Malawi

6 International Missionaries

500 churches

From Rolland Baker's plane of the Iris Malawi Center in Bangula which is a three hour trip by land from the Blantyre Airport

Our 23 happy children at the Bangula Center who live in our two children's homes. Two more homes

are under construction.

Bangula, Malawi Center: The Bible school serves our Malawian churches with an average of 50 pastors in attendance each term

Phase one of the public school began in January 2007. It now provides schooling for pre-school through grade 5. Our four buildings now serve 48 children 24/7. We provide secondary education for 12-15 students also.

FEEDING PROGRAM

We are assisting vulnerable people such as widows with orphans, the crippled, blind, elderly and sick. Currently, monthly food assistance is provided to 1800 families representing approximately 8500 people.

When needed, we get involved in humanitarian relief efforts to help people during disasters such as famine, drought and floods. We also reconstruct homes for widows, the sick and elderly.

Canadians David and Joanna Morrison are the center directors. For much more information and pictures, click on

their website below. Morrison, David (Mo) and Joanna : 265-145-3260 LL Iris Africa, Box 2379 Blantyre, Malawi

David (Mo) 265-8-343-814 Cp Email: Mo
Joanna 265-8-345-710 Cp Email: Joanna
Website: www.morrisonafrica.com

Malawi pastor's conference, 2007, compassion for Him

Mozambique/Malawi Flooding Report – January 20, 2008

By David Morrison (Iris Africa Malawi)

I have just returned to the Iris base in southern Malawi after witnessing the devastating flooding in central Mozambique. The situation is very serious…much worse than last year. We went to Mutarara District in the province of Tete and there learned that over 116,000 refugees have fled the flood waters. Thousands are still trapped on higher ground waiting to be rescued by helicopters and boats. All resources are concentrating on this emergency rescue operation. Soldiers are assisting rescue workers as the banks of the Zambezi River continue to overflow and the threat of increased flooding is very real. For some, the idea of floods penetrating so far inland from the Zambezi River is too obscure. However, the threat is real and in some situations people are removed by force.

I was amazed at the vast amount of water and its destructive force. From the vantage point of a boat on the Zambezi River, it looks like an endless sea. We traveled with the Mozambique navy in a little rescue boat several kilometers inland from the Zambezi River to one of the areas of evacuation, called the Inyangona region. The reality of the cost of the flooding was evident everywhere: the tops of drowned crops and banana trees, and even the roofs of houses. It was hard to imagine how just a few weeks previously people had walked where we now traveled by boat. And now, village life has been silenced by a sea of water leaving only protruding tree tops and isolated highlands. We finally arrived at an island where desperate people patiently wait for a rescue boat. Helicopters were also flying overhead and assisting in the evacuation of people in more remote areas. There is calm and out of the misery, the people politely greeted us with a smile, gave us the nicest places to sit, and at one refugee camp I was even offered their last bananas – I just wanted to cry.

Our Iris Team met with the District Commissioner and was invited to join the weekly debriefing meeting involving all the government officials and NGOs helping with this crisis. Although there is great progress in the rescue operation, the process is time consuming and more boats are needed. Some of the refugee camps are now becoming too large and it may be necessary to establish even more camps. Some of the resettlement areas from last years flooding must now be relocated because they too are being affected by the flooding. Sickness and hunger are two growing concerns and the DC encouraged us all to try to mobilize food into the camps as quickly as possible. We have been appointed to participate in the relief effort and have been given freedom to assist however possible.

On our journey we visited eight refugee camps all of which are threatened by disease and hunger. Some of the refugees have been in the camps since the beginning of January but none have received food. Many left in haste as their homes collapsed in the path of the rising water. A fortunate few had carried maize left over from last winter’s harvest, but most are eating grass seed, water lily bulbs, bugs and mice. Wells are few so most drink the flood water which is resulting in dysentery. Many children have bloated stomachs and eye infections are common. This is malaria season, an added threat for the refugees who sleep without the protection of a mosquito net.

In each camp we witnessed the arrival of new refugees. Hundreds are arriving everyday. They are quick to make a shelter out of branches and grass to provide a little protection to the family from the next rain. These tiny houses sleep families as large as eight people. We didn’t take much with us, but managed to carry enough soap to give one bar to each family at three refugee camps. We also provided about 500 families with a good supply of water purification packets. A bar of soap is such a precious gift in situations such as these!

Everywhere we went desperate people quickly gathered and listened carefully to every word that came out of our mouths – they were in search of hope. We gave them hope – the message of God’s love. So as we preached under the shade of a tree in the refugee camps, the precious poor, those who have lost everything, wearing only dirty rags, welcomed Jesus just like they welcomed us. There is good news to report: In the midst of great suffering and loss, Jesus is moving in the hearts of Africans!

So what are we going to do next? The only accessible road into this region of Mozambique is through Malawi. We are therefore prepared to help in any way possible. Actually we can’t help but help! We believe God wants us to care for the refugees located in camps along the road from the border of Malawi.

Malawi is also affected by the flooding. The swollen Shire River has destroyed crops and hundreds of people have been displaced. People living on Nchalo and Ngabu Islands in the Chikwawa District are evacuating – about two thirds of the islands are under water now. Across the river from Bangula is another area vulnerable to flooding. We are monitoring the situation here carefully and expect that we will need to support 1000 additional families with food from now through June. This is on top of the 1,600 families we already assist each month through our feeding program.

Our goal is to secure food as quickly as possible. In order to do this we need an immediate response from people who can assist us financially. We need to move fast – we hope to deliver the first supply of food to the refugee camps before the end of this week. Our plan is to purchase food in Malawi and carry it by truck into Mozambique. Please help us relieve the suffering.

Thanks for all your prayers and support.

Pictures will be posted soon on our web site: www.morrisonafrica.com

For more information about Iris Africa, contact and support information:

Iris Ministries Canada
3092 Shannon Crescent
Oakville, ON L6L 6B4
CANADA
(905) 847-7749; fax (905) 847-7931
Web site: www.irismin.ca
Email: info@irismin.ca Contact: Janis Chevreau

U.S. office for mail, support and information:
Iris Ministries, Inc.
PO Box 493995
Redding, CA 96049-3995, USA
Tel: 1 530 255 2077
Web sites: www.irismin.org and www.irismin.com
Email: info@irismin.org

Iris Ministries (UK) Ltd
PO Box 351
Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1WQ
UNITED KINGDOM
Web site: www.irisministries.co.uk
Email: info@irisministries.co.uk

Iris Ministries South Africa
730 Dikhoorn St.
Moreleta Park, Pretoria
SOUTH AFRICA
Tel: 27 12 998 8220
Web site: www.irismin.co.za
Email: irismin@absamail.co.za
Contact: Peter Wheeler

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
David "Mo" & Joanna Morrison
Iris Ministries Canada - serving in Malawi
Email: mo@irismin.ca or joanna@irismin.ca
Web: www.morrisonafrica.com
Mo's cell phone: 011-265-8-343-814
Joanna's cell phone: 011-265-8-345-710
Land line: 011-265-145-3368

YOU! Made a Difference...

Compassion Acts Rice Shipment

Arrives in Malawi!

You helped us make the most of an awesome opportunity to bless thousands of people who Rolland and Heidi Baker minister to through Iris Ministries. This container is the first of many that Compassion Acts hopes to send into areas of need around the world. Please pray about financial giving, or even traveling with us on an upcoming Mozambique Trip.

Here is the latest news on the Container of Rice

Compassion Acts helped to send into Malawi:

From: David Morrison

Date: 2007/03/30 Fri PM 02:47:30 CDT
Subject: GREAT NEWS!

Hello Michal Ann & the many others who have assisted to bring us this wonderful gift.

Greetings to you! It is with great joy I announce that your container arrived at our Iris Africa base in Bangula, Malawi this afternoon. Bringing in containers isn't always the easiest thing to do - actually, it's always not an easy thing to do. At this end we deal with the clearing agent (SDV), Malawi government and customs (MRA), shipping lines (Maersk), and transporters. As expected there is the usual running around in Blantyre and numerous phone calls between the different parties encouraging the forward process and dealing with snags or last minute "new procedures". Even though there were some unexpected delays, I am pleased that this container arrived today relatively smoothly. Praise be to God for watching over all things and bringing the container safely to us.

It arrived at around 3:00 PM. We gathered some men and began to offload into an empty container on site where the food will stay until the next distribution day on April 15th. The majority of the food will be given to those registered in our food program - these are mostly widows who look after orphaned grandchildren. There are 1700 families who receive food from us on a regular basis. These are the poorest of the poor - the most vulnerable. However, some of the food was immediately taken to feed hungry children today.

This morning I had some visitors - two leaders came to see me from Good News Children's Home, an orphanage for 105 children located about 15 kms north of us. We have a good relationship with this ministry and have assisted them in the past. They came wondering if we had any extra food because they had run out. I smiled and said, "well, there's a container coming down this road today packed with food - perhaps that can help you." Even before the container was offloaded, I had 41 boxes in my Pinzgauer truck and was on my way with one of our national leaders Ali, to feed the children. It was such a blessing to be able to help them once again.

They welcomed us with great rejoicing and prayers giving thanks to God for His provision.

I'll try my best to give you another update as the food is distributed over the next couple of weeks. We really appreciate your help and support of Iris Ministries here in Malawi and thank the Lord for entrusting us with food for the poor. If there are any particular follow-up reports you need, please let me know - we'll help as best we can.

Much love,

David Morrison "Mo"
Iris Ministries Canada - Iris Africa, Malawi

Thank You for helping us to feed the poor...

Many Blessings!
Michal Ann Goll

MALAWI Report, December 16, 2007

We are feeding 3,000 families a month here in Southern Malawi, the most desperate, widows, grandmothers with orphaned children, the elderly, crippled and blind. Each month the Lord is faithful to supply food for us to give away. I was out doing some follow-up with some of our food recipients recently and found this wonderful story of compassion.

Mr. Luizhi Labeka and wife Karota Antonio have been receiving food from Iris Africa Malawi for three years now. They had 5 children all of whom have died. They also had 3 grandchildren who have also died of sickness. They are left alone without any family members to care for them.Luizhi used to work at the cotton ginnery in town but was released years ago without any pension. They don’t have a garden because they have no strength to farm. Karota is almost completely blind.

This elderly couple have plenty of compassion. They took in another old woman named Fanny. Fanny has a daughter alive but she doesn’t visit or offer any help. Fanny has been suffering from great pain in her legs but has no money to go to hospital so she just puts up with the pain. Up until the old couple took her in to their small, broken mud house, she had just been sleeping outside.I asked them if they had anything to say to the donors who give food every month. Mr. Labeka responded saying, “Thanks for your concern for us , you really love us. No one else loves us. We thank the Lord for providing Pastor Ali to be our father. We don’t know what to say except thanks for what you do. Please don’t get tired of sending food. Don’t stop until we die.”

We are currently working on getting a new house for these three dear elderly people. One more rain and their mud and stick house is finished.

Thanks for your support and prayers for the work here in Malawi.