Edson Reflects the theme to “Be The Change”
Paris, Texas … It is Sunday morning in Colorado and the web-master for the Malawi Project posts another news story about the work of the Project. Colorado is in the mountain-time zone, while Indiana, where the Project’s board of directors is located, is two hours ahead of Colorado in the east coast time zone. Right in the middle between the two are the residents of the small Texas town of Paris, in the central-time zone.
In spite of three different time zones that is one thing clear. Every time a new story goes on the web one of the first, if not the first person to respond to its content is one of the Projects greatest encouragers. This great encourager has never been to Malawi, and until recently, had never met any of the members of the Malawi Project’s board of directors. Yet everyone on the board knows who she is, and most Sunday’s the afternoon hours bring the encouragement that comes from that first message in from her in reaction to that latest news story
Aline Edson is over 90 years of age, and can only travel to Malawi through the stories that appear on her computer screen at the Malawi Project web site. Yet, she knows more about the country and the work of the Project than even do some who have traveled to Malawi in years past.
On top of her acute knowledge of what is taking place in Malawi is her ability to encourage those who are working in Malawi. She gives new meaning to the life of Barnabas in the New Testament, who was one of the great encouragers of Biblical times. Edison is a modern day Barnabas.
When one seeks to know about the good works Aline has carried out during her life, she will quickly divert attention to what others have done. One must go to one of the books she has written to get additional information. The books are titled, “On Our Way Home”, and “Our Whirling World – To Be In It But Not Of It”. (A Pilgrim Writes of Passage). Not surprising, when the first book was written, the only description she allowed at the time was, “The author is an eighty-seven-year old widow having lost her husband of fifty-four years to Alzheimer’s. Four children, seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren make life exciting and joyful. She has taught language arts in public schools and has worked in libraries. She loves the mix of words and people, with a dash of humor.” The explanation does not nearly reach the depth of who this encourager is, nor what she has contributed to those with whom she has come in contact.
Another Sunday has come, and it will only be moments before that email from Aline races across the invisible web, and lands on computer screens in Indianapolis.