Malawi: a vehicle for the Carmelite Sisters in Zomba
Since the year 2003 there has been a Carmelite convent in the diocese of Zomba in the south of Malawi. At present there are eleven sisters living there, their lives devoted entirely to a life of prayer and contemplation. They are praying for the salvation of the whole world and especially for the sanctification of priests. And there are a number of young women who would like to join them.
The local Catholic faithful are delighted at the presence of the sisters and they are also happy to support them, to the extent of their possibilities. But they are very poor. The dry season lasts here for eight months of the year. And so it is often the sisters themselves who end up sharing, albeit gladly, the little they have with the poor who come knocking at their door.
The sisters have so far managed to earn their modest living above all by baking hosts for the diocese. Initially, there were few customers, but the demand has grown steadily ever since and by now they are fulfilling orders not only from their own diocese but also from neighbouring dioceses in the country.
But there was one problem facing them. They did not have a vehicle to transport the heavy sacks of flour they needed. Sometimes they were able to find someone to help them with the transport, but only as an emergency solution. They previously owned a very old vehicle, which over the course of the years however became increasingly unreliable and expensive to repair and maintain and was no longer fit for purpose.
Thanks to the help of our generous benefactors, ACN was able to step in with a contribution of 25,570 Euros which has enabled them to purchase a brand-new vehicle with which they can now transport the flour and all the other materials they need. Needless to say, given the road conditions in Malawi as in many other parts of Africa, it was essential to have a robust and sturdy vehicle, capable of coping with the terrain, since otherwise it would quickly wear out and become useless.
The sisters are overjoyed and profoundly grateful for your help. They write, „We are very happy with this car. May God bless you and reward you a million times over! He who can read all hearts can see how grateful we are!“
