Tag Archives: discipleship

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

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.

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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