By Sally Bryant, Empower Minister
I was longing to return to Malawi, after being unable to travel in 2020 due to Covid-19. Thanks be to God, I was recently able to make my 11th trip! I was overwhelmed by God’s goodness as I saw evidence of the harvest, where the seeds that have been planted over the past decade are coming to fruition. As I saw positive change taking place all around me, I was reminded of Jesus’ miracle in feeding the 5000 with two small fish and five loaves of bread. When the Holy Spirit is present, lives are transformed and scarce resources are multiplied! Please travel with me as I share about my trip:
New Man, New Woman, New Life Workshop
I was invited to facilitate a New Man, New Woman, New Life training in a village in the Mulanje area of Malawi, near the border with Mozambique. We had a full group of more than 30 men and women, all leaders in their churches, and all very invested in learning about God’s original intentions for man, woman, and marriage.
As we ask the participants to identify harmful cultural practices, they talked about the rape of young girls. This can occur for several reasons: Some believe that having sex with a virgin can cure a man from HIV/AIDS; or that rape “prepares” the girl for marriage. As the participants work through the NMNWNL material, they realize that both man and women – and boys and girls – are created in the image of God, and therefore each boy and girl should be treated with love and respect.
During the workshop we ask the question: “How would women’s lives be different if all men obeyed Jesus and stopped lusting after women?” There is a momentary pause, and then words start to erupt from women: “We could go to school. We could fetch water without worrying. Women would not think of themselves as sex objects. Instead we could think about how we can minister to others. Everything would be different!”
We need Jesus to become New Men and Women! As we look at how Jesus treats others, we realize that often the way we treat others is wrong. Although a few “Big Men” control others, we too can seek control over others in smaller ways. I found it profoundly moving when participants, who often struggle to survive on as little as $2 per day, identify the ways this struggle for control harms others as well as themselves. Men and women both identify ways in which they must change to live into Jesus’ desire for them. There is a palpable hunger to live into the freedom that Christ gives us!
It takes a village
Empower seeks to combat the root cause of abuse, abandonment, and injustice, so that families can be healed, communities restored, and culture transformed.
When girls are not educated, the community suffers. Using the material from NMNWNL, providing an overview of God’s original intention for man, woman and marriage and the egalitarian nature of marriage, I have been equipping volunteers to teach children – especially girls – who otherwise would have no access to education. Education, especially education grounded in the gospel, can change a country.
These “Train-the-Teacher” workshops provide participatory teaching techniques to help equip these volunteers who are teaching without books, paper, pencils, or even electricity. About 1000 kids have benefited from these informal schools. For the students who are able to go on to a regular school, their teachers are amazed at how advanced they are compared to their peers. I visited four nursery schools started after the 2019 training – and what a joy to see these beautiful children learning their ABC’s, how to count, the days of the week, the months of the year, the parts of the body (eyes, ears, nose, etc.) and memorizing scripture all in English!
The Holy Spirit is changing lives in Malawi through the work of Empower International! Please keep praying for the seeds that have been planted, and for the harvest we are seeing. May lives continue to be changed! Thank you for your support and prayers.