Third Pastor Training School is Open!
Building on the successful launch of two Pastor Training Schools this year, You Turn is celebrating a third school in 6 Mile, Malawi. Fifteen students met for the first time in November and will follow the Baptist Training Centre for Pastors curriculum used in the other schools. Topics covered in recent months include Old Testament Survey, Bible Study Methods, and the Rules of Interpretation. The Mponela school showed the Jesus Film in a rural village, and all three schools went on a field trip to learn how to maintain a village well.
The students requested prayer for their stability and courage when practicing what they were learning. “We praise the Lord for the church and all donors who have made this to be possible.”
Growing a Garden and Impacting Children’s Lives
Malawi is experiencing food shortages, so our continued ministry to the orphans in our care remains a top priority. The farm-to-table garden at our Mitundu facility is already producing greens as the summer rainy season progresses. Vegetables grown at the Lighthouse offset the increased cost of food in Malawi and provide seasonal income for the village workers who help maintain and harvest the produce. Coordinator Joseph Chioko sent a video greeting to donors in November, saying, “We appreciate everything our donors are doing for You Turn. You are doing a great job! Even though you have never been to Malawi, because you give to the Lighthouses, you are making some lives to change.”
Beyond the opportunities for proper nourishment and improved school attendance, the staff is teaching the children God’s Word and how it applies to their lives. The Lighthouse staff reports that the children share their Gospel learning with their school friends and whatever family they have.
Ongoing Struggles for the Malawian Economy
Over the last few years, Malawi has experienced several currency devaluations and increased inflation. With an inflation rate of over 34% in 2024, coupled with a widespread drought, Malawians are struggling, particularly in the area of food scarcity. Emergency food packets sent by partners like A Child’s Hope, Urbancrest at Lebanon, and World Help are helping families get essential nutrients.
Overshadowed by other world events, Malawi has also been experiencing severe fuel shortages since October, disrupting the economy and agricultural production. You Turn had planned ahead for November food packet distribution and was able to deliver nearly 300 boxes to the Machinga District, where staff hold discipleship training each month. This district contains “…some of the poorest living conditions I have ever seen,” our founder Joe Veal related after his trip in October of this year.
Another currency devaluation is scheduled for December 6, further jeopardizing village families. Please join us in praying for a resolution to these physical problems, affecting Malawians and ministries like You Turn.
While we are wise stewards of the funding our donors have provided through God’s grace, at this time of year, we are planning ahead on how best to “Proclaim, Prepare, and Provide” in 2025 and have those activities fully funded before the end of this year. This fall, we’ve been blessed with a matching gifts campaign and reached 81% as of December 5.
Will you help us get to 100% of the matching fund goal of $125,000? Your year-end contribution of $50 could sponsor an orphan at a Lighthouse for one month. Combined with other donors, a gift of $100 could help restore a broken well and provide a village with safe, clean drinking water. A gift of $500 is enough to deliver 75 boxes of emergency food packets to hungry families. No gift is too small, and every gift is doubled until we reach the goal! Won’t you partner with us in Reaching the Lost People in the Last Places? A link to our Giving page is at the top of this blog.
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