http://www.morrisonafrica.comRSS feeds for Morrison Africa60http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/52/Memorials.aspx#Comments0http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=68&ModuleID=380&ArticleID=52http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=52&PortalID=1&TabID=68http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/52/Memorials.aspx God commanded the Israelites to go back into the middle of the Jordan river and collect 12 rocks to build a memorial.  As they stepped out of that tunnel with water piled up on both sides, I am sure they thought they would never forget.  Why was a memorial necessary?  It would be impossible to forget such a demonstration of the power of God!  And yet, God knew.  He set them up, knowing the nature of children, for they would ask:  Why is this pile of stones here, dad?  What does it mean?  And the question would stir a memory, and faith would rise. Joanna MorrisonThu, 25 Feb 2010 16:25:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:52http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/50/Wings.aspx#Comments0http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=68&ModuleID=380&ArticleID=50http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=50&PortalID=1&TabID=68http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/50/Wings.aspxYes, we have been flying.  It is a wonderful thing to get a new perspective.  We had been invited to teach at the Harvest School of Missions, on the Iris Africa ministry base in Pemba, Mozambique.  Pilot Joe Vaine flew to Bangula, Malawi to pick us up.  He stayed the night in our new visitor centre, Forestview Lodge, and then we all flew out together the next day.  Joanna MorrisonSun, 28 Jun 2009 14:34:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:50http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/48/Default.aspx#Comments0http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=68&ModuleID=380&ArticleID=48http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=48&PortalID=1&TabID=68http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/48/Default.aspx How can there be hunger when there was a surplus of maize in Malawi?  Greed.  Jealousy.  Those who have lots want more, and hoard maize so that they can get an even more ridiculous price for it in the months to come.  How many more people will die before hearts are softened?  As the price has increased, people have been forced to buy maize one basin at a time, for as much as 500 Malawi Kwacha ($4.60 Cnd).  Several times in the last week, there has been no maize available at all in Bangula.  It is hard to tell where this will lead.  Many people are not eating every day.  Joanna MorrisonSat, 10 Jan 2009 12:23:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:48http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/47/Rescuing-Butterflies.aspx#Comments0http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=68&ModuleID=380&ArticleID=47http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=47&PortalID=1&TabID=68http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/47/Rescuing-Butterflies.aspx Rescuing butterflies is a delightful way to spend an afternoon.  In Zomba, our cool retreat, there is a certain sticky plant which attracts innocent butterflies presumably by some alluring scent.  As Kalina and I walked we came across clumps of brightly coloured butterflies slowly coming to a sticky end.  Careful not to touch their delicate wings, we gently removed a few and found that they were alive and eager to be free.  Likely many flew off to land on a similar plant and die a similar death.  I hope some of them found friendlier flowers. Joanna MorrisonThu, 15 May 2008 20:04:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:47http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/43/Unhindered-Compassion.aspx#Comments0http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=68&ModuleID=380&ArticleID=43http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=43&PortalID=1&TabID=68http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/43/Unhindered-Compassion.aspx God’s question for Solomon:  “What shall I give you?” echoes through the ages.  ‘Ask anything in my name and I will do it.’  John14:14  ‘Ask, and you will receive.’  Matthew 7:7 Joanna MorrisonWed, 19 Dec 2007 14:26:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:43http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/37/Rainy-Season-2007.aspx#Comments0http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=68&ModuleID=380&ArticleID=37http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=37&PortalID=1&TabID=68http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/37/Rainy-Season-2007.aspx African rain does not usually fall gently, caressing the earth and nurturing the tender shoots.  No, like everything else in this stark land, rain pounds the hard earth, pushing anything weak before its driving fury.  Dry river beds are suddenly raging torrents.  Tentative shoots are harshly crushed.  Even knee high stalks bow to the ground under the rushing waters.  The fertile lands close to the River Shire, where crops were almost ready for harvest, are under water.  Only those who planted at just the right time and in just the right place will harvest this crop. Joanna MorrisonSat, 10 Mar 2007 10:37:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:37http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/36/Iris-Ministries-Malawi--September-2006-Report.aspx#Comments0http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=68&ModuleID=380&ArticleID=36http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=36&PortalID=1&TabID=68http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/36/Iris-Ministries-Malawi--September-2006-Report.aspx Children’s Homes:  Our two Children’s Homes are full.  There is one bed left in the girls’ home that is reserved for the little sister of two of our girls.  Our dream is to see the children healed of all that has hurt them, and set free to worship God with all their lives.  The day to day is full of cuts and bruises, ringworm, dirty clothes, discipline, and laughter.  Currently, the next boys’ and girls’ homes are under construction.  They will be finished in October or November, and then we can fill them with lost and abandoned children.Joanna MorrisonSun, 08 Oct 2006 22:26:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:36http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/35/All-Hangs-On-Mercy.aspx#Comments0http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=68&ModuleID=380&ArticleID=35http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=35&PortalID=1&TabID=68http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/35/All-Hangs-On-Mercy.aspx It all hangs on mercy. In his mercy, God saves us. We are called because of his mercy, and it is by his mercy that we do anything good or right. God’s mercy is an eternal quality, a measure that does not change with time, or shift with the wind. In Zomba, a few weeks ago, we went for a walk. Mo stood beside a huge tree. The kids made umbrellas out of unusually large ferns. Ferns, and even beautiful old trees come and go quickly. But God, who made the trees and the mountain on which we stood, and the tiniest fern, does not change. He is the same forever.Joanna MorrisonSun, 08 Oct 2006 17:36:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:35http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/34/Iris-Kids.aspx#Comments0http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=68&ModuleID=380&ArticleID=34http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=34&PortalID=1&TabID=68http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/34/Iris-Kids.aspx Q. “You have 23 Malawian children…What does that mean?”   Answer:  It means that Iris Ministries Malawi has custody of 23 Malawian children between the ages of 4 and 12 yrs, and they live beside our home in two houses we have built for them.  We have Malawian house parents, and Mo and I are like the grandparents.  These amazing children have come from various places of rejection and loss, and we have come to love them deeply.Joanna MorrisonWed, 04 Oct 2006 16:44:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:34http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/33/Awakening.aspx#Comments0http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=68&ModuleID=380&ArticleID=33http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=33&PortalID=1&TabID=68http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/33/Awakening.aspx You are entering Spring while we enter Winter, with a great sigh of relief for the cooler nights, and gentler days.  I cannot really say ‘cooler’ days, as you might get the wrong idea…we are still in the upper 30s most days!  I have been thinking about how much of my Easter thought has been tied to the seasons.  Spring and Easter seem to go together so well, with tulips and daffodils poking through the last of the snow, and new life beginning all around you!  However, perhaps the marriage of Spring and Easter can lead to deception, when easter bunnies and chocolate feasts steal the glory that belongs to Jesus alone. Joanna MorrisonThu, 27 Apr 2006 17:08:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:33http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/32/To-See-What-God-Sees.aspx#Comments0http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=68&ModuleID=380&ArticleID=32http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=32&PortalID=1&TabID=68http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/32/To-See-What-God-Sees.aspx How do we gain the right perspective in the midst of such hopelessness, fear, hunger and devastation?  In the same way as the prophets before us, who, confused by the devastation around them, withdrew into the ‘presence of the Lord.’  There they would begin to see with eyes of faith the hearts longing for love, the church being transformed into a perfect bride, the individuals God had brought into their lives for a touch of His great love. Joanna MorrisonFri, 31 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:32http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/31/Unflagging-Zeal.aspx#Comments0http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=68&ModuleID=380&ArticleID=31http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=31&PortalID=1&TabID=68http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/31/Unflagging-Zeal.aspx ‘With unflagging zeal, aglow with the Spirit, serve the Lord.’  Romans 12:11 f Unflagging zeal is what we need in these days of hunger.  Pastor Ali, responsible for food distribution, had to turn people away the afternoon of January 16th.  They had waited 24 hours, hoping that we would unlock some hidden supply.  The maize was gone!  Hundreds of unregistered families had turned up.  All were thin and hungry, so hungry that they built a fire upon receiving their food, and cooked a meal.  In addition to the local Malawian families, some had walked from Mozambique with news of heavy rains flooding fields and destryoing homes.Joanna MorrisonWed, 25 Jan 2006 00:00:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:31http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/29/Sit-in-the-River.aspx#Comments0http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=68&ModuleID=380&ArticleID=29http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=29&PortalID=1&TabID=68http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/29/Sit-in-the-River.aspxA weekend away was a welcome change from bug-invaded, steamy hot Bangula!  We headed up through Blantyre and on to Mulanje Mountain where we had booked a lodge on Lujeri Tea Estate with our friends, the Harrisons.  In the shadow of that great mountain, how could I help but remember the greatness of God our Creator, his power and majesty.  ‘I lift up my eyes to the mountains?  Where does my help come from?' Joanna MorrisonSat, 31 Dec 2005 00:00:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:29http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/6/Deeper-with-Him.aspx#Comments0http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=68&ModuleID=380&ArticleID=6http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=6&PortalID=1&TabID=68http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/6/Deeper-with-Him.aspxThe sieve has many uses here in Malawi. We use the smallest to remove weevils from flour. The next size up is good for removing bugs from the paddling pool. One step removed is good for removing rocks from sand. This last one is ingeniously made by poking holes in a piece of tin with a nail, big enough to let the sand through and hold back the rocks. I have been thinking about all the ways and means God uses to purify us, to sift us, to draw us into a deeper relationship with him. Joanna MorrisonFri, 01 Apr 2005 00:00:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:6http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/7/The-Feet-of-Those-Who-Bring-Good-News.aspx#Comments0http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=68&ModuleID=380&ArticleID=7http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=7&PortalID=1&TabID=68http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/7/The-Feet-of-Those-Who-Bring-Good-News.aspxA few weeks ago I did something I have been longing to do since coming here. I washed the feet of the women in my Bible study. Their feet are so worn and scarred. Their toe nails, ragged and torn if not missing altogether. I brought out a comfortable chair and had them sit while I washed their feet with soap, and rubbed cream into their calloused and cracked feet. They didn’t mind. They enjoyed it. They seemed content to sit while I served. They are worn down by the ordinary cares of living, and don’t have energy to spend questioning who should serve who.Joanna MorrisonMon, 10 Jan 2005 00:00:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:7http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/8/Going-North.aspx#Comments0http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=68&ModuleID=380&ArticleID=8http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=8&PortalID=1&TabID=68http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/8/Going-North.aspxWhen someone mentions ‘going north’ in Ontario, we all think of heading to Huntsville, or perhaps Parry Sound. ‘Going north’ in Malawi generally refers to somewhere at the Lake. Lake Malawi is a huge lake which shares its shores with Tanzania and Mozambique as well. When Livingstone was searching for the source of the Nile, he spent a lot of time on or near Lake Malawi. Joanna MorrisonFri, 01 Oct 2004 00:00:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:8http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/17/Default.aspx#Comments0http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=68&ModuleID=380&ArticleID=17http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=17&PortalID=1&TabID=68http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/17/Default.aspxThis afternoon I held Rose’s baby, now an orphan. Rose died yesterday, and her family who didn’t care for her in life, barely grieved her death. I was very sad. Baby Alucia is very sick, and may not live long. That was my second funeral in two days. Yesterday, I was at the funeral of a faithful man, a neighbour to Peter who works with me. Many gathered, and I was coached by Peter, as to what I should do. I took my place with the women. Inside the small house women wailed, as many as could fit in that small room. The men were busy: working on the coffin, making rope out of palm leaves, to carry the coffin. The women were quiet, silently caring for their neighbour with their presence. Charles’ wife was in a corner beside the body. The women stopped wailing when someone said I wanted to pray. I felt that I may have been intruding, and yet, I know that Jesus does comfort. I prayed, giving thanks for the faith I had seen in Charles, and asking the God of all comfort to draw near. I stayed for a while. Many had been there all night, and would stay through the next. I returned home with a heavy heart, as I realized the lot of a widow in Malawi. Veronica has a house and three children, but little else. Friends of her husband took many of his possessions as they believe she will die if she continues to use such useful things as a bucket. Her roof leaks and she is alone. Still, she is a woman of faith and joy…rarely have I seen her with any other expression but a smile!Joanna MorrisonSun, 01 Aug 2004 00:00:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:17http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/9/Woman-at-the-well.aspx#Comments0http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=68&ModuleID=380&ArticleID=9http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=9&PortalID=1&TabID=68http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/9/Woman-at-the-well.aspxI just walked out my kitchen door and into a story, a story about a woman sitting at a well. Her name is Rose. My heart breaks for her. She is a single mum of two. I so want to know her. She has a tin bucket with no handle, and waits while water pours from my tap, with no effort on her part. The village pump is broken again. Until yesterday, we had been without water for three days. Jesus said, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never again be thirsty. The water I shall give will be a spring of water within her, welling up and bringing eternal life.’ Joanna MorrisonTue, 01 Jun 2004 00:00:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:9http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/10/A-night-in-the-bush.aspx#Comments0http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=68&ModuleID=380&ArticleID=10http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=10&PortalID=1&TabID=68http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/10/A-night-in-the-bush.aspxSaturday morning at 10 a.m. we climbed onto the already loaded flat bed truck. Lauren (a friend who has been visiting this month) and I (Jo) were on an adventure, an overnight choir trip up to Mulanje Mountain. The choir was already singing as we piled in, and found a space. This was my first time away from our kids since our arrival six months ago, and I was ready. We sang some familiar songs first, and then learned some new ones. Malawian songs always have a lead line, which is great because they cue the rest of us. The harmonies are incredible. The road was very bumpy because of the rain and I was glad to have a mattress beneath me. The tarmack was a welcome sight.Joanna MorrisonMon, 17 May 2004 00:00:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:10http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/18/Lost-and-Found.aspx#Comments0http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=68&ModuleID=380&ArticleID=18http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=18&PortalID=1&TabID=68http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/18/Lost-and-Found.aspxRose has been coming here daily to get a bottle of milk, plus oil, plus sugar (as many calories as I can cram into a bottle) for her baby who was near death. She may have AIDS and her baby, Lucia, is tiny. In five days, both mother and baby look different. Rose came looking for help – anything I could give her. Magdalena is grandma to two little boys who are only about nine months apart, one of whom is always crying (They live just on the other side of our fence so we hear him every night). The children’s mother has been sick, and Magdalena always carries a baby on her back and came, needing medicine. Nduzen helps me with my laundry. She is a single mother of two, and almost danced for joy when I gave her a gift from the Browns for the extra laundry. These are some of my neighbours. The best help I can give is to help each of these lost ones find Jesus. The hard part for me is how to get out of the way, so that they see Jesus, not me. Joanna MorrisonMon, 29 Mar 2004 00:00:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:18http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/19/Is-there-an-edge-to-the-rain-Mummy.aspx#Comments0http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=68&ModuleID=380&ArticleID=19http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=19&PortalID=1&TabID=68http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/19/Is-there-an-edge-to-the-rain-Mummy.aspxThat is the question that came from Daniel, as we drove towards a very cloudy sky, earlier today. In Africa, the sky is always changing and you can see the weather miles away. You can see the ‘edge’ to the rain. ‘Can you see out of the rain to where there is no rain, if you are close enough to the edge?’ chimed in Patrick. Great questions, arising because of a beautiful, expressive sky, loaded with rain clouds. Yes, we have had rain. Yesterday it rained hard most of the day. A friend came by in the morning and together we looked at 1 John 1, and prayed. There was much to pray for, and we inevitably pleaded for rain. The same day the newspaper declared that 3.5 million people would starve in the Lower Shire Region. Just the night before, I had passed a neighbour, who told me she was hungry. The pump which supplies our village is broken, and so people are without even water. I wonder how God will meet all these needs.Joanna MorrisonSun, 25 Jan 2004 00:00:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:19http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/20/Waiting-and-Creating.aspx#Comments0http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=68&ModuleID=380&ArticleID=20http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=20&PortalID=1&TabID=68http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/20/Waiting-and-Creating.aspxTwo themes have surfaced for me this Christmas, waiting and creating….waiting, because we continue to wait for rain with longing, and expectancy; and creating, because we have had to create everything with simple materials and yet we have found joy in so doing.Joanna MorrisonThu, 01 Jan 2004 00:00:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:20http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/21/Update-November-2003.aspx#Comments0http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=68&ModuleID=380&ArticleID=21http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=21&PortalID=1&TabID=68http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/21/Update-November-2003.aspxMo has written about the large scale, and now I'll share a bit about the straggling sheep that come to our door each day. Our kids are really learning what it means to ‘need’. Everyday real people come to our door with real needs.Joanna MorrisonSun, 02 Nov 2003 00:00:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:21http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/22/Update-October-2003.aspx#Comments0http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=68&ModuleID=380&ArticleID=22http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=22&PortalID=1&TabID=68http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/22/Update-October-2003.aspxI began a Bible study for the ladies from the church last Thursday. Ruth, a woman who lives nearby, is teaching me Chichewa and translates for me. I shouldn’t have been surprised that we started two hours later than we had said. We bought mats to put on the floor so there would be enough seats and the women loved to listen as they sat on the floor. Spending time with these women made me long to speak Chichewa, to pray, to worship. It is coming but slowly. As I taught the pastors today, I threw in the odd word which they enjoyed immensely. I taught about Inductive Bible Study, a new concept to most of the pastors. We studied Col.3:12-17 and talked about what it means to put on compassion, kindness, gentleness and patience in the same way we put on clothes each morning. I enjoy teaching at the Bible school once a week.Joanna MorrisonMon, 20 Oct 2003 00:00:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:22http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/23/Update-October-2003.aspx#Comments0http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/RssComments.aspx?TabID=68&ModuleID=380&ArticleID=23http://www.morrisonafrica.com/DesktopModules/DnnForge%20-%20NewsArticles/Tracking/Trackback.aspx?ArticleID=23&PortalID=1&TabID=68http://www.morrisonafrica.com/News/tabid/68/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/23/Update-October-2003.aspxThe sunset is always beautiful in Bangula, of that we can be certain. The sun begins as a fiery red ball at about 5 p.m. and then quickly sinks, leaving the sky a beautiful pink in it’s wake. ‘Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens. Your faithfulness stretches to the sky.’ Does it stretch here? It does. I know Christ is here because he has promised never to leave me or forsake me. I also know that He is where the poor and down trodden are. Joanna MorrisonTue, 07 Oct 2003 00:00:00 GMTf1397696-738c-4295-afcd-943feb885714:23