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: 1156
Number of Bible Studies: 65
Major Cities with Bible Studies: Lilongwe, Mzimba, Mzuzu, Blantyre
Languages of Operation: Chichewa

Prayer Concerns

• Please pray that CBSI classes will meet regularly. Since some classes meet outside, it is difficult to meet when the weather is bad. Pray that this will not cause people to stop coming to Bible study.

• Pray that Malawi Christians will trust God during this time when many crops have been poor and there is a shortage of food. Pray this challenge will turn people to God and not back to tribal beliefs that are a large part of the African culture.
• Pray for the meetings of the Board of Trustees and the National Servants Team this fall – that God would guide them as they plan for CBSI Malawi.
• Pray that funding will be available for translation and printing of CBSI study materials.

Additional Information

• One Malawi woman held a CBSI class outside her home on the veranda because she was scared that it would upset her non Christian husband if he knew a Bible study group was meeting at their house. After everyone left, the man came to his wife and asked why she did not invite him to the Bible study? He said, “I thought you just accused sinners. I did not know you discussed such good things!” This gave her an opportunity to pray with her husband.  The study of God’s Word through CBSI Malawi is changing lives and families. Thank you for praying with us! Training in Blantyre.

Special Projects 2009-2010

• To begin new classes in the town of Salima.