A note from John 2/11/2019

In 2016, a fellow church member, Natalie Stephens came to me about an orphanage in Malawi that desperately needed help feeding some children. (I was an elder at Central Church at the time.)  In order to make sure that we would be good stewards of the Lord’s money, we set out to find out more about the El Shaddaih Orphanage and Blessings Nyasulu, the woman who ran the orphanage.

We found out that it is a newly formed orphanage, run by a very Godly woman. The orphanage was in need of everything, practically speaking. Natalie, Deb Vonnahme and I decided travel to Malawi to have a look. I was impressed with two primary things:

1) From the moment we got there, it was obvious that the spirit of the Lord was present. We saw joy flowing from the children, in spite of having “nothing”. They have a church building on campus (thatched walls and roof). The kids worship and pray every day at 8AM and 8PM!  Even though they are lucky to have enough food for the children, they share it with local jailed prisoners and minister to them, sometimes leading prisoners to Christ. They also regularly clean the local hospital, even though there is often not enough money to get their own healthcare. They do all of this in the name of the Lord.

2) The needs are great. This orphanage is fast growing. Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world. Malaria, AIDS, and other diseases ravage the people.  Recently, the area was hit by flooding and strong winds. The orphanage needs help with repairs caused by the winds and flooding. The government is forcing the orphanage to build a new dormitory building for the girls because the current one is in a state of disrepair.

Our dream is to create a sustainable cash flow and other support so that the children will have adequate food, clothing, shelter, healthcare and education. If we can accomplish this, then we can break the cycle of poverty in the lives of about 100 children. We need your help. If you can’t give money, then pass the word and pray. Call me if you want more details. 712-792-6400.

John Sklenar

Founder of Blessings for El Shaddaih Inc.

Carroll, Iowa

Blessings Nyasulu & John Sklenar