Author Archives: northernmalawinews

Field Reports – December, 2025

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MPHEREMBE & CHIKWINA FIELD REPORTS 
 

Mpherembe

                               
MPHEREMBE 

Greetings in Jesus Name,
This picture above is of one of the Life Groups in Mpherembe. This Life Group is called Kabwafu E Life Group. This is one of the Life Groups that we visited on our follow-up trip last week with the coach Brave Nyoni. 

But my story today is a different one that has happened in Mpherembe just before our follow-up visit last week. A boy killed his uncle. The boy named Nobe Nguluwe is 20 years old and he killed his uncle Gift Nguluwe, 60 years old, on his way back home from drinking beer. Nobe is a very troublesome boy who also drinks beer and smokes Indian hemp (marijuana). Some years back, Nobe argued with his colleague at Matindiwizi Primary School when he was in standard seven. After the dispute he went home and took a panga (machete). He went back to the school and hacked the one he had argued with with the panga. They took him to the Mpherembe police unit but he was released after his parents pleaded with the police officers.

But this time that he has killed his uncle. The children and grandchildren of the deceased wanted to kill him too, but he was rushed to Mpherembe police unit from where he has transferred to the Mzuzu  police station to wait for a court hearing. This has happened in Mtakamani village, Matindiwizi area in Traditional Authority Chief Mpherembe. This story is a reminder that discipleship and Bible sharing is still needed in Mpherembe but also other areas.

We thank God that we now have pastor Mcstonard Zuru at Matindiwizi who has opened a Life Group there. We pray that as God will use him and the people he is training to reach out with the gospel. We are praying that the people of the village of Mtakamani Nguluwe will also be saved and discipled and that Nobe Nguluwe will be saved too. 

Chikwina

                             
CHIKWINA

This past month we also visited coach Gavana Chunda at  Chikwina who took us to different Life Groups for follow-up. One of the Life Group that we visited is Mulunguzi Life Group which is led by pastor Gregory Thindwa of the Pentecost Holiness Church. 

From left to right is Gavana Chunda the coach for Chikwina, in the middle is Kamadowa who is a leader of another Dindindi Life Group and the last one in a jacket is Gregory Thindwa of Mulunguzi Life Group.

Mulunguzi is one of the three new Life Groups that have been opened in that area. The other two are Thanura and Chipunga. We did not visit the two newly opened Life Groups in these last two places because the coach Gavana Chunda told us that they are too far. We will need to plan a special trip to visit these because it is 3 three hours driving and then we are at the point where no car, motorcycle or bicycle can go. We will have to park the car at that point and walk three and half hours climbing the mountains and then three and half hour back to where we left the car. 

Chikwina is one of the most mountainous areas and most people are farmers growing cassava and bananas, a few grow maize. Their main food is cassava. The people living there are mostly of the Tonga tribe and they speak the Tonga language. But they also know the Tumbuka language that is how we can communicate with them. Most people in Chikwina live in grass thatched houses. 

These are the women we passed by as we were going to Mulunguzi Life Group. They are carrying grass to thatch their houses as the get ready for the rainy season which is two months away.

Thanks,

Caleb

Passing the Baton of Leadership

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Dear friends of DCI Malawi,

Reading about the end of Moses’s life and the transition that took place then, I (Elly) am encouraged. Moses’ leadership was transferred to Joshua to lead the Israelites into the promised land. Hans and I are at that stage in our lives where we need to hand over the leadership of our work in Malawi to someone else.

Most of you know the story of how we have worked together with Dynamic Churches International (DCI, Alberta) for many years. They are our partners in ministry. Not only are we using their DCI printed material, but since 2012 they have also handled the funds received and receipted our donors. Many of you know that we have been looking for a successor to take over our work for several years. Age is not in our favour; however, nothing materialized …. God had other plans!

In 2024 DCI received a new Director. Al Middleton (the director and founder of 35 years), stepped down from active duty and the work was handed over to Merle Doherty who formerly served with the Billy Graham Organization, coordinating the chaplains as they served in various emergency situations across North America and where needed. God orchestrated this and we see it as a natural transition. He alone knows what’s best for us and for Malawi!

Merle will be taking over the Canadian side of DCI Malawi. He is very excited with the way God is working in Malawi and he will be a great fit for. We are working towards a transition date in September 2025. As you may remember, Hans has been a part of DCI as an associate missionary since 2002, teaching and training groups in the Explosive Growth Process here in Canada and in Europe. He was so pleased to see on his first trip to Malawi in 2012 how the basic discipleship training done in 2011 had impacted the villagers and was still a part of their lives.

Alas, as in anything, it’s time to invest in the next generation. We trust DCI Canada completely to continue the good work that God has started in Malawi. Our Malawi team (John, George & Caleb) loves to share the Good News of the Kingdom of God and see new believers grow in their relationship with Christ Jesus! We know that as we transition the business portion of DCI (Malawi) over to Merle Doherty with DCI in Alberta, that it will continue to operate with the integrity and faith which we have come to know it for.

We are asking you, our supporters, to continue supporting DCI Malawi just as you do now. Nothing will change in that regard. Monthly pre-authorized payments will continue uninterrupted. E-transfers still go to the same email address, etc.

The new Executive Director of DCI, Merle Doherty, will be in our area from September 18 to 23. We are in the process of planning a dessert evening for you, our supporters, to meet him on:

Friday, Sept 19, 7:00pm
LIFE Church, 131 Easson St., Stratford, ON.

This is your invitation to join us for this exciting event! (We realize that some of you live too far away to attend). We will also have John Singinie (the Malawi Team leader) join us by way of ZOOM, Lord willing. You will hear testimonies live from Malawi!

We are looking forward to this new chapter for DCI Malawi very much, and we hope to see you when Merle is here in September. Please mark your calendars. We will send another invitation in August and follow up then to receive your RSVP.

As in the story of Moses and Joshua, we fully trust God, knowing that He is not finished with DCI Malawi yet. As he said to Joshua, he says to us:

“As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

In the meantime, we wish you a wonderful, relaxing summer and trust that you will allow God to be your Guide as you navigate the journeys of this life.

For His Glory,

Hans and Elly Timmermans

February 2025 Update

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DCI Malawi News

Gule Wamkulu

Let me tell you a little about the Gule Wamkulu, who have many members in the Nkhotakota area and Central Region of Malawi. Gule Wamkulu is a superstitious belief that puts people in the Central Region in deep darkness. They worship their ancestors’ spirits. The members of this religion are very violent. Men will use machetes to forcefully rob people. Their camps are in the graveyards. Sometimes they camp in these graveyard for months, an activity called “ku dambwe”. When the time comes for them to end these vigils they will disguise their faces so that no one can recognize them.

Alfred Gadison is the leader of the Malowa Life Group, in this area and which has reproduced well and produced 5 more Life Groups. Alfred is a humble, cheerful and devoted leader. He is committed to one-to-one discipling and this works very well in reaching the lost in the Malowa area, where Gule Wamkulu is very active.

Their rituals are performed in graveyards. They wear animals skins to disguise themselves. What they do is secret. They have a slogan “zakudambwe sawulula”, which means, “What happens in the camp, stays in the camp”. They camp is the graveyards and use charms and spells. They often attack people who have not yet joined them and try to force them to join. That is why one-to-one discipling works well in Malowa. It is difficult to reach these Gule Wamkulu people in a group setting because they are zealous of their culture.

Alfred has won many of them to Christ and has also trained five leaders who will be leading the newly formed Life Groups. Alfred is a very cheerful person and this has helped him reach many with the Gospel. They have understood the truth of the Gospel through the one-to-one discipling and their lives have been changed.

They use the Dynamic Basics and the New Testament as tools for reaching the lost. Alfred and the believers of Malowa are so thankful to DCI for training them and for the Dynamic Basics, the Dynamic Disciplining booklet, the Apprentice Leaders Manual and the Explosive Growth handouts. These are great tools for the Explosive Growth to work as is evident from the above story.

Alfred is just one of the leaders under coach Zowani in Nkhotakota. There are many more coaches, leaders and Life Groups in Nkhotakota who are being used by God to reach the lost and the work is growing Explosively.

-Reported by John and George.

(George Chipeta teaching)

Donations:

e-transfer: dcioffice@shaw.ca (tag: for Malawi)
Canada Helps Click here. (This also works outside Canada, but you won’t get a tax receipt).
Cheque to: Dynamic Churches International, 164 Stonegate Close, Airdrie, AB T4B 2V2, CA
 DCI | 164 Stonegate Close | Airdrie, AB, AB T4B 2V2 CA

Another Matching Gift!

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Dear friends of Malawi,

Last week, we let you know of a need for New Testaments to distribute in Malawi. We also informed you of a matching gift that was given to us to double any gifts we received to a maximum of $10,000. In the meantime, we have received another gift to be used as a “matching gift”. Praise God!

I know that there are some of you out there who would like to see your donations doubled. This is the time to do that! Our goal exceeds the limit of the matching funds, but we also know that God knows what we need, and He will provide for all our needs. One of our slogans for the Malawi discipleship work is, “Doing God’s work, God’s way, will never lack God’s supply”. So far, God has never let us down. We know that it is His desire to reach the lost – even in Malawi.

The New Testaments are a great tool in reaching the lost. The Malawians love to receive free gifts (as do most of us 😉). They are promised a NT when they complete the first 4 lessons in discipleship. Lesson one is the expanded gospel presentation. It is during this lesson that many who are not yet born again come to salvation – putting their faith in Jesus Christ. They begin to appreciate the value of the New Testament and look forward to completing the 4 lessons so they can get their own. What a thrill for them to own their very own New Testament – something they would never have been able to purchase on their own.

Poverty is a very real thing in Malawi. Many do not know where their next meal is going to come from. When they accept the free gift of salvation, they are also set free from the fears that they have – fear of not having food to eat, fear of sickness, fear of the witch doctors harming them, etc. But now, best of all, the fear of death is removed since they learn about eternal life in Christ. I can’t begin to explain how blessed we are! We look forward to standing beside all those Malawian believers in heaven. Not that we are out there discipling or reaching the lost.

We are here in Canada, having zoom meetings with our Team and encouraging them in the work that they do. We are partners with them – but wait! So are you! Without the help of your finances, this work cannot be done. Together we make a Team; together we reach the lost. Just that we all have a different role to play. We are not all evangelist, or teachers, or administrators, etc., but we need to ask ourselves, can I be a giver? … A partner by donating funds to help those that are out there evangelizing and teaching?

When you send in your donation, please indicate that it is for the Malawi New Testament matching project. The best way to donate is by e-transfer (to dcioffice@shaw.ca), Canada Helps or by cheque to Dynamic Churches international, 164 Stonegate Close, Airdrie, AB T4B 2V2.

Thank you for your help in reaching the Malawian people for Christ.

-Hans and Elly Timmermans

Need for New Testaments

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Dear frinds of DCI Malawi,

In this season of Canadian and American Thanksgiving we want to come to you to ask for help providing New Testaments for the work of God in Malawi. As you can read in the reports, the Good News is organically spreading from Northern Malawi to the surrounding countries. News of DCI (Discipling Christ-followers Intentionally) reaching so many through the one-to-one discipling and leadership training is also spreading to other countries in Africa. John Singinie has become the DCI ambassador of this approach to reaching the lost and is being invited to come to other countries to promote DCI there. Next week he is travelling to Tanzania to a pastor’s conference.

In this season of Canadian and American Thanksgiving we want to come to you to ask for help providing New Testaments for the work of God in Malawi. As you can read in the reports, the Good News is organically spreading from Northern Malawi to the surrounding countries. News of DCI (Discipling Christ-followers Intentionally) reaching so many through the one-to-one discipling and leadership training is also spreading to other countries in Africa. John Singinie has become the DCI ambassador of this approach to reaching the lost and is being invited to come to other countries to promote DCI there. Next week he is travelling to Tanzania to a pastor’s conference.

But right now, we need New Testaments to continue reaching Malawians in the Central and Southern Regions of Malawi. Since the start of DCI in 2012 over 60,000 people have been discipled and given a New Testament. The North has a population of around 1,8 million. The South has a population of over 16,000,000.

Can you help us? Some friends have made $ 10,000.00 in matching funds available. We could use 10,000 New Testaments, which will cost $ 50,000.00. New Testaments need to be ordered by January 1, 2025 from the Malawi Bible Society.

Luke 12:24 always gives me pause, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Serving Him together,
Hans and Elly Timmermans (for the DCI Team).

Etransfer: dcioffice@shaw.ca (tag: for Bibles Malawi)

Canada Helps (This also works outside Canada, but you won’t get a tax receipt).

Update: October, 2024

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Dear friends of Malawi,

It’s time for a newsletter updating you on the work in Malawi. I thought it might be time for an update on our family goings and comings also. That’s not something we do very often.

As you probably know, we live in Sarnia – have been here since June 2020. Our 4 children are spread around – from Palmerston (Bonnie & Rudy) to Brantford (Susan and Al), Williamstown (Paul and Vic) to Redding, CA (Sara & Marty). Bonnie is working with “Disciple a City” as the administrator and they are seeing many unbelievers come to Christ in their crusades. Both Bonnie and Rudy are working hard at renovating a house. It has proven to be a lot of work, but well worth it, as I see the pictures of the make-over. Susan is a student once again…halfway through her studies in counselling and hoping to open her own clinic in Brantford soon. Paul has taken a new job at McEwan Feed Mill in Maxville, ON. So he has made the move back to Ontario and enjoying his new job. We miss our youngest daughter, Sara and her husband Marty with their daughter, Madi. Marty works at Bethel Church and Sara still does her interior design work from home. Madi is starting driving lessons! 😊 Our 10 grandchildren are all doing well. The oldest grandson, Brandon, is still in NZ, and has no plans to return. He and Saskia, his wife, are enjoying life in the farming community there. Andrew (Bonnie’s second son) and his wife, Kaitlyn, live near us with their 3 sons, Enoch, Kiyan and Ishmael. That makes us great grandparents. 😊 It is nice to have them nearby. The other 7 live in the London – Brantford – Palmerston area. We look forward to sharing Thanksgiving dinner with most of them soon. Two more grandsons have married the love of their lives. Luke and Phil (the twins) now each have homes of their own. They are both working in the HVAC industry and are doing well.

That’s a brief little update on our extended family. Hans and I are doing well, just getting a bit older, as we all are. Doing the things that we have enjoyed for so long, are not always within reach anymore. We are attending People’s Church (AGC) in Wyoming, ON (a 17-minute drive), as well as a Connect Group that will start up again next week after the summer break. We enjoy good health for the most part and get out to walk/exercise our dog regularly.

We have been blessed with the work in Malawi for 17 years (Elly) and 13 years (Hans). We still marvel at how God has chosen to use us to facilitate such an amazing ministry. Our Team is a delight to work with; our leader, John Singinie is a wise, godly man of God.

We are thankful for every supporter who has shown an interest in the work. As we get older, we are trusting the future of the ministry to God’s care. It is, after all, His Work. God has proven that He will provide for it according to His will. Will you pray with us to that end?

Elly and Hans

The DCI Team filed the following report on their travel of last week:

We had a successful follow-up trip to Mpherembe and surrounding areas where Life Groups have been established. It was so exciting and encouraging to see the great results of this work. The coach for Mpherembe and area is Brave Nyoni. Before Brave Nyoni, the coach was Kondwani Msiska who is currently at Santhe in the Kasungu District in the Central Region of Malawi. He continues training many leaders and has established many Life Groups there.

Mpherembe is a Ngoni Area with more than 67,000 people. Ngoni like drinking, polygamy, meat and the Ingoma dance. We visited Life Groups at Emgazini, Changoma and Mangombera. At Emgazini the leader of the Life Groups is Kumbukani Mgemezulu. He is a humble and committed leader. He began the work by training leaders and establishing Life Groups. Some of the Life Groups are:

(1) Chiyenga Life Group with leader Steven Ndhlovu

(2) Mayula Life Group with leader Wilson Kajani

(3) Majiga Life Group with leader Rodgers Ngoma

(4) Matindiwizi Life Group with leader Edward Kajani

We heard encouraging testimonies of changed lives and of people discipling one another. In Emgazini lives a man named Nyirenda who was a witch doctor, but he has been saved. As a witchdoctor he had a uniform that he wore when performing his rituals. After he was saved, he burned the uniform and all other paraphernalia which he used for his magic. He said, “Now I believe in the Lord Jesus, I don’t need these demonic items anymore.” This man is now passing on what he has learned about his new Life in the Lord to others. Many people are being saved through his testimony. God is using his testimony of a changed life to reach more people. When Jesus sets one free that person is free indeed.

At Changoma, the leader is Wisdom Chima who was also trained by Ackson Qoma. Ackson trained 5 leaders, and they have established Life Groups. Changoma is in the Mpherembe area where a lot of maize is cultivated. Most of the people who live there belong to the Pundi clan, which has a history of drinking and violence. But through the Life Groups many are saved, and lives are changed.

The leader of Mangombera Life Group is Nellie Botha who was trained by pastor Brown Chilongo. Brown started some Life Groups, and which became of churches. Nellie is one of those whose family was being cursed by the witchdoctors. Her children were suffering from being attacked by demons. This was difficult for the family. However, the Good News came and she has been saved and Jesus has set her and her family free from these demonic attacks. Nellie and her family are now living a joyful life. She is also reaching out to her neighbors and friends. Many find salvation in Jesus and the Life Groups are growing.

Believers in Mpherembe are very thankful for the free New Testaments, Dynamic Basics and other DCI discipling materials. These are great tools for spreading the Good News which they could not afford to buy themselves due to dire situation food wise in their area. Many people are struggling to make ends meet in their daily life.

We were very encouraged to see that leaders are deeply committed to the work of the Lord and that the members of the Life Groups are reaching out to the lost in their neighborhood. Also, leaders are being trained and Life Groups are reproducing.

Seeing a young boy in front of a Nellie Botha’s pigeon coop reminds me of how these pigeons reproduce rapidly, like the believers in Malawi in their Life Groups.

To make this possible we do need your help, for which we are very thankful.

Donate page

Thank you for reading this far!
-Hans and Elly for the DCI Team

Travelling Over the Mountains

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The woman in the picture above is Jessie Chirambo one of the Life Group members of the Bikiloni Baptist Church. She belongs to African International Church. She spoke of her new life in Christ.

Before she had been reached with the Good News and discipled on one-to-one by one of the Life Group members, she lived in evil ways. Her husband had divorced her and began living with another woman. She struggled to look after their three children. Life was difficult without the support of her husband. In desperation she started going with other men to raise her children, prostituting herself.
After she received the Lord Jesus as her Saviour her life changed. She is now working as a labourer on the farms. She is committed to her Lord and Saviour and is involved in the Life Group Bible studies. She is also engaged in reaching out to others with the Gospel through one-to-one discipleship. Her husband has also come back and reunited with her as a family again.

(Just a note: this woman is from a different village than the one we reported on last time).
Thanks
Caleb

Malawi does not have a social system that provides for a retirement income for the villagers or other people who have no connection to the government. To help George and Glory Chipeta we decided to train their oldest son Pemphero (pictured above) by giving him a good education that will provide an income to look after his parents when they are no longer able to look after themselves.
This past semester Pemphero attended a boarding school to finish the last part of grade 11 (equivalent). Shortly he will begin the last year of high-school at this boarding school so he will be prepared to pass the admittance for African Bible College. George told us that Pemphero has to work hard to catch up on the course work he didn’t learn at the public school he attended in Mzuzu.
We are praying that someone will take on some of the expenses of Pemphero’s education. So far we have already been blessed by the help some of our friends have extended toward this effort. The next semester fees of $ 750.00 are due the end of August.

George wrote:
Today, July 30, 2024, we (the DCI Team) went to the Mtambwe area where pastors Ramed Muchunkha and Shupa Msiska have established Life Groups. These two men are old, but still very much on fire for the Lord and willing to walk long distances to reach the lost. The Mtambwe area is one of the unreached areas because it is very far from the road and to reach it you have to climb over high mountains. There are no roads for the vehicles or motorcycles to travel on, because of the many rivers and valleys, which are not passable. We were told there are more than 3,000 people living in this area.
We left the car behind at a village at the end of the road and we walked for about 5 hours to get there and back, and we were very tired when we finally finished our mission there. We were thrilled with the great work which God is doing using these two old pastors.
Please watch the video below, which illustrates where we were going.

Travelling over the mountains video:

To help:

e-transfer: dcioffice@shaw.ca

Cheque to DCI, 164 Stone Gate Close, Airdrie, AB T4B 2V2 with a note: for Malawi discipleship.

Canada Helps, click here
(Canada Helps also works outside Canada, they just can’t give a local, national, tax receipt).

July 2024 Update

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Dear friends of DCI Malawi,

First of we want to thank each one who has help meet the needs of the Team this past month. The needs of our DCI Team families, the repairs to the truck (which includes a new clutch and related parts). We are so thankful for all our partners. God uses people to accomplish His work! Thanks again!

A happy announcement: Shalom Singinie came to join her family July 10, 2024. John and Maureen are thrilled. Mom and daughter are doing well. 6 year old Gracious is very happy with his sister.

Team

 _____________


Sharing the Word with friends!
“Discipling doesn’t need a desk, just an interested friend who wants to know Jesus.”

Manturu Life Group

Above is the photo of Manturu Life Group. But I want to tell a story of Mr. Mumba, the man in the blue jacket at the back.

Mr. Mumba and his wife Lincy Wanda were about to divorce. They have been married for more than 30 years. The problem was that the pastor of Chipangano Church, where they both attended was trying to seduce Lincy. But Lincy, being faithful to God and her husband always refused and denied the pastor a chance to sleep with her. This troubled her for long until she decided to leave the church and join The New Chipangano Church. She decided not to tell her husband the reason she left that church to avoid bringing shame to that pastor and to avoid trouble between her husband and that man. Her husband, not knowing why she changed churches, disputed with her to the point of wanting a divorce. Lincy was packing her things to leave Mr. Mumba, her husband.


At that time, our DCI coach Raphael Hara traveled from Baula to Manturu, about two hours by vehicle, to disciple people and start a Life Group there. He spent the night in this couple’s house and began taking them through the Dynamic Basics discipling booklet.

During the Bible discussion, Lincy, having trusted Raphael, disclosed the problem troubling the family. In the presence of her husband she told that she left their church because their pastor was trying to seduce her. Hearing this, her husband was filled with anger. But Raphael discipled them both well and as a result the family is reunited.

The husband has now joined his wife at the New Chipangano Church and invited Raphael to continue discipling their family. Hearing what has happened to this family, the community witnessed the power of God working through discipleship and also welcomed Raphael to their homes. Many people gave their lives to Jesus and the Manturu Life Group was born.

Mr. Mumba is now living happily with Lincy, serving the Lord and is very committed to the Life Group.

Thanks,

Caleb

For the DCI Team,
Hans and Elly Timmermans

Support options:

e-transfer: dcioffice@shaw.ca

Cheque to DCI, 164 Stone Gate Close, Airdrie, AB T4B 2V2 with a note: for Malawi discipleship.

Canada Helps, click here
(Canada Helps also works outside Canada, they just can’t give a local, national, tax receipt).

April, 2024 Update

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April, 2024

Dear friends and supporters of the DCI Team,

John Singinie sent a very interesting report of their visit to the Tilola area in the North of Malawi. He tells of the impact the Good News made on individuals as well as whole communities. The Good News displaces distrust and evil and brings love and encouragement. We have known pastor Paulendo Mwaungulu for a long time. He always attended our conferences in Mzuzu and is a real man of God. He is the coach in this area!

Here is also an opportunity to make a difference in Pemphero Chipeta’s life and the Chipeta family. He is George’s oldest son. He is planning, DV, to attend African Bible College after high school. To prepare for this Pemphero will be going to a boarding high school in Rhumpi to study the courses he needs for admittance to ABC. The cost to attend this high school is $ 500.00 per semester. Who is willing to help underwrite Pemphero’s studies? Please use the means to send money below with the tag: Pemphero.

The promises of God are a rock to lean on, a place to find peace in the midst of uncertainty. How blessed we are to know our Saviour Jesus the Messiah and to know that He will bring us safely to His home through the mayhem we see in this world.
Let me give you some investment advice: the only thing from this earth you will see in heaven are those who were saved by the Lord Jesus. Everything else stays here, to be used by others. (Read Psalm 49)

On that note, would you be willing to help the work financially? Your prayers are much appreciated, but as James writes, “Faith without works is dead….”

Shalom,

Hans and Elly.
e-transfer: dcioffice@shaw.ca

Cheque to DCI, 164 Stone Gate Close, Airdrie, AB T4B 2V2 with a note: for Malawi discipleship.

Canada Helps, click here
(Canada Helps also works outside Canada, just can’t give a local, national, tax receipt).

TILOLA/ULIWA FOLLW-UP VISIT

This past week we had a wonderful time at Tilola and Uliwa following up as we visited a number of Life Groups, both third and fourth generation. We were very encouraged how God is transforming the lives of not only people and churches but also whole communities. We are seeing great results both with the one-to-one discipling and with reproducing Life Groups. In this area many leaders are being produced and they are leading Life Groups, and some are now even leading churches. The cultural systems in these communities are being affected by the new faith which the people that live in these communities have found. We discovered that both the young and the old are talking and walking in this new faith in Jesus. Traditional evil beliefs are being forsaken. In the past people believed a lot in magic and witchcraft.

_______

ZGEWA
We were greatly encouraged with what God is doing in this area especially among men. We heard many testimonies of changed lives. In this area many men are involved in smoking marijuana. In just one Life Group we had three men who testified about their life as drug addicts. All of them expressed how they were violent to the families and people around the communities. One man by the name of Lazarus testified that he used to terrify his relatives and people around his community so much so that everyone knew him as the man who disturbed the peace in their community. But now he is a completely transformed man. He loves his wife and is a great witness of the Gospel around his village.
We also had the privilege to meet with Maritina Kitala who is a former prostitute who gave her life to Christ after she was witnessed to by one of the Life Group members. She began attending the Life Group meetings and in the process her life has been transformed as she trusted Christ. She is now a happy lady, and she appreciates that she is loved by all the Life Group members and feels at home around them.

As part of our new approach we also took time ourselves to witness to new people in this village and praise be to God we had more than 10 people come to Christ. We encouraged them to start attending the Life Group.

______

TILOLA
We also had time to visit brethren at Tilola, people who really love God and one another. We could tell by just fellowshipping with them that they are really united. One of the Life Group leaders in this area is Leonard Nyirenda who is now a pastor leading a church. The Bible School that he has attended is the Life Group and the mentorship of the coach of this area Emmanuel Mwafurirwa. The people were excited to meet us for the very first time. They were very thankful for the free New Testament Bibles that they have been receiving through the Life Groups. These New Testaments have really played an important role in transforming their lives.

KASANGAMALA
The whole area in this report is under the leadership of pastor Paulendo Mwaungulu who is the coach for Uliwa. Paulendo Mwaungulu’s area of responsibility has more than 100 Life Groups. He has 4 coaches under him, Migrate Kasililika, Freeness Msukwa, Kapanda Mnthali and Kambabani. More than 21 different denominations attend his Life Groups. The estimated number of all Life Groups members is 1920. He took us to Kasangamala where we met with people from 3 Life Groups.

John Singinie

 

 

January 2024 Update

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Dear friends,

This past week the DCI Team was in the Bolero area. The rains have come and the farmers (which is what most people in Bolero are) were busy planting their crops. The picture above is of the meeting with the few people who came to learn and be encouraged. It was an encouraging time with reports of new people coming to faith in Christ.

Elly and I were looking at 2 Corinthians 10:13-16a,

We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the sphere of service God himself has assigned to us, a sphere that also includes you. We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ. Neither do we go beyond our limits by boasting of work done by others. Our hope is that, as your faith continues to grow, our sphere of activity among you will greatly expand, so that we can preach the gospel in the regions beyond you. For we do not want to boast about work already done in someone else’s territory. (NIV)

When we look at the work of God in Malawi we see this same activity which Paul, the apostle, talks about as well. The Good News is being passed on by others who passed it on to others and so the kingdom keeps growing. We can only praise God for the increase we see in Malawi. John, George and Caleb are so excited to see all this happening before their eyes. Please take time to read the following reports.

Shalom,

Hans and Elly Timmermans

WADILIKA VILLAGE
We also visited some brethren at Wadilika Village where the village headman is Eliyasi Nkosi. We first met with this humble village headman in Mbalachanda about a year ago. Eliyasi is a man who loves God and has a very humble heart. When we met him in Mbalachanda he told us that he had heard about us. He had also read through our Basic booklet and he was discipled by Pastor Nkosi. But he was then followed up by Pastor Manda, the coach for Euthini since he lives in the Euthini area, where pastor Manda is.
The beauty of true Christianity is when leaders understand that they can refer someone to another fellow servant to lead them. Man naturally wants to have a lot of people under their leadership. But through discipleship leaders have begun to think differently. They understand they all work for one Boss who is God. This understanding has really brought unity among believers, and this is happening all over the place where leaders have been discipled through the DCI material. In this area we were surprised to run into a Life Group that had a lot of men as compared to others where the women are usually the majority.

CHAMUNGUMA 2
In this village we saw some new faces. Some of these people have never heard about accepting Christ into their lives (being born again). An unnamed lady recently started teaching people from house to house and eventually started a Life Group. This new Life Group now has more than 26 people already and the Good News is spreading like wildfire. When people heard that we would be visiting this area some neighbours who had been hearing what has been happening came and attended the meeting. Caleb taught on the meaning of salvation and more than 10 people accepted Christ. We encouraged the leaders to make sure these people will be discipled through the one-to-one Dynamic Basics by the people in the Life Group.
There is a lot of work to be done in this area as many people have not yet heard about the words “Born Again” in their Churches. All they have heard is to stop sinning so you can secure your place in heaven. We helped them understand the principle of “Being in order to Do”. (Because you have believed and are “in Christ” you do the works God prepared for you to do. (Eph. 2:10).

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