Thanksgiving Day at Mambo School

We just had the MOST AMAZING Thanksgiving Day of our lives! It began with a ten kilometer drive up to pick up two local pastors at their homes near Songani Market, and then a forty minute drive down bumpy dirt roads and paths to the amazing story of the Mambo Primary School.

It seems this group of nearly 300 First through Fourth Graders were having to walk nearly fifteen kilometers each way to a distant ill-equipped government school, often with empty bellies. Their parents, and a group of volunteer teachers and administrators built this four building school complex out of bamboo and straw.

 As we went from class to class, we were greeted warmly, and very respectfully by both students and teachers. The students were cleaner, and better dressed than what we've seen at other schools. They also appeared to be much more enthusiastic to learn as they sat in compacted rows on neatly swept dirt floors. The largest group, in one of the lower grade classes, had 145 students.

We learned of the school several days ago, and their simple need of some plastic sheeting to keep the rains from coming in the roof, so that school could go uninterrupted on rainy days. After an hour long meeting with two chiefs, the school board, the volunteer headmaster and teachers, which included lots of friendly greeting, prayer, handshakes, singing and dancing, Phyllis and I were able to present to them three 100 meter rolls of plastic for the roofs. There were twelve members of a local league soccer team there volunteering to put the plastic on.

The head chief, whose official title is Traditional Authority, invited us to begin a church right there; I had already spied out the very large shade tree we had parked under for our first Sunday meeting. Since our arrival we've been discussing with these pastors several Bible school graduate candidates to begin pastoring new churches as soon as we can get them some support, Bibles and song books. This one is ready to launch almost immediately.

 After a visit to another school where we had repaired the well fifteen months ago, we journeyed back to drop the pastors off,and went back to Zomba for what may become our Thanksgiving tradition at Tasty Bites, one of the very few restaurants in town. We each had a half chicken and fries, a couple Cokes and an ice cream bar. We then returned home to our eleventh blackout since last Saturday, our computer battery completely dead, showers and bed by candlelight. That is why I am up writing this in the middle of the night.

 God bless you all richly!!!!! We all have so much for which to be thankful!