We are very excited about the first sustainable project at the Grace Center. For months we’ve been dreaming about a Textile Center. This summer, what was once the seed of an idea now has a building, a trained staff, and a new name!  The center will be called “Hands of Grace” based on the belief that while provision will come to the Grace Center through the project, ultimately it is God’s hand of grace which sustains us and provides our needs.  We in turn have the opportunity to extend our hands and share that grace with others. 

Hands of Grace is more than just a tailoring shop.  It is first of all a place of transformation where students and workers have the opportunity to hear about Jesus and his grace.  As students move through the program they will learn craft skills for producing items for both a local and international market.  The sale of these items will support the Grace Center children’s and medical programs.  At the same time students will have the opportunity to learn how to run their own business, speak English, and read.  When students graduate, they will be able to apply for a small business loan for starting their own business.

Construction began on the Hands of Grace building in May and has continued to date.  This first building will be used for a workshop and a store for selling the items produced at the center.  Our special thanks to a generous donor who made this building possible.  If you are interested in learning more about how you can be involved with Hands of Grace send us an email Karen@cohcommunity.org.

Click here to see the latest pictures from Hands of Grace.

As our mini-bus bounced along the dirt road to the church, the children from the COH Chipoka project lined the road and began singing and jumping and cheering.  "Welcome, welcome friends!" they sang.  Most of the children are new to Circle of Hope, added when we increased enrollment from 15 to 50 in May.

 We jumped out of the bus and organized ourselves as quickly as possible.  While the team from Indiana Wesleyan University transformed the church yard with flags and banners, Pastor Phiri and I handed out new t-shirts to the children. We had only one goal that day: to have as much fun as possible. Our premise: a World Cup Field Day where the kids could share in all the excitement and team pride that was building all over the world the past few weeks as the competition mounted just to the south of us in South Africa.  

The activities started with a lot of noise as the children were divided into four teams and instructed to make up their own cheer.  Camaraderie grew as the teams developed their own cheers and sang it out with pride and a lot of gusto for the others to hear.

Next, IWU team members set up four centers where the children played four-square, got their faces painted, memorized a bible verse and colored a flag to represent their country.  Awards were given for each event.

The fun continued with relay games like dizzy bat, sack races, carrying a ping-pong ball on a spoon. Watching our pastors get in on the action only added to the hilarity.

You've never seen so many smiles, or heard so much laughter. Though the day had been nothing if not silly, I knew what we had accomplished that day was of utmost importance. When children live in poverty, they lose the opportunity to be goofy, giggly, care-free kids. The seriousness of their situation quickly steals the joy of their youth.  Laughter is sometimes the best medicine, lifting our spirits, giving us hope that not every day will be a struggle- hope that our future might be brighter than our past.

Furthermore, that a team of American college students would travel across the world to host a day of fun was a bold statement to these children that they are important.  It is a delight to think that the children who are newest to our program would know from the start that they are valued, that this world holds goodness for them, and that their life has purpose. For me, this is an excellent reason to smile.

 Karen Roller, International Director

 View a photo galllery of the Chipoka Field Day

In our latest photo gallery, 2010 team members, Rachel and Tyler Hisel, share the welcome they received from our Grace Center children and staff upon their arrival in Malawi. From the time they were greeted at the airport until they were settled in their quarters, the message of the singing, dancing, and giggling crowd was, “You are most welcome.” Click through their photo gallery to catch a glimpse of Rachel and Tyler’s first impressions of Malawian hospitality.

If you can’t visit Malawi this summer, the next best thing is a virtual tour. Take a trip down the highway from Lilongwe to the Grace Center and marvel at the alternative modes of transportation. Bet you’ve never carried lumber home on your head! Once you’ve arrived, visit with our children for a while to see how they play. You’ll be amazed at their ingenuity to make intricate toys out of scraps, and their creativity to find adventure in the ordinary.  Finally take a spin through a Malawian market. Feel the hustle and bustle of the shoppers bartering for deals, and if you are feeling especially courageous, sample the local fare.  

Visit our latest photo gallery to begin your adventure!  

Intern Susanna Roller with her class of students in 2009Today, International Director, Karen Roller leaves the US bound for Malawi with the first half of this summer’s teams in tow. Through the course of the next seven weeks, Karen will guide our American teams and Malawian partners as they work together on community development projects at our campuses.

Three American teams are scheduled for this summer with a variety of exciting projects in the works:

Interns: May 20-July 6 Four interns will work on a variety of projects focusing on training women to work in the textile center, abuse education and care for our care-givers and orphans, developing a pre-school, and assisting home health care-givers.

Video Team: May 20-June 5 Rachel and Tyler Hisel will shoot video for use in communicating the stories of our projects and the communities we serve.

IWU Community Impact Team: June 3-25 Team of students from Indiana Wesleyan University will be providing tutoring and leadership training for our children, along with hosting a World Cup Field Day and helping with renovations to Timothy’s Home

Stay connected with the progress our teams are making by following us on facebook. We’ll be posting regular updates and photos as we have them available. Also, be sure to check out interns Alissa Webb and Janel Baumer's blogs for a personal peek at their experiences in Malawi.