Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Matthew 28:19-20
It has been my privilege to visit Malawi for ten days last month in the spirit of the verses above. Teaching is our call and mandate. WordWise is a teaching ministry, now in its 22nd year of taking the truths that we have learned to the nations where the Lord opens doors for us. We have seen the abundant fruit that the Word bears in the lives of men and women, but we have also seen the tragic devastation of ignorance. Truly, the greatest enemy of mankind is the lack of knowledge. Jesus said the truth of the Word makes us free. (John 8:31,32)
Malawi is a relatively small landlocked country, bordering Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique. This African nation is among the world’s least developed, and, true to its nature, poverty proves to be a brutal master over the lives of most Malawians.
Despite the extreme poverty, Malawians are of the friendliest people I have seen anywhere, earning the nation the title, “The warm heart of Africa.” While poverty is a major challenge no matter what you plan to do, it is also true that the greatest obstacles contain the greatest potential. This describes Malawi.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor…” Luke 4:18
Jesus has the poor in mind; the first thing that He mentioned when He announced His ministry, was to preach the gospel to the poor. The commission to take the gospel to the nations is still valid, as is the anointing to preach the gospel to the poor.
It was my privilege to teach in different churches during my visit there. After each teaching session we gave an opportunity for questions, and every time I was surprised at the depth of the questions and the discussions that followed. This is truly a hungry people!
It is hard for us who live in developed countries to grasp the grip that poverty has on the lives of people. It is a demonic force that destroys hope, eliminates potential and steals opportunities from people who have the ability to make valuable contributions to life. Poverty is such an offensive thing to see.
Considering our calling as a teaching ministry, we cannot back away from the challenges that we face. The truth of the Word has the ability to destroy the yoke of poverty that presses down on the people of Malawi, so we are compelled to go in there and establish ourselves as a force to shine the light of the gospel as in a dark place. Working with a local pastor, we agreed to install a branch of WordWise Word School from where we will be able to reach out across the country and train men and women for the work of the ministry.
English is understood by many who live in cities, but not in rural areas. This means our curriculum will have to be translated in the local language spoken by most, which is a monumental task, but our coworker is willing to do it. He is also willing to dedicate a room in his church to be used as a classroom, which is the most effective way to train people that can train others also. This is where we can make a difference: we need some help to equip the classroom with the necessary furniture and computers where students can do their homework as most people there do not have computers.
The Christians in Malawi are eager to learn, and do what they can to make it possible, but with the level of poverty it will take years to equip a simple classroom.
It has never been a habit of mine to ask for donations. God has faithfully provided in our needs as a ministry for over 22 years now, but since this is such a pressing matter, may I ask that you consider sharing in this work as you may be able to afford? If we all stand together we can make this happen very easily. Let’s extend the fruit that this ministry has borne in so many lives to those who now so desperately need it.
All donations made for this purpose will be used as intended – no one gets a salary from WordWise, and our administration costs are limited to stationary and postage as our only purpose is to take the Word to the world.
Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back – given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity. Luke 6:38 – The Message
Contributions can be sent to: WordWise Word School, P.O. Box 4374 Williams Lake, BC V2G 2V4 Canada
Email transfers can be sent to: johan@wordwisenetwork.com
PayPal can also be used
*Canadians who make donations receive a tax receipt at the end of the year
WordWise Word School, Inc. is a charity registered with Canada revenue Agency.
