October 13th

Just a down and dirty update on the happenings in Mapanga, Malawi. We have been without water going on 6 days now so yesterday, which was a loooong hard hot day starting at 0600 for bible study and singing we moved to the next phase, breakfast. We took the lorry (see picture). It should be in a Stephen king movie, I hate that truck. Anyway we went to Dave Mowery’s house, about 30 minutes away maybe longer as I lose all track of time in that monster and 5 of us loaded 100 boxes of tracts at 40 lbs. a box. We got maybe 5 miles down the road and the beast began to make all kinds of noise along with the smell of burning rubber. We pulled over in a good spot and spent half an hour looking at the motor, you know like men do. We decided it was the tension pulley. Nothing to do but call Rackson and have him come get us. In about 40 minutes he came and we spent a few more minutes staring at the engine before heading downtown Limbe to a repair shop who has been doing the service on the kidney killer. We picked up the mechanic and headed back to the lorry with all the tools needed (ha ha). After about two hours in the sun it was noted the mechanic could not get the part off, what to do? Again Rackson came through, he said it's already broke so let’s just runner into the shop as is and see what, what and that is what we did. Rackson brought us back home and he and Wyatt went back to Njuli to finish some construction on classrooms and John and I and a few men went to the Njuli Post Office and bought some water, 4 large 60 gal containers which we filled at the borehole. WE put in in the back of his Ford covered pickup and came home hot and tired and ready for a meal, not so fast we went back to Limbe to see the manager of the Mapanga Water Board. No luck and no answers as to when we might have water. Many, many people are without so we opened our well at Njuli to the people. We have enough water for bucket baths and to fill the toilets but that is about all. As for clean cloths, that is just a memory or what dreams are made of.

Today we are told the truck is ready and we will deliver the tracts to Rackson for storage at his home and he will use the lorry to pick up much needed poles for the construction of temp living quarters for the bible conference. It looks to be another long hot and dirty day but the Lord is good and we are all doing well because we have what we need to live, it don’t get much better that that. Love and miss you all.

 Because of the Cross,

 Bro. Chuck and Sheila  

 Isaiah 6:8  Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me