Missionaries
The Mithen Family
John and Portland
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| John and Portland |
Dear Friends,
We hope that each of you is doing well. Tomorrow (Tuesday), the country of Malawi is holding its presidential elections. There has been much campaigning noted in downtown Mzuzu, 5 miles outside of Rafiki. While we are hoping according to some of the local national employees all will go smoothly, there is concern that there may be unrest in some parts of Malawi. Please pray with us for Godly leadership, and for His protection and safety over the election process and people of Malawi on tomorrow.
School News. This past week, John has been teaching the children about habitats and had mentioned that it would be nice to have a turtle to show this to the class. A couple of days later we received a call from Madame Debbie the Village Educational Director at Rafiki. There was a turtle 
sighting! Making its way across the dirt road outside of the dining hall was a little box turtle. John & I jumped in the car and headed to the dining hall, scooping up “Fannie” Fulu (turtle in Tambuka) to take in for the children. It is a very sweet thing to see how the Lord provides daily just what we need as we trust Him. Fannie will most likely be released back into the wild this next week after providing an educational experience for the 2nd grade class. I have attached a picture of a recent field trip to town with John. The boys names are Thomas, Chris, Gabriel, Mwiza, Stanley and Gerald Please continue to pray for God’s encouragement and strength daily as we serve Him.
Medically, there has been minor medical illnesses and accidents, and am grateful for the these last few weeks as I learn to balance the musical teaching. Continue to pray that the children and staff would remain healthy at Rafiki. First and second grade children along with the Junior Secondary School girls are quite an age difference and require difference teaching methods. 
Please pray that God would go before daily granting me grace and wisdom in teaching the children how about music and how to worship Him with their voices. I have attached the pictures of some of the Junior Secondary Students 2, 3s, (2nd and 3rd year students). On the far left is Amina and next to her Tamweka. Beside me on my right is Tryness, and on my left is Jessie.
We are grateful for the health and safety that God continues to provide over us and the village. This past week I had a “double blow” taking out two of the tires on the left side of our van after clipping a cement block covered with grass. The blessing is that it happened at Rafiki and was able to receive help in getting tires changed, and also a needed replacement for one of the tires. Elin Klauke, our neighbor and ROS was given quite a scare and had just dropped her off at the Junior Secondary School, when she called for help. John and I also learned that we had no air in our spare tire and are planning to drive to Lilongwe this weekend. We will be picking up a two mini-missionaries and also celebrating our 22nd wedding anniversary. Lilongwe is a 4 hour drive with many “dead spaces” especially through the mountainous areas where calls cannot be sent or received. Thankfully the tires have been quickly repaired and we are road worthy again. I understand that this is one of the many challenges to living in Africa.
We are so very thankful for your kindness and prayers! Eph 1:16
In His Love,
Portland & John
(April 2009)
Dear Prayer Circle,
Tonight as I was to our duplex from the medical clinic and was thinking of how different life is here and some of the many adjustments that we have gone through since we came. Often times I will reflect back on our past and am amazed how God prepares us in advance for the work that He calls us to do. We appreciate your continued prayers on our behalf. John is taking on additional duties and also teaching Math this week to first graders, while I have begun teaching 1st and 2nd graders along with the teen girls music (and art) along with the medical duties. Pray that God would encourage and guide us in our teaching roles and that we would be effective communicators and the children good listeners. There are many cultural challenges and especially with the young teens and we pray that the Lord would help us in reaching and teaching them.
It is very humbling living here. Only 6% of Malawi have electricity. We are rich in many ways while our house is equipped with running water, electricity and cooking appliances the average Malawian is not. Our house is cement, with polished red floors so your soles of your feet have a new color. Cement floors are a luxury here since most of the houses have dirt floors, and thatched roofs. The Lord knew we would need help in daily duties and living here and provided Abgail Mumba, and gardener, Reshard Chisi , to us. Reshard helps maintain our vegetable garden so we have fresh vegetables, and Abgail continues to help me with our home. Life is hard yet simple. Because of the simplicity and lack of distractions there is also a beauty that can be seen in the little things and relationships that are very important in Africa.
Season’s are reversed and the climate is growing cooler. Our duplex is not equipped with heat or air conditioning along with the rest of the village and am grateful for the bedding and comforter I brought. Space heaters are needed in the winter months during June, July, August to stay warm. The rainy season is coming to a close and with the cooler weather the village has had a burst of children with upper respiratory illnesses. Please pray that God would heal and protect the village. This is no small matter with 83 little children all in close contact, living, playing, eating and going to school together.
This past week we had several firsts. Our first fender bender, our first week of teaching school as the children returned from Spring Break, and a trip to Chintechi Inn at Lake Malawi. Thankfully, mo one was injured in the fender bender which occurred outside the medical clinic and involved the glass in our back window, and minor dent to the trunk of our van. The Chintechi Inn is located two hours away from Mzuzu, on Lake Malawi and is a nice place to get away for a day trip or weekend.
As we begin a new week – we would like to ask for your prayers for wisdom regarding additional repair or replacement of our existing vehicle. The Rafiki vehicles are older models, many are needing parts or some repair to keep in operation.
Pray for God’s grace and wisdom in lesson planning, balancing of schedule and joy as we continue to step outside our comfort zone with teaching.
Please pray for our safety and continued healing of the children and staff here as the weather changes.
Also we ask for your prayers safety and protection regarding our family and loved ones. One of our son’s Phillip goes into the hospital for day surgery on his shoulder this next week and pray for smooth and successful operation.
We love and miss each of you. Even though we may not be able to write each of you, please know how much you mean to us and will try to send emails out periodically.
All our love,
John & Portland Mithen
(previous letter)
Dear Ones,
There is so much to praise the Lord for and just want to share an update with you this evening. How grateful and thankful I am for you for your prayers and for my safe arrival in Malawi at our Rafiki Village.
The journey was quite an adventure, and began before we left the airport. Travel regulations have changed recently and because I had no letter of official introduction or work permit yet, British Airways would not let me get on the plane. This was our first hurdle on Sunday. God had gone before us, enabling me to immediately contact our home office and make necessary arrangements to purchase a ticket through the airlines so I could travel.
“Cancelled, cancelled, cancelled...” one after another was the display of the flight board of cancelled flights as I arrived in London Heathrow on Monday afternoon via Wales International Airport, three hours away. My plane was diverted to Wales where a small airport overwhelmed by the volume of unplanned passengers and baggage did the best they could to route us to London. As I arrived in London, going into the storm, all flights were cancelled in-and-out of Heathrow. Workers were also hard to find since many were unable to come to work due to weather. All hotels were booked and people were camping out in the airport for the night. However, our God who is in control of all things, to include the weather, the planes, the pilots knew what was going to happen ahead of time. As I read the flight board “cancelled” for the next few hours and the uncertainty, I had great peace, and just thought “maybe” I would be flying out. At 1700 up pops the words...”on time” “boarding...B45” God is always on time! You see, mine was one of a handful of flights that left London Heathrow Monday night. A little later, but on time, and in time to catch my next flight.
Praising Him for his great peace, protection and provision to carry me safely through a bad weather storm in Europe, yes! for 10 hour layovers (I would not have made the flight and connections otherwise), for a husband’s wisdom, guidance and foresight with boarding passes, baggage and much more, for helping hands in flight, and a wonderful team here at Rafiki to greet and welcome me here at the Village in Malawi.
All my love,
Portland
Joshua 1:9
Please note our new mailing address: P.O. Box 1018, Mzuzu, Malawi SE Africa.
