Malawi and Zambia, August 2011
Sally Bryant
August 18, 2011
We have finally found an internet cafe and are very happy to be able to email! The seminars in Lusaka and Lilongwe have gone well with about 30 attending in each one. We’ve met a “power couple” in each area who we believe will be able to carry on the Empower training. The Lusaka group has really been busy, holding 3 seminars since we were there last year with big plans to take the workshop to all 9 provinces of Zambia. One funny story from Lusaka: as we were talking about God’s ideal for marriage (one flesh, naked and unashamed), the man reporting on this said, “Naked and unashamed means that when the clothes come off, the lights stay on!” There was a fervent amen from the men in the seminar!
In Lilongwe, we met an amazing couple from the north. She was illiterate when they got married (an arranged marriage) and her husband, who has studied in the US, wanted her to have an education so he sent her to school. Today, she has great English and has completed her high school degree and is starting Bible college. During the seminar, when we would hit road blocks about the equality and freedom women have in Christ, he would speak up in encouragement. This group grilled me on 1 Cor. 14, where Paul says women should not speak in church but ask their husbands at home. Fortunately I had written a paper on this so was able to respond!
We are feeling well and all our travel arrangements have gone according to plan. Malawi is experiencing a real shortage of gas (or petrol as they call it) with long queues waiting in hope the tankers will come fill up the gas pumps. Our weather has been great – nice breeze morning and evening with warmish but not hot days. It’s cooler in Blantyre and a light sweater feels good even in the day.
Tomorrow is the master class seminar and Boniface has given us much encouragement about the ways in which those attending have used the Empower material, so we look forward to hearing about this.
Thanks for your prayers – we feel their protection.
Love, Sally
Aimee McKone
August 21, 2011
Hi dear ones —
I am on an Africaans keyboard, so please excuse any typing errors!
We are now out of Malawi and in South Africa getting ready to begin our travel home.
We heard in both countries many stories about pastors and bishops who were having affairs, or divorcing their wives, and how this was hurting the church. They thanked us repeatedly for bringing this message of hope for marriages. In Zambia, we had a very heated discussion about forgiveness — for a moment, I envisioned news headlines that said, ‘American women spark riot in Lusaka!” The concept of asking for forgiveness from a husband or wife is almost unknown — instead, a man or woman will find a way to seek revenge on the other.
As one of our attendees said, “Strong marriages create healthy churches; unhealthy marriages create unhealthy churches,” and truly we heard instance after instance where a bishop or pastor had left his wife in very poor circumstances to take up with another woman. This material is truly helping strengthen the church during a time when everything seems to be in flux. Islam is growing rapidly, with one of our pastors telling us that in 5 years, Malawi could be a Muslim country.
During the workshop in Lilongwe as we were talking about Paul’s instructions to husbands in Ephesians (“Husbands, love your wife as you love your own body”), I mentioned that in an earlier seminar one pastor had said, “Now I know what this means. It means that my wife eats what I eat when I eat.” There was a big buzz of conversation and I asked my translator what they were saying. They were discussing this idea, finding it radical but ultimately embracing it.
The master class (for those who had previously attended the New Man New Woman seminar and were teaching the material) in Blantyre went very well — we were greatly encouraged to hear how they had been using the Empower material, finding it especially useful for pre-marital counseling and also ongoing counseling for couples struggling. The fact that there is marriage counseling at all is a big deal in this culture that is a “hidden” culture. The norm is that everything is hidden and certainly not discussed with one’s spouse. They are also teaching the youth about God’s original plan for man and woman. Again, it continues to be news to our attendees that God did NOT curse man and woman after the fall — this always surprises them and changes their understanding of life.
The situation is very bad in Malawi. Protests in July left around 20 people dead and more were planned while we were there. In fact, the city of Lilongwe while we were there was a ghost town as people stayed home, worried about possible riots. There are severe fuel shortages — queues of over 100 cars were common, and people routinely carry several cans of petrol with them — even in the car while driving, creating a `’lovely`’ aroma for the passengers! Electricity went off frequently, with more blackouts planned. Everywhere there seems to be a sense of hopelessness. Food prices are very high. We saw a can of Ortega chilies for sale at the ShopRite for $7 and a can of refried beans for $4. People thanked us repeatedly for having the courage to come to Malawi during this time of unrest, as many missionaries have either left the country or are staying home. The future of Malawi seems uncertain, and the people ask for your prayers. Please pray for peace and the wisdom for the leaders.
In addition to the political unrest, two of our primary contacts in country have suffered from malaria, with one being very sick for 6 weeks, and the other one’s 2 year old daughter having had malaria 3 times in the last year. (Aimee and I have been diligent about taking our malarone!)
Zambia also seems to be suffering. Work is hard to find, and we talked to so many people at the workshops who said they were able to work only 1 or 2 days in a month. Food prices are higher there than they were last year.
Thank you for your prayers for us — we have enjoyed good health and traveling mercies (we are SO glad not to be on the 17 hour bus ride with live animals from Lusaka to Lilongwe this year!), and ask that you would remember those who attended the seminars.
Love to you — see you soon!
Sally & Aimee