Beyond Stories: Malawi - The Philimon Family
Malawi is a small country in southeast Africa where 70% of the population lives in extreme poverty. As a result, many young and old people lack the resources to gain an education.
In May, Northridge’s Outreach Development Director, Michelle Gerringer, had the opportunity to visit a church near Lilongwe, Malawi. The church is an active partner with HOPE International and Tearfund, which guide American churches to provide financial support for vulnerable families in the communities. They create groups that provide each family with a safe place to save their finances, small loans, and a supportive community.
One of the families that HOPE International and Tearfund were able to bless was the Philimon family. Everson and Azefa Philimon got involved with a group several years ago and now, because of the consistent generosity of the program, work alongside their church. The Philimons signed up to lead an effort to solve the community's two root problems: adult illiteracy and a lack of early education for kids.
The Philimons are passionate about pouring what they have back into their community. Azefa leads the preschool, and Everson runs the school for adult literacy. They’ve been able to bless their community because of the support and provision of God through HOPE International and Tearfund.
Northridge Church is a core leader in the Global Lift Collective, which includes HOPE International, Tearfund, and World Relief. These three world-class organizations are church-based and aim to develop communities through God-given resources and the generosity of believers. While we see tremendous work being done, we believe that inviting God into our work through prayer makes a difference in the world. One of the goals we are striving towards is to involve more churches in the USA to expand the collective and reach more communities.
How you can pray:
Pray that the surge of momentum we see with the Global Lift Collective will grow even more powerful. We can serve countless churches as they seek to bring about sustainable change in their communities.
Pray for Everson and Azefa as they invest their lives in helping adults learn to read and write and kids become educated. And pray that these vital educational achievements will, in turn, help families to thrive as God intends for them.
