News

Work continues at a good pace on the new dormitory accommodation at our Saidi site in southern Malawi. We are thankful to share an encouraging progress update as this important project moves forward.

The dormitory and ablutions block will help us host larger and more frequent Bible teaching conferences, supporting believers from across Malawi with residential, in-depth teaching.

Construction Progress on Site

Several key milestones have now been reached:

  • The toilet and shower (ablutions) block has reached ring-beam level. The team has installed the formwork and is now preparing the steel reinforcement ahead of concreting. This stage is especially important in an area prone to minor earth tremors.
  • Brickwork on the first dormitory wing continues to progress well. Local bricklayers are working steadily, and supervision on site remains strong.

We are grateful for the skill, care, and consistency of the local building team.

12 November
19 December

Roofing Plans and Engineering Support

The project did not advance far enough before the Christmas break to place the roof steelwork order with suppliers in South Africa.

However, this is unlikely to cause major delays. A recent roof design adjustment should allow the project to move forward quickly once orders are placed in early January.

We are thankful for the structural engineering input from William Smyth, which has been invaluable during this phase.

Windows, Utilities, and Next Steps

We have now received window quotations from South African suppliers. Once the ring beams are complete, the team will take final measurements and place the order.

During Stephenโ€™s visit to Malawi in February, we plan to install the electrical and water systems. Completing this work on site will help ensure proper coordination and quality control.

Looking Ahead to May

Despite the normal challenges of construction work, especially across borders, we remain very hopeful.

Our aim is to complete one dormitory wing and the toilet/shower block in time for the Bible Teaching Conference in May. Reaching this goal would significantly increase our capacity to host residential teaching events at Saidi.

Thank You for Your Support

Thank you to everyone who continues to pray, give, and stand with us. Your support makes this work possible and helps provide facilities that will serve the Lordโ€™s work in Malawi for many years to come.

We look forward to sharing further updates as construction enters its next phase.

Gallery: Some of the Building Team

Weโ€™re excited to share the latest developments on our dormitory construction projectโ€”a journey made possible by the generosity of our donors and the dedication of our team on the ground.

Laying the Foundations for Change

This summer, our team began the groundwork for the new dormitory. While initial site preparation required extra levelling due to a misunderstanding with the architect, the issue was quickly resolved, allowing us to move forward. Despite delays in cement delivery caused by fuel shortages, we adapted by sourcing an alternative transporter and restocking supplies, ensuring the project stayed on track.

Milestones Achieved

  • Foundations Complete: The foundations for the Ablutions block and dormitory wings are finished. Stephen checked all levels checked and found them to be within excellent tolerances.
  • Concrete Work: The concrete floor slab for the Ablutions block was poured ahead of schedule. Backfill operations for the first Dormitory wing are progressing well.
  • Supervision & Cost Control: Goodson continues to provide excellent supervision and cost control, ensuring every stage of the build meets our standards and budget.

Looking Ahead

  • Brickwork: Construction on the Ablutions block and West Dormitory is set to begin on schedule, with key milestones targeted for January.
  • Conference Readiness: Our focus is on completing the Ablutions block and West Dormitory in time for the May 2026 conference, with further work on the East Dormitory and Common Hall planned post-event.

Overcoming Challenges

Early rains have helped with compaction and will help concrete curing, but we remain vigilant as weather could impact the schedule. Water for construction will soon be supplied by a temporary pumping solution, replacing manual carrying. Weโ€™ve also invested in a new diesel-operated concrete mixer, allowing two teams to work simultaneously and providing resilience against fuel shortages. (One mixer is petrol-operated, the other diesel.)

Although we incurred unplanned expenditure with the site leveling, we have managed to mitigate some costs by negotiating good exchange rates for funds brought into the country.

Site levelling Delayed us
Goodson checking levels
Stocking up on Cement
Rain stopped play
Provision of Temporary Water Solution

Partnerships & Quality Improvements

A “chance” meeting with a Blantyre businessman has opened doors to reliable suppliers for steel and roofing materials in South Africa, promising improved quality at lower cost.

Timeline & Completion

With a detailed building schedule in place, we are confident thatโ€”barring unforeseen delaysโ€”completion by the end of March is realistic, allowing a month for internal finishing before the conference.

Thank you for your continued prayerful and practical support. This brings us closer to providing safe, high-quality accommodation for our conference activities. We look forward to sharing more updates as we progress!

A Foundation for Growth

The long-anticipated dormitory construction project at Saidi is finally taking shape! This new facility will, God willing, provide much-needed living space for Bible training, conferences, and visiting volunteers โ€” strengthening the ministryโ€™s capacity to enlighten, encourage and empower believers across Malawi.

Early Challenges and Unexpected Blessings

As the work began, it quickly became clear that extensive site levelling would be needed before any foundations could be dug.
In Godโ€™s providence, we were able to hire a back-hoe loader and tipper lorry โ€” no small achievement in a country where such machinery is scarce and often out of service.

These machines saved weeks, maybe months, of manual work and allowed the team to prepare the site properly and safely for the buildingโ€™s footprint.

Delays and Determination

Just as things were ready to move forward, Malawi faced a nationwide fuel shortage that delayed the delivery of 600 bags of cement.
When the long-awaited load finally arrived, the team offloaded every single bag by hand โ€” a remarkable picture of perseverance and teamwork.

The foundations, marked carefully by hand and dug with shovels and pickaxes, began to take form soon after.
Our recently arrived petrol-powered cement mixer, sent from Canada earlier this year, has already proven invaluable in easing the heavy labour of mixing concrete under the tropical sun.

Progress so far

Progress and Hope

With most of the foundation trenches complete, the team is now preparing to pour the concrete floors โ€” hopefully during Stephenโ€™s upcoming visit later this month.
This milestone will mark the end of the groundwork phase and open the way for blockwork to begin.

More Than a Building

Each brick and beam represents faith in the Lordโ€™s provision.
The dormitory will serve as a vital step toward expanding SALTโ€™s capacity to train, host and equip Gospel workers who will take the message of Christ throughout Malawi and beyond.

We are profoundly grateful for every person who has prayed, given, or laboured toward this vision.

โ€œExcept the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it.โ€
โ€” Psalm 127 : 1

Please continue to pray for safety, steady progress, and provision as this exciting next phase unfolds. ๐Ÿ™

Pray

Please give thanks and pray as work re-starts on the dormitory construction project at Saidi. We had expected to be much further along at this stage, but an order of 30 Tons of cement was delayed by over a month due to the ongoing economic problems in Malawi. This meant the work of pouring foundations was delayed by several weeks.

Pray for the Lord’s hand in every detail of this project – not least that He will richly bless this step of faith to the spiritual upbuilding of many future Malawian evangelists, elders and Bible teachers.

Pray

Please pray for the project to construct a 80-bed dormitory at Saidi – now underway.

Site clearance and levelling was substantially completed during Stephen’s recent visit, and the architect and builders are marking out the site today (Monday) to begin digging the footings.

We are very enthusiastic as we take this step of faith, as the dormitory will greatly enhance our ability to hold larger and more frequent Bible teaching events.

Pray for Jackson (Architect) and Goodson, who has the burden of responsibility to oversee the construction team.

(You can read about the project here.)

Things really began to move at pace when the tipper arrived on Thursday morning. That was until the digger got a puncture at lunch time – 3 hours lost!

How do you move 2500 tons of earth? One bucket-load at a time.

It would be lovely to have the luxury for heavy earth-moving equipment. But we have to make do with what’s available locally. We are so thankful to have been able to source a CAT Loading shovel for hire. Otherwise we would have had no alternative but just build up an unsightly 1.5m foundation on one side.

Progress is slow. But it’s progress, and for that we praise the Lord!

Always expect the unexpected!

We didn’t expect the topographical info of the site to be inaccuracte – but it was. So, whereas I expected we would be pouring the footings for the Hostel Project by now, we are just starting to level the ground, having searched for quite a few days for an available digger at a reasonable price.

It’s exciting to start shifting earth – even if a fair amount of it was going up in the air. The ground is very dry and dusty, as you can see.

Thanks for your prayers and practical support.

Weโ€™re pleased to share continued progress across several ministry areas throughout May. Here’s a summary of recent developments from our team in Malawi.

Children’s Ministry

Encouraging momentum continues in the Children’s Work. Over 200 children attend weekly Saturday and Sunday classes. A new book has been introduced, and school packs are being used to reward regular attendance and outstanding work. Anna has resumed travelling to distribute and train others in using Nthawi ya Baibulo (NYB)โ€”a Gospel-focused Bible study resource for young people, designed to help them understand and apply the message of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Saidi Assembly: Baptisms Ahead

Several believers have requested baptismโ€”a heartening indication of growing faith and commitment among the local assembly. Please keep them in prayer as they prepare to take this public step of obedience.

Translation and Publications

Our translation and publication efforts continue steadily. Gibson, our principal translator, has completed one more additional Emmaus Bible course and is now working on two more. Anna is revising and formatting previously developed courses in preparation for print. New tracts are currently in the design phase, and weโ€™ve secured a designer to create updated covers for the Emmaus series.

We are excited to share a preview of some of the new Chichewa Emmaus Booklets we are about to publish.

Building Progress

Work on the perimeter wall has been completed. Meanwhile, construction of the new warehouse building has moved into the plastering phaseโ€”a significant step toward completion. We are waiting on roller shutter doors arriving from the UK for this and the Garage / Workshop which is also nearly finished.

Looking ahead, we are beginning preparations for a major new project: the construction of dormitory accommodation. This facility will greatly enhance our ability to host participants during next yearโ€™s Bible teaching conference. Planning and groundwork will take place over the coming months, and we value your prayers for this important development.

Vehicles Update

The Mitsubishi Canter truck has been returned to the premises. However, the ministry still requires an additional vehicleโ€”not only to support our growing outreach efforts, but also to assist with transporting materials for the ongoing building projects, including the upcoming dormitory construction.

Security Update

A new security system has been installed and is now fully operational. It is specifically designed to monitor the guardsโ€™ hourly patrols and ensure they remain active throughout the nightโ€”helping prevent lapses in vigilance such as sleeping during duty hours. Following training, the guards have become confident in using the system, and it is delivering the intended results.

Conclusion

We remain deeply grateful for the Lordโ€™s provision and the continued support of those who stand with us. Your prayers and generosity empower SALT to Enlighten, Encourage, and Empower lives through Gospel-centred ministry in Malawi.

ENLIGHTEN | ENCOURAGE | EMPOWER

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