Subject: Crisis in Malawi
Date: Wednesday, 10 June 10, 2015 at 11:30:04 AM Central Daylight Time
From: Robert Boucek
To: Pete Sumrall
Importance: High
We met Levison this morning. He’s about 15 and an orphan with a 13-year-old sister named Janet. They have lived alone since their parents died from AIDS a few years ago. Levison does his best to take care of his sister, but he is also HIV-positive.
Life is hard for these two. They often go to sleep hungry, having not eaten that day.
Levison tries to earn money by making and selling charcoal. The work is exhausting and pays very little. It takes days for him to climb into the mountains, chop trees into small pieces, and carefully burn those pieces into charcoal. When the charcoal is ready, he loads a big bag and sets out at 2 am for the city, so he can be there for the early market. It’s about a six-hour walk over rough, mountainous terrain. For his trouble he gets 650 kwacha – about AU$1.64 He usually makes this gruelling trip twice a week.
He also tries to go to school most mornings and spends afternoons cultivating his small garden.
Last week, Feed The Hungry found Levison and Janet and gave them a box of rice meals. A bag a day for them to share! They were delighted.
As we talked, I discovered that, though he knew of Jesus, he was not in a relationship with Jesus. There, on an African hillside, I told Levison who Jesus is and what He has done – and Levison entered into a relationship with the Son of God and Creator of the world.
In the world’s eyes, a young man like Levison may seem insignificant, forgotten and abandoned. But in Jesus’ eyes, no one is insignificant or forgotten. Jesus forgets no one. Abandons no one. Jesus loves all, and I saw that today. Levison will never be the same.
So many here in Malawi need to know that Jesus loves them. They also desperately need the food we can give them in His name. We must do all we can to reach them.
Bob