Anna says: I am thankful for safety and strength over many miles traveled and during four training sessions this week!
Please pray the Lord may continue to give help during the remainder of the ‘training season’.
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.
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.
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:
The largest single recipient is the Evangelical Baptist Church of Malawi, which received over 1,200 booklets.
“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.”
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:
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:
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.
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.
Although it was a great success on many levels, we felt our recent Conference did not reach its full potential. This was due to our inability to provide sleeping accommodation on-site for more than a handful of those attending.
We had to squeeze most of the 100 or so who came into a rest-house we had block-booked for the purpose. The standard wasn’t great, and they had to walk 2Km each way for meals and the meetings. Renting the rest-house was a further expense for us (in addition to the help given with travelling expenses). It was also a considerable inconvenience for those attending the conference.
Furthermore, we couldn’t use the evenings together as the brothers had to return to their lodgings before dark (around 6pm). Equally important, we could not invite their wives which is a severe long-term limitation to the development of the work.
The Msasa is great for children’s work and various other activities, but not really suitable for this purpose. Nor is it particulary suitable for the assembly which has been planted since it was built. Accordingly, although we had been considering building a more suitable meeting place, the need for dormitory accommodation is now clearly the priority.
Therefore, as the Lord provides, over the next year, we would like to build 2 simple, 40 bed hostels. This will give us the capacity to accommodate about 80% of the people who attended this year’s conference. If we are able, we would like to double that capacity the following year. This is still less than half the number we would like to invite but will be pushing the Msasa to the limit of its capacity.
In the meantime, we will still need to make some modifications to the Msasa. Presently it is completely open and gets cold and windy in the winter months. The openings have been covered with mpasa – grass bedding mats – to give some shade, and reduce the wind. However, recently it has also become noisy with the proliferation of motorcycle taxis on the adjacent road . When the Lord makes it possible for us to build a larger meeting place, then we will consider adding further dormitory accommodation.
Please pray for this important project. It will involve considerable outlay and a step of faith for us. Nevertheless, we see it as a real long-term investment in the work. If you would like to support this initiative financially, please feel free to contact us for further information.
Here’s a small selection of some of the singing from our 2025 Conference – there were a lot of joyful moments but sadly the recording doesn’t really do it justice.
As we look ahead to the future of SALT, we are excited to gather for our Trustee Planning and Development Workshop at Roe Park Resort. This strategic event will bring together UK Trustees, key volunteers, and, hopefully, one or two representatives from the Malawi Board. This workshop will serve as a crucial time of reflection, planning, and collaboration as we chart the path for the next phase of the work.
The workshop will span several days, filled with prayer, discussions, and strategic planning sessions. The agenda is designed to assess our progress, refine our vision, and strengthen our governance structure. Key topics include:
This gathering is more than just a series of meetings; it is an opportunity to renew our commitment to SALT’s mission and strengthen the bonds among our team members. With representatives from both the UK and Malawi, we aim to foster a shared vision that ensures long-term sustainability and effectiveness in our work.
We look forward to fruitful discussions, meaningful connections, and a renewed sense of purpose as we move forward together. Stay tuned for updates from the workshop! And please pray that the time will for the blessing of the work, and for the glory of God!
Anna writes: “Please continue to pray for the approval of my permit (going on a year now) and Harold’s passport. I’m hoping to visit immigration when in Lilongwe this week, but I think ultimately the Lord needs to intervene.”
We are pleased to inform that we have added two venues to our itinerary. You now have four to choose from, so hopefully you will find one near you!
These events should be excellent opportunities to meet key representatives of the Lord’s work in Malawi. We believe you will be encouraged to learn what the Lord has been doing, and better informed as you continue in prayer for us.
Registration is essential to help us with planning. Please click here and choose the venue which suits you.
We are delighted to invite SALT supporters in Northern Ireland to either of our Open Nights, planned for 9th & 10th April in Limavady & Lisburn respectively.
God willing, we are looking forward to Harold Makawa and Anna Vallance joining us from Malawi, as well as some of the other volunteers who work behind the scenes to make possible so many aspects of what SALT does.
This should be a great opportunity to meet the Trustees and hear first-hand updates from some of those working “on-the-ground”. We believe you will be encouraged to learn what the Lord has been doing, and will be enabled to pray more intelligently for the work and workers.
The evening will include:
These events are free to all, however we kindly ask you to help us with planning by registering for the even of your choice.
We are super-excited that the container with the Nthawi ya Baibulo (BibleTime) lessons and other literature is due to arrive in Thondwe today. As you give thanks for this, pray for safe arrival of the other 2 containers which are still en route and pray that the Lord will greatly use these resources for the blessing of many young people in Malawi.
