Done and Dusted
“Done and dusted” is a common phrase in Malawi; it refers to the fact that something has been fully completed. Our Form One Orientation week is now “done and dusted,” ending Saturday after a week of inspirational and informative speakers.
The picture above shows our Principal, Bertha Munthali, giving a talk to the Form One students on Christian character, a student’s rights and the prevention of bullying.
It was with great anticipation that our thoughts turned to Sunday and the return of our rising Form Two students. With the arrival of our sixty-nine Form Two students the house was full!
Our 113 GSA students gather on Tuesday for after lunch worship and prayers.
Excellence
Striving for excellence in an emerging country comes with a cost. For example, even though income is very low in Malawi, with the exception of bricks, most of the materials needed for construction or to install in a building are very costly, even by US standards. Consumer goods that we purchase in the US without a second thought come with a significant cost here in Malawi. The other day I spent $47.00 on 5 hardcover school notebooks and 50 pens. Gasoline and diesel fuel are almost triple the cost of fuel in the US.
GSP is committed to seeing that GSA offers excellence to our students. This means excellence in teaching, discipleship, skills acquisition and entrepreneurship training. It too comes with a cost, but what is exciting is that our teachers and our principal are committed to doing what is necessary to see that we deliver a first-class education to our students. Our matron/nurse is dedicated to the welfare of our girls, and our Director of Operations seeks to deliver excellence in his leadership and entrepreneurship classes.
When it comes to building character and spiritual growth, GSA’s commitment runs equally deep, if not deeper. Each day our students gather after lunch for worship, prayer and a brief scripture lesson. Evenings close with prayer, there is choir practice and a Sunday morning service facilitated by both the students and the adults. There is little more moving than to walk into the building and hear the beautiful and harmonious praises sung by our students.
There are other areas where we need to continue to elevate the bar at GSA. In fact, that’s one of our key roles — to come alongside our team in Malawi and encourage them to seek excellence in everything they do for Christ and His Kingdom.
Thank you!
Recently we received another scholarship commitment from one of you. I wish you could have seen the look of joy on Bertha Munthali’s face when I shared the good news with her. There is a girl in the village area who sat for the entrance examination last year and was denied a scholarship because she did not meet the minimum math competency requirements. She went home and studied hard for the entire year, then returned this year and took the entrance exam. This time she passed, but by the time she took the exam, we had exhausted our scholarships. What a joy for Bertha to be able to reach out to this impoverished family and let them know that their daughter has a seat at GSA! Her life will be transformed!
This is a typical home in the villages around GSA and gives you an idea as to the environment in which our scholarship students are raised.
Prayer, please. . .
Bringing a Christ-centered education to Malawi and making it accessible to young women without resources is not easy. If it was easy, the need probably wouldn’t exist. Equipping young Malawians to transform Malawi’s economy is not easy. Protecting 113 girls is not easy. But that doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be done. Our GSA Team needs your prayers. With God’s grace, they are the agents of change, not the US or Good Soil Partners. Please pray for the following:
That God will protect our campus and our girls;
That as we hire, God will bring us the right Security Manager, a second math/science teacher/tutor, and security staff;
That God will continue to inspire and motivate our excellent teachers;
That our “daughters” will come to genuinely grow in Christian character;
That our leaders will continue to model Christ-like character, and that they will pursue excellence in all they do; and
That our 113 “daughters” will each gain a sense of hope and purpose in their lives.
Everybody loves a Sunset!
There is a lot of natural beauty in Malawi. In fact, Malawi has a wealth of beautiful sunsets and sunrises. As I close out this letter, I thought I’d share one with you.
The sunset from just outside the gates of Good Soil Academy
For His Kingdom,
Dean