Thunder, Lightning and other Powerful Things

As I sit here writing to you thunder, rain and lightning are the entertainment for the evening. Lightning just hit near my room and I don’t think I’ll have power for the rest of the evening as something popped in the electrical circuitry and the large arcing flash was not a harbinger of good things to come.  The good news is that the lightning is helping me see around my hotel room.  The deluge outside my door is also helping me understand why the flooring has seen better days.

This is my 18th trip to Malawi, but my first trip during the rainy season.  It is amazing to see how the rains have transformed Malawi from a dry and dusty land to a lush verdant sea of green.  Tomorrow, thousands upon thousands of Malawians will plant their staple crop of maize.  The rain has loosened the soil, and the deluge is assurance that we have entered the rainy season with the promise of rains to come.

This evening was the end of our second full day in Malawi.  My niece Kristin and I arrived Monday evening exhausted but landed on our feet Tuesday morning for the first of two very, very full days.

We end each day at dinner talking about our “impressions of the day,” and this trip has left us with many thoughts and impressions about what God is doing at Good soil Academy [GSA].

First, it was such an encouragement to meet the 53 girls that make up the pioneering class of 2029.  Seeing what has been created at GSA by our GSA leaders and teachers by way of culture and climate has confirmed for me that education is perhaps the most effective tool to create godly young leaders and entrepreneurs who will transform Malawi.  It is the “long game,” but it is the right course of action. We are seeking to make a generational statement for Christ and His kingdom.

Secondly, what a blessing it is to have my niece Kristin with me!  Kristin brings her experience to Malawi as a collegiate and professional soccer player, a youth and  college level coach.  The girls love her.  She offers an approach to coaching that affirms and brings out the strengths of our girls while integrating principles of faith and into the game.  It was so much fun to be present as she lived out her giftedness to encourage young women in a sport that has only recently emerged as a sport of interest for women.

Thirdly, it was a privilege to watch two fellow Wheaton graduates, Leif Vangrinsven and Michael Walmer of Small Farm Cities meet with our GSA team to talk with them about how to design and implement a plan to make GSA operationally sustainable.  They have made great strides in innovative farming in Malawi and have created a model for sustainability that can be scaled up to make GSA a sustainable operation.  It will take some time, but it was so encouraging to see that with proper design, implementation and leadership there is pathway to creating a sustainable school in Malawi. Our board anticipates receiving a written proposal for GSA’s sustainability operation in early February. For us, living out entrepreneurship at GSA is vital to demonstrating to our students that there is a pathway to personal sustainability as well.

Fourth, it was fun judging the entrepreneurial business presentations from our young entrepreneurs.  The presentations ranged from an online tutoring service, to a superette, a student store, and an innovative farm model.  Our students have all completed 10 weeks of entrepreneurship training and it is beginning to show.

Fifth, the growth of our students. I hardly recognize our scholarship students - they are growing physically and with proper nourishment are energetic, lively, and able to learn.  But even more importantly, they freely talk about how they have either entered into, or grown in their relationship with God.  We live in a world where most people forget to nurture and nourish their soul, but that is not the case for the young women at GSA.

We’re only two days in, but I am so grateful to be able to see the fruit of your generosity, your prayers and the hard labor of our GSA Team.  I also deeply appreciate Cheryl, my spouse who was willing to let me go to Malawi so close to the Christmas holiday.

School activities closed this evening at 6pm and the girls took their dinner.  I said good night to our team, grateful that God gave us a team that is passionate about creating young Christ-centered leaders and entrepreneurs.  I promptly slept all the way to our lodging, but it was a happy exhaustion.  And in light of the fact that I have no power, it’s time for bed.For His kingdom,Dean