News

February 2012 Kindle Aflame

Dear friends and supporters of Kindle, Kindle’s truck after the accident

The big news this month is God’s grace and protection in a serious vehicle accident! Our driver, Fundani, was returning from a trip in our 3-ton truck. With him was Hamisa, a cousin of the woman who Kindle had just helped to move to her new home. When I heard about the accident, a Chichewa word was used that I didn’t understand, so a translation was provided: “ditch.” The truck went into a ditch. Later I discovered that a better translation of this word would have been “ravine.”

January 2012 Kindle Aflame

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Dear friends and supporters of Kindle,

The month of January is named after the Roman god Janus who had two faces, one looking forward and the other looking back. While I don’t generally condone being two-faced or taking our cue from Roman gods, I do believe that January is a good time for looking forward and back.

For 2011, God led us to Isaiah 54:2, which says, “Enlarge the place of your tent; Stretch out the curtains of your dwellings, spare not; Lengthen your cords And strengthen your pegs.” And what has He done at Kindle in 2011?

December 2011 Kindle Aflame

Dear friends and supporters of Kindle,

I’d like to start with thanksgiving and a note that God is good! Last month I shared that we were unable to pay October salaries. I am happy to report that after many special gifts and the arrival of some expected funding, all of our staff has now been paid not only for October but for November as well!
November is a time of preparation here. For Kindle, it is a time of evaluating 2011 and planning for 2012, looking at budgets, submitting proposals to current and potential donors, completing staff evaluations, and signing new contracts. For the local community it is a time of getting ready for the rains. We’ve had a couple of showers, but the rains should start in earnest soon.

November 2011 Kindle Aflame

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Dear friends and supporters of Kindle,

When I started exploring Kindle in the middle of this year, the thing that impressed me were the projects—in this age when everyone likes to call things “holistic,” I saw something that really was.

Kindle staff

But the more involved I get with Kindle, the more I see that the best part of Kindle is not the projects, but the people. Here in this continent that is known for ethnic conflict, Kindle’s management team consists of three department heads, an administrator, and myself, all from different ethnic groups. It is a joy for me to see everyone interacting at our weekly management team meetings, offering suggestions and encouragement to one another, and even more importantly, acceptingsuggestions and encouragement from one another. I haven’t had a chance yet to start getting to know most of the other members of staff, but I know that they are appreciated and cared for by the department heads.

October 2011 Kindle Aflame

Yohanes at new borehole Dear friends and supporters of Kindle,

Water has been a hot topic lately, in the midst of our dry season.

Last month Kindle’s management team spent three days planning for 2012. Some of the verses that God led us to for the coming year are from Isaiah 43:19. “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” And it seems they’re already starting!