Good News March & April 2025

As winter turns to spring, new growth is evident everywhere, in the trees, in the fields and in the many programs ELI is privileged to support in Zambia and Malawi! It was a very challenging "hungry time" in Malawi, but you'll read how your support of the Basic Needs Program met real needs and brought hope and encouragement to many families. As the rainy season ends the Susu farmers harvested a large tomato crop, and the banana trees are beginning to flower and fruit. You'll delight in the story of how Hope Villie school, with the largest student population in our Susu mobile library program is blessing a nearby community with their library outreach initiative. Thanks to you, seventy-five Boxes of Blessings (2,000 books and other treasures) left California to begin the three month and 10,000 mile journey into the eagerly waiting hands of children in rural Zambia and Malawi. Thank You!

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

Malawi - Basic Needs

The “hungry time" in Malawi will continue until harvests begin in late June, so for our village families food support is very important. Imagine the incredible delight of fifteen families receiving a "basic needs package" when there is no food, no fire, and nothing to cover yourselves from the cold. Jacob reports that many of these families had not eaten anything in a day and sometimes two, and they were overwhelmed with joy, thanking God for the kindness shown to them. ELI prays to continue this program for at least two more months. Your support will truly impact many lives immediately.

Malawi - Poultry Project

Grandmother Alefa and Mr. Limiton of Dima and Mphonde Villages serve as ELI's faithful and hardworking volunteer Book Monitors. Each of these precious volunteers has a very big heart for the impoverished children of their villages, with many who are unable to attend school, or who hunger for more education and opportunities to learn. Their story times and basic skills classes are very well attended. In addition, Mr. Limiton also supervises two small learning centers in his village. ELI believes Grandmother Alefa and Mr. Limiton are the perfect candidates to benefit from our new initiative, which is to provide sustainable incomes and access to protein rich nutritious food for vulnerable families. Near each of their homes, a sturdy chicken house was constructed and stocked with five hens and a rooster. Mr. Limiton has announced that seven chicks have already hatched.

Jacob and the Village Chiefs have identified several vulnerable families; four with grandmothers as the primary care givers for many children. We know that a poultry project for each of these households would be life changing!

Malawi - Mobile Library

During the rainy season, the roads to the villages are often impassable and the ELI team must reschedule their visit to the great disappointment of all the children. Building blocks, puzzles and chess games are always enthusiastically enjoyed by all ages. Jacob reports that the children also love to play soccer, but they need real athletic balls. They improvise by stuffing plastic bags with a balloon and leaves and weeds. The "ball" doesn't last very long when dozens of children are eager to play. ELI recognizes that sports games encourage children in their physical growth as well as learning the value of team work.

Will you please consider a designated donation to our village soccer ball fund? A $250 donation per village will purchase two very strong balls, a pump and whistles!

Zambia - Susu Farm

The Susu Farm team was very busy this spring. The sunflower crop was harvested and converted into cooking oil to be used in meal preparations for all the farm workers. It's a very exciting possibility for a new income generating crop for the Susu Farm!

Fifteen very cute "kids" were welcomed into the Susu goat herd and several more are expected soon. Everyone loves baby goats, but the goat herder reports that some are a bit naughty and climb on everything!

After the devastating loss of the banana harvest last fall, the beautiful spring flowers brought renewed hope, and now the fruit brings great joy to the farm team. They faithfully prayed for God's mercy as they carefully tended the recovering trees. So far, twenty five bunches are developing well and will go to market in August. This will be another first for the farm, so please pray for a successful harvest.

It was with great joy and anticipation that the team watched the 30,000 tomato plants grow and produce much fruit. Local day laborers were hired and 140 boxes of beautiful tomatoes traveled to the Kabwe market. It was so disappointing that the crop had to be sold way below the anticipated price. The team was so discouraged as they realized they would not be able to fund some important needs. There is still half the crop to harvest and sell, so what to do? Time to continue working and praying. The team will carefully monitor the prices in the Kabwe market, but they are also preparing in partnership with other nearby tomato farmers to hire a very large truck and drive to the Congo border towns, where there are huge food markets. ELI asks for your fervent prayers for wisdom, and for the safety of our team and crops if they undertake this incredible journey. We will post updates as received.

Zambia - Susu Mobile Library Program

More than 1500 children attend Hope Villie School in Kabwe, Zambia. This is the largest number of students in all the schools participating in the Susu Mobile Library program, and Mama Mbuzi (the very formidable but loving Director) says that is the fault of ELI!

Once Hope Villie started receiving books and other educational resources, every parent in the community wanted their child to attend this school! The children love to read out loud, and when the ELI team visits, we settle in for story time as child after child reads their favorite book to us. We love their melodious accents.

The Hope Villie teachers are passionate about reading and have developed amazing systems for the teachers to share the too few books and other educational resources with their students. When Children's Bibles and chess games were introduced, they organized Bible study and chess clubs at the school. In the last book shipment, instructive beginners art books were included and now the teachers are introducing art clubs. The teachers are amazing, and their enthusiasm to provide learning opportunities for the children goes beyond the school.

A few months ago, ELI learned that the school is located near one of the largest shanty towns in Africa. The news that books were available at Hope Villie School spread throughout this community and children began walking to the school to ask if they too could have a book to read. There really isn't enough space at the school to accommodate more readers nor was there a sufficient number of books for everyone, but that didn't stop these dedicated teachers. A small space was found to hold some books and every Saturday, two teachers volunteer to staff the very small library. The children come and are allowed to check out one book. They must return it the next Saturday, but can only borrow a new book if they can read the book to the teacher and answer questions. Ten boxes of books just for Hope Ville School left our home base at 11 pm on Easter Sunday. How appropriate, that on the day we celebrate the hope of Christ that Boxes of Blessings were on the way to Africa.

ELI is committed to the vision the Lord gave, to build libraries, establish literacy programs and support educational resources. Our next Boxes of Blessings will ship in mid August. Wouldn’t you like to partner with us and bring this hope to children waiting for the next Boxes of Blessings?

We know you'll rejoice with ELI when you read the impact of your prayers and financial gifts. All our projects and programs are ready to grow, and faithful monthly supporters are truly needed. Any amount is greatly appreciated.

Special requests this month are donations to the Malawi Basic Needs Program, Poultry Project and Soccer Balls for the Malawi Villages. We hope to send another 75 Boxes of Blessings in August, which is the last shipping date until April 2026, so your support would bless many.