News

From literature distribution to children’s classes and the start of our hostel foundations — the past month has been one of steady progress and thankful hearts across the work in Malawi.

Supplying Literature Distributors

📖 Gospel Literature: Reaching 50,000 Souls with God’s Word

Over 50,000 Gospel tracts were distributed across Malawi this month.

Each one represents a small but powerful opportunity for someone to encounter God’s Word — in villages, marketplaces, schools, and homes.

Please continue to pray that these simple printed messages will reach searching hearts and change lives for eternity.

👧 Children’s Work at Saidi

Grading children’s lessons

Classes have begun again at Saidi, with a strong group of children — both returning and new. Anna is mentoring local ladies to take a more active role in teaching this year. Investing in these women helps ensure the ministry continues to grow and multiply, rooted in the Word of God.

🏫 Schools Ministry

The schools team resumed visits this term, beginning on 2 October. Their focus is on revisiting schools already engaged to strengthen relationships and distribute new school packs. They’re also prayerfully identifying a few schools to begin Bible Clubs, laying a foundation for deeper teaching and discipleship among pupils and teachers alike.

🔒 Prison Outreach

Brother Brian visited Zomba Elderly Prison and Domasi Young Offenders Prison, supplying literature and sharing the Gospel. We’re grateful for these open doors and for the privilege of reaching those who might otherwise never hear the Good News. Pray that God’s Word will bring freedom and transformation in many hearts.

Distributing Prison Packs
Building Hostel Foundations
The new (to us) Cement Mixer has been a help

🧱 Buildings & Premises

Work has begun on the new hostel foundations at Saidi — an exciting milestone that marks the start of a long-prayed-for project. Progress has also continued with practical improvements around the site: cabinets installed in the printing room, and new kitchen sinks fitted in the library, guesthouse, and office. Each of these steps strengthens the infrastructure that supports all other areas of ministry.

Health & Safety Training

🧍‍♂️ Staff & Safety

Two new night-guards were recruited on a temporary basis to fill vacant posts, ensuring the site remains well protected. Anna also organised a Health and Safety training session for all staff, continuing our commitment to responsible management and care for our team.

🚢 Literature & Prison Hygiene Packs from Northern Ireland

We also give thanks for a major consignment of Gospel literature and Prison Hygiene Packs recently shipped from Northern Ireland. The container, prepared in partnership with Revival Movement and local assemblies, carries millions of Gospel tracts, calendars, and other evangelistic materials — together with hygiene packs for use in Malawi’s prisons. These will soon be distributed through our team and volunteers, meeting both spiritual and practical needs among some of the most forgotten people in society. We’re deeply grateful to all who helped pack, pray, and provide for this shipment — every box is a testimony of God’s love in action.

🙏 A Word of Thanks

As we look ahead to the rest of October, we’re especially grateful for God’s provision — in people, resources, and opportunities. Please continue to pray for the work at Saidi and across Malawi, that every activity will serve the greater purpose of making Christ known.

“Unless the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain that build it.” — Psalm 127:1

🕊️ Thank you for praying, giving, and standing with us.
Your partnership helps us enlighten, encourage, and empower communities across Southern Africa.

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💛 Support the work: https://saltrust.org/how-to-support-salt/

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 — strengthening the ministry’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 God’s providence, we were able to hire a back-hoe loader and tipper lorry — 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 building’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 — 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 — hopefully during Stephen’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 Lord’s provision.
The dormitory will serve as a vital step toward expanding SALT’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.

“Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it.”
— Psalm 127 : 1

Please continue to pray for safety, steady progress, and provision as this exciting next phase unfolds. 🙏

We’re glad to share the latest edition of SALTbites, our regular newsletter bringing encouragement and updates from the work of Southern Africa Literature Trust in Malawi.

We trust these reports will encourage you to pray, give thanks, and continue standing with us in the Gospel.

Click the link below to download a copy.

Saltbites 2025-07-pages-loresDownload

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.

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.

April and May have been hugely significant months.

After much anticipation, we came together for a time of fellowship, prayer, team-building and planning. Following several challenging years, this gave us an opportunity to reflect on the past and renew future plans. The investment of time yielded much more than expected, and we thank the Lord for graciously giving us the opportunity.

Sharing about the work

Immediately after the trustees’ workshop, we had a series of 4 “Open Days” in different locations around the UK. Although attendance was modest, all who came agreed that these provided invaluable opportunities to meet the frontline workers, and learn about the work.

From our point of view, Anna and Harold, representing the team in Malawi, both remarked how encouraging it was to meet some of those who support the work practically and in prayer. We will definitely consider running more Open Days in other locations, Lord willing. (We did note with sadness how few younger people seem to have an interest in the Lord’s work! A cause for concern, and much prayer.)

This was Harold’s first time out of Africa. Although somewhat hampered by a heavy Irish cold, he still enjoyed the fellowship of believers and seeing a very different part of the world. For him, a big highlight was visiting the David Livingstone birthplace in Blantyre (Scotland), after which his hometown is named. Anna enjoyed some hiking in Scotland, the land of (some of) her ancestors and a weekend in England where her dad was speaking at the Bicester conference.

NYB Training Videos

While in N. Ireland, Harold spent a day recording Chichewa training videos for Nthawi ya Baibulo (Bibletime) teachers. We hope this will make it possible to multiply the reach of NYB without proportionately multiplying the work involved. We were so grateful that the Lord gave Harold the health and strength required.

2025 Annual Conference a great blessing

We are so thankful that Harold’s cold and cough cleared up in time for our 2025 Annual Conference. Particularly as the conference had been extended to include a second week of teaching. His role as translator for the visiting speakers is a vital one, for which the Lord has really gifted him. (But that’s another story!)

Over the two weeks, we were joined by a total of around 100 brothers from various parts Malawi. Some came from as far as Mzuzu (Northern Region), a distance of around 700Km. At least one brother came from Mozambique. Economic conditions in Malawi are so difficult we had to help cover almost all the attendees’ travel expenses. As you can imagine, this amounted to quite a considerable sum.

Sadly, accommodation constraints meant that we had to send around 25 brothers home at the end of the first week. This meant we could invite another 25 to come for the second. The place we rented last year was unavailable, and we had to block book a rest-house at Thondwe trading centre, a 2Km walk away. The standard, frankly, wasn’t great, and some unseasonal heavy rain made this even more challenging. Some slept on the floor of our print-room floor, or the literature storage container.

Crucially important teaching

Notwithstanding the logistical challenges, we had a really wonderful time. During the first week, we made a systematic study of 1 Timothy. We touched many essential topics for those present in their work of evangelism and teaching others. Most have no other opportunity to hear clear teaching of the scriptures. Therefore, the messages on the charge for faithfulness in Christian service, identifying false teachers, the respective roles of brothers and sisters, and the characteristics of godly leadership, were of crucial importance.

During the second (shorter) week, we had 6 sessions aimed at giving a basic dispensational understanding of the Bible. At times, it was almost possible to see the lights coming on in the believers’ minds. They were learning for the first time how the Old and New Testaments fit together in God’s one unified plan. Many had no idea how to reconcile Law and Grace, OT Temple worship and NT worship in the Spirit, or circumcision vs baptism. Some did not properly understand the significance of gathering on the Lord’s Day instead rather than the Sabbath. One evening, Harold said excitedly, “We may get a surprise, brother, when we discover what the Lord has accomplished this week.”

Please pray that it may be so.

The encouragement of the conference reinforced the vision of the workshop. We face the months ahead with renewed commitment. We look to the Lord to bless his work. May he save souls, strengthen believers, and establish still more testimonies for his glory and the blessing of others.

Abale, pempherani ife. Brethren, pray for us.

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

ENLIGHTEN | ENCOURAGE | EMPOWER

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