700

Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700

Please include the special designated giving account DR000158 - Malawi.

Congregations should send donations through their normal mission giving channels.

ACT.

Stay informed. Sign up to receive PDA-RIN notices to alert you of additional needs.

PRAY. Please continue in prayer for families and displaced people who have been affected by the earthquake and cyclone.

Additional information about the earthquake, including a map of the damage area can be found at www.reliefweb.int.

Fall 2009 Delegation

These are the Malawians that came to Oklahoma September 28 - October 20.

Rev. "Clifford" Mack Baloyi - head of delegation - Moderator-elect of Synod of Livingstonia (will follow Rev. Maxwell Banda when he fulfills his term). Currently head of Ekwendeni Mission Station (where College of Theology is located). FYI: his wife's name is Esnot, currently finishing our equivalent of CLP, and active in Women's Guild. I'll guess he is in his early 50's - maybe even late 40's.

Mr. "Eliezer: Andrew Waskala Kalumbi - principal of College of Education, U. of Livingstonia, located on the Livingstonia plateau. His background is with the Malawi Dept. of Education. He will love knowing ways of "doing" administration of an academic institution. FYI: has a wife who lives in Mzuzu, due to her professional position there! I'll guess early 50's.

Rev. Medson Moyowankati "July" Mushani - Evangelism and music. Currently the music leader for the Synod of Livingstonia. He has a congregation in Karonga, on the lake in northern Malawi. Has a GREAT passion for evangelism. He's in his early 60's.

Mrs. "Luso" Kacheche - passport name. Her married name is Luso Ikwanga. Luso is the administrative assistant (secretary) to the General Secretary and Moderator and offices in Mzuzu at Synod compound. She may have more children but I know of a boy less than a year and a girl now six who loves to wear dress-up clothes and plastic high heel shoes! She's young and extremely efficient in her job. She's a Sunday School teacher at St. Andrew's Church in Mzuzu and a member of the Women's Guild.

News from Malawi - February 5, 2009

Lovely Alice Kamanga

Greetings to our Brothers and Sisters in Christ!

I wish you could see the happiness on the faces of the women to know that the sewing had indeed turned into reality! Glory be to God! I enclose photos showing the women leaders who came to train at the workshop that I organised for two weeks, that is 6th - 17th October 2008. The other photo is the same women leaders with officials of the Synod.

Please pass on the photos to Presbytery and all those who may be interested to see our progress. God is doing wonders for our group. Please continue to pray for us.