June 18, 2007

Malawi News Update

Dear Friends,

Warm greetings from Malawi!

These have been challenging months since my last newsletter. However, as those of us who serve in Malawi often say, “God is in the struggle.” You may remember that Jacob struggled (wrestled) with God (a divine being) at the ford of the Jabbok River (Genesis 32:22-32). He strove with God until he received a blessing: A reminder that in the struggle there is blessing, and indeed, that is our experience in Malawi at the College of Theology. It is because of the struggle that I have been delayed in writing to you, though I have not forgotten you. You are always in my heart.

As the people of Malawi become more highly educated, we of the church are keenly aware of the need to have a highly educated clergy to guide and lead the people in the church and in the community. To meet this need the College of Theology began a diploma in theology program last year and plans to offer a bachelor’s degree in theology in 2008.  Half of our current students is enrolled in the diploma program. Many of these students qualify to enter the bachelor’s program next year, earning a degree by the end of 2009, a total of four years of study. To assure that their diplomas and degrees will be recognized and accepted by other institutions of higher education, the College of Theology and the College of Education of the University of Livingstonia have sought accreditation from the Republic of Malawi.

Members of our faculty have worked diligently to produce curricula for the diploma and bachelor’s programs. We have met with consultants from the Universities of Malawi, Mzuzu, and Livingstonia. In May we met with the credentials and evaluation committee of the Department of Human Resources and Ministry of Education of the Republic of Malawi. They congratulated us on work well done, and then gave us a detailed report of changes that need to be made in our curricula. As soon as the changes are made we have been assured that the College of Theology will be recommended for accreditation. Good news, indeed!

When I wrote last November, the construction of two classroom blocks (four classrooms) was nearing completion, but construction has been at a stand still since the first of the year because our well of resources has run dry. But we are not forgotten nor abandoned by God or God’s faithful people. Congregations in the United States are raising funds to complete the classroom blocks and construct a house for female students. These facilities will provide the space needed to begin our bachelor of theology program in January 2008.

Our faculty and students have also been struggling. Only three of our ten faculty members teach full-time. One of these is our principal, who has been ill since the first of the year, and is now on leave. The other seven members of the faculty are adjunct lecturers who serve full-time in other capacities: two as pastors of congregations, one a Bible translator, three serve in other departments of the Synod, and one is a high school teacher. Our adjunct lecturers struggle to keep their commitment to teach at the College of Theology while serving full-time in other ministries. As the college offers new programs and builds new facilities, the workload for those who serve full-time as lecturers and administrators of the college is at times overwhelming.

These struggles have an impact on our students as they strive to keep pace with the daily changes in teaching schedule and the challenge of growth and change. Yet this time of struggle has matured our relationships with God and one another. We have carved out time to listen to each other’s concerns and have become more sensitive to one another’s needs. We have found creative ways to ease each other’s load. Our students continue to progress in academic performance and in spiritual maturity. We are proud of them.

When summer comes to the northern hemisphere it is the season of visitors here in Malawi, beginning in May and running through September. Groups come from the United States, Canada, Scotland, Ireland and the Netherlands. Our lives are full when these friends come to be with us, to share life with us in Malawi. Always, these are times of blessing.

Students from Texas Tech's Wesley Foundation came to stay a week with us and share our lives. That was a real blessing.

A special blessing for the College of Theology this year has been a group of college students from Texas Tech University’s Wesley Foundation. They came to be with us—to build relationships, to be our friends. For a week they attended classes and daily devotions with our students. They shared meals with us, played soccer and checkers and danced and sang with us. Our cup of blessing was filled to overflowing. As Psalm 133 proclaims, it is unity that the Lord bestows the blessing, even life forevermore.

Students from Texas Tech took on our students in an international soccer match.

One wonders if it is not the nature of our human condition that necessitates struggle in order to receive blessing. Struggle strengthens and refines us. Without the struggle, we would have missed the blessing. Thus, we give thanks to God for the struggle and the blessing that is life.

Grace, Mercy and Peace,

The 2007 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 337