Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year for you and those you love!
It has been another quiet year for Empower, as repeated lockdowns and travel restrictions abroad have mostly kept us at home. Despite the constraints, however, we are excited by the continuing impact our Bible-based teachings are having, and about the programs being undertaken by our international partners in the absence of Americans. Below is a summary of the year.
The intrepid Rev. Dr. Sally Bryant was the only American traveling to Africa this year, visiting Malawi in July. Despite my fears that she would be refused entry in Malawi or quarantined for two weeks in the airport parking lot, our Malawi partner Pastor Arnold Phiri obtained a certificate from the Malawi minister of health that allowed her entry. If you have not already, you can read about her fruitful trip on our website here.
When not under lockdown themselves, our national partners have been busy. In Uganda, Empower African Program Director, Pastor Frank Michael Tweheyo, is still conducting his popular radio program teaching principles from New Man, New Woman, New Life. In Malawi, Pastor Arnold is teaching Created to Belong and Healing from Trauma and rejoices that people have had these resources while in lockdown.
He writes, “I really thank God for the impact that these materials are doing and how lives are being changed, curses being broken and cultural practices which are evil being broken. Thank you very much for the great revelation.” Johnny and Koki Desai, and Ben and Apokla Bendang, in India have been teaching NMNW via Zoom, and our partners at St. Paul’s in Kenya have resumed in-person training with a bang, with two NMNW seminars in September and two advanced trainings scheduled for the coming month.
Frank also joined Pastors Joyce and Julius Ouko to conduct a NMNW Master Class for the group in Arua who attended the first seminar before lockdown. In the far north of Uganda, Arua is one of nine cities established to, as Frank writes, “foster development and bring services closer to the people. The success of our training there has a large bearing not only in Arua City itself but also the surrounding districts South Sudan, and D. R. Congo, since they have shared cultures and intertwining values and behaviors.” Thanks to God and your support, the training was very successful, in ways large and small. For example, Frank writes:
- “One lady participant said that cultural expectations notwithstanding, she always wanted to be the winner in an argument. This desire was about to break her marriage, but now she has put her pride down and now accepts her husband’s input into the decision-making process.”
- “Pastor Joel said that he now allows his wife to sell what they produce and keep/manage the family finances, which was never the case before, and which could never have happened without the program.”
- Another woman pointed out that, in their family’s cultural setting, a boy has more privileges than a married woman, and cultural expectations are that a man demand certain rights.
- Both husband and wife observed that “it takes deliberate effort to accept and do things as the Bible says, rather than give in to cultural and family expectations.”
Despite the effort required, this couple’s new understanding of the mutuality inherent in biblical concepts of submission and headship has helped them greatly. “They no longer argue and quarrel but now do a lot of discussions that lead to right decisions. Pastor Jema learned to listen as well as to avoid a confrontational attitude.”
And this transformed attitude is typical among our alumni. For example, “Pastor Okumu said the seminar taught him to make marriage a better place for him, his wife, and their children.” (Isn’t that a wonderful thing to say?)
Whether a man or a woman, African, Indian, or American, we all struggle with pride and a belief in our own privilege. Witnessing people take on this heroic battle for the sake of their love of God and of each other brings me to tears.
Created to Belong director Linda Ikeda recently asked what will happen to Empower when we no-longer young (or to be honest, no-longer even middle-aged) ministers can no longer undertake such demanding travel. We all hope we have a few more trips left in us, but the answer, of course, is that our national partners will take over. As I read their reports of their activities, of how eagerly the programs are received, and of how the Bible is changing their lives, I think we are in very good hands.
Thank you for continuing to support Empower’s efforts. During these two years without international travel, our expenses diminished greatly. However, as we step up our support for our international partners, the financial need continues. Thank you for being such an important part of enabling the work of “proclaiming God’s love, and its meaning for how we treat each other” to continue to blossom.
Carrie Miles
P.S. Thank you for your faithful support of Empower. We appreciate both your prayers and financial support. To give securely online, visit our support page. If you prefer to send a check by mail, you can send it to Empower International, 14032 Enderle Center Drive, Suite 201, Tustin, California 92780