News

We’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)—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 baptism—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 we’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 phase—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 year’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 vehicle—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 guards’ hourly patrols and ensure they remain active throughout the night—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 Lord’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.

Nthawi ya Baibulo Bibletime booklets are transforming children’s ministry in Malawi, where thousands of students are engaging with the Bible in their own language—Chichewa. With over 122,000 booklets delivered and more than 10,000 students already involved, 2025 is shaping up to be a significant year for Christian education in the region.

A Shortage of Biblical Resources in Chichewa

There is a growing demand in Malawi for biblical teaching materials for children—especially those written in the local language. The Bibletime series fills a gap where few other resources exist. Following the arrival of a large shipment of “A Series” booklets in late 2024, the materials have been widely distributed to churches, schools, and community groups.

Training and Distribution Across Malawi

NYB Training
NYB Training

Between January and March 2025, seven Bibletime training sessions were held across the Southern and Central regions of Malawi. A total of 165 teachers were trained, equipping them to use the booklets effectively in their local settings. An additional 17 training sessions are already scheduled, and interest continues to grow.

Currently, NYB Bibletime is being used in:

  • Over 100 churches from 43 different denominations
  • Five schools
  • Both urban and rural communities

The largest single recipient is the Evangelical Baptist Church of Malawi, which received over 1,200 booklets.

Encouraging Testimonies from the Field

“It was the first time they had learned there were different days of creation,” reported Levi, a teacher at a small private school. This basic truth was new to many of his students—a reflection of the lack of foundational Bible knowledge, even in traditionally Christian regions.

Clifford from CCAP (Church of Central Africa Presbyterian) shared a video of children joyfully working through the booklets. He said, “Look, the kids are really happy with the books and are learning their verses. Now many kids are able to learn the word of God.”

Looking Ahead: Bibletime in Local Schools

As schools resume in September 2025, we plan to introduce Bibletime into the schools we regularly visit. We are hoping to involved local believers from the assembly in this work. Meanwhile, we will also be engaged in:

  • Ongoing training and mentorship
  • Follow-up sessions for teachers and churches using A1–A6
  • Expansion into new communities and school partnerships

Challenges and Prayer Requests

The demand for Bibletime materials is increasing rapidly. While this growth is exciting, it also brings challenges. The team in Malawi is seeking to roll out the programme in a sustainable and orderly way. There is also a vision to see trained volunteers begin training others—a key step toward long-term sustainability.

Please pray for:

  • Wisdom and grace as new training requests come in
  • Sustainability of the growing network
  • Opportunities to reach more schools and churches with the gospel

Why NYB Bibletime Matters

Bibletime isn’t just another workbook. It is a strategic tool for biblical literacy, discipleship, and evangelism in Malawi. As more children engage with the Scriptures, the long-term spiritual impact could be significant—for families, communities, and future generations.

Want to learn more or get involved?
Visit our Bibletime resource page or contact us to support this growing ministry.

NYB Training at Saidi
Children using the NYB Materials
Teaching with NYB
Training Session

Pray

As Anna asks us to give thanks for “A very profitable and smooth conference” she also requests prayer “for the next few weeks, which will be pretty busy with training sessions. Pray for stamina, wisdom and guidance. Pray for the teachers to have hearts that are willing to learn. And, most of all, pray for the Nthawi ya Baibulo (Bibletime) books to be used to bring many to Christ.”

Note: There is great and growing interest in NYB across the country, but we are anxious that the resources be used wisely and carefully. Consequently, each prospective NYB group leader has to undergo training prior to receiving the materials. Read more here.

Pray

Pray for the kid’s camp at Dzaleka this week: 29 July – 1 Aug. Some of the older girls from Saidi will be joining Anna.

In previous years the camp has taken place around Christmas, but we are experimenting with alternative dates this year. Hopefully the cooler temperatures and fewer mosquitoes will be a little less troublesome.

Pray for Anna as travel to & from Dzaleka, for health, stamina & safety during the week.

Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend a conference hosted by Bible Educational Services (BES) in Enniskillen, Northern Ireland. It was tremendously encouraging and energizing to connect with people from all over the world who are involved in similar ministries.

Perhaps one of the most impactful things was meeting the woman who started it all! To think that it started with one woman posting lessons to one student and now today the curriculum is being used in over 80 countries and in 45 languages! Wendy Gray and her husband, Bert, and another older couple who have been involved in children’s work for decades, Stephen and Jean Gillham were both an inspiration and a challenge to me. Results are not often seen immediately in children’s work, but these couples reminded me that preserving and trusting the Lord to bless will result in fruit for His glory!

Results are not often seen immediately in children’s work, but these couples reminded me that preserving and trusting the Lord to bless will result in fruit for His glory!

Left to right: Wendy Gray and her husband, Bert, stand with Stephen and Jean Gillham (Image credit: Bible Educational Services)

I was also encouraged by the testimony of several of the delegates who were saved as children. One was taught the word of God while he was a child at a Sunday school. Though not from a Christian background, what he had learned as a child stuck with him and was used to bring him to salvation as a young adult. Another woman, also not from a Christian background, came to know about the Lord through children’s work, eventually accepting Christ at a Bible camp. These testimonies were a reminder of the importance of sharing the gospel with children and have bolstered my faith as I pray for God’s word to do a work in the hearts of the children we have come to know and love here in Malawi. Let us pray that this will indeed be the case!

Another takeaway was the importance of working with others. This is not a work that can be done single-handedly! Sessions on cooperation with coworkers got me thinking about how we can partner well with others to reach as many children as possible. It is something that needs much prayer and consideration. We want the work to be sustainable, i.e. not dependent on us. Please pray that the Lord will give clear direction from the start as to how we can best partner with others in a way that encourages this.

…more than ever we need to be in prayer for the Lord’s direction and blessing.

Overall, I was inspired and revitalized by spending a week in the presence of so many men and women who are giving their lives for the sake of sharing the gospel with children. What a privilege we have to tell the next generation about our God and Savior! What a responsibility! As we anticipate the launch of Bibletime in Malawi and look forward to training and distributing to others – more than ever we need to be in prayer for the Lord’s direction and blessing. It is, after all, His work, and He knows best how it should be done. Please pray with us that we will have a clear sense of His purposes for us and this resource in the coming months, so it can be used to reach thousands – perhaps millions – of children in this country who desperately need a Savior.

Here’s what Harold had to say about why schools ministry matters to him:

Why do school visits matter?  

Schools matter a lot to me for two reasons…

First, this is the time when you meet students who are starting to mature. They don’t have much knowledge about salvation or the Bible. But they have open hearts to receive the gospel.

The second thing is that many of these students do not have the background of the gospel in their homes. And so, when you preach to the students, it’s like you’re giving them the gospel for the first time. And you can see how the gospel is accepted in schools and appreciated by the students… people who are coming from different backgrounds… they all have the opportunity to hear the gospel.  

Harold (L) stands with the headteacher (R) and students after distributing gospel calendars and exercise books

When did you start visiting schools?

Immediately after I got saved, in 1998, I felt that God wanted me to concentrate on going to schools and preaching the gospel. So, when I completed my secondary school in 1999, I started visiting schools and preaching the gospel. It has been like that partly, I think, because I was saved when I was at secondary school.

What’s your favourite thing about school visits? 

My favourite thing about school visits is that it’s a place of open doors for the gospel… Sometimes when you go to the markets, others may want to sit down and listen, but others may not. But it’s different when you go to a school, everybody sits down and they listen.

Any favourite memories? 

I’ve got so many memories about school visits, but one of the prominent things that comes to mind is the team in 2022 when we were visiting schools around Thondwe and Zomba. I have very good memories about how the gospel was dramatized and how everybody was able to contribute… it was presented in such a simple yet beautiful and lovely way.

Malawi Gospel Outreach (MGO) team perform the parable of the lost son for students

Is there any feedback you’ve received? 

I have received feedback from many students… in various schools. Good feedback like “I am from a Muslim background, but I would like to learn more about the Bible. Would you please help me and we develop some kind of relationship and we talk about the Lord?” And this has been so encouraging. Sometimes they just drop a message in my phone and say, “I come from a Muslim background. I received the gospel when you came to preach at our school. I’m not allowed to go to church, but I’m so happy that you came. I was able to hear what the gospel means”. Also… in towns and various places, some people have stopped me and said… “You came to our school at such and such a time… you were preaching to us with the white people that came.” So it’s just fantastic to see how the students in schools remember things – sometimes you even forget… and they’re able to remind you of some of the verses that were used.

Anna and Harold speak to secondary school students

“I come from a Muslim background. I received the gospel when you came to preach at our school. I’m not allowed to go to church, but I’m so happy that you came. I was able to hear what the gospel means”

What can people be praying for? 

Schools are one of the best places to spread the gospel. And the Lord has actually opened such opportunities here in Malawi that whenever you go to schools, you are able to preach not just to the students, but also to the teachers. And one of the things that folks can be praying for is that in the course of time the Lord will be able to raise people, the teachers, that would be able to help in the Bible clubs in schools with sound gospel and that the Lord will continue to keep the door open… because there are some places, some countries where you cannot preach in schools… And that while the door is still open, that the Lord will also raise people so that the open door can be utilized. In my understanding, when I visit the schools, I always feel inadequate because I very much feel that with such open doors they’re just a few people who are taking advantage to preach to the students. So, it’s like open doors that are never fully utilized because the labourers are few.

—

Learn more about children and youth ministry

Are you from North America and interested in supporting the work in schools? Learn more here.

Anna shares progress on the Bible Time Chichewa Translation Project

Recorded October 2023

Transcript

We’re continuing with translation and revision of the Bible time curriculum and we’ve just about completed the first year. We need to do some revisions now. We’ve been testing it out with the kids here and found some activities work some don’t.

We’re also about halfway through the second year’s worth of material.

There’s still some things that need to be tweaked and adjusted but overall I see it has a lot of potential for use in teaching children the gospel.

So I think it’s a good tool that can be really useful in reaching children throughout Malawi.

Pray for continued help with the translation and revision and just wisdom and direction to know how to take this area of the work forward.

Read More

Edward reports on an impending crisis which threatens the existence of the Street Kids feeding centre in Lilongwe.

SALT gives regular financial support, but does not actively run the feeding centre in Lilongwe. They do an amazing work feeding street kids and other very vulnerable people who would otherwise starve.

Please remember this situation in prayer.

Transcript

Greetings to all of you friends and partners of Divine Touch Youth Foundation in Malawi, where we feed the children – those that are street kids, the mammas that goes around in town begging and those that are vulnerable. So our main aim is that we always do this in order to show them the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So, we got this is an opportunity that as we are feeding them, we should also be preaching the Word of God to them. Mchesi has been an area where a lot of prostitution drug addicts and a lot of alcoholism has been taking place.

I would like to appreciate the kind gesture that SALT has been doing. SALT has been blessing us  a lot, have been sending us funds that have been helping us in many ways to keep this running. So, we’d like to thank you all the members of SALT, wherever you are it’s been a privilege that we have you as partners as friends

We just have finished the feeding – all these few people you can see them around means that you are finishing the feeding

We have got a need this year. We’ve got a challenge. We always have got corn but as I’m talking right now, the corn that we had last year is the one that we are finishing this month, that will mean we will not have any corn any more.

So looking at how much corn we normally use five hundred bags and that caters for the whole year and those who normally purchase them for us they told us that they have been having difficulties to have funds that they can be able to buy corn as well as beans that can cater for the whole year

So we are saying this so that you can take note of and you can be praying for us because we know that if we don’t have corn this year, then that will mean that the feeding center needs to be shut off, and that will mean that all the people we’ve been helping and feeding and people have been preaching to they will never have any chance to come and get food here.

But that will mean that they will starve because whatever meal they get here whether once a day, it helps them. It sustains them.

God bless you.

Take note that we always appreciate. Thank you so much. We wish you all the best. Thank you for.

Yes – “Give Thanks: The Nthawi ya Baibulo (Bibletime) books have arrived” from the printer.

Anna adds:

PRAYER REQUEST

Please pray for the five groups including us who will be using the curriculum, for help to get comfortable and use it prayerfully to ground children in the truth of the gospel.

Note: This is a very significant moment for the team who have been involved in the painstaking work of translation for well over a year now. This is Year 1 of 3. The experience gained from this should enable the process to go more smoothly in the future as the next two years’ material is translated.

ENLIGHTEN | ENCOURAGE | EMPOWER

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