Our Journey

At Mpenya Circuit Revival last Saturday

The United Methodist Women in Malawi are engaged in Bible Study, prayer and worship within their local churches, circuits and the conference at large. In local churches they are not only responsible for the ministry and administration of UMW projects and events but women are also taking leadership in the wider church as well, serving as Finance Chairs and Lay Leaders. In addition, women are starting and managing agriculture projects, nursery schools, literacy training. Many women work as stay-at-home mothers, but many are also working outside the home as teachers and nurses.

Asking the pastor's wife, Amayi Kambona, about the agriculture project

But as much as women are doing, as much responsibility as they take in the life of the UMW and the Malawi UMC, their daily needs are still quite basic. They need to know how to grow vegetables and how to cook them for a healthy and balanced diet, how to mend their family’s clothes, and how to keep their family clean and healthy. Their daily life is consumed with survival. Any service they provide to the church and any extra effort they give to ministry is ultimately rewarding, but also sacrificial.

The words of encouragement, prayers, and contributions made by the United Methodist Women Circles at Belmont provide immeasurable support and strength for their journeys as women and as disciples of Jesus Christ. The messages, letters and gifts of sewing kits, bags and lapel pins remind them that they are a part of something much larger than the small gathering they participate in each week. They provide a vision of possibilities and the means to make those visions reality.

The United Methodist Women of Malawi are blazing new trails, taking reponsibilty for the health of their families, asking for respect and mutuality in their marriages, and going before pastors and village chiefs to ask for land to create farms and host nursery schools. The contributions of Belmont may seem small, but they are tangible signs of God’s grace and presence in their midst.

The future of the partnership holds exciting possibilities and concrete projects the two organizations can work on together. This collaboration can be strengthened by increased depth of relationship and personal knowledge of one another. This may take the form of partnerships between Belmont UMW Circles and specific Malawi UMC Circuits, local churches, female pastors or pastor’s wives. This increased intimacy may result in the visit of several Belmont UMW to Malawi.

On a personal note, I have imagined a weekend training event where women from Malawi learn from the women of Belmont about basic sewing and mending and fundamentals of cooking and baking. Together women would share wisdom about the life of a marriage, negotiating relationships with in-laws, and raising children. In my mind’s eye I can envision women of different ages, experiences, and cultures laughing around a table full of needles, thread and fabric patches. Or women listening intently and crying together with flour streaked on cheeks and clothes.

Let us dance and sing

There are innumerable ways that the initial contact made through donations and gifts can grow into a true partnership and mutually beneficial relationships. Please be in prayer with me and the United Methodist Women of Malawi as we all strive to live faithfully as the women and the disciples that Jesus has called us to be.