Pastor Arnold Phiri, Empower’s Coordinator in Malawi, recently wrote to us about the incredible fruit that is being borne in Malawi. For years, we’ve been teaching and training in Malawi, sharing the good news of Biblical equality and conducting training on trauma, attachment, and healing.
Because of your support and prayers, these trainings are transforming individuals, families and entire communities. Here is Arnold’s recent letter, edited for space and clarity.
Greetings from Malawi Empower International!
We thank the Lord for the good work He is doing in the lives of people here in Malawi. Through the Empower training materials, God is changing lives, families, communities, and churches.
In many rural areas, we have seen tremendous change in how people are treating each other: husbands and wives, parents and both children boys and girls, men and women in the church and community. As we teach the people how God wanted it to be in the beginning, we have seen an important shift. Before, many people were using the word of God as a weapon, a way of putting down each other by misinterpreting the Bible. But with our teachings, light has come in many families, communities and churches.
Here are some of the specific changes we’ve seen (and celebrated!):
- Families: Men and women are treating each other equally, knowing that they were both created in God’s image. Families are strong and treat one another with respect. In many places we have been to, women are no longer treated as properties, even after paying the dowry. Parenting also is becoming easier for the young and old parents because they are able to understand their children, their needs are being met and able to know the signals of trauma and attachment. (See this post for more info on our Created to Belong training, which focuses on these topics)
- Schools: Girls are able to attend schools as equals to the boys. Because those trained by Empower have allow their girls to be educated (at the school we started five years ago), we have testimonies that now the girls are in colleges and universities. Where there was once no secondary school, girls are graduating! And going to college! They understand the value of educating all their children, not just boys. (See this post for more details)
- Communities: there is much sharing of work now. Tasks are no longer designated for either men or women, both men and women are able to have work or jobs which is great. Communities are benefiting on all these, and we are proud because our participants are always role models.
- Churches: we have experienced tremendous church growth and development, as the members know they are equal and created in God’s image, and seeing the freedom that Christ gave both of them. We’re seeing more sharing of leadership roles in the church, which benefits everyone.
Empower now reaches many places and regions here in Malawi, although much of our work is in the rural areas where access to information is a problem. We’re delighted that we can take the word of God and the truth to them, because after all these years, we are happy that the most neglected area where there was darkness, there is light now. After years of sharing the truth, the approach which we took is bearing more fruits.
Right now, Empower International has 35 classes that are going on in different places. That is not counting the many churches that are teaching the materials in their churches as sermons or Bibles studies.
Although we’re sad that Missionary Rev. Sally Bryant is not coming this year, her work in past years is paying off. She has worked very hard and reached many difficult places. Many people have benefited from her teachings. When she comes, she always goes to new rural places to do the trainings, there always invitations for her to go and do the teachings. (Sally visited Malawi every year for more than a decade.)
In regard of this we have an invitation to the Moslem district where one of our participants has moved. He started teaching individuals and now the demand for the training is very high for us to go.