One of the people who has been reached in the Nkhotakota District and has been discipled is Akalina Kalaza. Akelina was into love potions, magic herbs and witchdoctors. Some herbs she sold to women who would add them to the food of a man they desired to be with. Sometimes these herbs would make him go mad and would end up staying with that woman and not go to work anymore.

By the grace of God, Akelina was reached with the Good News and saved by trusting in Jesus. She has been discipled and has discovered the truth that changed her life. She discovered that the devil is a liar and Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life and that true life is in him and not in charms. She no longer relies on those demonic powers and charms as she did in the past. She now knows and teaches the Truth found by faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.

There are two things which are everywhere in the Nkhotakota District these are Islam and Gule Wamkulu or Nyau. Both practice cursing people and have rituals. Most people in Nkhotakota also believe in witchcraft and the many other rituals.

Muslims believe that if someone has wronged you, one can go to the sheikh who will curse or cast a spell on that person. Then that person will die or suffer severely.

They also believe that if someone who is not a Muslim has wronged a Muslim the Muslim has to retaliate even to the extent of killing that person. They believe that killing someone who is not their fellow Muslim is making someone to be rewarded by Allah.

Gule Wamkulu or Nyau is considered part of religion by the Chewa people. They believe in worshipping their ancestors. They also believe in magic herbs and witchcraft. They used to force people to join them by abducting them and taking them to the bush to teach and train them the Chewa culture and believe in Gule Wamkulu and the worshipping of ancestral spirits. The Chewa people used to send their children to Dambwe where they stayed for a month learning about the Chewa culture and Gule Wamkulu. They send them when they reached puberty. That’s why Chewa people were not doing well at school because they would miss classes too much and for too long. Some of these things are changing as people discover the truth of the Gospel.

The sign was raised which reads: “God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Peter or Eve and Esther”.

The Nkhotakota District is one of the places where the DCI Team is involved in training pastors and leaders of different churches in one-on-one and leadership development. We appointed Raphael Hala as the coach a many years ago. Raphael has trained 7 more coaches who have started many Life Groups in this area and also spread the work to some parts of the Mchinji and Ntchisi Districts.

We also encouraged one-to-one discipling in these areas and one-to-one discipling has turned out to be gladly accepted here because Muslims and those who belong to Gule Wamkulu are afraid that other villagers will see them attend Christian meetings. But one-to-one discipling is able to reach these people with the Gospel. Many are being saved and discipled. Through the discipling process, they get to know the truth and then they will be courageous enough to participate without fear in Life Group meetings. They no longer live a life of fear. Witchcraft as well as Gule Wamkulu and Muslims have lost their power to make them afraid. They trust God and as they study the Word of God, they become more encouraged as they learn more. That’s why the New Testament, the Dynamic Basic and the Dynamic Discipling booklets are such great tools for the people of Nkhotakota.

The Muslims like to give hand-outs, they use these to draw people to their religion. Giving them DCI materials and New Testaments as they are being discipled is a great approach with these people because they are used to receive things for free from the Muslims. As they are being discipled, they discover the importance of the Word of God and begin to enjoy studying it. Then they will buy a New Testament or Bible for themselves as the one we gave them wears out.

Many people are being reached through one-to-one and are being saved and discipled and become disciple-makers themselves and some also become leaders.

-George

Dear friends:

Four ways you can help the work of DCI Malawi:

1. Pray for the Team and their families.
2. Send a check with a note “for Malawi” (address below)
3. e-transfer: dcioffice@shaw.ca
4. Canada Helps click here.

Yours in Christ,

Hans, Elly and Malawi team