Country in Focus: Malawi

Malawi lies landlocked in South East Africa and is made up of scenic highlands and lakes. Lake Malawi itself makes up about 20% of the landscape. The lake is nearly 9,000 square miles and is home to over 500 different species of fish that cannot be found anywhere else in the world! The great Scottish missionary and explorer David Livingstone set up a Christian mission in Malawi in the 1850's and the city of Blantyre, now an important commercial and industrial center, was named after his birthplace in Scotland. Malawians have freedom of religion and 80% are Christian. Because of its warm and friendly people, Malawi is known as the Warm Heart of Africa.

The National Director of CBSI Malawi is Rutherford Banda, who partners with his wife Tsahai in the ministry. Because Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, the ministry there faces many challenges. Fourteen percent of the adult population has HIV/AIDS and the average life expectancy is only 43 years. Another challenge is that although many people proclaim to be Christian, they still believe that ancestral "spirits" must be appeased through the use of witch doctors. It is cause for great celebration when a Malawian denounces these practices and understands that we serve and believe in God Most High!

Quick Facts

Size: 45,747 sq mi. (Slightly smaller than Pennsylvania)
Population: 12,884,000
Religious Affiliations: Christian 79.9%, Muslim 12.8%, other 3%, none 4.3%. (1998 census) (CIA World Factbook)
Official Language: English, Chichewa
Government: Multi-party Democracy

Leadership

Area Regional Director: Maury Kapsner
National Director: Rutherford Banda
Number of People Participating: 1500
Number of Bible Studies: 100
Major Cities with Bible Studies: Lilongwe, Mzimba, Mzuzu, Blantyre
Languages of Operation: Chichewa

Prayer Concerns

• Pray for adequate ministry donations to fund the upcoming countrywide training conference.
• Pray for the Board of Trustees meeting and the National Servants Team meeting this fall – that God would guide them as they plan for CBSI Malawi.
• Pray that the new chairman, Reverend Maxford Nthala, will make contacts and train leaders who will embrace the CBSI Bible studies to touch the lives of their people.
• Pray that the classes now meeting would begin making donations toward the printing of lessons, with the goal of donating $1,000 over the next year and $2,000 the following year.

Special Projects

The NST is in the process of developing a copy service in Lilongwe with profits going directly to the ministry

Additional Information

Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world and has a high rate of HIV, leaving many young children to fend for themselves. The Masons (CBSI UK) have been helping with medicine and food for a number of orphanages and would like to see the CBSI Children & Youth Ministry started in Malawi.