SIM Australia PO Box 42 Penshurst 2222 www.sim.org.au (02) 9580 1422 SIM Malawi PO Box 136 Blantyre, Malawi malawi.sim.org

*AEC - Africa Evangelical Church, SIM Malawi’s partner church with whom we work.

a duiker named BAMBI

Stories Belongingof

MEEKNESS and MAJESTY“Meekness and majesty,Manhood and Deity,In perfect harmony,The Man who is God.Lord of eternityDwells in humanity,Kneels in humilityAnd washes our feet.

Newsletter of the Ong family serving in Malawi, Africa Issue 49, Sept/Oct/Nov/Dec 2018

lifeOne of the perks of living in Malawi is being able to experience different African wildlife. On our recent trip up to the capital of Malawi, we came across a tied up baby duiker (pronounced die-kah). A duiker is a type of small antelope that is native to Africa. They are gentle creatures found in dense wooded areas. Rural Malawians eat duikers for bush-meat and tell us that they tastes as good as goat!

We managed to rescue the duiker (which we named Bambi) and care for it for two days, feeding it milk from a bottle, before taking it to the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre so it can receive good care and be released back into the wild in the future to join other duikers.

We have even signed up to ‘adopt’ Bambi by contributing $20 towards her care at the wild-life centre. She had a respiratory infection and needed antibiotics right away. We are so happy that Bambi is being well looked after by the vets at the LWC. It was a great learning experience for the Onglets in caring for God’s creatures.

Family photo with Bambi the duiker just before we took her into the wildlife centre

Outside the wildlife centre with our Certi�cate of Adoption

O what a mystery,Meekness and majesty.Bow down and worshipFor this is your God,This is your God.”

Graham Kendrick

May this Christmas fill us anew with the wonder of the Incarnation. May your hearts make room for Jesus who being in the very nature God made himself nothing by becoming a servant, taking on our humanity, and humbling himself to die for us (Phil 2:6-8). May we respond to our King in worship.

YOUTH DISCIPLESHIP It is not easy for youth in Malawi to find work after finishing school, that is if they are lucky enough to finish school in the first place. To give the youth purpose and to empower them by giving them income generating opportuni-ties, we have been meeting with the youth from our Chichewa church every Wednesday to study the Bible together as well as to teach them new skills,. We’ve been learning about how we can be good stewards of the resources God has given us - time, money, people, creation. Pete and his co-workers Jonathan and MacDonald have been working with the boys, teaching them to make com-post, eco-bricks, repurposed glass bottle tumblers, and to grow vegetables in a sustain-able way. Jo and Eneles have been working with the girls, with Jo teaching the skills com-ponent as part of Tiyamike, and Eneles lead-ing the girls in Bible study. The girls have learnt how to make repurposed bottle cap beeswax lipbalms, crochet discarded plastics into bags, and bake cupcakes.

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HAppy 4th birthday Tiyamike!It is hard to believe that it has been four years since that very first sewing class began in our garage! We continue to be amazed at what God is doing through this women’s empowerment ministry as it contin-ues to grow, expand, and touch lives. We have now trained over forty women and girls with another twenty currently learning with us. We can also celebrate the fact that Tiyamike is now an ‘official’ SIM project with its own project number which would make it easier for donors to give.Please continue to pray for that God will continue to provide what we need each week.

To donate to the TIYAMIKE WOMEN EMPOWERMENT project:www.sim.org.au/tiyamikesewing

SIM Project number: 096854

Boys group studying the Word of God

Girls group learning to make repurposed bottle top beeswax lipbalms

O what a mystery,Meekness and majesty.Bow down and worshipFor this is your God,This is your God.”

Graham Kendrick

kanyali NURSERY SCHOOL UPDATEAfter much prayerful discussion with SIM, it has been decided that it would be better to purchase land specifically for the nursery school. With the funds gener-ously donated to the nursery school by our supporters, we were able to purchase a piece of land from the chief. It is exciting to see that things for the nursery school is really starting to pick up speed. The school has now been registered with the social welfare office and markers placed on the boundaries of the land to mark it as sold. We have partnered with a group called ‘Friends Ministry’ whose vision is to make Christ known in the nursery school local area where only 20% call Jesus their saviour. Pete is on the board of FM and has been working closely with the director of FM Chris and his wife Ivy. The daily operations of the school will managed by Chris and his team.While we were visiting the area recently, we were also able to meet the two people chosen to be trained to be teachers for the school. Building of the school will commence as soon as rainy season is over (around March). Our aim is to officially open the school in September at the start of the new school year.Please pray for the building of the nursery school that God may be glorified and that many will come to know Jesus through the nursery school.

Future nursery school leaders and teachersLeft to right: Chris, Chimwemwe, Agnes, and Ivy

Kanyali Nursery School land with some of the kids who will be attending the school

HELLOS and goodbyesMissionary life is full of goodbyes but also hellos.These past few months have seen one young family leave after 10 years in Malawi and another arrive to begin their new journey.It was sad to farewell the Bontenbal family. The SIM siblings had a special sleepover to spend time with Sarah and Eva before they left. Please pray for the Bontenbals as they readjust to life in Holland.We are excited by the arrival of the Brink family-of-6 who will be serving in the capital city of Lilongwe. Lucas loves hanging out with the Brink boys Silas (8) and and Toby (6) whenever we’re in Lilongwe and the girls enjoying playing with the Brink girls aged 2 and 4. Please remember the Brinks in your prayers as they continue to settle into life in Malawi and commit time to language learning.

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TEAGHAN says...School has been very fun and also very busy! I have started high school, Caycay is now in year 3 in ‘top school’ with Lucas who has started year 5. High school is so fun. I like moving to different classes and meeting new people is also very cool. There are many opportunities for me to play my flute too!! I'm now in the junior band and the senior band. I'll be playing the flute in school musical (Hamilton) in March. My friends and I have started up a band and we've played a few times in con-certs. This Christmas, part of our Christmas pre-sent is to buy presents for some of our poorer friends. We think that people here aren't as fortunate as us to have so many privileges. We also think it's important to bless others this time of year. So this year we are blessing many people instead of just treating ourselves.

ongletsTeaghan playing the �ute at the school carols night

Giving gifts to some of our friends

The Brink family

SIM siblings sleepover

PeteI am thankful to have gone through Jeremiah this year in my Quiet Times. Pray that I will be faithful like Jeremiah when life and ministry gets hard and that I will be cultivating a God-shaped life that is fully dependent on Him rather than on my own strength. Pray that I would know God’s priorities for me for next year.

JoPlease pray for a time of emotional refreshment over the Christmas break. It has been a hard couple of months as the reality of the daily struggles of our Tiyamike learners hit me. I so desper-ately want to make it better for them. Pray for wisdom that I would know how to do that through the Tiyamike minis-try.

TeaghanPray for me as I practise my songs to play on the flute for the school musical. I have about 20 songs to learn!

LucasPlease pray for my best friends at school that they would come to know Jesus.

CaycayPlease pray that I can learn to dive well. I don’t like diving and I’ve been asking to join the swim squad.

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 1John 5:14

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COMING up in 2019

GIVE THANKS for a good refrehsing week away to spend time together as a family.PRAISE GOD for all that He is doing through the work of Tiya-mike Sewing and the Tiyamike team.THANK GOD for the progress with Kanyali Nursery School.GIVE THANKS that Teaghan is loving high school.PRAISE GOD for new mission family the Brinks.GIVE THANKS for the gift of Jesus!

JANUARY8 Tiyamike reopens9 Jo’s birthday

FEBRUARY8 Our 16th wedding anniversary23 Teaghan’s 12th birthday

MARCH23 Pete’s birthday25 Lucas’ 10th birthday

CONNECT WITH USEmail: support@ongsinmalawi.comFacebook: ‘Ongs in Malawi’ Website: www.ongsinmalawi.comWhatsApp: +265 996029664 (Pete)Postal Address: PO Box 136 Blantyre, Malawi AFRICA

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