It has been a real privilege to recently be a member of a group of Australian Baptist leaders visiting some of the work we are all involved with in Malawi and Mozambique through Global Interaction and Baptist World Aid Australia. The impact these partnerships are having in one of the poorest nations in the world was so inspiring and encouraging. It brought home to me how our prayer and financial support can make such a difference.
Being able to see communities transformed in Northern Malawi around a Child Centred Community Development approach in the name of Jesus was very moving. Here Baptist World Aid and partners are successfully addressing the high rates of child abuse, child labour, forced/child marriages, corporate punishment, school drop-out as well as issues of poor nutrition, low household incomes, and more accessibility to education and water. Between us we visited 8 different projects in this area.
The Global Interaction teams in Southern Malawi and Mozambique are also aweinspiring as they work together among the rural Yawo people, a predominantly Sunni Muslim group, the poorest of the poor. To observe the team bringing the word of God to these people, conducting adult literacy and numeracy classes, health education, translating the Scriptures into their language and culture, writing a Ciyawo Dictionary, praying over Muslim leaders and chiefs who welcomed the Word of God and developing literacy. It was a joy to hear the testimonies of some of those who had come to faith in Jesus. Our teams are making a difference.
This visit reminded me again of how much God can use us as we work collectively together as ‘partners in the Gospel’; much more than when we try to minister alone. It was also a timely reminder that in light of the work in God’s Kingdom, we at home can sometimes get caught up in matters that are not really that important in God’s scheme.
