The Aussies Have Arrived

Partnership takes many faces. Actually, no two partnerships are alike, just as no two people are alike. That is as it should be. So the Australians of the Presbyterian Church of Victoria bring their own flavor and style when they come to work with their partners in Blantyre Synod. And work is the operative word. They come to work alongside their partners.

The preparation for this work began in January when they began gathering materials and plans for what they would do while here for a month. The materials were particularly important. They gathered tools for roofing and mechanical repairs. They collected sewing materials and machines to assist in tailoring classes, books and computers for classroom instruction. The list seemed endless as they filled two forty foot sea containers for Malawi and one for Zambia. These arrived two weeks before the Australian team did, (see The Container) so that everything was in readiness for their arrival. In the meantime they were gathering the team that would use these materials – 2 auto mechanics, a computer tech who also would work with the builder, 3 ladies to teach home crafts at Chigodi, 2 young girls to work with youth, a nurse and 2 pastors. Emails flowed back and forth between the Generals Secretary and the leader of the team, the 2 Australians who are in residences here at the moment and various team members, and Chigodi staff and the ladies who were planning projects for the Chigodi skills class. They had collected money to support these projects as well and that was wired. On this end, we purchased the materials that were not shipped but were needed for these projects – iron sheets for roofs, plaster board for ceilings, car parts. All this awaited their arrival.





Mvano welcoming their Aussie partners



Aussie Team being welcomed



The Aussies arrived on Wednesday to a warm welcome at Chileka Airport, with the Synod officials, the Partnership committee members and Mvano to sing. Despite the fact that they had been traveling for 32 hours, they were ready for a welcome dinner that evening. But that was the end of the festivities. Thursday it was to work for the whole team. The team leader, Rev. John Wilson, and his colleague Rev. David Brown met with the General Secretary and finalized preaching and teaching schedules. The mechanics reported to the Synod garage to begin machinery repairs – cars and other motorized equipment. The builder and his assistant were on the roof of a house at Chigodi by 8:30 a.m., repairing the roof so they could then replace the ceiling in the rooms affected by the roof’s leaking. Everyone else was following up with the folks with whom they would be working, to be certain that everything was in place. Over the weekend, they led a seminar in Zomba, and visited a prison and then were in 3 different churches on Sunday to preach and share. They had arranged for Bibles to be bought here and distributed them to the churches they visited.

As I write, the groups are at work all over the Synod. Two are working with the Youth Department in the schools, 3 are at Chigodi, 2 are roofing a church, 2 are repairing machinery, 1 is working with BSHDC at the medical clinics and the 2 pastors are conducting a pastors’ workshop. This program will continue for the month they are here. Their energy and their giving is a blessing to all they come in contact with. The impact of their time here will be felt long after they return to Australia. That is the blessing of partnership.