Lebanon, Indiana … At first glance it looks like some sort of “ivory tower”. But the definition of an “ivory tower” is, “a place — or an atmosphere — where people are happily cut off from the rest of the world.” This is not a place where people are cut off, but a place where people are engaged, attached., caring, participating. This is a different kind of ivory tower. It is a tower of bars of soap, part of a campaign to help the people of Malawi. Read on for the rest of the story.
With so many new projects in the testing and development stage, and several other programs still seeking financial support to move forward, it seemed a big challenge when Dan Brewer, a member of the Malawi Project’s board, added several items to the need-to-do list. They were small everyday items, but still they added to the list. Having been to Malawi late in 2022, and seeing conditions in the villages, Dan was acutely aware of the everyday necessities that were lacking, and he was determined to do something to change that.
“I have to admit,” confesses Dick Stephens, another member of the board, “I was a bit concerned as to whether we could persuade contributors to step forward to reach yet another goal. They added up to large numbers, and some might think it improbable these goals could be reached. Such a nice word, that word ‘unattainable’. We have always said with God all things are possible, and we have seen situations that seemed impossible, or at least improbable to reach. But, too, we have always said, ‘If it can’t be done that is a good reason to, “step out of the boat” and do it. When the goal is reached people will realize for us it was impossible, so therefore it had to be God behind its success.”
Review the list Dan targeted at the beginning of the year. Go to the malawi project. org site, and add to the end of it: /board-member-sets-goals/
He is about to reach the goal of 2,500 bars of soap. The target of 100,000 pencils is well along the way, thanks to Dan and Gabriela, a 9th grade student in South Florida who is shooting to put them over the top on pencils by personally collecting 50,000 on her own. Other items like a million communion cups, half a million pair of gloves for medical personnel, and 11,000 writing pads seem, well they seem a bit unattainable.
You can help Dan and Gabriela reach their goals, by sending items on the list to: Malawi Project, 2421 Golfside Drive, Lebanon, IN 45052. The impossible and the improbably are within reach when everyone combines their efforts to reach goals that otherwise would have been, “unattainable”.