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by Tom Logan
Marion Medical Mission’s major goal last year was to install 300 shallow wells in 6 weeks. An impossible goal, 300 wells in 300 remote African villages. To add to the difficulty, two of the best shallow well truck drivers spent the remaining 3 weeks of the scheduled mission trip in a hospital in South Africa. I was the patient, and Jocelyn, my wife, came with me to be my personal care giver. The newly purchased shallow well truck was now smashed beyond repair and made the task even more daunting.
| The Malawian shallow well teams and the U.S. team continued on, even though only two of the six Americans had ever been to Malawi before. Our goal, remember, was to install 300 wells in 6 weeks. When the dust settled and the 6 weeks had elapsed, 312 wells had been built and installed providing an additional 90 to 100,000 people with safe drinking water. Praise God! |
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Another urgent Marion Medical Mission project last year was to provide a squatters area known as Kauma Village, with safe drinking water. Seventeen thousand people live in this area, smashed together in deplorable conditions, inside the Capital City of Lilongwe. They had been getting their drinking water from open polluted ponds resulting in the spread of various diseases including Cholera. This was a project that was tearing at my heart. There was a city water main within a kilometer of the squatters village. The City Water Board wanted $31,000 to extend water line to Kauma Village and provide six taps. Together, working with the Capital City Baptist Church and seven churches in Kauma Village, Marion Medical Mission extended the city water main providing 32 water taps to 8 locations. Because of the self-help involved, the cost was only $14,291. Now for the first time, these 17,000 people have safe drinking water. |
In addition we are building a second dormitory at the Embangweni School for the Hard of Hearing, a New Headmasters home at Chizimya Full Primary School, a two-room school block at the Kamsolo, and we are rehabilitating 10 more teachers homes at the Embangweni Full Primary School.
We also delivered 70 some footlockers full of medical supplies and tools to the Embangweni Hospital and mission station. We purchased three motorcycles for the three shallow well field officers, 50 bicycles for shallow well maintenance people and provided scholarships for 28 secondary students and transportation scholarships for 30 students at the Embangweni School for the Hard of Hearing.
How fantastic this mission is and what a real joy it is for those of us privileged to participate hands on in Malawi.
God has blessed Marion Medical Mission projects in a way I don’t see often. There is a uniqueness about Marion Medical Mission that should be stressed. We are a Christian, front line, hands on mission. Our projects are projects that directly impact the African people (Shallow Wells, Schools, Churches, Hospitals). We work directly with those who benefit from our projects in Africa and we stress self-help. We personally go, we personally do, we personally audit, we personally work hand in hand with God’s people with Christ in the guise of the least of these.
Marion Medical Mission makes sure 100% of designated funds get to their designated purposes, and we make sure 100% of undesignated funds get to the mission field in Malawi without even the cost of a stamp deducted.
Our goal is to disburse what we receive every year. We don’t escrow money for a rainy day. The money is needed now.
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| When George Lewis, an attorney from Quincy, Illinois, heard that Tom Logan was
coming to Quincy make a presentation about wells, he was intrigued. Back in the 1950s, he
had known and respected Dr. Jay Logan, Tom?s father. George attended the presentation at
Ellington Memorial Presbyterian Church and was impressed with Marion Medical Mission?s
projects. In addition, he had several conversations with Jerry Roush, also from Quincy and
a MMM volunteer. Jerry talked about his experience in Malawi, and George thought it
sounded better than any mission program he had every heard of. George and his son, Gary, Carbondale, Colorado, joined a team of eight who made their trip half way around the globe to Malawi in Central Africa. Their mission was to help complete and dedicate approximately 300 shallow wells. They were shocked by the enormous need of the people in Malawi for clean, safe drinking water. By the end of 2000, there were 312 shallow wells completed. |
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George and Gary returned from their three-week venture enthusiastic about their experience. They had expected to give of their time and energy, but they received "far more" from the friendly and appreciative Malawians than they were able to give.
George said, "I wish I’d gone years earlier."
The following note is from Nicole Tate, Marion, Illinois, who joined the MMM team as she neared the completion of a year traveling around the world.
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Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed my time with you in Malawi. It was truly a life-changing experience. We had such a wonderful team - I feel a special bond with everyone who went. Working with the shallow wells and being out there in the true bush - I will never forget it. Seeing the sheer joy on the people’s faces as they had their first drink of fresh water - WOW! It’s beyond words. Delivering babies and all that goes with it. - ON MY OWN! Peter (a Malawian) trying to give me cooking lessons every night. He felt sorry for me because I wasn’t married and thought if I learned to cook better I might find me a man. I could go on and on. Thanks for including me! Love, Nicole Tate |
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by Tom Logan
Dear friends:
After my accident I learned first hand how truly wonderful and special the Christian community is. The cards, the emails, the prayers; they helped in my recovery. It would have been very difficult to go through those rough times without the support I received. Knowing you were praying for me while in the hospital in South Africa meant so very much to me. How great God’s family is. How special you are. Thank you so much.
I still have some nerve problems in my foot and I’ll need a blood test at the end of April to rule out any lingering problems. So keep the prayers coming. But know that the wonderful, exciting, adventure of life continues and that I am anxious to get back to the front lines. God has blessed my life in so many incredible ways providing me with so many opportunities to be a part of His awesome creation.
Tom
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The following are excerpts from recent letters from our brothers and sisters in Christ in Malawi.
Last academic year twelve students went to secondary school and two of them are girls. I am really proud of them - and proud of my teachers. I suggest that this time scholarship money is highly needed.*
May God bless you and the entire Marion Medical Mission.
Eddie L Jere
Headmaster, Chizimya Full Primary School
Embangweni, Malawi
(* A scholarship for one student to attend secondary school - high school - is $50 per year.)
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We still commend you for your good work in the hands of God so that you continue to provide people with good and safe water as well as assisting schools and hospitals. May God bless you and the whole family. M.M. Hara |
| From a letter written by Jim McGill a Presbyterian Church U.S.A. missionary in Malawi and Synod of Livingstonia projects manager. He is directly involved with the MMM shallow well work on a daily basis. "You are so good to the people of Malawi. Several hundred thousand people now use protected water drawn from shallow wells, made possible from the generosity of people in the States and through the time and energy of teams of workers who come annually to help in the actual installation of new wells. In fact 1999 was our banner year - the thousandth well was installed through the Marion Medical Mission Project. "The reason that we have experienced such success is simple: these wells are built by communities, in concert with MMM, then maintained by communities once Shallow Well teams go home. Like the saying of Chinese Prophet, Lao Tsu, 700 B.C.: Start with what they know; build with what they have. But, with the best leaders, when the work is done - the task accomplished, the people will say, ‘We have done this ourselves.’ We are proud of the accomplishments of both "best leaders" from the U.S. and Malawians in their villages. "As a personal thought, there is nothing more compassionate and caring than to provide to others the gift of clean water. The impact of that gift given in Christian fellowship, is profound in the bush of Africa. I am reminded of Psalms 63: 1 that says: 0 God, you are my God, my soul earnestly seeks you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." Faithfully, |
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This is just a brief note of thanks for all of the wonderful supplies and drugs that Marion (Medical Mission) brought for the hospital. We know you put a lot of hard work (and money) into procurement and packing, and I wanted to let you know how much we appreciated your hard work. Please pass on our thanks to all concerned. The gifts are all being used now, and will be of direct benefit to the people this hospital serves. Thank you too for the wonderful work that Marion (Medical Mission) has accomplished this year for the people of our community. The program is a great one, and as an institution we are proud to be part of it. Yours sincerely, |
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