| They finally arrived! After four months traveling by rail, sea and road, the two 20’ containers arrived safely the other day to Bangula. Long before the containers were expected in Africa I started the process to clear them. I’ve learned that getting clearance is no easy task. After numerous trips back and forth from Blantyre (2 ½ hour drive each way), two trips to Lilongwe (7 hour drive each way), persistent phone calls, meetings with people in the offices of the Registrar General, Solicitor General, Attorney General, Commissioner General, the Malawi Revenue Authority, Customs and Immigration, we finally received approval. We appreciated the special attention we received from our MP who in December ushered us into the office of the Attorney General on Parliament Hill in Lilongwe to help plead our case. However, once given approval, our challenges were not yet over. | |
Loading the container from Manica Depot in Blantyre |
After the two trucks had been loaded with the containers in the shipping yard, my assistant Peter and I agreed to meet the drivers in downtown Blantyre at 1:30 pm so that we could travel back to Bangula with them. We arrived on time and walked right into what was almost a brawl. The truckers were supported by about 60-70 other men who were demanding more money than the agreed upon price for transport. Our broker Milton was there to help deal with the tense situation. I could not believe what was happening right before my eyes. Here we were finally with trucks loaded after such a strenuous and frustrating process now with men threatening to drive away with our containers and hold them as ransom unless we paid them more money. |
| We quickly went to the nearest police station. There, I witnessed a rather heated discussion between our broker, the truck drivers and the police. In the end the police agreed to accompany us in each truck to ensure the safe delivery of our goods. So, next thing I knew we were in the cab of the truck with the driver and a police officer with his revolver in hand forcing the delivery as planned. We got through the two police check points on route without any questions asked and after about three quarters of the way to Bangula the atmosphere in the cab was very pleasant so the officer holstered his revolver. | |
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Who would have guessed that our containers would finish their long journey from Oakville with a police escort? I was so relieved to get those containers off-loaded and the truckers on their way back to Blantyre. Thanks be to God for protecting all the contents in those containers – everything inside was the same as it was when it was packed back in September.
The kids were so glad to see their bikes. Joanna was so glad to see all her books. I was so glad to see our Pinzgauer trucks! It didn’t take long before one of the Pinzgauers was off for its first mission. We received word that one of our Pastors who has taken in about 20 orphans south of us near Nsanje has been without food for a few days and was desperate for help. So, we loaded four 50 kg bags of maize and two 50 kg bags of beans into the back of the Pinzgauer and headed off down the washboard and potholed road. The Pinzgauer truck gave a remarkable star performance – the perfect machine for this area. |
Offloading with the security of armed police |
First Pinzgauer mission…delivering food to orphans… |
The team that helped unload trucks from container |
| We finally received the desperately needed rain about ten days ago. After a few rains everything has now turned green. However, there is still concern that the people in our area of the lower Shire valley could be faced with starvation over the next few months. The rains have come but two months late. There is a small window for planting and we may have missed it. If the rains continue, there is hope. If they do not persist, then it is estimated that there will be around 3 ½ million people hungry without food around us. | |
The green but struggling fields of maize. |
Already, the maize at the market has doubled in price adding stress to what is already a troubling situation. On the 15th of January, we handed out 81 bags of maize and 15 bags of beans to the cripples, blind, widows and orphans who depend on Iris Ministries to provide them with food each month. We had almost double the amount of people visit us for the distribution. This is an indication of how hard it is on the people here. |
| You can not find any produce in the market except for the occasional onion, tomato or cabbage that has been carried from Blantyre for re-sale at high prices. We have enough food in our Iris office to feed those registered on our list until the end of February, but not much longer. We had hoped that our reserve would last until the new harvest but that evidently will not happen. We continue to trust the Lord for his provision. He’s a big God and nothing is impossible for Him. | |
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