Hard work for Safe Haven

by Trace Thurlby from Malawi

A beautiful day in Malawi. Pastor Peter Maseko and I spent most of it at Pothawira’s children’s site, which literally progressed in front of our eyes.

If Malawi network bandwidth would have let me send video, you would have seen George digging the septic tank overflow pit; tossing dirt twelve feet to the earth’s surface again and again. You would have seen two teenage boys sifting sand in the African sun. You would have seen Henry scoop cement in a shovel and throw the shovel to a waiting worker a top the scaffolding. For sure, that was a bit of show (the normal method to move cement is by bucket and rope); but I’m with Henry. A little fun (Henry, I would too if I could) didn’t hide the obvious reality — there’s a lot of hard work going on at Pothawira. You can see it in the buildings. You could see it in the workers’ pride as they came forward to get their checks – payday.

That hard work is required is no surprise. Pothawira means safe haven. To create a safe haven in the midst of tough circumstances is hard work, but well worth it.