Mission Moments: Malawi

Disciples trained to make disciples

By Gary Fallesen, founding president, Climbing For Christ

Mulanje Massif Chapter graduating Class of 2019 with Damson Samson (right).

Twenty-one guides and porters from the Mulanje Massif in southern Malawi graduated from our year-long disciple-making training on Aug. 21. Seven of our brothers in Christ were working on the mountain and could not attend the graduation ceremony.

This training – started with the guides and porters in our Kilimanjaro Chapter in Tanzania – is based on resources provided by The Timothy Initiative ministry. Damson Samson, who serves the Lord on the staff of Climbing For Christ, is the first to use TTI resources in Malawi’s Chichewa language.

Damson and I began teaching our Mulanje Massif Chapter while climbing the mountains on Mission: Malawi 2018. One year later, after five two-to-three-day gatherings, Damson taught the final lesson and prepared those who qualified for graduation.

“Before the beginning (of the final meeting), I was hurried to share a wakeup call,” Damson said. “This is where I was sharing with them about the choice of God. I told them that sometimes we get worried with issues, but the choice of God remains.

“Looking at them, I said, ‘You are the choice of God. Do not underrate yourself but come in and take this that you have been given by His grace. Take your part of God’s plan in sharing the Gospel to those in the mountain. You have been chosen for the Great Commission to GO and reach those in the mountains.’”

Wells Mission, the first guide we met during Climbing For Christ’s inaugural mission to Malawi in 2010 and a co-leader of the chapter, confessed how he would leave chapter meetings when they began in 2016 and get high smoking marijuana. “Now my life has completely changed through these trainings,” he told the other chapter members. Damson added that the pastor at Wells’ church sees a new man – “He gives us hope comparing to the past life he was in.”

Samson Khalani, another chapter leader, told his brothers in Christ he was thankful for the training. “The results have started affecting many in the community and outside Malawi,” he said.

David Chithyoka shares during training, above. Below, (left to right) Damson Samson, Mission Wells and Samson Khalani present the certificate of completing Year One of the TTI study to Bizweck Muhango and others.

The TTI study, focused on being a disciple-making disciple of Jesus as well as a church planter, has helped us teach guides and porters how to witness to the world on and off Mulanje Massif. Chapter training will continue in the year ahead with another group studying the first-year program and this graduating class both helping to teach and learning more in a second-year DMD study.

In my message to the graduating class, taken from our TTI study, I wrote:

You have received well-rounded training. God now calls you to multiply even more what you have learned and invest your life; invest in others by making disciples who make disciples. You make disciples by GO-ing, by reaching out to those without Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and God, winning them to Christ under the power of the Holy Spirit and then baptizing them. At that point their new life starts by you and others teaching them all that Jesus commanded in HIS Word.

“Jesus came and told his disciples, ‘I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.  Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’” – Matthew 28:18-20 (NLT)

This will take a lifetime … a lifetime where HE will be with you always.

Mulanje Massif Chapter in prayer.

We rejoice in the graduation of John Ben, Rescue Chapola, Evance Chimalilo, David Chithyoka, Macdonald Filipo, Abraham James, Samson Khalani, Peter Kolokombe, John Lyson, Fyson Macheso, Wells Mission, John Mollen, Paul Mpaha, Bizweck Muhango, Sidreck Mulaviwa, Samson Muthema, Dickson Ngunda, Yamikani Phillipo, Philbert Sangwa, Samson Seleman, and Landson Story. Well done, good and faithful servants! 

The Word

“You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.” – 2 Timothy 2:2 (NLT)