Skip to main content

TRAVEL BLOG Mzuzu, Malawi


We're staying at the CitiHope Malawi Mission Center in Mzuzu. Our internet connection has been down for 2 days. Also no hot water, several power surges, and a VCR that does not work. But I like this place. Clean, newly renovated rooms, office areas, kitchen and 2 baths. A wonderful thatched roof hut in the back yard. Secure brick fence around the property. And a property staff of three: a day watchman, a night watchman and a cook/housecleaner.

Back online after launching our PACCT program on Monday. Originally designed for 25 pastors, we have 45 pastors and NGO reps here for three days, fully engaged in the workshop on how to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS in their churches through morinformed preaching and teachirelevant education, overcoming denial and stigma, and behavior change. Two people living with HIV told us their story which put all things in perspective. I was particularly moved by Lillian, whose husband died 10 years ago, and who now has 13 kids and step kids under her care. She's on first line ARV drugs (now available in Malawi) which makes AIDS a chronical but managable disease for those who can access treatment. Part of our mission is to make sure more women and children living with HIV get the treatment they need.

I shared my own story of getting involved in AIDS work this morning in the first session. Twenty five years ago, patient zero was diagnosed. A hand full of cases of a "strange new cancer" surfaced from 1981-1983, and soon grew to 100,000 cases. What was initially called GRIDS--Gay-Related Immuno-Defieciency Syndrome--became known worldwide as AIDS. I was a pastor back then, and my church in San Francisco had AIDS. I shared some of the stories of those who came to my church and mission center for help and hope. And how I became an AIDS chaplain at San Francisco General Hospital. Now, 25 years later, there are 70 million infected world-wide, and 20 million deaths. How strange to find myself back in AIDS ministry after leaving San Francisco for New Jersey 13 years ago.

In Malawi, population 12 million, WHO statistics state that HIV infects 14.4% of the people and accounts for 85,000 deaths per year, leaving over 800,000 AIDS orphans in need of food and medicine. The medical professionals we work with in country estimate that between 25-33% of all Malawans are infected with HIV and need to be tested or in treatment. Which is of course, why we're involved in mission in Malawi.

Here in Mzuzu, the third largest city in Malawi and capital of the Northern Region, CitiHope works in partnership with the Presbyterian Synod of Livingstonia (David Livingstone's legacy) and supports 37 community organizations caring for those in need of food and medicine, help and hope. Tomorrow we will visit 2 AIDS orphanage centers, a school for the blind, and medical clinics. Tomorrow we will meet with several doctors and village chiefs, monitoring the situation and finding out what else we can do to help.

But for now, its time for bed; tomorrow is just a few hours away.

Popular posts from this blog

Liberation Spirituality: Henri Nouwen and Gustavo Gutierrez in Dialogue

Liberation Spirituality: Henri Nouwen and Gustavo Gutierrez in Dialogue Lecture Notes: Presented by Michael J. Christensen, Ph.D.,  Associate Professor in the Practice of Spirituality and Ministry,  Drew University;  and  International Director, Communities of Shalom, The United Methodist Church Introduction “There is a little man in Peru, a man without any power, who lives in a barrio with poor people and who wrote a book.   In this book he simply reclaimed the basic Christian truth that God became human to bring good news to the poor, new light to the blind, and liberty to the captives.   Then years later this book and movement it started is considered a danger by [the USA, or Rome], the greatest power on earth.   When I look at this little man, Gustavo, and think about [the President of the US, or the Pope], I see David standing before Goliath, again with no more weapon than a little stone, a stone called A The...
Read more

First Generation Lambs Club Reunion

Fifteen of us gathered Saturday night at the Lambs Club for a 35 th year reunion of those who helped start the Lamb’s Church in Times Square in the mid to late 1970’s, including: Rev. Paul S. Moore , Founder of the Lamb’s Church of the Nazarene, and his wife, Tamara Dr. Michael J. Christensen , charter member and former associate pastor, and his wife Dr. Rebecca Laird Fr. William (BJ) Webe r, former Associate Pastor and Director of the Lamb’s Residency, and his wife Sheila who lived at the Lamb’s Jim and Dustee Hullinger, who were on staff together and made the Lamb’s their home for over 25 years Effie Canepa , who was the church pianist under 3 pastors, and her husband Peter Shirley Close, who attended the Lamb’s in the late 1970’s while studying, performing  and teaching music and voice Carl "Chappy" Valente , former associate pastor Rev. Bob DiQuatto , lead singer of the Church’s “Manhattan Project” and staff member of the Lamb’s, and his son Jason Rev. Gab...
Read more

Let the River Flow: Why WorldHope Corps digs village wells

  Sunday Sermon at the The Water's Edge in OB , San Diego, CA. "Woman at the Well" (John 4:7-15) When you think about the gospel story of the Samaritan woman with Jesus at Jacob’s well, I’d like you to picture this Woman at a similar well in northern Malawi. Sitting and talking with Pastor Dennis Singini about water. Her name is Nyang'oma, which means "drum." Her Christian name is Mary Botha. She is 85 years old and lives in a village in the Kampenda area of Northern Malawi. She has cared for 11 children, two of whom have died. And her husband has died. When Dennis and I first met Mary in 2008, her village did not have a deep well or access to clean water. Nor did the six surrounding villages with over 1,500 people. Women and children had to drink with animals from shallow seasonal wells or walk about of 5km away to drink from the closest stream. Sometimes they would get sick and complain of stomach aches. Cholera and dysentery were widespread, and m...
Read more