by admin | Apr 13, 2022 | church empowerment zone
Born healthy their names are Denala and Talitas. They are now 8 years of age. First to be born, their parents could not have been more excited for their arrival. When the day final came everyone praised God for the gift of children.
At first the children seemed to be growing well and healthy, but as they grew their parents noticed something was not right. After several visits to the local clinic, the difficult news came. Both children had Polio. The doctors told them that there was no cure. They also told them that the twins would never walk. The news was devastating.
The diagnosis wasn’t just hard to hear. It meant there would be lifelong challenges for the family. The difficulties of this new life stressed the marriage. Finally, the father became so depressed that he left the family. The mother was now alone, with two children to provide for all by herself. Not only was she now a single mother, but a single mother with twins facing challenges. The family was suffering. They lacked food, clothes, and other basic necessities.
In the culture of Malawi, people who are different can be misunderstood. In the village, out of ignorance, they can even be thought of as either having special powers or possessed. These misunderstanding caused even further isolation for this family fighting to survive.
Enter Tondwa Baptist Church. After attending a Disability Inclusion training program hosted by Y-Malawi partner World Relief, they learned that disabilities have nothing to do evil. They learned that people with special challenges are made in the image of God just like those without challenges. Once they realized that God’s love extends to everyone He creates, they realized they had to do something to help.
They began raising funds to help the family with food, clothing and other items. When the church came to her home to offer help, the mother couldn’t believe what was happening. The family follows Islam, but this was a Christian Church sharing help and love. She said, “I am amazed! I never expect to be visited by you a Christian church. My fellow Muslims know about my problems, but no one has ever visited me and my children. May God bless you. I have witnessed the love of God.” One of the church Elder’s talked about how sharing the love of Jesus in this and many other ways is transforming their community. As one of the churches in the new Church Empowerment Zone, the church has learned how important it is to reach out to their community to demonstrate the love of Christ. One of the church Elders expressed what they have been learning like this, “We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.’’
Disability or opportunity? You decide.
by admin | Apr 12, 2022 | christian fellowship
He died when she was just 15 years of age. Fales was in 11th grade. Life had been going fine, but then suddenly it wasn’t. He was not only her father. He had been her encourager, her coach, her strength, her guide, but now he was gone. As the first born, she and her mother were left to care for a family of 7.
It was difficult. They struggled a lot to feed, clothe, and keep the children in school. With a High School education, you can teach in Malawi. Fales became a teacher and continued to help her mother with the other children. Along the way she married, but after just 4 years this man died too. Life remained difficult but somehow Fales and her mother managed to get all of the children through school. Only one married early. One even attended University!
Fale’s life changed when one day the Head Teacher at school invited her to a Christian fellowship. There she heard about Jesus. It was that day that she gained new hope. It was that day that her walk with Jesus began. For 13 years after that day she waited on the Lord. She held fast to the words of Psalm 27:10, “Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.” God did not forsake her and in His time gave her a wonderful new husband and family.
At church one day she heard about an opening in Chiefs Ministry. She didn’t know much about the work, only that it involved telling people about Jesus. Many discouraged her, but she felt God calling her to apply. Her reasoning was simple, “Every time I think about Jesus, I just want all should accept Him because He was the man that changed me for good.” When she applied, she somehow forgot to include her contact information. Chiefs Ministry found her anyway and called her for an interview!
Now Fales is a key member of the Chiefs team. She is responsible for Chiefs Bible Studies, Women’s Change Me programs, teaching Farming God’s Way and working with Chiefs to end child marriages.
She is impacting literally thousands of lives. Her life has been impacted too, “When I see Chiefs and community members responding to the Word of God and seeing them enjoying life as children of God, it encourages my life too because life without Christ is nothing.”
by admin | Apr 10, 2022 | women empowerment
We call it basketball. Malawi has a similar game called netball. Like basketball, it’s played on a court with hoops on each end. Usually, the hoops are made by twisting some metal and attaching a homemade net. Since the court is dirt, there is no fancy dribbling. But there is a lot of passing. The idea is the same as basketball, get your ball into your net to score.
It might seem just a game, but it can be a lot more. One Christian Chief wanted to give girls in his village something productive to do after school as a group. Score one for Netball. He formed a Netball team. The girls come together on game days and play. Some of them study the Bible together before and after the games. Some older women participate as mentors. The girls have discussions about life that are sometimes tabu in the village. It’s become more than a game. The game is a catalyst for changing lives.
When this Chief became a Christian, some other Chiefs said he had gone mad, but day by day his village is being transformed. Now other Chiefs are looking closer. Several others have since become Christians. God is on the move!
Is it March Madness? Nope, more like Holy Spirit Madness!
by admin | Feb 24, 2022 | women empowerment
If you are breathing, this story should leave you with a lump in your throat. It’s Esther’s story, told in her own words.
“I am a 31 years old mother of three kids (she was married at 15) who has thought of going back to school after years of great torture (both physical and mental) from my husband (unfortunately not uncommon in Malawi). I stayed with him for 16 years. Then I left and went back to school and started grade 8. I have been selected to go to High School (You must be selected to attend in Malawi) for grade 9. I am attending, but traveling 2 hour (walking) one way to attend.
I had a challenge of tuition fees and school supplies. I was praying for such a support for some months now. I was sent back from school when time came for payments of the school fees. I cried all the way back home.
Then one of the Y-Malawi Community Facilitators came to our village and prayed with me. She then told me that God will make a way for me one day. I was happy when I was told about your provision (she is now sponsored). I am back to school now, a happy mother looking young and full of hope.”
Esther is in school with girls half her age, but she is determined. She says she wants to be a writer one day, but the truth is she wants much more. Again, in her own words, “I believe God will help me accomplish my goal. I have to. When I do, it can make a difference in my life and also the life of my sisters, aunts, and every other woman I know.”
Don’t think sponsorship can make a difference? Try telling Esther that.
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by admin | Feb 22, 2022 | women economic empowerment
Anesi’s husband left her for another woman to raise 5 children on her own. Unfortunately, since marriages are not legally binding in the village, this is commonplace. Like so many other women Anesi might have been without a home, unable to send her children to school, working in the fields each day to at least get the children a meal every other day or so. But God… He stepped in.
Through Y-Malawi’s program to empower women and girls, God provided Anesi a sponsor. With a little help she was able to feed her family and even send her children to school. Incredibly, one of the girls named Falida even finished High School. That’s something that only 3% of girls in Malawi ever do! Falida’s dream was to go to university.
Y-Malawi had also helped Anesi start her own business. She was saving a little money each month to send her daughter to university, but it just wasn’t enough. God stepped in again. He provided a sponsor for Falida.
Now this girl from the village is enrolled at Emmanuel University. The day Falida arrived she couldn’t believe what was happening to her. With the biggest smile ever and a little water in her eyes, she sent this message to her sponsor, “I am thinking that this is a dream. I did not know that there was life like this. I am so grateful for this opportunity. The love you have shown me I do not take for granted. I am going to work hard. I am going to make you proud of what you have done to me. I will pray for you every day that God should bless you more.”
Sharing the love of Jesus by sponsoring a woman or girl does not just empower her, it empowers her entire family and everyone around her. It gives hope. Hope that there are people in the world who care. Hope that a better future is possible. Hope that even a girl from the village in Malawi can make a difference in the world.
There is a saying in Africa, “I am because you are.” Y-Malawi sponsors are proving that saying to be true everyday.
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