A letter from Jodi McGill serving in Malawi
october 2014 - Teaching sanitation is ministry
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The enrollment statistics of a primary school recently assisted by a PCUSA congregation with water and desks. Very telling in both the overwhelming task of being one teacher with so many pupils as well the number of children not completing their primary school education.
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One of the upper level primary grade classrooms that will be getting desks. The school decided the desks are to be used for the higher grade classrooms due to both the lower density of student population and the greater amount of written work required by the upper grade level students.
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The broken borehole pump at the school
“Nine weeks before Christmas!” shouted our 10-year-old sons, John and Joseph, this week at breakfast. When we asked why that was so exciting, the answer was of course, they get gifts! Living here does shelter us from some of the advertising used in the U.S.A. to promulgate the commercialism of the Christmas season. However, the new Western-style grocery store that opened in town this year began putting up Christmas decorations in mid-October, and we have obviously enculturated our kids with a bit of the material aspects of the holiday.
The older kids interjected that presents were not the real reason for Christmas and chided their younger siblings for being so materialistic—but honestly we all look forward to making, giving, and getting presents. Gift-giving is an important part of Christianity and not just at Christmas; James 1:7 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” Beginning with creation God has shown us how and why to give, and the Magi who gave gifts to Jesus were emulating His example.
Not long ago a congregation in the U.S.A. gave money to provide water and benches for a primary school. As can been seen in the photos, the school desperately needed both and it is fulfilling and gratifying for all involved to be able to meet those needs. The teachers, students, and even community members are grateful and thrilled for the clean water. And we know the students will be relieved to sit on benches instead of the cement floor. Through their gift this congregation symbolically demonstrated a modern-day version of the gifts of the Magi. "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me" (Mathew 25:40).
Jim continues his work with the Development Department of the Synod of Livingstonia to develop the "SMART (Sustainable Marketable Affordable Reliable Technologies) Centre" for training of low-cost water and sanitation options. The SMART Centre is helping to create an environment where small water and sanitation companies can be created, but longer-term support is needed to assist these companies to be able to thrive. The WaSH (Water Sanitation Hygiene) Shop has been created to provide support and is now housed within the Synod of Livingstonia premises. We are looking forward to the arrival of another partner in water and sanitation work from the GZB (Gereformeerde Zendings Bond—Dutch: Reformed Mission League) of the Netherlands to assist the Synod to help with the support of these new companies, as well as to form a curriculum for teaching pastors to promote safe water and sanitation within their congregations.
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The first water flowing from the repaired pump
One of our supporting churches recently asked us what makes our vocation a ministry. It is a relevant and challenging question for all involved in church work especially if it is not specifically evangelistic in nature. There are nongovernmental organizations that provide clean water, sanitation, health care, and work to develop communities. We pray daily during our family’s morning devotion time that what we do is long-lasting and touches lives more deeply than just the provision of technical support, aid and succor. We have experienced that our work becomes a ministry when it is done through the Body of Christ, together in partnership with our Malawian church counterparts and with your support both as individuals and through the church. Additionally God calls all of us to share the gift of love and pray for one another, and that is done by all who love God regardless of where we live or what we do for a living.
As I mentioned in our previous newsletter, we are homeschooling three of our six children. This term one of the areas of study in the English course is various types of poetry. So, since Christmas was a topic for discussion, we thought we would write a Christmas poem. Here is one of our first attempts at writing one of the forms of short poems called a cinquain:
Christmas
Baby, Savior
Trusting, giving, loving,
Greatest gift, angels’ joyful noise
Hope
We thank you for your gifts of prayer and financial support, and for the encouraging notes and emails. You can read more about our work and see other newsletters as well as give toward our support at www.pcusa.org/james-and-jodi-mcgill.
Dear God, in this often painful, difficult, sad, and dangerous world help us to remember, sense, see, and share your vast and unending love.
Shalom,
Jodi
The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 143
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