Initial update
It is with grateful 63-year-old hearts that we give thanks for:
+ The amazing opportunity given to us by God and by the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Synod of Nkhoma in Lilongwe, Malawi, to volunteer our respective services in 2023—Deb in nursing and Chuck in teaching and preaching…
+ God’s guidance and mercifulness throughout our 33 years of pastoral ministry; and for all the church members, young and older-than-young, who demonstrated such patience and openness to new things and who helped grow the health and strength of the churches’ lives, ministries and mission…
+ All the adventurous (no one got hurt!) mission trips for youth and adults from NYC to San Francisco, Appalachia in Tennessee to Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in S. Dakota, and from Mexico to Canada…
+ The youth ministries we were a part of as kids and teens that opened the door to our own journeys of faith—in Quakertown, PA, for Deb, and Glenside, PA, for Chuck…
+ God’s humbling, healing, sacrificial, all-forgiving, faith-inspiring grace…
+ Meeting and marrying, growing in love and as a family with our two precious, caring, intelligent, creative (now adult) children—our memory banks are rich beyond measure with our times, adventures and learning over the years…
+ God’s completely extravagant gifts of life from God’s beyond-the-imagination Creation, including the smallest Quarks particles, all of planet Earth’s nature, and the largest Hercules-Corona Borealis Wall galaxy (10 billion light-years in length verses the 53,000 light years of our fantastical Milky Way)…
+ Liz and Stephen Heinzel-Nelson, co-founders of Villages in Partnership (VIP), who live in Allentown, NJ. Liz is VIP’s International Director, USA, and Stephen is the Pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Allentown. VIP is a development organization that works in 26 rural villages in southern Malawi, impacting over 21,000 lives. This couple graciously shared with us some of their 10-years of experience in service to and deep care and respect for the people of Malawi. And stunningly, the Allentown Presbyterian Church actually donated $2500 to our upcoming service in Malawi!
+ Michael Gewecke, Founder of Smart Church Project, a company that helps “mission-driven organizations leverage technology to improve their impact.” In other words, Michael created our website (it’s all I can do to boot up our computer); Michael also serves as an ordained teaching elder at the Presbyterian Church in Spirit Lake, IA.
+ First Presbyterian Church of Stroudsburg who has graciously agreed to receive and forward to us the donations for our year of service in Malawi.
+ And we are grateful for your support of thoughtfulness, prayer, giving and whatever ways you may spread the word and this website about our year of service in Malawi with your family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, church.