McAuley 2011 Year in Review Update

by Larry and Linda McAuley ~ January 2012

In one sentence, what is your ministry’s primary goal?

To facilitate growth in partner churches, organizations and communities as we seek to proclaim Christ in word and deed growing in all areas of life to be more like Christ, to restore His Kingdom, and to be instruments of grace used of God to draw others to Himself.

Over the past year, how have you seen God working in your ministry? Please share both the progress and the setbacks with respect to your ministry goals. Please include your joys, challenges, and/or disappointments.
2011 has been a very difficult year for us. During the course of the year we had to make the difficult decision (with consultation from all stakeholders) to sever the ten-year partnership we had had with Save Orphans Ministries. It is never easy to mark the end of a long relationship. We pray that SOM will continue to serve the children, families and communities of Central Malawi.

Our work permit for Malawi expired in December 2010. We applied for renewal in October 2010 – two months ahead of the expiration date. In Janauary 2011 we began communicating with the Immigration office to check on the progress of the application. We were assured that it had been processed and was now on the Minister’s desk awaiting his signature. Weeks became months and now it’s a year later and still no action! It is becoming increasingly difficult to travel out of Malawi and return with this unclear visa status. Malawi has changed their immigration laws and our application has somehow fallen through the cracks. It is affecting not only our peace of mind, but also the future direction of our work.

Our CRWRC Team Leader, Zakka Chomock succumbed to liver cancer leaving a vacancy in the structure of our team and many administrative and organizational details hanging.

But, despite these difficulties, God is still sovereign God and His Kingdom work presses on! We continue to enjoy welcoming work groups and volunteers, carrying out and facilitating training with our partner staff, seeing the work that is going on in communities in Malawi and Mozambique, and seeing people, families, and communities changing, growing and being transformed – little by little – but progress nevertheless!

Briefly discuss any goals, dreams, and/or changes you would anticipate in your ministry for the coming year.
We had the privilege of returning to Alale, Kenya (where we lived and worked with Africa Inland Church and the Pokot people for 16 years) for a two week consultation and training visit. It was a HUGE encouragement to see how God has grown His church there and how people, families, and communities have grown and changed. God is faithful! We MAY have opportunity in the coming months to do some more follow-up training and capacity building with the community and the Alale Station Committee.

Because of the work permit situation here in Malawi it is very likely that we may be leaving Malawi during 2012. We don’t know yet. This is still under discussion and we (RCA, CRWRC, and us) are seeking God’s will in this. We just want our calling, experience, training and skills to be used to God’s glory wherever He sends us! 

Share any specific project related needs and other ways supporting churches might be able to assist you.

• Training – this is an on-going need as we seek to build capacity not only at the partner staff level but in communities.
• Community Development Facilitators (CDF) – community-based staff working with local groups to build capacity and help communities move toward more sustainable livelihoods. $175 goes a long way toward covering the costs of training one CDF in the annual two-week training course in which they cover topics of developing a Biblical worldview, sustainable agriculture, malaria and AIDS prevention, and many other technical areas which they then pass on to thousands of participants in their groups
• Community Based Nursery School Teachers training — $100 helps to train one volunteer teacher and provide some basic teaching aids. These community-chosen volunteers are a real blessing to the thousands of orphan children as they help prepare them for admission into primary schools. There are now about 54 of these community-owned nursery schools.
• Partner Staff training – there are many training opportunities for growing in skills needed to carry out effective community development. However most of these are way too expensive to be practical. Amounts could range from as little as $50 to help a pastor participate in a week of Timothy Leadership Training to as much as $3000 toward the cost of a staff person attending a two week course in something like project management.
• Malawi Children’s Feeding Program (NRD) – in collaboration with communities, committees, and government health workers, malnourished children are selected for nutritional supplements through High Protein Supplements provided through gifts. This year we are targeting 100 children in five communities for assistance and monitoring as well as training for their caregivers. $25/month helps to provide the HPS, transport and training for one child. 
• Come and see – come and help! Volunteers and work teams can always find a way to encourage through hands-on help! And the enthusiasm for missions you gain through the experience is a boost to your local church’s ministry!
     • Maintenance and building
     • Helping with a Bible camp for kids
     • Passing on skills in accounting or proposal writing or simply basic computer skills
     • Take a sabbatical and teach in a church-sponsored high school or seminary

Questions about any of the projects can be directed to RCA Africa Supervisor, Derrick Jones at djones@rca.org or his assistant, Sharon Schramel at sschramel@rca.org or by calling 1-800-228-3013. 

Please tell us about ongoing as well as special prayer needs you may have at this time.
• God’s interventions in resolving the work permit issue – in His way and His time!
• Thanksgiving for son Matt’s marriage to Natalie in London in February 2012.
• Effective witnessing to the awesome love, presence, power, and salvation of our Lord!

Your co-workers in Kingdom work,

Larry and Linda McAuley

About Larry and Linda McAuley

Country Consultant, Malawi

 Love in Action: Service in Malawi and Mozambique from Phil Tanis on Vimeo.

Larry and Linda McAuley serve jointly with Reformed Church in America (RCA) and Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) in Malawi and Mozambique. Larry and Linda met at Sterling College, Sterling, KS where Linda obtained her BS in Elementary Education. Larry transferred to Kansas State University after his second year of college where he earned BS and MS degrees in Agronomy.

After marrying in 1972, Larry and Linda served 2 years in Ethiopia with Presbyterian Church, US (PCUS) as Volunteers in Mission teaching at Bethel Evangelical Secondary School. While in Ethiopia, they also worked on a mission station on the Omo River with the Daasanach people helping with a windmill program.

When their tour of service ended in Ethiopia, the McAuley’s returned to the States where Larry managed a corn/bean/hog farm in Illinois for 5 years. In those years on the farm, though, God kept stirring their hearts to return to the mission field. In 1981, Larry and Linda answered the call to do pioneer church-planting and community development work with the Pokot people in western Kenya.

During the 15 years they worked in this semi-arid area as RCA missionaries working hand in hand with Africa Inland Church, they helped the community start a school, a clinic, several churches, demonstration gardens, water development work, literacy, women’s development programs – and were blessed with 3 children!

In 1997, Larry returned to school beginning a program of study at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis. Sabbatical year finished (but not the studies), Larry and Linda accepted the joint assignment with RCA and CRWRC in Malawi and Mozambique in 1998 that they still hold. Larry is the Country Consultant for Malawi/Mozambique and Linda is a “Designated Volunteer” working with partner staff to identify training needs and opportunities, strengthening the adult literacy program, hosting and orienting volunteers and guests, and taking care of much of the correspondence from the field.

Larry finished his MA in Theological Studies in 2001 and enjoys integrating the fields of theology, agriculture, and development in his consultation with partner staff and communities.

Email:  lmcauley@crwrc.org