Mission Malawi 2013 Well Project update

It has been awhile since we last posted. The girls have been busy with activities! In addition, we welcomed a new daughter, Anna, an exchange student from Germany. She has been a blessing to our family. The girls continue with their well project and have drilled 4 wells in Malawi. The well project continues and we are also adding a project that is a development of an activity center for a preschool in Lilongwe, Malawi. We visited this preschool and feel called to support their program as they have so little. The girls continue their bracelet and notecard sales. They are $5.00 each. Notecards come in packs of 5. Last minute Christmas gifts? They will be making bracelets until December 21 and will ship bracelets and/or notecards until December 22. If you have a specific color bracelet you want, let us know! Below are some that are ready to go. Thank you to all that have supported the project. Finally, please share the girls' page. A $1.00 will be donated to their project for every "like" that the page gets from now until December 25, our special day in which we celebrate Jesus' birth. So, share away! Wishing you all a magical holiday season filled with family, friends and celebration of Jesus' birth.

The girls continue to raise funds for the wells in Malawi. They are nearing the $40,000 mark! Truly amazing:) We are grateful for the continued support from many near and far. Our hope is for the third well to be drilled this summer and the fourth well by fall.

Mission Malawi Well Update

Malawi Well Fund: There is great news to share. Because of continued bracelet sales and special gifts, the Emma and Claire Malawi Well Fund has now reached the goal for funding a third $10,000 deep drilled bore well. With requests for more bracelets, the project will continue. Proceeds from bracelet sales and special gifts will now go toward a fourth well, at the very least a $4,000 shallow well, and possibly another $10,000 bore well. The girls are also selling greeting cards (professionally done with Malawi pictures and in packets of 6 cards for $7.00) to help with the water well project and to provide funds for the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Malawi Children's Education and Activity Center. In addition, originally designed artwork Malawi/Africa cards are available for purchase (6 cards for $7.00). The German artists (Maria Zacherl of Vilsbiburg and Sascha Hoelldobler of Aidenbach) are Emma and Claire Malawi Well Fund supporters. Cards can be shipped for an additional $2.00/order!

WKBT News: Segment 1 of 2

http://video.news8000.com/watch.php?id=45626 Here is the link for the girls' well story on TV news station WKBT!

Malawi Favorites

Malawi Favorites

WKBT News Channel 8

Channel 8 news from LaCrosse was at our house yesterday. Carrie Vick will do a story on the 5:00 or 6:00 news tonight. It could develop into a 2 part story in which part 2 would be televised tomorrow night(Friday) at 5:00 pm or 6:00 pm.

We are home!

We are home safe and sound. We were blessed with an amazing experience in Malawi and South Africa. I hope to post more about our trip as well as photos in the next few days.

Malawi

Goodbye Malawi, Hello South Africa

WiFi was very limited and access to post challenging so I apologize for the delay in communicating with our blog followers. We had a great last week in Malawi. We visited many villages including a feeding station. We stayed in Zomba and drove through the Zomba mountains, we met and visited with many amazing people. We have arrived safely from Malawi to Johannesburg, South Africa. Our goodbyes yesterday were filled with many emotions. The sendoff at ELCM was filled with love and we all felt the presence of God as we prayed, sang songs of praise and farewell, gave gifts and parted our separate ways. I thank God for our time in Malawi. Bishop's words at our departure have been imprinted in my heart forever, "You all have given HOPE to those who felt there was no HOPE." Truly we have been blessed by so many and we look forward to sharing our life-changing experience with many. To all of our brothers and sisters in Christ that we have connected with in Malawi, we say "Zikomo," thank you!

Well in Madisi

Below is the video of the well dedication in Madisi. It was amazing, truly amazing! We hope to post some more photos in the next few days. Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers.

Below are just a few pictures of the visit to the maze mill on the ELCM campus. They welcomed us, showed us how maze is made and enjoyed singing and dancing with Emma and Claire. Tomorrow we head to Kathongera to dedicate the well and on Sunday will dedicate the second well at Madisi. We hope to be able to update the blog in a few days. A few highlights: *Tonight after the bible study for the new church we were invited back to a home in the village for dinner. It was dark as we were late getting to the service so we ate with 2 candles. The meal consisted of beef, goat, chicken, vegetables, potatoes, rice and sema(like a heavy dumpling and served with every meal). *The major part of Lilongwe has been without water since we have been there. They have been bringing water to our rooms for the toilets but we have been unable to shower. *The welcoming service they had for us yesterday was filled with drama, song, dance, scripture and friendship building. We managed to stay revived although we were very tired from our travels. *The people here are so appreciative and loving. They have so little and yet their hearts so big. *Emmma and Claire have been treated like royalty over here both by the people and the Bishop. Their work with raising money for the 2 wells has been a blessing to them and it is evident that they appreciate their service and dedication to their villages. Missy

We are in Malawi! Very limited access to internet. Presently I am using someone else's wireless connection. Updates may be fewer than I thought. Today we travel to Kasungu and then to Kathongera where our first of the 2 Emma and Claire Wells will be dedicated. We have been welcomed with open arms. We are in awe of the limited resources even at the retreat center. We just returned from seeing a maze mill. The people of Malawi are truly amazing. Perhaps we will have access to post more tonight once we are settled in to our next stop We are all well. Love to all, Missy

We made it!

We arrived in Johannesburg, South Africa a few hours ago. Our driver, Simon met us at the airport and has gotten us safely checked in to our hotel for a short night of rest before heading back to the airport. One more lag of 3 hours and then we will be in Lilongwe, Malawi. The flight was very long, very full and tiring. All is well and I hope to be able to send another post with some photos in a few days. Love, The Hereks and Bergs

News 8

News 8 out of LaCrosse was at our house today to interview the girls. They have decided to do a 2 part story and therefore will wait to air until a later date. I will let you know when they schedule it to be televised.

News 8

Carrie Vick from News 8 in LaCrosse has contacted the girls and will be doing a story on them this Monday. It should air at the 6:00 and 10:00 news. She has asked the girls to take video of their trip and plans to do a followup interview upon their return.

Until our posts from Malawi, we speak to you in Chichewa....."Zikomo" and "Lawira" Thanks and Goodbye!

*Well Fund update: I am comfortable stating that the amount the girls have raised is close to $23,000. *I plan to upload some photos from the Dovre Mother-Daughter banquet *This will be the last time that I post until we are able to post once in Africa. We leave for Minneapolis on Monday night and fly out Tuesday afternoon. A short flight to Atlanta and a 2 hour layover is the beginning of the journey. We then board for our almost 19 hour flight to Johannesburg, South Africa and then another flight of 2.5 hours to Lilongwe. Emotions for me are running high presently. I just can't believe the time is here. The girls are almost packed. Lee and I plan to do our packing tomorrow. *Feeling Blessed