After 5 long months and 30 lbs. Lighter, I returned to the states. The Malawian people were imprinted on my heart and every chance that came my way, their plight was shared with all who would listen. I struggled with this dream that Lester and Lepherson had shared with me, but I did not have a way to return to Malawi.
My wife, Doris, saw my yearning and frustration with not being able to help my friends. Every time I looked at pictures or read some of the letters written to me, I would cry. One day /Doris asked me, “Don, do you know 100 people?” After nodding in the affirmative, she continued, “ Write their names down.”
I went in the other room and just sat. Even if I wrote the names I wondered what good would that do. My wife was persistent in her request and soon I had 50 names written. She then encouraged me to call each person on the list, tell them my story and ask if they would be willing to help me go back to Malawi.
The first name I chose from the list was a family member who wasn’t even sure if there is a God. I spoke to him from my heart and a few days later I received a $375.00 check in the mail. The rest is history as word spread and people became interested in the heart of my message. My wife and I flew to Malawi in 2011 for a 2 month visionary stay and the beginning of Leples Visionary for the Needy began to become a reality.
Leples Vision for the Needy