CAMM: School Newsletters

Children's Letters for Schools

May 2012

Hello from Malawi,

For you, the month of May means an end to the school year and looking forward to warm weather months of summer. In Malawi, May means the end of rainy season, a time for harvesting, and the cool months of winter ahead. What? You didn’t think we had winter in Africa? Well, we don’t have snow, but the temperature does drop into the 40’s during the night during the coldest month of July.

It has been an interesting past month for the country. On April 5^th, the Malawi President, Bingu Mutharika (Moo-ta-ree-ka), died of a heart attack. Many people were stunned and didn’t know would happen next. This was the first time that a President had died while in office. The Constitution of Malawi says that the Vice President should take office next. However, the President’s brother decided that he wanted to be President instead. We were worried that riots would start over this issue. We are thanking God that everything remained peaceful here. In the end, all of the government officials decided the constitution should be followed, and the army and the police stopped the President’s brother from taking over the presidency. Our new President is Joyce Banda. She is the first female president in Malawi and the second female president in all of Africa.

Everything has been going well at the clinic. Since the rains have stopped, the roads are dry and we can travel without worrying about getting stuck in the mud. We have been a little busier these past few months because a new vaccine has arrived in Malawi. This vaccine is to prevent babies from getting pneumonia. We have had hundreds of mothers bringing their babies to get the new vaccine.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support through offerings! And thank you to the schools that sent us an Easter card. We even received an Easter email card from Shepherd Lutheran School in Albuquerque, New Mexico!

Happy end of the school year and blessings on the summer break ahead.

Together in Christ,

Melissa

Nurse at Lutheran Mobile Clinic

Lilongwe, Malawi

April 2012

Hi friends,

It is the start of a new month and our clinics are very busy. It is the end of the rainy season here in Malawi. It is a very pretty time in Malawi as there are new plants blooming. The acacia trees are blossoming with bright yellow flowers. Did you know that poinsettia trees grow here? Yes, those bright red flowers most of you see at Christmas grow here on trees. The blossoms are really beautiful. This is also the time of year when the maize fields are ready to be harvested. This time of year makes people happy because there is plenty of food to eat – and it is very tasty. Vegetables are ripening daily in the gardens and fresh fruit such as lemons, oranges, and avocados are ripening on the trees.

When you are hungry, you probably walk to the refrigerator or cupboard and get an apple or snack. Most children in the states do not know what it is like to go to bed really hungry. Sometimes you did not like what Mom made for dinner. Sometimes you may do a lot of exercise and use up the calories you ate earlier. Unfortunately, children here go to bed hungry because their parents do not have enough food to feed everyone in their family. So, this is a time to celebrate in Malawi because everybody has enough to eat. No one has to go to bed hungry.

April is also very special for another reason. We celebrate Easter. As we remember how our Savior Jesus died on the cross for our sins, we can rejoice on Easter as he rose again from the dead so that we can go to heaven to be with him. This is great news for everyone, whether we live in Africa or the United States of America or anywhere else in the world.

Easter is celebrated a little differently in Malawi. We do not color Easter eggs or get a basket full of candy. We go to church on Easter Sunday just like you. The Lutheran churches in our area gather for one big Easter service. There are many choirs at the church, and they all take turns singing. The congregation sings a lot of Easter hymns too. The service can last up to 4 hours long, but it does not seem that long as there is such rejoicing at the wonderful news that Christ is risen!

All of us at Lutheran Mobile Clinic thank you for your continued prayers and support.

We wish each of you a very Blessed Easter!

Melissa Schuetze and Kari Belter

January 2012

Dear Friends in Christ,

Did you enjoy your holiday break? We hope that you enjoyed spending time with your family and friends celebrating the birth of our Lord.

In Malawi, Christmas is during the rainy season. We have two seasons here – wet and dry. November to April is our rainy season when we have many thunderstorms and it rains almost every day. Unfortunately, the dirt roads are very muddy and we have a difficult time trying to drive on them. Sometimes, our ambulance even slips off the road and gets stuck in the mud. The Lord watches over us and there is always help to get us back on the road. But … it is probably a very funny sight to see all the dirt flying behind the ambulance and all the people trying to push us on our way.

The rains also bring mosquitoes. Did you know that some mosquitoes carry a disease called malaria? Malaria is a serious disease here in Malawi. Many children get sick. If they come to see us at the clinic, we can help them get better. You are very fortunate that the mosquitoes in the United States and Canada do not cause malaria – only itchy bumps. In 2009, only 25% of children under 5 in all of Malawi came to clinics to get anti-malaria medication (UNICEF data). When you are sick, your mom or dad probably takes you right away to the doctor. Sometimes children in Malawi need to walk a long way to get to a doctor or nurse. Sometimes other children in the family need attention too so a sick child may not get to the clinic as quickly as they should. If they wait too long, the medicine will not make them well again. That is one reason why it is so important for the Lutheran Mobile Clinic to bring the medicines and staff out to the villages. We provide four villages with the help they need since the people cannot travel to the capitol city of Lilongwe for care; it is too far to walk.

It has been difficult keeping our pharmacy stocked with the necessary medications. There is a shortage of medicine and what we can get is very expensive. We are having the same problem with fuel for our ambulance. People are waiting in long lines to get fuel. We have been blessed that our ambulance driver has been able to get fuel when he waits in line. The Lord does provide for all our needs and we should never doubt him. How thankful we can be for his assurance that he will never leave us.

We start this year grateful for our countless blessings – for each of you. Your prayers encourage us in our daily work for the Lord. “This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God.” 2 Corinthians 9:12

Blessings from Malawi,
Kari Belter and Melissa Schuetze