It may seem strange that the Raven Trust sends quantities of blankets and woollen clothes to such a hot country as Malawi. However, in the mountainous region, high above sea level, it can get very cold, especially at night.

Donations of knitted and crocheted goods for children are always needed as well as other clothes and blankets for babies and young children. The boxes of baby/toddler clothes and blankets are sent to Orphan Care Departments in Livingstonia (Mrs Soko) and Ekwendeni (Esther Lupafya), to Maternity Wards in Livingstonia and Ekwendeni and to Mlowe Clinic.

The staff in all these departments would like all those who have donated baby and children’s clothes and blankets to know how deeply they are appreciated by those to whom they are given and how much excitement there is  when a Raven Trust container arrives with boxes of gifts from the UK.

Thanks to money donated to the Raven Trust for the purpose, on his last visit to Malawi John was able to buy 140 Bibles translated into Tambuka – the local language of Northern Malawi. They are pictured here being delivered, by trolley, to the house in Mzuzu.

The Bibles were then distributed to many people. Alex and John, seen here, are members of the Mzuzu Evangelism Association team and were very pleased to receive Tambuka Bibles as neither had ever owned one. John (on the right of the picture) is also going to use his Bible in Friday morning Bible study sessions at work in World Vision.

Here are some of the Mzuzu Evangelism Association team at work in a suburb of Mzuzu – taking their message to the people of the area through the medium of drama and reading their Tambuka Bibles. The team have now been invited to take their message into the local prison.

We have been advised by Ben Mhango, our driver/mechanic in Malawi that the replacement fuel lines for the emergency single phase generator at Embangweni Hospital have arrived. Ben has now fitted them and the generator is working well.

We have now been offered a 3-phase generator by Macduff Shipyards who have reconditioned and serviced the generator set. This machine would be capable of a much greater load, allowing more pieces of hospital equipment to be operated during the frequent power outages.

We are very grateful to Macduff Shipyards and are hoping to ship the generator set out to Embangweni in a container in February.

For Christmas 2011, the theme was continued, but in addition, people were invited to donate small pieces of costume jewellry which they no longer wanted. These will be given as gifts to orphan girls in Malawi.

Thank you, once again, to the people of Dunoon and surrounding districts who were delighted to support this initiative. I hear the trees almost collapsed under the weight of your gifts.

On a very wet and stormy day our intrepid team of volunteers loaded FCL 77 with 1226 boxes of hospital supplies, educational supplies, clothes, bedding, tools and household goods. Just after 2 pm,  the container set off for Greenock on the first stage of its journey to Malawi so that the lorry could get over the Rest and Be Thankful before the road closed at 4 pm. Our thanks to our volunteers – you are a great bunch and we hope you have all warmed up now. Thanks also to those who keep the volunteers going with supplies of pancakes, cheese scones, hot soup and filled rolls. Bon voyage FCL 77. We pray that your contents will prove a blessing to those who receive them in Malawi.

At this time of year in Malawi the weather is hot and dry. Ideal bridge building time!.  Earlier this year Neil Lilongwe, while visiting Malawi, saw while on route to Chiabalazi, outside Ekwendeni, a village bridge in need of major repair.  On return to the UK funds were kindly donated by Cake Stuff (see their web site www.cake-stuff.com for more photographs) and recently the community led by the village headman undertook the bridge construction. 

On his recent visit John provided technical support and purchased local materials. This new bridge will provide an all weather link from the village to the main road.  The village people are very grateful and the bridge will enable hospital visits, make daily school possible for the young people in the wet season besides opening up business opportunities.

The bridge was opened before John returned to the UK amid great celebrations and lots of cake!

Work has progressed well on repairing and maintenance of the Clinic. The roof and rain water ways have been repaired. Electric lights installed into the Nutrition Unit and all electrical fittings replaced throughout the clinic which where damaged or not working. Water is currently being piped into the staff houses from a revitalized bore-hole system and the whole clinic given a coat of paint.