July 16, 2004

Dear Friends,

Our two-week trip to Malawi and Mozambique was exciting, challenging, and encouraging, as we traveled some 3,200 kilometers to meet with church leaders and PC(USA) mission co-workers along the way.

We wish you could have been with us when a young pastor and his wife from Mzuzu, Malawi, asked us to pray for them as they sought to be a Godly example for their congregation of 2,000 members. They were full of a strange hope as they told us how Maurice’s oldest brother and his wife had died of AIDS. Then the next oldest one died—AIDS. And the next—AIDS. The Reverend Maurice and Tandi Munthali have adopted the twelve orphaned children to add to their own three children of natural birth. They encourage members of their congregation to follow their example. We wept as they told us that almost every week members stand to announce that they have taken another child as their own. Then we prayed. We ask you to pray for this courageous couple, Maurice and Tandi.

It was inspiring to see how the church in Malawi has organized itself and its resources to meet the spiritual and overwhelming physical needs of the people. The PC(USA) is a viable partner in this work, both in terms of providing financial resources and mission personnel. The country itself has few resources to help its twelve million citizens. With more than four million members, the CCAP in the small country of Malawi represents more Presbyterians than in all of the United States.

In one of the churches we visited, 80 people were meeting on a Thursday morning. The pastor told us that these Christians had been meeting weekly for two years and that they were now ready to join the church on the coming Sunday morning. Spiritual commitment like this is the norm in Malawi.

While in Malawi, we visited Mwanza, Blantyre, Lilongwe, Nkhoma, Mzuzu, and Ekwendeni. In Tete Province, Mozambique, we met with community leaders in Zobue, Tete City, Mphulu, Tsuende, and Madzimbawe. We were able to pace ourselves, allowing for rest and time for each other along the way and that really helped our stamina, yet we were very glad to reach home. Both of us were sore from so much sitting, and Bobbi’s back and neck were not good. After three days of rest and lots of walks, we have both recovered well. Praise God.

Our visit to Malawi and Mozambique made us proud to be Presbyterians and eager to share the stories of our partner churches and PC(USA) mission co-workers. Please pray for us as we prepare to come home for our six-month interpretation assignment at the end of August. We’ll give you the details in our next letter.

In His Service,

Bob and Bobbi Snyder

The 2004 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 64